Donations boost area colleges - Public schools rely more on alumni aid
Writer: Nancy C. Rodriguez
2/23/2007 Louisville Courier-Journal

Kentucky and Indiana universities brought in more than a billion dollars in donations last year, contributing to a record-setting 9.4 percent jump in university giving nationwide, according to a survey released this week.

It's money being used to fund scholarships and research, build academic centers and sports facilities and increase endowments.

Private schools have traditionally leaned heavily on fundraising -- Southern Kentucky's Lindsey Wilson College used the $3.1 million it raised last year to fund 12 percent of its operating budget.

But public institutions are more aggressively courting alumni, trying to raise more money to cover state funding shortfalls.

The University of Louisville, for example, ranked 88th nationwide in private fundraising last year, raising $61 million, according to a national survey of more than 1,000 institutions by the Council for Aid to Education.

That was $9 million more than the previous year and paid for about 10 percent of the university's operating budget, said spokesman John Drees.

"There is a lot of strain on the state budget, so the resource of philanthropy has never been more important than what it is right now," said Keith Inman, U of L's vice president for university advancement.

Including U of L, five Kentucky and Indiana universities ranked in the top 100 nationwide in private gifts. They were led by 17th-ranked Indiana University, which received $248 million last year.

California's Stanford University was No. 1, amassing $911 million in the fiscal year that ended June 20, 2006.

While small liberal-arts institutions like Bellarmine University, Centre College and Transylvania University don't raise as much as those bigger schools, they did a better job of getting their graduates to give, the survey shows.

Kristen Nakamura Wallitsch, a 2000 Bellarmine graduate, started out giving about $25 to $30 a year and now donates several hundred dollars, which is matched by her husband's company.

"I really liked the personal experience that you get at Bellarmine," she said, "and I want other people to be able to have that experience as well."

Donors like Wallitsch helped Bellarmine increase its fundraising 58 percent this past year -- a jump that university President Joseph McGowan credited to a new school plan that calls for major expansion in enrollment, programs, schools and facilities.

Likewise, Centre and Transylvania persuaded nearly half of their alumni to donate.

"History and tradition and a sense of loyalty, all of those things play into a high percentage of giving," said Richard Valentine, vice president for development for Transylvania, adding that the small enrollment, about 1,100 students, helps.

"We have the ability to communicate with our folks in a more personal fashion. We're not dealing with the gazillion alums that most state schools have."

Alumni giving up
Nationally, donations from alumni rose 18.3 percent from 2005, according to the council's report.

Although support from foundations, corporations and other organizations also increased, it didn't rise as much as individual giving.

The survey does not count other income, such as tuition, government grants or interest from endowments.

Alumni donations accounted for about 30 percent of giving to higher education.

Of Kentucky's public universities, Eastern Kentucky University saw the biggest growth -- 170 percent -- from $2.5 million to $6.7 million.

The university launched a major capital campaign last fall, focusing on re-engaging its alumni and raising $25 million. That led to big increases in areas such as alumni scholarships and online giving, according to the university's interim vice president for advancement, Joseph Foster.

Selected campuses in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System also showed big increases, specifically those in Hazard and Henderson, which saw contributions rise by about 90 percent.

The big bump was driven by fundraising campaigns undertaken at all 16 community-college campuses, according to Tim Burcham, the system's vice president. Hazard and Henderson just completed their campaigns; other campuses are just beginning or in the middle of their campaigns, he said.

Private institutions also reported big jumps in fundraising this year, in part because of a stronger economy, officials said.

"I think what's important is the fact that people are feeling good about their personal finances because the market has been kind, and that has not always been the case in the last several years," Valentine said.

Indiana schools
Most of the 26 Indiana schools surveyed in both 2005 and 2006 benefited from increased charitable giving.

Contributions to Purdue University were down because the school didn't receive a large gift from the Lilly Endowment as it had the previous year.

"Some years you get the $25 million gift and some years you don't," said Murray Blackwelder, Purdue's vice president for advancement.

Conversely, Ball State enjoyed the fourth-largest increase in the state because of a $20 million grant from the Lilly Endowment -- the largest gift in the school's history -- for a digital communications technology program.

"Private support for public education has never been more critical," said Ben Hancock, Ball State's vice president for university advancement.

Pulse: On upcoming acting and computer classes
Writer: TOM DAVENPORT
2/22/2007 Elizabethtown News-Enterprise

Q: I really want to try acting. Does Elizabethtown Community and Technical College offer any classes?

A: Yes, through the Community and Economic Development Center, ECTC has an introduction to acting noncredit course. You need to be at least 18 to participate in the five-week course, which meets from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday from March 28 through April 25. Cost of the class is $68. To enroll, call (270) 706-8702.

Q: I received a digital camera as a gift. Does ECTC have a class to help me learn to use all the features of my camera?

A: ECTC offers two sessions of a class called Perfect Pictures. One starts March 1 and runs through April 19. The second class starts March 6 and runs through April 24. Cost is $85. To enroll, call (270) 706-8702.

Q: I just got my first computer and want to use the Internet. Can ECTC help?

A: A new course, Computers for Beginners, is designed for area residents of all ages who have little or no computer experience. This six-hour class will teach how to use the mouse, use the Internet and other basic computer operations. The next class is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 24 at ECTC. Cost is $55. To enroll, call (270) 706-8702.

Q: What job skills software, noncredit classes are offered by ECTC?

A: QuickBooks, software for small business, will be taught from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 17. Cost of the class is $65. To enroll, call (270) 706-8702. Publisher, a software program, which will teach you to make brochures, flyers, posters, greeting cards and more and will be taught from 6 to 9 p.m. on three Thursdays from March 1 to 15. Cost of the class is $79. To enroll, call (270) 706-8702.

Q: Will there be another eBay class offered this spring?

A: Yes, on two Saturday mornings on March 3 and 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost of the class is $65. To enroll, call (270) 706-8702.

"Ask ECTC" answers questions about college commonly asked by high school students and adults. If you have specific questions about your situation, contact Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. If you have a question for this column, send it to maryjo.king@kctcs.edu. Dr. Tom Davenport is Dean of Workforce Development and Continuing Education. He can be reached at tom.davenport@kctcs.edu.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
(270) 706-8800 n Welcome and Admissions Center
(877) 246-2322, Ext. 68800
(270) 706-8858 or (502) 942-0101 n Fort Knox Campus
600 College Street Road, Elizabethtown, KY 42701
www.elizabethtown.kctcs.edu

Seminar planned on dangers of Internet
2/23/2007 Louisville Courier-Journal

A free seminar explaining how to monitor children's use of the Internet, recognize threats and protect children from online dangers will be held for parents, guardians and educators.

The event, sponsored by Metro Council member Doug Hawkins, will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the auditorium of the Jefferson Community and Technical College's Southwest Campus.

Presenters will include an FBI agent and a child psychology expert.

To register, call 574-1125. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Southern culture takes center stage tonight
Writer: Lori Harrison
2/23/2007 Madisonville Messenger

Truvy's Beauty Spot offers customers more than a cut and style.

Similarly, Community Theatre's production of "Steel Magnolias" -- set in the beauty shop -- offers audience members more than a rehash of the familiar movie, said assistant director Steve Hudgins.

"Each of our actresses is making those characters their own," Hudgins said. "You're not going to get an imitation of the movie. You're going to get something fresh."

In one scene, for example, Jessica Cook's Shelby refuses to have her hair styled like Julia Roberts -- who played the role in the film -- for her wedding.

The show, which premieres tonight, is the first that Cook has appeared in at Glema Mahr Center for the Arts. She's a Madisonville native, but moved away for several years, including a stint studying theater at Murray State University.

"This is actually a show that they did at Murray while I was there, and I didn't get to participate in it," Cook said. "It's kind of fun (that) I'm getting to do it now."

She called her character "very defiant in what she wants ... and she goes after it, even if it means her health or her life."

"Sometimes, life is worth the risk is kind of my perspective on Shelby," Cook said.

"Steel Magnolias," which centers on conversations in Truvy's Beauty Spot, tells the story of a group of gossipy southern ladies who live in a small town. The play is alternately comic and touching. This production is directed by Nick Faust, and sponsored by US Bank with additional support from the J.B. and Kiel Moore Community Programs Endowment.

Performances will be 7:30 tonight and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Kathy Son said this is the first play she's appeared in since fourth grade. She portrays Ouiser, who's described as a wealthy curmudgeon.

"I love the movie," Son said, explaining why she tried out.

She also recently turned 50, and decided she wanted to try something different.

"I feel like I've been to acting school," Son said. "These girls, these ladies, they're all best friends now. We've shared so much."

Acting has been a fun experience for her. She said she hopes to try it again someday -- but not in musicals.

"I just cannot wait for Friday night," she said. "This has just been one of the best things I've done in a long time, other than my children and my family. ... I hope I make them proud."

The cast also includes Kim Gardner as beauty shop owner Truvy; Savannah Pennington as Annelle, the beauty shop assistant; Brenda Gibson as Clairee, "grande dame" and widow of the former mayor; PJ Woodside as M'Lynn, Shelby's mother and a career woman.

"The actresses are doing great," Hudgins said. "They're fantastic. It's a great cast.

"The play keeps getting discovered as a slice of life, and I think that's the right way to describe it," he said. "It's just everyday folks in everyday situations."

"Steel Magnolias" will be performed at 7:30 tonight and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Glema Mahr Center for the Arts on the Madisonville Community College campus. Tickets are $12. For tickets, stop by the box office or call 821-ARTS.

Abramson pushes Horse Park upgrade - Cites Games' impact on state, Louisville
Writer: Jim Jordan
2/23/2007 Lexington Herald-Leader

FRANKFORT-- Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson urged state legislators yesterday to approve $38.3 million in improvements at the Kentucky Horse Park for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010.

Downtown Louisville is 75 miles from the park, Abramson wrote in a letter to members of the House Economic Development Committee, but the expected $150 million-plus "impact of these games will be felt in my community and in communities across the state."

"Most importantly," the games will put Kentucky and the horse industry in "an international spotlight that can pay dividends for years to come as business leaders, investors, travelers and television viewers see what the Commonwealth has to offer," Abramson wrote.

"For Kentucky to succeed --and for communities across the Commonwealth to prosper -- we must put aside parochialism and partisanship. We must work together especially on major economic development initiatives such as this."

The letter from the five-term mayor of Kentucky's largest city was hand-delivered to committee members during a hearing in which promoters of the games explained why the legislature should approve Gov. Ernie Fletcher's funding plan for the park in 2007 rather than waiting until 2008 when the state's two-year budget would normally be reopened.

Kentucky Commerce Secretary George Ward said the games' organizers are facing "a pretty significant time crunch."

The largest project to be funded from the $38.3 million is a 10,075-seat outdoor stadium that is expected to cost about $24 million.

Ward said advertisements for construction bids should be published by Dec. 1 and bids should be opened in January 2008. Under that schedule, the stadium could be completed by April 2009 when the annual Rolex Three-Day Event could be the required test event for the new facility.

"We are committed to FEI to hold test events there in 2009," Ward said. FEI is the Federation Equestre Internationale, the governing body for equestrian sports.

The whole process hinges on funding, he said. "You don't advertise for bids if you don't have the money in the bank."

Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry also called for the legislature to act this year. He called the World Equestrian Games "an enormously significant event" and said "it is very, very important that Lexington and the Commonwealth of Kentucky do this event right."

Step one is an orderly construction schedule, Newberry said. "We need to get started."

Besides the stadium, $10.3 million of the new state funding would go to improve nearly four miles of park roads and $4 million would pay for the addition of 21,000 square feet of exhibition space to the $33.4 million indoor arena approved by the legislature in 2006.

"I think we can add three or four major events at the Horse park" with the proposed improvements, said John Nicholson, the park's executive director. "We will have the equivalent economic impact of the World Equestrian Games every year after 2010."

Jack Kelly, CEO of the World Games 2010 Foundation that is organizing the games, said potential corporate sponsors are watching the legislature and waiting to see what the state does before they commit money to the games.

Kelly also said the expected $150 million-plus economic boost from the games might prove to be very conservative. The "actual results" of last summer's games in Aachen, Germany, was about 250 million Euros, or roughly $328.6 million.

The games last 16 days and have been held every four years since 1990.

Kelly also said there were 302 hours of television coverage of the Aachen games, mostly by European networks and cable channels. Organizers of the 2010 games want to surpass that total, he said.

NBC has agreed informally to provide daytime weekend coverage of the Lexington games, but no official agreement has been signed, Kelly said.

Other coverage might come from specialized cable channels and Kentucky Educational Television and the Public Broadcasting System. Kelly said KET might do an advance program that would explain the eight championships that will make up the Lexington games.

Authors revisit 'famous' Paducahans for second book - John Robertson and Allan Rhodes Sr.'s first book was released in November.
Writer: Matt Sanders
2/23/2007 Paducah Sun

Dub Albritton was the business manager of 1950s singing sensation Brenda Lee and wrote several songs for her.

John H. Davis was a pioneer of digital networks and wireless technology, and he led the installation and commercialization of the first cellular systems.

Carlton Watkins operated the amusement concession at Noble Park, which for years included a miniature train around the lake.

Those names of interesting Paducahans and many more are on the list of tentative entries for a second paperback book by John E.L. Robertson and Allan Rhodes Sr. The pair published their first book -- "Paducahans, Famous and Not So Famous" -- in November, which generated a huge response.

"It's really a love of fun, a labor of love," Rhodes said. "After the first book come out, I received a lot of phone calls with people saying, 'You left out my grandfather' or 'I know someone who should have been in your book.' So I started making a list. John made a list, too, and we got together last Monday to compare our lists. Now we're in the pruning process."

As with their first book, the authors' only qualifications for people to be featured in their book is that they had to have lived in Paducah and had to be dead.

Robertson said they wrote the first book as a gift to the city and as a historic reference for the McCracken County Public Library and for all Paducah and McCracken County schools.

Shortly after the first book was printed, the authors realized the conspicuous absence of one Paducahan who was famous for his efforts in making the city famous -- the late historian Barron White. White retired at age 75 and became a Paducah Ambassador. In 2000, at age 86, White wrote the first of three books about his memories of early Paducah's people and places. In 2003, he received a Kentucky History Award of Distinction for his work as historian and author.

"He will be in this book and should have been in the first one," Robertson said. "Barron did so much for our city."

Another omission was longtime businessman Edward A. "Hawk" Cave. In World War II, Cave was the first pilot of a B-24 Liberator, and he flew a bombing raid of the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. With little fuel for the return flight, Cave landed in Turkey, where there was an American embassy. But the Turks interned Cave and his crew until they escaped seven months later.

Some unique personalities also are on the list to be featured:

Acton Riley, who ran a tree trimming business, used young boys to work high in the treetops while he supervised from the ground.

"The Tamale Man" was a favorite fixture in downtown during the 1940s. He cooked tamales, wrapped in corn shucks, in his house and walked through downtown selling them. But Robertson and Rhodes are still trying to find his name.

Robertson hopes readers' input will answer many questions about local history.

"Who was the guy that came up with the wigwam? We know his name is B.B. Driver, but that's all," Robertson said.

The wigwam-shaped building on South 6th Street opened decades ago as a drive-in restaurant.

The authors are considering including Brian Stanley Duecker, who wasn't from Paducah but his sad tale as "John Doe" who fell to his death from an airplane at Barkley Regional Airport resulted in many Paducahans "adopting" him. Duecker's mystery began on Sept. 30, 1991, when he tried unsuccessfully to trade a leather bomber jacket for a plane ticket to the West Coast. He jumped a security fence and grabbed onto the underside of a plane that was preparing to take off for Memphis, Tenn. He fell about 300 feet to his death and had no identifying documents.

His funeral was a community affair -- about 30 people brought flowers when Duecker was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery under the name "John Doe." His identity remained a mystery for nearly eight years.

A date has not been set for the release of the second book. Copies of the first book are free and still available at the Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau and at the Paducah Ambassadors office in City Hall.

To recommend a name for the second book, contact John E.L. Robertson, 444-7753, or Allan Rhodes Sr., 442-2237.

Boone schools say they have been left out of money from the state
Writer: Tom O'Neill
2/22/2007 Kentucky Post (Covington)

Boone County schools and other rapidly growing districts were largely ignored last year when the state divvied up nearly $70 million that was earmarked for school buildings.

Now that money is nearly gone, leaving Boone Superintendent Bryan Blavatt seeking money from the state's budget surplus for buildings to house his growing student population.

Blavatt wants the current session of the General Assembly, which began Feb. 6, to devote some of its projected budget surplus to rapid-growth school districts. That group didn't get much of the $66.6 million that was available last summer under a formula set by the School Facilities Construction Commission (SFCC).

In the formula, the facilities commission's seven members gave a low valuation to rapid-growth districts (10 points out of 700); so Boone received nothing, said commission Executive Director Bob Tarvin.

The lion's share went to districts with current buildings in poor condition. The money was a one-shot deal from the previous budget and won't be coming back around, Tarvin said.

"I really don't think they (Boone County schools) have any recourse," Tarvin said.

Of the $70 million the commission had, only $3.4 million remains.

"I guess they would have some possibilities there," Tarvin said. "It was a really tough issue. We had $70 million, and probably $800 million to a billion in need. Trying to carve that up was just not a very easy job."

Blavatt and state Sen. Dick Roeding, R-Lakeside Park, said the commission's formula rewarded those school districts that didn't keep up their buildings.

Only four districts in Kentucky are considered "rapid-growth," meaning their student population has increased by at least 20 percent in the past five years. They are Boone, Walton-Verona Independent, Williamstown and Oldham County. Boone County and Oldham, in the eastern suburbs of Louisville, account for 47 percent of the state's entire growth of school-age children.

"I thought they would be fair, and they weren't," Roeding said of the SFCC formula. "They gave $1.9 million to a school district that in '05 had 235 students. That doesn't make any sense."

Blavatt is even more pointed.

"We've already taken a look at that," he said. "That's a situation that's not resolved. That formula is not going to change. ... We constantly get lip service, and we've been pretty patient, but we've now reached critical mass."

His appeal to Gov. Ernie Fletcher at a January town forum at Northern Kentucky University included a half-inch-thick summary of Boone's building needs.

"The Urgent Needs Advisory Committee and SFCC (School Facilities Construction Commission) blatantly refused (last summer) to recognize extreme growth in appropriating funds," Blavatt wrote in a letter to the governor.

Roeding is unconvinced the budget surplus is the answer to Boone County's dilemma. He thinks a more plausible plan is to write legislation that changes the school-facilities funding formula to address high-growth districts. And he plans to do that.

Blavatt, meanwhile, left Wednesday for Frankfort and today will join other Boone supporters who have appealing to lawmakers in the capital since the legislative session began Feb. 6. Their goal is to appeal to legislators considering re-opening the budget, so Boone could get direct money from the budget surplus without having to revisit the SFCC funding formula.

Several area districts did receive SFCC money:

Fort Thomas, $2.6 million for renovation of Highlands High School

Ludlow, $1.1 million for renovation of Ludlow High

Augusta Independent, $3 million for school renovation

Williamstown, $3.7 million for elementary-school renovation.

Walton-Verona received $2 million in equalization funds from a separate source.

"I don't sit here and deny he (Blavatt) doesn't have some problems," Tarvin said. "But I see 170 districts and 100 have problems."

Cervical cancer vaccine arrives - Mandatory use for girls stirs debate
Writer: Chris Harris
2/23/2007 Hopkinsville New Era

Merck & Co., maker of the world's first cancer vaccine, announced Tuesday it would stop the private backing of several state bills that would require all middle school girls get the vaccine.

One such bill is currently in the Kentucky House of Representatives. The Christian County Health Department already plans to offer the vaccine, Gardasil, to all girls who come in for their sixth grade physical.

Gardasil is a series of three shots that protects girls against four of the most common types of Human Papillomavirus. HPV has been shown to cause 90 percent of genital warts and 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.

Kentucky ranks second highest in the nation for cervical cancer death rates. Of the 25 invasive cases reported in Christian County between 1999 and 2003, nine resulted in deaths.

"When the CDC and the state recommend a vaccine, I think that makes a strong statement," said Beth Campbell, registered nurse and nursing coordinator for the Board of Education. She has fielded several questions from friends and colleagues and said she recommends the vaccine.

"Whenever we can, we should do anything we can do to reduce the risk of contracting a devastating disease."

The Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine in June 2006. The series of shots costs over $350 and the drug company stands to make a lot of money if states mandate the vaccine.

"Are they truly looking to do what's best for our young people or are they looking to do what's best for their bottom line," Richard Nelson, policy analyst with Lexington-based The Family Foundation, asked.

The Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends girls ages 11 and 12 receive Gardasil. The committee also recommends 13- to 24-year-old females get vaccinated. Females 9 and 10 years old would be administered the vaccine at the discretion of their physicians.

The bill (HB 143), introduced by Rep. Kathy Stein (D-Lexington), would require all 11- and 12-year-old girls at public shools in Kentucky get the vaccination.

"The vaccine is actually more effective ... in the younger age group. So that's why they're encouraging that 11- and 12-year-old age," Amy Maternowski, women's healthcare and nurse practitioner with the Christian County Health Department, said.

Gardasil may be more effective in younger age groups, but the vaccine only has a five-year span of proven protection, meaning girls will no longer be protected from the cancer-causing STD by the time they reach 18.

Vaccines for Children, a federal program that provides vaccinations for children up to age 18 covered by Medicaid, the uninsured, the underinsured and Native Americans, has provided Kentucky health departments with money for Gardasil.

Maternowski said supplies are limited and the option to add Gardasil to the list of vaccinations ultimately rests with the parents, but the shots will be offered at the health department

"The state has said we're just going to focus on those coming in for their sixth-grade physical," she said. "Right now it's just a recommendation; it's not a requirement for this age."

The vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted disease, not one a child can contract at school. This aspect has drawn criticism from some saying requiring the vaccination is unnecessary in school-aged children.

"It's not a health risk in the school. Your child is not going to get HPV sitting in the classroom," Nelson said. "I think it's a good drug but I don't think it should be mandated by state law."

He also said the vaccine may give a false sense of security to young girls who might think because Gardasil protects against one sexually transmitted disease, it protects against all STDs.

"Instead of the government making this decision, we believe parents should be making this decision," he said.

Under the bill, parents have the option to get written exemption from the vaccine.

Controversial kid's book creates little stir here
Writer: Sara Gividen
2/23/2007 Frankfort State Journal

A controversial childrens book is on hand at most local school libraries and is playing to good reviews.

The book, The Higher Power of Lucky, by Susan Patron, a California librarian, is creating a stir among librarians and parents nationwide because it uses the word "scrotum."

Lucky Trimble, the 10-year-old main character of the book, hears the word through a hole in the wall when another character says he saw a rattlesnake bite his dog on the scrotum.

Although Patron won the 2007 Newbery Medal, awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children to authors for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children, librarians and parents nationwide are calling for the banning of the book, geared toward nine- to 12-year-olds.

Opponents who flock to online librarian message boards such as LM_Net argue its use of the word is for shock value and presents vocabulary younger readers are unfamiliar with and adults are not ready to explain.

But many area librarians say they see no problem with the literary work and they use careful criteria to decide which books to stock.

"I'm very familiar with it and the controversy," said Becky Nelson, Hearn Elementary School librarian.

Nelson, who is also a professor in childrens literature at the University of Kentucky, says the controversy is silly and that most people up in arms are focused on that one particular word rather than the entire book. She has posted her opinion on a statewide listserv for librarians and recommends individuals read the book and Newbery judges comments before taking offense.

Nelson said Hearns library has three copies of the book, and its already available to students. She said two of the schools fifth-grade students, one male and one female, have each read the book.

"I personally think it is an excellent book," Nelson said.
At Westridge Elementary, librarian Jessica Holmes said she received the book as part of a shipment she gets from the Junior Library Guild, a resource for librarians.

She said she didn't specifically order it, and that it fit into the category of books she requests from the Guild.
Holmes is reading the book. She said shes only a few chapters in, but hasn't found anything to keep it off Westridges shelves.

"I have not read anything at this point that would keep me from carrying the book," Holmes said.

She said many of her colleagues are also reading the book before they allow students to access it.

Peaks Mill Elementary School librarian Debbie Gossage, confirmed the book is available to students at the schools library, while Elkhorn Elementary School librarian Carolyn Lynch said she doesn't have it, but only because she hasn't had a chance to read it.

Lynch said she places stickers on books more appropriate for older students.

Capital Day School Librarian Mary Payne Coblin said she has the book on hold at Paul Sawyier Public Library and plans to order it for her students after she reads it.

She said CDS stocks other books by Patron as well as other Newbery winners and she is looking forward to reading Luckys story.

"Its supposed to be a real fine book, but I do want to read it first," she said.

Coblin said she reads reviews and uses sources such as the "Childrens Catalog," a reference for librarians, to select books. She said she is aware of the controversy, but she uses her own judgment when choosing literature for her library.

According to Coblin, the size of CDS and its funding for books play a role in which books she stocks. She said the school cannot afford to purchase books students wont read.

"We're so careful when we select books," she said, adding that its important to see the entire content of the book, rather than a specific questionable word or phrase.

Librarians at the countys two faith-based schools agreed book selection must adhere to the values outlined by the school.

"If we feel the content matter does not follow the mission of Good Shepherd School then we would not carry it," GSS librarian Dee Depenbrock said about selecting books for GSS.

"We have to be careful what we select with us being a Christian school," Frankfort Christian Academy Librarian Sandy Messinger said.

Neither Depenbrock nor Messinger has read The Higher Power of Lucky, and the book is not currently on the shelves at GSS or FCA.

Messinger said FCA typically carries Newbery winners and the only books she knows for sure are banned from the schools library is the "Harry Potter" series.

For local bookstore owner Lizz Taylor, the controversy is creating a buzz in the world of booksellers.

Taylor, who owns Poor Richards Books on West Broadway, said her store is having trouble stocking it.
"We havent been able to get it yet," she said.

She said Newbery books are printed in limited numbers and with the commotion surrounding the book; bookstore owners and librarians must wait for a second printing of the book.

The store generally carries Newbery award winners and Taylor said she carefully selects the books her store stocks.

"I weed out what I consider to be garbage," she said.
She said she didnt feel Luckys story would have won an award if it wasnt distinguished work.

"This book was picked (for a Newbery) based on its literary merit," she said.

She said shes disheartened by the criticism of the book. "I think its sad body parts, especially parts of a dog, cannot be identified without such controversy," Taylor said.

However, she added that the debate surrounding the book would only make it more successful.

"The book will survive," she said. "Things will calm down."

Other than a few librarians, Taylor said no one has asked specifically for the book at Poor Richards. She said she expects the book to be in her store in two to three weeks.

Nelson said once the second wave of printing for the book is distributed most libraries, including middle and high school, should carry the book based on its Newbery status.

The book is not available at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives or Paul Sawyier Library, but there is a waitlist for those wishing to put the book on hold for its arrival at Paul Sawyier Library. Second Street School does not have it. Bridgeport Elementary School and Collins Lane Elementary School librarians were not available for comment by deadline.

Editorial: OMHS, U of L ties have great potential
2/23/2007 Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

The collaborative efforts involving Owensboro Medical Health System, its subsidiary Kentucky Bioprocessing LLC, the University of Louisville and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center in cancer research and plant-based pharmaceuticals counts as one of this community's most promising and exciting endeavors. It is an effort that we continue to follow with great interest.

Last week, an announcement a year in the making shows just how important that collaboration is rapidly becoming.

At a gathering in the state Capitol, representatives of OMHS and the University of Louisville announced a partnership that will put U of L researchers in OMHS labs to work on cancer drugs and plant-made pharmaceuticals.

It signaled, as OMHS CEO Jeff Barber said, another big step in the hospital's and this community's emerging role as a center for cancer research.

This latest endeavor will place a team of researchers in four labs in the hospital's Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center, where they will focus on new drugs derived from tobacco and other plants. University of Louisville President James Ramsey said the partnership was the result of more than a year of talks between the parties. University of Louisville researcher Keith Davis, who is already working in Owensboro, said he hopes the program will expand to 50 employees within five years.

One task of the researchers is to develop a less expensive cervical cancer vaccine developed last year by University of Louisville researchers. Using tobacco plants in the process holds the promise of greatly reducing the cost of the drug, which is $360 per dose now.

OMHS has contributed $1 million in start-up money to the partnership. The university will seek federal grants to support its role. We salute Barber and Ramsey for their vision and leadership that has led the partnership to this important juncture.

The hope for cancer research in Owensboro was best summed up by Donald Miller, director of the Brown Cancer Center, when he said: "We believe this program will have a worldwide impact. We think this is a partnership that truly will be a win-win for many years to come."

Enhancement of education goal at center
Writer: JENNIFER McDANIELS
2/23/2007 Harlan Daily Enterprise

Once they come, they don't want to leave.

That's what parents, as well as the tutors, volunteers and board members of Harlan's new Learning Center finds so unbelievable.

And encouraging.

When education takes place in an intimate, non-structured and caring environment, learning is made fun, self-esteem is nurtured, and a whole world of wisdom and opportunity is opened.

That is what's taking place within the old classrooms of Holy Trinity School, which closed in the spring of 2004. Women like Marjorie Grieshop and Blanche Bennett, who were affiliated with the school, hated to see its mission of providing quality education to Harlan County come to an end.

When the women met with former Holy Trinity Sister Mary Claire and Sister Lea, they set out to continue the school's mission through a community educational outreach program.

"We didn't want to see this building sit empty," Grieshop said. "We wanted it to be used to change people's lives through education."

And who they brought in to make that happen was veteran county schools educator Trenna Cornett, who has worked as a classroom teacher, an assistant principal and a reading consultant, and was also employed by the state as a highly skilled educator for low-performance schools.

"She brings a lot of experience to the table," Grieshop added. "She's a born teacher, a gifted teacher."

"And all ages respond to her," added Bennett. "She interacts well with both children and adults, and she has been successful in making our vision here at the Learning Center a reality."

This past December, The Learning Center celebrated its first-year anniversary, and Cornett, along with Grieshop and Bennett, can easily see how the program has flourished in the span of just over 12 months. Seventeen students received tutoring services during the first year of operation, and that was mostly primary through early middle school students. Currently, The Learning Center has over 60 participants ranging from age 4 to adults.

The Learning Center has a twofold purpose. It's not only about helping students catch up, but also enhancing classroom studies. Although the center's eight tutors concentrate a lot of their time on math, reading and writing, enhancement classes also offer participants opportunities to learn more about subjects like science, geography and foreign languages.

"It's very individualistic here," Cornett said. "We match the needs of the child. "And we want to stress that this isn't a substitute for education, but an enhancement."

When you walk into the doors of The Learning Center, what most will notice are the small sizes of the tutoring groups, along with a laid-back atmosphere that makes the tutors more comfortable to teach and the students more eager to listen.

"It's not structured," Cornett said. "The students feel free to really communicate their needs and share their fears. They're not as apprehensive as they are in a regular classroom - I guess because our numbers are so small, and that eliminates a lot of peer pressure."

Tutoring sessions are made available at The Learning Center on Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Enrichment programs are offered on Wednesdays for students, as Cornett put it, "who are not struggling but want to get ahead."

"Enrichment classes keep students challenged and stimulated," she said.

Harlan County's growing Hispanic population comes to the Learning Center on Mondays. Not only are the children tutored, but adults who are having a hard time grasping the English language come for help, too.

Local resident and Hispanic native Elma DeLacruz acts as the center's interpreter, assisting the adults with learning basic sentence structures that will help them to better communicate at the doctor's office, grocery stores and other daily living responsibilities.

A recent evening class also introduced locals to speaking Spanish. Cornett is also pleased that the center was able to help high school as well as college students prepare for the ACT, pointing out that one engineering student, in particular, needed some extra help with calculus.

"We recruit the tutors, or they come to us wanting to help," Cornett said. "And they are all certified instructors. So not only do they want to be here, they come here experienced, recommended and devoted."

Bennett said one of Cornett's missions as The Learning Center's director is to facilitate a team-approach in a child's education process by establishing good communication among the students' school, home and the center.

Grieshop said the overall goal of The Learning Center was to reduce the school dropout rate in Harlan County. She said 33 percent of Harlan Countians have not completed school.

"We're talking about one-third of our population," Grieshop said. "A solid foundation in education enables children to be what they want to be and to realize their potential. It gives them a chance in life."

In an economically challenged area such as Harlan County, Cornett said education is often the only way out.

"Education is a pathway of hope for our children," Cornett said. "We, as a community, pay for bad education, because if these children are not in school, they're breaking into our houses, stealing our things and hurting our people."

There's an enthusiasm for learning that is also evident at The Learning Center. Grieshop said the children come "bouncing" through the doorway and hardly ever want to leave.

"One boy even started crying when his mother came to pick him up," she said. "He enjoyed being here that much."

Tutoring classes at The Learning Center come with a fee, but the women stress that no one is ever turned away if they can't afford to pay. Cornett said the center will soon be offering sponsorships to the county and city school districts as well as the Harlan County Christian School.

"I love being here as much as the children do," Cornett said. "There's a wonderful support system here and a shared belief in the power of education. We truly believe that all children can learn, and there's a genuine love and concern expressed here for human beings."

Grand jury to get UK dorm rape case - SOCCER PLAYER ACCUSED IN ALLEGED ASSAULT OF GIRL, 17
Writer: Steve Lannen
2/23/2007 Lexington Herald-Leader

A grand jury will consider whether to charge a University of Kentucky soccer player for the alleged rape of a high school student earlier this month in a campus dormitory.

Michael Alexander Strong, a 21-year-old junior, sat silent yesterday during a preliminary hearing in Fayette District Court. But a campus police detective and a witness said Strong sexually assaulted a passed-out 17-year-old girl who had been visiting her sister, a UK freshman.

After drinking shots of vodka and later dancing and drinking beer at a campus-area bar, several people, including Strong, returned to Blanding Tower dormitory in the early morning of Feb. 3, where Strong slept on the floor rather than return to his off-campus residence, according to testimony yesterday.

Strong told police that eventually, he got into the girl's bed because he didn't like sleeping on the floor. He said she woke up and gave consent to have sex with him, and they removed each other's clothes, Detective Robert McPherson said.

However, other witnesses told McPherson the girl was passed out and did not wake up. The girl said the next day she could not remember because she had blacked out from drinking, the detective said.

The girl's older sister woke up to see Strong on top of the alleged victim, and she screamed at him that her sister was 17. A witness testified that she woke up to the older girl's yelling and saw Strong on top of the alleged victim. The witness said it not appear the alleged victim was awake.

Strong told police and the witnesses that he did not know the girl was 17, McPherson said.

District Judge Megan Lake Thornton ruled there was enough probable cause to send the case to a grand jury, which will decide whether to indict Strong.

Strong, who played last season on the UK soccer team, was indefinitely suspended from all team activities after the charges were made.

Marketer plans new call center
Writer: Don Perryman
2/23/2007 Madisonville Messenger

A market research company will locate a call center in Hopkins County and begin taking applications for 75-100 part-time jobs in early March.

Wilkerson and Associates, a Louisville-based firm, has entered into a lease agreement to use the building at 2750 Anton Road that formerly housed Catfish Campus restaurant.

"We're looking to stay long term," said Steve Alsbury, the company's chief operating officer.

Alsbury said the company will take applications March 7-9 for the jobs that pay $7.50 per hour for part-time employees. He said workers could earn more on some projects.

Wilkerson and Associates has been in business for 30 years, he said. The company does studies through telephone surveys for a number of newspaper corporations around the country and advertisers such as Home Depot and Duke Energy.

"We're not a telemarketing company," Alsbury said. "We conduct product surveys. ... We have a wide variety of clients."

Those clients include an ad agency that handles Toyota's advertising campaigns, Connect Kentucky and the federal government. The company has a governmental contract to conduct a medical survey of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

Alsbury said employees who work on the government contract could earn $13.41 per hour for the 10-to-12-week period of the survey.

He said the company expects the contract to be renewed.

The company did its own study of the Madisonville area, including running ads in The Messenger to determine if a large enough work force was available for it to locate here.

"We're tickled to death that Wilkerson and Associates has the confidence in our work force to locate here," said Danny Koon, executive director of Madisonville-Hopkins County Economic Development Corp.

Koon said Bryan Pitney, a retired Kentucky State Police public information officer, put the company in contact with local officials.

"We're very grateful to Bryan," Koon said.

The company initially showed interest in leasing a Madisonville-owned building that eventually was leased to Trover Health System to be used as its billing center.

It settled on the Anton Road location which Alsbury said has some office space and a large enough area for its dialing center. Alsbury said he was unsure how much the company would spend on its move into the building but that some electrical wiring work would need to be done.

The company also has call centers in Hopkinsville and Campbellsville and plans to open another in Henderson within the next month.

New GE technology could rival fluorescent lights
2/23/2007 Louisville Courier-Journal

General Electric's Louisville-based Consumer & Industrial division said today that new light bulb technology will double the efficiency of incandescent light bulbs and could ultimately make them as efficient as compact fluorescent lamps on the market now.

The company didn't say how long it would take to get the efficiency to compact fluorescent levels, but it would start using the technology in bulbs by 2010.

The company said the new high-efficiency bulbs could eventually provide the same light quality and instant-on characteristics of traditional lights at a cheaper price than compact fluorescents.

The new high efficiency incandescent lamp would replace traditional 40- to 100-watt household incandescent light bulbs. Initially, the new bulbs would be twice as efficient as traditional lights.

Officials hope Anglers' Cove will draw crowds - 1,800-plus sought to name eatery
Writer: ALLEN BLAIR
2/23/2007 Ashland Daily Independent

ARGILLITE -- When it came time to rename the lodge's restaurant, the people responded.

In a big way.

"We had 1,800-plus entries, some really good names," said Cary Lyle, resort manager.

It helped that the park's contest meant the winner would get a free meal each month for a year, plus a two-night family stay, but Lyle said the overwhelming public interest went deeper than that.

Greenup and Boyd residents, steered by local sportsmen and businessmen, in the 1940s made the first moves to build what would become a public park and well-known fishing lake.

"Greenbo Lake is special," Lyle said. "It was formed by the public, so they needed a voice in it ... and that's the way we wanted it. This was great. It shows how much interest and care the public has about their parks."

After such a turnout, park officials sent entries to Frankfort authorities to narrow to a "top 10," Lyle added.

"Then, our staff voted on it, which one they liked the best," he said.

The winner?

Anglers' Cove, which six suggested.

The winner, who was drawn from the six, is Lorene Unrue of Flatwoods.

Unrue said she visits Greenbo often for family reunions and other occasions.

"I thought that the name was catchy," she said. "If I were a traveler and saw a sign that said 'Anglers' Cove' it would catch my attention."

Lyle said the park was very pleased with the name, too, calling it appropriate.

"The name Anglers' Cove not only matches up with our seafood theme, it also matches up with that first vision from a group of men from Greenup and Boyd counties ...," he said. "They wanted to build a lake to fish in with their friends, and that led to Greenbo Lake and later Greenbo Lake State Resort Park."

Lyle said the contest prompted many comments who shared memories about fishing on the banks of Greenbo with their grandparents and other family members.

"Anglers' Cove makes you think about that place you used to sit with your family member or friend and enjoy the natural beauty that fishing and the outdoors brings to you," he said.

The other five who submitted Anglers' Cove and were not selected will receive a night's stay and two dinners at Greenbo.

Along with the name change, the park's restaurant will unveil a new menu, as will many other lodge eateries around Kentucky.

It's part of a Kentucky Department of Parks challenge to celebrate the state's "Unbridled Spirit" theme by enhancing its local offerings tied to the heritage of each area.

Carter Caves chose the name "Tierney's Cavern" in honor of retired park naturalist John Tierney's accomplishments.

At Greenbo, officials sought names in a contest with a "fish camp" theme. A renovation to create that atmosphere will start next week and should be finished by April 1.

Not to worry, though, the restaurant will still feature its traditional Hot Brown, catfish, fried chicken and other dishes, as well as some new seafood items, Lyle said.

"It's going to be a really, really good menu."

Sculpture honors Tuskegee Airmen trainer
Writer: Art Jester
2/23/2007 Lexington Herald-Leader

FRANKFORT - She trained more than 200 of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, African-American aviators who served during World War II. Yesterday, a bust of Glasgow native Willa Beatrice Brown Chappell was unveiled at the Capitol Rotunda as part of a Black History Month ceremony.

The University of Kentucky's Bobby Scroggins created the sculpture. One bust will displayed at the Aviation Museum of Kentucky in Lexington and another will be displayed in Glasgow.

It was commissioned by Nicholasville's Ron Spriggs, executive director of the Ron Spriggs Exhibit of Tuskegee Airmen.

Also honored yesterday was Justice William E. McAnulty Jr., the first African-American justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court. McAnulty Jr., of Louisville, joined the state's highest court in 2006.

St. Luke, St. E want merger - One must win Health Alliance battle first
Writer: SCOTT WARTMAN
2/23/2007 Kentucky Enquirer (Covington)

The leaders of both St. Luke Hospitals and St. Elizabeth Medical Center say they expect to increase services without losing any jobs if a proposed merger between Northern Kentucky's hospitals takes place.

The boards of directors of both hospitals announced Thursday they signed a letter of intent to unite as one hospital system.

Both boards still would have to determine details on how a merger would change services at each hospital and negotiate an agreement within the next 120 days, according to an announcement.

All hospitals would stay open in Northern Kentucky and keep the same names under the merger, though some services might be consolidated, changed or relocated. But the chairmen said the goal is to keep the same number of jobs at each hospital and possibly expand.

St. Elizabeth operates hospitals in Covington, Edgewood and Williamstown. St. Luke has hospitals in Fort Thomas and Florence.

Before any merger could take place, St. Luke must win a court battle to separate from its corporate parent, Health Alliance, which is the region's largest health care group. Since June 2006, St. Luke has fought a legal battle to leave Health Alliance over differences in management policies, particularly a plan to make St. Luke a private for-profit hospital.

If St. Luke loses in court, the question of a merger is moot. The case is being heard in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court because Cincinnati's Christ Hospital also is seeking to break from the Cincinnati-based Health Alliance.

If the Kentucky hospitals merge, the average patient likely will see no difference in services or where they have to go for doctors, said Dr. Richard Laib, chairman of the St. Luke Board.

One advantage is that doctors no longer will have difficulties obtaining records from the other hospitals, he said.

"I think both facilities will see improvement in their care," Laib said. "It should be seamless for patients. I can't imagine any problem with insurance carriers. Physicians will remain where they are. Patients that see a certain physician group in Boone County will not have any occasion to go to another physician."

Under the plan, a combined board of directors would be formed. The board would examine where various medical services should be provided.

The merger will eliminate duplications of services, said John Domaschko, chair of the St. Elizabeth Board of Trustees.

"We have no intentions of closing facilities," Domaschko said. "The use of individual facilities may change to some extent, like when you have two programs of the same type in two hospitals a few miles from each other."

A larger hospital organization will mean more resources to develop programs, services and jobs, both hospitals say. A merger also would create a need to add administrative positions currently provided to St. Luke by the Health Alliance.

"This is a grand slam home run for economic development," Domaschko said. "The fact that we will be rationalizing services and freeing up services will make Northern Kentucky that much more attractive to people who want to live here and businesses moving here."

Hospital services would compliment each other, Laib said. For example, all hospitals in Northern Kentucky would benefit from St. Luke's expertise in stroke treatment and from St. Elizabeth's status as a magnet hospital for nurses, Laib said.

"The goal is to make a unified health care system so the policies and procedures are the same throughout all hospitals," Laib said. "The intention is, where there is something to be learned by one institution, that will be passed on. There should be no difference whatsoever. It will be easier for physicians to go between hospitals."

Birth control and reproductive services likely would not be an issue despite St. Elizabeth being sponsored by the Diocese of Covington and bound by Catholic Church doctrine on birth control, Domaschko and Laib said.

Abortions aren't performed at any Northern Kentucky hospital, but birth control offered at any area hospitals wouldn't be restricted as a result of a merger, Domaschko said.

St. Luke's relationship with the diocese and how birth control issues would be worked out under a merger have not been decided.

St. Luke and St. Elizabeth had discussed the possibility of merger about a year ago, Domaschko said. St. Luke's falling out with the Health Alliance last June intensified the talks, Laib said.

St. Luke and St. Elizabeth proposed this merger during a period where the two have fought over St. Luke's intention to start open-heart surgeries at St. Luke West. St. Elizabeth challenged the program in court in December and argued the area is better served solely by their surgical center.

Neither chairman knew how a merger would affect that dispute or the plans for the heart surgery center at St. Luke West.

Plans to move emergency and outpatient services from St. Elizabeth North to a new site along Interstate 75 near 12th Street in Covington will continue, according to both hospitals.

Superintendents seek to reinstate lawsuit seeking better funding for public schools
Writer: Raviya H. Ismail
2/23/2007 Lexington Herald-Leader

The Council for Better Education has asked a Franklin circuit judge to reconsider a decision that would prevent a case against the General Assembly from proceeding to trial.

Last week, Judge Thomas Wingate issued a summary judgment in favor of the legislature and said the group of superintendents had failed to prove the state Constitution was violated because of inadequate funding of public schools.

The ruling concluded that the General Assembly "has created a system of common schools with tremendously enhanced results" and "KERA has produced dramatic progress toward excellence in public education."

The Council for Better Education, led by Marion County Superintendent Roger Marcum, argues that although students have made progress since the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act, further work is needed for all students.

The group "has respectfully asked Judge Wingate not to accept slow progress as good enough," Marcum said in a statement. "We ask, instead, for a full trial on whether Kentucky is on track to deliver for all Kentucky children as required by our Constitution."

The Council for Better Education has these three concerns:

* All students are not given full opportunities to master the learning the Supreme Court has identified as essential.

* Although there has been progress, it's at a pace too slow to meet the timetable under which all schools are required to reach 100 out of 140 under the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System by 2014.

* Inadequate state education funding is a central reason why improvement is too slow and why the state falls short for too many Kentucky students.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, and House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, were named defendants in the suit. Last week, Richards said that although he was pleased by the court's decision, he does agree education should be better funded.

UK medical schools to offer four-year fixed tuition and fees - PILOT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ALLEVIATE WORRY OVER RATE INCREASES
Writer: Karla Ward
2/22/2007 Lexington Herald-Leader

Jenny Olges, a second-year medical student at the University of Kentucky, said she tries not to think too much about the debt she's racking up while attending school.

"We all worry about it," she said. "We all are in significant debt."

But the UK College of Medicine will launch a pilot program this fall intended to ease at least some of her worries.

UK will guarantee each entering medical class that their tuition and fees will remain constant for the four years they are in school.

Students entering the College of Medicine this fall will pay $23,752 for each of their four years if they are Kentucky residents.

Deciding to enter medical school is scary enough, but Dr. Jay Perman, dean of the college, said what scares students most is not knowing how much tuition will cost by the time they graduate.

Tuition tends to increase 6 to 9 percent each year, meaning that by the time a student finishes, tuition will likely cost much more than when they started.

The average student graduating from the UK College of Medicine in 2006 had $107,110 in student loan debt.

"The costs are huge," Perman said. "This debt is becoming a deterrent in people willing to come to (medical) schools. It scares people."

Assuming tuition increases of 6 to 9 percent each year, UK estimates that the tuition guarantee program will save Kentucky residents entering medical school this fall $13,613 over their four years of school.

Out-of-state students entering this fall will pay $45,155 each year, which UK estimates will save them $25,880 over the four years.

Because the program spreads the expected increases out over four years, students will pay more in their first year than they probably would have if there were no tuition guarantee. For example, in-state tuition for the 2006-2007 school year was $20,410; tuition for incoming students this fall will be $23,752, a 16 percent increase.

Current medical students who will graduate in 2009 and 2010 will also have their tuition locked in for their remaining years. Students graduating in 2009 will pay $23,457 for the next two years; those graduating in 2010 will pay $23,604 for the next three years.

Perman said he knows of only three other medical schools -- the University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic and Washington University -- that have tuition guarantees, although there could be others.

"This is pretty novel," he said.

Olges, who is originally from Louisville, said she's excited about the plan.

"It will alleviate some of the stress and anxiety we have every year," she said.

College fundraising up sharply - Wealthiest schools benefit the most
Writer: Justin Pope, Associated Press
2/23/2007 Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer

Prosperous alumni helped make 2006 a record fundraising year for colleges and universities, which hauled in an all-time high of $28 billion -- a 9.4 percent jump from the year before.

There were increases across the board, but as usual it was the already wealthy who fared best. Stanford's $911 million was the most ever collected by a single university and raised the staggering possibility of a billion-dollar fundraising year in the not-too-distant future.

"There were a set of ideas and a set of initiatives that the university is undertaking that people wanted to invest in," said Martin Shell, Stanford's vice president for development. "This is an unbelievably generous response from an unbelievably philanthropic set of alumni, parents and friends."

Nationally, donations from alumni rose 18.3 percent from 2005, according to new figures being released Wednesday by the Council for Aid to Education. Alumni donations account for about 30 percent of giving to higher education. Giving from other groups, such as corporations and foundations, increased by much smaller amounts.

Survey director Ann Kaplan said the strong economy played a role, but universities also were asking more aggressively as part of formal fundraising campaigns.

Colleges "are making a good case for support," Kaplan said. "The level at which they can receive contributions will have something to do with the economy, but they have to be out there asking for it."

Stanford had about 300 full-time fundraising employees asking for money in 2006, finishing one formal campaign early in the year and starting another. It was a demonstration of how fundraising campaigns now run virtually full time.

Still, the timing did give Stanford's annual numbers an artificial boost, because more money is collected at the beginning and end of such campaigns.

The CAE survey contains good news for a number of schools with small endowments that saw large percentage jumps, such as Wagner College in New York and the University of La Verne in California -- both of which raised about $10 million and more than doubled 2005's collections.

Looking for Big Ideas
Writer: Scott Jaschik
2/23/2007 Inside Higher Education

The U.S. Education Department is looking for the next big ideas in student aid -- with a strong emphasis on promoting simplicity of programs and reaching students in their pre-college years.

Senior department officials invited about 20 experts on student aid -- campus aid administrators and researchers on financial aid -- for a private day of meetings Wednesday. Participants said that the department appears to be thinking ambitiously about changing student aid programs, suggesting that the experts not focus on tinkers, but on how aid programs would be restructured if starting from scratch.

Those in attendance who agreed to talk about the meeting did so only anonymously, saying that they had been told in strong language by the department that it didn't want the meeting to become public knowledge. Department officials confirmed that the meeting took place, but declined to release names of attendees, saying that it wanted to protect the aid experts from appearing to have endorsed any idea that eventually may emerge from the session. Attendees were generally from outside the Beltway -- higher ed association types were excluded-- although Congressional officials were invited to listen to a 45-minute wrap-up at the end of the day.

The secretive session led to some speculation about what the department would be able to do with the results. The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is still pending, but in the increasingly unlikely event Congress takes up the legislation again soon, it will probably be to put a Democratic imprint on the bill, not to add more ideas from the Education Department.

One aid administrator who attended said he had the impression that the department had two goals in mind: looking for "low hanging fruit" on which the department might find a way to act in the short term, while setting out an agenda that might carry weight even in a future administration. Some were also surprised by the department's search for new big ideas, right after the conclusion of the work of the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, which has offered a set of goals -- some of them controversial -- for improving American colleges.

Many of the objectives discussed at the session are, at least in theory, things that just about all educators would embrace: encouraging academic rigor at the pre-college level, doing a better job of letting children from low-income families know that aid will be available for them to go to college, and simplifying the aid system so that it is easier for students and their families to understand, and for colleges to administer. Simplicity received a lot of attention, attendees said, reflecting a call from the Spellings Commission for "replacing the current maze of financial aid programs." Sara Martinez Tucker, the under secretary of education, opened the discussion by talking about how important it is to provide the opportunity for all Americans to go to college.

But while access, simplicity and academic rigor are motherhood and apple pie issues, some of the proposals to achieve those goals are sure to be controversial. Nobody favors complexity or confusion as principles in student aid programs. But many college officials fear that with the Bush administration, simplicity doesn't lead to a situation where less is more, but where less is less. One reason eyebrows are being raised among aid experts about all the focus on complexity is this year's budget battle over the future of Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, which the Bush administration wants to kill off, while increasing the maximum Pell Grant. This would theoretically result in a simpler system, as both programs help low-income students, but many colleges maintain that this would be a net loss for students in their aid -- an analysis that the Bush administration disputes.

Participants in Wednesday's meeting said that there wasn't any attempt to build support for any particular aid reorganization, but that the plans discussed did at least in some cases amount to major changes from the status quo.

Cheryl Oldham, chief of staff to the under secretary of education, said in an interview Thursday that the meeting was "essentially a conversation with some financial aid experts" and that this was part of "an ongoing process" of looking for ways to carry out the ideas of the commission.

Oldham said that there was no goal of reaching a consensus or emerging with specific propoals. "We don't have an end in mind," she said. She said that the department wanted to invite people "working on this stuff in the field" to the discussion.

Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president for government and public affairs at the American Council on Education, was not at the session and said he wouldn't have expected an invitation. He said he was encouraged by the meeting because the department seemed to be seeking advice from "people who know this stuff cold" and who would have to deal with any changes enacted.

Hartle said that any ideas about simplification of aid programs would almost certainly be the kind of changes that "require a trip through Capitol Hill." So there will be plenty of time to raise any issues, he said.

The essential challenge of talking about simplification is that while everyone agrees with the concept, the details aren't easy to pull off, he said. There are two ways to simplify aid programs, he said: spending a lot more money or a "significant reallocation of resources" away from some programs to others. In the current political environment, spending a lot more money isn't likely, he said, and any reallocation "is going to come from some students or colleges."

State Digest: Incentives for Students to Start at a 2-Year College in Virginia, and Other News From the States
Writer: PETER SCHMIDT
2/23/2007 The Chronicle of Higher Education

TRANSFER INCENTIVES: Virginia lawmakers have overwhelmingly endorsed the idea of giving students financial incentives to receive part of their baccalaureate education at community colleges. The Senate and House of Delegates are expected to hammer out an agreement today on how the program will operate. Under the terms of a bill that the Senate approved, 40 to 0, early this month, students from low- and middle-income families who earn their associate degrees at a community college can continue to pay community-college tuition for up to three years of additional study at a public four-year institution, reducing their tuition bills for each of those years by more than half. The House version of the bill, approved by that chamber by a 95-to-2 vote, covers only low-income students who enter certain fields with worker shortages, such as nursing and engineering, and caps their potential benefit at $2,000 a year. Both the state's higher-education coordinating board and its community-college system have been advocating the creation of such an incentive system to deal with expected enrollment increases.

UNTARRED HEELS: Republican and Democratic lawmakers in North Carolina have joined in sponsoring a bill that would make it much more expensive for private foundations to pay many students' college costs. Under current state law, nonprofit groups that offer to send students to University of North Carolina campuses pay the students' tuition at in-state rates, even if the students lived somewhere else before enrolling. As a result, the university system forgoes about $5.2-million in tuition revenue each year, primarily by taking in athletes from elsewhere whose tuition is paid by booster clubs. Critics of the existing law say it is unfair to state residents. The pending legislation would force scholarship recipients from outside North Carolina to pay tuition at the nonresident rate.

SPEECH LIMITS: Arizona lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit public college professors from promoting political candidates or advocating "one side of a social, political, or cultural issue that is a matter of partisan controversy." The measure also prohibits professors from impeding military recruiters' access to campuses and provides for violators to be fined up to $500. Critics of the bill, which also applies to schoolteachers, say it is so broad it would stifle a wide range of classroom discussion. The measure, drafted by the majority leader of the Senate, Thayer Verschoor, a Republican, was approved by the Senate's Government Committee this month by a 4-3 vote.

STEM-CELL RESEARCH: The Iowa Senate has voted 26 to 24 to allow researchers to use cloning to create embryonic stem cells. Much of the Senate debate over the bill centered on the question of whether it nullifies a state ban on human cloning. The new measure contains provisions prohibiting "human reproductive cloning," but many of its critics say there is no difference between cloning humans and cloning human embryonic stem cells. Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat, welcomed the Senate's passage of the measure, which is expected to be the subject of heated debate in the House of Representatives.

Tests find salmonella in peanut butter
2/23/2007 USA TODAY

OMAHA (AP) -- A week after ConAgra Foods Inc. recalled peanut butter from its Georgia plant after a salmonella outbreak, the Center for Disease Control confirmed the presence of the dangerous germ.
No deaths have been confirmed, although a Pennsylvania family filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming a relative died from eating tainted peanut butter.

Opened jars from people who were sickened in New York, Oklahoma and Iowa tested positive for salmonella, said Dave Daigle, a spokesman for the CDC in Atlanta.

VIDEO: CDC confirms salmonella finding

"Now the question becomes, how did the salmonella get in the jar," Daigle said.

ConAgra Foods Inc. last week recalled all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter made at its Sylvester, Ga., plant after federal health officials linked the product to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 329 people from 41 states since August.

Leslea Bennett-Webb, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Health, said the state recovered seven peanut butter jars from 11 cases confirmed by the state, and found the strain of salmonella in at least one.

In Iowa, Kevin Teale, spokesman for the state's Department of Health, said the positive match is from one of the state's six confirmed cases.

At least 51 people were hospitalized with symptoms of the disease between Aug. 1 and Feb. 2, with 60% of illnesses beginning after Dec. 1, according to the CDC.

Salmonella, which commonly originates from the feces of birds and animals, sickens about 40,000 people a year in the U.S. and kills about 600. It can cause diarrhea, fever, dehydration, abdominal pain and vomiting.

ConAgra learned of the test results Thursday, spokesman Chris Kircher said.

Gary Rodkin, chief executive of Omaha-based ConAgra, said Thursday that the company will take "all reasonable steps to remedy the situation."

"We are truly sorry for any harm that our peanut butter products may have caused," Rodkin said in a news release.

Government and industry officials have said the contamination may have been caused by dirty jars or equipment. Peanuts are usually heated to high, germ-killing temperatures during the manufacturing process. The only known salmonella outbreak in peanut butter -- in Australia during the mid-1990s -- was blamed on unsanitary plant conditions.

ConAgra has said none of its previous routine testing of plant equipment and peanut butter has tested positive for salmonella. The Food and Drug Administration last inspected the plant in February 2005 and found no problems.

The Sylvester plant is the sole maker of the nationally distributed Peter Pan brand, and the recall covers all peanut butter produced by the plant since May 2006. Shoppers are being asked to toss out jars having a product code on the lid beginning with "2111," which denotes the plant. The jars or their lids can be returned to the store where they were purchased for a refund.

Great Value peanut butter is a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. house brand made by several manufacturers. Great Value peanut butter that does not have the "2111" code is not included in the recall.

The family of Roberta Barkay alleges in a negligence and wrongful-death lawsuit against ConAgra that salmonella-tainted peanut butter killed Barkay and sickened her husband and daughter.

Barkay, 76, had been hospitalized with gastrointestinal problems, then developed a bacterial infection before she died Jan. 30, said her lawyer, Rob Peirce.

Her husband, William, was sick with similar symptoms late last year, after the Barkays bought the peanut butter, according to the lawyer and the lawsuit. Their daughter also got sick after eating the peanut butter while at her parents' home for her mother's funeral, Peirce said.

Roberta Barkay was not tested for salmonella, but Peirce said the peanut butter the family ate was part of the batch ConAgra recalled last week. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Kircher, the ConAgra spokesman, said he couldn't comment on the specifics of the lawsuit.

"We're working to get in touch with that plaintiff's attorney to learn all we can," Kircher said Thursday.

Across the country, at least four other lawsuits claim negligence by the company led to the salmonella illnesses.

To get a refund, consumers can return the product at the place of purchase or mail in lids with their names and addresses to ConAgra Foods, P.O. Box 3768, Omaha, NE 68103. For more information, call (866) 344-6970 or visit ConAgra's website at http://www.conagrafoods.com.

When Is Student Learning 'Good Enough'?
Writer: Doug Lederman
2/23/2007 Inside Higher Education

Almost from the beginning of its work, the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education made it clear that it considered the American system of higher education accreditation to be falling short of its mission to be the chief guardian of quality among the nation's colleges. And yet the panel's leaders, and the Education Department officials charged with carrying out the commission's recommendations, have also clearly viewed the accreditation system -- because it touches virtually all colleges and universities -- as a potential lever for bringing about the broader changes they envision for higher education.

The commission's foremost recommendation, arguably, is that colleges and universities must do more to ensure that students are actually learning what the institutions are promising to teach them or train them to do. So at the core of the Education Department's full-court press on accreditors is a desire to have the agencies ratchet up the pressure they in turn place on colleges to measure (and prove) that their students are learning and, importantly, to try to find ways to compare the institutions' success to one another.

That issue stirred controversy in December when a department advisory committee was accused of trying to unfairly change the criteria it uses to judge accrediting agencies. And it came front and center Thursday on the second day of the Education Department's first negotiated rule making session on accreditation. (A full recap of Day 1, which might be helpful context for the uninitiated, appears here.)

On Wednesday night, a subgroup of the members of the federal accrediting panel altered an "issue paper" that department officials had proposed on the topic to strip language that said the department was considering requiring accrediting agencies to define a common "core set of student achievement measures, both quantitative and qualitative," and to define an "acceptable level of performance" that all colleges they oversaw would have to meet.

The working group also dropped language that said that an institution's performance could only be measured based on "what the performance is being compared to." In its place appeared mushier language that said: "Given the diversity of institutional missions and the diversity of accrediting agencies, there needs to be further attention on the criteria that each agency applies to determine the adequacy of student academic achievement at the institutions it accredits."

Despite that softening, though, the ultimate question at the core of the department's (and the Spellings Commission's) campaign remained: Noting that accreditors have primarily focused their judgment of institutions' quality on whether an individual college is showing progress, the statement said: "This institutional improvement model has its strengths, but it does not lead to answers to questions such as whether the performance of the institution is good enough" (emphasis added).

And that question -- How does an accreditor measure whether a college or university is doing a "good enough" job educating its students? -- got a full if somewhat unsatisfying hearing Thursday, set up by another question posed by Vickie L. Schray, the Education Department's lead negotiator in the accreditation rule making process. "The law requires accrediting agencies to have a standard for student achievement," Schray said. "We were curious to hear your various interpretations or definitions of what a 'standard' is."

The accreditors' answers were enlightening. Thelma Thompson, president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, described a standard as a "level below which you shouldn't fall" (an answer that would seem to support the department's push to get accreditors to set minimum levels of performance for institutions to meet. And Craig Swenson, provost of Western Governors University, said he said believed it was reasonable that accreditors "ought to have a benchmark or a basis of comparison that you establish to say that this is sufficient."

But several accreditors seemed distinctly uncomfortable with that approach. Ralph Wolff, executive director of the senior college commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which was one of the agencies that felt the ground shift under it at the December meeting mentioned above, said accreditors have traditionally put the onus on "an institution to define its learning outcomes, and to assess the achievement of those outcomes and through that assessment to determine whether improvement is needed." He added: "We believe we should keep that locus of responsibility at the institutional level."

Elise Scanlon, executive director of the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, said it was "very reasonable for an accrediting commission to set expectations for the institutions they accredit and to hold them to that expectation." But, Scanlon asked Wolff, "what exactly is the standard you're using to determine whether that institution is a performer or a non-performer?" she asked.

Wolff's answer - that the agency's peer reviewers and officials would "rely upon qualitative judgments" to "make sure institutions are using good processes and to improve the processes that institutions are using" - drew an exasperated followup from Scanlon: "Would it ever be possible to say that an institution is not meeting the standard?" Yes, Wolff replied, citing a variety of reasons - "lack of rigor, inadequate assessment activity, lack of good information" - why an institution might be deemed to fall short on student learning outcomes. "What we don't have are quantitative 'bright line' indicators that suggest that if you fall below" your entire institution is in trouble, Wolff said.

But isn't there a level of performance beneath which institutions shouldn't fall, asked James H. McCormick, chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities? "If a college has complete autonomy, they might have low standards and be shown to have met them. Don't we have to push colleges and universities to aspire higher and to meet certain standards? It's hard to do, really hard to do. But don't we have to push people to aspire harder, and aren't you in a terrific position to push institutions to do that?"

Steven D. Crow, executive director of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools' Higher Learning Commission, asked Schray whether department officials envisioned finding one or a handful of institution-wide measures that would somehow "summarize performance," or finding "a number for every program's success, and we tally those up at the end for an institution's success." "I'm just not sure what you're really looking for. How narrow is this proposal?"

Schray said -- as department officials have done repeatedly, in answer to complaints that the government is seeking an oversimplified "one size fits all" solution to the perceived performance problem (like a new standardized test) -- that the department is "not looking for one assessment to be used by all institutions." "We've made every effort not to be prescriptive, and to try instead to rely on the expertise of this peer review system" to come up with appropriate performance measures.

But, she pressed on, "we are asking you all to help us figure out the best way to draft regulations that will encourage and support and promote not only the identification of those measures, but also some explicit statement about how you know when there is quality at an institution."

Mark L. Pelesh, a top official of Corinthian Colleges, Inc., who is representing the Coalition for an American Competitive Workforce on the accrediting panel, suggested that a potential middle ground - or at least a starting point - might be for much greater transparency about the standards that colleges and accreditors are using to judge whether students are learning and advancing.

"If an accrediting agency, in the area of student achievement, makes a decision not to set objective standards," Pelesh said, "it seems to me what we might do is require accredited institutions to set objectives and goals for the programs they're offering, require them to show that they've made them transparent to their students and customers, collect data on how well they're meeting those objectives and goals, and then either have the accreditor make a judgment about whether the institution is doing a good enough job, or at least make that information available to the students."

As the discussion neared its end, Crow insisted that the accreditors were already pushing hard in the general direction the department wants, prodding institutions to "be clear about their goals, find a way to measure their success, and then continue to improve." He acknowledged that "the product of this needs to be public," and that the "possibility of benchmarking [one institution's performance against others] is an important tool that needs to be brought into this."

But he warned that accreditors had been "trying to encourage this culture shift in the past decade," oftentimes facing stiff resistance from college leaders and rank and file faculty members, and that the "the very first thing that could kill" the accreditors' "success in changing this culture" is a federally imposed mandate that is seen as oversimplified and destructive.

"What I'm asking," Crow said, "is that the regulatory environment not take this plant we've been nurturing for so long and try to hothouse it." That anti-regulation plea was echoed by several other participants in the accreditation rule making session.

That session continues Friday, after which Education Department officials will "go away," as Schray put it (drawing laughs from the college officials in the crowd, some of whom might not be sorry to see the department vanish right now), to figure out how to turn some or all of the vague ideas and debating points discussed this week into possible new federal rules.

Legislative Week in Review
2/23/2007 LRC eNews

Bills of all stripes made it out of both chambers this week, as the mid-point of the 2007 legislative session passed and the legislative process reached the point where the House and Senate are approving bills and shipping them to their counterparts on the other side of the Capitol, where the work of committee review and floor action begin anew.

The full House voted this week to raise the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over the next two years--the first minimum wage increase in the Commonwealth in a decade.

House Bill 305 would raise the wage floor to $5.85 an hour this year, $6.55 an hour in 2008 and $7.25 an hour in 2009. The rate would increase with the federal minimum wage rate -- an increase currently pending in Congress -- if the federal rate eventually exceeds the state rate. The wage bill has now been sent to the Senate.

Meanwhile this week, the Senate passed legislation that could see speed limits raised to 70 mph on most sections of Kentucky's Interstate highways and parkways. Thirty states -- including four surrounding states -- already have 70 mph speed limits, and many stretches of four-lane in Kentucky are engineered to handle traffic at that speed. SB 83 would allow the state Transportation Secretary to raise the raise the limit, consistent with safety considerations. The speed-limit bill has now gone to the House.

The recent tragedy in Bardstown, where six children and 10 people in all lost their lives in a house fire, was just the latest in a long series of fatal fires caused by cigarettes left untended. One in three fire deaths in Kentucky each year can be blamed on smoldering cigarettes, the state fire marshal says.

SB 134, which passed the Senate this week, requires that any cigarette sold in Kentucky use a new kind of paper that stops burning after a short period of time if no one is puffing on it. Six states already require such fire-safe cigarettes.

Also in the Senate last week, lawmakers changed a legal requirement that any citizen who wants to file a lawsuit against a state agency has to do so at the courthouse in the state capital of Frankfort. That requirement has proven an inconvenience and financial burden to many Kentuckians distant from the capital. SB 75 allows such cases to be heard in local courts.

The full Senate also passed a bill to clearly spell out that women seeking abortions must meet face-to-face with a doctor or the doctor's representative one day before undergoing the procedure. Senate Bill 179 is an effort to tighten a law passed in 1998 that many in the General Assembly thought did that very thing. But in 2001, the Kentucky Medical Licensure Board interpreted the law to mean that the meeting could take place over the telephone.

In response to reports that school districts are having trouble paying for teacher salary increases legislatively mandated last session, the full House this week passed legislation that would send up to $50 million in excess state per-pupil SEEK funds back to school districts to help cover those costs.

HB 32 would also allocate $1 million in excess SEEK money to raises for the state's career and technical education teachers both this year and next.

The full House also passed a bill that requires girls entering middle school to receive the three-shot vaccine against the virus that causes cervical cancer, unless their parents sign a form declining the vaccination. That bill too has gone to the Senate.

Reauthorized funding for state, university and local capital construction projects took a step toward reality this week, as the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee voted to restore millions of dollars in projects vetoed by the governor after the close of the 2006 Regular Session.

The vetoes penciled out more than $370 million in bond and coal-severance projects that state lawmakers approved during last year's session. Since the governor's action came after the deadline for a legislative override -- and the Legislature can only appropriate money while it's in session -- lawmakers had to wait until this winter to restore funding for the projects.

Also in committee this week, the House Health and Welfare Committee proposed adding $2.5 million in new funding to social worker protection legislation named for a slain state social worker.

The funding brings the total amount authorized by House Bill 362 -- called "the Boni Bill" in honor of Boni Frederick, who was killed during a routine visit to a client's home last October -- to $5 million. The other $2.5 million would come from any existing nonobligated funds available to the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

The new funding would be allocated for office space, additional technology, and visitation centers where social workers and their clients can meet safely. The bill would also require reporting of violent incidents involving social workers, establish a Web-based work safety site, and mandate a blue-ribbon panel to study the problem with an eye toward comprehensive reform.

Editor's note: Kentucky lawmakers are scheduled to be in Frankfort through March 12, then return March 26-27 to consider any gubernatorial vetoes and wrap up their work. While the legislature is in session, the public can let their legislator know how they feel by calling the toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181. A TTY message line for people with hearing impairments can be reached at 1-800-896-0305, and a Spanish-language line is available at 1-866-840-6574.

Sponsor says mine-safety bill 'hijacked' - Others say measure needed revision; House will decide
Writer: R. G. Dunlop
2/23/2007 Louisville Courier-Journal

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- A revised version of a controversial mine-safety bill was unanimously forwarded to the full House yesterday -- then immediately denounced by its original sponsor.

Rep. Brent Yonts, D-Greenville, said he was angry that the bill had been "hijacked" -- changed by a House committee without his knowledge -- and that he might not be able to support it in its revised form.

"I'll have to look at it," he said after the meeting of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee. "We need to get it to the House floor and get it talked about."

Lexington lawyer Tony Oppegard, a former federal and state mining official who now represents family members of several miners killed on the job, said the rewritten bill represents a sellout to the coal industry.

"Virtually all of the provisions ... added or deleted are detrimental to mine safety," Oppegard said outside the committee hearing room. "The coal industry will be pleased, but miners should resent it."

Rep. Robin Webb, the committee member who drafted the changes, said the bill needed to be revised for several reasons, including to remove provisions that would have cost the state money or that federal law rendered unnecessary.

"I felt good about the bill," Webb said.

The changes ranged from a reduction in the number of hours of required annual retraining for mine foremen to provisions regarding how mines are ventilated.

One provision deemed crucial by its original backers was retained in the committee substitute: an increase in the minimum number of mandatory annual mine inspections. General inspections would increase from three to four, and two annual electrical inspections also would be required.

Yonts said later he was not given an opportunity to contribute to or address the changes to his House Bill 207.

The committee chairman, Rep. Jim Gooch, D-Providence, said he did not have the time to review the new version of the bill with Yonts. And Webb said she invited Yonts' input but didn't hear from him.

There was no discussion of the substitute bill after Webb, D-Grayson, described it for her fellow committee members.

As soon as Webb concluded her analysis of the committee's version, Gooch called for a vote. The substitute measure was approved unanimously, although several members said they wanted to hear from Yonts on the House floor.

Webb said after the hearing that Yonts knew a committee substitute was in the offing. She said the final draft was not completed and printed until shortly before the meeting began.

Webb denied that the changes she oversaw represented an effort to undermine the prospects for any mine-safety bill being enacted. "I don't want to kill the bill," she said. "I'm a miner first, but I also know a little bit about overreaching."

House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, was noncommittal when asked about the bill, saying he did not know how the House would address it.

"I've always wanted a good, strong bill," but lawmakers "need to keep working," he said.

Amendments on the House floor, if approved, could reverse changes made in committee.

Among the amended bill's disputed provisions:

Yonts' measure called for eight hours of required annual retraining for mine foremen. Webb said that had been scaled back to six hours because eight might require two working days. Oppegard said the more extensive training could easily be accomplished in one day.

The original bill called for equipping all miners working underground with methane detectors. The committee substitute says detectors shall be provided "to each group" of underground miners, and to each miner who works alone.

Oppegard contended that providing the devices to all miners, rather than just a few, would increase the likelihood that excessive methane levels would be detected before they caused an explosion of the sort that killed five miners in Harlan County last May.

Stricken from Yonts' bill was a provision that would have barred the use of conveyor-belt tunnels for coal-mine ventilation. "Belt air," as it is known in the industry, may contain coal dust and toxic chemicals, and is considered a grave hazard by mine-safety advocates, who say it can feed fires and expose miners to harmful airborne substances. The industry, by contrast, contends that the use of belt air is safe if certain precautions are taken.

Webb acknowledged in her presentation to the committee that belt air "is an issue." But she said some mines could be put out of business if the practice was outlawed -- which Congress currently is considering.

Although the use of belt air has been linked to a fatal mine fire in West Virginia in January 2006, Webb said it "hasn't been a problem in Kentucky," which she said should defer to federal authorities on the subject at least for the time being.

The substitute bill also deleted a proposal by Yonts that mine ventilation fans must run continuously when miners are working underground.

The amended measure simply says that mine fans must "be in operation" when miners are underground, but it omits the word "continuous," leaving open the possibility that fans could be turned off for a period of time.

Webb said the revised language is consistent with federal law. Oppegard, however, said federal law requires that ventilation fans be operating whenever miners are underground, and that state law should not imply otherwise.

The substitute bill deletes a provision from the original that required "an efficient means of transportation" to be available underground at all times while miners are working, to transport them to the surface in the event of an injury or other emergency.

Oppegard said the omission could mean that an injured miner might have to await transportation out of the mine, or not receive it at all.

"As with the other changes, this one diminishes mine safety," he said.

Students' bill to get chance in Ky. House
Writer: WILLIAM CROYLE
2/23/2007 Kentucky Enquirer (Covington)

It's finally got a number. Now it's time to make it law.

That's what Brendon Gregory, of Erlanger, and Curtis Oberschlake, of Florence, are saying as they prepare to testify in favor of Kentucky House Bill 432, formerly known as the Oberschlake-Gregory Bill.

The 15-year-old sophomores at Lloyd Memorial High School were excited two weeks ago when they found out the bill they drafted to change how Kentucky allocates its electoral votes would be sponsored by Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger.

Now with an official number and a date, March 6, for the boys to testify before the House Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee, what started as a class project is becoming bigger than they ever imagined.

"It is very exciting as a high school student to actually get the opportunity to present a bill to the committee," Brendon said. "It's a great experience that not a lot of high school kids get to experience."

Kentucky's eight electoral votes are given to the presidential candidate who wins the state's popular vote. HB432 would change that so that one vote is allocated to each of the state's six districts. The other two votes would go to the winner of the popular vote.

Only two states - Maine and Nebraska - do it the way the boys are proposing. But Brendon and Curtis feel their way would make each person's vote more meaningful and would encourage more people to vote.

The idea to pursue this bill started in teacher Jonathan Davis' government classes. Students researched laws they wanted to amend and drafted bills for them. Koenig then picked one he wanted to support.

Davis' students had a visit this week from Jason Gainous, a political science professor at the University of Louisville who has written several articles on election reform.

The students have also started a letter-writing campaign to Kentucky schools, asking students and teachers to write to their legislators in support of the bill.

"The goal is to hopefully inundate the committee members with thousands of letters in support of the bill to show them that the state as a whole believes Kentucky needs a change in how it allocates its electoral votes," Davis said.

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