Messenger-Inquirer from Owensboro, Kentucky • A1

Ik I Jk.4fcf Messenger-Inquirer Dog injured by trap given chance by 02, Tyler to join Kentucky Bourbon Trail in 2018 OPS to unveil new registration system in March In 2016, more than 1 million people visited the 20 distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. And next year, many of those visitors will be coming to Owensboro. Wednesday, the Kentucky Distillers' Association announced that Owensboro's O.Z. Tyler Distillery has advanced to the Heritage-member level, the highest rank in the nonprofit trade group. And that means it can become the western anchor on the bourbon trail.

Daniel Hewlette, the distil-liery's director of visitor experience, said, "We hope to be on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail by summer." The distillery has been working toward that goal since it began making bourbon in 2016. Hams are curing in one of the barrel houses, where they can soak up some of the "angel's share" evaporating bourbon that hangs in the air. Bees are making honey to sell in the gift shop. The distillery has also announced plans for a ban- Owensboro Public Schools is requiring online registration for the 2018-19 school year for K-12 students. The county school system unveiled their it's registration system in 2016.

Since then, OPS officials have had their eye on applying a similar program, but wanted to see how it unfolded for the public first. Now Matthew Constant, chief academic officer for OPS, says the district is confident the system is reliable and the district is ready to embark on this form of registration that will save the district and families both time and money. While implementing this program will cost the district $8,000, it will result in a 25 percent savings, Constant said. "We feel this will be more convenient for our families," Constant said. "We have a lot of families with multiple students in multiple building." He said before, parents or SEE SYSTEMPAGE A2 Photo by Greg Eans, Jacob Call, master distiller and operations manager at O.

Z. Tyler Distillery, holds a bourbon barrel head in a rickhouse at the distillery in Owensboro on Wednesday. The barrel head was recently presented to the distillery by the Kentucky Distillers' Association. The distillery has advanced to the Heritage-member level, the highest rank in the nonprofit trade group. quet hall, small hotel, cocktail year to 70,000 including to sell on Aug.

22, 2018 lounge and a restaurant. the "Solar Eclipse Bourbon," about the time the distillery And, it is in the process of which it made during the solar gets on the bourbon trail, expanding production from eclipse in August. 18,000 barrels of bourbon a That bourbon will be ready SEE BOURBONPAGE A2 GOP says its got a deal on taxes State Rep. Dan Johnson TTlif addresses the I public from I his church I regarding sexual assault allegations Tuesday in Louisville. II 1 Kentucky lawmaker accused of assault dies in apparent suicide Associated Press Evan Vucci President Donald Trump speaks on tax reform in the Grand Foyer of the White House on Wednesday in Washington.

Cuts may start as early as next year BY STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, ANDREW TAYLOR AND MARCY GORDON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON Confident congressional Republicans forged an agreement Wednesday on a major overhaul of the nation's tax laws that would provide generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans Donald Trump among them and deliver the first major legislative accomplishment to the GOP president. Middle- and low-income families would get smaller tax cuts, though Trump and GOP leaders have billed the package as a huge benefit for the middle class. The measure would scrap a major tax requirement of Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, a step toward the ultimate GOP goal of unraveling the law. "The cynical voices that opposed tax cuts grow smaller and weaker, and the American people grow stronger," Trump said at the White House. "This is for people of middle income, this is for companies that are going to create jobs.

This is for very, very special people, the great people of America." ly applies to income above $470,000 for married couples, though lawmakers are reworking the tax brackets. The standard deduction would be nearly doubled, to $24,000 for married couples. Details of the agreement were described by Republican senators and congressional aides. "It's not my vision of the perfect, but again, this is definitely going to be a strong pro-growth tax package," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.

Republicans see passage of the legislation as a political imperative, proving to voters SEE TAXESPAGE A2 The business tax cuts would be permanent, but reductions for individuals would expire after a decade saving money to comply with Senate budget rules. In all, the bill would cut taxes by about $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, adding billions to the nation's mounting debt. The legislation, which is still being finalized, would cut the top tax rate for the wealthy from 39.6 percent to 37 percent, slash the corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and allow homeowners to deduct interest only on the first $750,000 of a new mortgage. The top tax rate current the front of the car. He said an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday morning.

"I would say it is probably suicide," he said. Johnson was elected to the state legislature in 2016, part of a wave of Republican victories that gave the GOP control of the Kentucky House of Representatives for the first time in nearly 100 years. He won his election despite Republican leaders urging him to drop out of the race after local media reported on some of his Facebook posts comparing Barack and Michelle Obama to monkeys. SEE SUICIDEPAGE A2 FRANKFORT Dan Johnson, a Republican state lawmaker in Kentucky who defiantly denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a teenage girl in the basement of his home, died in an apparent suicide Wednesday night, the county coroner said. He was 57.

Bullitt County Coroner Dave Billings said Johnson died of a single gunshot wound on Green-well Ford Road in Mount Washington, Kentucky. Billings said Johnson stopped his car at the end of a bridge in a secluded area, then got out and walked to CONTACT US I RCU LATI0N 270-926-01 23 (800) 633-2008 NEWSTI PS: 270-691 -7306, SPORTS: 270-691 -731 4 38 25 High Low Details, Page A6 LotteriesRegion, B4 MarketsA4 RecordsRegion, B2-3 TelevisionRegion, B6 AstrologyRegion, B4 ClassifiedsHealth, D3-5 ComicsRegion, B5 CrosswordHealth, D4 Dear AbbyRegion, B4 facebook.com ERROR: 270-691-7292 6 57211 77777 Messengerlnquirer 3025E COMPACT UTILITY TRACTOR 1023E SUB-COMPACT Z950M Z-TRAK MOWEI 129mo-0For loo can John Deere BRIGHT SM) rMO- s127 BrWjrmr JFtWB Add Dl 2D loader and MBO Hit eODdeck for only S50mo. OWENSBORO 3225 Carter Road (27D) 683-3606 (800 252-390 wrightimp.com ffj.