2 sue Kenton sheriff, claiming false arrest

        COVINGTON — Two Kentucky women have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Kenton County sheriff of falsely arresting them as part of Operation Grinch — a sting to clear up a backlog of unserved warrants.

        Angela Green of Erlanger and Theresa Miller of Pikeville are seeking unspecified damages for humiliation. Their lawsuit was filed by attorney Masten Childers II on Monday in U.S. District Court in Lexington.

SCHOOL BUS, CAR COLLIDE ON KY. 9: Wilder Police Lt. Col. Steve Seiter (left) talks with accident witness Andrew Hollingsworth (right) and Casey Haley of Cincinnati Wednesday. Mr. Haley was driving the Mazda (at left) that collided with a school bus driven by Walter Troy on Ky. 9 at Poole's Creek Road. No students were on the bus at the time. Mr. Haley complained of chest pains and was taken to St. Luke Hospital East where he was treated and released. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Before Christmas, unsuspecting wanted men and women from all over the country were notified by mail that they had unclaimed tax money. They were scheduled to appear for “appointments” five minutes apart on Nov. 28 in the Kenton County administration building. The sheriff's office reported making about 75 arrests as a result of the sting.

        Ms. Miller was held on drug charges, despite the fact that her Social Security number, physical description, residence and maiden name were different from the woman the sheriff's office was seeking, according to the lawsuit.

        Ms. Green, who was nine months pregnant, alleges she was held in jail for eight hours on flagrant non-support charges. She was required to post a bond and pay jail fees, which were taken directly from her confiscated purse without her permission, according to the lawsuit.

        Both women say they were shoved against a wall with inappropriate force and not advised of their Miranda rights.

        Sheriff Chuck Korzenborn couldn't be reached Wednesday afternoon for comment.

Chandler defends challenge to gun law

        FRANKFORT — Attorney General Ben Chandler is defending a state law, challenged in a Fayette County lawsuit, that requires confiscated weapons to be sold at auction.

        The lawsuit questions whether the legislature violated the constitution's separation of powers clause when it ordered the sale of weapons confiscated by police at auction. Municipal police departments in Lexington and Louisville opposed the law when it wasenacted in 1998 and strengthened in 2000.

        The case involved a defendant who entered a plea agreement to turn over two illegal handguns to be destroyed. Fayette District Judge Kevin Horne ordered Lexington police to destroy the guns.

        The city of Lexington asked a Fayette circuit judge last year to determine whether the city could comply with Judge Horne's order or follow the law. The case is before Fayette Circuit Judge Laurance Van Meter.

FIRE DESTROYS GARAGE: Ludlow firefighter Mark Combs (left) hoses down the smoldering remains of a garage owned by Ron Wofford at 459 Victoria St. Wednesday. No one was injured, but the vinyl siding on a neighbor's house was damaged by heat from the fire. Fire Capt. Joe Richardson said cause of the fire was undetermined. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

       

Pending bills seek to reduce dropout rate

        FRANKFORT — Education issues facing the General Assembly include one that has largely defied 10 years of school reform: how to reduce a dropout rate indicating that one student in five fails to finish high school.

        Bills pending in the Kentucky House reflect two approaches, both of which have been proposed before: Simply raise the dropout age, now 16, and make school attendance a condition for having a driver license until age 18.

        Increasing the age, perhaps by degrees to 17 and then to 18, is “the right thing to do,” Education Commissioner Gene Wilhoit told the House Education Committee on Wednesday.
       

Woman dies at 110; had voted since 1920

        FRANKFORT — A Franklin County woman who had dutifully voted since women's suffrage died Monday at 110.

        Georgia Parrish was not an especially political person but took her voting rights seriously, a daughter, Mary Edna Bondurant, said Wednesday.

        “She tried to vote in every election,” Ms. Bondurant said in a telephone interview. No absentee ballots, either. “She liked to go in person,” Ms. Bondurant said.

        Women gained the right to vote in 1920, and Ms. Bondurant said she believed her mother cast her first ballot that year in the election that made Warren G. Harding president.

        Ms. Parrish, who lived in the Peaks Mill community north of Frankfort, cast her last ballot two months ago.
       

Gunman thought friend poisoned him, police say

        JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — A man who believed a lifelong friend had put poison in his soda shot the other man in the head and killed him, police said.

        Darrell K. Walker, 30, of Jeffersonville faces a charge of murder. He was being held without bail Wednesday in the Clark County Jail.

        Police say he killed Joshua Slack, 33, of Lexington, a friend since the time the two were growing up in Salem, Ind.

        Mr. Slack arrived about 8:30 p.m. Monday at Mr. Walker's room at the Alben Motel and the two smoked marijuana, said Jeffersonville Chief of Detectives Charlie Thompson.

        After Mr. Walker drank from his soda, he said it tasted strange and asked Mr. Slack to try it, he told detectives. Mr. Slack would take only a small sip.

        Mr. Walker tried to force his friend to drink more, but Mr. Slack refused.

        Mr. Walker swore at Mr. Slack, grabbed his 9mm handgun and then shot Mr. Slack once in the head. Mr. Walker told detectives he thought poison made the drink taste bad.

        Chief Thompson said detectives were looking into Mr. Walker's claims that he was poisoned, and the drink was sent to a laboratory for tests.

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