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SubscribeChefs, food preservation fanatics and other-large volume buyers are urged to celebrate the high season of Kentucky farm production at a Greenmarket Popup scheduled for Wednesday, July 26, from 10 am to noon at Fresh Start 
Growers’ Supply, 1007 E Jefferson St. in Louisville.
Growers’ Supply, 1007 E Jefferson St. in Louisville.The Greenmarket Popup, organized by Louisville Farm to Table, is a way for Kentucky farmers and processors to connect with large-volume buyers, show their products and develop relationships. The popup will allow buyers to meet their growers, discuss growing methods and availability, and learn how to plan for future purchases.
The event is free and open to the public. Cases of eggs, bushels of tomatoes, and boxes of brisket are just a few of the items you’ll find. Foods that are USDA certified organic are included. Carts will be available to transport large purchases to a buyer’s vehicle.
Photo: Kentucky Labor Cabinet
Gov. Matt Bevin and Labor Deputy Secretary Mike Nemes joined officials from Norton Healthcare in Louisville last week to announce a new apprenticeship for nurses that is one of the first of its kind in the country.
This Student Nurse Apprenticeship Program is a paid apprenticeship that provides educational and clinical experiences over 12 to 18 months to prepare students for a registered nurse role after graduation. Eligible students include nurses who are in their junior year of a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing program or with one semester completed of an associate degree in nursing program.
“Innovative training programs, like this one at Norton Healthcare, deserve to be celebrated,” said Gov. Bevin. “I have challenged Kentucky employers to think and act boldly, and Norton Healthcare has answered that challenge in an impressive way. This apprenticeship program is one of the first of its kind in the country and will be transformational for Norton’s workforce. I believe it will inspire other employers around Kentucky to explore ways that apprenticeships can take their business—and Kentucky—to the next level.”
With just over 70,000 active registered nurses currently in Kentucky, it is projected that an additional 4,500 nurses will be needed in the next 10 years to meet demand. The 125 new apprentices in this program will both provide Norton Healthcare with an effective workforce recruitment and training tool while also displaying the potential that this could bring to other healthcare providers across the county.
“The ‘Kentucky Trained. Kentucky Built.’ registered apprenticeship initiative encompasses a new era of apprentice able trades never before seen in the Commonwealth, and today provides a fitting example of this,” Labor Secretary Derrick Ramsey stated. “Nursing is a new frontier for apprenticeships, but with Norton Healthcare’s vision, we couldn’t be more excited to partner with them and the new student nurse apprentices who are taking advantage of this wonderful program to further their careers. It’s a win for Norton Healthcare, the apprentices, and the entire healthcare community as we continue to seek ways to address the workforce needs in this critical industry.”
Serving the Greater Louisville region and beyond for more than 130 years, the hospital and health care system is the Louisville area’s third largest private employer. The Louisville-based not-for-profit system includes five Louisville hospitals with 1,837 licensed beds; seven outpatient centers; 13 Norton Immediate Care Centers; more than 14,000 employees; more than 850 employed medical providers; and approximately 2,000 total physicians on its medical staff.
“We know the value in having highly trained nurses and other professionals to help us meet the health care needs of our community,” said Russell F. Cox, president and chief executive officer, Norton Healthcare. “By offering an apprenticeship for nurses, we not only help individual students reach their goals, but we help ensure we continue to have these highly trained professionals.”
“This program will reinforce nursing education and awareness of the professional nurse role, as well as help increase the students’ self-confidence and understanding of organizational structure and operations within a world-class health care setting,” said Tracy E. Williams, DNP, R.N., senior vice president and system chief nursing officer, Norton Healthcare.
This program will work in conjunction with the student’s school of nursing while learning hands-on experience with a Norton Healthcare mentor. Upon completion of the training program, the apprentice will receive a nationally recognized certification allowing employers, such as Norton, to better meet expectations of their patients through a highly-skilled and trained workforce.
The “Kentucky Trained. Kentucky Built.” initiative, launched last year, signals Kentucky’s recommitment of new energy and resources toward strengthening apprenticeships across Kentucky. Since last November, the number of apprentices in Kentucky have increased by 39 percent. In total, the Kentucky Labor Cabinet has registered nearly 1,100 different programs with employers including a new emphasis on growing trades within the healthcare and information technology sectors.
For more information on Registered Apprenticeships, visit www.KentuckyApprenticeship.com.
Follow the Kentucky Labor Cabinet on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates.
Photo: Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife
Few things in the outdoors in Kentucky can top being on Lake Cumberland at daybreak on a summer morning, watching a planer board or large bobber disappear, followed by the sound of a slipping drag.
Striped bass pull like no other fish in Kentucky and landing a 22-inch or longer keeper brings a rush of adrenaline that gives you the shakes. Now in the fourth year of normal water levels since the drawdown to repair Wolf Creek Dam, the striped bass in Lake Cumberland are well on the way to returning to the glory days.
“The striped bass in Lake Cumberland are doing great,” said John Williams, Southeastern Fisheries District biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “There are multiple year classes in the lake with many keepers over 22 inches. We are getting more fish over 30 inches. Their body condition is fantastic.”
Although striped bass are in good numbers in Lake Cumberland, the spring fishing proved frustrating in the lake this year.
“Some guides had a hard time this spring finding fish, but now they are on fish, they found them,” Williams said. “Because we had so much rain this year and they released so much water from the lake, it spread the fish throughout the water column. This leads to spotty fishing.”
Williams said a recent temperature profile of the lake shows a gradual temperature change through the depths. “There is only a 10 degree temperature drop from 20 feet deep to 60 feet deep,” he said. “The water temperature is 70 degrees at 20 feet and 60 degrees at 60 feet deep. They have a wide range of the water column that changes only a few degrees. Usually, the temperature changes are much more abrupt as you descend in the water column in summer. They have 40 feet of depth to roam now.”
Anglers fishing live bait in the middle of this range are catching stripers. “I had my first ever triple on my boat this last weekend,” said Joe McWilliams, an avid striped bass angler who has a vacation home on the lake. “I’ve been fishing about 40 to 50 feet deep.”
McWilliams uses an old school method to judge his depth. “My rods are 7 feet long, so I do 7 pulls of line the length of the rod to get my depth right now,” he said. “In summer, I usually put two rods out at 10 to 15 feet, two more out from 28 to 35 feet and then two more out at 42 to 48 feet or so and adjust until I find fish.” McWilliams typically fishes the mid-lake region from Harmon Creek up to Fall Creek.
He employs three planer boards on each side of his boat with two large bobber rigs drifting off the back, all rigged with live threadfin shad or alewives on 3/0 circle hooks. A light drag helps keep the marauding stripers from snapping off the 20-pound leaders McWilliams uses.
A remote controlled trolling motor helps McWilliams slowly troll the bait he gathers in the pre-dawn via a casting net and a green light mounted under his boat slip. “I check my lines every 20 to 25 minutes or so,” McWilliams said. “I want fresh, lively bait on at all times.”
The river channel is key to finding the schools of baitfish stripers rip through with abandon. “The baitfish in summer seem to relate to the old Cumberland River channel,” Williams, the biologist, said. “The stripers will be close to the baitfish.”
A good sonar unit helps locate these schools. It is common in summer on Cumberland to see small scattered blobs of bait suspended over flats adjacent to the old river channel. However, once the boat cruises over the drop down into the river channel, the screen often fills with large blobs of bait. Study the depth of the blobs and start fishing.
“Modern sonar units are so good at finding schools of baitfish,” Williams said. “They really help narrow down where to fish.”
You do not have to troll to catch striped bass in summer. Once you find the baitfish, cast 1/2-ounce white and light blue doll flies down the points nearest the bait. Some anglers use downriggers to deep troll large white doll flies with a white or chartreuse curly tailed grub as a trailer.
No matter the technique employed, the early bird gets the worm for summer striped bass fishing. “You have to be out there early at this time of year,” Williams said. “You need to have your bait in the water before the sun rises. The bite is usually done by 9 a.m. or so.”
Lake Cumberland striped bass are under a 22-inch minimum size limit and a 2-fish daily creel limit. “Keep your keeper-sized fish and quit fishing when you reach your two fish daily limit,” Williams said. “Striped bass don’t release well anyway, but when you are pulling them out of deep water the pressure and temperature change really stresses them in summer.”
If you want a thrill like no other, get on Lake Cumberland this summer and hear your drag sing from a strong striped bass pulling with all its might.
Attorney General Andy Beshear has joined a broad, bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in opposing a cable and telecommunications industry petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) intended, in part, to halt states from enforcing false advertising laws related to internet speeds.
Beshear said part of his duty is to protect Kentuckians from unfair and deceptive business practices and to ensure consumers are receiving the internet speeds purchased from their cable providers.
Under Kentucky’s Consumer Protection Act, Beshear’s office works with consumers through the complaint process on whether fixed and wireless broadband providers have been truthful in their contracts with consumers.
Beshear said if the FCC “improperly guts” state and federal requirements that bar deceptive advertising of internet speed, his office and Kentuckians will be helpless against false and misleading claims by broadband providers.
“We believe the industry is seeking a ruling that exceeds the authority of the FCC,” Beshear said. “We believe the request is procedurally improper, and would upend the longstanding dual federal-state regulation of deceptive practices in the telecommunications industry. Like other industries that provide goods and services to Kentuckians, providers of broadband internet service must be truthful in their advertisements and be held accountable when they are misleading.”
USTelecom and NCTA (The Internet & Television Association) submitted the industry’s petition to the FCC in May. The industry, specifically, is asking the FCC to convert a limited safe harbor from FCC’s own enforcement, into blanket federal and state immunity for fixed and wireless broadband companies from liability for false statements contained in advertisements and marketing.
A total of 35 attorneys general oppose the industry’s petition. Nearby states include Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Photo: State Treasurer website
Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball returned $87,477.23 worth of unclaimed property to the Kentucky Easter Seal Society on Thursday morning.
“I am a big believer in property rights,” Treasurer Ball said in a statement. “One of my favorite things to do in government is to return people’s property back to them. I’m thankful my office is able to play a role in returning money to this organization.”
The Treasurer has proactively returned $47,332.62 worth of unclaimed property to Fayette County during the first quarter of 2017. This initiative proactively searches for unclaimed property in three key areas: local government, schools, and charities. That money can go a long way in helping charities around the Commonwealth.
“Easter Seals Cardinal Hill appreciates the work done by Treasurer Allison Ball and the Unclaimed Property Division to return these funds for our organization,” Executive Director Jenny Wurzback stated. “This will be a great help as we continue our mission of Taking on Disabilities Together!”
The Kentucky State Treasurer administers Kentucky’s Unclaimed Property Fund. Unclaimed property generally consists of payroll checks, unclaimed safety deposit boxes, old life insurance policies, stocks, or vendor checks that have remained unclaimed by their owners after several years.
Since Treasurer Ball has taken office, the Unclaimed Property Division has been working on proactively seeking schools, local governments, and charities in the state that have unclaimed property. This first quarter alone, the division was able to proactively return a total $264,809.39 across the Commonwealth.
“Proactively reaching out to schools, local governments, and charities has been a priority of mine since taking office,” Treasured Ball shared. “It’s important to make sure these groups are aware that they have unclaimed property and we get it returned quickly. These institutions are essential to local communities and any bit of money we can return to them can go a long way in strengthening the local economy.”
In total, Treasurer Ball has returned over $5.9 million dollars of unclaimed property during the first quarter of 2017 and over $30 million since she took office.
To check for unclaimed property, please visit www.treasury.ky.gov.
Photo: Bluegrass Supply Chain Services
Gov. Matt Bevin announced Bluegrass Supply Chain Services LLC, a third-party logistics provider for the automotive and food and beverage industries, will invest more than $3.35 million and create 51 jobs at two locations: a new operation in Edmonson County and upgrades at its Bullitt County facility.
“Bluegrass Supply Chain Services has been a customer-focused and high-growth employer in Kentucky for the past 15 years,” Gov. Bevin said. “Their decision to open a fourth location in the commonwealth and to reinvest in an existing facility is a compliment to Kentucky’s leadership in the distribution and logistics sectors. I congratulate BSCS and thank its leaders for their continued confidence in Kentucky.”
The company will invest more than $1.78 million to lease and upfit a building in Park City for office and warehouse space, and more than $1.57 million for similar upgrades in Shepherdsville. The projects will create 27 and 24 full-time positions, respectively.
“We are thrilled to continue our growth and expansion in the Shepherdsville area,” said John Higgins, president of BSCS. “This incentive program provides a mechanism for Bluegrass to compete with other companies outside of Kentucky.”
Headquartered in Bowling Green and founded in 2002, BSCS provides warehousing, quality support, light assembly and transportation management services to customers across four states. In addition to its Bowling Green and Shepherdsville locations, BSCS operates a 49-job facility in Russellville. The new jobs will bring its total Kentucky employment to about 590.
Sen. Dan “Malano” Seum, of Fairdale, bid the company well as it expands its presence in the region.
“It’s a great day for our city and our state when a local employer decides to expand its operations,” Sen. Seum said. “I thank Bluegrass Supply Chain Services for this new investment in Shepherdsville and wish the company all the best in its future endeavors.”
Rep. Dan Johnson, of Mt. Washington, said the state’s efforts to attract business are producing results.
“Bluegrass Supply’s significant expansion in Shepherdsville is fantastic news for Bullitt County, and will bring more jobs and increased opportunity to our area,” Rep. Johnson said. “The legislature’s work to make Kentucky more business friendly is already paying off for our workers, and I applaud the Governor for his continuing efforts to bring more investment to the commonwealth.”
Shepherdsville Mayor Curtis Hockenbury pointed out the significance of keeping business in Kentucky.
“I am always pleased to see a company that is in Shepherdsville expand, because it shows its faith in our community and our workers,” Mayor Hockenbury said. “It is an even greater thrill to have a Kentucky based company firmly believe in our city.”
Bullitt County Judge-Executive Melanie J. Roberts said the community welcomes the expansion with open arms.
“Bluegrass Supply Chain Services has shown a dedication to our community and we must admire the social conscience of its philosophies. The citizens of the county want to welcome this new investment and the job opportunities it provides,” Judge-Executive Roberts said. “We are glad to welcome more automotive-related jobs to the county, thus diversifying our employment base.”
Sen. David Givens, of Greensburg, believes the company will be a great fit for Park City.
“I am pleased to hear Bluegrass Supply Chain Services chose Park City for its newest location,” Sen. Givens said. “I know our region will serve this company well with a centralized location, strong workforce potential and a business-friendly economic climate, and I look forward to the company’s success in the region.”
Rep. Steve Riley, of Glasgow, expressed enthusiasm about the added job opportunities for the community.
“Since entering public office, attracting more jobs and higher levels of investment has been a top priority of mine, and I am glad to see that a company like Bluegrass Supply sees value in our area,” Rep Riley said. “This exciting announcement only adds to the positive economic news that we have been seeing across the state, and I look forward to seeing more in the future.”
Edmonson County Judge-Executive Wil Cannon welcomed the news.
“This is great news for Edmonson County,” Judge-Executive Cannon said. “This will be the third factory that will be operating in our county. We appreciate the opportunity for our citizens to have a job closer to home. On behalf of Edmonson County and our industrial authority, we thank everyone who assisted in making this happen.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in May preliminarily approved BSCS for tax incentives up to $300,000 for each project through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
In addition, BSCS can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. In fiscal 2016, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for nearly 95,000 Kentuckians and 5,000 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
For more information on Bluegrass Supply Chain Services, visit www.bluegrass-scs.com.
A detailed community profile for Edmonson and Bullitt counties can be viewed at http://bit.ly/EdmonsonCo and http://bit.ly/BullittCo.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My Kentucky” video on YouTube.
Insurance carriers have submitted proposed rates to the Department of Insurance (DOI) for 2018 in Kentucky’s individual and small group markets. In a continuing trend tied to market forces, an aging population, and systemic instability and uncertainty injected by the failure of Obamacare, the proposed rates reflect substantial year-over-year increases ranging from 6.5% to 47.7% depending on the plan. In addition to increased rates, preliminary filings suggest Kentuckians will have limited options on the healthcare exchange. In some counties, there will be only one option for individual coverage and no exchange offerings will be available in the small group market.
“The health insurance marketplace has been ripe with uncertainty and instability since the implementation of Obamacare,” said DOI Commissioner Nancy Atkins. “Year-after-year, Kentuckians are experiencing the fallout from bad policy, and the rate increases reflected in this year’s filings are, unfortunately, commonplace for most states.”
In an effort to reduce the magnitude of these proposed rate increases, DOI exercised its available flexibility within federal mandates to extend the submission date for initial rate filings on two separate occasions. These extensions permitted carriers additional time to fully evaluate the 2018 market. In addition, DOI proactively provided insurers with marketplace information specific to Kentucky.
“DOI has emphasized to carriers that the best possible outcomes for Kentucky consumers must be achieved,” added Atkins. “Obamacare’s failure at the federal level combined with the collapse of the Kentucky Health Cooperative under the Beshear Administration placed a substantial strain on the state’s entire healthcare matrix which continues to impact the current stability of the marketplace.”
DOI cautions the filings are preliminary and subject to change. Experienced DOI health analysts and actuaries will closely evaluate the rate request applications before rates are finalized on or before August 16, 2017. Although rate requests are generally indicative of rate increases for consumers, individual premiums will depend on a variety of factors, including age, smoking habits, and geographic location. Open enrollment for plan year 2018 begins November 1, 2017.
The preliminary 2018 rate filings are available online on the Kentucky Department of Insurance website at http://insurance.ky.gov/ratefil/default.aspx.
The Kentucky Department of Insurance regulates the Commonwealth’s insurance market, licenses agents and other insurance professionals, monitors the financial condition of companies, educates consumers to make wise choices, and ensures Kentuckians are treated fairly in the marketplace. To learn more about DOI, visit http://insurance.ky.gov/.
