WQXE News

Unemployment in Kentucky in December came in slightly higher than where it was the year prior.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state unemployment average for December was 5.2 percent. That is an increase from the 5.1 percent rate reported in November and from December 2023 when the rate was reported at 4.3 percent.

Kentucky’s unemployment average also came in higher in December than the national unemployment rate, which the U.S. Department of Labor reported at 4.1 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 just over 5,000 people from November to December, bringing the civilian labor force to about 2,085,000.

The Education and Labor Cabinet says the Leisure and Hospitality, Manufacturing, Information Services, Government, and Construction sectors saw increases in December. The Mining and Logging, Financial Activities, Educational and Health Services, and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sectors all saw decreases.

Visit the Kentucky Center for Statistics website to learn more about labor market information.

Lincoln Trail Area Development District Executive Director Daniel London says the evidence shows that now is the time to pursue the public transportation plan laid out in the regional transit study commissioned by the Radcliff-Elizabethtown Metropolitan Planning Organization

“It’s only going to be more expensive,” London said. “We’ve already, frankly, in some ways waited too long. It was too long of a gap between the studies, and we’re already behind the ball a little bit, but we can catch up, and we can do it the right way.”

London presented on the regional transit study while serving as the guest speaker at the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce’s January membership luncheon Wednesday.

London said since the last regional transportation study, Hardin County’s population has grown by 16,528 people, an 18 percent increase, and projections show the population increasing by 22,380 people by 2030. He also said the people that are moving to the area expect infrastructure improvements such as mass transit.

“We have the growth to support a mass transit system,” London said. “We need a mass transit system now that we’re a destination community. We need it now that we are an economic powerhouse in this region, and for further growth to facilitate whether it be infrastructure or people coming, we need a mass transit system.”

London said local officials are committed to “not digging a taxpayer grave.” The total cost of the project is about $5.8 million, but with federal and state support the local contribution will be about $1.7 million. The overall project is a three-phase approach in order to keep costs down, and interest and participation will need to be seen in phase one in order to keep the project moving forward.

“If people don’t participate in phase one, which is a concept of operation plan with goods, we’ve got to see that the interest from the community is there,” London said. “If people don’t take advantage of phase one, they won’t get to phase two and phase three because they’re not going to sink the costs into it. It’s that simple.”

The complete plan can be found at www.ltadd.org or at Radcliff-Elizabethtown-MPO.org.

The Elizabethtown City Council met for their second meeting of the month Tuesday.

The first reading was held on an ordinance that would amend the zoning of 310 College Street. The original ordinance changed the zoning from Urban Residential (R-4) to Neighborhood Commercial (C-2), but prior to the reading Council Member Marty Fulkerson motioned to change the intended zoning from C-2 to Neighborhood Office (C-1) in order to limit potential uses for the property. 

“The C-1 zone restricts buildings adjacent to residential areas to no more than 5,000 square feet in size, and it allows only 13 permitted commercial uses, which again I believe is more compatible with the adjacent neighborhood,” Fulkerson said.

Fulkerson said he understood how citizens were frustrated with the zoning process, but the city’s zoning staff and the city’s Planning Commission have worked within established state statutes.

“The process we want, and each and every one of us want, is as fair as it can be,” Fulkerson said. “It’s not always perfect, and we understand that, but we need to be fair.”

Elizabethtown resident Brad Luebbert said he and other college street residents presented the council with a petition asking them to still vote no on the zoning change.

“We do not want commercial,” Luebbert said. “The main reason we’re worried about encroachment is there’s a house next to Brown Funeral Home currently that was voted for residential/commercial. He’s already making complaints and that’s not a good idea, and he came and spoke the other day. We’re worried about what’s going to happen for the next business and then the next business.”

The council approved a motion from Fulkerson directing city staff to review the city’s historic preservation regulations, including potentially extending the Downtown Historic District to include College Street, and to publish a detailed listing of the steps in the zoning change process. The council also approved a motion from Council Member Julia Springsteen requesting the city review extending the radius for addresses notified of zoning changes.

In other meeting news, the council approved a municipal order that extended industrial development incentives for Kentucky Whiskey House Venture LLC following the completion of construction on their facility and the creation of 50 new jobs.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet January 27.