Latest / Kentucky Business News / 9.10.26

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9.10.26 · Kentucky Business News

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  Speaker 1: Hello. Today I'll be reading from business sources in Lexington
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  Speaker 1: and Louisville, including the Lane Report and others from around
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  Speaker 1: the Commonwealth. Your reader today is Julia Shane. As a reminder,
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  Speaker 1: Radio Eye is a reading service intended for people who
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  Speaker 1: are blind or who have other disabilities that make it
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  Speaker 1: difficult to read printed material. The first article comes from
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  Speaker 1: the September 8th, 2026 edition of the Lane Report and
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  Speaker 1: is titled Small Business Optimism Slips in August. as sales
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  Speaker 1: inflation concerns persist. Small business optimism cooled in August, as
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  Speaker 1: business owners reported weaker sales and continued concerns about inflation,
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  Speaker 1: workforce availability, and supply chain disruptions, according to the latest
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  Speaker 1: National Federation of Independent Business survey. The NFIB Small Business
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  Speaker 1: Optimism Index declined to 98.7 in August, down 1.1 points
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  Speaker 1: from July, but remaining above its 52-year average of 98.
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  Speaker 1: The organization's uncertainty index fell two points to 89, but
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  Speaker 1: remained well above its historic average of 68. Uncertainty remains
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  Speaker 1: elevated among small business owners as they face a mixed
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  Speaker 1: set of challenges with weakened sales, supply chain disruptions, and
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  Speaker 1: inflation pressures, NFIB chief economist Bill Dunkelberg said. While expectations
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  Speaker 1: for overall economy dimmed, Main Street owners remain largely positive
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  Speaker 1: in the health of their own businesses. NFIB Kentucky State
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  Speaker 1: Director Tom Underwood said the national results reflect many of
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  Speaker 1: the challenges facing Kentucky's small businesses. Our small business members
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  Speaker 1: need certainty, but rising prices, sluggish sales, and problems finding
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  Speaker 1: enough people to work are making it hard for them
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  Speaker 1: to plan ahead and serve their customers' needs, Underwood said.
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  Speaker 1: Expectations for better business conditions declined five points in August
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  Speaker 1: to a seasonally adjusted net 10%, although the reading remained
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  Speaker 1: above the historic average of 4%. Sales were another area
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  Speaker 1: of weakness. A seasonally adjusted net negative 9% of owners
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  Speaker 1: reported higher nominal sales during the previous three months, a
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  Speaker 1: five-point decline from July, and the lowest reading since November
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  Speaker 1: of 2025. Inflation also remained a significant concern. Sixteen percent
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  Speaker 1: of small business owners identified inflation as their single most
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  Speaker 1: important problem, up two points from July, and tying taxes
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  Speaker 1: as the second largest issue facing owners. Labor conditions showed
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  Speaker 1: some signs of easing, but finding qualified employees continues to
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  Speaker 1: be a challenge. 35% of owners reported job openings they
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  Speaker 1: could not fill in August, down one point from July,
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  Speaker 1: but 11 points above the historic average. Among the 56%
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  Speaker 1: of owners who reported hiring or attempting to hire during August,
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  Speaker 1: 82% said they found few or no qualified applicants for
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  Speaker 1: available positions. Hiring expectations also declined. A seasonally adjusted net
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  Speaker 1: 17% of owners reported said they planned to create new
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  Speaker 1: jobs during the next three months, down three points from July,
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  Speaker 1: when the measure reached its highest level since October of 2022.
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  Speaker 1: Supply chain disruptions remained widespread, with 62% of small business
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  Speaker 1: owners reporting their operations were affected to some degree in August,
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  Speaker 1: down one point from July. Despite those pressures, most owners
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  Speaker 1: remained positive about their individual businesses. 11% rated the health
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  Speaker 1: of their business as excellent and 57% described it as good,
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  Speaker 1: while 28% said conditions were fair and 3% rated their
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  Speaker 1: business as poor. The NFIB Research Center has tracked small
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  Speaker 1: business economic trends quarterly since 1973 and monthly since 1986.
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  Speaker 1: The August survey was conducted among randomly selected NFIB members.
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  Speaker 1: The next article from the Lane Report is titled, UK Athletics,
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  Speaker 1: Heaven Hill Brands Announce Multi-Year Bourbon Partnership. Two of Kentucky's
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  Speaker 1: most recognizable names are joining forces as UK Athletics and
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  Speaker 1: Heaven Hill Brands announced a multi-year partnership that will bring
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  Speaker 1: the companies Elijah Craig and Evan Williams Bourbon Brands into
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  Speaker 1: the University of Kentucky athletic venues. and introduce limited-edition, co-branded
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  Speaker 1: bottles for Wildcat fans. Under the agreement announced Thursday, Elijah
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  Speaker 1: Craig becomes the official small-batch bourbon partner of the Kentucky Wildcats,
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  Speaker 1: while Evan Williams becomes the official bourbon partner of the
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky Wildcats. The partnership will include naming rights for premium
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  Speaker 1: hospitality areas at Kroger Field and Rupp Arena, branded experiences
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  Speaker 1: at UK Athletic Facilities, and a series of special bourbon
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  Speaker 1: releases tied to the Wildcats. When you think of Kentucky,
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  Speaker 1: one of the first things you think about is the Wildcats.
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  Speaker 1: Another is bourbon, said Jay Batt, UK Athletics Director and
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  Speaker 1: CEO of Champions Blue LLC. Bourbon is foundational to the
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  Speaker 1: uniqueness of Kentucky's culture and economy, and we are proud
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  Speaker 1: to welcome Elijah Craig and Eben Williams into the Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: Athletics family. The agreement represents a significant marketing partnership between
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  Speaker 1: UK Athletics and Heaven Hill, one of Kentucky's largest and
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  Speaker 1: best-known spirits companies. Bardstown-based Heaven Hill was founded in 1935
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  Speaker 1: and remains an independent, family-owned and operated spirits company. Its
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  Speaker 1: portfolio includes several major American whiskey brands, including Elijah Craig
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  Speaker 1: and Evan Williams. Elijah Craig takes over premium hospitality spaces.
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  Speaker 1: One of the most visible components of the partnership will
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  Speaker 1: be the transformation of premium hospitality areas at two of
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  Speaker 1: UK's highest-profile athletic venues. The Mezzanine Club at Kroger Field
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  Speaker 1: will become the Elijah Craig Club, while the Bourbon Club
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  Speaker 1: at Rupp Arena will be renamed the Elijah Craig Speakeasy.
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  Speaker 1: UK Athletics said both spaces will be redesigned as immersive
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  Speaker 1: Elijah Craig Destinations. with design elements inspired by Kentucky bourbon
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  Speaker 1: and the brand's heritage. The arrangement gives Heaven Hill prominent
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  Speaker 1: exposure at the home of Kentucky football and inside Rupp
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  Speaker 1: Arena at Central Bank Center, one of the most recognizable
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  Speaker 1: venues in college basketball. Evan Williams also will have a
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  Speaker 1: significant presence through the brand's Bourbon Nation program. The brand
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  Speaker 1: plans to participate in tailgates, fan zones, and other game
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  Speaker 1: day activities. extending the partnership beyond premium hospitality areas and
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  Speaker 1: into events geared toward the broader UK fan base. Heaven
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  Speaker 1: Hill's Elijah Craig and Evan Williams brands also will be
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  Speaker 1: featured across hospitality spaces at Kroger Field, Rupp Arena, Historic
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  Speaker 1: Memorial Coliseum, and Kentucky Proud Park. Elijah Craig and Evan
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  Speaker 1: Williams represent two sides of what makes bourbon culture great,
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  Speaker 1: the craftsmanship That commands respect and the spirit that brings
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  Speaker 1: people together, said Matt Blevins, chief marketing officer at Heaven Hill.
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  Speaker 1: That's exactly what UK Athletics means to this state. Special
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  Speaker 1: UK bourbon bottles planned. The partnership will also move from
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  Speaker 1: UK's athletic facilities to Kentucky bourbon shelves. Heaven Hill and
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  Speaker 1: UK Athletics plan to introduce a series of limited edition,
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  Speaker 1: co-branded Elijah Craig and Evan Williams bottles, celebrating the relationship
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  Speaker 1: between the university and the Kentucky bourbon producer. The first
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  Speaker 1: release will be an Elijah Craig barrel personally selected by BAT.
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  Speaker 1: BAT traveled to Bardstown to select the barrel ahead of
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  Speaker 1: the first football season as UK's athletic director. The resulting
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  Speaker 1: bottles will feature UK-related branding and are intended to give
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky fans and bourbon collectors a product specifically associated with
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  Speaker 1: the Wildcats. Additional details about availability, pricing, and the release
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  Speaker 1: schedule for the bottles were not immediately announced. The collectible
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  Speaker 1: bottle program adds another dimension to a partnership connecting two
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  Speaker 1: powerful consumer brands with deep ties to Kentucky. Bourbon has
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  Speaker 1: become an increasingly important component of Kentucky's tourism and economic
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  Speaker 1: development industries, while UK Athletics commands one of the largest
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  Speaker 1: and most recognizable fan bases in college sports. This partnership
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  Speaker 1: creates exciting new opportunities to enhance the fan experience, celebrate
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  Speaker 1: our shared Kentucky heritage, and support the future of UK athletics,
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  Speaker 1: Batts said. The agreement was developed by JMI Sports, UK
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  Speaker 1: Athletics' multimedia rights partner, which operates locally as UK Sports
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  Speaker 1: and Campus Marketing. JMI Sports connected Heaven Hill with UK
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  Speaker 1: Athletics and led development of the partnership, including the naming
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  Speaker 1: rights agreements, licensing and trademark approvals, pouring rights, and multimedia
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  Speaker 1: marketing programs. Final terms of the multi-year agreement were not disclosed.
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  Speaker 1: The partnership arrives as UK Athletics begins a new era
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  Speaker 1: under BAT, who was named Athletics Director this year. For
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  Speaker 1: Heaven Hill, the deal provides extensive exposure for two of
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  Speaker 1: its flagship bourbon brands among Kentucky sports fans, while tying
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  Speaker 1: the products more closely to the state's flagships, university. For
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  Speaker 1: UK Athletics, the agreement further monetizes its facilities, hospitality spaces,
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  Speaker 1: and brand while creating new experiences for fans and corporate partners.
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  Speaker 1: The result is a distinctly Kentucky combination, college sports and bourbon.
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  Speaker 1: that will be visible at football games, basketball games, tailgates,
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  Speaker 1: and eventually on bourbon shelves across the Commonwealth. About Heaven
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  Speaker 1: Hill Brands Founded in 1935, Bardstown, Kentucky-based Heaven Hill Brands
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  Speaker 1: is the nation's largest independent family-owned and led spirits company,
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  Speaker 1: as well as the world's second-largest holder of Kentucky bourbon
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  Speaker 1: and the third-largest supplier of tequila. Heaven Hill has been
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  Speaker 1: named a Best Managed Company from 2024 to 2026 by
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  Speaker 1: Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal. Heaven Hill's diversified
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  Speaker 1: portfolio brands includes Heaven Hill Whiskey Family of Brands, Evan Williams,
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  Speaker 1: Elijah Craig, Widow Jane, Larceny, Old Fitzgerald, and Henry McKenna Bourbons,
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  Speaker 1: Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey, Deep Eddy Vodka, Admiral Nelson's Rum, Black
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  Speaker 1: Velvet Canadian Whiskey, Luna Zool and Ocho Tequila, Hypnotic Liquor,
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  Speaker 1: and Carol Ann's Irish Cream Liqueur. About UK Athletics. UK
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  Speaker 1: Athletics is a leader in college sports, sponsoring 23 varsity
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  Speaker 1: sports teams, 12 women's teams, 10 men's teams, plus the
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  Speaker 1: co-ed rifle team, and hundreds of student-athletes competing for championships,
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  Speaker 1: ensuring their education and well-being. and providing opportunities for the
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  Speaker 1: present and future. With the leadership of Athletics Director CEO
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  Speaker 1: Jay Batt, UK Athletics operates as Champions Blue LLC. The
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  Speaker 1: non-profit holding company, a first of its kind in college athletics,
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  Speaker 1: is designed to provide the department with the flexibility to
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  Speaker 1: unlock new revenue streams through public-private partnerships and potentially other
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  Speaker 1: transactions such as real estate. About JMI Sports. JMI Sports
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  Speaker 1: is a leading media rights and venue development company that
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  Speaker 1: provides management of collegiate multimedia rights, sponsorship sales, agency representation,
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  Speaker 1: and project management expertise for the development of collegiate and
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  Speaker 1: professional sports facilities. The company serves to maximize each client's
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  Speaker 1: economic potential through customized initiatives from marketing and branding solutions
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  Speaker 1: to to facility design strategies. JMI Sports signature collegiate multimedia
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  Speaker 1: rights partnerships include the University of Kentucky, UCLA, the University
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  Speaker 1: of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, Columbia University,
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  Speaker 1: San Diego State, University of California at San Diego, University
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  Speaker 1: of San Diego, and joint venture properties at the University
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  Speaker 1: of Georgia with Learfield. University of Notre Dame with Legends,
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  Speaker 1: and Northwestern University with Legends. JMI Sports also represents multimedia
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  Speaker 1: rights for several conferences, including the Ivy League, the Mid-American Conference,
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  Speaker 1: the Mountain West Conference, the Patriot League, and the Atlantic 10,
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  Speaker 1: and serves as third-party sales representation for premier sports properties, venues,
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  Speaker 1: and events, including Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, the
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  Speaker 1: Rose Bowl, the Penn Relays, and USA Volleyball. JMI Sports
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  Speaker 1: was founded in 2006 by CEO Eric Judson and technology
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  Speaker 1: entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres.
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  Speaker 1: The next article from the Lane Report is titled, Amazon
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  Speaker 1: Plans Lexington Same-Day Delivery Facility, Creating 150 Jobs. Amazon is
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  Speaker 1: expanding its Kentucky operations, With plans to open its first
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  Speaker 1: same-day delivery facility in the Lexington area, a project expected
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  Speaker 1: to create 150 full and part-time jobs and bring one-hour
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  Speaker 1: delivery service to Central Kentucky for the first time. The 224,000-square-foot
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  Speaker 1: facility will be located at 1501 McGrathiana Parkway in Lexington
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  Speaker 1: and is expected to begin operations in 2027. The facility
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  Speaker 1: will use advanced robotics and automation to process tens of
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  Speaker 1: thousands of customer orders each day, according to Amazon. Once operational,
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  Speaker 1: it will give Lexington area customers access to Amazon's one-hour, three-hour,
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  Speaker 1: and free same-day delivery options on millions of products. The
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  Speaker 1: project represents another expansion by one of Kentucky's largest private
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  Speaker 1: sector employers and adds to Amazon's growing logistics network across
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  Speaker 1: the state. Amazon is one of our largest private employers.
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  Speaker 1: Their investment in Lexington continues to grow, reflecting the strength
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  Speaker 1: of our economy and our workforce, Lexington Mayor Linda Gordon said.
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  Speaker 1: Our economy is thriving. We're setting records for the highest
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  Speaker 1: employment numbers in Fayette County history. Over 171,000 people are
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  Speaker 1: working here. Amazon is one reason why. Amazon said full-time
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  Speaker 1: employees at the new operation will receive compensation averaging $ 23
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  Speaker 1: per hour. along with benefits that begin on the first
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  Speaker 1: day of employment. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage,
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  Speaker 1: up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave, a 401k
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  Speaker 1: with company match, stock options, short and long-term disability coverage,
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  Speaker 1: and financial counseling and estate planning services. Employees also will
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  Speaker 1: be eligible for Amazon's Career Choice Program, which provides funding
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  Speaker 1: for college tuition and other educational opportunities. The Lexington facility
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  Speaker 1: will be part of Amazon's network of same-day delivery sites,
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  Speaker 1: which are designed to combine fulfillment and delivery operations to
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  Speaker 1: shorten the amount of time between when an order is
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  Speaker 1: placed and when it reaches a customer's door. Amazon said
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  Speaker 1: the facility will feature autonomous mobile robots that transport products
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  Speaker 1: throughout the building. The technology is intended to reduce physically
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  Speaker 1: demanding tasks. while allowing employees to focus on other parts
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  Speaker 1: of the fulfillment process. We're thrilled to bring same-day delivery
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  Speaker 1: to Lexington for the first time, said Deborah Massey, Amazon's
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  Speaker 1: Regional Economic Development Manager. This facility will unlock delivery speeds
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  Speaker 1: that Central Kentucky customers have never had access to before,
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  Speaker 1: including one-hour and three-hour options on millions of everyday essentials.
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  Speaker 1: Massey said the company's decision to expand in Lexington reflects
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  Speaker 1: confidence in the region's workforce and continued economic growth. Lexington
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  Speaker 1: is a growing market with a skilled workforce, and this
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  Speaker 1: investment reflects our confidence in this community and our commitment
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  Speaker 1: to serving customers across the region, she said. Amazon launched
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  Speaker 1: same-day delivery for Prime members in 2015 and has since
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  Speaker 1: expanded the service to more than 9,000 U.S. cities and towns.
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  Speaker 1: The company said one-hour delivery is available in hundreds of cities,
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  Speaker 1: while three-hour delivery reaches more than 2,000 cities and towns.
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  Speaker 1: Prime members can receive free same-day delivery on qualifying orders
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  Speaker 1: of more than $ 25, while one-hour and three-hour delivery options
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  Speaker 1: are available for additional discounted delivery fees. The Lexington facility
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  Speaker 1: also could expand the types of products Central Kentucky consumers
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  Speaker 1: can receive on accelerated schedules. Amazon has been expanding its
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  Speaker 1: same-day delivery of perishable groceries, including fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat,
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  Speaker 1: and frozen foods. The company's perishable grocery selection available through
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  Speaker 1: same-day delivery has increased more than 30% and is offered
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  Speaker 1: in more than 2,300 U.S. cities and towns. Amazon Pharmacy
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  Speaker 1: also is expanding same-day prescription delivery. with the company targeting
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  Speaker 1: nearly 4,500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026.
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  Speaker 1: Amazon said pharmacies can be incorporated into same-day delivery facilities,
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  Speaker 1: allowing prescriptions to be delivered within hours in some markets.
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  Speaker 1: The new Lexington operation adds to an already substantial Amazon
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  Speaker 1: presence in Kentucky. The company says it has made more
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  Speaker 1: than 30 operational investments across the Commonwealth, including 12 fulfillment
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  Speaker 1: and sortation centers. five delivery stations, three rural delivery facilities,
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  Speaker 1: two Whole Foods market locations, and its Amazon Air Hub
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  Speaker 1: in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky International Airport. Amazon also has invested
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  Speaker 1: in renewable energy infrastructure in Kentucky, including four solar farms
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  Speaker 1: and three facilities with on-site solar installations. Since 2010, Amazon
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  Speaker 1: says it has invested more than $ 75 billion in Kentucky.
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  Speaker 1: including spending on infrastructure and employee compensation. The company estimates
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  Speaker 1: those investments have contributed to more than $ 55 billion to
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky's gross domestic product. Amazon currently employs more than 19,000
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  Speaker 1: full and part-time workers in Kentucky and estimates its activities
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  Speaker 1: support more than 30,000 indirect jobs in industries including construction, logistics,
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  Speaker 1: and professional services. The company also pointed to its impact
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  Speaker 1: on Kentucky-based small businesses selling products through Amazon. Independent sellers
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  Speaker 1: in Kentucky averaged $ 210, 000 in annual sales and sold more
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  Speaker 1: than 17 million items, according to company figures. Amazon said
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  Speaker 1: more than 4,000 Kentuckians have participated in its career choice, pathways,
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  Speaker 1: and foundational skills education and workforce programs since their inception.
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  Speaker 1: The company currently works with 11 career choice educational partners
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  Speaker 1: across the state. The Lexington project comes as Amazon continues
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  Speaker 1: investing heavily in Kentucky's logistics infrastructure, taking advantage of the
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  Speaker 1: state's central geographic location and transportation network, and workforce. For Lexington,
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  Speaker 1: the facility will add another major logistics operation while introducing
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  Speaker 1: a service that has previously been concentrated in larger metropolitan markets.
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  Speaker 1: The next article comes from the September 4, 2026 edition
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  Speaker 1: of Louisville Business First and is titled, LDG Calls Jury
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  Speaker 1: Verdict Crowning Achievement, Prospect Punished for Efforts to Thwart Affordable
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  Speaker 1: Housing Development. written by Olivia Estright. When an LDG affordable
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  Speaker 1: housing project was denied in 2017, company co-owner Chris Dershinger
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  Speaker 1: didn't imagine nearly a decade of legal proceedings, but it
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  Speaker 1: never crossed LDG's mind to abandon the case. Some called
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  Speaker 1: that decision stubborn and others called it stupid. For Dershinger,
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  Speaker 1: it was right. I knew in my heart that the
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  Speaker 1: problem was with our development and it wasn't the size
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: and scope. It was about who was going to live there.
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  Speaker 1: The verdict in a two-week jury trial between LDG and
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  Speaker 1: the city of Prospect proved that, he said. The trial
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  Speaker 1: concluded on August 25th with a jury ruling that Prospect
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  Speaker 1: opposition to the affordable housing complex known as Prospect Cove
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  Speaker 1: was discriminatory and violated the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause
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  Speaker 1: and the Federal Fair Housing Act. LDG was awarded $ 36. 3
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  Speaker 1: million in damages. Of that amount, the jury awarded more
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  Speaker 1: than $ 7 million in punitive damages. Punitive damages are awarded
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  Speaker 1: to punish a defendant for intentional or malicious misconduct while
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  Speaker 1: deterring similar future actions. This will be one of the
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  Speaker 1: crowning achievements in LDG's career as a company. We fought
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  Speaker 1: for the rights of our residents to live where they
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  Speaker 1: want to live, and I'm very proud of it. LDG's
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  Speaker 1: plans for the Prospect property. Development plans for the Prospect
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  Speaker 1: Cove are still on. LDG is hoping to break ground
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  Speaker 1: on the property at 6500 Forest Cove Lane and 7301
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  Speaker 1: River Road later this year or in early 2027, depending
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  Speaker 1: on finances. When plans for the complex became public in 2016,
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  Speaker 1: after LDG sought a zoning change, The complex included 198
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  Speaker 1: units and a four-story building for senior tenants. In 2021,
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  Speaker 1: those plans were revised to include a 178-unit, three-story building
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  Speaker 1: nearly 100,000 square feet smaller than the original. In a
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  Speaker 1: statement to Business First, Prospect Mayor Doug Farnsley addressed the
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  Speaker 1: city's option to appeal. We disagree with the jury's decision.
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  Speaker 1: We respect the jurors and the court. and we are
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  Speaker 1: evaluating our next steps, Farnsley wrote. Prospect is a small
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  Speaker 1: suburban city filled with good, thoughtful people, he continued. We
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  Speaker 1: will work with LDG as construction moves forward, and we
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  Speaker 1: look forward to welcoming their tenants as neighbors and as
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  Speaker 1: members of our community. Farnsley, who was elected mayor in 2022,
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  Speaker 1: said the city has no jurisdiction over the Prospect Cove territory,
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  Speaker 1: and LDG has had the opportunity to begin building for
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  Speaker 1: more than a year. the city was made aware of
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  Speaker 1: LDG's timeline to begin construction on Prospect Cove during the trial. Initially,
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  Speaker 1: the city of Prospect was not involved in the lawsuit.
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  Speaker 1: LDG originally sued Louisville Metro Government in 2017 after the
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  Speaker 1: Metro Council passed an ordinance denying the developer's zoning change request.
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  Speaker 1: According to court documents, Prospect intervened in the case, arguing
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  Speaker 1: that LDG failed to allege it was harmed by Metro
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  Speaker 1: Council's decision. Metro government settled its end of the dispute
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: last year, agreeing to pay LDG $ 6 million. Dishinger said
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: this case should set a national example. Cities can't prevent
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: people from living in their communities because they have a
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: different background, he said. The overall reaction we've seen is
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: that it's about time somebody stood up and fought the
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: good fight. The next article comes from the September 8,
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: 2026 edition of the Louisville Courier-Journal. and is titled New
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: Kentucky Barnes & Noble Location, Part of Nationwide Expansion. A new,
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: larger Barnes & Noble location recently opened in Lexington, according
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: to a news release from the company. Located in the
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: Fayette Mall, the store opened August 26 with a grand opening.
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: It's part of the company's plan to open 60 stores
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: this year. Another location in Louisville is expected to open
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: in October. Where is the new Barnes & Noble in Lexington?
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: The new store is in Fayette Mall at 3565 Nicholasville Road.
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: Where is the Barnes & Noble opening in Louisville? Another
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: new Kentucky store is planned for Louisville's East End this
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: year in the Mall of St. Matthews. As of mid-August,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: the store was on track to open in October, a
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: Barnes & Noble spokesperson said. The space previously housed the
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: last Louisville area Zappos unboxed before it closed in March.
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: The bookstore chain has around 600 stores across the U.S.
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: and sells more than a million different physical book titles
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: each year. Where else has Barnes & Noble opened stores
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: in 2026? Barnes & Noble has opened about 28 stores
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: across 15 states and Washington, D.C. since the start of 2026,
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: underscoring the bookseller's nationwide expansions. The openings include San Antonio, Orlando, Chicago, Stillwater, Oklahoma, Casper, Wyoming, Comeck,
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: New York, Livingston, New Jersey, Costa Mesa, California, Farmington, Connecticut, Atlanta, Georgia,
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: Oak Park, Illinois, Nightdale, North Carolina, Turlock, California, Orlando, Florida, Prosper, Texas, Aurora, Ohio, Seattle, Arlington, Virginia, Clovis, California, Melbourne, Florida, Chicago, Illinois,
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: Colorado Springs, Colorado, Stokey, Illinois, Port St. Lucie, Florida, Strongsville, Ohio, Katy, Texas,
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: and Washington, D.C. The next article from the Courier-Journal is titled,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: New Lowe's Stores Plan to Open in Kentucky. Lowe's plans
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: to open three more stores in 2026, one of which
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: is in Kentucky, the company said in a news release.
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: The location in Walton, will be one of several across
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: the Bluegrass State, including five in Louisville. Lowe's has over 1,750
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: home improvement stores, 540 branches, and 120 distribution centers. The
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: company plans to open five stores this year in Florida, Kentucky,
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: and Texas. Lowe's opened its Port St. Lucie, Florida store
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: on June 5th and its Kauffman, Texas store on August 7th.
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: These stores will include in-store updates such as a redesigned
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: kitchen showroom, selling desk for installation and service projects, larger
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: selection of luxury appliances and kitchen products, a larger interactive
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: product display, and style quizzes, budget calculators, and 3D visualizers.
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: This concludes the reading of the most recent business news
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: in Lexington, Louisville, and around the state. Your reader today
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: has been Julia Shane. If you have any questions or
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: comments about this program, please give our Lexington studios a
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: call at 859-422-6390. Thanks for listening. And now please stay
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: tuned for readings from the Kentucky series here on Radio Eye.