Three candidates for Ludlow mayor

        LUDLOW — Three people have applied to succeed Tom Stacy as mayor.

        Former council members Fred Brooks and Ron Wofford and Ed Schroeder, a retired Kenton Circuit Court clerk, submitted applications Friday.

        The new mayor will replace Mr. Stacy, who resigned May 4, citing health and time constraints. Mr. Stacy's term expires on Dec. 31, 2002.

        Ludlow City Council will choose the mayor at council's regular meeting on May 24.
       

Women's GOP club to meet Monday

        CRESTVIEW HILLS — The Kenton County Republican Women's Club will meet at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Four Seasons Sports Country Club, 345 Thomas More Parkway.

        Reservations are due by Friday and can be made by calling (859) 331-7605 or through email at claregle@home.com.
       

Teen theater troupe in season's finale

        INDEPENDENCE — The Troubadours Educational Teen Theatre Troupe of the Northern Kentucky Health Department will present its final performance of the season, The Glass House, Sunday.

        The free performance will be at the Simon Kenton High School auditorium in Independence.

        Eight students, representing Northern Kentucky high schools, provide peer education through an hour-long improvisational performance depicting scenes that involve teen issues such as eating disorders, pregnancy, suicide and other problems.
       

Suit accuses KSU of withholding records

        FRANKFORT — A newspaper has filed a lawsuit accusing Kentucky State University of withholding attorney billing records in violation of the state open records law.

        The State Journal seeks a ruling enforcing a state attorney general's March 28 order that KSU provide the records to the newspaper.

        The suit, filed Monday in Franklin Circuit Court, also asks for a $25 fine for each day KSU has denied the newspaper its right to inspect and copy the records, from Jan. 16 until the records are fully produced.

        The university did not give a response Tuesday to the suit.

        According to the complaint, a State Journal staff writer submitted an open-records request to KSU on Jan. 10. The newspaper sought records of all payments, contracts and invoices for legal representation given the university's Board of Regents or President George Reid since July 1998.

        When KSU failed to respond to the request within three business days as required by state law, the newspaper appealed to the attorney general, according to the newspaper. The State Journal contends KSU later gave a deficient response by not releasing all the requested records.
       

Seven more indicted in OxyContin forgeries

        WHITESBURG — A federal grand jury in Lexington has indicted seven more people on charges that they used home computers to forge prescriptions for OxyContin.

        Indicted were Kevin Boggs, Franklin Bentley, Shawn L. Hibbitts, Angela Adams Hibbitts and Keith Napier, all of Millstone in Letcher County; Phyllis Jones of Hazard; and Rhonda Fleming of Red Fox in Knott County. All were arrested Tuesday.

        Kentucky State Police Detective Dan Smoot said the seven are charged with acquiring OxyContin by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery and deception between Dec. 1 and May 1.

        “They took a legitimate prescription from the Pain Treatment Center in Lexington, scanned it into a computer, altered it, printed it out on an ink jet printer, and passed more than 30 of them,” Detective Smoot said.
       

Deaths of infants ruled accidental

        FRANKFORT — The deaths of twin infants in eastern Kentucky have been ruled accidental.

        The Kentucky State Medical Examiner's Office had re-created the circumstances involved in the February deaths of 3-month-old twins Gabriel and William Jones in their rural Manchester home in Clay County. The Kentucky State Police said no charges have been filed in the deaths.

        Dr. John Hunsaker, a state medical examiner, said the deaths were unfortunate positionings of the twins in their crib.

        “There was no evidence of actively abusive behavior on the part of the care givers,” Dr. Hunsaker said.

        The twins lived with their mother, Lisa Wagers, outside Manchester in Price Hollow. Ms. Wagers was in Lexington when they died.
       

Push could begin for "living-wage' law

        WHITESBURG — A citizens group may begin a push for higher wages in eastern Kentucky.

        David Lollis, chairman of the Appalachian Advisory Council, said a state “living-wage” law could benefit the mountain region where many people are living on the edge of self-sufficiency.

        Mr. Lollis said wages often are far below what is required to sustain a family. Although he stopped short of recommending a living-wage law, he said it is something that should be considered.

Execution delayed; prison officials stunned
Death-penalty opponents gather
Planned executions spur prayer vigil
Diarro's death stuns school
Gas prices creep near $2 a gallon
Police search for suspect in shootings of four men
Boone County's budget up by 109%
Catch of the day: a friend
County braces for cuts
Fire ravages UK building
Fort Thomas cracks down on animal nuisances
20 graduate from Citizen Police Academy in Fairfield
Group promotes 'smart growth'
Kids give statue life
Mason OKs fire chief deal
Officials: Mental health reports falsified
Ohio court weighs jurisdiction in '63 beating death of teen girl
Openings contrast at porn trial
Paul Harvey in town
Property's value up to jurors
Residents take on Cinergy
School superintendent resigns
Trust led to two deaths, prosecutors say
Kentucky News Briefs
Tristate A.M. Report