Latest / Kentucky Business News / 9.11.25

Transcript

9.11.25 · Kentucky Business News

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hello. Today, I'll be reading from business sources in Lexington
• 0:04
  and Louisville, including The Lane Report and others from around
• 0:09
  the Commonwealth. Your reader today is Julia Shane. As a reminder,
• 0:14
  RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
• 0:17
  blind or who have other disabilities that make it difficult
• 0:20
  to read printed material. Our first article comes from the
• 0:24
  September ninth, twenty twenty five edition of The Lane Report
• 0:28
  and is titled rtx's Raytheon awarded two hundred and five
• 0:33
  million dollar contract for Phalank's Close in Weapon System system
• 0:38
  remains an integral part of ship self defense for the
• 0:41
  US Navy. Raytheon, an RTX business, has been awarded a
• 0:47
  two hundred five million dollar contract from the US Navy
• 0:51
  for continued production of the flanks Close in Weapon System CIWS.
• 0:58
  As part of the contract, TIAM will provide upgrades, conversions, overhauls,
• 1:03
  and related equipment. Phalanx is our Navy's last line of defense,
• 1:08
  expertly designed to protect our sailors from the threats they
• 1:11
  face every day, said Barbara Borgomvi, president of Naval Power
• 1:16
  at Raytheon. Securing this contract underscores the trust the U.
• 1:20
  S Navy places in an absolutely critical system. The Flanks
• 1:25
  Weapon System is a rapid fire, computer controlled, radar guided
• 1:29
  gun that can defeat anti ship missiles and other close
• 1:33
  end threats that may penetrate preceding layers of defense. It
• 1:39
  is installed on all U S Navy surface combatant ship
• 1:42
  classes and on those of twenty four allied nations. In
• 1:47
  January of twenty twenty four, Phalanx was deployed by the
• 1:51
  USS Gravely to destroy a Hoothy missile in the Red
• 1:55
  Sea just moments before impact, saving the lives of over
• 1:59
  three hundred sixalers on board. Work on this contract will
• 2:03
  take place in Louisville, Kentucky, and other US sites through
• 2:06
  twenty twenty nine. About Raytheon Raytheon, an RTX business, is
• 2:13
  a leading provider of defense solutions to help the US government,
• 2:17
  our allies and partners defend their national sovereignty and ensure
• 2:21
  their security. For more than one hundred years, Raytheon has
• 2:25
  developed new technologies and enhanced existing capabilities in integrated air
• 2:31
  and missile defense, smart weapons, missiles, advanced sensors and radars, inceptors,
• 2:38
  space based systems, hypersonics, and missile defense across land, air, sea,
• 2:44
  and space. About RTX. RTX is the world's largest aerospace
• 2:51
  and defense company with more than one hundred eighty five
• 2:54
  thousand global employees. We push the limits of technology and
• 2:58
  science to read how we connect and protect our world
• 3:03
  Through industry leading businesses Collins Aerospace, Pratt and Whitney and Raytheon,
• 3:10
  we are advancing aviation engineering, integrated defense systems for operational success,
• 3:16
  and developing next generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help
• 3:21
  global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with
• 3:26
  twenty twenty four sales of more than eighty billion dollars,
• 3:30
  is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The next article from the
• 3:34
  Lane Report is titled Our Healthy Kentucky Home takes aim
• 3:38
  at obesity, which impacts thirty eight percent of Kentuckians. The
• 3:44
  focus of September's Our Healthy Kentucky Home initiative is obesity,
• 3:49
  which is a major concern in Kentucky. Obesity is a
• 3:53
  complex and costly chronic disease with many contributing factors. Health
• 3:58
  Secretary Stephen Staff said at a September fourth press conference. However,
• 4:03
  if you struggle with your weight, there is good news.
• 4:07
  By incorporating simple and achievable lifestyle changes into your daily routine,
• 4:12
  you have the power to reduce your weight and reach
• 4:15
  your full potential. To help manage your weight, Stack explained
• 4:19
  that obesity is defined as having a body mass index
• 4:22
  or BMI over thirty. People are considered to be overweight
• 4:27
  if there BMI is between twenty five and thirty. BMI
• 4:31
  is a medical screening tool that is a measure of
• 4:34
  body fat based on height and weight. According to the
• 4:38
  twenty twenty two Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, thirty
• 4:43
  eight percent of Kentucky's adults reported being OBEs. Another thirty
• 4:48
  two percent reported that they were overweight though not OBEs. Nationally,
• 4:53
  one in five children and two in five adults struggle
• 4:57
  with obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• 5:01
  To address obesity, Stack said it is important to maintain
• 5:05
  a balanced diet. A good weight management meal plan includes
• 5:09
  a variety of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
• 5:14
  and low fat dairy. It also includes a variety of
• 5:18
  proteins such as lean meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
• 5:24
  He said, your diet should also be low in added sugars, sodium,
• 5:29
  saturated in trans fats and should stay within your daily
• 5:33
  calorie needs. According to the twenty twenty two BRFSS, forty
• 5:39
  five percent of Kentucky adults reported that they eat fruit
• 5:43
  less than once a day, and twenty percent reported they
• 5:46
  eat vegetables less than once a day. Stack encouraged Kentuckians
• 5:51
  to go to www dot MyPlate dot gov to learn
• 5:55
  how to create a healthy meal plan. He also encouraged
• 5:59
  Kentuckians to protect diticipate in daily physical activity as a
• 6:03
  way to decrease the risk of obesity related to conditions
• 6:06
  such as heart disease, stroke, type two diabetes, and more.
• 6:11
  In Kentucky, twenty six percent of adults reported in the
• 6:15
  survey that they did not exercise. You don't need special
• 6:19
  skills or equipment to stay active, he said. Everyday activities
• 6:23
  like walking your dog or using the stairs can boost
• 6:27
  your health. It's important to try a variety of different
• 6:30
  activities to find ones you really enjoy. If you like
• 6:34
  an activity, you're more likely to stick with it. He
• 6:37
  also called it essential to be socially engaged when you
• 6:40
  are on a weight loss journey. Surrounding yourself with supportive
• 6:44
  friends and family can help you stay accountable and help
• 6:47
  you maintain a healthy lifestyle, he said. Our Healthy Kentucky
• 6:52
  home website includes links to several obesity resources, including ones
• 6:57
  related to nutrition, exercise, and strategies for weight loss. The
• 7:02
  key goals of the stage year long campaign are for
• 7:05
  Kentuckians to eat two servings of fruits and vegetables daily,
• 7:09
  to exercise at least thirty minutes three times per week,
• 7:13
  and to engage with others and stay connected. The next
• 7:17
  article from the Lane report is titled Louisville Land Development
• 7:20
  reform will boost business opportunity. Last week, Metro Council passed
• 7:26
  two ordinances amending the Land Development Code LDC. LDC reform
• 7:33
  has been a long term priority for GLI and a
• 7:36
  core focus of GLI's Prosper twenty thirty strategic Plan. These
• 7:41
  small changes will have a big impact on the way
• 7:44
  businesses interact with the development process and will allow for
• 7:48
  more economic development opportunities and housing projects in our region.
• 7:54
  Zero two zero two two five adopts KRS one hundred
• 7:59
  point two one one one, which removes the requirement for
• 8:02
  legislative review for cases that pass the Planning Commission unanimously.
• 8:08
  This will speed up the approval process for cases that
• 8:11
  have no opposition on the Commission and allow more discussion
• 8:15
  time in committees for contentious cases. Zero two zero one
• 8:20
  two five extends the timeline for completion on affordable housing
• 8:25
  projects from two years to five years to ensure that
• 8:28
  developers have an appropriate time to source financing. Simple and
• 8:33
  efficient land development processes are crucial for successful economic development.
• 8:39
  To ensure that businesses looking to move or to expand
• 8:42
  their footprint in our region have the appropriate tools for success,
• 8:47
  we must create a system that is intuitive to the
• 8:49
  process of development. Louisville's land development code has been a
• 8:54
  continued source of frustration for businesses and developers within and
• 8:58
  looking to invest in the community. These ordinances work to
• 9:02
  address the frustrations we have heard by recognizing issues within
• 9:07
  the system and tweaking them to better align with the
• 9:10
  needs of its users. Gli applauds the thoughtful approach to
• 9:14
  the drafting of this language and looks forward to continuing
• 9:18
  to make strides on issues impacting the business community. The
• 9:22
  next article from the LAME report is titled Bluegrass Region
• 9:26
  Housing inventory hit five years high in the summer, sales
• 9:30
  up six percent from a year ago. The housing market
• 9:34
  across central and southern Kentucky delivered strong results in July
• 9:39
  of twenty twenty five, with most major categories seeing improvement
• 9:43
  compared to last year. According to the latest report from
• 9:47
  Bluegrass Realtors, July saw inventory numbers exceed four thousand for
• 9:52
  the first time since April of twenty twenty, or sixty
• 9:56
  three months, which was the start of the pandemic. For
• 10:00
  twenty one consecutive months, inventory has shown year over year growth,
• 10:05
  with four thousand two homes listed for sale in twenty
• 10:08
  twenty five compared to three thousand, four hundred ninety two
• 10:12
  last year, a fifteen percent increase. July marked the highest
• 10:17
  monthly total since twenty nineteen. The average interest rate in
• 10:22
  July dropped slightly to six point seven two percent from
• 10:26
  six point eight two percent the month prior, and down
• 10:30
  from six point eight five percent the previous year. Currently,
• 10:34
  rates are the lowest they fenced since October. However, predictions
• 10:38
  are not showing a significant change in rates through the
• 10:41
  remainder of the year. From the previous month, inventory was
• 10:45
  up seven percent. New listings helped with the inventory rise
• 10:50
  as they extended into a six month stretch of year
• 10:54
  over year increases, with an eleven percent jump in July
• 10:58
  compared to last year. In total, one thousand, eight hundred
• 11:03
  ninety eight properties hit the market in twenty twenty five
• 11:06
  compared to one thousand, seven hundred fifteen in twenty twenty four.
• 11:11
  The number of new properties coming online also rose three
• 11:14
  percent from last months one thousand, eight hundred forty seven listings.
• 11:20
  Year to date, new listings are up seven percent, with
• 11:23
  eleven thousand, seven hundred ninety three homes being added to
• 11:27
  the market versus eleven thousand nine last year. The increase
• 11:33
  in both new listings and overall inventory is a welcome
• 11:36
  shift for our market, said Todd Hyatt, president of Bluegrass Reeltors.
• 11:42
  On the selling side, they benefit from reaching a broader
• 11:46
  pool of active house hunters. It's a sign of a healthier,
• 11:50
  more balanced market place taking shape. July also saw months
• 11:54
  of inventory edge up slightly to two point nine months
• 11:58
  from two point eight in gus Une, continuing a three
• 12:02
  month upward trend and marking the thirty ninth consecutive month
• 12:06
  of year over year growth Compared to a year ago.
• 12:10
  Months of inventory jumped eight percent from two point seven months.
• 12:15
  The number of days that homes are taking to sell.
• 12:18
  In July rose month over month after a four consecutive
• 12:22
  month slide at forty two days. This is two days
• 12:26
  longer than it took to move property in June. The
• 12:30
  average days on market DOM was up seventeen percent from
• 12:34
  thirty six days last year. July marked the eleventh consecutive
• 12:39
  month of year over year games. The median DOM climbed
• 12:43
  to fifteen days in July, up from eleven days in
• 12:47
  twenty twenty four. We're seeing market conditions that are giving
• 12:51
  buyers more time and more options. State at Hyatt, It's
• 12:55
  still a competitive market, but the added breathing room helps
• 12:59
  create a utter experience for everyone involved in the transaction.
• 13:04
  Home sales were up six percent in July compared to
• 13:06
  twenty twenty four, with one thousand, three hundred eighty sales
• 13:10
  versus one thousand, three hundred two in July last year,
• 13:15
  an indication that buyer demand remained strong in the region.
• 13:19
  Compared to the previous month, sales jumped four percent as
• 13:23
  June saw one thousand, three hundred twenty eight sales. July
• 13:27
  sales were the highest in almost three years. Single family
• 13:32
  sales in July saw a four percent increase with one thousand,
• 13:36
  two hundred sixty four home sales sold compared to one thousand,
• 13:40
  two hundred seventeen last year. Townhouse and condo sales jumped
• 13:45
  thirty seven percent from eighty four units in twenty twenty
• 13:49
  four to one hundred sixteen this year. Townhouses and condos
• 13:54
  represent just over nine percent of the market, a stronger
• 13:58
  than average segment for the month. For the year, sales
• 14:02
  remained up four percent, with seven thousand, eight hundred forty
• 14:05
  six sales through the first seven months of the year
• 14:09
  compared to seven thousand, five hundred seventy two sales in
• 14:12
  twenty twenty four. New construction sales continued to outperform last year.
• 14:17
  In July, there were one hundred twenty five sales, which
• 14:20
  represented a two percent year over year increase over the
• 14:25
  one hundred twenty three sales last year. So far in
• 14:28
  twenty twenty five, new construction is averaging monthly sales comparable
• 14:33
  to twenty twenty during the pandemic, and on pace with
• 14:37
  the second highest monthly average since two thousand eight. Pending
• 14:42
  sales increased year over year in July for the fifth
• 14:46
  consecutive month, highlighting that the region continues to experience solid demand.
• 14:52
  Homes under contract jumped ten percent at one thousand, three
• 14:56
  hundred seventy three compared to one thousand, two hundred fifty
• 14:59
  two last year. July's total, although down one percent from
• 15:03
  the previous month, was still the fourth highest scene in
• 15:07
  almost three years. On the year, penning sales are up
• 15:11
  six percent with eight thousand, seven hundred sixty two properties
• 15:15
  that have gone under contract. Although July's median price was
• 15:20
  an all time high for the month, it cooled slightly
• 15:23
  from the previous month at two hundred ninety thousand dollars.
• 15:28
  This was a three percent dip from June, but was
• 15:31
  still six percent higher than last year. In July, the
• 15:35
  monthly total was the third highest on record, behind the
• 15:39
  previous two months. The data now shows seventy seven consecutive
• 15:44
  months of year every year price appreciation. For the year,
• 15:48
  median prices are up four percent, reaching two hundred eighty
• 15:52
  five thousand dollars. Single family home prices in June rose
• 15:56
  four percent to two hundred ninety thousand dollars, up from
• 16:00
  two hundred seventy nine thousand, nine hundred dollars. Townhouse and
• 16:04
  condo prices surged twenty four percent, out pacing single family
• 16:09
  homes to two hundred ninety three thousand dollars from two
• 16:13
  hundred thirty seven thousand dollars in twenty twenty four. Total
• 16:18
  real estate volume rose nine percent through the first seven
• 16:21
  months to over two point six billion dollars, up from
• 16:25
  two point four billion dollars in twenty twenty four. In July,
• 16:29
  total sales topped four hundred eighty three million dollars compared
• 16:33
  to four hundred twenty two million dollars last year, an
• 16:37
  increase of more than fourteen percent. This is a result
• 16:41
  of a rise and closed transactions coupled with the upward
• 16:45
  trend on the region's median home price. This summer has
• 16:49
  been a very solid housing market, said Hyatt. The combination
• 16:53
  of strong sales and increasing prices highlights a market where
• 16:57
  both buyers and sellers are at actively engaged. It's clear
• 17:02
  the region remains an attractive place to buy or sell.
• 17:06
  The next article comes from the September tenth, twenty twenty
• 17:09
  five edition of Here Lexington and is titled University of
• 17:13
  Kentucky expands Big Blue Pantry services. The University of Kentucky's
• 17:18
  Big Blue Pantry is launching expanded services aimed at mitigating
• 17:23
  food insecurity among its student population. This initiative is critical
• 17:28
  as nearly seventeen percent of Kentucky In's face challenges with
• 17:32
  food access, a concern that is reflected within the university's
• 17:36
  student body. With the aim to assist students and crisis,
• 17:41
  the Pantry has introduced nine new food lockers located in
• 17:45
  the basement of the William T. Young Library, offering access
• 17:49
  to emergency food supplies after standard pantry hours. The Big
• 17:54
  Blue Pantry, situated in Frasey Hall's Room zero one six,
• 17:59
  primarily operates during weekdays, but remains closed on weekends and holidays.
• 18:04
  The addition of food lockers provides a solution for students
• 18:07
  who may require food assistance outside of these operational hours.
• 18:13
  Students can conveniently apply online to receive a unique access code,
• 18:17
  which will enable them to reach one of the lockers.
• 18:21
  Each food locker contains a bag filled with various shelf
• 18:25
  stable food items, including ramen, noodles, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal,
• 18:31
  granola bars, and canned goods. These bags are designed to
• 18:35
  last students two to three days, ensuring they have sufficient
• 18:38
  supplies during emergencies. In the last academic year, the Big
• 18:43
  Blue Pantry served about nine hundred individuals, with total visits
• 18:47
  reaching between twenty five hundred and three thousand. However, since
• 18:52
  the lockers were installed on September five, only two students
• 18:55
  have access the news service. Currently, the initiative is in
• 18:59
  a trial phase and there may be potential for expansion
• 19:03
  based on its success and student needs. The program's coordinator
• 19:07
  has highlighted the impact of food and security on both
• 19:11
  academic success and mental well being among students. Addressing these
• 19:16
  concerns is vital as the university aims to create an
• 19:19
  environment where students can thrive without the burden of hunger.
• 19:24
  The Big Blue Pantry originated as a student led initiative
• 19:27
  in twenty fourteen and has since developed into a university
• 19:31
  sponsored program, reflecting the institution's commitment to supporting its students.
• 19:37
  The pantry continuously accepts donations of shelf stable food items
• 19:42
  and monetary contributions to bolster its mission of alleviating food
• 19:47
  and security. As the university works towards destigmatizing the need
• 19:52
  for food assistance, the message remains clear it is perfectly
• 19:56
  acceptable for students to seek help when needed. The next
• 20:00
  article comes from the September ninth, twenty twenty five edition
• 20:04
  of Louisville Business First and is titled UK Athletics to
• 20:09
  explore new basketball practice Facility, written by Stephen Schmidt. When
• 20:15
  the University of Kentucky Athletics decided to form Champion's Blue
• 20:20
  LLC in April, the number one objective was to be
• 20:23
  able to act quickly on sizeable projects like this one,
• 20:28
  a possible multi use facility that would include a men's
• 20:32
  and or women's basketball practice facility with built in spaces
• 20:36
  for the UK Healthcare Sports Medicine Department and other sports
• 20:41
  related research areas such as orthopedics. According to a news release,
• 20:46
  a motion to begin exploring a pre design and possible
• 20:49
  locations was given the green light at Champion Blue Board
• 20:54
  of Governor's meeting on September ninth. This project represents the
• 20:58
  kind of forward thinking collaboration that defines our university's mission.
• 21:04
  UK President Eli Cappaluto said in the release. By bringing
• 21:08
  together athletics, healthcare, and research, we are building a future
• 21:13
  where innovation and impact intersect, advancing Kentucky in every sense.
• 21:19
  The facility was also mentioned as being a possible cornerstone
• 21:23
  to what is being called as sports adjacent district. According
• 21:27
  to the release, members of UK's communications team have said
• 21:32
  that the facility would be akin to the Cleveland Clinic
• 21:35
  Global Peak Performance Center, a collaboration between Cleveland Clinic and
• 21:40
  the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Emory Sports Medicine Complex,
• 21:45
  a partnership with Emery Healthcare in the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.
• 21:50
  The study will cost around one million dollars, but there
• 21:53
  is not yet an all in investment for the project.
• 21:56
  When the initial structure of Champions Blue was unveiled in June,
• 22:00
  it was mentioned that the company would be creating a
• 22:03
  one hundred ten million dollar internal loan, which has already
• 22:08
  been flagged for several improvements to Kroger Field. In particular,
• 22:12
  in the last twenty four years, UK Athletics has invested
• 22:16
  seven hundred sixty eight million dollars in capital projects, per
• 22:20
  the release. Recently, Memorial Coliseum, the home of the women's
• 22:24
  basketball team and volleyball teams, underwent an eighty five million
• 22:28
  dollar renovation, making it the largest women's sports investment in
• 22:32
  the university's history. Currently, the men's and women's basketball teams
• 22:37
  practice in the Joe Craft Center, a thirty million dollar
• 22:41
  facility that opened up in two thousand and seven. Located
• 22:44
  at three three eight Lexington Avenue, it is attached to
• 22:48
  the Coliseum. We're looking forward to creating spaces that reflect
• 22:53
  the excellence and ambition of the University of Kentucky. UK
• 22:57
  Athletics Director Mitch Barnhardt said the release. This facility has
• 23:02
  the potential to elevate all our programs while also expanding
• 23:06
  our reach in sports, medicine and research. This project provides
• 23:11
  a distinctive opportunity to build something that reflects the best
• 23:14
  of what UK does. In addition, the Champions Blue Board
• 23:19
  also heard an update on a project known as the
• 23:22
  Downtown Studio at Rapparina and Central Bank Center. The twenty
• 23:27
  thousand square foot facility will serve as a production center
• 23:31
  and learning lab as a collaboration between UK Athletics, JMI Sports,
• 23:36
  UK's multimedia rights holder, and the UK College of Communication
• 23:41
  and Information. The studio space will be used to develop
• 23:45
  sponsored content. It will also allow UK student athletes to
• 23:49
  work with others in digital media creation. It should be
• 23:53
  pointed out that UK Athletics and JMI Sports unveil the
• 23:58
  launch of bbnil Suite as supplementary name, image and likeness
• 24:04
  platform when the two parties announced a recent contract extension
• 24:09
  that could be as much as four hundred sixty five
• 24:12
  million dollars during its duration. The next article from Louisville
• 24:16
  Business First is titled crack Obarrel halts renovation plans weeks
• 24:21
  after abandoning new logo written by Julia Masters, Cracker Barrel
• 24:27
  is suspending renovation plans weeks after its new logo created
• 24:31
  a national controversy. Store remodels were part of a larger
• 24:36
  plan to revitalize Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Incorporated, revealed
• 24:41
  in twenty twenty four under new president and CEO Julie
• 24:45
  Fels Massino, which also included brand identity and menu optimization
• 24:52
  of its six hundred sixty locations. Crackobarrel has tested its
• 24:56
  redesign on four and will stop there. Shared your voices
• 25:01
  in recent weeks, not just on our logo, but also
• 25:04
  on our restaurants. We're continuing to listen. Today we're suspending
• 25:08
  our remodels. Cracker Barrel president posted to X on September ninth.
• 25:13
  We heard clearly that the modern remodel design does not
• 25:16
  reflect what you love about Crackle Barrel the vintage Americana
• 25:20
  you love will always be here. The rocking chairs on
• 25:24
  the porch are fireplaces and peg games, unique treasures in
• 25:28
  our gift shop and antiques pulled straight from our warehouse
• 25:31
  in Lebanon, Tennessee. On August nineteenth, Cracker Barrel unveiled a
• 25:37
  new logo void of the old timer rocking chair, barrel
• 25:41
  and old country store phrasing. After a week of mass criticism,
• 25:46
  including commentary from President Donald Trump and a nearly one
• 25:50
  hundred million dollar drop in the market value, Cracker Barrell
• 25:54
  returned to its old logo on August twenty sixth, with
• 25:58
  our recent announcement that our old timer logo will remain
• 26:02
  along with our bigger focus in the kitchen and on
• 26:05
  your plate. We hope that today's step reinforces that we
• 26:09
  hear you, Crackerbarrel's September ninth ex post said. Cracker Barrel
• 26:14
  was founded in nineteen sixty nine and is the ninth
• 26:17
  largest public company in Greater Nashville, with twenty twenty four
• 26:21
  revenue of three point four to seven billion dollars. According
• 26:25
  to Business Journal Research, the company stock was trading at
• 26:29
  fifty dollars and thirty six cents per share at Clothes
• 26:32
  on Tuesday, down from sixty dollars and seventy two cents
• 26:36
  on August eighteenth, the day before the new logo was revealed.
• 26:40
  The company stock has seen a significant jump from its
• 26:43
  value of thirty five dollars and sixty seven cents per
• 26:47
  share a year ago. The company operates multiple restaurants in
• 26:51
  the Louisville area. The next article from Louisville Business First
• 26:55
  is titled big Layout changes for Bourbon and Beyond Louder
• 26:59
  Than Life, written by Alison Steins. Things will look different
• 27:03
  for attendees of the two largest annual music festivals in
• 27:07
  Louisville starting this week. Fans entering the Highland Festival Grounds
• 27:11
  at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville for Bourbon and Beyond
• 27:14
  September eleventh to the fourteenth and Louder than Life September
• 27:18
  eighteenth through the twenty first, will see a major festival
• 27:21
  site expansion and enhancement. The new location will feature two
• 27:25
  point four million square feet of space, doubling the footprint.
• 27:30
  We want to make the experience as comfortable and exciting
• 27:32
  for our fans, said Chaimye McCurry, general manager of Danny
• 27:37
  Wimmer Presents, which produces the two massive festivals. Some of
• 27:41
  the big changes include two separate entrances into the festivals
• 27:46
  and dedicated ride share taxi areas where you can find shuttles.
• 27:51
  The stages are also larger, and the mint VIP area
• 27:55
  is now thirty five percent larger than before with a
• 27:58
  three story shaded viewing platform. This concludes the reading of
• 28:02
  the most recent business news in Lexington, Louisville and around
• 28:06
  the state. Your reader to day has been Julia Shane.
• 28:09
  If you have any questions or comments about this program,
• 28:12
  please give our Lexington Studios a call at eight five
• 28:16
  nine four two two six three nine zero. Thanks for listening,
• 28:21
  and now please stay tuned for readings from the Kentucky
• 28:24
  series here on Radio I