Catholic agency begins campaign

        COVINGTON — With the help of a $200,000 gift from the Diocese of Covington, Catholic Social Services has managed to raise $1 million for its capital campaign.

        Announcement of the Diocesan gift was made Thursday night at a kick-off dinner in Erlanger to announce goals for the $1.5 million campaign.

        The campaign, which ends next March, focuses on four areas: building a two-story addition to Catholic Social Services' present quarters in Covington's Latonia neighborhood, renovating present office space to better accommodate larger groups and physically disabled clients, upgrading computer equipment for improved service, and increasing the agency's endowment that supplements operating costs.

        Besides the Diocesan gift, the campaign has received three or four other six-figure gifts from supporters, said Matt Hollenkamp, director of marketing for Catholic Social Services.

        Anyone who wants to make a tax-deductible contribution to the campaign can contact Scott Lubansky, campaign director, at (859) 581-8974, or send a check to Catholic Social Services, 3629 Church St., Covington, KY 41011. Please note that the gift is for the capital campaign.
       

Sodomy conviction won't be overturned

        FRANKFORT — Sodomy convictions against a one-time Lexington civic leader were upheld by the Kentucky Court of Appeals on Friday.

        A three-judge panel rejected Ron Berry's claim that a long delay in bringing charges and vagueness about when the crimes occurred, hampered his defense, including his ability to provide an alibi. Mr. Berry was director of Micro-City Government, a community program for inner-city youth. Victims in his case were several men who claimed Mr. Berry sodomized them while they were boys working at Micro-City, beginning in 1977.

        Two trials ended in mistrials and a third was moved to Louisville. Mr. Berry was convicted of 12 counts of sodomy and sentenced to three years in prison.
       

Third conviction brings life sentence

        EVANSVILLE — A Texas woman has been sentenced to life in prison for her role in funneling Mexican-produced methamphetamine into southern Indiana towns.

        Denise Quintanilla, 33, wept during Thursday's sentencing hearing, saying she did not deserve such a long sentence.

        U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young told Ms. Quintanilla that because of her two previous felony drug convictions he had no choice under federal sentencing guidelines but to sentence her to life in prison.

        Ms. Quintanilla's husband, Miguel Quintanilla, 42, was sentenced last month to life without parole on methamphetamine conspiracy and money-laundering counts.

        Prosecutors said he was the leader of an operation in which six defendants were found guilty in June by a federal jury.

        Judge Young said less evidence connecting Denise Quintanilla, a mother of three, to the operation was presented during the trial than that against the other defendants.

        But the judge said testimony from a drug runner and Drug Enforcement Administration surveillance clearly connected her with the conspiracy.

        Ms. Quintanilla previously was convicted in Texas on a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and a state charges of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.

        Judge Young agreed to recommend that Ms. Quintanilla be sent to a federal prison close to her Dallas home.
       

UK students charged with counterfeiting

        LEXINGTON — Seven men — including three students from the University of Kentucky — were indicted on federal counterfeiting charges.

        According to Thursday's indictment, the seven are accused of various crimes stemming from a counterfeiting operation that took place at UK, where some of the defendants are alleged to have used a computer setup to print thousands of dollars in fake $50 and $100 bills. The indictment says the bogus bills were then passed off in various ways. In one transaction, $10,600 of the bills were sold to another man for $4,600.

        The UK students involved all lived in dormitories. They are Howard Todd Moore, 19, of Dallas; Aaron Michael Murphy, 20, of Cunningham; and Michael Justin Vandiver, 19, of Madisonville.

        Others indicted are: Ramarr Demarcus Walker, 18, of Harrodsburg; Gregory Robert Hutchinson, 25, of Lexington; Nabil Ahmed Shalash, 18, of Lexington; and Joshua Allen Nelson, 18, of Harrodsburg.

        An arraignment for the seven men is scheduled for Nov. 13.

        Four of the men — Mr. Shalash, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Moore and Mr. Hutchinson — were charged earlier with state crimes related to the counterfeiting operation.
       

State phone lines lucrative for Alltel

        LEXINGTON — Alltel Corp. expects its proposed purchase of 596,000 phone lines in Kentucky from Verizon South to bring in $445 million to $465 million of additional revenue annually.

        The Arkansas-based rural phone company said the $1.9 billion deal would boost earnings by 2 cents to 4 cents a share within a year. Alltel also expects the purchase to bring in about $255 million of cash flow annually.

        State and federal regulators must approve the deal. It is expected to close in the second half of next year.

        The Kentucky lines will mesh well with Alltel's existing phone network, which includes parts of Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, Nebraska and other states, said Kevin Beebe, group president of communications.

        Alltel reported third-quarter net earnings per share of 71 cents, down from $1.53 per share a year ago.
       

University board extends contract

        FRANKFORT — Kentucky State University's Board of Regents voted to extend the contract of President George Reid, who has been at odds with many faculty members who have questioned his leadership.

        The board voted 6-3 to extend Mr. Reid's contract three years, Vice Chairman Harry Lee Waterfield said. Two board members were absent.

        Mr. Reid has been under fire for much of his three years at the state's smallest and only historically black public university.

        On two occasions during the last academic year, the faculty voted to censure Mr. Reid. The first came last fall, when the faculty voted 75-31 to express a lack of confidence in his leadership. Then in May, the Faculty Senate voted 15-5 in favor of censure after a dispute with the board of regents over the tenure of two professors.

        It's not known yet whether the new contract will include a pay raise for Mr. Reid, who took over July 1, 1998. He was paid an annual salary of $134,000 under his old contract.

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