Seth Helton

Kentucky lawmakers and their staffs have raised more than twenty thousand dollars for disaster relief this week.

Members of the Kentucky General Assembly had set a goal of ten thousand dollars to donate to the Red Cross in the wake of tornadoes that struck eastern and northern Kentucky last week.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo's office handled the donations. Today, Stumbo announced to his chamber they had surpassed their goal.

Dippin’ Dots founder Curt Jones resigned as CEO yesterday as part of an agreement reached with Regions Bank. The agreement allows the novelty ice-cream company to borrow an additional 1.25 million dollars to maintain operations until the business can be auctioned off. Regions Bank refused to give the loan unless Jones resigned. Dippin’ Dots filed for federal bankruptcy protection last November to prevent foreclosure on more than 11 million dollars in loans.

NPR reports the science behind why we hate political flip-floppers is simple: it's all about brains.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's tax reform commission is scheduled to hold its first meeting public meeting next week. Beshear announced Friday members will meet at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet headquarters in Frankfort tomorrow. The commission was set up to review the Commonwealth's tax code and recommend changes to better enable the state to withstand economic downturns and to make taxes more equitable for taxpayers. The recommendations are expected by November 15th.

Tennessee election officials say the small number of residents who didn't have proper identification during early voting indicates people are adjusting to a new law requiring a photo ID to vote, but others say the real test will be November’s general election.  Tennessee's 12-day early voting period ended last Tuesday.  Election Coordinator Mark Goins says during that time, there were more than 200,000 voters, and only 46 showed up without a photo ID.  However, Vanderbilt University political science professor Bruce Oppenheimer says early voters are a bad sample of the general electorate be

A local group working to legalize the sale of packaged alcohol in Murray has submitted a petition to the Calloway County Clerk. Ray Coursey Jr. says he is in the process of verifying the signatures on the petition. To be considered valid, each signature must be matched with a registered voter who is a resident of Murray. Coursey says the group’s petition has more than enough signatures if they’re all valid.

A Murray Police Department investigation of a case of tax preparer fraud has led to one arrest and additional drug charges. Officers served a search warrant Monday afternoon at the business FO SHO DOUGH TAX following a tip of suspicious account activity by a local bank. A search of the business and residence of owner Silvia Jones turned up over 10,000 dollars in cash and four pounds of marijuana. Police arrested 20-year-old Anna Urquhari at the Jones residence on charges of trafficking marijuana.

New research shows nerve damage can be repaired in days, not months.

NPR reports scientists have found a way to reattach severed ends of nerve cells in rats. This could mean new methods to help the more than 50,000 people a year in the U.S. who suffer nerve injuries could be available soon.

Paducah native and Calloway County High School alumni Lieutenant Colonel John Darin Loftis was among those killed in Afghanistan Saturday in a Taliban attack. Lieutenant Colonel Loftis was one of two who died in the attack on a heavily guarded ministry building in Kabul. The Taliban claim the attack is in retaliation for reports of Qur’an burnings at Bagram Air Base north of Kabul. Loftis is survived by his wife and two daughters in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is seeking federal highway funds through a disaster declaration to aid in restoring traffic across Kentucky Lake in Marshall County. The declaration allows the Kentucky Transportation cabinet to seek federal funds.  KYTC public affairs officer Chuck Wolfe says the state won’t wait on emergency funds to continue work to restore traffic.