Kevin Willis

The price tag for a new downtown convention center in Owensboro now stands at nearly $40 million. The city-county organization overseeing the construction effort has approved the use of $3.5 million in contingency funds for the project.

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor says the money involved in direct judicial elections is corrupting the legal system. At the Kentucky Bar Association’s annual convention in Louisville Wednesday, O’Connor—the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court—told hundreds of lawyers and judges that judicial elections are in direct conflict with the intent of American justice system.

The mayor of Evansville says a sports and entertainment stadium that’s been in use since 1956 needs to go. Lloyd Winnecke believes plans to re-build or reconfigure Roberts Stadium simply aren’t feasible. Instead, the mayor wants Roberts Stadium to become Roberts Park, with picnic areas, bike trails, and a dog park.

Kentucky’s Education Commissioner has been given a four-year contract extension. The state board of education unanimously agreed to award the extension to Terry Holliday, who has been on the job since 2009. The new deal covers the years of 2013 to 2017, and keeps Holliday’s annual salary at $225,000.

Jury duty: some people like it, a lot of people hate it. Regardless of their thoughts on the issue, many of those who are called for jury duty won’t ever take part in a trial. That’s at least partly because—for better or worse—so many cases result in plea bargains that are arranged by the prosecutors and defense attorneys ahead of time.