The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration announced appointments of chief engineers for nine of the state's 12 highway districts Tuesday.

The actions included two consolidations - single engineers overseeing two districts each in western and eastern Kentucky.

A spokesman for Transportation Secretary Clay Bailey said the administration was installing its own team and looking for ways to make the district offices more efficient.

"What we think we're going to get from these folks is a fresh look," spokesman Mike Goins said.

Most of the appointments involved transfers of engineers between districts or replacement of acting chief engineers, which Goins said followed a flurry of retirements after the administration of former Gov. Paul Patton.

In western Kentucky, Ted Merryman, chief engineer for District 2 in Madisonville, also was put in charge of District 1 at Paducah.

In eastern Kentucky, Samuel H. Beverage was put in charge of Districts 10 and 11 in Jackson and Manchester, respectively. Beverage was previously chief engineer for District 6 in Covington.

Goins said the consolidations were experimental.

Other assignments:

• District 3, Bowling Green - Greg Meredith reappointed.

• District 4, Elizabethtown - Gary Raymer appointed. He has been the district's branch manager for transportation engineering.

• District 6, Covington - David Jones appointed, succeeding Beverage. Jones managed the cabinet's roadway design branch in Frankfort.

• District 7, Lexington - Jim Rummage transferred from District 9 office in Flemingsburg.

• District 9, Flemingsburg - Katrina O. Bradley appointed to succeed Rummage. She has been the district's branch manager for transportation engineering.