The Enquirer

LEXINGTON - The Kentucky chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations started its first meeting Saturday night with a 10-minute prayer from the Quran.

Lexington Mayor Teresa Isaac, who has Lebanese heritage, spoke of "building a bridge of understanding" between Muslims and non-Muslims in Kentucky.

The city's assistant police chief, Ronnie Bastin, told the audience of about 300 that the department hopes to find an officer who speaks Arabic.

The chapter's chairman, Abdul Quayyum, estimated there are more than 3,000 members in central Kentucky.

Driver wrecks, dies in pullover attempt

FRANKLIN - State police are investigating the death of a Franklin man killed as a Simpson County deputy sheriff was attempting to pull him over during a traffic stop on Ky. 73.

Jerry L. Gregory, 36, lost control of his truck about 6:39 p.m. CDT on Saturday, state police said. Gregory overcorrected the 1979 GMC truck, hit an embankment, struck a telephone pole and caught fire, police said.

A Simpson County sheriff's deputy was trying to stop Gregory, though the state police did not say why. State police declined to comment further.

Road accidents kill 2 in Graves County

LYNNVILLE - Two men died Saturday in separate accidents in southern Graves County, according to Kentucky State Police.

William L. Collins, 69, of Benton, was on Ky. 318 just south of Lynnville when he crossed into the opposite lane and left the road. State police said the vehicle traveled through a cornfield, ran off a 15-foot embankment and struck an embankment on the other side of a creek.

Collins was pronounced dead at the scene Saturday afternoon.

Later, 25-year-old Christopher S. Burks of Memphis, Tenn., lost control of his pickup truck and flipped several times on State Line Road around 7:25 p.m CDT. He was taken to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., where he died.