State of the News 4/6/12

Today is the final day in the membership campaign at WFPL and Louisville Public Media, so State of the News is a bit shorter than usual this time around.  Gabe Bullard started the show with the latest on the Occupy Louisville movement, which is being ejected from its encampment downtown.  Phillip Bailey reviewed some pointed comments from Sen. Mitch McConnell made during a speech at the Rotary Club of Lexington.  Devin Katayama had details on a new report on health in Kentucky which ranks Jefferson County lower than many of its neighbors, but says the state’s eastern counties are most in need of improvements.  Erin Keane reported on the conclusion and awards on the final weekend of the Humana Festival of New American plays, as well as discussing a new documentary film on the demise of Ear X-Tacy records.  Gannett News is conducting another round of employee buyouts, and Gabe Bullard reported on happenings here at the Courier-Journal.  Finally, Devin Katayama talked about training at Ford's assembly plant in Louisville for a third shift to build the 2013 Escape sport utility vehicle.We focused on environmental news in the second segment with James Bruggers of the Courier-Journal and WFPL's Erica Peterson.  They discussed Ohio River pollution, a recent sewage spill by MSD into the Ohio, efforts to deal with chromium-6 water pollution, tackling a air haze problem in U.S. national parks, and the discovery of a bald eagle nesting site near the proposed location of the new East End bridge.Kentucky Public Radio's Capital Bureau Chief Kenny Colston rounded out the show today with a recap of the week's news from Frankfort.