Woman found beaten, left in alley dies

A woman who was found injured from an assault Thursday in an alley off West St. Catherine Street died yesterday, according to the police and the coroner's office.

The woman, whose name has not been released pending notification of next of kin, died at University Hospital.

Police are investigating and have not yet identified a suspect, said Alicia Smiley, a police spokeswoman.

Anyone with information is asked to call the anonymous crime tip line at 574-LMPD.

Police look for suspect in robbery at BB&T branch
Police are searching for a man who robbed the BB&T on Dixie Highway near Upper Hunters Trace yesterday afternoon.

The suspect, described as a white male in his late 40s or early 50s and about 5-foot-8, handed a note demanding money to a teller about 3:45 p.m.

The man fled the bank with a small amount of cash, said Detective Larry Duncan of the Louisville Metro Police robbery squad.

Anyone with information is urged to call the anonymous crime tip line at 574-LMPD.

Careless smoking blamed for fire in Highlands
Careless smoking was blamed for a fire that damaged three apartments in the Highlands yesterday afternoon.

The fire began about 3:45 p.m. in a three-story apartment building at 113 St. Francis Court off Bardstown Road, said Maj. Mark Abner of Louisville Fire & Rescue.

A man who lives on the third floor mistakenly thought a cigarette was out when he put it in an ashtray on his balcony. The cigarette caught a table on fire and the fire spread to the wood siding of the building and into the attic, Abner said.

"We believe it was purely accidental," Abner said. All occupants of the building escaped without injury.

Firefighters had control of the blaze in 14 minutes, but the man's apartment had extensive damage and two second-floor apartments also were damaged.

The Red Cross was called in to help residents in the damaged units find places to stay.

Louisville physician settles civil fraud case
A Louisville physician accused of receiving illegal kickbacks from a medical-equipment supplier for improperly recommending their equipment to his patients has chosen to settle civil-fraud charges.

Dr. Ricky Collis agreed to pay a $240,561 settlement, though he denied any wrongdoing, according to a release from the U.S. attorney's office this week.

Collis and businesses in which he was involved, Interventional Rehabilitation of Kentucky PSC, Kentucky Rehabilitation Institute and NovaMed Pain Management, also agreed to enter a five-year integrity agreement with the state Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Under the settlement, federal prosecutors maintained Collis received improper inducements from Conti Medical Concepts at 3006 Eastpoint Parkway as well as from company owner Tony Conti and his wife, Victoria Conti, the company's vice president.

Collis provided more referrals than any other physician for patients to obtain back braces from Conti Medical that later were billed to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal programs, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Tony Conti and his company have been charged with conspiracy to falsify medical records, alteration of medical records and making false statements relating to health care. Conti, the company and Victoria Conti are charged with offering a kickback to improperly induce referrals from a physician.

Ali center to create 'Patchwork for Peace'
The Muhammad Ali Center is inviting people to take part in a "Patchwork for Peace" project.

The center plans to make several denim quilts that will be sent to refugees living in war-torn countries such as Uganda, Sudan and Burundi.

A quilting session will be held from noon to 4 p.m. June 10 at the center, 144 N. Sixth St.

People are asked to collect and donate old blue jeans for the project. The denim will be cut into quilt blocks and decorated with expressions and ideas of peace and hope.

Blocks will be displayed in the Ali Center throughout the summer. They then will be sewn together into quilts by volunteers and sent overseas.

Free meals for children to begin Monday

More than 160 sites around Louisville will begin serving free meals on Monday to children 18 and under.

The Community Action Partnership program, which runs through Aug. 10, served 9,000 children about 493,000 meals last summer.

by:www.courier-journal.com