Government

The Kentucky Office of Employment and Training said the commonwealth’s April unemployment rate has fallen 0.3 percent from a year ago and has dropped a tenth of a point from March 2013.

Kentucky’s 7.9 percent rate reflects a similar trend in national numbers over the same period. 

Henry County Mayor Brent Greer said several county budgets are being delayed because departments are having difficulty adjusting to new policies prompted by the Affordable Health Care Act.

Greer said the issue stems from departments having to make final rulings on which employees will be considered full time. In Henry County, a 28-hour work week represents full-time status.

The proposed Cadiz restaurant tax ordinance received its first reading at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The ordinance championed by Cadiz and Trigg County Tourism Commission Executive Director Bill Stevens would levy a 3% tax on all city restaurants with a business license. Revenues collected would fund the tourism commission’s marketing and promotion campaign. The council split 3-3 last week to draft the ordinance.  Mayor Lyn Bailey broke the tie in favor.

Richie Farmer's federal trial on charges of misappropriating government resources when he was agriculture commissioner has been moved to this fall. Farmer’s lawyer, Guthrie True, said he needed more time to prepare for what he expected to be a complex case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Taylor objected to delaying the trial that long, and U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove ordered yesterday that it be continued until October 22.