Stu Johnson, WEKU

Berea Mayor Bruce Fraley says about half of his southern Madison County community’s economy is tied to manufacturing.  That segment of the economy will be getting a boost over the next year or two.

The president of the governing organization for Kentucky’s public universities says Governor Beshear’s budget recognizes the far reaching impact of a higher education.  Kentucky lawmakers will have the final say on how much state money goes to support the eight state institutions and the community and technical college system.

Coronavirus outbreaks have temporarily closed three regional driver licensing offices and four smaller field offices in the Commonwealth.  All are expected to re-open next week.

Most public school students in Fayette County won’t be back in the traditional classroom until January, at the earliest.  The school board had considered ramping up in-class instruction this fall, but has opted to wait until 2021.

Located inside the University of Kentucky’s Memorial Hall, A mural depicting life in Kentucky in the 1800’s has been the subject of intense discussion and debate for decades.  Like the painting, the discussion on what to do with the wall painting has a rich history.  There was yet another development in the “mural” story this week, a lawsuit filed seeking to keep the mural in its current location.

Nearly $5 million in federal funding is coming to Kentucky to help address hunger and homelessness issues during this period of coronavirus.  The dollars come to the Commonwealth from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.