Kevin Willis

High-ranking members of the Democratic Party—including a former President—are reportedly trying to convince a new candidate to challenge Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell next year. Some Democrats are concerned about the potential candidacy of actress Ashley Judd, who has been the subject of intense media speculation lately.

According to a report in Politico, some prominent Democrats are trying to convince Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes to launch a Senate campaign. The 34-year-old Grimes comes from a family with deep connections to Kentucky Democratic Party politics.

The online political journal says former President Bill Clinton met with Grimes for 35 minutes in Owensboro earlier this month, when Clinton was in town for a fundraiser benefitting the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center. Grimes has also reportedly met with officials from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Update at 2:12 p.m.:

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says the U.S. needs to “find a place” for undocumented immigrant workers. The Bowling Green Republican addressed the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, in what many analysts are seeing as another sign that Paul is preparing for a 2016 presidential run.

While he never used the word “citizenship” in his speech, Paul promised to be what he called “part of the solution” on immigration reform, saying the nation needs to create some form of legal status for undocumented immigrants. Addressing his audience, the Kentucky Senator said "if you wish to work, if you wish to live in America, then we will find a place for you.” Paul says his position is a middle ground between amnesty and deportation, saying conservative members of his party must acknowledge the country can’t deport 12 million illegal immigrants.

The remarks are a major reversal of Paul’s earlier positions, which included calls for a constitutional amendment ending birthright citizenship and a proposal to build an underground electric fence along the length of the southern U.S. border.

Former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer is facing 42 charges of ethics violations related to his tenure from 2003-2011. The state’s Executive Branch Ethics Commission returned the charges following a ten-month investigation.

That investigation started when state auditor Adam Edelen issued a report last April accusing Farmer of abusing his office and employees in the Agriculture Department. That report claimed Farmer used workers to take him hunting and shopping, mow his lawn, and even chauffeur his dog.

The Courier-Journal reports the case against the former UK basketball player now goes to a hearing officer who will review the evidence and then make a recommendation to the ethics commission regarding punishment. If the commission ultimately finds Farmer guilty he could face a fine of up to $5,000 per count. Farmer served two terms and Agriculture Commissioner before running unsuccessfully as Lt. Gov. in 2011.

Update at 9:00 a.m.:

The WKU-Kansas game will tip-off at 8:50 p.m. Friday in Kansas City, Mo. The game will be aired on TNT.

Original post:

The WKU Hilltoppers are headed to Kansas City, Mo., to take on the Kansas Jayhawks in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Hilltoppers are the #16 seed in the South Region, and will be a heavy underdog against the Big 12 tournament champion Jayhawks, the region's #1 seed.

The 20-15 Hilltoppers received an automatic bid to the Big Dance after winning the Sun Belt conference championship last week. This will mark WKU's second straight NCAA appearance.

The Hilltoppers won their first-round matchup last season before losing to eventual national champion Kentucky.

The Marion County Lady Knights came into the season hoping to finish what they started last year. They ended up doing that, plus making history.

Marion County beat Notre Dame 52-36 Saturday night to win the 2013 Kentucky girl's high school basketball championship. The Lady Knights were perfect on the season, 39-0, becoming only the third girl's team in state history to go a season without a loss.

The Lady Knights were open all season about their goal: to win the state title after losing in the championship matchup last year to Louisville DuPont Manual.

Miss Basketball finalist Makayla Epps was named Sweet 16 MVP, twenty years after her father, Anthony Epps, was named MVP of the boy's Sweet 16. Anthony Epps led Marion County to the 1993 championship and has had a front-row seat to his daughter's exploits, serving as an assistant coach to the Lady Knights.

Saturday night's attendance of 6,259 at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green was a record for a girl's final at WKU.