TUITION TASK FORCE TO MEET
The Murray State University Board of Regents Tuition Task Force will meet in Special Session Wednesday in the Jesse Stuart Room of The Pouge Library on campus. The Task Force will outline its purpose, direction, and plan for future meetings. The meeting begins at 6:30

FREEZE WARNING SENDS KTC INTO ACTION
Due to the freeze watch that has been issued Wednesday morning, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to treat some area bridges with salt brine to help prevent ice from forming on the bridge decks.  Brine will be applied primarily to bridges that cross larger bodies of water where there is a potential for moisture to freeze on the deck driving surface. Drivers should use caution as trucks slow down to apply the salt brine

MOCK ELECTION AT CCHS
Classes at Calloway County High School are conducting a Mock Election Thursday.  Students have been assigned candidates or parties and are responsible for putting up signs and posters to promote their candidates.  Students have registered to vote during their lunch times the past week.  Voting will occur before school, during lunch periods, and after school.  As a part of the election activity, Ken Winters and Carroll Hubbard will speak to the class tomorrow.  Winters is scheduled for 9:30 and Hubbard at 10:15. 

MCCONNELL IN MURRAY TODAY
Senator Mitch McConnell and wife Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao will visit Murray on today from 3 to 4 pm. The Senator and Secretary Chao will be at the court square in Murray visiting with local citizens. McConnell has the lead according to most polls, but is locked in a tight race against Bruce Lunsford. The Democratic challanger had the stage to himself Monday night on statewide public television, but Republicans tried to shift the spotlight onto claims his campaign tampered with a GOP recorder after a recent debate with incumbent Mitch McConnell. With the campaign in the home stretch toward Election Day, Lunsford made his case to voters on Kentucky Educational Television at an event that McConnell skipped. Instead, the four-term Republican wrapped up a swing through parts of western Kentucky. McConnell has said that he and his Democratic challenger met in three debates - the same number as presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama. McConnell's campaign previously said his campaign schedule conflicted with KET's plans for a debate Monday night and had asked KET to film last week's debate for rebroadcast. Instead, Lunsford was the lone candidate in a rapid-fire discussion on a range of issues while making a case for a change in leadership during the half-hour broadcast.

MESS HOSTING EVENT AT MSU
Murray State University and the Murray Environmental Student Society are partnering with Wal-Mart of Murray to host an all-day Sustainability Conference on the MSU campus tomorrow. Molly Runyon, MESS president from Rolla, Mo., says the event is the first of its kind for the Murray campus and will feature displays and speakers to help educate citizens about sustainability issues ranging from local to global. Displays will be set up from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the area commonly known as the Dance and Rocking Chair Lounge on the second level of the MSU Curris Center. Information will be available on green house recycling, energy-efficient practices, hybrid vehicles, local and organic farming and mountaintop removal. Visitors will also be able to learn about the MESS organization, recycling opportunities in the Murray community, student research, and an outlook on what green possibilities may be on the horizon for MSU.  

TRAFFIC SNARL ON I-24 MONDAY
Traffic was halted for about 30 minutes near the 21 mile marker on I-24 in Marshall County about 4:30 yesterday.  An anchor broke loose causing a utility cabled to drop.  Fortunately, TVA police stationed in the work zone were able to quickly stop traffic. TVA is replacing high voltage power lines through the area.  A crew has been pulling new cables across I-24 at the site in Marshall County. TVA officials and contractors will be meeting to determine what caused the line to drop before they resume work at the site.

BUGGY PASSENGERS INJURED
Several passengers were injured yesterday after a car rear-ended a buggy in Graves County.  A horse-drawn vehicle was ahead of 79-year old Wilma Hobbs as she approached a slight grade in the highway just south of Fancy Farm. Hobbs was unable to see the buggy on the other side of the grade. When Hobbs crested the grade, the operator saw the buggy, and made an attempt to avoid the collision by braking and swerving; however, the operator was unable to avoid the rear-end collision.  The passengers of the buggy were injured in the collision and treated at Jackson Purchase Medical Center. 

REIDLAND FIRE LEAVES FAMILIES HOMELESS
A fire at an apartment yesterday left at least six Reidland families homeless. Investigators say the fire started on the first floor of Molloy Court and quickly spread all the way to the attic. The State Fire Marshall is investigating and the Red Cross is providing food and shelter for the displaced families.

NICHOLS IN CUSTODY
27-year old Gary Dean Nichols of Calvert City turned himself in to the McCracken County Sheriff’s Department Sunday night. Nichols had failed to turn himself in to the department Friday afternoon on a charge of use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual activities, a Class D felony. Nichols was accused of propositioning a 14-year-old boy. Nichols is a registered sex offender.

ACROSS KENTUCKY
Judicial candidates in Kentucky may now identify themselves by party and can raise campaign cash after a federal judge threw out some of the regulations restricting such activities. U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell in Frankfort ruled Monday that the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission's rule against judicial candidates identifying themselves by party is unconstitutional. Caldwell also found unconstitutional the bar association's rule against judges and judicial candidates soliciting campaign funds. Caldwell permanently barred the Judicial Conduct Commission from enforcing those parts of the rules. But, Caldwell noted, the rest of the regulations regarding the conduct of judges and judicial candidates may continue to be enforced. The ruling came in a case brought by Marcus Carey, who ran an unsuccessful race for the state Supreme Court in 2006. Carey argued that rules barring him from declaring his views on such legal issues as abortion and gay marriage infringe on his free-speech rights.

The Better Government Association's annual survey of integrity in state government ranks Kentucky #28. The BGA survey grades states in areas like whistleblower laws, campaign finance laws and conflict of interest laws. BGA officials noted Kentucky scored better than 22 other states but still shows a need for improvement.

A rocket containing deadly sarin gas is leaking at the Blue Grass Army Depot. Officials say there is no danger to the public. The gas is in a rocket, which is packed in an air tight container, inside of an igloo. Army officials say crews will move it to another igloo.

State police are searching for a holiday-minded bank robber. A man with a skeleton mask held up the Community Trust Bank in Perry County. The man escaped with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries.

Kentucky State Police report seven people died in accidents on Kentucky roads last week. Five of the fatalities involved motor vehicles, with one motorcycle fatality and one pedestrian death.