Friday, March 31, 2000
AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH
Man faces gambling, gun, drug charges
The Associated Press
NEWPORT — A Silver Grove man was indicted Thursday on charges that he ran a bookmaking operation.
Glenn T. “Pepper” Johnson, 54, faces charges of possession of gambling records, receiving stolen property of more than $300, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. A Campbell County grand jury indicted him on the four counts.
In addition to the gambling allegations, police accuse Mr. Johnson of having quantities of several prescription drugs and a stolen heavy-equipment trailer.
Lawmakers, Patton to discuss session The Cincinnati Enquirer
FRANKFORT — The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has planned two events for members to learn more about what took place during the General Assembly session and how the region and business community will be affected.
Sen. Katie Stine, R-Fort Thomas, and Rep. Royce Adams, D-Dry Ridge, will join chamber government affairs director Steve Stevens for a presentation during the April 18 Eggs 'n Issues breakfast forum. The forum begins at 7:45 a.m. at the Four Seasons Country Club in Crestview Hills.
On April 19, Gov. Paul Patton will appear at the chamber's monthly Government Forum Series, a luncheon held at Covington's Metropolitan Club. Mr. Patton will speak about the legislative session.
For more information, including costs and reservations, contact the chamber at 578-8800.
Republicans honor activist Edna Whitus The Cincinnati Enquirer
datel FORT MITCHELL — Edna Whitus, a longtime Republican Party activist and organizer, has been honored by the Kenton County GOP.
Mrs. Whithus and her husband, Coy, are moving to London, Ky. Several county and state party leaders and elected officials praised the work she did for the Republicans.
“Edna has been an important behind-the-scenes volunteer when it was not cool to be a Republican,” said Ruth Korzenborn, a Kenton County GOP official and wife of Sheriff Chuck Korzenborn.
Among the honors Ms. Whitus received from the party:
• U.S. Sens. Jim Bunning of Southgate and Mitch McConnell of Louisville sent her letters of appreciation.
• State Sens. Katie Stine of Fort Thomas, Dick Roeding of Lakeside Park and Jack Westwood of Erlanger introduced and helped pass a Senate resolution in her honor.
• Sheriff Korzenborn made her an honorary deputy sheriff.
• County GOP Chairman Greg Shumate and Republican Executive Committee member Ted Smith presented her with a resolution from the party that thanked her for the years of service.
Patient decides against double hand transplant The Associated Press
LOUISVILLE — A team of surgeons waiting to perform their first double hand transplant received a setback when the patient decided against the experimental operation.
The patient's reasons were personal and did not reflect concerns about the program or the length of the wait, said Linda McGinity Jackson, a Jewish Hospital spokeswoman.
It would have been the second hand transplant for the surgeons from Jewish, the University of Louisville medical school and Kleinert, Kutz and Associates Hand Care Center.
In the summer of 1998, the partners announced that they intended to perform the world's first successful hand transplant.
Before they could, an international group of doctors in Lyon, France, attached a hand to the right arm of Clint Hallam, an Australian, in September 1998.
About four months later, the Louisville team successfully attached a hand to the left arm of Matthew Scott, who had been injured in a firecracker accident.
Since then the doctors, led by Dr. Warren Breidenbach, have turned their attention to a double transplant.
Governor receives bill lowering alcohol limit The Associated Press
FRANKFORT — The General Assembly has sent Gov. Paul Patton legislation to lower the blood alcohol limit at which Kentucky drivers are considered too drunk to drive.
The House completed work Wednesday on a bill that would place a limit of .08 on blood alcohol instead of the current .10 limit.
The bill has many other features aimed at keeping drunks off the highways.
It would impose harsher punishment on repeat DUI offenders. Judges would have the option of seizing the license plates of repeat offenders or having ignition locking devices put in their vehicles.
The bill also would ban open alcoholic beverage containers in the passenger compartment of vehicles. A violation would carry a fine of $35 to $100.
Workers' comp bill incomplete, Patton says The Associated Press
FRANKFORT — Gov. Paul Patton said Thursday that a workers' compensation bill on the verge of final passage is incomplete, and he will ask lawmakers to finish the job within the next year.
Mr. Patton praised the bill's more generous benefits than he proposed for permanently disabled workers who can still work. But Mr. Patton said coal miners were overlooked, a flaw that he said he will ask lawmakers to correct later.
The governor said he would ask lawmakers to address black lung benefits in a special legislative session.
Mr. Patton had proposed easing rules for miners seeking black lung claims. Specifically, Mr. Patton wanted to restore a “rebuttable presumption” that a miner has black lung, but only if the miner has worked for 15 years. The language was missing from the final bill written by House and Senate negotiators on Wednesday.
“We had half a win and we postponed half the game,” Mr. Patton said. “I'm pretty well pleased with the workers' comp, but I'm sorry that coal miners are going to have to wait a while longer to get justice.”
The Senate overwhelmingly passed the final product late Wednesday. The House ran out of time before a two-week recess began and will vote on the bill when lawmakers return for the final two days of the 2000 session.
The bill would scale back a 1996 overhaul of the workers' compensation system that Mr. Patton pushed through the legislature.
Mr. Patton again acknowledged Thursday that those changes caused some “inequities” for injured workers.
He said the higher benefits would resolve some of those inequities.
“The truth of the matter is, the increase in the permanent partial benefits that have been approved by the Senate are more generous and more extensive than I had thought possible,” Mr. Patton said.
Hustler prepares to reopen downtown
Monroe Hustler store likely to get OK
River adds 3 digits to phone calls
Teacher convicted of sex with boy
Teacher's aide faces cocaine sale charges
Ohio tobacco bill threatens public health
Police narrow hunt for gunman
Major who refused vaccine leaves service
Mason teen put on house arrest
N.Ky. welcomes Hispanic families
Net class to assist at-home schoolers
Rally for health care reform
Teens avoid felony charge for fake IDs
Lawmakers wait to slice Ky.'s tobacco money pie
Patton to sign bill on commandments
Channel 9 wins third Peabody
ETC turns 15 with 10 premieres
GET TO IT
Nurse believes in healing power of touch
Queen City's moments to shine reflected in book
TRISTATE DIGEST
Unexplored rock height of adventure for climber
AROUND THE COMMONWEALTH
Buses to continue on routes
Children Services urged to add staff
Citizens learn ropes and hoses
City wants historic buildings developed
Education Expo Saturday
Evidence sought in worker's fall
Leaky school roofs finally due for repairs
Ludlow demotes assistant chief
Off-duty Newport officer arrested
Officer sues city over sex allegations
Retired exec may fill post
School board approves consultants
Students turn election into game
Two-alarm fire routs 18 apartment residents
2 men shot; police seek gunman
