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Gov. Matt Bevin today announced Pounds of Plastic Inc., a supplier to the automotive and general manufacturing industries, will locate in Owenton with a more than $4.1 million investment expected to create 54 full-time jobs.
“Kentucky has a world-class automotive industry, leading the United States in vehicles produced per capita,” Gov. Bevin said. “It is exciting to see continuing growth within the auto industry at all levels, and it begins with suppliers like Pounds of Plastic. We are grateful for the strong collaboration between this company and state and local economic development leaders, resulting in 54 new jobs that will benefit families in Owen County and the surrounding region.”
Pounds of Plastic will locate in the former Itron Inc. warehouse, a 30,000-square-foot building across from the former Itron manufacturing facility. Itron closed its Owenton operations this spring, laying off about 400 employees.
At the plant, Pounds of Plastic will manufacture custom polymers and thermoplastics for automotive customers. The company’s investment will cover costs to renovate the facility and purchase new equipment. Company leaders noted proximity to existing and prospective customers as a deciding factor in selecting both Kentucky and Owenton. Work on the project is expected to begin in November, with the facility operational by December.
“We are truly excited to become part of your community and look forward to a mutually prosperous partnership in the years ahead,” said Richard Pounds, owner and president of Pounds of Plastic. “We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the fantastic representatives of the government of Owen County and the state of Kentucky who made this possible. Our decision to choose this location over other potential locales in other states is a testament to the dedication of these individuals. We look forward to calling Owen County home.”
Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Pounds of Plastic specializes in custom polymers and thermoplastics used in automotive and a variety of other industries. As well, the company provides technical expertise for customers including assistance with recycling programs. Richard Pounds founded the company in 1997 in response to an insufficient supply of nylon compounds and other materials for use by southern Ontario’s moulding industry. Since then, the company grew to service processors throughout North America.
Sen. Julian Carroll, of Frankfort, said the local workforce is ready to serve its newest company.
“This auto supplier will strengthen our community through new jobs and improvements to the local economy,” Sen. Carroll said. “We stand ready with a skilled workforce to meet the company’s needs and look forward to a long and prosperous partnership.”
Rep. Phillip Pratt, of Georgetown, said statewide, pro-business policy changes have made projects like this possible.
“The new jobs and economic opportunity that Pounds of Plastic is bringing to Owenton is the direct result of the pro-business, pro-jobs approach I have brought to Frankfort,” Rep. Pratt said. “These new jobs will bring increased economic opportunity for our families, and are just the latest addition to Kentucky’s manufacturing comeback. I’m proud of our efforts in Frankfort to promote policies that strengthen our economy and create this kind of good news for our working families.”
Mayor David Wotier noted the team effort necessary to make the project a reality.
“I speak on behalf of the city of Owenton: We are very excited to welcome Pounds of Plastic to Owenton,” Mayor Wotier said. “Their commitment has certainly been a breath of fresh air for us and will positively affect our economy. Thanks to all the hard work and diligent efforts of everyone at the Cabinet for Economic Development. There’s been a great spirit of teamwork involved.”
Owen County Judge-Executive Casey Ellis said the arrival of Pounds of Plastic leads the way for new growth in the community.
“On behalf of the citizens of Owen County, I would like to thank Gov. Bevin for his leadership in assisting to expedite the commonwealth’s economic incentive package as well as Rich Pounds, president of Pounds of Plastic, for choosing Owen County for his first US manufacturing location,” Judge-Executive Ellis said. “The prospect of this many new jobs locating to Owen County is only the beginning in revitalizing our community with new economic growth opportunities.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) on Thursday preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $900,000 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, Pounds of Plastic 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 year 2017, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for more than 120,000 Kentuckians and 5,700 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
Attorney General Andy Beshear today filed suit against Pennsylvania-based pharmaceutical manufacturer Teva for allegedly promoting its fentanyl-based cancer drugs for “off-label” use in Kentucky, which directly contributed to the state’s addiction outbreak.
The lawsuit, filed in Fayette Circuit Court, claims Teva persuaded physicians to prescribe its drugs, Actiq and Fentora, to treat chronic pain despite the drugs being approved solely for breakthrough pain in cancer patients.
The lawsuit alleges Teva’s salesforce was instructed to target doctors who were not oncologists, including general practitioners. In one instance, a sales representative alleges that 99 percent of the doctors in her territory were pain specialists not oncologists who wrote prescriptions for off-label use.
Beshear said this allowed the company to grow its market in Kentucky while contributing to the state’s drug epidemic. He said Teva had the largest amount of opioids, per gram, sold in Kentucky over a nearly 10-year period.
“The actions by Teva to deceptively push highly-powerful fentanyl-based opioids into a state like Kentucky that’s ravaged by addiction is probably one of the most egregious acts we have seen from a pharmaceutical company that’s heartlessly focused on profits over our people,” Beshear said. “While Teva is predicting $19 billion in revenues this year, we are seeking to hold them accountable under Kentucky law by making them pay for the damages caused to our state and Kentucky families.”
Fentanyl is 50-100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than many forms of heroin.
Beshear said in Kentucky and the U.S., overdose deaths related to fentanyl now surpass deaths related to heroin.
According to a July 25, 2018 report released by the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy, fatal overdoses in Kentucky totaled 1,565 in 2017, which was an 11.5 percent increase over the previous year. Fentanyl was a factor in approximately 763 deaths and 52 percent of the toxicology cases, which is an increase of about 47 percent compared to 2016.
Beshear’s lawsuit claims Teva took steps to conceal its deceptive marketing and unlawful conduct by funding and working through unbranded marketing, third-party advocates and professional associations to promote opioid use.
According to the lawsuit, Teva sales representatives regularly omitted any discussion of addiction caused by long-term opioid use from their sales conversations with Kentucky prescribers, and despite having knowledge of suspicious prescribing, Teva failed to implement policies and procedures that would enable its sales representatives to report this conduct.
One of Teva’s drugs, Actiq, delivers fentanyl into the bloodstream via a lollipop lozenge. It’s other, Fentora, is an oral tablet that also dissolves in a patient’s mouth.
According to the lawsuit, the FDA expressly prohibited Teva from marketing Actiq for anything but breakthrough cancer pain, which is a sudden flare-up of pain. The FDA refused to approve Fentora for the treatment of chronic pain because of the potential harm, including the high risk of “serious and life-threatening adverse events” and abuse, which the agency said are greatest in non-cancer patients.
In 2008, the Department of Justice accused Cephalon, a Teva subsidiary, of promoting Actiq for uses the FDA had not approved. Cephalon settled the charges for $425 million. The federal government charged that Cephalon promoted Actiq to non-cancer patients for conditions such as “migraines, sickle-cell pain crises, injuries, and in anticipation of changing wound dressings or radiation therapy.”
“Teva has not changed its ways or corrected its past misconduct but instead is continuing to fuel our opioid crisis,” Beshear said.
Beshear said the opioid crisis is having a devastating effect on Kentucky’s workforce. Recent research has demonstrated that the Commonwealth’s high rate of opioid usage has reduced the workforce, created high turnover, increased employers’ costs to train new employees and caused an increase in employee thefts.
Today’s lawsuit is the eighth opioid related lawsuit Beshear has filed.
Beshear has sued three national opioid distributors, Pennsylvania-based AmerisourceBergen, Ohio-based Cardinal Health and San Francisco-based McKesson Corporation, which together are responsible for supplying 85 percent of opioids in Kentucky; distributor and retail pharmacy Walgreens; and pharmaceutical manufacturers Johnson and Johnson, Mallinckrodt, and Endo Pharmaceuticals.
A Franklin Circuit Judge ruled that he would not dismiss Beshear’s 2017 lawsuit against Endo. Beshear recently announced that his office has won fights to keep four of his current opioid lawsuits in Kentucky courts, and that Kentuckians can track the progress of each case by visiting ag.ky.gov.
Beshear is once again calling on lawmakers to create a permanent trust fund to battle addiction in Kentucky. He is working with Rep. Dennis Keene, of Wilder, on legislation that requires funds recovered by the Commonwealth from lawsuits, fines or settlements related to the drug epidemic to only be spent addressing the needs of Kentucky’s drug prevention educators, law enforcement and treatment providers.
Beshear has provided $8 million from a pharmaceutical settlement to 15 substance abuse treatment centers.
And he has launched the state’s first initiative to allow Kentuckians to safely dispose of opioid medications at home. The program has the potential to dispose of more than 2.2 million unused opioids and help to reduce the nearly 80 percent of heroin users who begin their addiction with prescription drugs.
Bert T. Combs Lake in Clay County is back open to public boating and bank access after completion of repair work to its dam.
The 31-acre lake near Manchester was closed so crews could fix leaks throughout the earthen dam. The Kentucky Division of Water oversaw repairs to the dam.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources-owned lake is scheduled to receive a stocking of 1,000 rainbow trout this week. In 2019, rainbow trout will be stocked in January, April, May and October.
Resident and nonresident anglers who are required to have a fishing license must have a trout permit to keep trout. The permit costs $10. It also is included with the resident senior or disabled sportsman’s license and resident sportsman’s license.
The lake offers a boat ramp and parking area. Internal combustion motors are not allowed on the lake, but boaters can use electric motors. Paddling a kayak or canoe is another way to explore and fish the lake.
For more information about fishing opportunities and places to fish in Kentucky, visit Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website at fw.ky.gov. Anglers also may use this site to purchase fishing licenses online at any time of day.
The University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law will host this year’s update on Judicial Branch operations when Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. gives the State of the Judiciary Address on Friday, Nov. 2.
He will speak before the General Assembly’s Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary starting at 10 a.m. ET in the Cox Lounge of the U of L School of Law, 2301 S. 3rd St., Louisville. The event is open to the public and the media.
The 2018 State of the Judiciary Address will focus on how the court system is adapting to meet the changing needs of society. Chief Justice Minton will talk about the progress being made on the Civil Justice Reform Initiative, the Court Efficiency Committee, the 3DaysCount pretrial justice reform project, juvenile justice reform, the launch of eFiling for self-represented litigants and more.
The full address will be posted here shortly after the conclusion of his remarks.
The chief justice is the administrative head of the state court system and is responsible for overseeing its operation. Chief Justice Minton was elected to the Supreme Court in 2006. His fellow justices elected him to serve a third four-year term as chief justice in 2016. He is a member of the board of directors for the State Justice Institute, a federal nonprofit corporation that awards grants to improve the quality of justice in state courts. He is also a past president of the Conference of Chief Justices and past chair of the National Center for State Courts Board of Directors.
As part of his Mission Veterans Protected program, Attorney General Andy Beshear is calling on the federal government to better protect Kentucky military families against the onslaught of predatory lenders.
Beshear and a group of state attorneys general are asking the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to reconsider its reported decision to stop examining lenders to ensure they comply with the Military Lending Act of 2006.
The act protects military service members and their families from exploitative lenders and loans so that they are not overburdened with debt. The bureau has the authority to examine lenders’ compliance with the act to detect potential risks to Kentuckians and ensure that military service members aren’t being offered illegal loans.
Beshear said this is especially important for younger service members who have less experience managing their own finances and may be more vulnerable to predatory loans.
“As attorney general, my mission is to protect Kentucky’s military families from consumer fraud, especially the ongoing deception by predatory lenders,” Beshear said. “We must do everything in our power to ensure our military service members and veterans aren’t bombarded from those who would steal their savings or pensions.”
Beshear said approximately 60 percent of military families report experiencing stress related to their financial condition. Service members in financial distress may have their security clearance revoked and be compelled to leave the military, resulting in the loss of well-trained service members and additional financial burdens for the military.
Beshear created “Mission Veterans Protected” (MVP) aimed at helping Kentucky’s veteran community combat the findings in an AARP study where veterans are twice as likely to fall victim to fraud when compared to nonveterans.
“Mission Veterans Protected” is the latest step Beshear has taken to both stop con artists and help protect veterans.
Most recently, Beshear announced his office joined other state AGs in shuttering the doors of a charity, VietNow National Headquarters Inc., who misled thousands of donors by claiming contributions supported local veterans.
His office also secured federal debt relief for approximately 2,000 Kentuckians, most of them veterans, who were victimized by predatory practices by Corinthian Colleges Inc.
Attorney General Andy Beshear says a Kansas man who attempted to purchase a Kentucky child online for $500 and drugs earlier this year was sentenced to five years and designated a lifetime sex offender.
Ernest Merle John Anziana, 49, of Fredonia, Kansas, was sentenced Oct. 19 in Franklin Circuit Court to five counts of unlawful use of electronic means originating or received within the Commonwealth of Kentucky to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited activities, all Class D felonies; and one count of promoting human trafficking, a Class C felony.
After release from prison, Anziana is required to register as a lifetime sex offender and must complete an approved sex offender treatment program. He will be under post-incarceration supervision as a sex offender.
The investigation began early in 2018 when Beshear’s Cyber Crimes Unit obtained information that Anziana was attempting to solicit sex from an underage child in Kentucky and offered to purchase the child for $500 and 7 grams of methamphetamine.
Following the unit’s lead, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office out of Kansas traced the information back to Anziana.
Anziana was also charged with solicitation to commit human trafficking in Greenwood County, which is located in the southeast portion of Kansas nearly 700 miles from Frankfort.
Anziana was indicted in Franklin Circuit Court Feb. 6, 2018, and was served with the indictment warrant in Kansas Feb. 7, 2018 when he was arrested. He was extradited to Kentucky, and his bond was set at $500,000.
“The details involved in this case are disturbing, yet our office encounters human trafficking cases in every county, city and community across Kentucky,” Beshear said. “Human trafficking represents the worst form of abuse, most often in children, like we have in this case. Every part of my office is committed to investigating and prosecuting predators seeking to harm our children and families. I want to thank our cyber investigators, the team at the Greenwood County Sheriff’s office, and the Franklin Commonwealth’s Attorney for prosecuting the case.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Zachary Becker prosecuted the case.
Beshear created the Office of Child Abuse and Human Trafficking Prevention when he entered office. The office, along with the Department of Criminal Investigations, has 15 open human trafficking cases, and over the course of 2018 the offices have been involved in 31 arrests or citations involving the crime.
Upon taking office in 2016, Beshear teamed up with Catholic Charities of Louisville to secure a three-year, $1.5 million federal grant to help train law enforcement, increase victim services and hire the state’s first full-time human trafficking investigator.
In February, the office secured a 20-year sentence against former Campbell County District Judge Timothy Nolan on numerous felony charges, including human trafficking of adults and minors.
Last month, Beshear joined Rep. Dennis Keene, of Wilder, to announce legislation that would grant the Office of the Attorney General the ability to investigate crimes, like human trafficking, that can occur across multiple jurisdictions.
If a human trafficking victim is in immediate danger dial 911 or report suspected human trafficking of a child to 877-KYSAFE1. Victims of human trafficking may call or text the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.
Photo: Kentucky Education And Workforce Development Cabinet
Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted preliminary September 2018 unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. The unemployment rate for September 2018 was up from the 4.4 percent reported for August 2018.
The preliminary September 2018 jobless rate was down 0.2 percentage points from the 4.7 percent recorded for the state in September 2017.
The U.S. seasonally adjusted jobless rate for September 2018 was 3.7 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the 3.9 percent reported for August 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Labor force statistics, including the unemployment rate, are based on estimates from the Current Population Survey of households. The survey is designed to measure trends in the number of people working. It includes jobs in agriculture and individuals who are self-employed.
Kentucky added 2,311 individuals to its civilian labor force in September 2018. This brings the state’s labor force to 2,073,753. The number of people employed in September was up by 777, while the number unemployed increased by 1,534.
“The total number of people working in Kentucky increased during September,” said University of Kentucky’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) Associate Director Mike Clark, Ph.D. “However, the increase in the number of people who were unemployed was greater—causing the unemployment rate to increase.”
In a separate federal survey of business establishments that excludes jobs in agriculture and people who are self-employed, Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment increased by 2,100 jobs in September 2018 compared to August 2018. Kentucky has added 14,500 jobs since September 2017, a 0.8 percent employment growth.
“Among the more notable results from the employment data that BLS released this month are the revisions for August,” Clark said. “The preliminary data released last month had suggested that Kentucky’s employment decreased in August. The revised data show employment increased by 3,700 in August. This was followed by an additional 2,100 jobs in the preliminary estimates for September.”
Nonfarm data is provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics program. According to this survey, six of Kentucky’s 11 major nonfarm North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) job sectors saw employment increases from the previous month while four declined and one was unchanged.
Employment in Kentucky’s construction sector jumped 2.3 percent, adding 1,700 jobs from August 2018 to September 2018. Over the past 12 months, construction employment is down 900 positions or 1.2 percent.
Trade, transportation and utilities sector gained 900 jobs in September 2018. All three subsectors showed growth from August 2018 to September 2018. Wholesale trade added 600 positions; retail trade gained 200 positions; and transportation, warehousing and utilities added 100 positions. This sector has expanded by 9,700 positions or 2.4 percent since September 2017.
Employment in the professional and business services sector increased by 500 jobs from August 2018 to September 2018, a gain of 0.2 percent. This sector has added 3,500 jobs since September 2017.
The leisure and hospitality sector increased by 300 jobs from August 2018 to September 2018. The accommodations and food service subsector added 400 jobs, while the arts, entertainment and recreation subsector fell by 100 jobs in September 2018. Since September 2017, leisure and hospitality has lost 600 positions or 0.3 percent.
Education and health services sector grew by 100 jobs in September 2018. Within this sector, health care and social assistance added 200 jobs and educational services lost 100 jobs. Employment in education and health services for September 2018 was up 900 since a year ago.
Employment in Kentucky’s mining and logging sector rose by 100 jobs from August 2018 to September 2018. Employment in this sector is up 200 positions since September 2017.
Employment in the financial activities sector was unchanged from August 2018 to September 2018. This sector has gained 1,000 jobs since last September. Within the sector, the finance and insurance subsector added 100 jobs and the real estate, rental and leasing subsector lost 100 jobs.
Kentucky’s manufacturing sector decreased by 200 jobs from August 2018 to September 2018, a drop of 0.1 percent. Durable goods manufacturing declined by 600 jobs. Employment in nondurable goods manufacturing added 400 jobs in September. Kentucky’s manufacturing employment was up by 400 since September 2017.
“The revised August estimates suggest that manufacturing employment did not decline as indicated initially last month,” said Clark. “However, the data does point to more variation in manufacturing employment from month-to-month, which might indicate that manufacturers are less certain about demand for their products.”
Information services sector lost 100 jobs in September 2018. This sector has declined by 300 jobs since September 2017. The industries in this sector include traditional publishing as well as software publishing; motion pictures and broadcasting; and telecommunications.
The government sector decreased by 1,000 jobs in September 2018. Federal government employment declined by 200 jobs; state government jobs fell by 100; and local government fell by 700 jobs. Total government employment is down 300 since September 2017.
Employment in the other services sector was down by 200 from August 2018 to September 2018. Other services rose by 900 jobs from a year ago for a growth rate of 1.4 percent since September 2017. Other services sector includes repairs and maintenance, personal care services and religious organizations.
Civilian labor force statistics include nonmilitary workers and unemployed Kentuckians who are actively seeking work. They do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks.
Kentucky’s statewide unemployment rate and employment levels are seasonally adjusted. Employment statistics undergo sharp fluctuations due to seasonal events, such as weather changes, harvests, holidays and school openings and closings. Seasonal adjustments eliminate these influences and make it easier to observe statistical trends. However, because of the small sample size, county unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Learn more about Kentucky labor market information at http://kystats.ky.gov/KYLMI.
