News

Governor Steve Beshear's office has confirmed that Beshear's Chief of Staff, Mike Haydon, has died. A cause of death wasn't immediately available.

Jefferson County’s suburban fire districts—responsible for protecting nearly 187,000 homes and businesses—are tumbling toward a financial crisis that could force sweeping changes in the way the county fights fires.

The Tea Party appears stronger than ever with Republican primary victories for Senate in Missouri, Texas and Indiana most recently.

It is a movement that has been successful in defeating establishment incumbents, pulling GOP leaders further to the right and gaining a seat at the table. This week it was announced that Tea Party favorite Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has a keynote speech at the Republican National Convention.

But Tea Party groups and activists have been criticized for their views and blamed for the current gridlock in Congress.

I spoke with Louisville Tea Party President Sarah Durand about compromise, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and what it’s like leading such a forceful—and controversial—group.

The landing of the Curiosity Rover on Mars this week had many of our thoughts on space exploration. But only one journalist was asking questions about the legal ramifications of humans in outer space. Fast Company's Neal Ungerleider brought us our favorite headline of the week with his piece, Space Lawyers: They Exist.

Laws governing the sale of alcohol in Kentucky are already labyrinthine, and to make things more confusing, they are often in flux. It seems like one county or another in the Commonwealth is always voting on whether to be dry (no alcohol sales), wet (alcohol sales allowed), or moist (drinks can be consumed in restaurants, but package sales are prohibited). Marshall County recently held such a vote—they chose to remain a dry county—and emotions ran high on both sides.

Jeffrey Skinner, formerly a private investigator, is the author of five books of poetry, most recently Salt Water Amnesia (2005), and two anthologies of poems, Last Call: Poems on Alcoholism, Addiction, and Deliverance; and Passing the Word: Poets and Their Mentors.

He recently penned The 6.5 Practices of Moderately Successful Poets: A Self-Help Memoir for Sarabande Books.

The hot, dry summer has taken a toll on Kentucky's corn crop, which could result in the lowest yields in nearly 30 years.

A government report issued Friday predicts an average statewide corn yield of 65 bushels an acre. That's down 74 bushels from last year's crop. And it would be the lowest yield since the 1983 crop produced 48 bushels per acre.

Corn production in Kentucky is forecast at nearly 97 million bushels, down 46 percent from last year.

Here's the rundown for Byline today:

Veterinarians will be watching for evidence of swine flu during this year's Kentucky State Fair as health officials nationwide have reported a five-fold increase of a new strain of the flu that spreads from pigs to people.

State veterinarians will staff the swine pavilion and visually inspect all swine. Animals that are coughing, sneezing or have labored breathing will be isolated and tested.

Fair Board President Harold Workman says the fair is prepared for the slightest sign of an outbreak and the public will be notified immediately if swine flu is found.

A federal judge is allowing a case challenging the Ohio River Bridges Project to move forward.

In 2009, River Fields and the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed suit against the Federal Highway Administration. They argued the federal government did not practice due diligence in preparing environmental impact statements and several historical places could be affected by the project.

Western District of Kentucky Judge John G. Heyburn put a stay on the suit in 2010 while bi-state officials reworked the $2.6 billion bridges proposal.