The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 52

TELEVISION, RADIO, SPORTS, FINANCIAL, AND COMICS WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1969 SECTION After Year's Lapse ''fa xP VA at Fayette Judge Plans Renewed Hearings At Court of Inquiry on two counts of agreeing to take a bribe. His trial is scheduled for later this month, on July 21. Also charged was County Commissioner J. Carl Hanks, who was indicted for obtaining about $1,000 under false pretenses. Hanks was indicted by the same grand jury on a separate charge of "leasing a building used for the purpose of lewdness, assignation or prostitution." Trial on this charge has been scheduled for July 14.

Fayette Fiscal Court, two days after Johnson began the controversial probe, made an initial appropriation of $2,000 to help meet expenses. County Commissioner J. W. Lynch and George Goodykoontz voted for the first appropriation during the three-man meeting July 26. Later, when Johnson asked for additional funds to continue the investigation, both Lynch and Hanks, in a full court meeting, refused.

When Johnson and Goodykoontz voted for the appropriation yesterday in the absence of Commissioner Hanks, Lynch opposed it again. Johnson said a transcript of the court's proceedings would be of benefit to both the grand jury and those appearing before it. By BEN CARTINHOUR Courier-Journal Staff Writer LEXINGTON, Ky. Fayette County Judge Joe E. Johnson said yesterday he will reconvene his controversial court of inquiry some time next week after nearly a year of inactivity.

Johnson made the announcement after Fiscal Court, at its regular weekly meeting, authorized an appropriation of up to $3,000 for stenographic help to record testimony. "I was unable to complete the court of inquiry" last summer, said Johnson, who told newsmen later that "some things came to my attention (then) that need further elaboration." He also said the court of inquiry, originally called to investigate the handling of property rezonings by the Lexington-Fayette County Planning Commission, might be broadened to look into matters that "involve conflicts of interest" by public officials and businessmen. He refused to elaborate further. The court of inquiry began here last July 24 and ran through several public and closed-door sessions the latter at the direction of Fayette Circuit Court until the Fayette County grand jury, on Sept. 30, indicted two public officials.

David C. LaGrew, former chairman of the Planning Commission, was indicted Medicaid Fee Curb Is Studied Too Early to Tell i U.S. Rule's Effect, State Chief Says By ANNE PARDUE Courier-Journal Staff Writer FRANKFORT, Ky. How Kentucky will be affected by new regulations that establish federal maximums for doctors' fees under Medicaid is not known yet. State Economic Security Commissioner Merritt S.

Deitz Jr. said yesterday it is too early to tell how the new regulations will affect the fees paid to physicians or the total cost of the Kentucky program. Deitz said he is awaiting exact language of the regulations annouced Monday by Health, Education and Welfare Secretary Robert II. Finch. The regulations were effective yesterday.

The new federal rules peg payments to what three-fourths of the doctors charged in January 1969. Deitz said the state Department of Health is working up facts and figures on the program. Deitz termed the new federal regulations "very timely," and said they "reflect a consistency of approach at the state and federal level." It is further proof, he added, that the program is a nationwide problem. Cutbacks Begin Cutbacks began yesterday in Kentucky's Medicaid program in an effort tj prevent a possible $5 million deficit in the $51 million program financed by siaie and federal funds. Among the cutbacks, which Deitz said would reduce the cost of the program by $500,000 to $1 million, is a limitation of fees paid to a physician to two initial visits per patient a year.

For example, if a patient sees a physician for treatment of a head cold, $8 would be paid for an "initial visit" fee. If he returns a week later for treatment of a chest cold, the initial visit fee of $8 would be paid. But if the patient returns the third week with a head cold, the doctor would be paid $4, the fee for a "follow-up" office visit. Photo by Bill Luster Finding a Soft Spot Marshall Kirby, romps with Jeffrey Harrison, center, and Barry Harrison, sons of Mr. and Mrs.

J. W. Harrison, near Glasgow. CITY BOYS miss a lot of things, and not the least of them is a pile of fresh, sweet-smelling hay to play in. Neal Kirby, left, son of Mr.

and Mrs. Suit Clouds Cumberlan County Sheriff cuit Judge Pleas Jones to hear the case after Cumberland Circuit Judge James C. Carter Jr. disqualified himself. A preliminary hearing was held last weekend and Judge Jones took under advisement pre-trial arguments in the case.

If the suit comes to trial, it probably will be set for the August term of circuit court. The winner of the Republican primary faces Tilman Strange, the Democratic nominee, in the November election. The Thurman suit contends that votes in the county's Third and Seventh pre ments. "This did not offset the accuracy of the vote count in any way," Keen contends. In Precinct No.

7, Thurman charges that the voting machines were not locked when the polls were closed and were "still unlocked the follwing day" in violation of state law. The suit also alleges that election officers in Precinct No. 7 did not indicate on their official tabulation certificates the count shown on the machine's accumulative counter or public counter. In his answer filed in court, Keen said Totaling $839,662 iiiliiiirririinwriwifrrtftm Race that Thurman requested and was given a recanvass of the votes of Precinct No. 7 as allowed by state law.

Thurman also charges that alleged disabled persons were allowed to vote in five precincts, but were not required to sign an oath declaring their disabilities. He also alleges that a number of persons illegally voted by not signing a comparative signature book and that a number of illegal absentee ballots were cast. These charges also are denied by the defendant. a Year $15 for business and trunk-line tie-ins, previously $10. for resident extensions, previously $3.50, and $8.50 for business extensions, previously $5.

Private unlisted numbers not available even from the operator now will cost subscribers $1 a month. The semi-private variety not in the directory but available from the operator will cost 50 cents monthly. For additional directory listings, resi Phone Service-Charge Hikes Granted By ED RYAN Courier-Journal Staff Writer BURKESVILLE, Ky. More than a month has passed since the primary election and a cloud still hangs over the Republican race for sheriff in Cumberland County. M.

C. (Doc) Keen a former sheriff, has been certified by the county Election Commission as the winner, but his opponent, Elmer Thurman, is contesting the close result in a circuit court suit. The official tabulation last month showed that Keen defeated Thurman by 37 votes in an election in which more than 2,100 registered Republicans cast ballots. It was nearly a replay of the GOP sheriff's primary eight years ago when Keen defeated Thurman, a farmer, by about 70 votes and went on to win the sheriff's job in the general election. Special Judge Named Thurman, through his legal counsel, has charged in the law suit that there were numerous voting violations in the sheriff's race.

Keen's attorney has filed a motion to dismiss the case, contending that the suit fails "to state a claim upon which relief can be granted." The state Court of Appeals named Cir- Scotlsville Water Is Safe Again SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (AP) The public water supply in Scottsville was approved for drinking purposes yesterday, the first time since a flash flood hit the area 10 days ago. Officials said the body of Mrs. Ella Dalton, 88, had been washed downstream seven miles from her home in Petroleum, near Scottsville. She had been living with her brother and his wife, Mr.

and Mrs. John Anderson, when flash floods swept away their home June 23. The Andersons also were drowned in the flood waters of Trammell Creek, a tributary of Barren River. Their bodies were recovered last week. Shady Look at a Sunny Scene A SUNGLASSES WEARER'S VIEW of a Lexington swimming pool shows swimmers lined up to take their turn off a diving board as two women and a little girl watch from a shady spot.

cincts should be voided due to alleged violations of election procedure. The suits charges that in Precinct No. 3, the public counter on the voting machine "was. not set on zero before voters were permitted to vote, thus violating the integrity of the vote cast" and allegedly violating state statute. In response, Keen's attorney said this was an oversight on the part of the machine's custodian and that election officials noted on their official tabulation sheets that the oversight had occurred and made appropriate adjust Photo by Ken Goad corner of the cellblock, and when he returned Smith had a knife at Black's throat.

Detectives quoted Waldrop as saying that Black's throat had already been cut when he returned to the cell block. Waldrop quoted Smith as saying, "Charlie, give me the keys or you'll get hurt too." Waldrop told detectives he stepped back and tossed the keys to the prisoners. Waldrop said Smith started to come at him with the knife, but Dixon restrained him. The three prisoners then fled from the back door of the jail. Police had not located them late last night.

charges of traffic violations, Newman said, "we have no direct jurisdiction over judges." But Arthur E. Beard, director of the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee, said state law bars amending charges in the manner described. Public safety officials express amazement that speeding tickets are amended to "disorderly conduct," which was the case with all but two of the 173 charges amended by the one judge cited. "Disorderly conduct while operating a motor vehicle is much more serious to me than driving 10 miles over the speed limit on an interstate highway," commented Sim McCarty, assistant director of the driver's license division. dential customers will pay $1.50 monthly for temporary listings, 75 cents for alternate and 50 cents for regular.

Businesses will be charged $1 for alternate and 75 cents a month for regular listings. Starnes noted that the rate adjustments in most cases reflect increased labor costs. He said this is the first time since 1957 that South Central has raised its rates. The increases do not affect basic charges for local or long-distance service, he said. Staff Photo by Thomas Mitchell Fayette Jailer Stabbed, Three Escape By SY RAMSEY FRANKFORT, Ky.

(AP) The Public Service Commission (PSC) has granted South Central Bell Telephone Co. about 90 per cent of what it sought in increased service charges to 525,000 customers in Kentucky. A spokesman said yesterday that the firm had asked $920,052 in aggregate raises a year and won approval for The PSC order almost doubles some service charges. Although the commission suspended the rate request until Aug. 15 when it was filed last March, the spokesman said the new order takes effect immediately.

The PSC said the revised rates are reasonable and should be "sufficient to enable (the) company to proceed vigorously" with planned construction of automatic facilities and other expansion. South Central Bell, formerly known as Southern Bell, promised to install automatic number identification, which would make it unnecessary for an operator to ask for a caller's number on direct-dial longdistance calls. Extended Area Service Planned B. M. Starnes, South Central district manager in Louisville, said this already has been done in some sections of Louisville and eventually will be statewide, though it probably will take more than a year.

The firm also plans to establish extended area service a toll free system for certain sections plus a "selective ringing" method by which someone on a party line receives a special signal not heard by other parties. Calls will be toll-free between Louisville and LaGrange in September 1970, Starnes said. Tolls were dropped between Louisville and West Point two years ago. Other tolls will be discontinued, he said, when communities grow closer together and tolls are no longer needed. Among the increases obtained by the company: $8.50 for installation of a new phone, previously $7.

$8.50 to hook up an existing phone for a new customer, previously $3.50. Criticized The attorney general's office maintains that disorderly conduct is an offense entirely separate from a traffic violation and that any traffic citation so altered could be revived later. McCarty said the practice of amending traffic tickets undermines the point system, which is intended to single out poor drivers and give them training or counseling to make them safer. Under the point system, points are charged against motorists in accordance with the seriousness of the offense, and their licenses are suspended if they accumulate 12 points in a three-year period. In effect, three points can be "worked off" by attending a special driver-improvement class after a motorist accumulates six points.

Lawrence Gene Smith, 22, also no address. Police said Dickson was being held on a charge of murder in the March 17 slaying of a Lexington service-station attendant. The victim was Robert McLach-lan, 31, of Lexington. Wilford was being held on a charge of grand larceny and Smith on charges of robbery, narcotics possession and issuing an unlawful check. Police said Black and another jailer, Charles Waldrop, were in the cellblock shortly before 10 p.m.

last night putting the prisoners back in their cells after the nightly prisoner count. Waldrop reportedly walked around a mmw LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) A man accused of murder and two other prisoners escaped last night from the Fayette County Jail after cutting the throat of a deputy jailer. The jailer, Harold Black, 47, was taken to a Lexington hospital where his condition was not immediately known. The three escapees were Thomas James Dickson, 25, of Lexington, Charles C.

Wilford, 21, address unknown, and More Kentucky Neivs On Page 6, Section A Practice of By WILLIAM BRADFORD FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Only 30 per cent of motorists who were ticketed for traffic violations were found guilty as charged by one county judge, according to newly developed state figures. Of 412 tickets returned to the Public Safety Department by that judge, covering a four-month period, 127 were convicted as charged, 173 were amended to other charges, 70 were dismissed and the rest were outside his jurisdiction. The breakdown was provided by a new reporting system initiated by the department's driver's license division June 15. The new type of report was requested by the governor's Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee.

r. Amending Traffic Tickets 3 It was devised as a means of coping with what public safety officials feel is the intent of many local judges to circumvent the traffic "point system" law by amending the charges. The result ij that the motorist does not have points levied against his driver's license and does not risk losing it. When the new reporting system is fully developed in about six months, the names of all judges and their disposition of traffic citations will be publicized monthly. Public Safety Commissioner William Newman indicated that public exposure is about all his department can do about the problem.

"As much as we might despair over the practice" of amending The Rat That Got Away A HUNGRY CAT named Sherbet had visions of eating this fat rat (see arrow) for lunch yesterday. Sherbet, who belongs to the Leonard Johnson family in Louisville, first tried to scale the ladder, but it was too high. Then the cat attempted to go up the slide, but it was too slick. Finally, Sherbet gave up, and the patient rat scampered down the slide to run again some other day. All of which caused a bystander to exclaim, "I thought cats could climb.".