TVA’s Shawnee Fossil Plant faces an uncertain future as the Knoxville-based utility company begins retiring coal-powered energy plants.

Yesterday, as part of an ongoing effort to clean up non-renewable energy stations, TVA announced plans to retire 18 of 59 fossil units region-wide by 2018.

At Shawnee, where nine units are coal-based, two units are being looked at for possible closure.

A state environmental official says some Kentuckians are turning to an unusual and illegal way to get money for scrap metal. John Gowins is the Environmental Control Supervisor for the Kentucky Division of Air Quality.

"One of the things that we are seeing, seems like more frequently, is the burning of mobile homes," Gowins said. "And people are trying to recover metal because scrap metal prices have gone up. But that is something that just cannot be done."

Utica, Kentucky, based watercolorist Carole Gordon is among 65 artists who will display and sell a variety of works at the LowerTown Arts and Music Festival in Paducah this weekend. She's a 2001 graduate of Owensboro Community College with a lifelong interest in painting and in horses. Ms. Gordon is an exhibiting member with the Kentucky Arts Council's Kentucky Crafted and Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen.

NBC sitcom Seinfeld aired its last episode on this day in 1998, reaching an audience of 76 million viewers, making it the third most viewed finale. During the show, TV Land just posted a still that read "Gone watching Seinfeld - Back in 60 minutes."

It’s Tuesday, May 14 Murray State University offers a four-week workshop for adults with hearing loss. Audiologist Susan Brown leads the workshop, which helps participants with hearing loss and the person with whom they communicate the most learn techniques for improving difficult listening situations. Classes meet Tuesday mornings in June. To register, call 809-6821.

From NPR: The Associated Press is protesting what it calls a massive and unprecedented intrusion into its news gathering. The target of that wrath is the U.S. Justice Department, which secretly collected phone records for several AP reporters last year.

The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to reveal what caused a cargo ship to slam into the Eggner's Ferry Bridge near Aurora in January 2012. The incident is the subject of part of a board meeting this morning in Washington D.C. Late on the night of January 26th, the Delta Mariner ran into the bridge, causing a 322-foot section of the span to collapse.

The University of Tennessee at Martin rodeo program has received a $100,000 donation to fund scholarships for the state's only college rodeo. A charity founded by former Allegro Fine Foods chairman Dave Wilcox has pledged $20,000 a year in scholarships for the next five years. Wilcox was a fixture on the local rodeo scene until his death in 2011. The Betsy Ross Foundation, the charity he named in honor of his late wife, is donating the money.  The donation is the largest gift to rodeo in UT Martin's history.

Illinois is expected to receive more than $12 million in a settlement with a pharmaceutical company accused of selling diluted drugs. The state's Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced the settlement yesterday. The money is part of a $500 million federal and state settlement against India-based Ranbaxy. The federal lawsuit stated the company knowingly manufactured, distributed and sold 26 generic drugs whose strength, purity or quality fell below standards approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

U.S. farmers are making the most of a respite from what has been a wet spring to get their corn crops planted. However, the pace still keeps them well behind schedule. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported yesterday that 28% of the nation's cornfields have been planted, up from just 12% a week ago. But the latest numbers are well short of the 65% of the crop that already was in the ground by this date over the previous five years. At this time last year, 85% of the corn was planted.

Members of the Kentucky Congressional delegation are giving Department of Energy leaders until June 14th to develop a long-term plan for the future of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.