oddly enough

oddly enough

McConnell campaign ad mistakes Duke for Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky.

Sen. Mitch McConnell’s latest campaign video hit all the necessary Kentucky high points: horse racing, bluegrass — and Duke basketball?

The campaign was scrambling Tuesday morning to remove an online video that features a split-second clip of Duke basketball players celebrating their 2010 national championship.

The mistake comes as the basketball- crazy state of Kentucky prepares for the biggest game of the year. Kentucky and Louisville face off in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.

“The ad was intended to highlight Kentucky’s basketball dominance and, obviously, the Web ad vendor has become so accustomed to watching national championship celebrations in the Bluegrass State that they made a mistake with one of the images,” McConnell spokesman Allison Moore, a Kentucky graduate, said. “Obviously, we were horrified by the error and quickly changed it.”

Duke’s narrow 1992 win over Kentucky in a regional final of the NCAA Tournament remains a sore spot for many Kentucky fans, and the Blue Devils are still a frequent target for their animosity.

Agency sends nomination note to wrong person

HONOLULU

A Hawaii agency says it told the wrong man he was nominated to the board of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, which manages land set aside for Native Hawaiians.

Hawaii News Now reported that William “Billy” Richardson was notified he was a nominee, so he told all his friends and started preparing for the confirmation process.

But state Boards and Commission Manager Jayson Muraki says a confirmation email was “inadvertently” sent to the wrong William Richardson.

The letter should have gone to the William Richardson who heads a venture capital firm and is the son of a former Hawaii Supreme Court justice.

Renwick Tassill of the Hawaiian Homes Commission says the mix-up shows the state places a low priority on Hawaiian issues.

Circus elephants escape, damage cars in parking lot

ST. CHARLES, Mo.

Authorities said three elephants escaped from their handlers at a circus near St. Louis and damaged several vehicles in the parking lot before they were recaptured.

Television station KMOV reported that the female elephants escaped from the children’s-ride section of the Moolah Shrine Circus at the Family Arena in St. Charles.

TV station KSDK said the circus issued a statement saying the handlers were able to occupy the animals and that “they are now resting comfortably in their compound at this time.”

Police said that the animals also damaged the venue’s loading door.

Association Press