News

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said he'll examine President Obama's just-announced executive orders to see if the president has overstepped his authority — and, if he believes so, will introduce legislation to overturn the orders. 

“Executive orders can be overturned and cannot run afoul of legislation that is the current law, if he tries to create legislation, I will oppose him,” Paul said on Wednesday.

Obama on Wednesday announced 23 executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence, plus a push for new legislation.

Paul made his comments as the president was unveiling his plans, prefacing them by saying he wasn’t sure of all the details.

Paul said he believes if he has to submit legislation to overturn the president, he would win the support of Republicans and Democrats.

New details are emerging from Tuesday's deadly shooting at an eastern Kentucky community college.

A gunman fired into a vehicle, killing a man and a woman and wounding a 12-year-old girl late Tuesday, and police have charged a 21-year-old with murder and attempted murder in the incident, blaming it on a domestic dispute.

The violence in a college parking lot locked down the campus for more than an hour as police searched the two buildings of Hazard Community and Technical College in Hazard, in southeast Kentucky. The campus was closed Wednesday.

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway has sued Spencerian College for allegedly misrepresenting job placement numbers to consumers.

Conway said Wednesday at a news conference in Frankfort that the for-profit school violated the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act by making unfair, false and deceptive statements regarding the hiring rates of its students.

Spencerian operates two Kentucky campuses — one in Lexington and one in Louisville.

Conway says in some cases, Spencerian's advertised rate of job placements was 30 or 40 percent higher than the rates reported to its accreditor.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet lists the following routes closed due to water over the road:

Butler County:

KY 403/Woodbury Loop closed between MM 4-5.

Reed's Ferry (KY 269) and the Rochester Ferry (KY 369) closed due to high water. Both ferries are located in western Butler County.

Edmonson County:

KY 655/Segal Road was closed between MM 3-4. It is now open.

Logan County:

KY 1153/Beechland Road closed between MM 4-5.

Monroe County:

KY 678/Stringtown Road was closed between MM 8-9. It is now open.

Motorists should never attempt to drive through high water. The fast currents of flooding water can easily carry a vehicle off the road. Motorists who encounter a flooded highway should report it to local law enforcement.

Statewide traffic and weather information is available at www.511.ky.gov.

The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence is continuing its series of meetings aimed at improving teacher quality in Kentucky.  A team of experts will focus Wednesday in Frankfort on teacher preparation programs.

The group is scheduled to hear from Deborah Ball, dean of the School of Education at the University of Michigan. It will also hear presentations from the University of Louisville and Asbury University.

The panel is preparing to make recommendations for the 2014 legislative session on new ways to measure teacher effectiveness as part of Kentucky's massive public school reform effort.