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Gov. Matt Bevin today recognized the sacrifice of three Fort Campbell soldiers—Sgt. Eric M. Houck, 25, of Baltimore, Maryland; Sgt. William M. Bays, 29 of Barstow, California; and Corporal Dillon C. Baldridge, 22 of Youngsville, North Carolina—who died while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
According to the Department of Defense, the Fort Campbell soldiers died on June 10 in Peka Valley, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, of gunshot wounds sustained there. The incident is under investigation.
The soldiers were assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Company D, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Service arrangements for the soldiers are not yet complete. Gov. Bevin will order flags lowered to half-staff in honor of Sgt. Houck, Sgt. Bays and Corporal Baldridge on the date of interment, and encourages individuals, businesses, organizations and government agencies to join in this tribute.
For more information, media may contact the Fort Campbell Public Affairs office at 270-798-9963.
Flag status information is available at http://governor.ky.gov/flag-status.
Photo: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Governor Matt Bevin has approved $24.9 million in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funds for communities across the Commonwealth. TAP and CMAQ programs are federally funded reimbursement programs administered through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Office of Local Programs.
“By updating this year’s priority ranking criteria, we ensured federal dollars will be spent on the greatest community needs,” said Gov. Bevin. “These funds allow investments to be made in local infrastructure that increases connectivity and serves diverse populations, such as the non-driving and disabled communities.”
This year, TAP funding for 34 projects was awarded to 28 counties while 10 CMAQ projects in various municipalities were selected. Furthermore, four ongoing TAP projects received additional funding. Projects in this year’s cycle range from new sidewalks and walk/bike paths to the purchase of new hybrid electric diesel buses that will replace traditional diesel buses.
“These funds support many Cabinet priorities such as improved safety, increased access and more efficient modes of transportation,” said Sec. Greg Thomas. “We’re pleased so many counties across the state will be able to make needed improvements to enhance the quality of life for Kentuckians.”
TAP assists communities in funding transportation improvements, such as safe bicycle and pedestrian pathways and/or facilities, safe routes to schools, scenic turnouts and overlooks and other investments. Projects may be a mix of elements and accessible to the general public or targeted to a broad segment of the general public.
Funding for TAP is authorized as a set-aside of the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funding program under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, which authorizes federal transportation funding from Fiscal Year 2016-2020.
Both TAP and CMAQ enable local governments to recoup as much as 80 percent of the cost of a project.
CMAQ is a transportation improvement program focused on funding innovative transportation projects or programs that will reduce congestion and improve air quality. Kentucky receives CMAQ funds each year which can only be spent in areas designated as non-attainment or maintenance for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
CMAQ funds are available to state and local government agencies as well as private entities through public-private partnerships. Nonprofit organizations may also apply in partnership with a state or local government agency.
KYTC solicits applications and makes awards annually for these CMAQ/TAP funds. The 2016 application cycle ended on Sept. 30, 2016.
For a list of CMAQ and TAP awards by county, click here.
For more information, please visit http://transportation.ky.gov/Local-Programs.
Attorney General Andy Beshear announced yesterday that he is demanding Gov. Matt Bevin rescind a June 2 executive order dissolving and reorganizing numerous state education boards.
Failure to do so, Beshear said, would result in legal action by the AG’s office challenging last week’s unlawful and unconstitutional move by the governor, which mirrors conduct taken by the governor against the boards of the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Retirement Systems.
“The governor does not have ‘absolute authority’ over state boards,” Beshear said. “He cannot ignore laws passed by the General Assembly that create independent boards, lay out their structure and set mandatory terms for their members. Put simply, he cannot rewrite laws he does not like through executive orders.”
Beshear said his duty is to the law and to enforce Kentucky’s system of checks and balances. The power claimed by the governor to dissolve or reorganize any state board eviscerates all checks and balances and would effectively give the governor control over all decisions of every state board, including the Registry for Election Finance or the Executive Branch Ethics Commission.
“I’m especially troubled that the governor has hit Kentucky’s education system with yet another executive overreach,” Beshear said.
Last year, Beshear challenged the governor’s illegal and wrongful withholding of $18 million from Kentucky’s public colleges and universities. The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled in September 2016 that the money was unlawfully withheld, and stated in its decision that the job of the attorney general is “to vindicate the public rights of the people of the Commonwealth.”
Beshear’s request to the governor to rescind the June 2 executive order is not about charter schools nor is it a challenge to Senate Bill 1, he said.
In fact, Beshear said the governor’s board reorganization last week ignores and rewrites portions of Senate Bill 1.
“Gov. Bevin did not veto SB 1,” Beshear said. “But now he wants to substitute his judgment for that of the General Assembly and singlehandedly change the law.”
In the June 2 executive order, the governor dissolved four statutorily created boards, removing more than 35 members before the end of their mandatory term. He then created four new boards with the same names and duties but allowing himself to appoint all new members and the chair.
“We have seen this type of illegal behavior by the governor time and time again,” Beshear said. “My job as attorney general is to enforce the Constitution, to maintain the separation of powers and to ensure no branch of government exceeds the powers that we the people granted to it. I’m hopeful the governor will rescind his executive order and allow the education boards to properly operate under the law – without his undue influence.”
Gov. Matt Bevin has made the following appointments to Kentucky Boards and Commissions:
Frank E. Collecchia and John Valentine Boardman III have been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System.
- Frank E. Collecchia, of Louisville, is an adjunct professor of finance at the University of Louisville. He shall serve for a term expiring March 10, 2019.
- John Valentine Boardman III, of Lexington, is a financial planner. He shall serve for a term expiring March 10, 2021.
The Kentucky Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) is administered by an 11-member Board of Trustees. Two, the education commissioner and the state treasurer, serve by reason of their office. Two, who are required to have investment experience, are appointed by the governor. The remaining trustees are elected by TRS members to staggered four-year terms. Kentucky law requires that four trustees be active members, one trustee be a retired member and two trustees be from outside the teaching profession.
Patrick Kelly Downard has been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky Retirement Systems.
- Patrick Kelly Downard, of Louisville, is retired from the Louisville Metro Council. He will replace Mark Lattis, who has resigned, and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term ending June 17, 2019.
The Kentucky Retirement Systems (KRS) is governed by a 17-member Board of Trustees. It administers retirement benefits for approximately 365,000 current and former employees of state and local government—through the Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS), the County Employees Retirement System (CERS), and the State Police Retirement System (SPRS).
Gov. Matt Bevin has made the following appointments to the Charter Schools Advisory Council:
- Brandon Kyle Wilson, Cunningham, represents parents. He is a farm manager for Davis Brothers Farms, former lecturer at Murray State University, and holds a master’s degree from Murray State and a Ph.D. from Auburn University. Wilson shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Holly Iaccarino, Versailles, represents attorneys. She is an attorney for Barnett Benvenuti & Butler PLLC and holds a bachelor’s degree from Asbury University and a Law degree from The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. Iaccarino shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Wayne Lewis, Versailles, represents members with education policy expertise. He serves as executive director of education policy and programs for the Kentucky Education & Workforce Development Cabinet. He holds a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. Lewis shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Martha Fitts Clark, Owensboro, represents members with business or finance background. She is a former teacher and a CPA. She holds a master’s degree from Western Kentucky University. Clark shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Aaron Thompson Jr., Richmond, represents members with education policy expertise. Most recently, he has been executive vice president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and interim president of Kentucky State University, and holds a Ph.D. from Eastern Kentucky University. Thompson shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019.
- Milton Seymore, Louisville, represents the Kentucky Board of Education. He is a pastor at Energized Baptist Church and holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Seminary. Seymore shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2018.
- Ben Lovell Cundiff, Cadiz, represents the Kentucky Board of Education. He is a farmer and a graduate of the Kentucky Military Institute of Louisville. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and law degree from Vanderbilt University. Cundiff shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2018;
- Gary Wayne Houchens, Bowling Green, represents the Kentucky Board of Education. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration, Leadership and Research at Western Kentucky University. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Louisville. Houchens shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2018; and
- Valerie O’Rear, Fisherville, represents the School, Curriculum, Assessment, and Accountability Council. She is a retired military officer and the owner of Live Well, Live Wisely. She holds a master’s degree in Physical Education from Texas Tech University. O’Rear shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2018.
Lewis will serve as chair and Iaccarino as vice-chair.
Gov. Matt Bevin has made the following appointments to the School Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability Council:
- Casey Michelle Gesenhues, Fort Thomas, represents teachers. Gesenhues is a teacher at Fort Thomas Independent Schools. She shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2021;
- Dale Allen McDowell, Maysville, represents principals. He is a principal for Lewis County Schools. McDowell shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2021;
- Steven Randall Evans, Danville, represents school district assessment coordinators. He is a school assessment coordinator for the Madison County Schools. Evans shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2021;
- Nathan Scott Bruins, Georgetown, represents exceptional education teachers or administrators. He is a teacher for Scott County Schools. Bruins shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2021;
- William Owens, Beattyville, represents local school board members. He is the chairman of the Lee County Board of Education. Owens shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Justin Kyle Mitchell, Bowling Green, represents gifted and talented teachers or administrators. He is a teacher for Simpson County Schools. Mitchell shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Terry Lee Sullivan, Boaz, represents career and technical programs. He is the principal of the Fulton County Area Technology Center. Sullivan shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Kelly D. Bradley, Lexington, represents higher education members with expertise in assessment. She is a professor in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. Bradley shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2020;
- Valerie O’Rear, Fisherville, represents private sector representatives with workforce experience. She is an entrepreneur and health care professional. O’Rear shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Thomas Salyer, Paintsville, represents superintendents. He is the superintendent for Johnson County Schools. Salyer shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Tracey Lynn Cusick, Union, represents parents. She is engaged in community and education organizations. Cusick shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Jennifer Putnam, Lancaster, represents science, math, and technology teachers. She is a teacher in the Garrard County School System. Putnam shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019;
- Shad Michael Sletto, Ft. Mitchell, represents the Education Professional Standards Board. He is a representative of workforce as a director at EGC Construction Corporation. Sletto shall serve for a term expiring June 30, 2019.
Photo: Kentucky Department of Education
Gov. Matt Bevin has designated four non-voting, non-member advisors to the Kentucky Board of Education per his executive order signed on Friday. The non-voting, non-member advisors are:
- Tracey Cusick, a parent of 10 children, engaged in community and education organizations, from Union, Ky. Cusick has an associate’s of applied science degree from the SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse.
- Kathy Gornik, co-founder and president of THIEL Audio, and chairman of Newton’s Attic, a non-profit educational organization focused on inspiring young people to pursue engineering, robotics and physics. Gornik holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton.
- Wayne Lewis, an associate professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky, and the executive director of education policy and programs for the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Lewis holds a bachelor’s from Loyola University New Orleans, master’s degree from the University of Akron, teaching certificate from the University of New Orleans, and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University.
- Joe Papalia, an entrepreneur and executive with broad engineering, manufacturing and sales experience, from Louisville, Ky. Papalia holds a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
