St. Joseph construction projects restarted
St. Joseph Health System is resuming construction projects that had been delayed due to concerns about the economy. New hospitals in Mt. Sterling and London and a women's health and maternity center at St. Joseph East in Lexington are being restarted.
"As a double AA rated company, we were able to get some access to the markets for financing," explained CEO Gene Woods. "And given the importance of these communities and of Saint Joseph to CHI (Catholic Health Initiatives), in the 2 months since we put our master facility plans on hold other projects within CHI were re-prioritized to enable us to continue."
Lexington Forum hosts mayor's annual prognosis
It's not as though there weren't a few issues on the man's plate: Mayor Jim Newberry's, that is.
From the drain on city revenues resulting from the continuing downturn in the economy, to the mandate of the "Destination 2040" community visioning project to balance growth against the preservation of greenspace, the challenges of leading the Urban County Government are vexing and many.
Mayor Newberry is scheduled to spell it out in the annual State of the Merged Government Address before the Lexington Forum's annual Forum At Noon event, Tuesday, January 27, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Hyatt Regency's Patterson Ballroom.
Celebrating its 25th year of hosting open dialogue on current affairs, the Forum will also present its Spirit Award, "given annually to a person who has made a meaningful change in the Bluegrass by giving back to the community through volunteerism," according to the organization's website.
More information, including tickets to the Forum At Noon is available online at www.lexingtonforum.org.
Dupree mutual fund ranked among nation's top performers
A Kentucky mutual fund was ranked among the best performing municipal bond mutual funds in the nation by the New York Times on January 11th, 2009. The Dupree Kentucky Tax-Free Income Series (KYTFX), a no-load, single-state intermediate-term muni fund, was ranked sixth among all municipal bond mutual funds in the country for total return in the 5-year period ended 12-31-08. KYTFX is one of nine funds managed by Dupree Mutual Funds, a fund family with over $1 billion invested primarily for residents of Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Dupree Mutual Funds is based in Lexington.
Kentucky businesses can access annual reports online
Businesses registered in Kentucky can obtain their 2009 annual reports immediately by visiting the Kentucky Secretary of State's website.
Prior to 2004, annual reports were typically available in March via postal mail. Since that time, the Office of the Secretary of State has increased the availability of the reports through its website as well as earlier mailings to all business entities.
Secretary of State Trey Grayson said there is a change in the courtesy mailing that is typically sent to the principal office address of each company. In order to cope with severe state budget cuts, the office of the Secretary of State will now only send a small postcard with an image of the annual report, instead of a full mailing with the annual report printed on an 8.5"x11" piece of paper. This reduces the cost of each annual report piece mailed from $0.45 to $0.27, at an annual cost-savings of over $32,000. The postcards still allow companies to make small changes on the card to send back to the office of the Secretary of State, but a vast majority of filers will make no changes to their annual report and can simply check a box to indicate as such. If substantial changes need to be made, the company can print the full-size annual report online or file the report online.
All Corporations, Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships, Business Trusts, and Professional Service Corporations (PSCs) that are registered with the state, are required to file an annual report by June 30 of each year. Failure to file the annual report will result in the company being listed in bad standing with the office and could lead to administrative dissolution or revocation of authority to do business in Kentucky.
Grayson is urging all businesses to "save time and file online" by making use of the online annual filings at www.sos.ky.gov/annualreports.
Lexington-based Gibson Labs sold to MicroBioLogics
Gibson Laboratories of Lexington has been sold to MicroBioLogics of St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Gibson's clients range from hospitals to food and drug manufacturers. The deal opens the door to MicroBioLogic's global distribution system.
Founder and CEO Cecil Gibson will retire, according to Manufacturing and Technology eJournal, but key members of Gibson Lab's management team and the company facilities will remain in Lexington.
UK to offer meat cutting school designed for chefs
A meat fabrication and butchery workshop for working chefs will be offered by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. The UK Meat Cutting School will meet from 8 am to 4 pm Monday, Jan. 26 at the E.S. Good Barn on the UK campus.
UK Meat Science Extension Specialist Gregg Rentfrow will conduct the workshop, which will include sessions focusing on pork, lamb, goat and beef fabrication. He and UK Chef and Instructor Bob Perry believe this is a timely workshop. Both men have noticed a growing trend toward chefs buying and butchering whole animal carcasses themselves.
During the day-long program, Rentfrow will discuss the U.S. Department of Agriculture's viewpoint as it concerns local, organic, natural, grass-fed and conventional production, as well as the positive and negative sides of each. He will also talk about how the slaughter process can affect meat quality.
The morning will be devoted to short lectures on how each particular meat production industry works. In the afternoon, participants will move to the meat lab in the Garrigus building where Rentfrow will demonstrate carcass fabrication and sausage-making. There will also be a boxed beef cutting demonstration highlighting some of the new beef cuts, such as chuck eye steak, American roast and Denver cut.
Cost for the workshop is $20. Free guest parking is available at E.S. Good Barn. Lunch is not included. To register, contact Perry at 859-257-1692 or through e-mail at bob.perry@uky.edu.
Aquaculture workshops offered in February
Two aquaculture workshops will be offered by Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension for those who are involved with or might be considering small-scale aquaculture.
The Small-Scale, Home Use and Recreational Aquaculture Workshop will take place from 9 am to noon Saturday, Feb. 28 at the KSU Aquaculture Research Center, 103 Athletic Road, Frankfort. Sessions will cover low-input shrimp farming, managing bass and bluegill in farm ponds, small-scale catfish farming, pond construction and liming ponds. William Wurts, senior state specialist for aquaculture, said the sessions are designed to show a landowner options for using a small existing pond or constructing a new one. The workshop will not cover large-scale commercial fish production.
Extension will also offer an aquatic plant and algae control training program from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 at the same location. Aquatic plant and algae identification, methods of control, herbicide and algaecide use and recreational pond management will be discussed. The program will emphasize proper chemical selection and application techniques, record keeping and applicator safety.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture's Division of Environmental Services has approved the trainings for two general hours and three specific hours of CEU credit for categories 5, 10 and 12.
Both workshops are free and open to the public. Wurts encourages producers, landowners and extension agents to attend. No registration is necessary.
For more information, contact Wurts by phone 270-365-7541, ext. 200 or e-mail at wwurts@uky.edu or Forrest Wynne, aquaculture extension specialist in Graves County, 270-247-2334 or fwynne@email.uky.edu.
Alltech adds bourbon to distillery lineup
Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company has begun the distillation of a new bourbon in the same facility as the company's latest project - - a single malt whiskey, Pearse Lyons Reserve.
"With the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games quickly approaching, we think it is very important to have a true Lexington bourbon available for our global visitors to sample," said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech, primary sponsor of the Games. "Using a special formula, we will be utilizing all the traditional methods available to ensure a smooth bourbon flavor. We are very excited about this bourbon, and we hope that with its introduction at the forthcoming Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, it will become a keepsake for our guests."
Like Pearse Lyons Reserve, the bourbon will be distilled in two copper pot stills from Scotland. The pot stills are smaller in size to allow for better control and faster production.
The distillery is located adjacent to a proposed "Distillery District" where the Old Tarr and Old Pepper Distilleries produced bourbon many years ago from the limestone water out of Lexington's Town Branch.