Champion ham fetches record $2.8M at auction

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — That’s no ordinary slab of meat on a platter: the grand champion ham of the 2018 Kentucky State Fair has fetched a record $2.8 million at auction.

Two equal bids of $1.4 million combined for a record total for the 18.8-pound (8.5-kilogram) champion ham, produced by Broadbent B & B Foods of Kuttawa, Kentucky. Proceeds go to charity.

The winning bids at Thursday’s annual ham breakfast of the Kentucky Farm Bureau came from Luther Deaton Jr. of Central Bank and Mark and Cindy Lynn. Deaton plans to donate to the University of Kentucky and the Keeneland horse track. The Lynns say they are still determining which charities to support.

Since the first ham breakfast in 1964, the farm bureau has raised nearly $13 million for Kentucky charities.

94-year-old veteran receiving medals 72 years late

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A 94-year-old U.S. Navy veteran has waited 72 years, but he is going to receive the medals he’s due from World War II.

William Edward Gilbert is a patient of Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Louisville. The hospital said he recently mentioned to his providers that he had never received his medals. The providers promptly took care of the problem.

On Thursday, Rear Adm. Michael E. Jabaley will present the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Silver Star and American Campaign Medal to Gilbert.

Gilbert lives with his only son, Bruce. Gilbert’s son said his father served from 1943 until 1946 and served on the USS Indiana in the Pacific during the war, earning the rank of steward’s mate. Gilbert worked as a custodian at Jewish Hospital until his retirement in 1989.

Aluminum smelter returning to full production

HAWESVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An aluminum producer has begun the return to full production at its smelter in Kentucky, which is planned to open up hundreds of new jobs.

Century Aluminum said in a news release the ceremony Wednesday at Hawesville marks the return to full capacity of the first of three lines to be restarted at the smelter. More than 125 employees have been hired, with almost 300 to be added by early next year.

Century closed three lines and laid off about 320 workers at the smelter in 2015 in a dispute over electricity prices. The company says it has operated at 40 percent capacity for the last three years.

Century is investing more than $150 million to upgrade smelting technology and train employees to use new equipment.

The smelter produces aluminum that supplies the defense and aerospace industries.

Supporters of victims’ rights proposal to intervene in suit

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A judge has granted supporters of a measure that would expand Kentucky’s Constitution to bolster rights for crime victims the right to intervene in a lawsuit seeking to keep the proposal off the November ballot, or that its votes not be counted.

The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer reports a motion filed to intervene in the lawsuit was approved Monday.

The Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed the lawsuit, claiming the ballot question is vague and doesn’t fully explain how the law would affect the criminal justice system and other parts of the Constitution.

Known as Marsy’s Law, the proposal would expand the rights of crime victims. The Kentucky House has voted to put the proposal on the ballot. The secretary of state’s deadline to order printing of ballots is Monday.

City drafts ordinance over halfway house escapes

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky city is working to create an ordinance that would require a local state Department of Corrections halfway house to more quickly notify the city of escapees.

Paducah city manager Jim Arndt tells WPSD-TV that a city attorney is drafting an ordinance requiring the Keeton Corrections halfway house to notify the city within 30 minutes. This move follows an Aug. 12 escape by a man serving time on drug charges. The city wasn’t notified until the next day.

Arndt says he’s also working on a municipal order that would allow the city to notify residents with push alerts through the West Kentucky Crime Stoppers app. The ordinance and order are set to be presented to the city commission next week.

Amish man dies when buggy hit, woman charged with DUI

CRAB ORCHARD, Ky. (AP) — An Amish man has died in Kentucky, where his horse-drawn buggy was hit by a woman charged with driving under the influence.

News outlets report the crash happened Wednesday afternoon on Kentucky 39 in Crab Orchard in central Kentucky. Lincoln County Sheriff Curt Folger said a sport-utility vehicle hit the buggy from behind, throwing the man out. The horse ran and wasn’t hurt.

Officials arrested 64-year-old Mary Carter of Crab Orchard.

The Lincoln County coroner identified the victim as 52-year-old Bruce Troyer.

Federal government awards $2.5M to 3 Ky. colleges

HAZARD, Ky. (AP) — The federal government has awarded $2.5 million in grants to three Kentucky community colleges that will work together to train a workforce for advanced manufacturing employers.

The Commerce Department said in a news release the project is expected to create 261 jobs.

The department’s Economic Development Administration awarded the grant, which is going to Hazard Community and Technical College, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College and Big Sandy Community and Technical College.

The department said the Economic Development Administration awards funds to help communities severely affected by declining coal use.