Nov 11 Local News What We’re Reading | 11.11.12 Each week, members of the WFPL news team will spotlight interesting stories we've read over the past week for your weekend reading pleasure:Gabe Bullard: I was in long line this week (though not at my polling place). How long was it? So long, I exhausted my usual list of smartphone-generated distractions (Twitter and a few fun new apps: Circa, a new kind of news reader, and a word game called Letterpress) and ended up going deep into the backlog of articles I saved in Instapaper, but never got around to reading. This great Paris Review interview with Hunter S. Thompson proved to be a bit longer than my wait, but it was worth finishing when I got home. It's from 2000, and it's an interesting look at Thompson's life at a time when he wasn't producing much notable work. Read "Hunter S. Thompson, The Art of Journalism No. 1.Laura Ellis: What I'm reading this week is a GQ story called "Clear Eyes, Full Plates, Can't Puke." It's an in-depth, and sometimes awesomely gross, look at the world of competitive eating. Here's a passage in which the reporter becomes disillusioned with the sport.Competitive eating, he says, is rife with unfair advantages. "I've seen everything," he says. "People throwing hot dogs under the table. People making the biggest messes you can imagine."My eyes widen. "So there's such a mess under the table it's impossible to determine what counts as an eaten thing?" I ask. "Oh, there's techniques," says Bob. "People suddenly get happy feet." He mimes an eater dropping an item of food and then covertly stamping it into the ground. I'm appalled.Read "Clear Eyes, Full Plates, Can't Puke."Erin Keane: The Believer just published this wonderful interview with the late Maurice Sendak that I'm slowly making my way through this week. My favorite part so far is when Sendak is asked about e-books, he responds: "I hate them. Its like making believe theres another kind of sex. There isnt another kind of sex. There isnt another kind of book. A book is a book is a book. I know thats terribly old-fashioned. Im old, and when Im gone theyll probably try to make my books on all these things, but Im going to fight it like hell. [Pauses] I cant believe Ive turned into a typical old man. I cant believe it. I was young just minutes ago." Read the Maurice Sendak interview.Joseph Lord: Basketball season is here, which is good news for those off us who are passionate about the Cardinals, Wildcats, Hoosiers, Racers, Knights, Hilltoppers, Pacers, Bulls or whoever else people pull for around here. It's exciting --Maybe we'll exceed expectations, maybe we'll win it all! And it's anxiety-ridden -- as in, Maybe we'll flop. "The Greatest Team that Never Was" is about an NBA team full of potential that produced few results: the Houston Rockets of the 1980s. Maybe you don't want to think about it, hoops fans. But, as basketball seasons begin, you should. Read "The Greatest Team that Never Was." By Joseph Lord Nov 11 Local News What We’re Reading | 11.11.12 Joseph Lord
Nov 9 Local News Train Derailment: Hydrogen Fluoride Cars to be Off-Loaded Tuesday The off-loading for cars carrying dangerous chemicals at the train derailment site in southwestern Jefferson County will begin Tuesday morning, but officials are not scheduling an evacuation or shelter-in-place order, the city said.But Dixie Highway will again close -- from the Salt River bridge to Ky. 44 starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday. Though no evacuation or shelter order are planned, authorities cautioned that prevailing winds may require them to be issued when the chemicals are transferred. (Five things to know about hydrogen fluoride.)Crews stabilized and leveled the cars last weekend.Paducah & Louisville Railway -- which operated the train and track -- and its contractor were required to submit a plan for off-loading two hydrogen fluoride cars.Meanwhile, P&L Railway continues to make appointments at compensations centers for people who've incurred costs because of the derailment. Through Thursday, P&L had written about 900 checks for claims; the centers had 2,100 appointments scheduled, said Bonnie Hackbarth, a company spokeswoman. She did not know the amount P&L had dispersed to those claimants. By Joseph Lord Nov 9 Local News Train Derailment: Hydrogen Fluoride Cars to be Off-Loaded Tuesday Joseph Lord
Nov 9 Education Read | Lawsuit Seeking to Disqualify David Jones Jr. On Friday, attorney Ted Gordon filed a lawsuit on behalf of a District 2 resident seeking to keep David Jones Jr. from assuming the Jefferson County Public Schools board seat won in Tuesday's election. Here is a lawsuit: By Joseph Lord Nov 9 Education Read | Lawsuit Seeking to Disqualify David Jones Jr. Joseph Lord
Nov 9 Local News Constables Can Play a ‘Significant’ Law Enforcement Role, Association Prez Says Constables provide extra law enforcement officers and can be a significant help to law enforcement, despite a state report that calls the office "irrelevant," argues the president of the Kentucky Constable Association.Constables are elected officials in Kentucky. Every county has a few, depending on the county's number of magisterial districts. Jefferson County has three.Upon taking office, constables are given law enforcement powers akin to sheriffs. They can make arrests, perform traffic stops. But, the report notes, they do not have specific duties outlined in the constitution. The report also said that constables perform about .02 percent of recorded law enforcement activities in the state.Constables are not required to have any law enforcement qualifications before taking office, nor are they required to get training -- though some do.Jason Rector, an Adair County constable and the state constables' association president, said constables are still useful tools of law enforcement, at least in some parts of the state.The state has 586 offices, with 509 filled, the report said."I just think it would be ludicrous to do away with that many number of officers out there," Rector said, citing crime rates.The report -- issued Thursday by the state Justice and Public Safety Cabinet -- said a majority of the state's county government and law enforcement leaders support abolishing constable offices or limiting or eliminating constables' law enforcement power.The office of constable is part of the Kentucky constitution, which means it can only be abolished through an amendment approved through a referendum. Rector said his association urges constables to seek training, though he noted that many constables wouldn't be able to do the months-long training required of police officers and sheriff's deputies because constables tend to have day jobs.(Constables are mostly unpaid; they're generally compensated through fees, such as serving court papers.)The Kentucky Constable Association has lobbied the state to provide for more training opportunities for constables, Rector said, noting that those efforts have failed so far. In one concept, Rector said, constables could have their powers limited until they completed at least a basic law enforcement training course.Rector has been a constable since January 2007. He's also a computer technician for Adair County Schools.Constables, he said, are useful to law enforcement in some parts of the state. Those may include sparsely populated regions, for instance."There is a significant role they can play," Rector said of constables. By Joseph Lord Nov 9 Local News Constables Can Play a ‘Significant’ Law Enforcement Role, Association Prez Says Joseph Lord
Nov 9 Education Boehm Appointed U of L Graduate School Dean Beth Boehm has been appointed the new dean of the University of Louisville's School of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies -- a role she's filled on an interim basis since September 2009, the university announced.She's the first permanent dean of the school, which in 2008 replaced the old Graduate School.Boehm will aim to develop more graduate-level academic programs and improve retention rates among doctoral students and shortening, among other goals.The School of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies advocates for graduate students and for the university's interdisciplinary programs. “She is a strong advocate of students and student well-being and she is a consensus leader,” Provost Shirley Willihnganz said in a news release announcing the appointment.She is a professor in the university's English department and had worked as a graduate adviser. By Joseph Lord Nov 9 Education Boehm Appointed U of L Graduate School Dean Joseph Lord
Nov 7 Local News P&L Railway Now Making Appointments for Outreach Centers Update 3:30 p.m.: Paducah & Louisville Railway is implementing an appointment system for its outreach centers to people affected by the October train derailment in southwestern Jefferson County.Here's the news release from a company spokeswoman:I wanted to let you know that, in order to reduce waits for those visiting our P&L Outreach Centers in connection with the derailment, we are moving to an appointment system. We also have set up a hotline for questions on issues OTHER than claims. Here are the details:Residential/Commuter Claims: Residents and other affected individuals may call 731-614-7636 to make an appointment to meet with a counselor to discuss reimbursement claims for hotel and food expenses and extra commuting costs or other expenses related to the derailment.Business Claims: Businesses may call 502-492-5936 to make an appointment to meet with a counselor to discuss reimbursement for lost business due to the derailment.Non-claims Related Questions: Callers who have questions about issues OTHER than reimbursement claims may call 1-866-728-9210. The operator at that number has basic information on several questions; any questions he or she cannot answer will be referred to the appropriate personnel.We continue to have two Outreach Centers open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday by appointment (closed Sunday, Nov. 11) for making and following up on claims. Those visiting the centers without an appointment will be able to schedule an appointment time.First time mileage reimbursement claims only: VFW Post 1181, 6518 Blevins Gap Road, Louisville, KY 40272All other claims: Music Ranch USA building, located at 409 South Street, West Point, KY 40177Earlier: Railroad, Contractor Working on Plan to Clear Hydrogen Fluoride CarsPaducah & Louisville Railway and the contractor working to clean-up the train derailment site in southwestern Jefferson County must by Friday submit a plan on how they'll address two cars carrying the dangerous chemical hydrogen fluoride, a MetroSafe spokeswoman said Wednesday.The cars carrying hydrogen fluoride must be off-loaded and moved from the site. The plan to do so may require another round of emergency notices, including a shelter-in-place warning or evacuation, said Jody Duncan, MetroSafe spokewoman.(Five things to know about hydrogen fluoride.)But "there is the possibility that there won't be any kind of disruption" for residents near the site, at Dixie Highway and Katherine Station Road, Duncan said.Recently, MetroSafe executive director Doug Hamilton noted that hydrogen fluoride is routinely off-loaded from train tankers in Louisville.Crews stabilized and leveled the hydrogen fluoride cars over the weekend, during which time an evacuation was in place for a 1.2-mile radius and a shelter-in-place warning was effective for a five-mile radius. There are no emergency orders for residents near the site at the moment.Conditions at the scene or the weather may affect whether emergency precautions are needed, Duncan said.There are 13 cars from the wreckage still at the site, but the P&L railroad recently re-opened -- as did Dixie Highway near the derailment site, Duncan said.Duncan noted that the 35 miles per hour speed limit is being strictly enforced in the area, in part because of the crews working to clear up the wreckage and their equipment.Environmental teams are taking soil samples at the site to determine the extent of contamination from spilled chemical.Also, the federal investigation continues into how, precisely, the train derailed. A "black box" -- data recording devices similar to those used on airplanes -- has been recovered, Duncan said.The Federal Railroad Administration issued the following statement in response to questions about the status of the investigation:Investigators from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are still at the crash site investigating the cause of the derailment and why hazardous materials were released. Investigations of this nature typically take an average of six months to fully complete. By Joseph Lord Nov 7 Local News P&L Railway Now Making Appointments for Outreach Centers Joseph Lord
Nov 6 Politics No ‘I Voted’ Stickers for Jefferson County Sondra Powell thought it a harmless promotion -- a free small cup of coffee for customers who showed up to her coffee shop, Red Hot Roasters at 1403 Lexington Road, wearing an "I voted" sticker.It became apparent soon after she opened the coffee shop at 7 a.m. that Jefferson County polling stations were handing out no such stickers.Powell said she quickly adopted an honor system approach, giving free small coffees to those who simply told her that they'd voted.The customers were still disappointed, she said."I think people -- at least our customers -- they're pretty proud that they went out and voted," she said."They wonder if this is part of the economic problems of the world -- that we can't afford stickers."It's not about money, says the Jefferson County Clerk's Office.The stickers haven't been offered at Jefferson County polling places for several years, said Nore Ghibaudy, spokesman for the Jefferson County Clerk's Office.They were, maybe 10 years ago, but the clerk's office stopped handing out "I voted" stickers after some of the proprietors of the buildings used as polling places complained, he said.Some of those stickers ended up stuck on the walls of polling places or stomped onto the ground, he said. Building owners – schools, community centers, churches – threatened to stop making their spaces available for voting, and the clerk’s office decided to cease the stickers, Ghibaudy said.If it’s been years, why might people still be complaining that they didn’t get a sticker? Ghibaudy said turnout is always greater in presidential general elections – some voters hadn’t visited a polling place since 2008, though Ghibaudy said no stickers were handed out then, either.The vandalism problem notwithstanding, this Atlantic piece published Tuesday afternoon argues that "I voted" stickers help increase turnout.The "I Voted" sticker is a signal and an advertisement. It binds people together in solidarity and reminds others to join the group. Tens of millions of people will vote in every presidential election whether there are free stickers or free cookies. But beyond these intrinsically interested (and, possibly, more informed) voters are countless more citizens who need motivation to show up at the ballot box. For those people disappointed that they left the polling place sans sticker, Slate.com is offering printable versions here. If more Kentucky-centric versions are preferred, try these.Mid-day Tuesday, Powell said the honor system was working fine – she figured she’d hand out about 100 free small cups of coffee before closing this evening.“We don’t get involved in politics here – you know how you don’t talk about religion and politics and any of those things,” Powell said. “I guess, for us, this is our way to encourage people to vote.” By Joseph Lord Nov 6 Politics No ‘I Voted’ Stickers for Jefferson County Joseph Lord
Nov 6 Politics Election 2012: Louisville Resident Explains Why He Won’t Be Voting NPR recently set out to explore an often over-looked segment of the American public -- those who can vote, but choose not to. The story provided brief explanations from several non-voters across the country. The people NPR talked to had a variety of reasons for not participating: a sense that their vote doesn't matter, a belief that money dictates policy more than votes -- and the knowledge that registering increases your chances of being called for jury duty.And then there were religious beliefs, the reasoning provided by a Louisvillian: Gregory Hillis, an assistant professor of theology at Bellarmine University.Hillis told NPR:"As a Christian pacifist I do not feel that I can conscientiously participate in the process of choosing a commander in chief of the armed forces. While a president brings to the office a list of domestic priorities with which I may or may not agree, a substantial portion of the job revolves around the president's role as commander in chief. No matter how much I like a candidate's platform, in the end I cannot turn a blind eye to the reality the president will necessarily participate in violence by virtue of the office."WFPL reached out to Hillis -- a native of Canada who is now a U.S. citizen -- to find out more about why he's sitting out today's vote.Are presidential elections the only votes you skip?This is the first election in which I will not be voting. In Canada I used to vote in both the Canadian and American elections, and I voted in 2008. My qualms about voting are primarily about presidential elections, though I do have problems more broadly with any understanding of voting in which groups try to use an election to gain power. In this I am looking at the act of voting theologically and from the perspective specifically of Christianity. I wrote a blog post about this particular concern I have. I wrote the following:"I am deeply influenced by the assessment of John Howard Yoder, a Mennonite theologian, regarding Jesus' understanding of the dangers of political power and the continued temptation faced by Christians to endeavour to transform society from the 'top-down', a process that necessarily involves Christians having to morph Jesus' example and teachings. Yoder labelled the Christian temptation for political power as 'Constantinianism' (for obvious reasons), and argued that even after the separation of church and state, the church continues to fall prey to Constantinian tendencies. What this can mean practically is that Christians devote an inordinate amount of time to the political arena, understood by them to revolve around the halls of legislature, and don't devote nearly enough effort to enacting and participating in communities of love that themselves provide a witness to the kind of society of love toward which we are called by Jesus. The focus gets placed, therefore, on transforming through power rather than through love, which was precisely the means rejected by Jesus and by the early Christians.In my view, to vote is to succumb, however mildly, to the temptation to power, the temptation to Constantinianism. It is to participate in the halls of power where, if we follow the example of Christ, no Christian has any business being. I've listened to many Christians on both sides of the political spectrum talking about making their voice heard through voting, as if voting was the only political mechanism open to them to make their voice heard. To be 'political' isn't to be relegated merely to voting. To be 'political' in a truly Christ-like manner is to manifest to the society around us that things don't have to be the way they are, and we do this actually by being communities of radical love in imitation of the God who exists in an eternal community of selfless love. I'm not advocating quietism or sectarianism. Rather, I'm suggesting that the church needs to rethink the way it does politics."Does not voting mean you don't have a preference -- or will you be rooting for someone?I do have a preference for who wins. It is clear to me that one particular candidate more closely embodies a vision of the role of government in the common good that is closest to Catholic social teaching. But I'd prefer not to state this preference.What reaction do you get from people when you say that you won't be voting for president?People don't tend to react very favorably when I talk about not voting. Christians from various traditions have tended to suggest that I misread Jesus' teachings and example, and they tend particularly to think that my understanding of the relationship between power and voting is skewed.Update: Hillis spoke to WFPL's Jonathan Bastian on Tuesday. Here's the interview. Gregory Hillis by Joseph Lord 1 By Joseph Lord Nov 6 Politics Election 2012: Louisville Resident Explains Why He Won’t Be Voting Joseph Lord
Nov 6 Politics Election 2012 Live Blog | Polls Close in Louisville After Day of ‘Heavy’ Turnout Update 6 p.m.: And polls are closing in Louisville.Some voters in a few polling places who had gotten in line before 6 p.m. were still waiting to vote, said Nore Ghibaudy, spokesman for the Jefferson County Clerk's Office. Update 4:25 p.m. Polling places in Louisville have lines, and elections officials anticipate that those lines will lengthen as last-minute voters leave work and cast ballots before the 6 p.m. deadline., said Nore Ghibaudy, spokesman for the Jefferson County Clerk's Office.Voters who are in line at 6 p.m. will be allowed to cast ballots, Ghibaudy said.But, at 6, a sheriff's deputy will go to the end of each line and turn away anyone who shows up late, Ghibaudy said.So far, lines have moved well at Jefferson County polling places, where turnout has been "heavy," he said.Update 2 p.m.: Polls close in Louisville in four hours. Voters throughout the county are encountering lines, but they're moving well, said Nore Ghibaudy, spokesman for the Jefferson County Clerk's Office.One possible reason: Jefferson County ballots have but one side this year, with only a handful of races for people to vote in, he said.No major problems have been reported from the county's 272 polling places since they opened, he said."We feel comfortable that everything is going well," Ghibaudy said.The Kentucky Secretary of State's office is predicting record turnout. Indiana's Secretary of State doesn't predict turnout, but has said that absentee ballots were on par with the 2008 general election.Update 11:45 a.m.: By 10: 30 a.m., Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway's office received 60 reports of voting irregularities -- including 26 in Jefferson County -- through its voter fraud hotline. Many of the calls throughout the state were simply procedural questions, but others were reports of irregularities with voting machines, election officials and improper electioneering near polling places.The Election Fraud Hotline will be staffed from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern and can be reached at (800) 328-VOTE, or (800) 328-8683. Here's the rundown:Calls County Reason26 Jefferson 14 Procedural Questions, 8 Voting Machine, 2 Election Official, 2 Electioneering within 300' of Polls1 Barren Electioneering within 300' of Polls1 Boone Procedural Question1 Boyle Procedural Question1 Breckinridge Special or Absentee Ballot1 Calloway Procedural Question1 Christian Procedural Question4 Clark 2 Procedural Questions, 1Election Official, 1 Voting Machine1 Clay Vote Buying/Selling1 Cumberland Procedural Question3 Fayette 1 Election Official, 1 Procedural Question, 1 Residency1 Harrison Voting Machine3 Jessamine 2 Voting Machine, 1 Procedural Question2 Kenton 1 Procedural Question, 1 Voting Machine3 Laurel 3 Procedural Questions1 Letcher Procedural Question3 Madison 2 Procedural Questions, 1 Voting Machine1 Nicholas Voting Machine2 Oldham 2 Procedural Questions1 Shelby Legal Question1 Unknown County Procedural Question1 Woodford Election OfficialUpdate 10:45 a.m.: Bonnie and Bernard Hardy have voted at Jeffersontown High School for more than eight years -- and they'd never seen turnout as they saw at 9 a.m. Tuesday."This is the most we've seen since we've been coming here," Bonnie Hardy said.Why? Bernard Hardy had a theory."I think a lot of people here are concerned about Social Security," he said.Bonnie Hardy said she was surprised that -- despite the increased foot-traffic at J'town High -- they were able to get in and out of the polling place quickly.Likewise, Clarence Wordlow said the foot traffic at J'town High was "steady" -- more so in the past five or so times he's voted there."I think people are more or less looking to keep it moving forward," Wordlow said, the "it" meaning the country.Earlier: Voting began at 6 a.m. Tuesday in Louisville for the 2012 election and turnout, so far, has been "very heavy," said Nore Ghibaudy, spokesman for the Jefferson County Clerk's Office.Three polling places of 272 in Jefferson County had delays in opening, but all were now running, Ghibaudy said. Many polling places had lines when they opened, he added.Ghibaudy advised voter to know which precinct they'll be voting in before getting in line at a polling place, to avoid waiting in the wrong line. Voters can find their precinct information here.The clerk's office is anticipating the percentage of turnout in Jefferson County to be in the mid- to high-70s, Ghibaudy said.WFPL.org will provide updates on the voting throughout the day and into the night. Special election coverage at 89.3 WFPL begins at 7 p.m. with the BBC, followed by NPR at 8.Go here for a guide of what to expect in today's elections. By Joseph Lord Nov 6 Politics Election 2012 Live Blog | Polls Close in Louisville After Day of ‘Heavy’ Turnout Joseph Lord
Nov 5 Local News Fake Fish Prods for Reopening Kentucky Kingdom The group Save My Park -- which advocates reopening Kentucky Kingdom -- is an early front-runner for the weirdest news release of the week award. It's a fake fish wrapped in newspaper.The news release plays off Gov. Steve Beshear's comment that it's about time for the state to "fish or cut bait" on the shuttered amusement park -- to make a deal with a new amusement park operator, or find something else to do with the property Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center.The pun-heavy news release, addressed to the governor, speaks for itself. State officials and an investment group led by Ed Hart, a Louisville businessman and former Kentucky Kingdom operator, are expected to meet this week to discuss the latest proposal from Hart's team. By Joseph Lord Nov 5 Local News Fake Fish Prods for Reopening Kentucky Kingdom Joseph Lord
Nov 5 Local News Train Derailment: Dixie Highway to Reopen Soon Update: 4:18 p.m. The Paducah & Louisville Railway has opened a new "outreach center" at West Point City Hall at 509 Elm Street for all claims other than excess mileage incurred because Dixie Highway has been closed, a spokeswoman for the company said.The existing "outreach center" at the VFW Post 1181, at 6518 Blevins Gap Road, will only handle mileage claims, the company spokeswoman said.(Read more about the outreach center.)P&L also set up a toll-free number for people to call with questions, at (800) 786-5204. Residents with questions besides P&L's outreach efforts can still call the emergency hotline at (800) 928-2380.Update 11:33 a.m.: Tuesday morning is the target time for reopening Dixie Highway in southwestern Jefferson County after a train derailment last week, authorities said.Dixie may reopen as early as 6 p.m. Monday, but a more likely time is 6 a.m. Tuesday, said Lt. Col. Yvette Gentry, deputy chief of Louisville Metro Police.Police may decrease the speed limit near the accident site -- near Katherine Station Road -- to 20 miles per hour, Gentry said.Meanwhile, the Federal Railroad Administration is sending more personnel to Louisville for the on-going investigation into the crash, said Doug Hamilton, executive director of MetroSafe.There are no finalized plans to move the wrecked cars from the site, Hamilton said. On Sunday, crews stabilized two cars carrying the dangerous chemical hydrogen fluoride. An evacuation of a 1.2-mile radius of the crash site near Dixie Highway and Katherine Station Road was lifted, as was a shelter-in-place warning implemented Sunday while crews worked with the two hydrogen fluoride cars.Residents living near the wreck site returned home, and the head of Paducah & Louisville Railway told The Associated Press that the company had paid at least $325,000 so far to people who'd been affected by the train derailment on Monday. By Joseph Lord Nov 5 Local News Train Derailment: Dixie Highway to Reopen Soon Joseph Lord
Nov 4 Politics Election 2012: What to Know Going In How Kentucky and Indiana side in the presidential election appears to be a foregone conclusion -- both states are likely to side with Republican challenger Mitt Romney, according to forecasters. But the states have races aplenty to watch on the state and local level.Here are some of the things to keep an eye on:Two of Kentucky's six congressional races are likely to be particularly interesting this year.Republicans have a shot of taking control of the Kentucky House of Representatives.A few Louisville Metro Council races are hotly contested, though the Democrats' majority is not threatened.The Jefferson County Public Schools board will have some new members as it confronts school assignment, student achievement and other issues. Here's a rundown of where those candidates stand on key issues.In Indiana, the latest poll show Democrat Joe Donnelly leading Republican Richard Mourdock for U.S. Senate. Go here for coverage of that race, and here for coverage of Indiana's Ninth Congressional district.And go here for WFPL's on-going coverage of the election.Not sure of which races you'll be voting in? Go here to find out.WFPL's election night coverage begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday with the BBC, followed by NPR at 8 p.m., and WFPL News will cover local and state races through the night. Listen at 89.3 FM or steam at WFPL.org.Meanwhile, WFPL.org will have frequent updates on local and national races beginning Tuesday morning. By Joseph Lord Nov 4 Politics Election 2012: What to Know Going In Joseph Lord
Nov 4 Local News What We’re Reading Each week, members of the WFPL news team will spotlight interesting stories we've read over the past week for your weekend reading pleasure:Gabe Bullard: In the run up to Election Day, I tend to bookmark tons of non-political items during the day, then get to them when I need a break from election tracking. I finally got around to reading this Slate piece: "I Ate Every Variety of Pepperidge Farm Cookie." The title says it all, really. And speaking of food, this is the time for magazines to put out their annual food issues. The New York Times Magazine recently profiled Christopher Kimball from America's Test Kitchen and Cooks Illustrated in their food issue. It's a fascinating look at a TV cook with a starkly different philosophy from most TV cooks. (Shameless plug: You can hear Kimball on WFPL every Sunday at noon.) Read "I Ate Every Variety of Pepperidge Farm Cook" and "Cooking Isn't Creative, and It Isn't Easy."Erin Keane: I am well acquainted with Nord’s Bakery, the first stop on this New York Times food/travel writer’s doughnut trail, but what of the rest of Kentucky’s donut riches? Now, with "Twists and Turns Along Kentucky's Doughnut Trail," if I find myself in Berea and in need of a doughnut, I know where to turn. But why is Red’s in Paducah not included? Read Twists and Turns Along Kentucky's Doughnut Trail here.Laura Ellis: "Silos Loom as Death Traps on American Farms" is an eye-opening article about the safety of teenagers working on farms. The number of farm injuries and deaths has dropped in recent years, but the number of deaths by entrapment in grain silos has not—despite the fact that these deaths are largely preventable. Apparently the safety regulations are weak, and those that exist are poorly enforced. Read "Silos Loom as Death Traps on American Farms" here.Joseph Lord: "Meet the Most Indebted Man in the World" in The Atlantic will make you feel better about opening bills. It regards Jérôme Kerviel, the former rogue trader for Société Générale who now owes $6.3 billion -- with a "B." And that's only after he serves three years in prison. The Atlantic story looks at how Kerviel pulled off the fraud and how, exactly, he's supposed to pay back $6.3 billion. With a "B." Read "Meet the Most Indebted Man in the World."Devin Katayama: I’m well into "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen. It’s fitting that while I read the book my own mother has been pestering me about my Christmas plans (Last night I told her I was, in fact, coming home). "The Corrections" reminds me of "Bonfire of the Vanities" by Tom Wolfe in its darkness and the disturbance of its characters. Both novels make me feel better about me own life, but it also makes me think I could use a little more drama. I feel fortunate that my family isn’t like the Lamberts, but I also know the “Lamberts” exist in many of my own friend’s lives. I wonder while I read the book about nature versus nurture and if some of us are destined to just be Lamberts. I’m a Katayama. If I didn’t want to be, could I make that work? By Joseph Lord Nov 4 Local News What We’re Reading Joseph Lord
Nov 3 Local News Train Derailment: Plans to Address Hydrogen Fluoride Cars Delayed Until Sunday Update 12 p.m.: Crews will not stabilize and level the hydrogen fluoride cars on Saturday, after all -- meaning, barring any unforeseen problems, no shelter-in-place warning will be issued, said Jody Duncan, a MetroSafe spokeswoman.Instead, the work and shelter-in-place warning will likely happen on Sunday, she said.Crews found more debris than anticipated upon moving other cars near the hydrogen fluoride cars, Duncan said. For safety, authorities decided to clear up the debris before addressing the hydrogen fluoride cars, she said.The evacuation warning for a 1.2 mile radius of the train derailment site is still in place, she said.Update 11:35 a.m.: The planned work on the hydrogen fluoride cars is being delayed indefinitely, MetroSafe said. MetroSafe spokeswoman Jody Duncan said the work -- which would require a shelter-in-place warning -- was initially planned to begin at noon. MetroSafe said notices will be sent once the work and shelter-in-place warning begin.Update 11 a.m.: Crews are expecting to begin work Saturday afternoon stabilizing and leveling two derailed train cars carrying the dangerous chemical hydrogen fluoride, which will require a shelter-in-place warning for a five-mile radius of the site at Dixie Highway and Katherine Station Road, MetroSafe said.Friday night and Saturday morning, crews moved other cars to again access to the hydrogen fluoride cars, said Jody Duncan, a MetroSafe spokeswoman."They had some great progress last night," Duncan said.(Read Friday's coverage of the train derailment here.)The 1.2 mile evacuation order remains in place, Duncan said.Once the shelter-in-place warning is implemented, MetroSafe will alert residents in the five-mile radius through the emergency telephone message system Code Red, Duncan said.Residents should stay indoors, bring in pets, turn off their heating and air systems and keep doors and windows closed during that time period, Duncan said.Friday night, MetroSafe executive director Doug Hamilton said authorities estimate that crews may need four hours to stabilize and level each of the hydrogen fluoride cars. That would add up to eight hours, though Hamilton said the work could go faster. By Joseph Lord Nov 3 Local News Train Derailment: Plans to Address Hydrogen Fluoride Cars Delayed Until Sunday Joseph Lord
Nov 2 Politics Read Judge’s Opinion and Order in Thieneman Case Read Jefferson Circuit Judge Charles Cunningham's opinion and order in a lawsuit seeking claiming that 37th district Kentucky State Senate candidate Chris Thieneman does not live in the district. By Joseph Lord Nov 2 Politics Read Judge’s Opinion and Order in Thieneman Case Joseph Lord