Following a trip to Washington, D.C., a rigorous Kentucky General Assembly and a breathtaking solar eclipse, officials with the Pennyrile Area Development District got back on track Monday afternoon with a considerable list of updates for south western Kentucky.
Jason Vincent, PADD’s executive director, said visits to the state and national Capitols proved fruitful — bearing full asks for the Joint Funding Administration at $3.98 million, Aging at $10 million, and Ombudsman at $1.05 million.
Workforce received $20 million of a $26 million request, while the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority received $1.8 million of a $2.1 million request.
Furthermore, Vincent once again confirmed the coming study of I-24, and its possible widening and repair at the Kentucky/Tennessee state line, is afforded in this biennium budget.
Vincent said seven of nine Pennyrile judge-executives, as well as their cohorts, recently attended the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) conference in DC, with another strong local contingent expected to return in October.
— Meanwhile, Jill Collins, the Pennyrile’s Area Agency on Aging & Independent Living director, lauded her staff and PADD officials on the extension of the Veteran Directed Care Program.
Now a multi-state operation with Hopkinsville as its hub, centers in Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky are now interconnected with resources and case management.
Furthermore, she gave an update on the Todd County Senior Center, which is currently undergoing major renovations. At this time, all services have been redirected to Elkton Nazarene Church.
She also noted that the newly-formed Pennyrile Area Agency On Aging Advisory Council convened for the first time this past March. Elkton Mayor Arthur Green has been named its Board of Directors chairman, with the next meeting scheduled for September 2024.
Collins also detailed the growing need for preventing elder abuse, which is on the rise in the Pennyrile. Signs of it include unexplained physical injuries, unexplained physical tension, changes in well-being and emotional behavior, drastic changes in financial standing, caregiver refusal for private conversations, bed sores, poor hygiene and weight loss, as well as complaints of treatment.
It can be reported by calling: 1 (877) 597-2331, or in extreme circumstances 911.
— Amy Frogue, PADD’s community and economic development director, urged leaders to meet deadlines on a bevy of grant scholarship opportunities for infrastructure and growth.
This includes the entire fiscal gamut: land and water conservation, recreational trails program, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant, the Delta Regional Authority’s States Economic Development Assistance Program, Strategic Planning Program and Community Infrastructure Fund, the Economic Development Administration Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, the BIL Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant, the COPS Hiring Program, the Transportation Alternatives Program and Community Development Block Grants.
Most of these deadlines are between May 17 and September 2, with some dates rolling on an as-needed basis.
