News

Indiana’s fifth Amazon Distribution Center opened in Jeffersonville this week and officials say while the facilities begin stocking shelves they'll be keeping an eye on traffic in the area.

The $150 million facility is currently employing between 600 to 800 employees on two shifts and that may increase during the holidays, said Mayor Mike Moore.

“Of course this is great news for the city of Jeff to have Amazon come, but there are more issues that we’re going to be dealing with and we’re going to get a little bit more every day, find out what needs to be done," he said.

An audit of Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw's office shows poor record keeping of charitable funds and others questionable administrative practices regarding a non-profit and employee bonuses.

The report was conducted by State Auditor Adam Edelen, and it scolds the clerk for failing to properly account for funds that her office raised for charities such as the Crusade for Children and USA Cares Inc.

Among its findings were that Holsclaw paid $99,200 in Christmas bonuses to employees last year. According to the clerk's office the $400 per employee bonus was an incentive for good work, but Edelen's office points out that the practice is prohibited by the Kentucky Constitution and should be stopped.

Auditor spokeswoman Stephanie Steitzer says the report is not alleging any criminal activity, but does contain  several recommendations to help save the taxpayer’s money.

"We are pointing out that there are some areas of concern where she can make—we make recommendations for improvement—again, to limit the risk to taxpayers and to herself," she says.

Kentucky Senate Republicans have established a succession plan in the case their current leader, David Williams, is appointed into an open judgeship in his district. 

Williams is considered a leading candidate for the open circuit court judgeship that covers his home county.

Governor Steve Beshear, Williams’s main enemy in Frankfort, has the final say over who is appointed to finish the two year term. And Beshear hasn’t ruled out appointing Williams if his name shows up on the nomination list. 

Rising natural gas prices could mean good news for the country's coal industry...but there are still likely cuts to come in Central Appalachia. That's the gist of an article from SNL Finanacial.

Senator Rand Paul has joined many of his fellow Republicans in doubting the accuracy of polls in this year’s presidential race.

In recent weeks, President Barack Obama has seen his lead widen significantly in two battleground states that border Kentucky: Ohio and Virginia. Obama's lead is also widening in national polls and in other battleground states.

In response, Republicans have dismissed the polls, saying they aren’t accurately reflecting changes in the country’s voting blocs since 2008.

Rand Paul will once again visit the set of Comedy Central’s 'The Daily Show' tonight.

Paul will tape an interview with the satirical news show to promote his new book, Government Bullies. And while politicians are often the butt of jokes on the program, Paul is looking forward to a good time.

“I expect to be hilariously funny, and sarcastic and witty. We’ll see how it goes," he says. "I don’t know. He was a good interview last time I was on. He treats it as an opportunity to have a little discussion.”

Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan was in town this week for the Kentucky Author Forum, where he'll be interviewing Steven Pinker of Harvard University. Pinker is the author of The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.

Neal Conan visited our studios to speak with WFPL’s Jonathan Bastian about political divisiveness, the art of the interview, and (of course!) baseball. 

Bellarmine University will host a debate for voters in the Metro Council 8th District featuring Republican challenger Kirt Jacobs and Democratic incumbent Tom Owen.

Owen is a three-term councilman and his seat is being challenged by Jacobs in the upcoming election. Jacobs is a local businessman who hosts "Leadership Landscape" a weekly one-on-one interview program.

Earlier this year, observers speculated that the 72-year-old Owen might retire and not seek re-election, but the longtime city lawmakers says he is committed to serving a full term and though he has won previous races by wide margins, he is taking this year’s election seriously.

"You would know by my current jitters that I am neither complacent about my request for the voters to send me for an additional term nor am I in anyway blasé or arrogant just presuming victory," he says.

Residents of Louisville’s Newburg and Buechel neighborhoods are protesting a planned sewage overflow basin in their area. They held a protest at City Hall today.

The Metropolitan Sewer District began constructing the basin on a 40 acre site near Poplar Level Road, Jennings Lane and Produce Road six months ago. It’s designed to hold 100 million gallons of water, but will only be put to use when rain causes the city’s sanitary sewer system to overflow. Without a catch basin, the water flows untreated into area streams and the Ohio River.

Kentucky’s Blue Ribbon Tax Commission has spent months learning how the state’s tax system works, and is now beginning to hammer out proposals to reform the state’s tax code.

The commission met again today in Frankfort to hear some final reports from the Beshear administration on how Kentucky’s current revenue systems work.

State representative and commission member Jim Wayne says the reports served as another reminder of how far behind Kentucky has fallen.