A federal court ruling has cleared the way for a Kentucky man to get a personalized license plate reading “IM GOD.” 

When Plaintiff Ben Hart relocated to Kentucky in 2016, he applied for a personalized license plate for his vehicle to convey the same message he had on his Ohio-issued license plate.

Hart filed a lawsuit after the Kentucky Division of Motor Vehicles initially refused his request, calling the “IM GOD” message obscene or vulgar.  Later, the state said the plate was rejected because it was “not in good taste,” and could distract other drivers or possibly lead to confrontations.

All county boards of elections in Kentucky will convene Thursday morning to recanvass the results of the governor’s race. 

Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear claimed victory over Governor Matt Bevin in the Nov. 5 election, with unofficial results showing Beshear with a 5,189-vote lead statewide.  Bevin refused to concede the race, citing “irregularities,” which have been unsubstantiated.  

The purpose of a recanvass is to verify the accuracy of the vote totals reported from voting machines.  Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes says she doesn’t believe the difference in the vote can be made up by Bevin.

A new report shows Appalachian counties in Kentucky saw a decline in employment growth at the same time other states in Appalachia saw an increase. The region overall is shifting toward more job diversity, but still lags behind the rest of the country.

The report from the Appalachian Regional Commission looked at 15 different industry sectors from 2002 to 2017. It found that employment across those industries in Appalachia grew by just under 5 percent, but is still behind the country as a whole.

The largest employment shares in Appalachian parts of Kentucky are state and local government, health and social services, and retail. 

When immigrants move to the United States, their professional certifications don’t always transfer over. One Louisville nonprofit is offering small loans to help former doctors, nurses and others overcome the financial obstacles preventing them from pursuing their professions in their new home.

Ricardo Gonzalez moved to Louisville from San Juan, Puerto Rico, earlier this year after meeting a Puerto Rican woman who has lived here for decades. He was previously a real estate developer, attorney and U.S. government contractor in Puerto Rico.

In south-central Kentucky, a regional workforce development board is helping to fill the shortage of truck drivers through a federal program that pays for training. Two men say the effort put them on a new road in life, thanks to those involved in the program who encouraged them at every turn.

At Franklin Express in Simpson County, Kentucky, James Boatright recently backed up a truck called a “yard dog.” His training for a Commercial Driver’s License, or CDL, was paid for through the federal Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. Boatright said he quickly got hired as a local driver. 

"Our company is contracted by Berry Plastics to move their product to the warehouses safely," said Boatright. "I may have to move several trailers in a day, so basically, the farthest I go is across town. There’s another warehouse on down the street some.”