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COMEBACK: Volleyball team wins weekend tournament after slow start
Ice cream festival kicks off in Murray, 5B
The Murray State News The News.org
September 7, 2012
Vol. 88, No. 4
State races intensify in local districts Ky. senate, representative seats up for grabs Edward Marlowe || Staff writer emarlowe@murraystate.edu
While the U.S. presidential race between Republican Mitt Romney and incumbent Democrat Barack Obama comes to a head on Nov. 6, several other key state and regional elections will also be decided, making this election one of the most important in state history. Calloway County, housed in District No. 1, has long been represented by Republican Ed Whitfield as a state U.S. representative. This year, however, he’s up against Paducah native and Marshall County resident Charles Hatchett (D), a fourth-generation real estate broker and principal auctioneer in the area. Hatchett stands for revamping trade agreements to free and fair trade, ensuring companies using labor from Asia and Mexico will pay the equivalent to domestic minimum wage. He also believes having a congressional council, similar to small city councils, will help balance powers in Congress, as the council will oversee the district affairs including the vote. An attendee and speaker at the 132nd Fancy Farm Picnic this year, Hatchett channeled the past deeds of previous vice-president and west Kentucky native Alben Barkley and discussed his plans should he be elected for a U.S. Representative term. “The servant or congressman needs to have a wise council of 10 people,” Hatchett said. “A small city mayor has a city council to help check and balance his action. We can no longer trust a congressman with 30 counties and no control on what he’s doing.” In response, current Congressman Whitfield has taken a strong stance on jobs and the economy, west Kentucky’s importance in the energy sector, the National Healthcare Plan and the rising national debt. “One of the best ways to spur economic growth and create new jobs is by investing in new energy technologies,” Whitfield said. “Kentucky has long been an energy leader, and I have worked to enact policies which utilize resources we have right in our own backyard, including coal, while lowering costs for consumers.” Republican Ken Winters, a state senator for District No. 1 since 2005, will not be running for re-election this year. New candidate Carroll Hubbard ran unopposed in the May 22 primary election and garnered the Democratic nod, while current Trigg County Judge-Executive Stan Humphries is the Republican nominee for next year’s vacant seat. Long focused on improvements in education for the area, Winters told The Murray State News in February of his intentions to step down from position, citing family health as a key reason for his resignation. “Every young person we have in Kentucky deserves the best experi-
see POLITICS, 3A
Robbed!
Photo illustration by Kylie Townsend/The News
More than 25 homes and vehicles were burglarized in Calloway County last month, and authorities say the two suspects in custody are not responsible for all of them.
Student charged with series of local thefts Chris Wilcox || News Editor cwilcox2@murraystate.edu
wo individuals face charges for the alleged connection to a string of thefts which occurred last month in Calloway County, One of the most recent burglaries happened at approximately 7 p.m. on Sept. 2, at a house on Locust Grove Road, where two suspects were found and taken into custody. Calloway County Sheriff William “Bill” Marcum said the arrests of William D. Elliott and Cheyanne L. Coleman went with little altercations. He said both were apprehended within two hours of the initial call. Little information could be gathered about Elliott. Marcum said he was a local resident and believed he was unemployed. Coleman is a Murray State senior from Highland, Ill.
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Marcum said upon arrival, Deputy Danny Williams of the Sheriff’s Department saw a white Chevrolet at the back of the residence. Coleman then exited the vehicle and brandished a handgun at An exclusive Williams, then fled interview with the the scene on foot. Elliott then came victim of the out of the residence Locust Grove Road and attempted to flee the scene using home invasion the car. He struck a partially buried propane tank, disabling the vehicle. Elliott fled on foot, and was caught by police. Trooper Jay Thomas, public affairs officer of the Kentucky State Police, said Coleman couldn’t be found initially but was apprehended later in the woods by a
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see THEFTS, 3A
Brian Barron/The News
Sheila Spiceland, the resident of one of the most recent home burglaries. Her house was stripped of electronics and jewelry.
Budget teams to review efficiency Chris Wilcox || News Editor cwilcox2@murraystate.edu
At the June 1 Board of Regents meeting, President Randy Dunn announced there would be an evaluation of the budget and a reallocation of funds. The budget planning and review teams will have the purpose of going throughout the entire University to reallocate, cut, save money and reduce expenditures. Dunn said the teams have been established and will begin their work in the next week. “What we’re trying to do on the front end administratively is provide enough structure to their work that each team is clear on the purpose, that there is a general understanding of the metrics for review, that they know how to access information — that we have a clearing house for information — and that we can ensure the tools they need to undertake these reviews, they have,” he said. He said at that point, the teams are on their own to work through the areas for review that they choose, to gather data, apply their metric analysis and at the
end of about six to seven months, come up with recommendations for potential cost savings reallocations and increased efficiency. budget He said he was trying to find the planning right approach, be& review cause he wants teams there to be a common framework, some agreed-upon metrics and overall general approach that’s shared. academic He said even though teams there needs to be a comnonmon framework, the academic teams teams have to be able to investigate and pursue areas as they see fit, without him dictating to them what they should be doing. “For me to provide to many limits defeats the pur-
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pose of having these teams that have some authority to really get in and investigate these things,” Dunn said. Tom Denton, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, said the budget planning and review teams have been established in order to combat the loss of state appropriations. The University will be using $1.9 million of reserves for the current academic year. He said administrators and the Board want these reserves used one time, hence the creation of the teams. The amount being used to cover state appropriated budget cuts, which make up part of the $3.2 million deficit, doesn’t deplete the University’s reserves. Denton said the reserves are being used as a cushion, but the University deals with each cut on a permanent basis. He said because of the large cut, it was necessary to come up with a way to evaluate the University’s expenses. The reduction in funds led the Board to
see TEAMS, 3A
WHAT’S
CAREER SERVICES
CAMPUS VOICE
COACH PROFILE
INSIDE
New office garners increased student interest , 6A
Student weighs against antiabortion ideals, 4A
Schwepker looks back favorably Bob Dylan’s newest album a four-star success, 7B on Murray State career, 4B
CD REVIEW