There’s a missing fortune out there…

NPR reports that about $41 billion have been lost since 2005 in unused gift cards.

Kentucky ~ Graves County blaze displaces two families. Grant applications sought for recycling projects. Racers break into Top 20 in basketball poll.

Winter weather makes appearance in region.

The Show Must Go On…

NPR reports that Iowa residents saw no reprieve in political ads over the holiday weekend

Kentucky ~ Deputy judge-executive makes bid for Paducah mayor. Chemical spill shuts down the junction of the I-24/Purchase Parkway junction. Police notified of toys missing from Southside store.

Illinois ~ State to create independent tax appeal tribunal.

Tennessee ~ Fort Campbell Solider shot, seriously wounded, in California hometown.

“It’s sort of the exact opposite of getting two references when you’re applying for a job; rather than vouching for you as an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, you’re getting people to attest to your deviousness.”

NPR reports on an online megamall for stolen credit cards.

Kentucky- Senator Mitch McConnell is meeting in Bowling Green today to discuss his call to send two men facing terrorism charges to Guantanamo Bay. Governor Beshear is selling off surplus land to create state revenue.

Illinois- Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon is urging the state’s food producers to apply for federal grants to promote farmers markets.

Tennessee- The Montgomery County, Tennessee Redistricting Committee has begun the process of examining and re-drawing new county commission district lines. US Representative Stephen Fincher’s corrected personal financial disclosure was released.

Most of the races have been declared in Kentucky for the 2011 primary election.

Dark red: 0-10% Light red: 10-20% Orange: 20-30% Yellow: 30-40%

Seven state races are on the ballot this year. State races on the Democratic side include Treasurer, Secretary of State, and Commissioner of Agriculture. Races on the GOP side include Auditor, Agriculture Commissioner, Governor, and Secretary of State.

WKMS will have more coverage during Morning Edition.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS REPORTED AS OF 9:00 PM CST:

David Williams is the GOP nominee for Kentucky governor. With nearly all precincts reporting, Williams had a near ten point lead ahead of main opposition Phil Moffet. Williams has 47 and a half percent, with Moffett taking 38 percent of the vote. Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw took 14 percent of the vote. According to KET analysts, Moffett won small victories in populated areas, including Owensboro, Paducah, and Lexington. But Williams won the majority of rural areas. Williams and incumbent Governor Steve Beshear will face off in November. Republican Governors Association Executive Director Phil Cox issued a statement after the results. Cox said, “David Williams’ victory is an important first step towards putting Kentucky back on the right track.”

The candidates for Agriculture Commissioner are James Comer on the Republican side and Bob Farmer on the Democratic side. The seat is vacant this time around. Former Commissioner Richie Farmer is on the ticket as David Williams’ running mate.

Incumbent Kentucky State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach has won the Democratic primary over western Kentucky businessman Steve Hamrick. Hollenbach received around seventy-one percent of the vote. Hollenbach faces K. C. Crosbie in the fall.

Another set of candidates vying over a vacant office. Current Auditor Crit Luallen is term-limited. On the GOP side, John Kemper III won the nomination over Addia Wuchner. Kemper faces Adam Edelen, who was unopposed on the Democratic side.

Alison Lundergan Grimes has won the democratic Secretary of State nomination over incumbent Elaine Walker on the democratic side. Walker has been in the post only a few months. She took over when Trey Grayson left the post to take a job at Harvard. Grimes took around 55 percent of the vote.

The Associated Press unofficially called Bill Johnson the GOP candidate for Kentucky Secretary of State. With nearly all votes counted statewide, Johnson led with just over 50 percent of the vote, ahead of Hilda Legg by less than a percent. Johnson was ahead by just over 1,100 votes as of 9 PM Tuesday. In Johnson’s home of Todd County, he took 83 percent of the vote. It’s unclear if Legg will request a re-canvass.

VOTER TURNOUT

Turnout is expected to be low. Angela Hatton spoke with some likely voters in Murray earlier Tuesday. Unofficial reports as of 9:00 tonight show turnout was 9.28 percent.

ON-SITE REPORTS

Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh is on-site at the Democratic Campaign Headquarters in Frankfort. McVeigh spoke with Attorney General Jack Conway about the turnout so far.

KPR’s Stu Johnson is in Lexington with the GOP.

Nortonville Voters say No to Alcohol

A wet-dry referendum for the Hopkins County city of Nortonville got an overwhelming “No” vote in tonight’s primary election. As a 5th class city, Nortonville is eligible for moist status. Moist means some restaurants which also sell food could offer alcoholic beverages by the drink. The unofficial result, with 100 percent of votes counted, shows that more than 78 percent voted not to allow liquor by the drink.

GRAPHS Read the rest of this entry »

These results are incomplete

State House

Andrew Holt (R) – 8263

Mark Maddox (D) – 6603

City Races

Mayor

(Greenfield)

Eddie Joe McKelvy (I) – 538

Jimmy Witherspoon – 341

(Dresden)

Danny Forrester (I) – 860

Joyce Hurt- 801

(Martin)

Randy Brundige (I) – uncontested – 1451

(Sharon)

Monroe Ary – 317

House Races

1st District (Ballard, Hickman, Fulton, West McCracken)

Steven Rudy (R) – 3984
Mike Lawrence (D) – 2901

4^th District:  (Livingston, Crittenden, Caldwell)

Lynn Bechler (R) – 4373
Mike Cherry (D) – 7785

5^th District (Calloway, Trigg)

Melvin Henley (D) – 3013
Corey McBee (R) –  1957

6^th District (Marshall, Lyon)

Monti Collins (R) – 6834
Willie Coursey (D) – 8542

10^th District (Hopkins County)

Mike Duncan (D) – 5284
Ben Waide (R) – 6887

2^nd District (Graves, Southern McCracken)

Uncontested: Fred Nesler (D) – 10486

3^rd District (Paducah)

Uncontested: Brent Housman (R) – 8158

12^th District State Representative (Webster, McLean, Hopkins [part])

Uncontested: Jim Gooch, Jr., D – 7682

15^th District State Representative (Muhlenberg, Christian [part], Hopkins [part])

Uncontested: Brent Yonts, D – 8288

Senate Races

2^nd District: (Ballard, McCracken, Marshall)

Mike East (R) – 3390
Bob Leeper (I) – 17606
Rex Smith (D) – 16657

6^th District (Hopkins, Muhlenburg, Ohio)

Jerry Rhoads  (D) – 17344
Jack Whitfield, Jr. (R) – 15580

4^th District Senator (Livingston, Caldwell, Crittenden, Union, Webster, Henderson)

Uncontested: J. Dorsey Ridley, D – 26304

Judicial Races

4^th Judicial District, 2^nd Division (Hopkins)

Bill Whitledge – 7068

Chris Oglesby – 6385

4^th Judicial District, 1^st Division (Hopkins)

Uncontested: Logan Calvert – 10907

42^nd District Judge (Calloway)

Randall Hutchens (I) – 5411

Jeanne Carroll – 3822

56^th District Judge, 2^nd Division (Trigg, Lyon, Caldwell)

Uncontested: Jill Clarks – 8978

56^th District Judge, 1^st Division (Trigg, Lyon, Caldwell)

Uncontested: James R. Redd III – 10018

Commonwealth’s Attorney 42^nd Judicial District (Calloway, Marshall)

Uncontested: Mark Blankenship, D – 16706

State Senate

J. Dorsey Ridley- uncontested – 3406

State House

C. Lynn Bechler- 1506

Mike Cherry – 3250
County Races

Judge Executive

Brock Thomas (I) – uncontested – 3810

Magistrates

(District  1)

Elbert Bennett (I) – 773

Ty Englebright – 260

(District 2)

Rodney Heaton- 642

Shirley Boyd Gray – 349

(District 3)

Bobby Lewis Sr. (I) – uncontested – 813

(District 4)

George Kilgore (I) – uncontested – 1029

County Attorney

James Miller (I) – uncontested – 3732

Property Valuation Administrator

Ronald Wood (I) – uncontested – 3795

Clerk

Toni Watson (I) – uncontested – 3997

Constable

(District 1)

Dennis Hughes- uncontested – 676

(District 2)

James Kevin Poindexter- uncontested – 782

(District 3)

Don Armstrong- uncontested – 749

(District 4)

Steven Tays- uncontested – 1012

Coroner

Dewayne Trafford- uncontested – 3642

Sherriff

Stan Hudson (I) – uncontested – 3883

District Judge

James Redd III- uncontested – 3392

City Races

Mayor

(Princeton)

Gale Cherry (I) – 1438

James Ward Jr.- 744

(Freedonia)

Mike Board (I) – uncontested – 120
City Council

(Princeton)

Jim Joiner (I) – 1773

Carroll Boyd (I) – 1780

Richard Blackburn (I) – 1419

Pat George (I) – 1325

Denny Sewell- 492

Fred Walker Jr.- 1170

Iris Brantley (I) – 1468

Edward Schmidt- 694

Wayne Glover Yates- 983

Amer Tooley- 278

Jerry Chatman- 489

State Senate

Rex Smith- 1469

Bob Leeper- 1383

State House

Steven Jack Rudy- 1873

Mike Lawrence- 1242

County Races

Judge Executive

Vickie Viniard (I) – uncontested

Magistrates

(District 1)

Larry Cooper (I) – uncontested

(District 2)

Bob Renfrow (I) – uncontested

(District 3)

Martin Flournoy (I) – uncontested

(District 4)

Steve Cooper (I) – uncontested

(District 5)

Dee Hazelwood – uncontested

County Attorney

Vicki Hayden (I) – uncontested

Property Valuation Administrator

Anita Campbell- uncontested

Clerk

Lynn Lane (I) – uncontested

Constable

(District 2)

Jeremy Renfrow- uncontested

(Districts 1, 3, 4, 5)

No candidates listed

Coroner

Bob Morrow- uncontested

Sherriff

Todd Cooper (I) – uncontested

District Judge

Keith Myers (I) – uncontested

City Races

Mayor

(Wickliffe)

David Whipple- 12

Martha Pennebaker- 93

Herby Vance (I) – 78

James Winnans Sr.- 10

(Barlow)

John Wood (I) – uncontested

(Kevil)

Charles Burnley (I) – uncontested

(LaCenter)

Jamie Hack (I) – uncontested
City Council

(Wickliffe)

Judy Hall- uncontested

Suzanne Allen (I) – uncontested

Thomas Wallace Sr.- uncontested

George Lane- uncontested

David Phillips (I) – uncontested

Chan Case- uncontested