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Area organizations hosting job fair for displaced BlueOval SK workers

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Employees impacted by the announced closing of BlueOval SK are encouraged to attend the regional in-person job and career fair being hosted by the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, the Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation, the Lincoln Trail Area Development District, and the Kentucky Career Center.

The job fair will be held on Thursday, January 22 at the Pritchard Community Center. Two sessions will be available: from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 5 p.m.

Impacted employees will be able to meet with regional employers, apply for open positions, and speak directly with hiring representatives. Job seekers are encouraged to contact the Kentucky Career Center for resume assistance ahead of the job fair. The registration link for employers and attendees can be found on the Kentucky Career Center’s website.

Additional resources available for displaced BlueOval SK workers can be found on the BOSK Support page on the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development’s website.

Kentucky unemployment average holds steady in November

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November unemployment in Kentucky held steady from numbers seen in September. 

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state unemployment average for November was 4.7 percent. That is unchanged from the month of September, and down .7 percent from the November 2024 average of 5.4 percent.

Kentucky’s unemployment average for November came in just above the national unemployment rate, which the U.S. Department of Labor reported at 4.6 percent.

The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet says the state’s civilian labor force, which includes people currently employed and people actively searching for work, saw an increase of 826 people from September to November, bringing the total civilian labor force to 2,115,793 people.

The Education and Labor Cabinet says the Manufacturing, Educational and Health Services, Professional and Business Services, Leisure and Hospitality, Construction, and Information Services sectors saw gains in November. Numbers in the Other Services and Mining and Logging sectors were unchanged. Decreases were seen in the Government, Financial Activities, and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sectors.

Due to the government shutdown, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will not publish an October unemployment report. Visit the Kentucky Center for Statistics website for more about unemployment figures and labor market information.

Beshear touts economic growth, encourages collaboration during State of the Commonwealth address

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear says Kentuckians are facing serious new challenges, but the state of the commonwealth remains strong, and that comes from leaders focusing on moving the state “not right, not left, but forward for everyone.”

“We’ve done this by recognizing the most important things to our people,” Beshear said. “They’re not partisan. They’re not even bipartisan. They are nonpartisan. A good job, affordable health care, safe roads and bridges, good schools, safe communities. These aren’t red or blue issues. They’re just what every Kentucky family wants, what every Kentucky family deserves, and what our American families demand.”

The governor delivered the annual speech and budget address at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort Wednesday night.

Beshear touted more than $45 million in new investment over the past six years and “68,000 new jobs at the highest three-year average for new wages” in the state’s history. Beshear said the state secured another top five ranking for economic development last year.

“That’s now five straight years of being in the top five in the country, and we’ve been congratulated by the toughest of critics as we secured three credit upgrades which say Kentucky is on the upswing,” Beshear said. “The products we make are being sold all over the world as we have broken back-to-back our record on exports.”

The governor discussed infrastructure improvements, increased hiring for the Kentucky State Police, efforts to improve access to healthcare, and the state’s Pre-K for All Initiative.

The full text of the governor’s address can be found on the state website, and the speech can be viewed on the governor’s YouTube channel.

Nelson County woman gets 20-year prison sentence on child sexual exploitation charges

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A Nelson County woman will serve 20 years in federal prison after her conviction on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children.

Kathlen Flener was found guilty of two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and one count of Distribution of Child Pornography. The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Kentucky says Flener used an online social media app “to distribute two sexually-explicit images of the minor victims to an adult male living in Australia.”

Flener was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a term of 30 years of supervised release. Flener was also ordered to pay $3,000 to each victim in restitution.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Nashville with assistance from the Kentucky State Police. The case was brought forth as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that aims to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The U.S. Attorney’s office says there is no parole in the federal system.