MOUNT STERLING — A Virginia man who conspired to kill a circuit judge, a prosecutor and his family was sentenced to 200 years in prison Wednesday.

        Amos Stiltner of Grundy, Va., was convicted in November of conspiring to kill Judge William Mains, who presides in Montgomery, Bath, Rowan and Menifee counties; commonwealth's attorney George Moore, his wife and daughter.

        Special Judge John David Caudill sentenced Mr. Stiltner to 50 years on each of four counts of conspiracy to commit murder. The sentences are to be served consecutively.

        An undercover state police officer had met Mr. Stiltner at an animal shelter where he was on a work-release program. Mr. Stiltner asked for $120,000 to kill the four people, outlined plans for the murders and ultimately took a $2,000 payment, police said.
       

Transportation group has first meeting today

               CRESTVIEW HILLS — The Kenton County Transportation Task Force holds its inaugural meeting at 1:30 p.m. today at Thomas More College's Steigerwald Hall, located in Holbrook Student Center.

        Dory Montazemi, executive director of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) in Cincinnati, said today's meeting is the first of eight over the next 14 months.

        Kenton County Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd will act as facilitator. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary James C. Codell III is a featured speaker.
       

Park is site for free "Apes' movie

               ERLANGER — The original Planet of the Apes movie will be shown Friday by Erlanger Parks and Recreation at the Erlanger Railroad Park on Crescent Avenue.

        Residents are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and snack and enjoy an evening of free entertainment. The movie will begin at 8:30 p.m.

        Information: (859) 727-7955.
       

Festival to honor life of canine mayor

               RABBIT HASH — Rabbit Hash Old Time Days will celebrate a unique life.

        The town will mourn the death of its mayor, Goofy the Dog, with a New Orleans-style wake at 4 p.m. complete with an animal parade, kazoo band and a eulogy by former Boone County Judge-executive Bruce Ferguson.

        The festival starts at noon and wraps up at 11 p.m. All festivities will be in the area surrounding the Rabbit Hash General Store. In addition to live music (1-10:45 p.m.), there will be crafters, food and games.

        Anna Scala, a Nashville sing er/songwriter, will perform a children's music program at 5 p.m., with songs from her debut album, Laughter and Lullabies.

        For information, call (859) 586-1874.
       

State fair attendance estimated at 650,000

              

        LOUISVILLE — Preliminary figures indicate that attendance at the 2001 Kentucky State Fair held steady with last year's turnout at 650,000 people, fair board officials said Wednesday.

        Fair spokeswoman Amanda Storment said the early numbers are based on tickets taken and parking projections at the first few days of the fair.

        She said firm numbers could be out by the end of next week.
        Musical acts Alabama, Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson performed this year.
       

Colin Powell among Louisville speakers

               LOUISVILLE — Secretary of State Colin Powell will headline the fall schedule of speakers at the McConnell Center for Political Leadership at the University of Louisville.

        The center, established by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, also will host one of McConnell's sharpest critics on the issue of campaign finance — 91-year-old Doris Haddock, better known as “Granny D.” Later the same day, Oct. 16, the center plans to have a McConnell ally address the issue — Laura W. Murphy, chief lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union.

        Also on the fall schedule are U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Ezra Vogel, director of the Asia Center at Harvard University and editor of a 1997 book, Living With China.

        Mr. Powell's speech on Nov. 19 will require advance tickets, available on the center's Web site.
       

Judge allows suit on abortion consent

               LOUISVILLE — A Jefferson County Circuit judge has cleared the way for a lawsuit trying to clarify the informed-consent requirement of a 1998 abortion law to proceed.

        The board charged with enforcing the law had asked that the suit be dismissed.

        The ruling on Tuesday is a victory for doctors who perform abortions and have complained that the state law is vague on whether women seeking to end pregnancies must make one or two trips to an abortion clinic.

        The law requires that women be told about the abortion procedure 24 hours before it is performed, but doctors say it's unclear whether women must go to the clinics for the briefing or if it can be conducted over the telephone.

        Doctors who violate the law could lose their medical licenses.

        The suit was filed by physicians Samuel Eubanks and Ernest Marshall of the EMW Women's Surgical Center, which has operations in Louisville and Lexington.

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