Monday, May 02, 2011
EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...5-3-'11
Pike County Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford is proposing a one percent occupational tax to help lower a more than $3 million dollar budget deficit. Rutherford says alternatives were to either make cuts or increase revenue, and he chose revenue. He says his budget plan doesn't take away money from fire departments, senior citizens or the road program. The proposed tax would not apply in Pikeville, Coal Run, and Elkhorn City where an occupational tax is already paid to the cities. The new tax would only affect those in the county. If approved, the tax is expected to raise around $5 million dollars this year. Brad Hall, Director of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce says officials worry the tax could affect recruiting businesses to the region, but the Chamber has not taken an official position on the proposal yet. The Fiscal Court will consider the proposal at the May meetings.
- U.S. Representative Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) released the following statement, commending the U.S. Armed Forces in their successful mission to take down al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden:
- "Almost ten years ago, Osama bin Laden orchestrated the most heinous terror attacks on American soil. Instead of cowering and capitulating, our nation and our allies rose up against this international menace. I applaud the men and women of our Armed Forces who have pursued relentlessly and fought bravely, some paying the ultimate sacrifice, to bring this villain to justice. Today, while our flag flies strong and true, we must never forget the families or the lessons of 9/11."
- The Floyd Co. School board is discussing consolidating Allen Central and South Floyd High School.
Many on the board believe having a bigger school would allow more opportunities for the students. "When you have a small school you don't have a teacher for every subject. When you are a larger school you can afford to have a teacher for English, for Spanish so sometimes a larger school is beneficial" explains school board member Chandra Varia.
This idea is only in the early stages of consideration. If passed by the board, they’ll have to decide on a location. Henry Webb said it would most likely be a central location since the schools are 20 miles apart from each other.
A public meeting will be held on Tuesday May 24th at May Valley Elementary.
This proposal also includes turning the South Floyd building into an elementary school and combining McDowell and Osborne Elementary Schools. Allen Central would become what officials are calling a technology building.
- The first time 61 year old Eli Capilouto toured the University of Kentucky campus, he was an anonymous visitor, but, on Monday, he took center stage as the man in line to succeed Lee T. Todd Jr. as UK's 12th president. Capilouto, provost at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, met with faculty, staff, students and others in a whirlwind get-acquainted visit, while he calmly delved into issues ranging from the role of athletics on a college campus to UK's pursuit of top 20 status as a public research university, a goal set by the Kentucky General Assembly. Capilouto said he has lived in Birmingham for 35 years, with the exception of time spent in Boston for graduate school, but his impromptu visit to UK last week to check out the campus and chat with people sold him on the job. UK trustees who singled out Capilouto as their preferred candidate on Sunday are scheduled to take a final vote on his selection at a meeting Tuesday on campus.
- Sixty year old Tommy Hutton, a well known high school basketball referee, has been arrested in Letcher County and charged with trafficking a controlled substance. Hutton was a long-time official in the 14th region and most recently called games in the 15th region. He's also worked many state tournament games. Hutton is being held in the Letcher County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond.
Governor Steve Beshear has announced Lexington-based Tempur-Pedic, an international company focused on innovative sleep products, is reaffirming its commitment to Kentucky with the expansion of its global headquarters. The company, which is one of the fastest growing public companies in Kentucky, will add 65 new jobs over the next five years to its existing employment base of 237, consistent with those of a worldwide headquarters. Tempur-Pedic, a billion dollar company that started in Lexington in 1993, plans to invest approximately $18 million as a result of the project, which will involve the construction of a new, approximately 100,000 square-foot facility in the University of Kentucky’s Coldstream Research Campus. Construction is expected to begin this fall and should be completed by December 2012.
- The state is projecting a $64 million surplus in its General Fund for the fiscal year that ends June 30th. The state’s revenues from taxes and fees are growing faster than estimates lawmakers used to craft Kentucky’s two-year budget. State officials say any surplus money will first go to pay for emergencies, such as clean up costs associated with last week’s storms that ravaged much of western Kentucky. The legislature has already mandated that any excess funds not used for emergencies must go into the state’s rainy day fund. According to the Third Quarterly Report on the state’s revenues, much of the increase over the official estimate was a result of an increase in coal severance taxes. The total projected surplus is expected to be $97.3 million, but a portion of coal severance tax money is returned to local governments in the areas where coal is mined. That means about $31.1 million will be returned to the counties, resulting in a projected surplus of $64.6 million in the state’s General Fund.
At first blush, it seems so simple. Kentucky has a 6 percent sales tax, and all retailers pay that same tax on covered items. Not so, though, some say. States are missing out on millions from purchases made via the Internet from companies that don't have a physical store or presence within their borders. That is the crux of the argument to get a federal law passed to require sales tax collections on Internet purchases. Preliminary projections indicate Kentucky could collect the sales tax on internet sales of upward of $108-million. The Commonwealth is keeping a close eye on the progress of the initiative at the federal level.
- The spring forest fire season in Kentucky has officially come to an end. The state Division of Forestry says fire hazard season ended April 30th, but they urge Kentucky residents to use caution.The statement says although heavy rains have pounded the state lately, more than 650 wildfires burned more than 14,000 acres since January 1st. Although most wildfires are due to arson, outdoor burning is also a culprit. Wildfires are less likely in the summer, but can still happen when conditions are dry.
- Students at some Kentucky schools plan to celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees on a mine site in eastern Kentucky. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement says more than 100 students from R.W. Combs Elementary School in Happy will attend the event Wednesday at the Montgomery Creek mine site near Vicco. Some high school students from Lexington are also expected to attend. Students and teachers will plant more than 700 native hardwood seedlings on the surface mine site. Students will also attend sessions on wetland construction and honey bee yard management. Others involved in organizing the event include the James River Coal Company, the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources and the Kentucky Department of Forestry.
- Kentucky State Police have charged a student at the Earl C. Clements Job Corps training center in western Kentucky with second-degree assault. Police say Markea S. White of Laurinburg, North Carolina attacked security guard officer Jason Newton late Saturday. Newton was taken to Union County Methodist Hospital in Morganfield and then transferred to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana after he sustained head injuries. White is being held in the Union County Detention Center in lieu of $10,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
Kentucky Lottery officials are warning about a phone scam targeting some lottery players. Kentucky Lottery Vice President of Communications Chip Polston says someone is calling people from an out-of-state phone number saying they’re from something called the ‘Mega Bucks Sweepstakes.” After telling the person they’re on the way to their home to present their prize, they request a $1500 processing fee. Polston says prizes don’t have processing fees, and that should be an immediate signal you’re about to be scammed. According to Polston, some of the confusion stems from the fact that the Kentucky Lottery recently conducted a legitimate second-chance promotion involving a similarly-named ticket (“Big Ol’ Bucks”). In addition, a current Final Top Prize entry ticket also shares a similar name (“Jumbo Bucks”).
- Here are additional tips from the Kentucky Lottery to prevent possible scammers from succeeding:
- • Unless you specifically entered a promotional game sponsored by the Kentucky Lottery Corporation, you will never be contacted by us informing you that you have won a prize.
- • Never accept a collect call from anyone claiming to be a lottery official.
- • Keep your credit card and bank account numbers to yourself. Scam artists will often ask for them during an unsolicited sales pitch. The Kentucky Lottery will never ask for this type of information.
- Preliminary statistics indicate that seven people died in seven separate crashes on Kentucky roadways from Monday, April 25th, through Sunday, May 1, 2011. All of the fatalities involved motor vehicles and two of the victims were not wearing seat belts. Single-fatality crashes occurred in Calloway, Carroll, Jefferson, Meade, Montgomery, and Pike counties. Through May 1st, preliminary statistics indicate that 197 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2011. This is twenty-two less fatalities than reported for the same time period in 2010.
- Although the Kentucky Derby is in Louisville, visitors to Frankfort will still have a chance to get in on the fun. The Governor's Derby Celebration is scheduled for Saturday morning in the state's capital city from 8:00 A.M. to noon. The celebration will feature music, an arts and crafts fair, food and children's activities. Retired racehorse Danthebluegrassman, who now lives at Old Friends horse retirement farm near Georgetown, will be at the celebration for those who want a close-up look at a thoroughbred.
Kentucky transportation officials closed a section of U.S. 60 in Livingston County in western Kentucky Sunday because of rising water. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials say floodwaters from the Ohio River were starting to cover traffic lanes near where the highway meets KY 137/River Road about 2 miles east of the Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland. Based on the Smithland Gauge reading of 50.99 Sunday morning with a crest predicted at 53 feet at 7:00 A.M. CDT on May 3rd, water was expected to be about 2 feet deep along this extended section. The water is not expected to drop until Thursday.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:38 PM 
