Business Briefcase: July 27, 2012

White hired as county’s ag  investment program administrator

Submitted

Judy White is the new CAIP coordinator in Shelby County.

The Shelby County Agriculture Development Board has hired Waddy dairy farmer Judy White to serve as its new administrator for the County Agricultural Investment Program or CAIP.

CAIP, formerly the Phase I program, offers cost-share dollars to farmers undertaking projects on their farm who can choose from 11 investment areas. Funds for CAIP come from Tobacco Settlement dollars distributed to counties to help farmers diversify their operations. The county’s 2012 share of CAIP funds is just over $325,000.  If approved, farmers can receive 50 percent of the cost of a project from CAIP up to a maximum of $5,000.

As administrator, White will oversee the application process, and she said farmers could  expect applications for this year’s CAIP funds to be ready by late September to early October. White advised farmers interested in applying for CAIP funds to watch the newspaper or extension office’s newsletter for more information about when the applications are ready.

“I’m excited to be in the position to help farmers in Shelby County and look forward to meeting and assisting CAIP applicants,” White said.

A former 4-H agent, White and her husband, Darrell, have operated a dairy farm in the Waddy area for 22 years. She is also the treasurer of the Shelby County Farm Bureau’s board of directors, a member of the Extension District Board and is the 4-H Dairy Club leader.

Neal honored on legal lists

Gregg Y. Neal, a partner in the Neal & Davis PLLC law firm on Main Street in Shelbyville, has been chosen for inclusion on the 2012 Kentucky Super Lawyers list, which designates lawyers who have shown excellence in their practices. Only 5 percent of the attorneys in Kentucky qualify for the list.

Neal also has been selected for America’s Most Honored Professionals in its inaugural list by the American Registry. To earn this list, a lawyer must be part of the top 10, top 5 or 1 percent of the most recognized professionals in America and have been recognized continuously for excellence in the past 5 years.

Fannin headed to KDE

Kerry Fannin, director of secondary schools for Shelby County Public Schools, will return to the Kentucky Department of Education starting Wednesday to work in the Office of District 180. Fannin had been a “Highly Skilled Educator” for three years before coming to Shelbyville four years ago. In his new role, he will be the educational recovery leader for Perry County Central High School.

Shelby Energy recognition

Shelby Energy Cooperative has recognized 6 employees that have advanced their on-the-job educations. Line Technicians Benji Bohannon, James Crume and Gary Warford have completed 5-year programs for the TVPPA certification for line technicians. Lead Line Technicians Neil Raizor and Chip Wheeler and Crew Leader Mike Clark completed 3-phase programs for the TVPPA Foreman’s Academy.

Republic posts strong 6-month report

Republic Bancorp, which operates a bank in Shelbyville, reported a net income of $92.1 million for the first six months of 2012, a 15 percent increase from that period in 2011. Earnings per share increased to $4.38.

“We are pleased with the second-quarter results as we continue to experience solid organic loan growth while maintaining our conservative lending standards and strong capital base,” Republic President and CEO Steve Trager said in a release announcing the earnings report.

Bulletin board

• Today is the deadline to apply for next year's Leadership Shelby Class. Applications are available at the Shelby County Library or online at leadershipshelby.com.
• A ground-breaking cancer prevention study is taking place across the state of Kentucky – including Shelby County – on Aug. 7-11. Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3), which will discover links between cancer, lifestyle and cancer prevention, is recruiting men and women across the U.S. and Puerto Rico for this landmark new research study. Enrollment is being made possible in partnership with Jewish Cancer Care. Enrollment will be at 3-7 p.m. Aug. 8 at Jewish Hospital Shelbyville. For more information, visit cps3kentucky.org, call 1-888-604-5888 or E-mail cps3@cancer.org.
• Whitney M. Young Jr. Job Corps Center will host a tri-county college/career fair at 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 8 on its campus at 8460 Shelbyville Road. Companies and schools in Jefferson, Bullitt and Shelby counties will participate. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Felicia Lee at 502-529-6807.
• U.S. Sen. Rand Paul will be the featured at the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce’s Membership Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 14 at Persimmon Ridge County Club. Tickets are $20. RSVP by Aug. 7 by calling 633-1636.

Bits & bytes

• Jewish Hospital announced the implementation of GE Healthcare’s new cardiovascular ultrasound technology. Jewish Hospital is among the first centers in the country to make availablethe latest version of GE’s Vivid E9™ Breakthrough 2012 (BT12)system, introduced earlier this year. This new system allows clinicians to view precise images of the heart during assessment/diagnosis performed in the echo lab, and to support invasive surgical procedures in the operating room, as well as image-guided procedures in the cath lab.  
• McDonalds announced that its restaurants in Shelby County will add “Favorites Under 400 Calories” to its menus.
• Average retail gasoline prices in Louisville have fallen 7.8 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.42 per gallon as of Sunday. This compares with the national average that has increased 4.9 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.49, according to LouisvilleGasPrices.com. Including that change, prices in Louisville were 25.8 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 2 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 2.4 cents per gallon during the past month and stands 20.1 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

The Kentucky Press News Service contributed to this report. The Sentinel-Newswelcomes Briefcase items. Information and photos may be E-mailed to sharonw@SentinelNews.com. The deadline is noon Wednesday.