Traffic ADVISORY

The City of Morganfield has closed the westbound right turn lane on US 60 Business at the west intersection with the US 60 Bypass at Morganfield. This intersection includes KY 56.

The right turn lane for westbound traffic from US 60 Business to KY 56 westbound at this intersection is closed due to a sewer line collapse. This turn lane closure will be in place until the sewer line can be repaired.

Additional restrictions may be required for westbound traffic on US 60 Business in the work zone to allow the repair crew to go about their work. Motorists traveling US 60 Business from downtown Morganfield westbound toward Sturgis should be aware of this work zone and use appropriate caution.

Timely traffic advisories for the 11 counties of KYTC Highway District 2 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict2. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.

Tammy Belt, second from left, presented the 2010 Health Report Card for Union County during Thursday’s meeting of the Morganfield Chamber of Commerce at the Breckinridge Golf Course. Belt noted that the local health council will use the results of the report card to formulate a plan of action to improve health in Union County. The chamber will be part of that by scheduling the planting of cherry tomatoes in the downtown planters this season.

A crew with the City of Morganfield was kept busy last week finding the cause of a leak some 15 feet below ground beside the Union County Courthouse on South Morgan St. The leak and its cause were located, repaired and the large hole was filled in Friday.

Heath Lovell, vice president of River View Coal, was the guest speaker at the May 11 Morganfield Lions Club meeting and he talked about the many technological advances that River View now uses to help ensure the safety of its miners. Here, Lovell holds a light the fits on the safety helmets worn by the miners. River View employees some 670 workers at its underground operation near Uniontown.

Henderson Community College Workforce Solutions is conducting a 40 hour Initial Underground Mining Training Course June 2-3 and 9-10. The course is held over four 10 hour weekend days from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cost is $200.

Students interested in completing the course must be 18 or older, able to travel and must register by May 28. Classes will be held at the Herron Center in Morganfield, next to Union County High School. Testing and a drug screen will be held in Madisonville. The drug screen is an additional $75 charge. For more information contact Shannon Clements at 270-831-9711.

The 2012 Masters Athletic Challenge will be held May 17th – June 9th, and will feature bowling, cycling, golf, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Formerly known as the Green River Regional Senior Games, this annual event promotes physical fitness and healthy competition among area residents age 50+.

The games kick off Thursday, May 17th, with bowling at Owensboro’s Diamond Lanes South. Swimming at OMHS Health Park in Owensboro (Tuesday, May 22nd) and tennis at Moreland Park in Owensboro (Wednesday, May 23rd) will take place the following week.

Panther Creek Golf Course in Utica will host an 18-hole golf scramble on Friday, June 1st. A brand new event-cycling-will be held in Henderson on Saturday, June 2nd, with participants departing from the Walmart service center parking lot. Track and field competitions will be held on Sunday, June 3rd, at Henderson County High School. The Masters Athletic Challenge will conclude on Saturday, June 9th, with volleyball at Watson Lane Baptist Church in Henderson.

The cost to participate in all events is $3, except for bowling ($11) and golf ($23), which require additional fees. This year’s games are being sponsored by GRADD, OMHS, and AARP.

Registration forms with complete details are available at the GRADD office, area senior citizen centers and local sporting goods stores; or you may register online at www.GRADD.com/MAC.

*For more information, please call Leslie Wilson at 1-800-928-9094.

The Green River Workforce Investment Board (WIB) invites all area elected officials, business and industry representatives, and citizens to attend a special presentation about the future of our region’s workforce and economic development on Wednesday, May 23rd at 2 p.m. at the GRADD office (300 GRADD Way, Owensboro).

Strategic planning firm Theory Into Practice (TIP) Strategies, Inc. will present the results of their comprehensive study of Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union, and Webster counties, including:

· A regional workforce skills analysis,

· A regional sector analysis of emerging career fields, and

· A regional action plan with implementation strategies.

This report will examine the long-term outlook for local manufacturing, infrastructure, tourism, education, workforce recruitment, and other vital issues.

“The Regional Economic Growth Strategy will serve as a roadmap for the future,” said Tonya Logsdon, GRADD associate director for workforce development. “We hope to use this document to move forward with a clear, unified plan for addressing challenges and seizing opportunities.”

Based in Austin, Texas, TIP Strategies, Inc. has worked with more than more than 100 communities across the U.S. to develop innovative, publicly supported economic development strategies. To complete this project, they conducted numerous interviews with key local authorities and undertook an extensive review of existing studies and data.

The Green River WIB, a subcommittee of the GRADD Board of Directors, is responsible for setting policy with regard to workforce development in our seven-county region.

*For more information about this event, please contact Tonya Logsdon at (270) 926-4433 or tonyalogsdon@GRADD.com.