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Citing concerns that alcoholic beverage laws in Kentucky are outdated and sometimes contradictory, Gov. Steve Beshear on Wednesday announced the creation of the Governor’s Task Force on the Study of Kentucky’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Laws.

“Many groups, including licensees, state regulators, law enforcement and private citizens have called for statutory reform of our alcoholic beverage laws. They agree that Kentucky’s current laws do not adequately account for a 21st-century economy and standard of law,” Beshear said.

Kentucky has more than 13,000 licenses issued to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers for alcoholic beverages, with more than 70 different license types to regulate those operations.

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Three vehicle-related events roll into Bowling Green this week, impacting motel occupancy and restaurants, reports the Bowling Green Daily News. Downtown shop owners hope it will help them as well.

The Sloan Convention Center will host two Corvette events: The International Council of Corvette Clubs convention is in town all week, and the National Corvette Homecoming begins today and runs through Saturday. About 400 cars are expected to participate in one or both events, according to Joe Pruitt, owner and organizer of the National Corvette Homecoming, the paper says.

A third vehicle-related event begins Sunday when participants in the National Derby Rallies Nationals for soap box cars comes to town.

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Kentucky has serious work to do to become a more competitive place to do business and achieve economic prosperity, according to a new report from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

The report examines how Kentucky compares to other states on key indicators of a competitive business environment and finds the state coming up short in such areas as health, education and tort liability but performing relatively well in business taxation and the cost of doing business.

It includes recommendations for improvement, and also addresses the importance of protecting and promoting such key sectors as coal, bourbon, manufacturing and the equine industry.

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Kentucky’s racetracks and Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration filed a motion Monday asking the Kentucky Supreme Court to review a recent appeals court ruling that would send instant racing gambling back to Franklin Circuit Court, reports the Lexington Herald Leader.

“We are seeking review in the Supreme Court because we believe the trial court was correct in concluding that the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission had statutory authority to adopt the regulation permitting pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse races,” Dick Brown, spokesman for the Public Protection Cabinet, including the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, said in a statement.

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Last week’s rain came in time to help soybeans growing in Kentucky and Indiana, but was likely too late to save most of the corn crop, as farmers deal with the most expansive drought in 56 years, reports the Louisville Courier-Journal.

All of Kentucky received above normal rainfall last week — with totals ranging from a quarter inch to about five inches, said University of Kentucky agricultural meteorologist Tom Priddy. Yet, while the storms provided some moderation for the drought, “I won’t say it’s a drought ending,” Priddy told the newspaper.

And, the rain was spottiest in the western part of the state — the epicenter of Kentucky’s corn and soybean crops, the paper says.

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