Search results for

Jefferson County Public Schools is one of 893 districts that have announced an intent to apply for new federal “Race to the Top” funding.Kentucky applied for the federal government's competitive Race to the Top grants before, and last year the commonwealth received around $17 million after losing the larger grant it applied for.Now hundreds of districts across the country say they’re interested in competing for local funding.Competition for the grants will partly depend on a district’s size and whether they meet qualifications as determined by the U.S. Department of Education.The federal government is taking schools' prior academic records and a district’s transparency into account when awarding the grants.Although the Jefferson County Board of Education announced its intent, board member Linda Duncan said she wasn't aware of the specifics of the grant.Officials with the U.S. Department of Education said some Local Education Agencies--or governing bodies such as school districts--weren't required to get a board's approval to announce interest in applying.Duncan said although JCPS would have to meet several federal requirements under the grants, the amount of money is worth it.“Even though we would probably negotiate on those requirements it would make me much more receptive to them," she said.Applications are due Oct. 30 and awards will be announced in December. The Department of Education could award between 15 to 25 grants.JCPS is one of 138 districts that could vie for up to $30 million.

Kindred Healthcare Inc. is buying home health and hospice care provider Gentiva Health Services Inc. in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $719.6...

The deadline for residents to change their political party affiliation and to be eligible to vote in the upcoming 2012 primary election is December 31.…

Kentucky’s health insurance exchange, Kynect, has topped 200,000 enrollees, according to the Governor’s Office. New data says an average 1,600 people...

Les Fugate with the Secretary of State's office says it's as simple as filling out a voter registration card.

The country's largest Tea Party political action committee is joining a growing chorus of conservatives who are urging Missouri Congressman Todd Akin to drop out of his U.S. Senate race.From Tea Party Express Chairman Amy Kremer: "Congressman Akin’s comments this weekend are not just unfortunate and inappropriate, but they are distracting from our main goal of defeating Claire McCaskill and taking the Senate gavel out of the hands of Harry Reid. At a time when our national debt is approaching $16 trillion, job growth is stagnate, and the Senate has failed to pass a budget in over 3 years, we need a candidate that is ready to help lead the charge for conservative solutions.One of the lessons we learned in 2010 is that we need candidates who are not only conservative, but are capable of putting together a strong campaign against liberal opponents. Akin’s frequent ‘Bidenisms’ are distracting from the important issues at hand.It is critical that we defeat Senator Claire McCaskill in November, but it will be too difficult to achieve that with Todd Akin as the conservative alternative. He should step down and give conservatives a chance at taking back the Senate in November."

A Tea Party rally featuring Kentucky Senators Mitch McConnell and Senator Rand Paul in Frankfort to protest President Obama’s health care law is expected to draw a big crowd this week.The two are expected to rail against the Affordable Care Act, which has been a punching bag for Republican leaders since its passage. Over the past year, Tea Party candidates running in Senate primaries have had impressive victories in Missouri, Indiana and Texas, and McConnell's appearance is being heralded as another sign of the movement's clout.Tea Party activist David Adams says the rally will likely receive national attention due to McConnell and Paul’s attendance."The real draw on this are two U.S. Senators being there, so you may see people coming from farther away than just the 20 mile circle around the state Capitol," he says.According to activists, this is McConnell’s first high-profile Tea Party rally since the movement was launched three years ago, though his office says he has attended two prior gatherings. Many observers argue McConnell's appearance underscores the group's growing influence.As the leader of the Senate's GOP caucus, however, McConnell has been heavily criticized by Tea Party activists and this could be interpreted as an attempt to push back against any potential primary challengers.From The Cincinnati Enquirer:"The left has tried to write off the importance of the Tea Party since its inception, but it has been, and continues to be an incredibly strong and very important political movement,” McConnell said in the statement. “I’m honored to have very good relationships within the movement and was flattered by the invitation to help rally against the historic blunder of Obamacare in Frankfort."But the growth of the Tea Party could present McConnell with added problems if the GOP takes the Senate back this fall.From The New York Times:Should Republicans gain control of the Senate — as they have a fair shot of doing — Mr. McConnell could find himself having to balance the demands of Republicans like Mr. Cruz against those of remaining centrists like Senator Susan Collins of Maine.Adams says Tea Party groups from around the state flocking to Frankfort will include liberty movement advocates from across the country, and this rally could gain national attention. "We know that there’s going to be a counter protest that may wind up being fairly sizeable. I’m expecting hundreds of people," he says. "How many hundreds it winds up being is always the question, but I’d say it will be a pretty healthy crowd."The rally is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. at the state Capitol.

Tea party activist David Adams is again suing Gov. Steve Beshear. This time it's over the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare. The lawsuit aims at

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.…

George Palmer pays a lawn service company to fertilize his grass. He keeps his shrubs neatly trimmed. And sitting on his front porch last week, he could…

Bo is a four year old exotic short haired kitty with a face you can’t help falling in love with! He’s a sweet guy who loves to cuddle and give hugs more…

Another group of Kentucky schools is one of 31 finalists for federal Race to the Top grant funding and winner could be announced by the end of the year....