Berea a finalist for new plant

Local News

March 18, 2010

By Bill Robinson Senior News Writer The Richmond Register Thu Mar 18, 2010, 03:41 PM EDT

BEREA — Berea is one of three cities in the running for an industrial plant that would employ 100 to 200 people at wages comparable to that paid by employers already in the city’s industrial park, Tom McCay, Berea’s economic development director, told the city council Tuesday night. The prospect has expressed serious interest in the building that housed the Panasonic plant, which closed a year ago this month, he said. The competition is down to Berea, another Kentucky city and one in a bordering state, McCay said. If the prospect chooses Berea, it wants the city to divert to the employer half of the 2-percent occupational license fee its workers would normally pay the city. State law authorizes the city to offer the diversion as an incentive to employers recruited by the Kentucky Economic Development Cabinet. The local incentive would be in addition to any incentive the state would offer and would remain in effect for 10 years. McCay said was unsure if the other Kentucky city competing for the plant had authorized a similar incentive or what the out-of-state city could offer. All seven council members present voted for a resolution authorizing McCay to offer the incentive to the prospect or any other that may express interest in relocating to Berea. Council member Ronnie Terrill was absent. “This (authorization) gives Mr. McCay another tool to help him attract good paying jobs to Berea,” said City Administrator Randy Stone. McCay said he had been impressed with the amount of interest expressed in the vacant former Panasonic plant. Six prospects have visited the site in the 12 months it has been available, he said. In other business: • The council heard first reading of an ordinance to amend the city budget, reflecting an anticipated $300,000 decline in occupational license fee collections for the fiscal year. This year and last, the collections will have fallen by $500,000, Stone said after the meeting. The tax on all insurance premiums except health insurance has made up for the loss, he said. The insurance tax likely would be able to make up any further decline, however. Occupational license fee collections, or payroll tax as it is commonly known, have leveled off in the past three months, Stone said. That is unusual, because they typically fall in the winter. That bit of good news was tempered by a 35 percent rise in the cost of claims filed against the city employees’ health insurance plan the previous 12 months. The current provider, Bluegrass Family Health, along with United, Humana and Anthem, were expected to submit bids to provide coverage for the coming year, Stone said. Given the rising claims, he suggested that costs could go up. • Workers began assembling the components of the city’s $64,000 skate park Tuesday, Stone said. The work could be completed this week and the park could be opened to the public in the near future. • The council authorized the mayor to open in his office at 4 p.m. April 1 bids for sod to cover ball fields in the new park expansion. If the council waited until its April 6 meeting to open the bids, sod could not be in place until up in May, Stone said. Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmond register.com or at 624-6622.

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Measuring education
Brent Ray, a local contractor, helps Kit Carson Elementary third-graders Nathan Buck and Anijah Rembert measure an outside wall Thursday morning during a class project to determine the perimeter of the school. The third-grade class broke into groups to measure sections of the outside walls which they used to find the perimeter.

February 10, 2012 3 Photos
Kiwanis auction Saturday at City Hall
The annual Richmond Kiwanis Club auction will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. until about 5 p.m. with proceedings carried live on TimeWarner Cable Channel 12 and WEKY 1340 AM Radio.
“We have lots of great stuff, as we always do,” said Amanda Stepp, the auction coordinator.
“We have gift cards for almost every restaurant in Richmond as well as two pickup trucks that will be sold,” she said.

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Paul S. Byrd, 41, of McKee, was arrested Oct. 29 by the Kentucky State Police after a woman reported the incident at the 76 Truck Center off Interstate 75.

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Berea one of state’s first five cultural districts
The Kentucky Arts Council on Thursday named Berea one of the state’s first five certified cultural districts.
Although the legislature designated Berea the state’s Arts and Crafts Capital in the 1990s, this newest designation will draw even more attention and tourism to the city, said Belle Jackson, Berea’s tourism director.

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Four indicted in Berea murder case
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February 10, 2012 2 Photos
Friday at library : Lecturer to portray founder of Berea
John G. Fee, abolitionist and founder of both Berea and Berea College, will be portrayed Friday night by performer Obadiah Ewing-Roush as part of Kentucky Humanities Council Chautauqua performance series at the Madison County Public Library. There is no charge to attend the 7 p.m. event.
As the son of a slave-holding father, Fee witnessed firsthand the benefits of having slaves and the profits that could be made from their labor. When he graduated from college and enrolled in Lane Theological Seminary, he began to understand the inherent wrong and destructiveness of slavery.

February 8, 2012 1 Photo
Berea woman dies Tuesday in Laurel County crash
A Berea woman, Tommie Johnson, 60, died Tuesday evening in a Laurel County crash, according to the the Laurel Sheriff’s Office.
The accident took place about 7 p.m. at the junction of Maple Grove Road and KY 363 south of London, as Johnson was attempting to turn onto the state highway.
Laurel County Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore said Johnson’s Chevrolet Cavalier pulled out in front of a Dodge Durango driven by Charles Joseph, 19, that was traveling south on KY 363.
After being extricated from her vehicle, Johnson was transported to St. Joseph-London hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Joseph also was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, according to the accident report.

February 8, 2012
Finally February
Ian Rosser, an Eastern Kentucky University student from Lexington, clears snow from his car parked on campus Wednesday
morning after about an inch of snow fell in Richmond. Temperatures are forcast to be in the upper 40s today. Kentucky has seen a lot of rain in the past few months, as was predicted by the Farmer's Almanac, but very little snow has fallen.

February 8, 2012 1 Photo
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