Society

After months of deliberations, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has decided to expand Medicaid in Kentucky under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare — a move that's won praise from Democrats and health advocacy groups.

Beshear said Thursday that expansion benefits Kentucky in many ways.

"This move makes sense not only for our health but also for our pocketbook. More important it makes sense for our future," he says.

For this Memorial Day weekend we remember and honor members of our Armed Services. Throughout the holiday weekend (Friday through Monday) we'll announce roll calls to honor our veterans with a service member's information including their name, rank, branch of service, and community. These are the air times: 7:19 am, 11:19 am, 2:19 pm, and 4:19 pm. Join us throughout Memorial Day weekend as we thank members of our Armed Forces for their service and supreme sacrifice.

  Hopkins County Attorney Todd P'Pool said the Madisonville Public Library board didn't follow procedures when hiring contractors to renovate a library building, but board members acted in good faith.

Library Foundation members are criticizing the renovation and associated costs and using the violation to force the resignation of board member Bill Smith.  State code outlines that a publicly funded entity must publicly solicit competitive bidding for projects with components that exceed $20,000. The library broad didn't solicit bids for the projects. P’Pool said the problems are technical in nature rather than criminal.

Hopkinsville City Council decided to bench a discussion this week regarding the city's alcohol ordinance. Much of the council's discussion focused on forcing bars within the city to close at 1 am. Currently, downtown bars are forced to stop serving alcohol at 1 am but can stay open later to allow patrons time to leave. City Chief Financial Officer Robert Martin said the council proposed forcing businesses to close at 1:30 to reduce incidences of public disturbances.