Funding

The Social Security Act specifies that the funds may only be invested in securities backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government such as treasury bills, treasury notes and treasury bonds, as well as special issue bonds. Basically, the government can invest Social Security funds into other government programs like defense, foreign aid, education or any of their endless social programs by loaning the Social Security funds to itself. The government pays back the money when the Social Security program redeems the bonds.

The Nicholasville City Commission voted to extend engineering funding for the north end sanitary sewer project at a special called meeting Wednesday, Sept. 1. The project, budgeted at $7.5 million and funded through a Kentucky Infrastructure Authority loan at 1-percent interest, was initially projected as a 14-month job to run from February 2009 to April 2010. The city has only used $5.8 million on the project so far, according to Mayor Russ Meyer. Nicholasville Utilities Director Tom Calkins came to the commission last Wednesday with the proposal to allocate an additional $55,306 to the project for a resident engineer and possible construction administration.

To the Sun: I know this letter is insignificant, but at least I get the satisfaction of being a small voice speaking for the elderly and asking for your help. The intent of this letter is not to be harsh or bitter, but to be genuinely concerned for the lives of our elders. These are the ones who are tossed aside and forgotten. The elderly have worked all their lives and put money into Social Security for their retirement. The downfall of Social Security is caused by the rich who are wanting to get richer.

HARRODSBURG — U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler joined U.S. Department of Agriculture officials Thursday at Harrodsburg city hall to announce funding to help update the city’s water system. The $7.7 million loan and $3.3 million grant from the USDA and the Recovery Act will expand the city’s current water treatment plant to meet the needs of its more than 3,700 customers. The expansion will include a low-level uptake at the Kentucky River, constructing a 600,000 gallon water storage tank, and a pump station.

Boyle County Fiscal Court will keep allocations for most agencies that receive public money the same during next year's budget. Magistrates voted on about $600,000 in total appropriations during Thursday's fiscal court meeting. Most of the major jointly funded agencies which receive money from both the city and the county had their requests granted, including the Danville-Boyle County Economic Development Partnership ($110,000), Planning and Zoning ($59,348) and the Airport Board ($18,000)

The Winchester Board of Commissioners Monday approved a draft budget for fiscal year 2012-13, which projects a general fund cash balance of about $1.6 million at the end of the fiscal year and total revenues of about $15.1 million. Commissioners cut some funding to outside agencies, but increased funding to others. Most notably, they voted unanimously to increase funding to Clark County Aging Services from $32,600 to $40,900 to provide the home meal delivery program to half of those currently on a waiting list.

The Nicholasville City Commission held a public hearing Monday afternoon for the purpose of proposed use hearing regarding Local Government Economic Assistance program and the municipal road aid. No one from the public showed up to speak at the hearing. City clerk Roberta Warren said the city would receieve an estimated $9,000 from LGEA funds. That sum would be added to the $1,000 already in that fund for a total of $10,000. Warren said $9,000 would be earmarked for parks-and-recreation projects.

The Heart of Kentucky United Way in Danville has been responsible for connecting money and volunteers with good causes for decades, but the group will now look to tackle more directly the causes for some of the problems in the communities they serve. "We used to be a fundraising organization, and we were incredibly successful at that even during these economic times," said Executive Director Janie Pass. "What we really want to do now is make sure everything we do is working toward long-term, measurable change.

PERRYVILLE — Several Perryville City Council members expressed concern Thursday about the city’s ability to increase its share of funding for the Boyle County 911 Center. City representatives have been in negotiations with the county, Danville, and Junction City recently as Danville has sought to bring contribution levels set more than 20 years ago in line with current costs. The governments agreed in the late 1980s to fund the center based on call volume. However, as the years have gone by, the amounts paid by the two smaller municipalities and the county have remained largely unchanged as the cost of operating the center has increased.

When the Lutzes first decided to send Collin to the Special Olympic World Summer Games, the price tag attached was about $7,000 - a daunting number for any family. But the Lutzes wanted to give their son the chance of a lifetime and went full steam ahead in their fundraising efforts. Shorty after the first quote, the price was dropped to $5,000 with the help of funds from the Special Olympics national fundraising. “It was scary, overwhelming. I didn't know where to go because every time I tried a different avenue, it fizzled,” Shannon Lutz said.

The Blue Grass Community Action Partnership has completed their application for CSBG funding for SFY '14. The application will be available for review at our Central Office located at 111 Professional Court, Frankfort, KY after April 12, 2013. If you have questions, please call 502-695-4290, ext. 240.

The University of Kentucky's DanceBlue dance marathon will be making its way to George Rogers Clark High School. The mini-marathon will take place from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday in the GRCHS gym. For eight hours, participants in DanceBlue will dance to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer through the University of Kentucky Pediatric Oncology Unit. DanceBlue is an organization run by UK students year-round and takes place on UK's campus. There is no sitting or sleeping allowed during the 24-hour period - only dancing.

Representatives of 25 community and joint city-county agencies on Thursday formally asked Danville City Commission for more than $650,000 in funding for the upcoming fiscal year. Four of the five city commissioners listened to nearly eight hours of presentations from organizations such as the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Partnership, Danville-Boyle County Senior Citizens Center and Danville-Boyle County Economic Development Partnership. Commissioner James “J.H.” Atkins was absent due to a teaching schedule conflict.

With more than 425 guests, Friday's “Run for the Glitz”  has been the most successful to date. Since JoEllen Reed threw the first event seven years ago at the Winchester Opera House, attendance continued to outgrow the venues until Ron Tierney offered his warehouse four years ago to host the event, she said. Guests began arriving at 7 p.m. and were assigned to tables. There was a cash bar and a buffet dinner including marinated pork loin in bourbon sauce, hot brown casserole, roasted potatoes, corn pudding, rolls, asparagus and salad as well as beer cheese as an appetizer and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

The room was packed Tuesday as Nicholasville police representatives, Jessamine County Schools superintendent Lu Young and Nicholasville Mayor Russ Meyer asked the Jessamine County Fiscal Court to increase its funding of the school system's resource officer (SRO) program. The program, which began in 2007, stations Nicholasville police officers full-time in the county's middle and high schools. The first three years of the program, the court, the city of Nicholasville and the Jessamine County Board of Education took nearly equal parts in its funding, each contributing about $88,500.

STANFORD - While the Lincoln County School District is cutting the equivalent of seven positions from its general fund budget for next year, state and federal funding cuts are causing substantial staffing cuts for the district's special education and preschool programs, too. Based on preliminary estimates from special education and preschool administrators, there could be as many as 22 full-time positions and one part-time position cut. ...

Phew, what a week. The last two days of the 2013 General Assembly Session saw us burning the midnight oil as we worked literally till midnight. But the hard work did have its rewards as several high-profile bills passed. Senate Bill 2, the public-employee-pension-reform bill, is considered by many to be one of the most significant accomplishments of the session. The public-employee pension system is more than $30 billion in the red. Experts predicted it would run out of cash in five years with the Commonwealth forced to go to a “pay as you go” system on pension benefits.

Jessamine County's up and coming football talent will soon get the chance to learn from some of the county's best about how to play the sport. According to district athletics director Ken Cox, East Jessamine football head coach Mike Bowlin and West head coach Yancey Marcum “are donating their time to help put a youth football camp on.” “I really stress how appreciative we are that Mike and Yancey are donating their time just because of...

In the aftermath of December's Sandy Hook Elementary massacre, many in Jessamine County have suggested expanding the district's school-resource officer (SRO) program into elementary schools. But before the program can expand, it has to survive its annual fight to maintain funding from the three local governments. The SRO program began in 2007 and stationed Nicholasville police officers full-time in the county's middle and high schools. The program cost $256,700 in its first year but the four officers cost $291,800 this year, according to Nicholasville finance records.