WKDP – WCTT Local News

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.

A proposal by two eastern Kentucky lawmakers would make it a felony for a parent or guardian not to report the disappearance of a child 12 or younger within 12 hours.

The bill, dubbed Caylee’s Law, was inspired by the notorious case of Caylee Anthony, the 2-year-old Florida girl who was last seen a month before her mother reported her missing in 2008.  Her mother, Casey Anthony, was acquitted last year in the girl’s death.

Some lawmakers raised concerns Wednesday about the broad wording of the bill and whether it could have unintended consequences, such as punishing a miscommunication between separated parents.

No action was taken on the bill Wednesday, with lawmakers saying the bill needs to be tweaked and improved before a possible vote next week.

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Department utilized e warrants to aid in the apprehension of dozens of suspects.

Following numerous citizen complaints in the Hawk Creek Road area of Laurel County, the sheriff’s office utilized e warrants for a list of 35 suspects wanted on warrants ranging from Failure to Apear in Court, DUI and various felony warrants. 

Over half of those suspects were located and arrested and lodged in the Laurel County jail.

Police arrested 29 people who had come to the Care More Pain Management clinic in Johnson County Wednesday.

Charges against the people included public intoxication and driving under the influence.  A number of people also were arrested on outstanding warrants.

The raid was the second in less than a year at the clinic.

The arrests came as authorities searched the clinic as part of an investigation by the Attorney General’s office an the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration “into doctors who overprescribe pain medications.”

No one employed by the clinic was arrested Wednesday.

Two men from Clay County will be among the 11 teams competing on the next season of the sprint-around-the-world reality show The Amazing Race.

41-year-old William “Bopper” Minton, a motorcycle mechanic, and 45-year-old Mark Jackson, a former inspector for the state agriculture department, are part of the 20^th season of the show, which premieres next month on CBS.

This season, teams will visit Paraguay and Azerbaijan while traveling through five continents and 22 cities and racking up nearly 40,000 miles.

The show premieres on Feb. 19 at 8 p.m.

A technician in Anderson County was arrested after he allegedly showed up drunk to make a service call at the Sheriff’s office.

Randall Ramey, a technician with Time Warner Cable, responded to a call to the Sheriff’s office last Wednesday to fix their wireless internet connection.

When Ramey arrived, officers say they noticed the smell of alcohol on his breath. 

After failing several sobriety tests and a blood test, he was charged with DUI; but apparently not before he fixed the internet connection.

Ramey faces up to a year in jail if convicted.

Three people were arrested in Laurel County Tuesday after a meth lab was found within feet of a child.

Officers were called to an abandoned trailer on Harris Cemetery Road, 2 miles north of London after receiving a complaint that someone was making meth.

Inside the trailer, officers found an active meth lab within 15 feet of a four-year-old child. 

They arrested 36-year-old Karen Moore, 38-year-old Shearl Hampton and 50-year-old Ricky Adams, all of London.

The three were arrested on multiple charges, including criminal trespass, manufacturing meth and controlled substance endangerment to a child.

The child was turned over to the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services.

A Williamsburg man was arrested Tuesday afternoon for a robbery that happened almost a year ago.

A Whitley County Sheriff’s deputy was working I-75 Tuesday as part of a drug interdiction team when he arrested 38-year-old Wesley Goins with first-degree robbery and giving an officer a false name.

The robbery charge stems from a March 2011 break-in at a residence off Highway 904 E where Goins allegedly disarmed the homeowner and attacked him with his own gun.

Authorities had apparently been searching for him since.

Two candidates have filed for the State Representative seat formerly held by Dewayne Bunch.

Bunch’s wife, Regina Bunch, who was elected during a special election in December to serve the time remaining on her husband’s term, filed to run for the seat Monday.

James Larry Goins of Williamsburg filed Tuesday.

Both filed as Republicans in the 82^nd House District.  Their names will appear on the ballot during the May 22 primary election.

A new report on teacher quality released today gives Kentucky a D+; ranking the state 41^st in the nation.

The report by the National Council on Teacher Quality says Kentucky’s elementary school teachers aren’t ready to implement the new lessons required by the state’s adoption of the Common Core State Standards.

The report also was highly critical of the state requirements for special education teachers saying because they need only a general certification, they do not have the knowledge needed to teach special education students expected to learn grade-level content.

The state did score high marks for its preparation of middle-school teachers.