Casey Northcutt

Paducahresidents will see their real estate and personal property tax rate remain the same for the 2012 fiscal year.  Last night, Mayor Bill Paxton and city commissioners introduced an ordinance keeping the current tax of 25 cents per 100 dollars of assessed value.  The city has maintained this rate for the last five years.  Commissioner Carol Gault says the city has tried to streamline spending to balance its budget without collecting more revenue.  LowerTownArts and Music Festival organizers also presented a report last night.  They told commissioners almost 16,000 people attended this ye

A new incentive package is set to entice businesses to move into Paducah's Fountain Avenue area. City officials have been working to develop the area by giving residents financial incentive packages to build or renovate homes. 

Paducah-McCracken County Convention Center Corporation Chairman Phil McIntosh says operations at the Julian Carroll Convention Center are stabilizing after former executive director J. Patrick Kerr embezzled more than $230,000 in center funds. McIntosh says he thinks the center will continue to need financial assistance from the city and county until a new hotel built adjacent to the center can replace those funds.

An argument erupted last night at Paducah's city commission meeting between Mayor Bill Paxton and an advocate for nuclear plant workers dealing with rejected workers’ compensation claims.  Gary Vander Boegh represents several former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant employees and often attends commission meetings with his clients. Vander Boegh has them tell their stories at the end of each meeting during the public comment portion. Last night, Paxton told Vander Boegh the city had little power to help the workers receive their claims.

 Marshall County’s Smoke-Free Clean Air Coalition is using results from a new survey on indoor air pollution from second hand smoke to boost the coalition’s cause.  The Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy delivered the results of a survey today that found  Marshall County’s indoor air pollution in local hospitality venues to be four times higher than those of Georgetown or Lexington. The two towns have enacted smoke-free laws. Local health educator Terri DeLancey says the coalition was not pushing for similar laws or regulations.

Earlier this year, Marshall County Emergency Medical Services converted a retired vehicle from the school bus fleet into a piece of emergency response equipment called an “AmbuBus”. Made with conversion kits from First Line Technology, LLC, these automotive Frankensteins have been popping up around the country. After seeing the vehicle, Casey Northcutt has more on the new life of an old bus.

The Paducah Mayor and City Commissioners support efforts to preserve 
Noble Park’s duck house and island. Commissioners and the Mayor discussed ways to preserve the small island during Tuesday's commission meeting after many residents opposed the city’s previous decision to remove the island due to its state of disrepair. Commissioner Gayle Kaler says people voiced their concern not only through emails and phone calls but through Facebook, as well. As of Tuesday night, the group, “Save Duck Island”, had more than 3,500 members. Kaler said she approves of such enthusiasm.

The Panama Canal expansion project promises to increase river traffic in our region, but to service those ships, area ports will need to invest money to make the ports accommodate large ships.  The Alabama Port Authority has made some of those investments in Mobile.  Vice President of trade and development for the port authority Mark Sheppard spoke to Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce members as a follow-up to a Transportation Summit the Chamber held in May 2011.

Discussion at this morning’s Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce Power in Partnership breakfast focused on benefits western Kentucky ports will see with the expansion of the Panama Canal. 

A jury found Jerry Wayne Walker Jr. not guilty yesterday of charges associated with a fatal 1998 Murray State University dorm fire.