State of the News 3/2/12

Our weekly news round up got underway today with WFPL's Devin Katayama describing the talk last evening by U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville.  Environmental reporter Erica Peterson described LG&E's plans to establish a coal ash landfill in Trimble County, along with reactions of local residents.  Devin Katayama explained the controversy surrounding the new chief of diversity, community relations and communications at JCPS, a recent central office hire by superintendent Donna Hargens.  We also heard a pair of full-length news features, one from Devin Katayama concerning language instruction at JCPS, and the other from Erica Peterson about the spread of white nose syndrome in Kentucky bat populations.  Finally, we spoke with WFPL's new Arts & Humanities reporter, Erin Keane, about the Humana Festival of New American Plays now under way at Actors Theatre of Louisville.Kentucky Public Radio's Capitol Bureau Chief Kenny Colston joined us in segment two with his update of the major activities this week at the statehouse.   Topics included PSE legislation, the state death penalty, safety reflectors for Amish buggies, UPIKE, and a loan to Kentucky's unemployment program.  Then we spoke with the Washington, D.C. correspondent from the Courier-Journal, Jim Carroll, about a new superPAC with Kentucky ties, the announced retirement of Senator Olympia Snow of Maine, and other primary season news.We got updates on some music news in segment three with WFPK's Kyle Meredith and Sean Cannon, including the artist line up for this summer's Forecastle Festival in Louisville, the passing of Davy Jones of the Monkees, and an interesting lawsuit filed recently by 1980s supergroup Toto.