CHANGES COMING TO WEBASTO
Officials at Webasto are considering various money saving options. Workers at the Webasto plant in Murray were notified this week that because of the declining state of the auto industry the company is considering partnering with another company to do something else at the plant, try to sell the building and equipment to another company or close the plant and move operations elsewhere. Company officials say they're working hard to keep the Murray operation open..

CHARGES DISMISSED AGAINST GORDON
Calloway District Judge Randy Hutchens dismissed an elder abuse case against 34-year old William Gordon. Harrington requested the case be dismissed without prejudice, which means the charges could be refiled if warranted. Gordon was accused of abusing or neglecting his grandmother. Null said Gordon’s grandmother is now in a nursing home.

MAYFIELD PLANT ANNOUNCES LAYOFFS
Layoffs are expected at the Pilgrim's Pride operation in Mayfield. Company officials have announced they're laying off over 300 workers company wide, the layoffs will occur as evenly as possible at the companies more than three dozen locations

CALVERT MAN INDICTED ON CHILD PORN CHARGES
27-year old Gary Nichols of Calvert City has been indicted on 10 counts involving child pornography. According to Marshall County Chief Deputy Sheriff David Maddox, at the end of October, Detective Dan Melone saw a report involving a man who was a registered sex offender trying to proposition a teenage boy in Paducah. Nichols was charged with use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual activities.  Melone followed up on the case and during the search of a computer and other items found images that resulted in additional charges. Bond in the case has been set at $100,000, Maddox said. 

BOWMAN A MERIT SEMIFINALIST
Rachel A. Bowman, a Murray High School senior who is currently attending the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, has been named as a semifinalist in the 54th annual National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC). The names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists were announced by NMSC officials.  These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $35 million, that will be offered next spring.  To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must advance to the finalist level of the competition by fulfilling several requirements.  About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will be selected as merit scholarship winners, earning the Merit Scholar Scholar title. The Murray Independent School District (MISD) is one out of 37 public school districts of the 176 Kentucky public school districts that boasts a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.  Teresa Speed, MHS principal, is proud of Bowman’s semifinalist honor.  “Rachel joins an elite group of Kentucky’s brightest students,” she said.  “She is to be commended for this prestigious recognition.”

CHAPMAN EXECUTION A GO
Preparations proceed at the Kentucky State Penitentiary at Eddyville for an execution. Death row inmate Marco Allen Chapman is to be put to death on Friday evening. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd has declined to halt the execution. Governor Beshear has indicated he won't interfere with the courts decision.

ACROSS KENTUCKY
Kentucky State Police are offering a reward for information to help them find the killer of a Shelby County man. Forty-three-year-old James Duckett was found murdered at his Shelby County home on November 10th. State Police asking anyone with information to call them, the amount of the reward is not being released.

Officials at the Toyota plant in Georgetown says about 250 temporary workers will be laid off early in the new year. This is about half of the temporary workers at the plant that employs seven-thousand full time workers.

 A Berea plant has closed putting almost two dozen people out of work. Progressive Systems has closed it's doors, that means 22 people lost their jobs. The company manufactured robotic welding equipment.

State Police are searching for a pair of robbers. WYMT TV reports the robbers , one armed with a knife attempted to hold up a Magoffin County liquor store last night. Apparently the clerk refused the robbers demands and they fled with out any money. There were no injuries.