Regional

Prosectors: Richie Farmer's Wrongdoing Pre-Dates 2008

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:41:49 +0000

Former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer's "unwarranted sense of entitlement" goes beyond what he's been charged with, federal prosecutors said in a court filing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Taylor said in a notice filed in court late Friday that the government intends to introduce testimony and other evidence that Farmer misappropriated and misused public resources before 2008, the last year listed in an indictment.

Because of a five-year statute of limitations, Taylor said Farmer could not be charged with anything that may have happened before 2008.

Farmer is a former University of Kentucky basketball player who was elected agriculture commissioner in 2003 and 2007. He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of misappropriating government funds for the benefit of himself, his family and friends.

Owensboro Police Clearance Rate Above National Average

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:43:44 +0000

Owensboro police reported clearing 77.1% of violent crimes and nearly 39% of property crimes in 2012. Those figures put them above the national averages of 48% for violent crime and 19% for property crimes.

Police chief Art Ealum says the clearance rate comes from the department's efforts to build close ties with the community. Ealum says the city's relatively small size allows patrol officers to interact with the public in a way an officer in a large metro area can't.

In 2012, the department had 101 full-time officers and five reserve officers.

Police Hit the Roads for Memorial Day

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:23:58 +0000

Kentucky law enforcement officers are beginning a week of traffic patrols for the Memorial Day holiday focusing on making sure motorists are wearing seat belts. The 2013 "Click It or Ticket" campaign begins Monday and runs through June 2nd.

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety says Kentucky has an 83% seat belt usage rate. The national rate is 86%. The office says fatalities on Kentucky roadways last year totaled 746, up from 721 in 2011. It says more than half of those killed were not wearing a seat belt.

Drug Task Force Close to Expanding

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:53:16 +0000

A drug task force in south-central Kentucky is on the verge of expanding into a third county.

The Bowling Green daily News reports the Barren-Edmonson County Drug Task Force is poised to add Allen County as a partner. The task force is based in Glasgow and investigates drug crimes in Barren and Edmonson counties.

Task force director Jeff Scruggs says the partnership has received approval from city and county governments in Allen County. The final steps are filing and registering paperwork to officially add the third county to the agency.

Dalai Lama Begins His Visit to Louisville

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:42:44 +0000

The Dalai Lama spoke to about 15,000 people at the KFC Yum Center as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists began his visit.

He spoke for about 40 minutes Sunday and then took questions from the crowd. A line started forming around the arena hours before the speech.

The Dalai Lama started his visit earlier in the day by blessing a temple in suburban Louisville. He handed out prayer scarves at the event and told the crowd there that the temple should be known more as a place of learning than of chanting.