The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page B5

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He is scheduled to be in Hopkinsville on Thursday afternoon, the White House announced yesterday. The event is set for president looks forward to returning to White House spokesman Taylor Grosssaid. president understands that Kentuckians know that Social Security needs to be The president has proposed creation of personal accounts that would allow people to use a small portion of their payroll taxes to invest instead of depending only on Social Security checks. Last month, Bush also proposed changing Social Security so low-income recipients would see greater growth in benefits than higher-income people. The plan has been criticized by many Democrats and advocacy groups, who say the personal investment accounts would undermine Social Security.

As part of a national tour, Bush was in Louisville on March10 for one of his on Social Security. The gathering at the Kentucky Center drew 2,000 people inside and protesters outside. This time, the president will be at the Hopkinsville Christian County Conference and Convention Center, which holds about 1,000 people. Tickets for the event are being distributed by the office of Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-1st District.

is a determined individual, and he thinks that right on this Whitfield said yesterday. he is right because something has to be done somewhere down the Whitfield advocates a broad approach to reforming Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid all of which face future funding problems that the lawmaker called wrecks waiting to He said he supports personal investment accounts but is concerned how to make up for the money that no longer would go into Social Security to pay benefits. Whitfield cannot join Bush in Kentucky because of a previ- ouslyarranged congressional trip he is leading to northern Cyprus and Turkey. Bush has been traveling the nation seeking to build political support for changing the Social Security system, which he has said faces a financial crisis if nothing is changed. Hopkinsville will be his 33rd appearance discussing Social Security.

He has held conversations in 27 states and the District of Columbia, according to the White Web site. Russ Randall, 59, who is 1st District chairman of Republican Central Executive Committee, said he believes Bush is returning to the state because is definitely trending to the conservative Republican Randall owns a real estate business in Benton and Calvert City, and he said he intends to see Bush in Hopkinsville. president is doing the right thing by having a way to make the (Social Security) system solid into the Randall said. Bush plans another forum in Kentucky Social Security changes are focus By James R. Carroll The Courier-Journal BUSH VISIT People interested in attending President visit to Western Kentucky should call Rep.

Ed office at (270) 885-8079. Requests will be handled on a first-come, first- served basis, his spokesman said. President Bush is set to speak Thursday at the Hopkinsville Christian County Conference and Convention Center. WASHINGTON Tens of thousands of former nuclear weapons workers who were exposed to radiation and other industrial toxins at government facilities can soon start filing for compensation. The Labor compensation program is one of two designed to pay workers at such places as the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky who got sick while helping to build Cold War-era bombs or clean up the waste left behind.

are totally committed to ensuring that workers who are eligible for this program receive compensation as quickly as Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said before the rules were released late Thursday. Earlier this year, the Labor Department began giving lump- sum checks of $125,000 to survi- vors of workers who died of job- related illnesses. So far, it has paid more than $53million for 430 claims. But living workers had to wait for officials to develop a payout formula that accounts for permanent impairments and lost wages. Workers who participated in earlier compensation programs are eligible, but payouts in the new program are capped at $250,000.

The Labor Department will start processing claims within a week, Chao said. Most of the people covered by the program worked at facilities in Kentucky and eight other states Idaho, Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington. Critics point to several problems, including how impairments are measured and the burden of proof required for claimants. Congress concluded in a report on the law that the American Medical Association Guides might not list all illnesses caused by exposure to toxic sub- stances, including certain mental impairments. But the new rules say people whose illnesses cannot be assessed through the AMA Guides will not qualify for impairment payments.

People may lose compensation of a bureaucratic determination that their illness fall into a particular book that the Department of Labor is said Richard Miller, a policy analyst for the Government Accountability Project, a Washington-based watchdog group. In their claims, workers must prove that they came in contact with toxins while on the job at government facilities. But Miller said the Energy Department did not always monitor toxic exposure, and the absence of monitoring records, workers are facing an insurmountable burden of Congress last year gave the Labor Department authority over the revamped compensation program after lawmakers criticized how the Energy Department was managing it. Ill weapons workers to be paid Labor Department sets compensation By Hilary Roxe Associated Press GEORGETOWN, Ky. A Scott County jury found a woman guilty early yesterday of complicity to murder in the 2002 stabbing death of her mother.

Prosecutors said 20-year-old Stephanie Olson conspired with her then-boyfriend, David Dressman, to kill Diane Snellen. The verdict came shortly before 1a.m. after jurors deliberated more than eight hours. When Judge Paul Isaacs read the verdict, Olson said, my God. Oh my She plans to appeal the verdict.

Yesterdayafternoon, the jury recommended Olson serve a 25-year prison term. It was not clear when she would be sentenced by a judge. Snellen, 41, was found dead in her home on June 6, 2002. She had been stabbed 27 times. Attorney Gordie Shaw said Olson and Dressman wanted life insurance money.

He said that Snellen did not approve of choice of aboyfriend. attorney, Rodney Barnes, attacked the credibility of prosecution witnesses and said police ignored other possible suspects. Olson acknowledged lying to police about her whereabouts because she want police to know about her marijuana use or sexual activity. Dressman, whose trial been scheduled, is charged with murder. Another man charged with murder in the case, Timothy Crabtree, reached a plea deal with prosecutors and testified against Olson.

Woman convicted in slaying Jury recommends 25-year sentence Associated Press.