BLOODWORTH HONORED
Murray Elementary School P4 teacher Holly Bloodworth will travel to Frankfort on Oct. 22 to be honored in the Capitol Rotunda to be recognized as an Ashland Inc. Teacher Achievement Award recipient. Bloodworth was among 24 teachers selected from across the state. This year’s candidates only include two western Kentucky teachers: Bloodworth and Jimmy Dyer, a Caldwell County chemistry and forensics science teacher. Dignitaries from government, education and Ashland Inc. will gather to honor this elite group of outstanding teachers. At this time the 2008 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award will also be announced. A Murray Independent School District 21-year employee, Bloodworth has received numerous notes from Kentucky educators congratulating her recognition. Bloodworth said she was honored to receive the award, and added that she works in a school where she is surrounded by outstanding teachers, all of whom were equally deserving. Murray Elementary Principal Janet Caldwell said Bloodworth is an exemplary teacher and so deserving of the award.

MWC TO HOST FORUM THURSDAY
The Murray Woman’s Club Candidate Forum is scheduled for Thursday at 7pm at the Murray Woman’s Clubhouse at 704 Vine Street.  The Forum will feature candidates for Kentucky State Senate, U. S. Congress, and the Murray City Council. There will be a chili supper prior to the event from 5:00-6:30. The chili supper is a fundraiser for the Murray Woman’s Club. Everyone is invited the supper and the Candidate Forum.

WHITFIELD ANNOUNCES AWARD FROM HUD
Representative Ed Whitfield announced yesterday that the Purchase Area Housing Corporation has been awarded $26,739 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant comes as part of HUD’s Housing Counseling Program which supports the delivery of a wide-variety of housing counseling services to homebuyers, homeowners, low to moderate income renters and the homeless. The primary objectives of the program are to expand homeownership opportunities and improve access to affordable housing. The Purchase Area Housing Corporation serves the counties of Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, and McCracken.

CALVERT LEAK CONTROLLED
A power outage caused a chemical leak at the Arkema plant in Calvert City today. The outage caused the release of a cloud of hydrochloric acid, but an all-clear signal has since been sounded. Livingston County Emergency Management is still asking residents living in the area from Interstate 24 to Highway 937, also known as Cutt Off Road to "shelter in place." That means stay inside your home, close all windows and close all air conditioning vents. Folks inside South Elementary School in Smithland have also been instructed to stay inside.

BLAIR DEATH RULED HOMICIDE
Graves County Coroner Phillip McClain has ruled the death of Delilah Blair a homicide. Blair’s relatives found her body in the bedroom of her home on East South Street Saturday afternoon after she did not report to work at Heritage Manor nursing home. An autopsy performed Sunday in Madisonville showed foul play was involved. The apartment building remained surrounded by yellow police tape on Monday. McClain would not say how long Blair had been dead or the manner of her death, citing ongoing investigations by his office and Mayfield police.

DEBATE TONIGHT/ POLL IN
With the debate on tap tonight, Secretary of State's office reports the Democratic presidential ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden proved strong among 2,188 Kentucky college students who participated in a mock election over recent weeks. Obama and Biden took 53.5 percent of the vote in that race compared to a 42.4 percent haul for the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. A mock election conducted in the state's U.S. Senate race found incumbent Mitch McConnell winning narrowly over Bruce Lunsford, 50.2 percent to 48.8 percent. The election was sponsored by Secretary of State Trey Grayson's office. The Secretary's office says this is the second of three mock elections it is sponsoring in the state. McCain won the first, in July, in a vote on campuses participating in the Governor's Scholars program. The Republican took that vote by 2.5 percent. The final mock election will be held among elementary, middle school, and high school students on October 30. Remember to tune in tonight at 8 for live coverage of the Presidential Debate from Belmont University in Nashville on 1340 WNBS.

WALL STREEK PANIC
Concerns about a weakening global economy are sweeping across Wall Street. It propelled the Dow Jones industrials down more than 800 points yesterday, before stocks settled at 370 points down. Credit markets remain stagnant, a sign that banks are too afraid to lend. The Federal Reserve is making more money available for borrowing, but no one expects the credit ease up anytime soon. Oil prices have traded under $90 a barrel for the first time in eight months. Traders expect the widening financial crisis could drastically reduce global demand for energy.

PADUCAH MAN DEAD IN ACCIDENT
A Paducah man died in a one-vehicle accident on Highway 60 just west of Kevil Sunday afternoon. Authorities say Scott Carruthers was approaching a sharp left curve on 60 when he lost control of his vehicle resulting in rolling his truck over. The Ballard County Coroner's office pronounced Carruthers dead at the scene.

BALLARD MAN ARRESTED
A wanted Ballard County man was arrested early Sunday morning for not paying child support. Jamie Pigg of Wickliffe tried to run before he was tackled and arrested at a restaurant in front of Kentucky Oaks Mall.  Two deputies were injured in the struggle. In addition to not paying child support, Pigg was charged with alcohol intoxication, disorderly conduct, fleeing or evading police, criminal mischief 2nd degree and resisting arrest.

PADUCAH MAN ARRESTED
A drug investigation Saturday in Paducah revealed that a man on parole for previous drug crimes, 44 year old Robert Coplin, was trafficking in large quantities of Marijuana from his home. During a search of the home, more than 19 ounces of processed marijuana were seized. Marijuana was found in various locations throughout the home, along paraphernalia. Coplin was charged with Trafficking in Marijuana under 5 pounds, 2nd Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

ACROSS THE STATE
Authorities in Iowa have arrested a Kentucky murder suspect. The officers arrested Randall Creek at a motel in Waterloo, Iowa. Kentucky State Police have beern searching for Creek in connection with the murder of Debbie Rediess. She was shot to death in the driveway of her home near Smith's Grove on Sunday morning. Creek was her ex-boyfriend. Creek surrendered to authorities in Iowa without incident.

State Representative Larry Belcher has died after an accident on I-65 near Smith's Grove. State Police tell the "Daily News" Belcher's pickup truck slammed into the rear of semi. State Police say there was no sign of breaking. An autopsy is being conducted to determine if there were other factors that may have contributed to the accident. Preliminary reports that alcohol is not suspected.

A bank is warning of a possible scam. Officials of First Commonwealth Bank in Prestonsburg have said that someone is trying to get debit and credit card information from some of it's customers. Several people report being called and being asked for information. Bank officials says they don't contact customers this way.

The State Fire Marshall, Eastern Kentucky University and other agencies are investigating several small fires on campus. Officials believe fires in Dupree Hall and Powell Hall intentionally set. There were no injuries and little damage.

The dry conditions and several wildfires have convinced officials at the Daniel Boone National Forest to issue a burning ban. Forest Supervisor Jerome Perez has issued an emergency order that bans campfires outside of developed recreation area. The order also bans all fireworks forest-wide.

Vehicle, motorcycle, ATV, bicycle and pedestrian deaths result in grim statistics. Kentucky State Police report eleven people died in eleven separate crashes on Kentucky roadway last week. Six of the fatalities involved motor vehicles, two people were killed in motorcycle accidents , one person dies in an ATV fatality, there was one pedestrian fatality and one bicycle fatality.