Transcript

12.18.25 · Springfield Sun

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Springfield Sun to bring you
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news from in and around Washington County. Your reader to
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day is Anne Glover, and we are reading from the
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edition dated December seventeenth, twenty twenty five. As a reminder,
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Radio I is a reading service intended for people who
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are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult
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to read printed material. All right, we will start by
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reading all the headlines on the front page and then
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start working through the stories. Top story, city works to
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define nuisance. Next, we have a large photo and here
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is the caption under the photo. Over two thousand wreas
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were placed on the graves of veterans at the Lebanon
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National Cemeteryarry on Saturday, December thirteenth, as part of Reese
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Across Across America. Hundreds from Springfield and Lebanon brave the
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cold not to decorate graves, but to honor and remember
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the lives of those buried there. Reese Across America places
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rees on veterans graves in national cemeteries in all fifty
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states in US territories, as well as international cemeteries where
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American veterans are buried. Our next headline Kentucky's unemployment rate improving,
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local man charged with breaking into Springfield PD interesting yard
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sign ordinance amendment fails. And then finally the bottom corner
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KSA data is in. We'll go up and read the
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top story. City works to define nuisance by Jane Reid Klein.
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What exactly is a nuisance? The City of Springfield is
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seeking to define that for the new Code Enforcement Board.
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The December eighth meeting of the City Council addressed code
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enforcement and three nuisance ordinances. The discussion began with the
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second reading and passage of Ordnance twenty twenty five Dash twelve,
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which establishes a new code Enforcement Board. The council approved
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appointments by Mayor Chris Essex of the three member board.
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Bill Pettis was appointed to a three year term, Sue
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Blair was appointed for two years, and Michael Smith was
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appointed for one year. The varying length of the terms
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is to have members rotate off the board at yearly
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intervals rather than all at once. Essex said members the
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board can always be reappointed to additional three year terms.
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Once the Code Enforcement Board was established and board members appointed,
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the council moved on to the first reading of three
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separate nuisance ordinances. The Ordinance twenty twenty five for URIs
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thirteen is a general nuisance ordinance about abandoned, regulated, unsafe
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or deteriorated buildings, and twenty twenty five sixteen about regulated animals.
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City Attorney Lizzie Coulter stated she believed the three ordinances
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made them easier to understand and easier to find the
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regulations related to specific issues. Scott Lawson, who started in
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his role as Springfield's code enforcement officer on November one,
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said he began by reviewing open complaints. He said of
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one of his first priorities is educating the community on
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what the codes and ordinances are pertaining to these issues.
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Lawson also explained to council members what the process for
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addressing code violations will be. First, violators will receive a
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notice of violation and will be given a set amount
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of time to address the issue. Lawson said he will
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then follow up. The next step will be to move
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forward with a citation. The goal is not to fine,
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but to educate and obtain compliance laws and said. He
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also noted he is working on a system to keep
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council members informed and up to date on violations and compliance.
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At the meeting, public Works Director Eddie Goatley was recognized
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for ten years of service to the City of Springfield.
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In Goatley's monthly report to the council, he told the
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council a new salt truck had been purchased. He noted
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years of salt had eaten away at the frame of
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the twenty eleven truck the city had been using for
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plowing and salting streets. He said the damage was discovered
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when prepping the truck prior to the first snowfall of
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twenty twenty five. Twenty six. Councilman Lance Smith questioned whether
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the new truck was in the budget city had a
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straighter slash. Clerk Jessica Hart said the funds came from
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the equipment account, which is set up for this type
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of purchase, but the truck was not specifically in the budget.
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It's not a problem, said Smith. We just have to
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be fiscally responsible. The old salt truck was declared surplus
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and will be sold with a declaration about the condition.
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The matter of Thomas Drive came before the council. In
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a unanimous vote, the council voted to adopt all of
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Thomas Drive and add street lights to the area. The
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next meeting of the Springfield Council will be January thirteenth
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at four thirty p m. In the Council Room at
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City Hall, our next Storty. Kentucky's unemployment rate is improving
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by Dennis House. While unemployment in the United States has
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remained relatively stable over the past year, with small fluctuations
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in a slight overall rise, the job market is still
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in good shape, with new unemployment claims decreasing by twelve
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point four percent week over week. On November twenty fourth,
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Kentucky had the second biggest decrease in the change in
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the number of unemployment insurance claims latest week versus same
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week of twenty twenty four. According to a new study
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released by wallet Hub, the Bluegrass State ranked fiftieth in
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having the smallest decrease in the number of unemployment insurance
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initial claims year to date versus the same period of
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twenty four Herb Joo believes unemployment will continue to rise
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gradually until it stabilizes. Looking ahead, we are likely to
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see unemployment continue to rise gradually before it begins to
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stabilize and eventually pull back, said Jao. Professor Professor of
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Echinois College of Business and Economics, Tawson University. Based on
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current dynamics, I think the piece is most likely to
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occur in mid to late twenty twenty six. He added
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that it's important to emphasize the uncertainty surrounding that path.
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If policy makers, such as those of the FED respond
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effectively and economic conditions improve, the rise in unemployment could
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be less severe than anticipated, He noted. On the other hand,
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any new shocks, whether economic, financial, or geopolitical, could cause
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the labor market to weaken more than expected. What stands
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out most is the high degree of uncertainty shaping the outlook.
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Dana Sumpter, PhD. Said, the name of the game right
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now is uncertainty. Planning related to staffing relies on some
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form of certainty of what to anticipate next, and we
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are in an environment replete with uncertainty, said Sumpter, an
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Associate professor of Organizational theory and management Greidio Business School
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at Pepperdine University, Whether related to tariffs, inflation, AI disruption,
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work arrangement preferences, employee immigration status, or just run of
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the mill industry turbulence. There are all forms of uncertainty
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at play right now. She said. Recent layoff announcements from
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companies like Amazon and UPS, which she finds strange given
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the holiday season, make her lean toward being a little
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bit more cynical. I was just on a roller coaster
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with my kids last weekend and am reminded of that
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moment when you're kind of bracing right before a big drop,
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she said, adding that the best employees can do is
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either hang tight to their jobs or work on upskilling
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their AI proof competencies, skills, and abilities. According to the study,
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Blue State's employment claim are decreasing the most thirty two
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point two five compared to twenty one point nine seven
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for Red states. To identify where unemployment claims are decreasing
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the most, wallet hub compared the fifty states and the
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District of Columbia based on changes in unemployment insurance initial
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claims for several key weeks, considered the number of claims
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per one hundred thousand people in the labor force and
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used metrics to rank order the states. To view the report,
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visit wallet Hub's website. That's the end of that story.
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Next we'll go through obituaries Samuel or Sammy Thomas Lambert,
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eighty four of Hillsborough passed away to December fifth at
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his residence with family by his side. Norma Jane Newton Smith,
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age eighty nine, of Springfield passed away on Monday toi
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December eighth, at the Flaggett Hospital in Bargestown. Donnie Jean Hatchett,
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aged seventy nine, of Springfield passed away Friday, December fifth
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at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Lexington. Anne Michelle Caperon,
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fifty of Springfield passed away Thursday, December eleventh at Norton
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Hospital in Louisville. Dorothy Lucille Buffington, eighty two of Willisburg, Kentucky,
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formerly of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, passed away at her
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home on Friday, December December fifth. That is all the
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obituaries we have for this week. Our next story local
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man charged with breaking into the Springfield pd By Jane
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Reid Kleine. A criminal summons has been issued for a
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local man who allegedly broken to the Springfield Police Department
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on November tenth. Christopher Porter, forty of eleven and Hill, Springfield,
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was reported to have been banging on the front door
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of the police department. When he did not gain entry,
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he allegedly moved to a side door. The unarmed civilian
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worker inside then locked herself in an interior room and
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dialed nine one one. Porter successfully broke the lock and
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entered through the side door, causing about one thousand dollars
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in damage to the door. Sheriff Jerry Pinkston and Police
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Chief Sue Mud both responded to the scene, along with
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other officers from both departments. Porter was taken into custody
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without further damage or harm. Porter had previously been a
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client at Crown Recovery. After refusing care by EMS, Porter
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was picked up by Crown and taken to their facility.
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Mud said Porter appeared intoxicated on some substance and claimed
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someone was after him, which is why he came to
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the police department. Porter was charged with third degree burglary,
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first degree criminal mischief, second degree disorderly conduct, and second
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degree criminal trespassing. That's the end of the story. Yard
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Sign Ordinance Amendment fails by Jenna George. The first Fiscal
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Court meeting for the month of December was short and sweet,
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as not many items were brought to the table at
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this time. First up was the second reading of the
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Ordinance twenty twenty five to ten, which amends Ordinance twenty
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twenty three twenty five ten adds to the original ordinance
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that yard signs cannot be placed in a way that
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causes an obstruction in the county right of way. This
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reading died due to the lack of emotion from the
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magistrates a few struggle straggling pieces during this meeting, where
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items like the livestock removal amount was on the hire
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again end this month, hitting eighty six heads around the county.
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It was also mentioned that once his current term is completed,
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Magistrate Steve Divine has decided he will not be seeking reelection.
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Next year's fiscal court meetings were approved and the schedule
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is now set, starting off strong with January twelfth and
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twenty third of twenty twenty six. These are, of course,
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following the final fiscal Court meeting of the twenty twenty
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five year at nine am on December twenty ninth. That's
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the end of the story. Our final story from the
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front page KSA data is in by Jenna George, wrapping
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up their first meeting of the year. The Washington County
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Board of Education met last week on Monday. This meeting
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was all about the Kentucky's Summative Assessment ORSA data and
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the numbers and stats each school brought in. All schools
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grew in some way showing improvements. There was growth amongst
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the staff and their teachings and the students and what
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they have learned. As a district, Washington County was overall
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above many surrounding counties such as Marion, Mercer, Nelson and
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more in areas like reading and like reading and math.
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The Sport's complex is still being worked on and advanced.
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There are many touches being placed upon the complex, like
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painting being completed and brick and rock being ordered, with
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these items slowly being checked off. The new addition to
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the Washington County school System is remaining on schedule for
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completion following this meeting. The next one scheduled is January fifth,
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twenty twenty six. It will be at six pm in
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the Tell Center. That's the end of that story. From
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page three. Rushery Store pie run turns into a one
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hundred thousand dollars jackpot for Bardstown man. A last minute
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change of plans thanks to a newly adopted kitten turned
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into a one hundred thousand dollar Thanksgiving jackpot for a
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man in Bardstown, Kentucky. He shared his story anonymously with
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Kentucky Lottery officials. Visiting family in Ohio for the holiday
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seemed like a daunting task with his new adoption. There
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was going to be a couple of dogs and a
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baby here, the winner explained, So I ended up staying
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in town just to deal with the kitten, and I
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could always go up to Columbus on another day. The
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decision to stay home proved profitable. The schedule change led
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to a quick, unplanned trip to Kroger on West John
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rowan Bull Boulevard in Bardstown. Even without a full Thanksgiving
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meal around the family, the winner wasn't going to miss dessert.
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I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a pie,
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he explained. But buying the five dollar dollar Merry Multiplier
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scratch off was an impulse decision. The man said he
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hasn't played the lottery in years. On the way out,
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I was like, hm, why not. I came home, scratched
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it off and won a hundred thousand dollars. The man
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matched the number ten on the last row on his
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ticket to win the game's top prize. The win came
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as a massive surprise. Initially, he believed the prize was
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much smaller. I thought it was one hundred dollars at first,
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and then I went to the bonuses and I realized
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it was a comma and not a period. I scratched
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it off and was like, am I reading this right?
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He recalled. I was hoping to win five bucks. The
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biggest reaction came from his original holiday destination in Ohio.
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I texted my family and they're like, we're glad you
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didn't come, he shared with a smile. As a student,
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he plans to keep his composure before spending the windfall,
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noting the temptation to buy before the holidays. Okay, I've
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got some money. Now it's Black Friday. I just won
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the lottery. It's kind of a bad combination, he laughed.
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After state and federal taxes, the winner collected seventy two
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thousand dollars. Kruger will receive one thousand dollars for selling
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the winning ticket. Our next story is also a lottery story.
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Nineteen tg Kentucky workers win a fifty thousand dollars powerball prize.
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The group has been playing a powerball office pool for
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years comes at eleven in a group of TG Kentucky
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workers car pooled to the Kentucky Lottery after work on Friday,
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December twelfth, entering the lobby with a fifty thousand dollars
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winning powerball ticket they purchased at Country Convenient in Lebanon,
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Kentucky as part of their office pool. For several years,
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each member of the group has been paying into an
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office pool and having co workers purchase tickets. When the
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powerball jackpud hits eighty million. There were several office pools
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at work, and to make it easier for this group,
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we started pooling our money. When the jackpot gets to
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eighty million, said eight hundred million. Sorry, eight hundred million,
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said one of the winners. The group gathered in the
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Kentucky Lottery's Winner's lobby with a fifty thousand dollars ceremonial check,
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taking photos before being handed their initial prize just over
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eighteen hundred dollars after taxes. I would assume that's on
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a per person basis. The group was planning to buy
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their tickets for Saturday night's powerball drawing. After leaving the
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Kentucky Lottery, the group joked that their fifty thousand dollars
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win was just a practice run ahead of Saturday's one
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billion dollar jackpot drawing. The group was just one number
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away from winning the jackpot on Monday, December eighth. This
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group's winning ticket matched four white ball winning numbers and
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the powerball winning fifty thousand dollars. The winning powerball numbers
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were eight thirty two, fifty two, fifty six, sixty four
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with a power ball of twenty three. The group works
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in the tool and die department at Tieche Kentucky, a
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part of the global automotive supplier Toyota Godesse Group. This
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is the second big Kentucky Lottery power ball office pool
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win this year. In April, a group of seventeen Barton
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seventeen ninety two distillery workers out of Bartstown, Kentucky one
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fifty thousand the country. Convenient will receive five hundred dollars
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for selling the winning ticket. That's the end of that story.
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Our next story, Comfort Inn Comes to Springfield by Jane
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Reid Kleine. The old Springfield Inn has undergone a complete
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renovation and reopened last week as Comfort Inn in suites.
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The old deteriorating hotel was given new life with a
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complete makeover from top to bottom. The new hotel held
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a ribbon cutting and an open house on Tuesday, December ninth.
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Visitors to the inn were treated to a tour of
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the facility, including a new fitness center, twelve hundred square
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feet meeting room, and a breakfast area. The tour also
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included a look at some of the various room configurations.
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The Comfort Inn has sixty two rooms available. Some contain
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a single king sized bed, some are two queens, and
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others set up suites with couches and extra accommodations. Families
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also have the option of adjoining rooms. Handicapped accessible rooms
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are available with fully handicapped accessible bathrooms and showers. All
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the rooms have been fully updated, refurnished, and are ready
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for occupancy. We have a birth announcement Flowers's welcome baby girl,
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Amelia Renet Flowers, was welcomed into the Flowers family on
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August twenty fifth, twenty twenty five. She was born at
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Ephra McDowell Regional Medical Center in Danville. Kristin and Michael
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Flowers of Springfield welcome their five pound eleven ounce eighteen
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inch long baby girl into their family. Amelia has four
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older brothers, Seamus ten Beaux eight, Hudson five, and Owen three.
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Her grandparents are Jenny and Kenny and Judy Kelty and
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Charlie and Laura Osborne, all of Springfield. Late great grandparents
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are Wilbur and Omeia Kelty, Evo and Anna, Laura Spalding,
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Don and Helen Flowers Senior, all of Springfield and Chester,
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and Goldie Powers of Middlesbrough. That's the end of that notice.
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Efram McDowell Healthcare Foundation backs Sensory Friendly Santa event. This
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is out of Danville. Efren McDowell Healthcare Foundation recently presented
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a thirty nine hundred dollars grant to Efren McDowell Kids
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Can Do Pediatric Therapy Center to support its annual Sensory
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Friendly Santa Program. Thanks to the generosity of Foundation donors,
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seventy five families were able to participate in this meaningful
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and inclusive holiday event. For the past eight years, the
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Sensory Friendly Santa program has provided a welcoming, low stimulus
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environment where children with sensory needs can enjoy a personalized
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visit with Santa. Many kids can Do patients experience challenges
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such as sensory to noise and lights, sensitivity to noise
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and lights, difficulty with transitions or becoming overstimulated in crowded settings,
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barriers that often prevent participation in traditional holiday activities. With
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donor support, Kids Can Do transforms its space into a
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calm and festive environment with holiday crafts, sensory tools, and
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warm treats. For families, Therapists from occupational, physical and speech
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therapy teams provide individualized strategies and assistance throughout the event
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to ensure each family has a peaceful and memorable experience.
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This program is a beautiful reminder of the impact donor
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support has on families right lias here in our community,
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says John scath Efren McDonell, Dow Healthcare Foundation board member.
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Sensory Friendly Santa creates a moment of joy that many
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of these children would not otherwise be able to experience.
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Donor generosity ensures that every child, regardless of their sensory needs,
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can share in the magic of the season. Parents consistently
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share heartfelt feedback, noting that for some children, this event
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marks their first successful interaction with Santa. For many families,
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Sensory Friendly Santa has become a beloved annual tradition they
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look forward to months in advance. The keepsake photo and
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one to one experience offer memories that last a lifetime,
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especially for families who may not have the financial means
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to participate in similar programs elsewhere. At Ephram McDowell Health
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we are committed to providing compassion inclusive care, and programs
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like Sensory Friendly Santa reflect that mission beyond the walls
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of the hospital, said Nick Spounamore, Administrator at Ephraim McDowell
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Regional Medical Center. We are grateful for the Foundation and
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its donors who make it possible for Kids Can Do
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to create such a special environment for children and their families.
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This is community support at its very best. Kids Can
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Do plans to expand next year's event by offering Sensory
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Friendly Santa on both Friday and Saturday to better serve
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school age children and meet the growing demand within the community.
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The foundation has received their request for continued support and
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remains committed to funding programs that enrich the lives of
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children and families. Ephram McDow Healthcare Foundation extends its sincere
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gratitude to every donor who made this year's event possible
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because of your generosity, seventy five families experience the joy, comfort,
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and magic of a truly inclusive holiday tradition. We are
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very short on time, so we'll cover just headlines in
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the sports page. Commanderettes remain winless on season. That is
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girls' basketball. Commanders suffer three early season losses, which I
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believe is boys' basketball. Chesser Honeycut named WCCHS Student Athletes
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of the Month, and this is Brandon Chesser and Kimmy Honeycut.
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And then finally, wcchs's athletic department seeks part time announcer
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for home basketball games, so if you would like to
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announce for WCHS, please contact them. Finally, from page B
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three e c TC to host express enrollment for classes
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that begin on January twelfth. The express enrollment will be
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from nine a m. To six p m. December seventeenth
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and eighteenth for spring classes that begin January twelfth. This
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concludes our excerpts from recent editions of The Springfield Sun.
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Your reader has been Anne Glover on behalf of everyone
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here at radio. I thank you for listening, keep on
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listening and have a great day.