Regional

Randy Steidl has faced death twice and lived to tell about it. He was released from prison in Illinois in 2004 after spending 17 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. He now travels the country speaking against the death penalty and was a guest on WKU Public Radio's "Morning Edition" this morning to talk about his trial, his more than 6,000 days behind bars, and his life since he regained his freedom.

Fort Knox is dedicating a memorial to a 19-year-old soldier who died in Iraq in 2006 and posthumously received the Medal of Honor. The memorial display in honor of Spc. Ross A. McGinnis will be unveiled and dedicated at the central Kentucky post at 1:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 7.

Southern Coal Corp. is recalling several hundred laid-off miners in Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia and plans to hire 650 new workers.  Roanoke-based Southern Coal announced Tuesday that it has entered into a multi-year contract to supply coal to American Electric Power.  The contract will allow it to re-start mines idled earlier this year and to save 500 jobs.

The University of Louisville has received funding for a program that helps students aspiring to be the first in their families to attend college. U of L said Monday it has received two federal grants totaling $3.3 million to continue its Upward Bound program for another five years.

Kentucky State Police investigators are re-interviewing people about a 21-year-old slaying after turning up new information in the case. Detective Laura Isenberg told The Daily News that technological advances are allowing the probe into the death of 36-year-old Danny Martin Kennedy of Russellville to move forward with evidence collected just after he died.