WQXE NEWS

The application period for Kentucky businesses looking to secure medical cannabis licenses will open Monday.

Governor Andy Beshear said Thursday the application process is six months ahead of schedule as the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program took significant steps to expedite the timeline. Under the terms of the state program, licenses will be issued for five types of medical cannabis business: cultivators, processors, producers, safety compliance facilities, and dispensaries. A series of YouTube webinars, a business licensing application guide, and other materials are available to help applicants at kymedcan.ky.gov.

Area municipalities have been weighing whether or not to opt into the state program or opt out, which would not prevent cardholders from accessing or possessing medical cannabis but would prevent businesses from setting up shop. The Elizabethtown City Council took up action to opt in while the Vine Grove City Council and the Hardin County Fiscal Court voted to put the issue on the November ballot, and the Radcliff City Council is weighing options. Elizabethtown City Council Member Julia Springsteen said the city shouldn’t put an undue burden on patients in need when the program is as regulated as it is.

“There’s a board of eight doctors and two nurses that govern the whole thing,” Springsteen said. “It can’t be near schools, it can’t be advertised that well, and the bottom line is this was passed because sick people need this and it’s proven to help sick people.”

Radcliff City Attorney Mike Pike said it is important for local communities to get regulations on the books so that the city has a say.

“You can’t restrict those people’s usage, but what you can do is restrict time, manner, place in terms of all these various cannabis operations, so if you do nothing, then what that means is you’re allowing it,” Pike said.

Monday is also the launch of the application process for physicians and advanced practice registered nurses seeking authorization to issue medical cannabis certifications.

The West Point Kids Club will be hosting a free Family Fun Day event at the West Point School Yard this Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m.

“It’s free to all of the kids in town,” said Brittany Miller, one of the volunteers helping to put on the event. “We’re going to have bounce houses and water slides. We’re going to be having food and outdoor games, and some other little surprises that we haven’t really put out there yet. We’re trying to surprise the kids with some extra fun stuff.”

Activities and food for all kids will be free, and while food for adults will carry a cost it is for a good cause.

“For the food, we’re charging $5 for the adult because we’re also going to be doing a back to school program or back to school event at the end of July, beginning of August, so the $5 that we get for every adult meal purchase is going to go towards purchasing back to school supplies to help with that event,” Miller said.

Family Fun Day is part of the kids club’s efforts to support the kids of West Point.

“The West Point Kids Club, they get together from time to time just to do stuff with the kids, just to bring more activities to the kids of West Point,” Miller said.

The West Point Kids Club posts upcoming events to the Community Page of West Point Facebook page.

Equipment operators from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet were able to put their skills on display in district and state competitions and will now represent Kentucky in the regional competition.

14 KYTC operators, including several from the local districts, advanced to represent the commonwealth at the Southeastern Regional Equipment Operator’s Safety and Training Conference, which will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, in September. The operators qualified after earning high marks in the state’s conference, or equipment “Roadeo”, a two-day state-level competition that saw heavy equipment operators show their skill on seven obstacle course exercises.

The state Roadeo was held at the Kentucky Horse Park Tuesday and Wednesday with crews competing in courses that tested accuracy, agility, and speed while operating equipment such as graders, dump trucks, and skid steers.

Josh Garmon with KYTC District Four took first place in the tractor truck with lowboy trailer category. Jamie Watkins with District Four won first place in the single axle dump truck category, with Garmon finishing third. Nicholas Howell with District Three won first place in the skid steer category, with District Three’s Paul Gripshover finishing third.

Visit the KYTC on the web for more information.