Corbin Fire and Police responded to the call at 4:00 a.m. Friday.

     Emergency workers say the man, reportedly from Missouri, was taken to Baptist Regional Medical Center then flown to the University of Kentucky Medical Center with severe burns over most of his body.

     Gas cans were found near the scene of the incident. Reportedly, police will be looking into the possibility that the man had attempted to commit suicide as the investigation continues.

     With the new rates, residential electric customers of the two utilities will see their monthly bills increase by about $7.00. LG&E residential natural gas customers will see their monthly bills increase by about $3.00, a figure that does not include charges for the commodity cost of the natural gas itself.

     The new rates take effect Saturday.

     Orders and other documents in the cases, as well as videos of hearings and public meetings held, are available at the PSC website at psc.ky.gov.

     According to Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood, a joint investigation by the Burnside Police and Pulaski Sheriff’s Deputies resulted in the arrest of 29-year-old Jason Pearl Sims.

     Police say Sims was recorded by video surveillance allegedly using fake money to buy gasoline at a store in the Science Hill area.

     Sims was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument.

     The investigation is ongoing.

     In a media release, Whitley County Jailer Ken Mobley said 26-year-old Ronald Shannon Lawson was found unresponsive by deputy jailers at around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday. He was taken to the Jellico Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:10 a.m.

     An autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death.

     Lawson was in jail following his arrest on drug possession and traffic charges.

     The event was designed to bring together representatives form the local business and industry community and educators from across the Tri-County area.

     Corbin Economic Development Director Bruce Carpenter said the goal was to establish a continuous dialogue between the groups to better serve the educational and training needs of students as they prepare to enter the workplace.

     Carpenter said the day-long event was one result of the Tri-County 2020 Vision efforts.

     The Tri-County Even Start Program provides educational services for teenage parents and adults with children, ages birth to 8 years old, that want to pursue their high school diploma or GED. Career education and child care services will be provided. For more information contact Rachel Cima at 523-3933.

     For parents looking at the option of homeschooling, the KAPPA e-learning program provides a curriculum that is aligned with state and national standards with local support from a certified teacher. KAPPA e-learning is now enrolling for grades 6 through 12.

      For students that did not finish their high school diploma and are not yet 21 years old, Corbin Independent Schools is offering a credit recovery program. The program provides an opportunity to attain a diploma and advance in career opportunities and better pay. Space is limited. For more information about the credit recovery program or the KAPPA e-learning program, contact Brandy Howard at 215-2186.

     According to Knox County Sheriff John Pickard, Chief Deputy Derek Eubanks responded to a report of a domestic dispute on Ky 2417 in Corbin.

     Following an investigation, it was determined that Jonathon Caldwell, age 23, was wanted for unauthorized absence from the U.S. Marine Corps. Caldwell was also charged with possession of a controlled substance and giving a police officer a false name. Following further investigation, Deputy Eubanks determined that another Knox County man, 19-year-old Jonathon Hensley, of Girdler, was wanted for unauthorized absence from the U.S. Marine Corps. Both Caldwell and Hensley were lodged in the Knox County Detention Center.

     The investigation is ongoing.

     According to the open records decision on the matter, Dolly Bunch appealed to the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office when she did not receive a response from Hodge to a request Bunch had made for the police report relating to the 2005 death of her son, James Bunch.

     When Attorney General Jack Conway’s Office contacted Whitley County Attorney Paul Winchester on the matter, Winchester said that he thought the police report had been provided and that he would send Conway’s Office a copy. According to the decision, no letter was received and Winchester did not answer telephone messages left by the Attorney General’s Office.

     Kentucky’s Attorney General has found that Hodge violated the Open Records Act before when he did not respond to a request to access a list of his auxilary deputies.

     According to Conway’s Office, the settlement resolves claims brought by the federal government and participating states’ attorneys general that the company knowingly engaged in a scheme to market Topomax for uses that had not been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA only approved Topomax for use in treating epileptic seizures and to prevent migraine headaches. Despite the limited approvals, the company marketed Topomax to physicians for use in the treatment of a variety of other unapproved psychiatric conditions, including bipolar disorder and drug and alcohol dependency.

     Ortho-McNeil-Janssen pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of distribution of a misbranded product and entered into an agreement to ensure that there are no future violations in the marketing of Topomax by the company.

     Kentucky’s state and federal portion is $1.9 million.

     According to Kentucky Youth Advocates, a non-partisan, non-profit children’s advocacy organization, the Data Book reveals that Kentucky improved on four of the 10 measures affecting child well-being since 2000; infant mortality rate, child death rate, teen death rate and percent of teens not in school or not high school graduates. On three other measures, conditions have worsened since 2000; percent of low birth-weight babies, percent of children in poverty, and percent of children in single parent families.

     Kentucky’s improvement on mortality indicators is in line with national trends.

     Kentucky childrencontinue to rank poorly on economic indicators. Since 2000, the rate of children living in poverty increased 5 percent, with 23 percent living in poverty in 2008. In 2008, one third of Kentucky’s children lived in families where no parent had full-time, year-round employment. While the number cannot be compared to previous years’ data, Kentucky currently ranks 48th in the nation on this indicator.