Rick has been a member of the WFPL News team since 2001 and has covered numerous beats and events over the years. Most recently he’s been tracking the Indiana General Assembly and the region’s passion for sports, especially college basketball.
An anti-abortion activist who filed for Congress so he could run TV ads supporting his cause plans to air an especially graphic ad showing a dismembered fetus on nine stations.
Andrew Beacham is running in Kentucky's 2nd District but not with the intention of winning. Instead, he simply wants to use his candidacy as a bully pulpit.
Beacham is a supporter of longtime anti-abortion leader Randall Terry, the Operation Rescue founder who used his unsuccessful run in the Democratic presidential primary this year as a platform to attack abortion.
The Kentucky Justice Cabinet heard today from critics of the state’s proposed new death penalty method.
They’re asking officials to make multiple changes to how executions are carried out, now that the state is switching to a one-or-two drug lethal injection.
Public defenders, private attorneys and anti-death penalty activists said during a hearing in Frankfort that the rules Kentucky wants to put into place have multiple problems. One would not allow condemned inmates to have access to their lawyers on the day of execution.
Pulitizer Prize winning author Robert Massie is coming to Louisville this week to talk about his latest work, a highly acclaimed biography of Catherine The Great, who was empress of Russia for 34 years.
The 82 year old Massie, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, has devoted most of his career to writing about Russian royalty.
Robert Massie will speak Thursday evening at 7:00 at the main Louisville Free Public Library.
The University of Louisville’s Rauch Planetarium is getting ready to send its portable version on the road.
Assistant Director Paula McGuffey says the igloo-shaped planetarium, which can accommodate about 35 small children, is ready for a tour of local schools.
Officials have begun accepting public comment on a request to create a new telephone area code for southern and south-central Indiana.
Anthony Swinger with the state Office of Utility Consumer Counselor says it’s projected that the 812 area code will run out of numbers in 2015.
"Back in the 1940s and 1950s, Indiana was divided up into three area codes, and 812 is the last of the three original area codes that needs long term relief," Swinger said.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater passed for two touchdowns, ran for another, and running back Jeremy Wright added another score as the Louisville Cards defeated Florida International 28-21 Saturday night in Miami.
The 18th ranked Cards improve to 4-0 on the season.
They’ll travel to Southern Mississippi next Saturday for the second of three straight road games.
The Kentucky Wildcats fell to number 14 Florida 38-0 today in Gainesville.
UK played without starting quarterback Max Smith, who’s recovering from a shoulder injury.
Replacement quarterback Morgan Newton struggled against the Gators, throwing three interceptions as the Wildcats lost to Florida for the 26th straight time.
Kentucky is now 1-3 on the season and will take on number 7 South Carolina next Saturday in Lexington.
The Louisville Cardinals begin a string of three straight road games tomorrow.
The first stop for coach Charlie Strong’s team is Miami, where U of L faces the Florida International Panthers.
"I just told them this team came in here last year and beat us, so we’re going to respect this football team," Strong said this week. "This is a good team. They returned 18 starters, so you guys know what you’re up against and you’re on the road, now you’re going to their place."
The 3-0 Cards are ranked 18th and 20th in the latest polls. Tomorrow’s kickoff is 7:00pm.
A report from the Kentucky auditor says the Kenton County School District spent excessive amounts of money on out-of-state travel and was lax in monitoring its finances.
Auditor Adam Edelen says the district’s food services department has spent more than $116,000 on out-of-state travel since 2007.
