Last night, Governor Steve Beshear requested a Presidential disaster declaration in light of the terrible flash flooding. Will anyone bring up mountaintop removal? Will I get shot for doing so? And who wants to go up in a small plane to survey the damage and mining sites in the area? [Press Release]

Yesterday I broke a story about UK coach John Calipari hosting a fundraiser (a potentially illegal one being held alongside a non-profit fundraiser) for Steve Beshear and Jerry Abramson. The Frankfort press corps then went crazy because I got my hands on that letter before they did – one guy, from A Kentucky Newspaper, went so far as to call to tell me what an “egotist” I was for not agreeing to let him reprint images of the fundraising letter on our site without attribution. [Page One]

But six hours later, Calipari canceled the fundraiser via – get this – Facebook. He said it was for family reasons (family reasons he already knew about), but folks at UK and in Frankfort express doubt about that, as more than 1,000 invites had already been mailed out. [More Page One]

Metro gubmint’s fancy website got a facelift. Thoughts? [Click the Clicky]

If you have common sense, you totally ignored last night’s mayoral “debate” at Bellarmine, conducted almost entirely by A Kentucky Newspaper. So go read about it and listen to it. Because you’re at work today and don’t have anything else to do. [WFPL]

Greg Fischer – the guy who says he isn’t running a negative campaign- has new spokesperson and policy guy. That guy is spreading some interesting dirt on Hal Heiner. While I believe Heiner has changed his mind a bit since 2004, regrets his expenditure for a poll (this makes him a mental lightweight, in my opinion, for believing he contributed for a poll), and isn’t afraid to discuss it? I think it’s equally odd that the Fischer campaign is engaging in attacks that they believe won’t be tied back to them. [Curt Morrison]

On Saturday, August 7, The Pass and OK DEEJAYS are hosting a pool party at American Turners. 8:00 P.M. to Midnight. $7. Gotta be 18 to get in, 21 to buy alcohol from the cash bar. [Click the Clicky]

Guess who wasn’t abducted! And a live/work gallery is under renovation in the 1000 block of Bardstown Road. [Broken Sidewalk]

Despite a press release from Fischer’s campaign indicating that the event will take place the 20th, it will, indeed, take place this evening on the 21st.

If you can’t make it in person, you may click here to watch a live stream of the event, which will be dominated by A Kentucky Newspaper.

Thoughts?

“As we get closer to the primary on May 18th, it is important that Louisville’s Republican primary voters understand the choices they have for Congress. I challenge my opponents to debate the issues anytime, anywhere,” said Hausman. “I think it’s time for all four of us to come to the table for a debate or a series of debates and allow the Republicans of Louisville to hear how we will address issues once elected to office.”

So, I’ve gotta ask his opponents: Where are you? You ready to debate?

Feel free to chime in.

Schreck is Out: Codes and Regulations Director Bill Schreck, we hear, is retiring soon, and the city is having a tough time finding a replacement. No one, it seems, wants the job knowing it might end with the 2010 election.

The Old Double Dip: Remember Kim Allen? She’s the city’s former Public Safety Director, who retired (at age 52) back in January. At the time, she was making six figures and said she didn’t know what she’d do next. She’s been re-hired at half her old salary to write grants to help the city get stimulus money. Is it really that hard to find somebody to write grants that isn’t already collecting a city pension?

U of L Snuffs Smoking: It’s about time. There will be no more smoking on U of L’s campus. They’re phasing it in, with butts out next June. [C-J]

Make it an Even 9 Months: Jack Conway’s office says it won’t have an opinion ready on the city’s Cordish funds giveaway today. Hal Heiner, who has high hopes the Conway report will be damming to the Administration, asked for it Dec. 11.

Judge Appointment: David Holton, who lost that hotly-contested race last year to Katie King to be a judge, was appointed by Gov. Steve Beshear to a District Judge seat.

Whose Town Hall Is It, Anyway?: Baron Hill didn’t want anybody taping his Town Hall meeting Wednesday night. I don’t get it. [Atlantic]

He IS the President, Folks: What are all these nutjobs afraid of? President Obama is delivering an inspiring message about staying in school to kids. But Republicans around here don’t want their kids exposed to it. [Courier]

Maybe They’d Prefer to Send Their Kids Here:  A Tea Party rally in Central Park. Wonder if Steve Langford will show up? [Teabaggers]

Wanna Be In The Horse Movie?: Then be at Churchill Downs next Thursday for a casting call. The Disney movie “Secretariat” will be auditioning extras for the two-week shoot in Louisville and Lexington. Just show up between 3 and 8 and bring a photo of yourself.

Dr. Ede Warner Jr. has a clean record at school, and is scheduled to begin teaching a summer school class in a week. He’s tenured, so the school can’t just fire him.

In the school’s employee handbook, it reads that termination of a tenured employee “may be effected by the institution for any of the following causes only if the cause substantially impairs effectiveness as a faculty member.”

The causes listed are incompetence, neglect of or refusal to perform one’s duty or immoral conduct.

Officially, university spokesman Mark Hebert says “the charges are totally unrelated to his job at the university” and that as of now, there are no plans to discipline him. There are no morals clauses in contracts for professors.

On the Francene show on WHAS, there’s plenty of talk about the safety of students assigned to Warner’s classes. Maybe that’s a bit paranoid. Warner’s not been convicted, number one, and he’s not done anything questionable with students, on campus or in a university setting. He coaches the debate team, the DEBATE team, which makes one wonder why he couldn’t settle this dispute with his wife without violence.

But it brings up the question, which we often wrestle with around here, as to what sort of infractions one can get away with outside of work and still remain on the job. People in prominent positions have personal problems. It happens all the time with people on TV.

Warner is accused of a felony, which is pretty serious. If he’s convicted, would the school then take action?

If it has nothing to do with their performance at work, should it put their job in jeopardy?

If an employee’s actions cause embarrassment to his employer, what actions are appropriate?

The right thing for the University would be to conduct its own investigation and not allow Warner to teach any class until the situation is settled. Get him some counseling, make him issue a public apology. Warner shouldn’t lose his job, but the University has got to take some action.

What do you think?