morning cram [schiller’ed edition]

“NPR President and CEO Vivian Schiller has resigned.”

NPR blogs about Schiller at the Two-Way.

KENTUCKY ~ McCracken County School officials respond to empty bomb threats at Reidland Middle. Paducah renews contract with police union, and gives them raises. The 2011 LowerTown Arts and Music Festival: more music, more food. Christian County gets new tornado sirens. The General Assembly agrees government transparency not just a good idea, it should be law. Compromise on state medicaid budget seems impossible; lawmakers angry about possibility of special session. State tax revenue looks good in the eighth month of FY 2011.

TENNESSEE ~ City council committee takes the city charter through a slash and burn revision. UT-Martin Faculty Senate says no to extra guns on campus, and Union City is getting a park. Business leaders support governor’s teacher tenure revisions.

Winter Weather Update

Friday, February 11

Road Conditions:
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Officials warn yesterday’s sunshine  melted snow on many roadways, and falling overnight temperatures were in the single digits allowing roads to refreeze. Officials expect hazardous driving conditions for the morning commute.

If you do get out, give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. Remember to buckle up, turn on your headlights, and drive slowly. Slow down early when coming to intersections and leave plenty of stopping room ahead of cars in front of you.

Kentucky School Closings/Delays:
Ballard County, Caldwell County, Calloway County, Carlisle County, Christian County, Christian Fellowship, Community Alternatives, Community Christian Academy, Crittenden County, Eastwood Christian Academy (opens 1 hour late), Fulton County, Graves County, Hickman County, Hopkins County, Livingston County, Lyon County, Marshall County, Mayfield City, McCracken County, Murray Independent (opening 2 hours late), Murray WATCH Center, New Covenant Academy-Hardin, Open Door Christian Academy, St. Joseph-Mayfield, Trigg County, Webster County.

Tennessee School Closings:
Clarksville Academy, Clarksville Christian, Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools, Henry County, Houston County, Lake County, Montgomery Christian Academy, Obion County, Paris Special, Stewart County, Union City (opens @ 9am), Weakley County.

Illinois School Closings:
Joppa-Maple Grove, Pope County.

Other Closings:
Fulton County Transit (dialysis only), Murray-Calloway County Transit (snow routes), Murray-Calloway County Health Express, Purchase Area Sexual Assault Center.

Road Condition Links:
Kentucky: http://511.ky.gov/kyhb/main.jsf
Kentucky Transportation on Facebook: District 1, District 2.
Illinois: http://wrc.gettingaroundillinois.com/pages/wrc.htm
Tennessee: http://ww2.tdot.state.tn.us/tsw/smartmap.htm

Other Important links:
Latest Regional Weather Info: National Weather Service – Paducah
Our Regional Weather Page: http://www.wkms.org/weather.php

morning cram [healing edition]

President Obama yesterday paid tribute to victims of the Arizona mass shootings, urging Americans to change the nation’s caustic public dialogue by talking in a way that heals instead of wounds.

NPR has extensive coverage.

KENTUCKY~ A bid to build McCracken County’s jail expansion comes in over $1mil under estimates. Kentucky State Police are investigating fund misappropriations by two recently fired McCracken County School employees. USEC is haggling with TVA over a new power contract for Paducah’s Gaseous Diffusion Plant. House Speaker Stumbo wants to ban smoking in cars with kids. KCTCS is participating in a new nationwide accountability program. A federally-subsidized work program employed 400 last year. Gov. Beshear says politicos should calm down. Since Secretary of State Trey Grayson is leaving for Harvard, Bowling Green’s Mayor will finish out his term.

TENNESSEE~ Austin Peay issues a campus warning after receiving a threatening letter from an ex-student.

morning cram [start edition]

The outcome of today’s Senate vote to ratify the new arms reduction treaty with Russia remains in nail-biting doubt.

~NPR has more on the last-minute lame duck initiative.

KENTUCKY~ No Paducah garbage pickup at the end of this week. McCracken County hires a new Facilities Director. Fort Campbell prepares for thousands of troops to return to base. Murray’s mayor gets a swear-in. You have until the end of the year to flip-flop political party affiliation. Some Christian County School officials had no idea the state was investigating two of their schools. Crittenden High plans to build a greenhouse. The newest Census results won’t change any of the Commonwealth’s congressional lineup.

TENNESSEE~ The State Comptroller calls out a corrupt weatherization program. The EPA still doesn’t know if TVA’s coal ash should be labeled: hazardous.

morning cram [tenacious edition]

“WikiLeaks will continue.”

~ Julian Assange’s lawyer tells NPR detention of the website’s founder won’t deter the site’s online presence.

KENTUCKY~ Paducah’s Mayor honors a longtime Sun journalist and the new city manager has his first day on the job. McCracken Co. Schools will decide who will build its school tomorrow. A tractor trailer tire fire shuts down I-24 East in Christian County. Murray’s business community rates city so-so. A Fort Campbell soldier is in custody after his wife was found dead at home. Fort Knox is still on track to become a big ole command center. The state’s Chamber of Commerce CEO outs prisons, Medicaid and public employee health as budget leeches. State officials warn scammers are targeting restaurants.

TENNESSEE~ Police say the man accused of murdering an elderly Buchanan couple has confessed to the crime. Gov. Bredesen is prepping Bill Haslam to handle the budget. OVC (Men’s) Basketball: APSU < Lipscomb; UTM < MO.

morning cram [yin’lin edition]

One of America’s biggest beer makers is a lesser-known regional company: D.G. Yuengling and Son. Founded by a German immigrant in Pennsylvania 181 years ago, it’s the country’s oldest brewery.

~NPR reports Yuengling is still family-run and growing.

KENTUCKY~ An I-69 planning study will be publicly discussed in Mayfield tonight. State Police are investigating a string of break-ins along US-62 in Lyon County. McCracken County Schools could save +$4mil on loan interest payments, while county officials want to build a Korean War memorial. More state prisoners are beginning to spend the rest of their sentences in county jails. Several historic sites are going to be closed for 3 months.

TENNESSEE~ The Opryland Hotel reopens today.

SPORTS~ (Football) MSU > APSU, UTM > TSU. (Men’s Basketball) APSU > STL, UTM > MMC. (Women’s Basketball) MSU > St. Catherine, APSU < Purdue, ISU > UTM > SIU.

morning cram [workout edition]

Researchers say daily exercise plays a role in resisting the cold virus, citing a study where the more participants exercised, the less they reported getting sick.

~NPR reports those who exercised five days a week for at least 20 minutes experienced about 40% fewer days of illness compared with those who exercised less than one day a week.

KENTUCKY~ Find out how school officials plan to spend a $25k grant to curb dropouts @ Reidland High. Another Fort Campbell soldier dies for his country. Local undercovers bring down an alleged crack dealer. Police are awaiting dental records to identify two people who died in a fiery Calloway County wreck. A Fancy Farm man is in custody on kidnapping/sodomy charges. Rand Paul: GOP must consider cutting military spending. The city of Henderson is considering erecting a 9/11 memorial. Hopkinsville Community College is teaming up with APSU to train employees for Clarksville’s upcoming Hemlock Semiconductor plant. MSU is among several federal grant recipients in the Commonwealth targeting professional development.  Flags are down to half-staff again today.

SPORTS~ (Football) MSU > TTU & UTM > APSU. (Women’s Soccer) APSU loses the championship to Morehead State.

morning cram [profit prisons edition]

NPR reports some prison companies have a new business model to lock up illegal immigrants and one company’s plan became Arizona’s immigration law.

KENTUCKY~ Meteorologists: 3 tornadoes touched down Tuesday. Drivers in and around Gilbertsville and Grand Rivers should watch out for a few loose cows along the roadways. McCracken County School officials look over several possible design changes to the consolidated high school. Paducah’s WKCTC receives a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant. A Murray man is charged with trafficking narcotics. A Union City man died yesterday in a coal mining accident. Rand Paul isn’t going to return donation$ from a supporter (who stepped on an activist’s head outside the last senatorial debate).

TENNESSEE~ 2 of 7 Clarksville mayoral candidates spend tens of thousands, while 5 others spend < $100. Police: Clarksville man was dragged from a home and shot dead. Republican candidate for governor Bill Haslam is frustrated about the media’s coverage of his gun comments.