State Representative Myron Dossett says there’s still no telling on how the state Supreme Court may rule on General Assembly re-districting.

There has been speculation on all sides about what could and what might happen, but the ultimate decision is in the hands of the state’s highest court.

A Franklin Circuit judge ruled in favor of House Republicans last week when he said the new districts were unconstitutional and ordered lawmakers to run in their old boundaries.

House Democrats fired back this week, asking the Supreme Court to allow elections in the new districts. Representative Dossett says all of the lawmakers are now at the mercy of the court.

Representative Dossett, other House Republicans and Senate Democrats who were also on the short end of the political stick are hoping to run again in their old boundaries this year. Dossett says he can accept whatever decision the court makes.

Time is running out for a decision to be made one way or the other, as county clerks have to be given about 50 days to have their ballots printed before the May primary.

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02/16/2012/am

A bill is going to the full State House making it illegal to intentionally view child porn.

House Bill 126 passed the House Judiciary Committee yesterday. Previously, only possession of the material was illegal.

The bill was amended to outline what is intention and unintentional viewing. Unintentional viewing would not be a crime.

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02/16/2012/AM

The Cadiz woman who was arrested yesterday afternoon and charged with embezzling over 800 dollars from the Hopkinsville Lowes was also investigated while an employee of another Lowes store.

The arrest card for 32-year old Angelina Clark of Cadiz says $802.88 was allegedly stolen from the Hopkinsville store using an item return scheme between Clark and another female suspect, who police say was not an employee of Lowes.

A lengthy investigation by Lowes loss prevention turned up that Clark and the other suspect would return items for more money than what they were worth or that Clark would issue cash for a return on an item she didn’t have.

On at least one occasion, the other suspect was allegedly given cash for the item and still allowed to leave the store with the merchandise. Police say the transactions were captured on video and that the most recent incidents happened on February 8^th and 11^th.

Clark had previously been employed at the Paducah Lowes and is under investigation for similar incidents reportedly totaling  $9,000 there.

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02/16/2012/am

Clarksville Police released the name of a local teen who is fighting for his life after he was hit by a vehicle on Valentines Day.

Police say 17-year old James Patrick Powers II of Clarksville is listed in critical, but stable condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

According to police, 26-year old Justin Norton of Clarksville was driving on Riverside Drive in the left lane and then switched to the right lane, at which time Powers exited McGregor Park and was subsequently hit by Norton’s vehicle.
Powers was reportedly taken by lifeflight to Vanderbilt with head injuries and police say the investigation into the wreck remains open, and no charges are pending against the driver at this time.
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Governor Steve Beshear was at the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge this morning and announced plans to replace the 322 foot long missing span which was knocked out by a cargo vessel in a collision on January 26^th.

There will still eventually be a new bridge to take motorists across Kentucky Lake at the Trigg-Marshall County line, but traffic can resume quicker by repairing the current structure.

The Governor says the safety of the remaining structure has to be determined and some new temporary support piers may have to be drilled in, but that a temporary span is the best solution to get traffic across as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the Governor says the state is working on getting a ferry service across Kentucky Lake.

The ferry would only be able to carry a fraction of the 2,600 cars that normally went across the bridge on a normal day. Motorists are now taking detours of over a half hour to cross the largest manmade lake in North America. There is no timetable on how long it may take to install the temporary span.

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02/15/2012/am