Business

A Hancock County aluminum smelter is warning it might have to shut down its 700-employee operation if it can't negotiate better electric rates. Century Aluminum and power producer Big Rivers Electric Corporation appear to be at an impasse in their efforts to find a solution.

Thousands of 2013 Ford Escape vehicles produced in Kentucky are being recalled by the automaker. The vehicles have carpet that could interfere with breaking, and came off the assembly line between March 8 and June 7.

Business and government leaders say some utility customers in Kentucky have been contacted regarding a phony scheme designed to steal the Social Security numbers of those who participate. Attorney General Jack Conway says victims are told that a new federal bail-out program will pay their utility bills for them, but no such program exists. Conway says the people behind the fraudulent activity are giving out false bank routing numbers in an attempt to get personal information from their victims.