Lu-Anns Kentucky News Review

July 2, 2009

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• Associated Baptist Press reports that the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg has "withdrawn its invitation" to host a youth ministry team from a church in Fort Worth, Texas. The church, Broadway Baptist Church, was removed from the Southern Baptist Convention at the denomination's June conference because of what leaders called a lenient stance on homosexuality. According to the Ft. Worth Star Telegram, instead of going to Kentucky, the choir of 25 teenagers will go to First Baptist Church of Nashville. They will stay in the church's gymnasium and work with Habitat for Humanity, Mission Encounter and Helping Hands, leaders of the churches told the Telegram. In 2006, the University of the Cumberlands expelled a student who was openly gay.

• A report issued Monday by Smart Growth America found that Kentucky has spent most of the federal stimulus money the state received for transportation on building new roads, rather than maintaining or repairing existing roads. The report states that 38.3 percent of Kentucky’s roads are in poor condition, and 573 of its bridges are structurally deficient. "Yet given $421 million in flexible funds, Kentucky will spend 88% on new roads, rather than fixing the deteriorating system it has. And if the state can't afford to maintain what it has, how does it plan to maintain the new roads?" Kentucky has the highest percentage in the country of building new roads with stimulus money. The state is spending 1.2 percent of the stimulus money on public transportation and non-motorized transportation. ProPublica also has data on how states are spending transportation stimulus funds.
  

• The Associated Press spoke with Ben Witherington, professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, about how the evangelical community might counsel South Carolina governor Mark Sandford. Sandford has admitted to an affair with a women from Argentina. Witherington said that feelings are a "notoriously unreliable guide" in personal relationships because they tend to change with time. Marriage is not just a commitment of will, he told the AP, but a commitment before God.
  

• Shelbyville is taking steps to help homeowners avoid losing their homes to foreclosure, according to the Sentinel News. Foreclosures are continuing to increase in Shelby County, so the Shelby County Fiscal Court has joined with The Housing Partnership Inc., a non-profit agency, to create the Shelby County Foreclosure Prevention Program. The program will help homeowners who are unable to make loan payments assess their ability to stay in their home. If the homeowner must move out of their homes, the organization will help them evaluate their options to avoid foreclosure.