The Associated Press

Louisville Zoo Polar Bear Dies

John Walker and The Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:42:30 +0000

The Louisville Zoo says its oldest polar bear has died. The Zoo says Arki, a female, was 28 years old and died from unknown causes on Wednesday. Arki came to Louisville in 2011 from the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois. A news release from the Louisville Zoo says polar bears usually live into their mid-20s. Arki was considered one of the most prolific polar bears with five successful litters. One of the two remaining polar bears at the Louisville Zoo, 3-year-old Siku, is Arki's grandson. The Zoo says a necropsy will be performed on Arki to determine the cause of death.

ILL Lt. Gov. Simon Promotes College Scorecard Measure

John Walker and The Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:39:21 +0000

Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon wants to see all colleges and universities in Illinois feature a link to the federal College Scorecard on their websites. She's encouraging the Illinois House to pass a joint resolution to encourage institutions in Illinois to link to the scorecard. The resolution also urges schools to work together to design and publish an Illinois College Scorecard with data that supplements the federal data.

TN Governor Signs Virtual Schools Legislation

John Walker and The Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:36:41 +0000

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has signed into law a measure to tighten enrollment requirements at privately run online schools. The administration legislation allows beginning online schools to start with an enrollment of 1,500 and continue to expand as long as they meet performance requirements. If they fail to do so for three consecutive years, then the state education commissioner can cap enrollment, or direct the local school board to close it.

Campuses Awarding More Than 61,000 Degrees

John Null and The Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:00:11 +0000

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education estimates more than 61,000 students are receiving diplomas from the state's public and independent colleges and universities this academic year.

That's down slightly from last year's historic total, but it is well above the number of degrees conferred a decade ago in the Bluegrass State.

Coalition Says IL 'Fracking' Bill Ready for Vote

John Null and The Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:02:40 +0000

Supporters of high-volume oil and gas drilling say a bill to regulate the practice in Illinois is ready for a vote after last-minute negotiations over hiring and environmental concerns.

The House bill initially had strong support in February but stalled over an amendment requiring energy companies to hire Illinois-licensed water well drillers. Instead, companies will get a break on certain taxes if more than half their workers are from Illinois and receive prevailing wages.

Farmer's Trial Delayed Until October

John Walker and The Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:35:17 +0000

Richie Farmer's federal trial on charges of misappropriating government resources when he was agriculture commissioner has been moved to this fall. Farmer’s lawyer, Guthrie True, said he needed more time to prepare for what he expected to be a complex case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Taylor objected to delaying the trial that long, and U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove ordered yesterday that it be continued until October 22.

ILL Gov. Quinn Gets Lower Voting Age Legislation

John Walker and The Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:33:34 +0000

Illinois 17-year-olds would be able to vote in primary elections in some cases under legislation headed for Governor Pat Quinn. The measure would allow voters as young as 17 to cast ballots in primaries if they will be 18 by the time of the general election.

Memorial Service Held For Fallen TN State Troopers

John Walker and The Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:31:53 +0000

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is honoring its fallen troopers this week. In honor of National Police Week, the agency, along with the state Safety Department and Homeland Security, will have its annual memorial service at 9 a.m. Friday at the Safety Department's headquarters in Nashville. Maj. Gen. Terry Haston, Tennessee's adjutant general, will be the keynote speaker.

Friday Is Wear a Life Jacket to Work Day in TN

John Walker and The Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:28:10 +0000

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is kicking off National Safe Boating Week with Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day tomorrow. The goal is to promote the use of life jackets as the 2013 summer boating season begins. Participants are asked to wear a life jacket to work in order to demonstrate how easy to wear one.

Memorial For Battle of Hamburger Hill Set

John Walker and The Associated Press — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:56:20 +0000

A memorial ceremony is being held at Fort Campbell to mark the 44th anniversary of the Battle of Hamburger Hill, one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. Members of the 101st Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade and other units fought for 12 days against North Vietnamese forces before U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured the mountain that the Americans referred to as "Hamburger Hill." The ceremony today is being hosted by soldiers and veterans from the 3rd Brigade.