A judge-executive resigns, UK officials defend law school dean, and more KY news

From a judge-executive’s resignation to a controversial dean hire and a school district’s financial crisis, here are some of our top stories from the Herald-Leader.

Get caught up on some of Friday’s biggest stories, and find where to read more:

• Jackson County Judge-Executive Shane Gabbard is resigning eight months before his term expires, citing medical issues he wants to focus on privately. Gabbard, a Republican who served 12 years in office, said the position “needs somebody in it that can function.” Read more here.
• The University of Kentucky’s provost defended the hiring of U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove as the incoming law school dean, calling the law school’s current situation an “extraordinary circumstance” driven by tight budgets and pressures on higher education. Faculty opposed the appointment, with associate deans writing that “a substantial majority of the faculty found him to be unacceptable.” Gov. Andy Beshear called the decision to hire Van Tatenhove “partisan.” Read more here.
• Fayette County Board of Education leaders are “angry” after it was revealed the local school district has misstated its financial condition for nearly 20 years, with incorrect practices dating to 2008 leaving the budget in worse shape than expected. School board chair Tyler Murphy and vice chair Amy Green called the situation “deeply unacceptable,” and Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said two external investigations are underway. Read more here.

The summary points above are based on the reporting of Herald-Leader journalists. The roundup was produced with the assistance of AI. Herald-Leader reporters and an editor reviewed this story for accuracy. You can read more about our AI policy here.