tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36659572011-12-13T19:55:44.508-08:00Reporter at large (caleb.brown (symbol) gmail.com)Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1109212052572896942005-02-16T18:26:00.000-08:002005-02-23T18:27:32.576-08:00

BY CALEB O. BROWN (for Louisville Eccentric Observer)Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s tax plan is reborn, with changes here and there. A few of the tweaks have encouraged his ideological boosters, but some have left the same allies scratching their noggins.Flashback to last March: The first Fletcher tax plan was unveiled just as legislators were in the final weeks of canoodling with the state budget. The “

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1104960123421496722004-11-17T13:19:00.000-08:002005-01-05T13:22:03.420-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer (Snitch) Custody battles, charges of bias spark nationwide class-action suit Any child of divorced parents knows the drill. The weekend is over and it's time for Dad to say his goodbyes and send his progeny back to Mom's house. The parents meet up for the handoff at a restaurant, rest stop or any other large concrete structure with a parking lot, provided it's

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1099764889607954472004-10-28T10:12:00.000-07:002004-11-06T10:14:49.606-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer If Kentucky's Election Day is a cacophonous, 12-hour game of chess, Trey Grayson's job is to set the board correctly. As Kentucky's secretary of state, he's got one chance to get it right. But no amount of planning can completely eliminate vote fraud. "On some level," Grayson says, "it is still going on." As a year with federal elections on the ballot, Grayson

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1099764634151202612004-09-30T10:07:00.000-07:002004-11-06T10:10:34.153-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer Gale Cook works hard. She's the commonwealth attorney for Kentucky's 42nd judicial circuit, made up of Calloway and Marshall counties in Western Kentucky. She's also head of the state's Commonwealth Attorneys Association. More than a few cases cross her desk each week. "For the last three years, we were averaging 435 felony indictments per year," she says. Split

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1099765433859207162004-09-09T10:17:00.000-07:002004-12-14T09:36:28.613-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer Nearly three years after 9/11, only frequent fliers seem to know the new rules of flying Sarah B., by her own description, shows little modesty. SheÌs also a cynical traveler, given to telling friends, "All this security stuff is just to make stupid people feel secure." The Cincinnati native is, however, just modest enough to request that her last name not be

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095156746905588652004-07-28T03:11:00.000-07:002004-09-14T03:12:26.906-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown Snitch Staff Writer You pay to get in, not to get out,” says Paul McCoy, innkeeper at the Jailer’s Inn in Bardstown, eagerly rattling through a list of, ahem, arresting slogans. “We pamper our prisoners … It’s a captivating experience.” As one of his guests inches toward the front door, weighed down by her luggage, McCoy says, “Breakin’ out, huh?” As if it’s the first time the

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105319366716056792004-06-06T17:07:00.000-07:002005-01-09T17:09:26.716-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer (Snitch Newsweekly) Dixie Suburban Fire Chief Tim Robbins was nervous, judging from the way he continuously clicked the pen in his hand. The “informal” meeting last Wednesday was called by Metro Councilwoman Mary Woolridge to, she said, “reassure the folks that are protected by Dixie Suburban Fire District that they have good services.” It’s been almost five

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105319723671463172004-05-01T17:11:00.000-07:002005-01-09T17:15:23.670-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer Within two days of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, chartered airplanes began traveling to various parts of the United States, picking up Saudi nationals, preparing to leave the country. One of those planes, an elaborately decorated 727, left Lexington, Ky., on Sept. 13, and one of the passengers who boarded the jetliner was Prince Ahmed bin Salman, best

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095160035437530302003-11-19T04:07:00.000-08:002004-09-14T04:07:46.663-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer Attorney General-elect Greg Stumbo had an idea in the fall of 2002 that he’s been pushing ever since: a new division of the Kentucky State Police to focus more directly on drug and terrorism investigations, funded through a new 15-cent-per-pack cigarette tax. The new agency’s name: the Kentucky Bureau of Investigation. But questions about KBI and how it would

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105320510018204992003-10-15T17:27:00.000-07:002005-01-09T17:40:05.056-08:00

Snitch interviewed all three candidates for the position of Kentucky Attorney General, the top law enforcement position in the Commonwealth. The interview was conducted last Sunday by staff writer Caleb O. Brown. What courtroom experience do you have? No one has more courtroom experience than me and Gatewood. I’ve got 10 years of prosecuting experience. When I was an assistant county attorney,

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105319809262093452003-10-15T17:15:00.000-07:002005-01-09T17:22:37.813-08:00

Snitch interviewed all three candidates for the position of Kentucky Attorney General, the top law enforcement position in the Commonwealth. The interview was conducted last Thursday by staff writer Caleb O. Brown. What makes you more qualified than Greg Stumbo and Jack Wood? I’ve been a practicing defense attorney in the courtrooms every day for the past 26 years. I’m highly regarded for my

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095158041047373222003-09-16T03:33:00.000-07:002004-09-14T03:34:01.046-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown Snitch Staff Writer “The sign out front says these are supposed to be our twilight years,” says Vickie Taylor of her home, the J.O. Blanton House at Eighth Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard. “The board and management of this place are making them our nightmare years.” Taylor sits in her apartment talking with friends, now colleagues, in an effort to fix dozens of problems they

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095156352162413982003-09-10T03:04:00.000-07:002004-09-14T03:05:52.163-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown Snitch Staff Writer 5:29 left in the first quarter. The Vikings are up 7-zip against the rival Green Bay Packers. Veteran Packer fan Carol Krebs sits at Dutch’s Tavern wearing several strands of beads and a #4 Brett Favre jersey, her hands crossed in her lap. “It’s not normally this quiet in here.” She sighs and whispers, “It’s because we’re losing, that’s why.” The stage at

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095157952993293682003-08-20T03:22:00.000-07:002004-09-14T03:32:32.993-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown Snitch Staff Writer Late last month, Insight Communications e-mailed its broadband Internet customers to detail the role the company “is required to play in enforcing copyrights.” Insight’s compliance with subpoenas issued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and other copyright holders could end in federal lawsuits for customers who share and download

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105320346388720632003-08-06T17:25:00.000-07:002005-01-09T17:26:25.370-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer (Snitch) “My job has nothing to do with enforcement,” says Milt Galanos, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s newest special agent in Louisville. Galanos, hired just two weeks ago to focus solely on demand reduction for Kentucky, says his job is to “create bad public relations for drugs.” Galanos says he’s far from being a federal version of a “D.A.R.E. cop,”

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095158157102039782003-07-09T03:34:00.000-07:002008-08-23T05:21:46.293-07:00

By Caleb O. BrownStaff WriterSince his conviction and subsequent jail time for possession of a half-gram of psilocybin mushrooms, 21-year old Adam Jones decided he would get involved in the drug reform movement.Jones had organized a rally/concert for a medical marijuana ballot initiative being promoted by two groups, Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Montana chapter of NORML, the National

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095156946421688152003-07-08T03:14:00.000-07:002004-09-14T03:15:46.423-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown Snitch Staff Writer This is our concern, Dude: Will the AMF Rose Bowl have sufficient capacity to accommodate the hundreds of fans of the The Big Lebowski expected to arrive on July 19 for the Second Annual Big Lebowski What Have You Fest? Scott Shuffitt and Will Russell — the dudes putting on the shindig — certainly hope so. Last year, when they put together a festival to

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095157120601821032003-06-24T03:16:00.000-07:002004-09-14T03:20:44.166-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown Snitch Staff Writer “Hermione dies, doesn’t she?” she asked. I had just told a friend of mine Saturday morning how I’d been waiting in line at midnight with the rest of the mad throng trying to get my hands on the latest installment of J.K. Rowling’s money machine: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. So taken aback by the thought of having a three-year wait for the

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105319914043028702003-05-14T17:17:00.000-07:002005-01-09T17:20:00.490-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer (Snitch) The votes are in. Family court is on its way to all 120 Kentucky counties as part of a constitutional amendment passed in November. Proponents say the new system will ease many problems families face when they are forced to bring their issues — child delinquency, divorce, custody, child support and emergency protective orders — to a courtroom. But for a

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105320090461334472003-03-12T17:20:00.000-08:002005-01-09T17:21:30.463-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Staff Writer (Snitch) Their powers are enormous, wielded in almost total secrecy. They can subpoena you and force you to give sworn statements about whatever they please. They are random civilians brought together to examine evidence, conduct investigations and issue indictments when appropriate. They are grand juries. The protests over the shooting of James Taylor by

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095096959537856662003-02-05T10:31:00.000-08:002004-09-14T04:16:11.210-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown SNITCH Contributing Writer Megan Kanka was 7 years old when she vanished during a bike ride in her small suburban New Jersey neighborhood in July 1994. Police, firefighters and volunteers of all kinds shone lights up and down the residential street searching for her. Megan's mother pleaded with reporters to help the community find her daughter. The community responded.

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095097072157043182002-08-22T10:36:00.000-07:002004-09-14T04:14:31.953-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown Snitch Contributing Writer "Must be a full moon." That’s a common refrain among nurses, police officers and observers of crime or other unusual human behavior. Even among reporters, listening to police scanners and watching the wires can often make one believe that the full moon might be responsible for the violent or otherwise odd things that people do. For believers in the

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095097283455883592002-06-01T10:39:00.000-07:002004-09-13T11:10:17.170-07:00

By Caleb O. Brown SNITCH Cincinnati Contributing Writer June 2002 No one likes flashing blue lights, especially on a lonely night through the rearview mirror. Your sweaty palms and racing heart are preparing you for the worst. But why? You haven’t done anything wrong. The officer approaches a few minutes later and asks for the license and registration that you’ve been thumbing for the last

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1095086841881809892002-05-09T07:46:00.000-07:002004-09-13T07:47:44.260-07:00

A Court Officer in a Brave New WorldU.S. Attorney Steve Pence says Americans face new threats in the wake of Sept. 11 [pdf]Snitch - May 9, 2002

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105320696365780022001-01-10T17:29:00.000-08:002005-01-09T17:31:36.366-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Louisville Eccentric Observer Disclosure last year that the U.S. Postal Service and Federal Express Corp. were in talks to form what was termed a "strategic alliance" drew early fire from such powerful voices as GOP Congressman Henry Hyde and United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx's strongest competitor. Following the announcement, Hyde - as chairman of the House Judiciary

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105380303240339581999-05-12T10:01:00.000-07:002005-01-10T10:05:03.240-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Contributing Writer (Louisville Eccentric Observer) Perhaps the most-touted example of rapid transit in the United States is the light rail system in Portland, Ore. What makes Portland worth special study is that it doesn't matter who you ask - detractors and defenders take special care to show what light rail has done for, or to, Portland. And both groups tend to say the

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665957.post-1105379682684721221999-05-12T09:50:00.000-07:002005-01-10T09:54:42.683-08:00

By Caleb O. Brown Contributing Writer (Louisville Eccentric Observer) Louisville will build a rapid transit line in the next 10 years. That's a given. Proponents say it will address the problems of air pollution and workforce development, as well as play a role in re-creating an urban landscape that mixes residences with local businesses and reduces dependence on automobiles. But evidence from

Caleb O. Brownnoreply@blogger.com