Lexington ranks among top "Green" cities - Popular Science
Lexington is the 25th "Greenest City in America," according to a ranking of 50 cities by Popular Science magazine.
Designating Lexington a "Category Leader: Recycling and green perspective," the magazine in its February edition said, "Lexingtonians recycle everything from surplus electronics to scrap metal, and they listed the environment as their third most important concern (behind only employment and public safety) - the highest ranking in our survey."
The top five cities are (1) Portland, Oregon; (2) San Francisco; (3) Boston; (4) Oakland, Ca; and (5) Eugene, Oregon.
Study: more education equals higher income
Kentucky counties with high numbers of college graduates also have high household median incomes, according to 2008-10 County Profiles released by The Council on Postsecondary Education. Of the top 20 counties in the number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher, 65 percent (13) of those counties also rank in the top 20 counties with the highest median household income.
"This report confirms the direct connection between education and quality of life," said Brad Cowgill, interim president of the Council on Postsecondary Education.
The 2008-10 County Profiles report, a biennial publication of the Council, compiles data from national, state and other resources to provide education-related profiles of 120 counties, 15 area development districts and eight public postsecondary institution service regions. The report also contains charts and maps that highlight some of the commonwealth's more critical issues such as poverty, unemployment and Medicaid.
The report found that only five of Kentucky's 120 counties are at or above the national average in the percentage of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. These counties include Fayette (35.6 percent), Oldham (30.6 percent), Woodford (25.9 percent), Jefferson (24.8 percent) and Warren (24.7 percent). The national average is 24.4 percent and the overall Kentucky average is 17.1 percent.
To view the full report, visit the Council's Web site at www.cpe.ky.gov/info/county.
Search on for Kentucky's top "Older Worker"
Experience Works, a national, nonprofit organization that provides training and employment services for "mature" workers, is searching for Kentucky's outstanding older worker. Experience Works Prime Time Awards program is part of Experience Works' national effort to raise awareness of the contributions made by older individuals and to break down barriers associated with the hiring of all older workers. Outstanding older workers from every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico will be honored in Washington, D.C., and in their home states for their contributions to the workforce and local communities.
Nominees or applicants must be 65 years of age or older, a resident of Kentucky, currently employed, and working at least 20 hours each week for pay. The honoree must be willing and able to travel to Washington, D.C., the week of September 22-26 for the Prime Time Award events. The visit will include meetings with congressional representatives, a tour of the city's landmarks, and the awards banquet and ceremony. Honorees have an opportunity to meet, share their stories and celebrate their accomplishments. Family, friends, bosses or colleagues can send in a nomination, or older workers can self-nominate.
An online nomination form or a printed nomination form can be accessed at www.experienceworks.org. The deadline for nominations is June 1.
State looking for Kentucky's best young entrepreneurs
The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is conducting a competition to find the best young entrepreneurs in the state. The competition, called "Idea State U," is aimed at students attending Kentucky's public universities and will provide cash rewards to†student teams who develop the best business plans and business concepts based on innovative products and services.
All eight of Kentucky's public universities are planning to send a combined 23 graduate and undergraduate teams to the competition on April 18-19 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville. Over $100,000 in combined prizes and awards will make the event one of the nation's largest state-sponsored business plan competitions.
The competition begins on Friday, April 18, with an "elevator pitch" contest at the Convention Center. One member from each team will summarize, or "pitch," the business concept or business plan in 60 seconds or less before a panel of volunteer judges. The elevator pitch winners will be announced that evening. Table-top exhibits created by each team to illustrate their concept or plan will also be on display.
On Saturday, April 19, all teams will return to the Convention Center to participate in a day-long "oral presentations" competition, which will be open only to team members and an audience of their fellow university students. During this event, up to five members from each team will deliver a 15-minute formal presentation supported by audiovisual images and data, followed by a 15-minute question and answer session with the judges. Winners of the overall competition will be announced after the conclusion of the final round presentations.
Additional information about the Idea State U business concept and business plan competition is available online at the competition Web site: www.IdeaStateU.com.
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Alltech and Transy team to "make science simple"
Last year Alltech initiated a program in conjunction with Transylvania University entitled Science Made Simple. Despite some of the worst weather of the winter of '07, more than 500 people turned out for the program.
Alltech president Pearse Lyons said he was so impressed by the response he will support a 2008 program. "We have decided to run it again. We have set up a series of two and possibly three excellent discussions," he said.
The first discussion is entitled "Green Viability: Is the use of biofuels sustainable in Kentucky?" The discussion will be led by Dr. Czarena Crofcheck, assistant professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky.
The discussion will take place on February 27 at 7:30 p.m. in Haggin Auditorium.
Republic Bank, KAM enter into partnership
Republic Bank, has entered into an agreement to become the official banking partner of the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers as part of the ProsperousKentucky initiative at KAM. The mission of this initiative is to keep manufacturers and the industries that support them in Kentucky and attract new manufacturers here to raise the standard of living for all Kentuckians.
Under the agreement, KAM members will have access to banking services tailored to their individual needs. Employees of member companies will also qualify for banking accounts with exclusive benefits never offered to any other organization. These benefits include special rates on credit cards, loans and attractive offerings for personal depository accounts.
Bankers' Bank celebrates 20th
February 10, 2008, marked the 20th anniversary for The Bankers' Bank of Kentucky. The Bankers' Bank is a correspondent bank, established in 1988 as an alternative to multi-bank holding companies.
The Banker's Bank of Kentucky is owned and operated by the independent bankers it serves, and today has more than 200 community customer/shareholders, located in Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, and Tennessee.
State scholarship program helps students become teachers
Kentucky students who want to become teachers may qualify for a scholarship from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).
Applicants must show financial need and must be enrolled full-time in a teacher education program at a participating Kentucky college to receive a KHEAA Teacher Scholarship. Teachers who are already certified are not eligible.
The amount a student may receive depends on funding and the student's year in school. The most a college junior or above may receive is $2,500 for each spring and fall semester. If funds remain, college freshmen and sophomores may receive up to $625 per semester.
Recipients must teach at a school certified by the Kentucky Department of Education. Recipients who do not finish their teacher education program or do not teach at a certified Kentucky school must repay the scholarship with six percent interest.
Students who wish to apply must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a KHEAA Teacher Scholarship application. To complete the application, go to www.kheaa.com and log on through Zip Access. To file the FAFSA, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students may request up to three copies of the paper FAFSA by calling (800) 4-FED-AID. KHEAA must receive the scholarship application and the FAFSA results by May 1. Recipients will be notified in early July.
Correction
The picture that accompanied the profile of TranSecurity Systems, Inc. in the "Startup Snapshots" article in the February 8 issue of Business Lexington was not identified properly. The photo was of Matt Craft, president of Craft Consulting, LLC, a firm that has been working with†TranSecurity Systems to provide strategic planning and to develop an implementation plan to commercialize the milk security technologies.†