The hearing will carefully review recently released documents and evidence that a former Kenton County judge had an affair with Ms. Humphrey while she was a prisoner standing trial.

        On Tuesday, Ms. Humphrey, attired in an orange prison T-shirt, tearfully took the stand and her attorney presented a box of letters the now-deceased judge sent her.

        Although Kenton County Judge James Gilliece was not presiding over the trial, Ms. Humphrey now says the affair ultimately hurt her chance at a fair trial.

        In early February 2002, an attorney for Ms. Humphrey revealed 16 letters purporting to show Ms. Humphrey had a long affair with former Judge Gilliece, now deceased.

        She said because Judge Gilliece often told her she had nothing to worry about, she didn't cooperate fully with her attorneys.

        The hearing, which started Tuesday morning in a Covington courtroom, is expected to run through Friday.

        Ms. Humphrey and Gregory Wilson were convicted for the kidnapping and murder of Deborah Pooley, a Covington woman whose decomposing body was found in a farm field west of Indianapolis two weeks after she disappeared in May 1987.

        Ms. Humphrey is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years. Mr. Wilson is on death row.
       

Paramedics hurt in traffic accident

        COLD SPRING — Two paramedics and the driver of a Ford Taurus were seriously injured in a two-car accident at U.S. 27 and Ripple Creek Road about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

This crash between a Northern Kentucky TransCare paramedic unit and a Ford Taurus sent two paramedics and the driver of the car to hospitals Tuesday morning. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        The two paramedics were traveling in a TransCare of Kentucky Inc. Ford Crown Victoria.

        All three persons were taken to hospitals with serious but non-life threatening injuries, Cold Spring Police said. Police did not release their names.

        The accident closed northbound U.S. 27 for almost 45 minutes, and southbound lanes intermittently. The closure created traffic backups on one of Campbell County's major roadways.
       

Central City votes for liquor sales

        CENTRAL CITY — A measure to legalize the sale of liquor in this western Kentucky city passed by 210 votes Tuesday night.

        Wet forces won with 1,190 votes, while 980 voted to keep the sale of alcohol illegal in the city, according to the Muhlenberg County clerk's office. The vote made the city the only wet spot in Muhlenberg County — which had been one of the 70 totally dry counties in Kentucky.

        The general question the vote answered must now be sorted out by the city council, which must decide where alcohol sales would be permitted.

        The possibilities include allowing liquor stores to open, or permit alcohol by the drink at restaurants seating at least 100 people and deriving at least 70 percent of their gross receipts from food sales. Another option would be to allow grocery stores or convenience stores to sell alcohol.

        Jesse R. Williams, a former mayor and a leader of a group formed to try to defeat the ballot issue, had preached against the social ills alcohol can cause.

GOP seeks to have radio ads removed

        FRANKFORT — The Kentucky Republican Party on Tuesday asked radio stations to stop airing commercials that implicitly blame GOP state senators for the General Assembly's failure to enact a budget.

        A Republican attorney complained that the commercials fail to mention the role of the people paying for them — the Senate's 18-member Democratic minority.

        Every Senate Democrat voted for the Senate's version of the budget. The House refused to accept it because it would have eliminated partial public financing of gubernatorial campaigns.

        The commercials, which claim GOP senators “blocked passage of the state budget,” are running in Lexington, Elizabethtown and Louisville. Republican incumbents in each city have tough re-election campaigns.
       

New KSP leader takes oath of office

        FRANKFORT — Pat Simpson, the former security director to Gov. Paul Patton, was sworn in Tuesday as commissioner of the Kentucky State Police.

        “I started out as being a trooper in 1973, so to be appointed the head of the agency I dedicated my life to is an amazing accomplishment — not only for me but for all the other troopers who want to make the same commitment I did 30 years ago, and advance through the ranks,” Mr. Simpson said at a swearing-in ceremony attended by Mr. Patton.

Chao echoes Bush on corporate reforms

        BOWLING GREEN — Labor Secretary Elaine Chao called for “greater transparency, clarity and integrity in our financial markets” at a Bowling Green luncheon Tuesday, as President Bush outlined his plan for corporate reforms in a speech in New York.

        “The president is very concerned about corporate responsibility and accountability,” Ms. Chao told about 200 people at an event to commend a local clinic that provides free health care to the poor. “He has spoken out numerous times in the past about corporate CEOs taking responsibility for the integrity of their company's financial statements.”

        In a highly anticipated speech Tuesday, Mr. Bush called for stiff new penalties for corporate criminals and a crackdown on boardroom scandals.

Four Guard units activated to Knox

        FRANKFORT — Four Kentucky National Guard units have been activated as part of the nation's national security initiative.

        The headquarters, Company A, Company B and Company C of the 201st Engineer Battalion represent a total of 300 soldiers. The headquarters and Company A are based in Ashland, Company B is based in Olive Hill and Company C is based in Cynthiana.

        The units have been ordered to report to their armories by Aug. 1 to begin preparing for deployment to Fort Knox. Actual movement of the troops to Fort Knox will occur on Aug. 4.

        The troops will be trained for homeland security missions at U.S. military installations.

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