John Walker

Kentucky’s Interstate 24 welcome center in Christian County near the Tennessee state line will reopen today and remain open until after the Memorial Day holiday. The welcome center is for westbound I-24 travelers near Fort Campbell. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the facility will close May 28 for two more weeks to continue pavement work along the interstate between mile markers 85 and 93.

From NPR: Tim Cook will address reports that his company pays billions less than it should in U.S. taxes each year at a Tuesday hearing in Washington. According to a report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Apple avoids the tax payments by shifting profits to subsidiaries in Ireland.

Parents of two Sandy Hook elementary students killed by a Connecticut gunman last fall testified in favor of limiting high-capacity ammunition magazines in Illinois. The Illinois Senate's Executive Committee voted 12-3 Monday to advance legislation banning magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. Mark Barden is the father of seven-year-old Daniel Barden. Daniel was among 20 children fatally shot Dec. 14 in Newtown, Conn.

The University of Tennessee at Martin says it will offer a degree in nursing at its Decatur County location beginning next year.  The center will have openings for up to 30 students annually, with 20 slots designated for traditional students and 10 slots for licensed practical nurses. Program graduates will be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses. Initial funding for the program was included in this year's state budget.

More soldiers are returning to Fort Campbell this week from Afghanistan. Officials say about 240 of the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team are due home tonight. The troops have been in Afghanistan for nine months. 170 members came home April 26th and an additional 90 returned Sunday night. Tomorrow, about 100 members of the 101st's 101st Combat Aviation Brigade will complete the unit's return.

Almost a month to the day after it closed, the Dorena-Hickman Ferry expects to resume service today.  The ferry was closed April 22nd due to flooding. During the past year, the ferry has also struggled to operate with low Mississippi River levels. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the water dropped enough yesterday that crew members were able to clear debris from landings on each side of the river.

Kentucky’s Executive Branch Ethics Commission has handed down public reprimands and fines to three former employees in the state Department of Agriculture. The panel took the action yesterday against Bruce Harper of Harrodsburg, Chris Parsons of Mount Vernon and George Begley of London.

From NPR: The number of poor people living in America's suburbs now surpasses those in cities or rural areas. Long focused on the urban poor, social service agencies are now trying to respond to the basic needs of a much more far-flung population.

With just two weeks left in the legislative session, Illinois lawmakers have a full plate of controversial issues to tackle. They're scheduled to consider two major pension overhaul proposals aimed at addressing the worst pension problem nationwide and they must approve a budget that could contain some difficult cuts. Lawmakers are also scheduled to take up legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry, which has passed the Senate and awaits a House vote.

Anxiety and anger are growing among Illinois state employees and retirees who wonder what will happen to their pocketbooks if lawmakers make expected changes to the state's pension systems. Workers spent their careers paying into their pension funds what the law told them to pay. But the state for decades skipped or shorted its required payments.