Hemp processor to expand operations in Ky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Looking to reap the benefits from federal action to legalize hemp, a hemp processor says it will expand operations in Kentucky by building a $40 million facility in an area where it hopes to cultivate ties with farmers growing the crop.

GenCanna Global USA Inc. said Friday its new processing plant in Mayfield will create 80-plus jobs.

Its announcement comes days after Congress finished work on a farm bill that would legalize hemp cultivation. Kentucky lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Rep. James Comer led the pro-hemp push.

GenCanna processes and manufactures cannabidiol, or CBD, products. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in hemp that many see as a way to better health.

The company has a Winchester research facility and is starting a manufacturing and retail operation in Paducah.

KFC offering fire log that smells like chicken

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — If the smell of Kentucky Fried Chicken roasting on an open fire appeals to you, you’re in luck.

KFC tweeted on Thursday that it is offering an 11 Herbs and Spices Firelog, saying it’s the best way to make your fire smell less like fire and more like chicken.

The 5-pound fire log is available on the company’s website and is limited to one per customer while supplies last.

KFC says the $18.99 fire log can burn for up to three hours, but there are some warnings that go with it: It may result in cravings for fried chicken and attract hungry neighbors or bears. And even though it smells great, it’s not safe to eat.

State Republicans request teacher emails

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Republican Party of Kentucky has requested the work emails of several teachers, saying they want to see if there is widespread misuse of government resources. Some teachers, however, see it as ploy to intimidate.

The GOP declined to tell the Courier Journal how many requests it has sent or for whom, but the newspaper reports at least some are directed at teachers who unsuccessfully ran for office in November’s election as Democratic candidates.

Laurel County teacher Dustin Allen, a former candidate, says he thinks Republicans are trying “to make everybody afraid to run again.”

Republican Party of Kentucky spokesman Tres Watson said the requests weren’t meant to intimidate. He says they are about “information gathering, whether government resources are used for political activity, and how widespread it is.”

City OKs $500K for temporary fix to homeless crisis

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky city with a homeless population experiencing a crisis amid cold temperatures and other issues has approved more than $500,000 for a temporary fix.

News outlets report the Louisville Metro Council unanimously passed a measure Thursday night to give $546,791 from the city’s budget surplus to local nonprofits. Councilman Bill Hollander says it’s a bridge to a permanent solution.

The money will flow to low-barrier sheltering and services. Low-barrier shelters are 24/7 facilities accepting people most might not, like those with mental illness or medical conditions, drug users, or people who want to bring pets and possessions.

The Louisville and Jefferson County governments are merged and officials say there are roughly 6,000 homeless people in the county. Officials don’t expect new shelters to open, but say services and beds could be provided.

Grand jury indicts serial killer on murder charge

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — A 78-year-old Texas inmate who authorities say confessed to killing dozens of people over four decades has been indicted on a murder charge in the 1981 death of a Kentucky woman.

Kentucky State Police said in a statement that the Warren County grand jury handed down the indictment Wednesday against Samuel Little in the death of Linda Sue Boards.

Little pleaded guilty to murder Thursday in the 1994 strangulation of a Texas woman, and he was convicted in 2014 of killing three Los Angeles-area women in separate attacks in the late 1980s. He was serving life sentences when authorities say he confessed this year to killing dozens more people in 20 states since 1970.

Police said the Kentucky slaying matched methods used in the California killings.