DONE DEAL FOR DUNN
Murray State University President Randy Dunn received an automatic four more years on the job.  The university’s Board of Regents announced the extension Friday after a brief, closed session at Pogue Library on campus. Dunn’s contract now will run until 2012. The board also discussed a recent enrollment report by Alison Marshall, interim director of enrollment management.  The total full-time undergraduate students from all Murray State campuses decreased 182 students from 2007 to 2008, while the number of full-time graduate students increased by 48. The number of first-time students increased 8.8 percent from 1,339 to 1,468. In other business, Regent Bob Jackson announced a $1 million endowment from BB&T to the university’s College of Business and Public Affairs. The endowment will assist in the construction of a high-tech financial services center.

CALLOWAY COURT TO MEET
The Calloway County Fiscal Court will meet tomorrow afternoon at 5 and may consider purchasing an automated emergency notification system. Officials tested the One Call system last week. It called households and businesses with a recorded message.  There were a few issues however as the system couldn’t connect past a switchboard at businesses.  A one-year service agreement is expected to cost $11,000. Judge Executive Larry Elkins reportedly wants to look at a one-year contract rather than a multi-year because of the prospects of technology upgrades.

MHS'S MANNING HONORED
Murray High School principal Teresa Speed has announced that Mason Manning has been named a Commended Student in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program.  About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise.  Although they will not continue in the 2009 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2009 competition by taking the 2007 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. A Letter of Commendation was presented to Manning from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation which conducts the program.

BOONE'S IN WASHINGTON
Murray High School junior Hannah Boone recently attended the America’s Promise “100 Best Community,” forum in Washington, D.C. Boone and her father, Howard Boone, traveled to the event and participated in effective practice sessions focused on building a brighter future their home community and three-time winning “100 Best Community for Young People.”  The Boones’ joined Murray Community Education Advisory Council   representatives Pat Harrington and Jean Bennett for the forum and gala event hosted by America’s Promise chair, Alma Powell.  Murray earned this national Community of Promise distinction for the third time been successful in having the Murray community to be designated as one of the ‘100 Best Communities for Young People’.  Selected for the third year in a row, Murray-Calloway County is one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, in part, because of the resources provided to parents and caregivers to help build and sustain strong families.  Numerous criteria factors have been provided in the application process that included, the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support group, the Lunch Buddies program, a mentoring program that links high school students with elementary students for 1-on-1 tutoring.  Also included was the 9th Grade Workforce Session, a collaborative effort between the Career Discovery Center and area high schools to encourage 9th graders to develop skills that will be marketable when they enter the workforce.

AMISH GUILTY

Seven Amish men were found guilty of refusing to display slow-moving vehicle emblems aimed at helping motorists identify their buggies at night. The Amish men say their church prohibits the triangle because its color and shape could be construed as representing the Holy Trinity. Graves County District Court, Judge Deborah Crooks gave the men have until May 28 to pay a $25 fine per violation.  Altogether their fines and court costs total $816.

VICTIM PLAYED DEAD TO STAY ALIVE
Unsealed court records revealed the western Kentucky mother whose three children died in an attack at their home told police she played dead after being raped and stabbed by the assailant. Kevin Dunlap, of Hopkinsville, whose charges include three counts of murder, rape, and kidnapping has said that he plans to plead not guilty.

GOOSE CREEK BRIDGE RESTRICTED
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has placed a weight restriction on the KY 408 Goose Creek Bridge in Graves County.  The bridge is now posted with a weight limit of 3 tons due to a failed timber piling.  The 3 ton load limit restricts the bridge to passenger vehicles only.  Starting Tuesday traffic will be restricted to one lane on the bridge at KY 408 mile point 1.804 to allow repairs to the bridge substructure. 

I-24 REPAIRS THIS WEEK
A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to begin concrete surface repairs on Interstate 24 through Lyon, Caldwell, and Trigg Counties starting tomorrow.  Eastbound traffic is already restricted to one lane near the 47 mile marker where a slab settled creating a potential hazard to traffic.  Once repairs have been completed at that site the contractor will be making surface repairs at additional sites on the eastbound lanes near the 53 mile marker and 58 mile marker. On completion of work on the eastbound lanes the crew will restrict westbound traffic to one lane on I-24 at the 57 mile marker for surface repairs there.

MCCH CLOSER TO SMOKE FREE
As part of the tobacco free initiatives taking place at Murray-Calloway County Hospital, a Nicotine Replacement Therapy seminar was held recently for all employees. Jamie Smith, with the Kentucky Cancer Program, presented educational information on the proper use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy. All employees were given the opportunity to attend the program for in-service credit and employees who use tobacco products were able to sample different types of over-the-counter Nicotine Replacement Therapy.  Murray-Calloway County Hospital will implement a Tobacco Free Campus effective January 1, 2009.  As part of the tobacco free initiatives taking place at Murray-Calloway County Hospital, a Smoker’s Support Group is now being offered to the community.  The support group meets the 4th Monday of every month. The next meeting will be held on Monday, November 24 at 5:30 pm at the Center for Health & Wellness Classroom.

WEDNESDAY IS INTERNATIONAL BAZAAR
Language, arts, food, religion and much more from all around the world will be presented at the International Bazaar as part of International Education Week beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Curris Center Ballroom. The countries that will be represented include Belize, China, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkey.  According to Mark Galloway, international student adviser, more than 600 students from seven schools plus a home school group are scheduled to attend the bazaar.  Some representatives from the countries will also offer demonstrations such as calligraphy and origami so students can get a better understanding of other cultures. Some countries will present full cultural demonstrations from native dances to original music.

FORMER GRAVES HOOPS STAR DIES
Some believe a blow to the head has left a former high school basketball star in our region dead. The Graves County Coroner confirmed that Randon Cavette died Sunday night. McClain said Cavette was playing a game of pick-up basketball at Mayfield Middle School when he collided with another player on the court and collapsed soon after.

LONE OAK STUDENT ARRESTED
Lone Oak Police have arrested a juvenile after choking and threatening another student with a knife last week. The student was arrested and charged with two counts of assault and one of wanton endangerment.

XMAS PARADE ENTRIES DUE THE 28TH
The deadline for entries into the Murray Rotary Club 37th annual Christmas parade is November 28.  The parade will be Saturday December the sixth at 10am.  Entry forms can be picked up at the chamber of commerce or over the phone at 753-5171.

PADUCAH LOOKING TO ARMY CORPS FOR HELP
City officials in Paducah are hopeful the federal government will grant an exception to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers policy before it has to award a floodwall repair contract next week.  The exception could allow the federal government to partially reimburse the city for the work. On such projects that receive federal funding, the local share is generally 35 percent, with the corps paying 65 percent. 

ACROSS KENTUCKY
Governor Steve Beshear has predicted 300-million-dollar shortfall in state revenues could get even worse. The governor says cuts have been made and more are being planned but he can't rule out seeking more revenue. The House passed a 25 cents per pack increase in the tax on a package of cigarettes. It was rejected by the Senate. Now, the governor tells WAVE TV, quote, "We may have to look at revenue raising measures such as the cigarette tax." He says he expects to get more revenue numbers by Thanksgiving.

An autopsy is to be conducted on Monday on the body of Ernest Mackto of Lexington. Kentucky.com says his body was discovered on Sunday afternoon at a car garage on Newtown Pike. The Fayette County Coroner reports he had a wound to the back of his head and had been lying outside overnight. Police are handing the case as a homicide pending the outcome of the autopsy.

The Department of Corrections is proceeding with plans to execute Marco Allen Chapman on Friday evening. Chapman convicted in the murders of two children and the stabbing of a third and their mother in Warsaw in 2002. Chapman has asked that his execution proceed and the courts have agreed. The execution is to take place at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville.

An Illinois company has purchased one of Danville's oldest businesses, but there are no plans to move the business. The "Advocate Messenger" reports Green Boiler Technologies has purchased Sellers Engineering. The 77-year-old business employs 75 people. The new owners are moving their headquarters to Danville along with some work being performed at another division in Texas.

Integrity Manufacturing wants to build a plant in Shepherdsville to manufacture ZAP electric vehicles. The "Bowling Green Daily News" reports the company is still looking for lenders. The company CEO Randall Waldman says if they can get the funding, they will build in Kentucky, but they may have to reduce the size of the plant or build it in another state offering funding.

Akebono Brake Corporation employs almost two-thousand people nationally, and about 950 at it's plant in Elizabethtown. The "News Enterprise" reports the brake parts producer isn't filling vacancies and is asking for voluntary retirements. A company official in Elizabethtown says, so far, reaction to the call for retirements has been positive.

One train was attempting to give another a push up a Madison County hill, but the push became a shove. WLEX TV reports it happened on tracks in the Boonesboro State Park. Apparently, the "hill helper" approached the train it was to push too fast and pushed the train too hard. The conductor received minor injuries and was taken to the hospital in Richmond.