Transcript

7.31.25 · Springfield Sun

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Speaker 1: We now turned to the Springfield Sun to bring you
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news from in and around Washington County. Your reader today
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is Greta. We begin with the addition dated Wednesday, July thirtieth,
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twenty twenty five. As a reminder, RADIOI is a reading
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service intended for people who are blind or have other
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disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material. For
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our first front page article, Fiscal Court rejects increase in
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nine one one fee again, property tax rates to decrease.
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By Jane Reid Klein. Washington County magistrates were tasked again
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with considering the approval of an increase in the nine
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one one fee on counter county water bills. Again, magistrates
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said no. The Fiscal Court rejected a two dollars per
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month increase in May. A smaller one dollar increase was
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also rejected on Friday, July twenty fifth. The increase was
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approved by the Springfield City Council earlier this month, but
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required approval by both the city and county. Discussions were
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thorough as magistrates answered questions and Kevin Divine, director of
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Emergency Management, made his case. Comments got personal at one
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point when County Judge Executive Tim Graves asked District four
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Magistrate Stephen Carney about an incident when he had to
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call nine one one. District five Magistrate Matt Medley responded,
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convincing us we need more dispatchers is not the issue.
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How to fund it is the issue. Since the request
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for more funds to hire additional dispatchers came too late
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for additional appropriations to be incorporated into the twenty twenty
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five twenty six city and county budgets. The other option
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for funding is to take money from the nine one
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one center's emergency fund. Divine said that PSAP board had
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one hundred and fifty five thousand dollars in carever funds
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and two CDs valued at ninety four thousand, one hundred
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eleven dollars and ninety one thousand, six hundred ninety four dollars.
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Those funds are being held for an emergency such as
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a tower or repeater going down and repairs needing to
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be made and paid for immediately. Magistrates voted four to
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two to reject the increase in the fee, with Magistrates Dallas, Lewis, Steve, Divine,
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Carney and Medley casting the dissenting votes. Magistrates did approve
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of adding a cost of living increase to the fee
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July based on the Consumer Price Index. Magistrates approved adding
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the current CPI of two point nine percent to the
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existing two dollars fee effective immediately. Adding the CPI now
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to the current fee will also require approval by the
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Springfield City Council. Divine noted Text nine one one will
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soon be available in Washington County and he expects it
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to be online within the next couple of months. He
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also noted coming improvements with the next Gen nine one one.
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In August, the court also held first readings of the
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proposed tax rates for twenty twenty five twenty twenty six.
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The twenty twenty six rate for motor vehicles, watercraft, and
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aircraft will remain the same as the previous year at
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eight cents per one hundred dollars in value. The county
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has no choice but to lower the tax rate for
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real estate and personal property for twenty twenty five. Under
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state law, the tax rate imposed cannot generate more than
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a four percent increase in revenue. The current rate of
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eighty one thousandths of a percent, or point zero eight
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one percent would have done that. Magistrates could choose to
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lower the rate to seventy eight thousandths of a percent,
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which would produce the same revenue as the current rate,
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or lower the rate to eight hundredths of a percent,
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which would lower the overall revenue to the four percent
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increase allowed, or they could choose a rate somewhere in between.
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Magistrates chose to lower the rate from eighty one thousandths
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to eighty thousandths of a percent. Magistrates also reviewed and
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approved the Bridge and Road Improvement Committee recommendations. The county
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has one hundred seventeen thousand dollars in flex funds available
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for roads. Because Croke Station Road does not qualify for
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state funding, it was recommended to use flex funds towards
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the one hundred eighteen thousand, three hundred forty four dollars
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needed for repairs to Croke Station Road. The committee recommended
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submitting Loss and Lane, Harmon Lane, Bury Mill Road, and
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Old Elizabethtown Road for state funding. The total for the
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four roads is three hundred one thousand, one hundred ten
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dollars and thirty three cents. It was recommended that rock
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Bridge Lane, Hillsborough Church Lane, Cory Lane, and Fowler Lane
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be resurfaced with budgeted county road money. Magistrates also considered
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transferring funds from the general Fund to the Road Fund
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to resurface, chip and seal projects. The next meeting of
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the Washington County Fiscal Court will be Monday, August eleventh.
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For our next front page, article nine one one Dispatch
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Center adds new dispatchers by Jane Reid Klein, Washington County's
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Public Safety Answering Point PSAP board approved the hiring of
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two additional dispatchers at the nine to eleven Dispatch Center
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despite the uncertainty of funding. Last month, the Washington County
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Fiscal Court rejected a proposed two dollars per month increase
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in the nine one one fee on county water bills.
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A one dollar per month addition to the fee was
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pending approval by the Fiscal Court at the time of
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the PSAP meeting. Kevin Divine, director of the Office of
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Emergency Management, said half the shifts at the Dispatch Center
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are staffed with two dispatchers, but there is only one
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dispatcher on duty the other half. Divine told PSAP board
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members it would cost ninety one thousand dollars per year
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to employ two new full time dispatchers to fill that void.
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The original proposal to add two dollars monthly to each
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water bill would have generated about one hundred twenty thousand
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dollars for the dispatch center. The one dollar monthly fee
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was also rejected by the fiscal Court. The PSAP board
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will have to find other funding for the remaining costs
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of the new employees. The current plans seem to be
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using money from the dispatch center's carryover or emergency funds
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and request an increase in the alloy case from the
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City of Springfield and Washington County in next year's budget.
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The board approved moving a part time dispatcher to full time.
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This will reduce the total needed since a new part
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time dispatcher is not being hired. Danny Crouch, director of
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the nine one one Dispatch Center, said this dispatcher is
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fully trained and can take on full time duties immediately.
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The board also approved a new full time dispatcher who
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will begin training locally until she can attend state dispatcher training.
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She can take calls, but cannot dispatch until the straight
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state training is completed, according to Crouch. He said she
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should be able to start the training in either September
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or October and will have to undergo a drug test
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and a polygraph as part of the hiring process. Divine
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announced that TEXT nine one one is coming soon and
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should be active in the county within the next couple
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of months. He also advised the board about upcoming changes
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with next Gen nine one one that will improve the
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accuracy of pinpointing the location of cell phones calling nine
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one one, and assuring cell phone calls are rooted to
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the closest dispatch center to the caller, rather than the
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tower the phone is accessing. Currently, calls to nine one
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one from cell phones in Willisburg are often routed to
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Anderson County and then transferred to Washington County. Other areas
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of the county experience similar issues. The front page shows
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a large photograph of two dark skinned men putting on
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a golfing green. The title is fun and Friendship at
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the African American Heritage Golf Classic, photo by Jane Reid
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Kline and the caption Tavin Hodgens watches at teammate d
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t Yoakum putts for a birdie. The team finished second
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at twelve under par in the African American Heritage Golf
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Classic on Saturday, July twenty six, Seemore on page B
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one for our next article Local man indicted for distribution
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of child pornography by Jane Reidklein. Joseph Timothy Graves, fifty three,
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of Springfield was indicted on Wednesday, July twenty three by
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a Washington County grand jury on ten counts of distribution
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of matter portraying sexual performance by a miner under twelve,
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a Class B felony. Graves was arrested in April as
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the result of an undercover Internet crimes against Children investigation.
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The Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation
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after discovering the suspect sharing images of child sexual exploitation online.
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The investigation resulted in a search warrant in Springfield on
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April ten, twenty twenty five. Equipment used to facilitate the
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crime was seized and taken to a forensical life laboratory
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for examination. Bond for Graves was set at fifty thousand
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dollars full cash. Deporis Thompson, thirty eight, of Louisville was
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indicted on six counts. The charges against Thompson are possession
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of a handgun by a convicted felon, fleeing or evading
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police in a motor vehicle, tampering with physical evidence, speeding
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twenty six miles per hour or more over the limit,
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reckless driving, and first degree persistent felony offender. Thompson entered
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a guilty plea to a charge of possession of a
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handgun by a convicted felon in November twenty twenty four.
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He was sentenced to three years probated for three years.
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In June, his probation was revoked for a probation violation
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of possession of a handgun then attempting to flee. He
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was ordered to serve out the three year sentence. Bond
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for Thompson was set at fifty thousand dollars full cash.
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Christopher Eugene Daniels, forty five, of Springfield, was also indicted
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on multiple counts. Daniels is charged with trafficking and methamphetamine
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while in possession of a firearm, possession of a handgun
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by a convicted felon, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to
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register the transfer of a motor vehicle, failure to surrender
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a revoked operator's license, driving on a suspended revoked license,
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failure to wear a seat belt, and failure to produce
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an insurance card. Charges stem from a May twenty sixth
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tw twenty five traffic stop and vehicle search by Washington
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County's K nine officer. Bond was set at five thousand
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dollars full cash for Daniels. Mark Wills, sixty one, of Willisburg,
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was indicted on seven counts. Mills faces charges a first
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degree wanton endangerment of a police officer, driving under the
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influence of alcohol, speeding twenty five miles per hour or
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greater over the limit, reckless driving, failure to wear a
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seat belt, possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in
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a motor vehicle, and improper passing. The alleged offenses occurred
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on or about June eleventh, twenty twenty five. Bond was
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set at two thousand dollars full cash. For our next
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front page article, Federal aid approved for communities hit by
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April and May severe storms by Jane Reid Klein. Last week,
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President Donald Trump approved public assistance for sixty four counties
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affected by severe storms, straight line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides,
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and mudslides on April second, twenty twenty five, and thirty
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six counties affected by severe storms, straight line winds, and
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tornadoes on May sixteenth and seventeenth, twenty twenty five. Director
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of Emergency Management Kevin Devine says this is great news
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for Washington County. Divine said some of the recovery efforts
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in the county have been held up as the county
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waited for this announcement and the next phase of the
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FEMA assistance process. The county applied for assistance from FEMA,
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but no action could be taken on the application until
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President Trump approved the disaster declaration. Divine said the county
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simply does not have the funds to pay for all
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the damage from the floods without federal assistants. According to
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a press release from Governor Andy Basheer's office, the President
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reached out to Governor Basheer by phone personally to let
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him know about the funding approved for public assistance. Great
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news the President has approved the public assistance we've been
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waiting on for the communities affected by severe weather in
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April and May, said Governor Basheer. We never gave up
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that hope and are excited that these counts and communities
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are going to see the support they need and deserve.
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Among the counties that have been designated for public assistance
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for the April flooding were Marion, Nelson, and Washington. Additional
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counties were designated for public assistance for the May tornadoes.
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For our last front page article, Washington County tied for
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sixth lowest jobless rate in Kentucky by Jane Reid Kleine.
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Washington County continues high on the state's list of counties
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with the lowest unemployment rate. Washington County checked in Tide
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for number six on the list. Oldham, Shelby, and Woodford
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Counties recorded the lowest jobless rates in the Commonwealth at
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four percent each. They were followed by Fayette and Scott
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Counties four point one percent each, and Boone, Campbell, Cumberland, Spencer,
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Todd and Washingtonon Counties four point two per cent each.
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Martin County recorded the state's highest unemployment rate at nine
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point five per cent. It was followed by mcguffin County
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nine point one per cent, Lewis County eight point eight
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per cent, Elliott County eight point six per cent, and
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Wolfe County eight per cent. According to the Kentucky Center
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for Statistics ky Stats, an agency within the Kentucky Education
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and Labour Cabinet. Unemployment rates fell in one hundred fifteen counties,
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rose in four counties, and stayed the same in Harlem County.
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Between June twenty twenty four and June twenty twenty five,
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Washington County's rate dropped from four point five per cent
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in June twenty twenty four to four point two per
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cent in June twenty twenty five. Although lower than a
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year ago, the June rate was half a percent higher
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than the three point seven recorded in May. Kentucky Stats
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always reminds readers of the report. Kentucky's county unemployment rates
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and employment levels are not seasonally adjusted. Because of small
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sample sizes, employment statistics undergo sharp fluctuations due to seasonal
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events such as weather changes, harvests, holidays, and school openings
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and closings. Seasonal adjustments eliminate these influences and make it
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easier to observe statistical trends. The comparable unadjusted unemployment rate
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for the state was four point nine percent for June
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twenty twenty five and four point four percent for the nation.
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Kentucky's seasonally adjusted June twenty twenty five unemployment rate was
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released on July seventeenth, twenty twenty five. The state's seasonally
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adjusted unemployment rate fell from five percent in May twenty
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twenty five to four point nine percent in June twenty
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twenty five. For our next aur article celebrating two hundred
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fifty years of connecting communities, Postal Service marks a proud anniversary.
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USPS highlights its legacy of service and commitment to innovation.
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From Washington, the Postal Service marked the two hundred fiftieth
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anniversary of its founding on July twenty sixth. On July
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twenty sixth, we proudly observe the two hundred fiftieth anniversary
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of the United States Postal Service and mark two and
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a half centuries of service to the American public, said
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Postmaster General and CEO David Steiner. In seventeen seventy five,
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our founding fathers recognized the importance of creating an institution
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that could bind the nation together and foster secure and
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accessible communications between every community in America. The rich and
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enduring history of the Postal Service demonstrates the strength of
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their wisdom, and we look forward to providing reliable, affordable,
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and universal service for generations to come a brief history.
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On July twenty six, seventeen seventy five, the Second Continental
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Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as Postmaster General of the United Colonies.
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The founders believed that a democratic form of government depended
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on the free exchange of news, ideas, and opinions, and
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a colonial postal system was formed. The ratification of the
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Constitution in seventeen eighty eight gave Congress the power to
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establish post offices and post roads. At that time, seventy
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five post offices served four million people. As the population grew,
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the postal system explored various methods of transportation to keep
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up with demand. Initially, mail was carried by horseback and stagecoach,
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but the need for more efficient transportation was growing with
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the nation. In eighteen oh eight, the mail was first
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transported by steamboat, and in eighteen thirty two railroads began
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moving mail, with the first official US Railway post office
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route established in eighteen sixty four. A variety of vehicles
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carried mail in the nineteen hundreds, including motor wagons, jeeps, mailsters,
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and long life vehicles. Demand for more accessible mail services
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led to the establishment of free city delivery through an
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Act of Congress in eighteen sixty three, income from local
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postage would pay for home delivery in many cities. For
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the first time, Americans had to put their street addresses
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on their letters. With approximately sixty five percent of the
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population living in rural communities, a growing push for equal
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services prompted the start of rural free delivery in eighteen
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ninety six. In nineteen eighteen, air mail services began with
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flights from New York to Washington, d c. Many Army
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pilots flew the mail before the post Office Department hired
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its own pilots. Later, the mail was flown by contractors,
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establishing the groundwork for the commercial airline industry. Mail delivery
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during times of war played a significant role in boosting
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the morale of soldiers. The postal network provides essential mail
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services to military members stationed around the world and support
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for specialized military postal units. The postal service is one
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of the largest employers for veterans, with nearly seventy thousand
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employed today. The Zoning Improvement Plan Code, or ZIP code,
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was established in nineteen sixty three. It allowed postal employees
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to sort mail easily with five digit codes and paved
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the way for high speed optical character recognition and automated sorders.
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Rising mail volumes prompted the introduction of ZIP plus four,
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enabling automated equipment to so mail to the correct carrier
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at delivery offices, making sortation even more efficient. Today, the
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innovations continue with a forty billion dollar investment in infrastructure,
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improved facilities, and new sorting equipment. Processing capabilities have expanded
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to three hundred seventy one million mail pieces per day.
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Retail branches have grown to thirty four thousand locations, and
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six hundred forty nine thousand USPS employees now service nearly
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one hundred sixty nine million addresses nationwide. For our next article,
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agg Commissioner hands out flowers for Kentucky grown cut flower month.
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Dominion's Senior Living residents and staff receives sunflowers and zinias.
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This article is accompanied by a photo courtesy of the
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Kentucky Department of Agriculture, with the caption Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner
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Johnathan Shell spread a bit of sunshine Wednesday morning as
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he handed out sunflowers and zinnias to the residents and
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staff of Dominion Senior Living in Richmond. The flowers were
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donated by River Bend Blooms in Allen County to celebrate
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July as Grown Cut Flowers Month in Kentucky. The photo
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shows two residents sitting around a table, one with a
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sunflower in his hand and another being handed a pink
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or purple flower by a man in a ball cap.
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Several vases of flowers stand in the background, as well
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as two youngish women who look like they might be
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employees from Frankfurt. A bit of sunshine came in the
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form of zinnias and sunflowers as they were handed out
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to residence and staff at Dominion Senior Living in Richmond
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last Wednesday. The flowers donated by River Bend Blooms in
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Allen County given out by Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell in
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honour of July being recognized as Kentucky Grown Cut Flowers Month.
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Flowers can brighten up your day, and it's an even
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brighter day when you know these flowers are grown in Kentucky.
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Commissioner Shell said, the beauty the flower industry adds to
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our great state also means you can bring that beauty
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inside your home, your business, or add it to your
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summer wedding in July, we celebrate what Kentucky's farmer florists
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provide for consumers. Having the chance to provide that little
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bit of sunshine to some special people today really emphasizes
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the power of flowers. Approximately eighty percent of cut flowers
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are imported for US markets, yet Kentucky farm conditions are
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well suited for high quality commercial production. The Commonwealth is
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home to more than two hundred twenty commercial cut flower operations,
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and the number of farmer florists continues to incur each year.
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Michelle Wheeler, owner of River Bend Blooms, is one of
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the state's many florist farmers. She and her husband, David,
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specialize in cut flower farming, growing a diverse collection of
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flowers and foliage for wholesale and retail customers. Both Michelle
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and David have agricultural degrees and have used their agricultural
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sales experiences to help them build and grow their own
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two hundred twenty seven acre farm from the ground up.
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Now in their sixth season producing flowers, the Wheelers are
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committed to preserving their farmland for future generations. When I
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tell people that we are a specialty cut flower farm,
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they have a tendency to think of acute garden, Wheeler said,
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in reality, growing nine acres of field grown flowers is
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much more akin to the management and work of growing
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a tobacco crop. People have rarely considered where and how
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the flowers they purchase were g I hope to raise
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attention to the fact that the US imported over two
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point five seven billion dollars in cut flowers in twenty
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twenty three. Our farm is working hard to grow the
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highest quality, locally grown flowers for our customers in Kentucky
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and Tennessee. Your flowers don't need to take airplane rides
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when you choose to buy them from Kentucky Farms. To
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further on our Kentucky grown cut flowers, this month, the
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University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service is and the Kentucky
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Horticultural Council is celebrating in a month long promotional event.
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This is the sixth year. Each day a local cut
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flower farm will be featured on the Kentucky Grown cut
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Flower Promotion Facebook page and other social media platforms, highlighting
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where customers can find locally grown flowers on farms, at
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farmers' markets, pop up shops, through community supported agri culture
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subscriptions and other sales outlets. To help consumers find Kentucky operations,
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the UK Center for Crop Diversification CCD has produced an
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interactive online map at a web address that no longer works.
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New farms are being added frequently, and there may even
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be a flower farm close to you that doesn't yet
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appear on the map. This concludes excerpts from recent editions
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of The Springfield Sun. Your reader has been Greta on
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behalf of everyone here at radio. I thank you for listening,
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Keep on listening and have a great day.