Kevin Willis

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer said Monday that an industrial hemp bill will get a hearing this week in the House Agriculture Committee.

Comer is a major supporter of industrial hemp, and has enlisted the backing of a bipartisan group of federal and state lawmakers. Comer met Monday with Rep. Tom McKee, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and secured from McKee a promise that Senate Bill 50 will get a committee vote Wednesday.

McKee effectively blocked the bill from progressing last week after he tried to get language added to the measure that would have mandated a study of hemp by University of Kentucky researchers. The move by McKee led to some hard feelings between him and hemp backers, but Comer says his meeting with McKee was a productive one, and that things appear to be smoothed over.

Speaking to WKU Public Radio Monday, Comer said he liked the bill's chances to pass the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday. And he says he's not worried about the face that House Speaker Greg Stumbo opposes the measure.

Kentucky's First Lady says new technology is offering young people new ways to access reading materials. Jane Beshear kicked off the 2013 Literacy Celebration Week Monday at WKU by speaking to an education class about the impact of reading on college readiness.

Mrs. Beshear says it doesn't matter if young people read books the old-fashioned way, or if they use an mobile electronic reader.

"I don't care how they read, as long as they read. We're in the technology age, so that's as engaging as anything. So if that's what it takes to get them involved, then I'm all for it."

After her visit to WKU, the Kentucky First Lady then toured the Housing Authority of Bowling Green to talk about how literacy growth can be incorporated into after-school programs.

Owensboro will be playing host this week to one of the most recognizable faces in Democratic politics. President Bill Clinton is attending a fundraiser to benefit a cause championed by an old friend.

President Clinton will be in Owensboro Wednesday to help raise money for the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center. The fundraiser at the Riverpark Performing Arts Center costs $1,000 a person, and includes a VIP reception with President Clinton and dinner.

In addition to serving as Kentucky Governor, Ford served in the U.S. Senate from 1974 to 1999, and was Democratic Whip the first six years of Clinton’s presidencies.

President Clinton has appeared in Daviess County before: in 2000, he presented an education award to Audubon Elementary School, and he campaigned at Kentucky Wesleyan College in 2008 on behalf of his wife, Hillary Clinton, who was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

Update at 9:00 a.m.:

A Kentucky State Police dispatcher in Elizabethtown told WKU Public Radio all lanes of I-65 southbound in Hardin County have been re-opened following a Saturday morning wreck that involved a tractor trailer.

The tractor trailer lost control and went through a guardrail, striking several vehicles in the process.

There is no word yet on any injuries resulting from the accident.

U.S. Bank plans to expand its mortgage operations in Owensboro, adding a new facility and 332 jobs to its operations in Daviess County.

The bank’s investment, announced Friday afternoon, comes at a time of increased demand for mortgage services in the area, and represents a $15.2 million commitment. U.S. Bank is the fifth-largest bank in the country, and currently has 1,900 employees in Owensboro.

As part of the expansion, U.S. Bank has been given preliminary approval for $2.8 million dollars in tax incentives through the Kentucky Business Investment program.