Chad Lampe

WKMS has obtained, through an open records request, a 2012 student survey assessing the performance of Murray State President Randy Dunn. The survey's results are overall positive. In a letter to the Board of Regents that accompanied the survey results Student Regent Jeremiah Johnson wrote “Judging by the survey, the student body is supportive of President Dunn and his administration. All of the questions/statements were rated in the 75-80% approval rating.”

U.S. Senators from Kentucky and Tennessee along with Congressman Ed Whitfield are holding a “Freedom To Fish” rally this weekend to gain support for a bill that prevents the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers from imposing restriction on fishing near Corp dams on the Cumberland River.

A prominent Murray State Alumnus' letter to the Board of Regents and Governor Steve Beshear urges the reinstatement of President Randy Dunn and the resignation of Board Chairman Dr. Constantine Curris.

Dr. Richard Hurt of the Mayo Clinic is known internationally for his work on nicotine dependence. MSU’s board of regents voted 7 to 4 on March 15th not to renew president Dunn’s contract. Hurt, in his letter, encourages Dunn to fight his termination in court.

A Murray State University student died this weekend in a car crash south of Murray on U.S. Highway 641. The Kentucky State Police reported Daniel Milam, 24, of Memphis, TN  was pronounced dead at the scene just after 3:00 on Saturday. Troopers are still investigating the cause of the single vehicle accident. 

Milam is the second Murray State student to die in a vehicle crash since January. Shelby Theiss,20 of Louisville died in a collision with a tractor trailer on a bridge east of Murray.

A closed meeting of Hopkinsville City Council's Compensation Committee this week is facing some scrutiny from the city's newspaper. Hopkinsville’s budget officer, Melissa Sellers Spurr is receiving a promotion to be the city administrative officer. The Compensation Committee Chairman Charlie Henderson invited members of the council to join the committee to discuss  Spurr’s contract. The Kentucky New Era contends the closed door discussion was illegal. Staff Writer Carla Jimenez is covering the story.

The Honeywell uranium fuel conversion plant in Metropolis, IL is still on track to restart work in June after a May shutdown to upgrade parts of plant. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors prompted the shutdown when they found equipment there could not withstand a major earthquake or tornado.

Murray State University President Randy Dunn is speaking out publicly for the first time regarding a draft report from a Board of Regents ad-hoc contract review committee. The report depicts university progress and/or lack thereof during Dunn’s six year tenure. Faculty Senate and Staff Congress members questioned board chairman Dr. Constantine Curris about many aspects of the report this week. Curris stands by the work. Dunn takes issue with a number of elements, “I think on the academic performance side, to some degree, there was a little bit of cherry picking that went on to make a worse case than what exists,” Dunn said.

Murray State University President Randy Dunn is among eight semi-finalists to be Youngstown State University’s next president.

The Vindicator Newspaper reports Dunn to be among the eight semi-finalists for the Ohio based university. The university’s website doesn’t list the semifinalists. The Murray State Board of Regents voted last month against extending Dunn a new contract. Dunn’s current contract expires June 30th, 2014.

Murray State’s Board of Regents Chairman Dr. Constantine Curris answered an hour’s worth of questions Tuesday afternoon from faculty and staff regarding the board’s vote not to extend Murray State President Randy Dunn’s contract. That vote came on March 15th the day after 5 to 6 regents met for a social gathering and casually discussed university business. A Lexington attorney is questioning that social gathering as an illegal meeting. Curris maintains there was no collusion or discussion of a vote on the president’s contract at that gathering.

Lexington Attorney Jim Deckard is appealing the denial of his open meetings complaint with the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General. Deckard alleges that the Murray State Board of Regents violated Kentucky's open meetings law when a group of five or six regents attended a social gathering and casually discussed university business.  The day following the social gathering the board held its quarterly meeting and, under the guise of other business, voted not to extend President Randy Dunn a new contract.