WKDP – WCTT Local News

A Knox County man was arrested Thursday for trying to pawn stolen guns in Williamsburg.

Williamsburg Police charged 33-year-old Jason Graves of Gray with four counts of receiving stolen firearms and four counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  He was also served with a Knox County warrant for similar charges.

Police say the arrest was largely possible thanks to a city ordinance requiring pawn shops to upload their transactions in an online database.

Graves apparently brought four guns into the pawnshop Thursday morning, and went back that afternoon with four more.  The guns recovered that morning had been reported stolen recently from Bell County.  Police believe the other four firearms were also stolen, but so far, haven’t been reported.

A Knox County Constable was arrested overnight for DUI.

50-year-old Carl Bolton of Woodbine was booked in the Whitley County jail early this morning, charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence.

According to the Knox County website, Bolton is a constable for District 5 in Knox County.  He is also a former Knox County deputy sheriff and chief deputy.

While most Kentucky counties are reporting a decrease in unemployment, the jobless rates of some counties remains very high.

The Kentucky Office of Employment and Training says 114 counties reported that jobless rates fell from Dec. 2010 to Dec. 2011.  Only six counties reported an increase in unemployment during the same time period.

Woodford County had the lowest unemployment rate at 6.1 percent, followed by Fayette County at 6.5 percent and Boone County at 6.9 percent.

Jackson County had the highest jobless rate in the state at 15.2 percent, followed by Fulton county at 14.9 percent and Magoffin County at 14.4 percent.

Whitley and Laurel counties both had jobless rates at 9.8 percent while Knox County’s jobless rate was at 10.3 percent. 

To view a set of maps detailing these monthly numbers, visit workforce.ky.gov.

A pedestrian was killed Thursday morning after being hit by two vehicles n Bell County.

It happened around 7 a.m. on US 25E about one mile south of Pineville.  Police say 62-year-old Alma Jean Brown of Middlesboro was walking in the middle of the southbound lanes when she was struck by a Chevy Cobalt.  Immediately afterwards, she was struck once again by a Chevy Tahoe.

Brown was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The accident is under investigation and no charges are expected at this time.  Blood tests are pending on all parties involved.

Laurel County has banned products described by some as synthetic marijuana, containing a chemical called cannabinoids.

Laurel County Sheriff John Root first introduced the measure in December, asking for the products to be banned.  Thursday night, the second reading was unanimously approved, putting the ordinance into immediate effect.

According to the ordinance, possessing or selling the banned products will be considered a misdemeanor.  Magistrates say they expect a brief grace period for the stores to get rid of the now illegal products.

Kentucky lawmakers may change the age children are allowed to enter kindergarten.

A bill passed the Kentucky Senate Thursday by a 33-2 vote that would change the date students must be 5 to enter kindergarten from Oct. 1 to Aug. 1  It would, however, allow the parents or guardians of exceptional and gifted children who are younger than 5 to petition their school district’s board to make exceptions.

The bill also requires students to enter school if they will be 6-years-old by Aug. 1 rather than by Oct. 1.

A 7-year-old autistic girl was killed in a house fire early this morning in Jackson County.

The fire broke out around 6 a.m. at a home on Amos Baker Road in the Sandgap Community with a mother and her children inside.

According to reports, the mother was able to escape with her children, but apparently 7-year-old Dora Brewer got scared and went back in the burning home, locking herself in her bedroom.

Dora died in the fire.  The mother and an infant were taken to UK Hospital for treatment.  There is no word on their conditions.

House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover filed a lawsuit today in Franklin Circuit Court to challenge redrawing of state legislative election districts.

Hoover was accompanied by a contingent of other lawmakers who are asking for a temporary injunction to delay next Tuesday’s filing deadline until the matter is resolved.

Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd will hold a hearing at 10:30 a.m. Monday on the request for an injunction.

The lawsuit affects House Bill 1, which redrew boundaries for state Senate and Supreme Court election districts.

According to Hoover, the new districts divide more counties than necessary and the plan puts Republican lawmakers in districts with larger populations than their Democratic counterparts.

A similar lawsuit was filed after the 1990 census where the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled the redistricting plan was in violation of Section 33 of the Kentucky Constitution for splitting an excessive number of counties.

Two fast food restaurants in Corbin were targeted in bomb threats Wednesday.

The first threatening call came around 12:45 p.m. at the Hardees on Main Street.  The second came five minutes later at the Wendy’s on Cumberland Gap Parkway.

State police, local law enforcement and several fire fighters rushed to the scene of both restaurants. 

No bombs were found and business was up and running at both restaurants within an hour.

 The Corbin Police Department is currently trying to identify the phone number where the calls originated.

The Laurel County Fiscal Court will have its second reading Thursday night of an ordinance to stop the sale of substances that contain cannabinoids, a chemical similar to marijuana.

The substances, also called “synthetic marijuana,” are being sold as herbal incense packets.

The ordinance would make the sell, delivery or transport of such products a class A misdemeanor, punishable by a sentence of up to 12 months in jail or a fine of up to $500.

The court passed its first reading of the ordinance at its December meeting.  The second reading will be held tonight at their regularly scheduled meeting in the courthouse Thursday at  6:30 p.m.