Kentucky GOP won’t support nominee with ‘offensive’ comments

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Republican Party of Kentucky is disavowing a GOP candidate for the state legislature who is being criticized for racially charged comments he’s made in the past.

Everett Corley narrowly won the Republican nomination for the 43rd District House seat in Louisville. Two years ago, he sued to stop the removal of a Confederate soldier statue near the University of Louisville. The Kentucky Democratic Party this week accused Corley of being a white nationalist and pointed out that he called a U of L professor a “dirty black bastard” during the fight over the Confederate statue. The city removed the statue, and Corley apologized for the comment.

In a release, the GOP called Corley a “perennial candidate with a history of offensive statements and behavior.” The state GOP says it would not support his candidacy now or in the future.

Kentuckian withdraws from federal surface mining nomination

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The head of a Kentucky engineering firm who was nominated to run a federal agency that cleans up former surface mines has withdrawn from consideration for the job.

News outlets report Steven Gardner withdrew his nomination to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement because of a protracted vetting process. He was nominated by President Trump in October.

Gardner told Bloomberg News he decided to withdraw after nearly a year of back and forth over “the conditions of an ethics agreement.” He did not return a call seeking comment Thursday.

The Sierra Club said in a release Thursday that Gardner was wrong for the job, saying he “puts the profits of his bosses above the health and safety of coal workers, and the enforcement of our clean air and water laws.”

Remains in Kentucky identified as missing Colorado man

SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Authorities have identified the bones found after a Kentucky man’s dog brought a human skull onto his driveway. It’s a Colorado man, reported missing in 2016.

News outlets report Shelby County Sheriff’s detective Mark Moore announced Thursday that that remains were identified as 29-year-old Timothy J. Stites of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

A man had called the sheriff in February 2017 to report that his dog found a human skull. Deputies then searched the woods nearby and found more bones.

Moore said Stites had traveled for work and was in Louisville the last time he spoke to family.

Authorities are now trying to determine how Stites died.

American Quilter’s Society show next week in Kentucky

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — The American Quilter’s Society is holding its annual Kentucky show starting Wednesday.

The group says its fall Paducah show includes a public voting feature and a best of show award of $20,000. It says there also is more than $121,000 in total cash awards to be determined at the event.

Thousands of quilters attend the show. The group says almost 700 quilts will be on display.

The event runs through Sept. 15 at the Schroeder Expo & Carroll Convention Center.

Army post to stop publishing weekly newspaper

FORT KNOX, Ky. (AP) — A weekly newspaper at a central Kentucky Army post is ceasing publication later this month.

The News Enterprise reports The Gold Standard at Fort Knox announced on Thursday that the Sept. 27 edition will be the paper’s final print edition after 70 years of operation under three names. Fort Knox spokesman Ryan Brus said locally produced news coverage will still be available at www.army.mil/knox .

The paper has been produced and distributed under a contract arrangement with The News-Enterprise for decades.

News-Enterprise Publisher Chris Ordway the decision to stop the presses for the paper was a difficult one. He cited changes in missions on post that affected readership habits and business circumstances.