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ECTC announces Nursing program partnership with Kentucky State University

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Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is celebrating its latest partnership and the new pathway for students created by that partnership. 

ECTC and Kentucky State University announced a new partnership last week to provide a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which the university says allows graduates of ECTC’s Nursing program to pursue the degree from KSU while receiving in-person support on ECTC’s campus.

The college says students will enroll in the program at KSU, then receive services on ECTC’s campus along with access to the college’s nursing labs and other student services. KSU will be the latest partner at the ECTC Robbins University Center, through which four-year colleges and universities offer high-demand Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs locally.

The college also announced a scholarship for students who apply for the program that will provide a tuition-free opportunity for students eligible for the federal Pell Grant. The ECTC to KSU Pathway Scholarship covers fall and spring tuition to students transfering from ECTC that enroll in at least six credit hours in the BSN program.

ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate said the program provides students with an affordable local option and helps create a critical future workforce for the region.

Spring classes begin January 13 and March 17. Visit kysu.edu for more information on the Nursing program, or contact ECTC’s admissions office for assistance.

Paving crews repairing I-65 spots in Hardin County Sunday and Monday nights

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Paving crews will be making repairs between mile markers 91 and 98 on Interstate 65 in Hardin County Sunday and Monday nights.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says work will begin at 8 p.m. Sunday and continue until 6 a.m. Monday. Work will resume at 8 p.m. Monday and wrap up at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

I-65 northbound will be reduced to one lane Sunday night, and due to proximity to the interchange the northbound on-ramp at Exit 91 from the Western Kentucky Parkway on to I-65 will be closed. The off ramp will remain open. No Exit 91 ramp closures will be required Monday night when work shifts to the southbound lanes.

“This time of year, we’re always subject to weather, so it looks like the forecast is going to cooperate with us real well here Sunday night and Monday night, so we’re trying to get this work squeezed in, need to get these repairs complete here heading into winter and snow and ice, and doing this work at night minimizes the impact to traffic and makes it more safe and efficient for the crew out there too,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie.

Lane closures will be in effect both nights. Drivers should watch for signage, slow down, and use caution when approaching work zones.

Elizabethtown railroad project included in funding award

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A local railway project was included in the awarding of more than $7.5 million in state funding from the Kentucky Short Line Infrastructure Preservation Program announced Thursday.

“These projects will maintain and enhance existing rail lines, make critical upgrades, and create opportunities for industries to thrive in our new Kentucky home,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear during Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update. 

The program prioritizes projects that enhance existing rail lines to help retain existing, and attract new, rail-served industries.

“Rail is a vital part of economic growth as it connects us to markets,” Beshear said. “It helps move goods efficiently and it creates good jobs for our Kentucky families. These investments will make sure our rail systems are up to date, that they’re safe, and that they’re ready to support all these growing industries.”

Among the awarded funding is $1,352,700 to the Paducah and Louisville Railway for their Elizabethtown crosstie rehab project, through which 20,000 crossties will be replaced along about 20 miles of track including the Elizabethtown branch, Cecilia siding, tank siding, and surrounding mainline track. Track surfaces will also be renewed.

Kentucky unemployment still trending above national average

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Unemployment in Kentucky in October came in just above the state average for September.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state unemployment average for October was 5 percent. That is a slight increase from the 4.9 percent average reported in September as well as from October 2023 when the average was reported at 4.3 percent.

Kentucky’s unemployment average also came in higher in October than the national unemployment rate, which the U.S Department of Labor reported at 4.1 percent for the second straight month.

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 about 6,000 people from September into October, bringing the civilian labor force to about 2,075,000. It is the eighth month in a row the state labor force has seen an increase.

The manufacturing, educational and health services, and construction sectors saw increases, while the leisure and hospitality sector, the trade, transportation, and utilities sector, and the professional and business services sectors saw decreases.

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

Tour of BlueOval SK facilities has Beshear excited for Kentucky’s future

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he has been at announcements, groundbreakings, and ribbon cuttings for the BlueOval SK Battery Park as well as the ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center, so getting to see those facilities starting operations is a testament to the commonwealth’s commitment to the future.

“It is really exciting to know that the batteries of the future are going to be produced right here in Kentucky and, as I got to tour the training facility today, to see people whose lives are being changed, to see how excited they are to be a part of this industry, and knowing that this is going to be an industry in operation for decades to come,” Beshear said.

The governor toured the training facility and the battery park during a visit to the site Wednesday with company officials. Beshear said BlueOval remains the catalyst for Kentucky’s bid to be a leader in the EV industry, and the facilities are evidence of what collaboration between industry, government, and education can look like.

“The training is technical, it’s new, it takes a lot of work, so it’s exciting to see both the teachers that are helping to provide the training as well as everybody working to pick it up so they can do their jobs safely and, we hope, better than anywhere else in the United States,” Beshear said.

BlueOval SK CEO Michael Adams said the governor’s visit comes on the heels of an important milestone as employees began moving into the Kentucky One plant on Tuesday.

“We were able to do it successfully, bring our employees in, and now we’re just getting ready to start building those samples in our plant and then validate those samples so that we can be prepared for that launch and the start of production in 2025,” Adams said.

About 750 of the expected 5,000 employees that will call the battery park home are now on the job.