“NEWSROOM ARCHIVE”
Pulaski County recycling continues to grow
Waste Tire Cleanup scheduled for April
The Pulaski County Recycling Center is continuing to increase its yearly totals by more some 300 tons last year.
County Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator Danny Masten presented his 2018 report to Pulaski County Fiscal Court earlier this week.
The recycling center shipped out a total of 7,758,251 pounds or 3,879.13 tons of recyclables — the vast majority of which was cardboard at over 5.7 million pounds. Newsprint ran a far distant second at 612,355 pounds and was followed by paper products, plastics, books, and metals.
Masten attributed some of the increase to taking in Wayne County recyclables following a fire at their center last April. “They should be up and going by the end of March,” he said.
In terms of litter pickup, Masten reported that 2,490.6 miles of Pulaski roads had been cleaned over the last year, with a total of 14,660 bags collected. He acknowledged that there is still more to do as magistrates still get calls about garbage on the roadways.
“We’re out there doing what we can,” Masten said, citing Ky. 80 as an example. “Some of the parts that we cleaned on 80, you can’t tell because they’ve already got litter back on them.”
The recycling/solid waste coordinator told the court he’s excited that one of his employees, who used to work at the Pulaski County Detention Center, will soon be able to take out inmate crews to help with litter cleanup. “I think we’ll have a good relationship there going forward,” Masten said. “It should be good to help us get more roads clean.”
Masten concluded his report by noting that this is Pulaski County’s year for waste tire amnesty. Tires will be taken April 4-6 at the state highway garage. The court approved an agreement with the Kentucky Division of Waste Management to hold the cleanup.
The 2018 school season is in session.
Sometimes after a summer of not watching for school buses we can forget to be aware of their presence..
PLEASE: Consider this a reminder that school buses are on the roads and they are full of precious cargo.
DO NOT PASS a stopped school bus it is THE LAW !
Clover Leaf Closer to a Reality
Somerset-Kentucky Commonwealth Journal – Clover Leaf Closer to a Reality By Bill Mardis
“They (Highway Department engineers) are designing it … getting paperwork ready … we won’t know anything for sure for a couple of months until (and if) the grant money comes in.”
Amber Hale, public information officer for the Highway Department’s District 8, was giving a status report on a planned cloverleaf exchange at the intersection of Ky. 80 and Ky. 461, and four-laning Ky. 461 from the interchange north to Buck Creek bridge.
The proposed cloverleaf interchange is at the point were east Ky. 80, now Hal Rogers Parkway, reduces from four to two lanes. The current intersection with Ky. 461, redesigned a few years ago, is controlled with flashing lights, and sight distance, especially to the east, is limited. Traffic is becoming increasingly heavy and the intersection remains a trouble spot with numerous accidents reported.
State Representative Tommy Turner announced earlier this year that he got $22 million in the Transportation Cabinet’s budget to build the cloverleaf interchange. Additionally, application has been made for a $25 million federal BUILD grant to expand Ky. 461 north from the interchange to Buck Creek bridge.
Turner said if the federal grant is approved –– and Congressman (Hal) Rogers is solidly behind the project and Senator Mitch McConnell favors it –– a bridge will be built (across the proposed four-lane Ky. 461) with entrance and exit ramps to allow traffic from the growing technology and industrial parks at Valley Oak to easily merge with Ky. 461.
Rogers agreed, according to Turner, to move the east end of the undeveloped I-66 (Somerset northern bypass) corridor from a terminus with Ky. 80 near the Barnesburg community east to where it would intersect with the proposed cloverleaf exchange. Local officials think the three highways linking at the cloverleaf interchange will create a hot spot for industry in the area.
“If we don’t get the federal grant, we will build the cloverleaf interchange with the $22 million in state money,” Turner assured.
The section of Ky. 80 from Somerset to London was named last year as Hal Rogers Parkway. It became the western end of the existing Hal Rogers Parkway connecting London with Hazard.
The western end of Hal Rogers Parkway from Somerset to Rockcastle River Bridge is proposed in the Transportation Cabinet’s planning to be upgraded to interstate standards. However, surveys show Ky. 461 carries several times more traffic than Ky. 80 and, as Turner puts it, “We’ve got to do something about Ky. 461.” Rockcastle County officials are working from the northern end to get Ky. 461 expanded to four lanes.
Other than Cumberland Parkway extending west to I-65 north of Bowling Green, Somerset and Pulaski County do not have four-lane access to an interstate highway. Traffic movement in this country is predominately north-south and the east-west Cumberland Parkway is not heavily used.
The late Gov. Louie Nunn changed the originally planned route of Cumberland Parkway from Elizabethtown to Somerset. Nunn extended the parkway from Somerset westward to Glasgow (Nunn’s hometown) and to I-65 near Bowling Green.
Pickin’ in the Park ! (Pulaski County Park)
Make plans to join us for Pickin’ in the Park! A fun filled day for the whole family!! Please share!
Plans are on track for a Mesonet weather station
Plans are on track for a Mesonet weather station to be placed at Northern Middle School. During a groundbreaking ceremony held Tuesday, members of the Pulaski County School District, local leaders, members of the state and local Farm Bureaus and a representative of Western Kentucky University — Mesonet’s originator — gathered to celebrate their partnership of funding and building the weather station.
NMS Principal Daniel Hill said felt this was a great partnership, and the end result would be good for students — “hands-on learning,” as he said.
WKU professor Stu Foster agreed with both beliefs, adding that the partnership among the various organizations was vital in getting the weather tower here.
Pulaski is in the center of a 40-mile radius which doesn’t have any other stations linked to the Mesonet system. In previous weeks, Pierce had called that radius one of the largest “dead zones” in the state in terms of lack of real-time information.
Foster said Mesonet towers feed into National Weather Service offices including the one in Jackson, providing information for weather conditions on the ground as opposed to the radar information that relays what is going on up in the atmosphere.
Information on temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and other measurements also is uploaded to the Mesonet website, www.kymesonet.org, where it can be accessed by anyone.
Foster said a free mobile app called Kentucky Mesonet has also been created that can be downloaded by users of both iPhones and Android devices.
The initial investment for the project was provided by the City of Somerset, the Pulaski Fiscal Court and Pulaski County Farm Bureau, with matching funds provided by the Kentucky Ag Development Board. The Extension Board is providing the funding for the maintenance, Pierce said. The Pulaski Board of Education is providing the location, and WKU provides the equipment.
Foster said the first steps to placing the station should be completed by the end of June.
http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/news/mesonet-weather-station-to-be-located-at-northern-elementary/article_7773195a-53d7-11e8-8bbe-cb64da4e1c3a.html
Progress at Firebrook Park.
NEW Progress at Firebrook Park. We installed drains to dry out this field. Soon we will be able to extend the walking trails. Making Pulaski better place for you and your family.
Miranda Combs WKYT
It’s a problem that’s sticking around in so many Ky counties, and many blame the state’s drug epidemic.There’s plenty of jobs, but no one wants to work.Pulaski Co. Judge Exec. Steve Kelley ‘Breaks Down the News’ on WKYT News at 6:30 about what the county is doing to get people back to work:
Posted by Miranda Combs WKYT on Monday, April 23, 2018
Houston-based gas company headed for Somerset
GTL plant will invest $75 million in community initially; nearly 100 jobs will be created after two phases
A subsidiary of Extiel-GPG, LLC, Extiel-Advantage Somerset 1 LLC will use a technology to convert natural gas into high-value, full-synthetic waxes, base oils and solvents. The proposed plant will be a down-size version of a large-scale GTL plant design and will produce 250 barrels per day of ultra-clean synthetic fuel products, waxes and industrial hydrogen, according to Martin Shearer, executive director, Somerset-Pulaski County Development Foundation. Construction of the plant is expected to begin late this year and operations will start in 2020.
The company plans to invest $75 million in land, building and equipment and create 30-35 jobs in Phase 1, and within four years, a $150 million expansion in Phase 2 will create 60 new jobs. Salaries will range from $35,000 to $100,000.
The plant will be located on a 23-acre site off Thoroughbred Drive near Somerset Rail Park and adjacent to the former Crane Company building. Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler said infrastructure is in place for natural gas, electricity, water and sewer for Phase 1, but for Phase 2 a natural gas pipeline will have to be built from the West Somerset area, along Ky. 914 and through Ferguson to serve the plant.
“They wouldn’t build Phase 1 unless we could handle Phase 2, already started,” said Girdler. One of the largest natural gas users ever, Extiel will buy $5 million worth of natural gas annually during its Phase 1 operation and $24 million annually when Phase 2 goes on line. Girdler smiled when asked how this money will enhance Somerset’s budget. “It will enable us to do some things we haven’t been able to do … including keeping natural gas prices and property taxes low,” he said.
Extiel got $15.9 million from the state in tax incentives. Somerset contributed $2,270,000 in electricity, water, gas and sewer lines installed to the plant site. Also, the city will provide gas compression, roadway extension to the plant site, fencing and lighting, employee training support, expedited permitting assistance and office space in the Energy Center. Girdler said Somerset, working with Somerset Community College and regional universities, also will headquarter a training center for natural gas technicians for the entire region. Pulaski County provided the 23-acre greenfield development land site worth $345,000.
Greg Carr, spokeman for Extiel, during a telephone call from Houston to local officials, expressed appreciation “… for the efforts of Somerset City Council and Mayor Girdler, Pulaski Fiscal Court and Judge-Executive Steve Kelly, Ferguson Mayor Allen Dobbs, Kentucky state legislators Rick Girdler and Tommy Turner in helping direct the plant to Somerset. Investors in the plant live in Houston, Miami, Seattle and other areas.
Carr said components for the plant are being built in Houston and will be brought to Somerset on trucks. “The available natural gas supply situation and the new Somerset Energy Center and its capabilities were also important to our decision,” Carr said. He said the fact Lake Cumberland is nearby is a plus for employees’ recreational pursuits. “It’s a beautiful area and we had support, Carr added.
“Without the Energy Center, they wouldn’t have looked at us,” observed Girdler. “We took them inside … showed them the technology … it is impressive,” Girdler said. “Somerset has connections to three national gas pipeline systems to the west and a city-owned network of pipelines bring natural gas from eastern mountains. The mayor praised foresight of city fathers during the 1970s for building a natural gas pipeline from Somerset to near Hyden in Leslie County.
Commonwealth Journal Article :
http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/news/kelley-girdler-say-good-things-in-store-for/article_aec2e26a-edba-11e7-a6ac-4b698026aa8f.html
Parkers Mill getting first ladder truck
By JANIE SLAVEN Commonwealth Journal
Residents of the Parkers Mill Fire District may not realize it, but they’re about to benefit from the fire department getting its first ever ladder truck.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting of Pulaski County Fiscal Court, county officials got a chance to see the new truck which recently arrived and is currently being equipped before it joins the Parkers Mill fleet.
“Pulaski County is known throughout the state as having the best fire departments and the best equipment to serve the public,” Judge-Executive Steve Kelley said. “We are excited to be able to continue in that commitment. This new ladder truck is state of the art, and will be a great addition to our efforts here in Pulaski County.”
According to Public Safety Director Stacy Halcomb, the truck was purchased by the Pulaski County Fire Commission — which is funded by an insurance premium tax.
The insurance premiums themselves are determined in part through ISO (Insurance Service Office) rates. Parkers Mill Fire Chief David Volz noted that ISO recommended a ladder truck for the department based on businesses and homes served within the district — which encompasses some 12,000 people.
“It can really help in rescue situations,” Volz said, “and helps maintain our current ISO rating.”
http://www.somerset-kentucky.com/news/
CMS “Camtech” ribbon cutting
Governor on hand for CMS ribbon cutting
- By CARLA SLAVEY Commonwealth Journal
Governor Matt Bevin, right, presents a gift to CMS founder Chris Daniels, center, and his wife, Maria, left, just before the ribbon cutting ceremony on the new CMS facility in Science Hill. The custom-built building represents the growth of an 8-year-old Pulaski business.
The new facility for a Pulaski-based business can be seen either as the embodiment of the American Dream — as declared by Governor Matt Bevin — or the next step for a business that was originally a gamble taken by an out-of-work farmer with a need to support his family — as explained by CMS founder Chris Daniels. It really depends on which side of the vision you’re on.
Daniels called the new facility for Camtech Manufacturing Solutions “a $2.8 million investment, designed specifically for Camtech.” Both the building and the business were on display for the public Monday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held in honor of the eighth anniversary of CMS’s creation.
Daniels, originally a farmer from Science Hill, told the crowd of his experience of finding himself out of a job during the recession of 2008, after having managed a tool and die shop for 10 years.
“I didn’t have too many choices, but what I did have was a belief that I’d grown up with on the farm — that hard work would get me out of the hole I was in.”
That hard work has paid off in the expansion of a business that has grown to employ 20 people.
And the business hasn’t stopped growing, according to Bevin. “They’re already bursting at the seams. They’re already, literally, running out of capacity to continue to do what [Daniels’] dream led him to start eight years ago. That is the American Dream,” said Bevin.
CMS designs and builds robotics machinery used for automating assembly lines for other factories. It started out in a small building on Ky. 39, where they were creating machinery parts and components.
However, Daniels said the company needed more room, which led to the move to East Frog Hollow Road in Science Hill. This allows for more space and the ability to add the capability for designing and building fully integrated systems.
During Monday’s ceremony, Daniels credited his family, his company’s workers and thier customers for growing the business. Those customers, while mostly regional, can come from all over north America and include companies like Toyota, TOA Systems, Honda and Subaru.
“I think I said ‘thank you’ before, but today is the best opportunity to tell our customers how much we appreciate the confidence you’ve shown us. You drove our growth,” Daniels said.
As for his employees, he said, “I’m in the company of extraordinary people every day. We have grown Camtech to this point. … The problem with its success is that it leads to more customers, bigger jobs and higher ambitions.”
Later, he added, “Looking back from here, I can say we’ve come a long way very quickly — only eight years. But for a long time, every week was a matter of survival, and buying a set of wrenches was a big investment, paid off over months.
“From here, with our new plant and expanded workforce, we can set our goals higher and wider to provide the highest quality, most technologically advanced automated manufacturing systems in North America.”
Janie Slaven contributed to this article.
County Recycling Center Continues Steady Growth
County recycling continues steady growth
By JANIE SLAVEN Commonwealth Journal Feb 1, 2017
Most of what is recycled locally is cardboard — accounting for 4.8 million of the 6.8 million pounds taken in at the center last year.
Since 2010, nearly 40 million pounds of what would have been garbage has been successfully repurposed with the help of the Pulaski County Recycling Center.
“That’s how much waste we’ve diverted from the landfills since the recycling center opened,” Solid Waste Coordinator Danny Masten reported earlier this month to Pulaski County Fiscal Court.
The figure was part of Masten’s annual report, which included that the center had taken in 6,872,073 pounds of material in 2016 — an increase of 88,248 pounds over the previous calendar year and nearly double the 3.7 million pounds collected that first year of operation.
The vast majority of the 2016 total — just over 4.8 million pounds — was cardboard. That shouldn’t be surprising when you consider that some 500 businesses participate in the recycling program. Newsprint ran a far distant second at 767,000 pounds and was followed by paper products, metals, and plastics.
Masten noted that 12,221 households currently get curbside service provided through the City of Somerset or Waste Connections. With an estimated 26,000 households in Pulaski County, that doesn’t quite represent half but Masten did note that many residents bring their recyclables directly in to the center or take them to community bins.
“We’re helping them and they’re helping us keep the county as clean as we can,” Masten said. “It’s a good partnership that continues to grow every year.”
Additionally in the annual report, the Solid Waste Department cleaned a total of 2,478.4 road miles — collecting 12,720 bags and cleaning up 25 illegal dumps.
Last spring the county’s Waste Tire Collection took in 33,082 — down 39 percent from the 54,423 tires collected in 2013.
“That’s what you want to see…a progressive decline,” Masten said.
Out of 18 counties participating in the Lincoln Trail and Lake Cumberland area development districts, only five reported increases.
Following the recent presentation, Judge-Executive Steve Kelley praised the department’s efforts to promote recycling.
“I think we’re the leader in our region, for sure, and probably statewide,” Kelley said.
For more information about the Pulaski County Recycling Center, visit them on Facebook or at http://recycle.pulaskigov.com or call 677-0320.