Brenna Angel (KPR)

A federal grand jury has indicted former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer on four felony counts of misappropriating state funds and one of solicitation.  The indictment, unsealed today in Lexington, charges Farmer with using his state position to obtain thousands of dollars' worth of gifts, hotel rooms, clothing and computers. It also charges him with hiring friends who did little or no work for the state.  The indictment says that throughout his tenure as agriculture commissioner from 2004 to 2012, Farmer wrongfully used public funds and state resources to obtain goods and services for himself and his family.

It’s no secret that Dr. Terry Holliday has been having trouble with his voice.

“Well I’ll keep it short because I can’t talk anyway,” Holliday joked at a recent press conference.

For an education commissioner whose primary job is to communicate with teachers, school officials, and policymakers, that can be a problem.

Ten high schools across the state are joining Advance Kentucky, a program to train teachers and get more students taking Advanced Placement exams.

In 2007 Kentucky received $13 million from the National Math and Science Initiative to start the program. Gregg Fleisher is the Chief Program Officer for that organization.

“Since Advance Kentucky has been in the program, Kentucky ranks first in the country for the percentage increase in the number of students passing Advanced Placement exams. First in the country,” he said.

School superintendent contracts, benefit packages, and evaluations will be available to the public online under recommendations supported by Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday and state Auditor Adam Edelen.

Kentucky is one of 11 states receiving federal grant money to help low-achieving schools, including Christian County High School. Kentucky will get $7.7 million from the School Improvement Grant program to use at what the state Department of Education calls “priority schools.”

State Auditor Adam Edelen is hoping lawmakers can reach an agreement next week on a proposal to better regulate more than 1,200 special taxing districts across Kentucky, what Edelen calls “ghost government.” Special taxing districts include local airport boards, water districts, and community action agencies. The bill has passed the House and Senate, but the Senate’s version would give oversight of the taxing districts to county governments, something Edelen opposes.

The University of Kentucky is partnering with two non-profit foundations to establish the National Center for Innovation in Education. With a focus on college and career readiness, the center will assist states in implementing the Common Core standards and helping students learn on a deeper level.

Kentucky is home to around 242,400 horses, according to new data released from a statewide survey. From June to October of last year, researchers with the National Agricultural Statistics Service counted equines across the state, ranging from thoroughbreds at large farms to ponies in people’s backyards.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer is continuing a push for the reclassification of industrial hemp from a Schedule I drug to a legal crop. He told members of the Lexington Forum Thursday that state Senator Paul Hornback will file an industrial hemp bill next week in time for the upcoming legislative session. Comer has spent the past several months trying to convince law enforcement officials that industrial hemp will not lead to an increase in marijuana growth, but he says the decision ultimately rests with General Assembly.