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A dedication ceremony for the first pistol range built by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is set for 1 p.m. Oct. 23 at Kleber Wildlife Management Area in Owen County.
The new pistol pit is next to an existing tube rifle range at the area.
“We partnered with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation on this project,” said Ben Robinson, assistant director of the department’s wildlife division. “They assisted with conventional range plans and our engineering division handled the final design. The NRA also contributed some match for the project, which was primarily funded using funds from the Wildlife Restoration Program, also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act.”
The department plans to build a similar pistol pit at its Otter Creek Recreation Area in Meade County.
High earth berms surround the pistol area on three sides for safety. Users can shoot at distances up to 15 yards.
Both ranges are free for public use on a first-come, first-serve basis. These self-service ranges are open from 9 a.m. until sunset Tuesday through Saturday, and from noon until sunset on Sunday. Facilities close on Mondays for maintenance. Persons using either range must have eye and ear protection.
Tube ranges are for rifles, muzzle loading guns and shotguns loaded with single projectile slugs. They are not for use by shooters using shotguns with pelleted loads. Participants at the pistol range may only use single projectile ammunition.
For more information about the Kleber WMA range, call (502) 535-6335. Find information about wildlife management areas and facilities offered on each property by going online to the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife website at fw.ky.gov.
The Kleber ranges are located at the end of Cedar Road. The GPS coordinates are 38.363614, -84.745104.
Kentucky’s public and independent colleges and universities conferred a record 70,146 degrees and credentials during the 2016-17 year, up 6.6 percent from the previous year and a 34.8 percent gain from 10 years ago.
“It is exciting to see the quantity of high-quality degrees and certificates conferred by Kentucky colleges and universities in 2016-17. Campuses are working hard to improve student success, and these results are reflective of those efforts,” said Council President Bob King.
The report shows one-year increases for career-oriented certificates and degrees at the associate, bachelor, master and doctoral levels.
The gains help move Kentucky forward as the state builds a more highly educated workforce. The state’s attainment goal is 60 percent of the working-age population with a postsecondary credential or degree by 2030. The percentage in 2015 was 45 percent in Kentucky, compared to a national average of 53 percent.
STEM-H (science, technology, engineering, math and health) credentials increased 7 percent from the previous year. STEM-H credentials accounted for more than a third of all credentials awarded in Kentucky.
Highlights
- Undergraduate credentials at the certificate and associate degree level grew 7.4 percent over last year, from 54,925 to 59,009 awards.
- Short-term certificates (less than one year) are on the rise, up 6 percent from 19,655 to 20,838 awards. Information technology, mechanic and repair technologies, construction trades and business services saw the most growth. Underrepresented minorities earning these certificates grew by 6.1 percent, up from 2,113 to 2,242.
- Total certificates are up 15.7 percent from the prior year to 22,759.
- Associate degrees climbed 1.9 percent, up from 10,665 to 10,867.
- Bachelor’s degrees posted steady growth at 1.7 percent, increasing from 22,799 to 23,189.
- Underrepresented minorities earned 2,920 bachelor’s degrees, an increase of 7.8 percent.
- Graduate certificates and degrees increased from 10,904 to 11,137, a 2.1 percent gain.
Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes on Monday said the statewide food drive she announced last month has begun.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky Bowl food drive is a friendly competition between Kentucky’s 15 area development districts in support of the Kentucky Association of Food Banks with a goal to raise 400,000 pounds of food or $50,000 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the state legislation that created the Area Development Districts.
“More than 700,000 Kentuckians don’t always know where they’ll get their next meal,” said Grimes. “That’s a stunning and heartbreaking number. We have to do everything we can to make sure no citizen of this Commonwealth faces hunger.”
Kentuckians can donate through Oct. 27. Donations and monetary contributions are being accepted by each area development district, and they will remain in the communities where they are given. $1 is equivalent to 8 pounds of food. Anyone can contribute at HelpFeedKY.com.
Grimes made visits to several area development districts over the last few weeks to discuss the vital need for hunger relief in Kentucky. She has been a champion for solving Kentucky’s hunger issues since she took office in 2012 and before she was elected to public office. As Secretary of State, Grimes was a vocal advocate for Farms to Food Banks, a law giving tax credits to farmers who donate to food banks. She is a longtime volunteer at the Salvation Army, serving the Thanksgiving meal at her local service center every year. She also has served on the board of God’s Pantry Food Bank in Lexington.
More information on the Commonwealth of Kentucky Bowl is at HelpFeedKY.com.
Families can enjoy fall color and a variety of outdoor activities at Jefferson Memorial Forest during the Wilderness Louisville Forest Adventure on Saturday, October 21 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The Wilderness Louisville Forest Adventure is presented by Quest Outdoors, and is free to the public.
Participants can listen to live music, take a hay ride, and spend time in nature at the peak of the Fall season.. Children can spend time in a nature play area, climb a “rock” wall, decorate pumpkins with their families, and participate in archery and fishing. The Forest’s volunteer trail team and staff will lead hikes at various skill levels and volunteer naturalists will introduce visitors to the native plant gardens, bird blind and animal exhibits. The event is free to the public.
The event will also feature the Wilderness Louisville 5K trail run through the forested knobs starting at 9 a.m.
Theresa Zawacki, Chair of Wilderness Louisville, the non-profit foundation supporting Jefferson Memorial Forest, stressed the importance of Louisville’s community forest and the general role natural areas contribute to the city’s quality of life.
“All of us, young and old, benefit from being outdoors,” Zawacki said. “Being in nature helps us manage stress, gives us space to be both active and reflective, creates opportunities for families to bond, makes us more appreciative of the world around us,and of course, is just plain fun.”
Additionally, Mayor Greg Fischer and other local officials will be present when, at 11 a.m., the “ECHO Mobile,” the newest addition to Jefferson Memorial Forest and the Louisville Parks and Recreation’s Natural Areas Division’s “Louisville is Engaging Children in Outdoors” (“ECHO”) Program is unveiled. Louisville ECHO provides youth education and out-of-school-time activities at Jefferson Memorial Forest and other community spaces.
Funded through a $30,000 Meet Me at the Park grant from the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Walt Disney Company, the “ECHO Mobile” is a mobile outdoor recreation and nature play unit to bring a bit of the outdoors to relatively nature-poor urban parks. The ECHO Mobile will bring activities such as biking, archery and fishing, anda variety of natural materials and nature play opportunities to youth throughout the community. .
“We’re excited to be unveiling the “ECHO Mobile” at the Wilderness Louisville Forest Adventure, but we’re also ready to hit the road and take it into the community starting in earnest next spring,” said Bennett Knox, Park Administrator. “It’s one more ECHO component that we can use to improve equitable access to nature for Louisville youth and families.”
In what has become the must-see event of the Halloween season, the Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular is returning for the fifth consecutive year to south Louisville’s Iroquois Park, where 5,000 artistically carved pumpkins will greet visitors from Oct. 12 through Nov. 5.
The pumpkins will illuminate a 1/3-mile trail adjacent to the Iroquois Amphitheater, and Metro Parks officials estimate up to 85,000 people will visit.
The trail is open from dusk until 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets range from $9 to $16, with discounts for seniors and children 12 and under. Proceeds from the event benefit the Louisville Parks Foundation.
The wooded trail begins just outside of Iroquois Amphitheater (1080 Amphitheater Road, Louisville, KY 40214) and weaves its way through the trees with themed vignettes set to music. The carved, lit pumpkins rotate on a weekly basis, creating a different experience each weekend.
The event is held rain or shine. Coach drop-off and on-site parking is available.
Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular is produced by Louisville Metro Parks and the Louisville Parks Foundation in conjunction with Passion for Pumpkins, a multimedia production company with more than 25 years’ experience in redefining fall by transforming any landscape into an illuminated organic gallery.
This year’s sponsors include Louisville Convention and Visitors Center, Papa John’s, Delta Dental, WellCare, Republic Bank, LG & E, Falls City Beer, Kentucky Select Properties, Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KY Proud), Waste Management, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, Metro Fence, Louisville Eye Center, Louisville Independent Business Association, Porta Kleen and Julips Catering.
TICKET INFORMATION
Sunday – Thursday
Adults $12
Seniors (62+) $10
Children (3-12) $9
Friday
Adults $15
Seniors (62+) $13
Children (3-12) $12
Saturday
Adults $16
Seniors (62+) $14
Children (3-12) $13
Individual tickets may be purchased in advance for specific nights at the Iroquois Amphitheater Box Office or online at www.jackolanternlouisville.com. Visitors are also encouraged to use the hashtag #502Pumpkins on social media to share images or experiences they enjoy while touring the show.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more can be purchased in advance by calling 502/368-5063, or in person at the Iroquois Amphitheater Box Office at 5 p.m. beginning October 12.
Group tickets are discounted at $10 Sunday through Thursday.
The event is held rain or shine. No refunds will be given, but advanced purchased tickets may be exchanged for another day.
Gov. Matt Bevin today announced the community of Paintsville as the winner of the 2017 “Beautify the Bluegrass” competition — a statewide initiative calling on Kentuckians to come together to make their hometowns shine.
The Paintsville/Johnson County Trail Town Committee rallied local volunteers to repaint city hall and five other downtown buildings, refurbish Paint Creek Park, and manicure/landscape public flowerbeds and abandoned properties.
Congratulations to the citizens of Paintsville and Johnson County,” said Gov. Bevin. “Already, other Kentucky cities have taken notice of what has been done there and said: ‘We are going to do that in our community.’ That’s exactly the kind of contagious activity we hoped would happen, where good things capture the fascination of people and start to spread.”
Gov. Bevin and Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton will host a catered barbecue (not provided at taxpayer expense) in Paintsville to celebrate the community’s achievement — at a date to be determined.
“Our committee knew we wanted to do a project in our community; and when we heard Gov. Bevin issue the ‘Beautify the Bluegrass’ challenge, we were all the more energized,” said Paintsville/Johnson County Trail Town Committee member Laura Pack. “Our projects have done so much for our feeling of community here in Paintsville. It is great to have bright, freshly painted buildings and a refurbished park, but even better than that is the good vibe that has been created as we all worked together. Our feeling of community has been greatly strengthened through this project.”
The cities of Island (McLean County) and Corbin (Whitley/Knox Counties) received honorable mention in the competition. Island transformed an abandoned hardware store into a new retail facility, adorned with a mural celebrating the town’s history. Corbin brought together numerous community groups to clean up litter on State Highway 312 and other local roadways.
“Selecting a winner for the 2017 ‘Beautify the Bluegrass’ contest was not an easy task,” said Gov. Bevin. “Thank you to all of our outstanding applicants; and thank you for everything you do day in and day out to beautify your communities and make them shine.”
Credit: KY State Parks
The 27th Annual Civil War Days at Columbus-Belmont State Park is Oct. 13-15.
The weekend will include battle re-enactments, history and museum tours, soldier camps, entertainment, food and more. Admission is free.
This three-day event begins with an Education Day on Friday. There will be cannon and rifle demonstrations, life of a soldier, and dance instruction. Students, scouts, and groups are encouraged to participate, but everyone is invited to attend and take a closer look at history by taking a step back in time.
The opening ceremony is Friday evening with food and entertainment. Cannons will fire from the bluffs to end the ceremony and then there will be a Ghost Walk through the Confederate earthworks with lanterns lighting the way.
Events are scheduled throughout Saturday including music and the Ladies Tea at 11 a.m.
The Civil War Ball on Saturday night will feature music and dance instruction so you don’t have to be experienced to participate. The band for the evening is The 52nd Regimental String Band.
If you want to shop, you can find everything you need on “Sutler Row” where there will be tents set up with period clothing and accessories. There will be a Beautiful Belle and Handsome Gent contest before the dance and a Best Beard and Scraggly Beard contest during intermission.
Sunday begins with a morning service as well as a memorial service in Columbus Cemetery.
The battles are at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. They will feature guns firing, cannons blasting, horses running, and tents burning.
The Civil War Days event is co-sponsored by Columbus-Belmont State Park, Civil War Days Committee, and the Hickman County Judge Executive’s office/Hickman County Fiscal Court. The park is located on the Mississippi River in western Kentucky at the junction of highways 58, 80, and 123.
For more information, contact the park office at 270-677-2327 or email cindy.lynch@ky.gov or visit www.parks.ky.gov