Teacher union elects president

        FRANKFORT — A teacher from Barren County High School has been elected president of the Kentucky Education Association, the state's largest teacher union.

        Frances Steenbergen was elected to a two-year term during the KEA's annual delegate assembly last week in Louisville.

        LuAnn Asbury, an elementary school teacher and assistant principal in Mason County, also sought the presidency. Both candidates were on the KEA board.

        Judith Gambill, who has headed the union for four years, did not seek a third term. The union has about 27,500 members. Ms. Steenbergen will take over June 15.

        Ms. Steenbergen has been a teacher for 29 years. For the last 19 years, she has taught family and consumer science at Barren County High School in Glasgow. She also has been a director of the National Education Association for six years.

        Ms. Steenbergen told the Glasgow Daily Times that she would continue to push one of the KEA's top agenda items: higher pay.

        “We are losing a lot of high-quality teachers, and we are not attracting a lot of high-quality teachers because of the salaries,” Ms. Steenbergen said.
       

Legal battle over water threatened

        LEXINGTON — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government is in for a “long and costly legal action” if it tries to acquire the city's water supplier, the president of the parent company has warned.

        The local government wants to explore the possibility of buying Kentucky-American Water Co., whose owner, American Water Works of Voorhees, N.J., is being acquired by a German company, RWE AG.

        At the same time, a group advocating a buyout of Kentucky-American is trying to intervene before the Kentucky Public Service Commission, which is pondering whether to approve the acquisition by RWE.

        In a letter to Mayor Pam Miller, American Water Works president J. James Barr said Kentucky-American is not for sale to the city.

        “Simply put, there will not be a willing buyer-willing seller transaction. That means the only way Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government could own Lexington's water system is through a long and costly legal action,” Mr. Barr's letter said.

        Urban County Councilwoman Sandy Shafer said the letter is not likely to halt the council's feelers.
       

Judge-executive dies; also served as doctor

        JACKSON — Breathitt County Judge-executive Robert E. Cornett, who served the county as a country doctor before being elected in 1998, died Monday at his home in Jackson after a bout with pneumonia. He was 72.

        Dr. Cornett, a native of Owsley County who settled in Jackson 46 years ago, worked marathon days balancing his dual role as judge-executive and general practitioner. He worked at a private clinic and a county nursing home, and continued to make house calls until his death.

        “He hadn't taken a vacation since the 1970s,” his wife, Bettie Cornett, said. “He just had to help people. He never turned anybody away.”
       

Former commander quits state militia

        LEXINGTON — The lawyer for the former commander of the Kentucky State Militia said his client is no longer connected with the civilian paramilitary group.

        Friends of Charlie Puckett intend to file a legal notice in the Garrard County Clerk's Office notifying the public that Mr. Puckett will not be affiliated with the group, said Mr. Puckett's attorney, Gatewood Galbraith.
       

Tips offered on food tampering

        LOUISVILLE — Kentucky health officials have developed a checklist of recommended procedures for restaurants and other food-service providers to help prevent food tampering — whether caused by a random act of sabotage or terrorism.

        The 19-point list will be mailed out in the next few weeks to the state's 23,000 restaurants, groceries and other retail-food establishments and Kentucky's 1,100 food processors.
       

Doctor who helped build up U of L dies

        LOUISVILLE — Dr. Harold E. Boyer, who led the University of Louisville's medical complex toward his dream of it becoming a “Harvard on the Ohio” as a vice president of health affairs, died Saturday at Jewish Hospital. He was 77.

        Dr. Boyer's career at the university spanned 45 years, including his vice presidency from 1972 to 1981. He helped bring more than $110 million to the university.
       

Louisville to lose FFA convention

        LOUISVILLE — The National FFA Convention will move to Indianapolis in 2006, a decision that stunned civic and business leaders here.

        The convention annually attracts nearly 50,000 people interested in careers in agriculture to Louisville and pumps nearly $20 million into the local economy. Last year, it was Louisville's largest convention based on economic impact.

        Louisville has a seven-year contract for the FFA convention and will hold it until 2005.

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