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Wise, Hoover ask governor to develop alternative to closing Lake Cumberland State Park

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Move will ‘bankrupt the economy of southcentral Kentucky’

Frankfort, Kentucky (May 27, 2020) – The potential impact of the Beshear administration’s plans to close Lake Cumberland State Park has Senator Max Wise and Representative Jeff Hoover asking the Governor to reconsider and evaluate alternatives.

Wise and Hoover sent a letter to the Governor and Mike Berry, Secretary of the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet this morning, citing the “significant negative impact on a community that has been struggling to recover from the state’s need to lower the water in the lake just a few years ago.”

The letter also stresses that “the execution of this plan will in effect bankrupt the economy of southcentral Kentucky.”

A copy of the letter is attached.

https://adairvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hoover-Wise-Lake-Cumberland-Letter-05.27.20.pdf

 

Note: Senator Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) represents the 16th District which encompasses Adair, Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Russell, Taylor, and Wayne Counties. He is the chairman of the Education Committee; as well as co-chairman of the Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee. Senator Wise is also a member of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee; the Health and Welfare Committee; the Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee; the Public Assistance Reform Task Force; the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development and Tourism, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and the Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation. For a high-resolution .jpeg of Senator Wise, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators%20Full%20Res%20Images/senate116.jpg

 

County Judge Responds to Questions About COVID-19 Data

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The Lake Cumberland District Health Department has reported that there are zero active cases of COVID-19 in Adair County. However, family members have reported that there are as many as a dozen residents at Signature Healthcare at Summit Manor still isolated in a COVID-19 wing.

County Judge Executive Gale Cowan issued the following response to those concerns:
Let me begin by stating we report COVID-19 case information as given by the Lake Cumberland District Health Department.  Adair County reported no active cases of COVID-19 yesterday.  Since then we have had several questions and comments arise from family members of residents at Summit Manor as well as concerned citizens.  Below is an explanation from Laura Woodrum, RN BSN, Director of Nursing for the Lake Cumberland District Health Department of the differences in reporting between the Health Department and Signature Healthcare at Summit Manor Nursing and Rehab facility.
The local health department releases COVID19 positive patients from daily monitoring based on the CDC symptom based strategy for release.
 
1.At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever (fever defined as 100.0 degrees F or above) without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and,
2.At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared
 
The facility is using the test based strategy for release of residents of the LTC (Long Term Care) facility.
 
1.Resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
2.Improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), and 
3.Negative results of an FDA Emergency Use Authorized COVID-19 molecular assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from at least two consecutive respiratory specimens collected ≥24 hours apart (total of two negative specimens)
 
I am not a health care provider and I can’t tell someone which is the best or most accurate strategy for releasing patients. I will continue to report data as given to me by the District Health Department. Summit Manor is a privately owned facility and we have no control over how they test or their protocol as to when to release residents and/or staff.  If you still have questions or concerns, please call the Adair County Health Department or the Lake Cumberland District Health Department in Somerset.
s/County Judge Executive Gale Cowan

No new Coronavirus cases in Adair Tuesday

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Tuesday, May 26, 2020

We report three new cases today: two from Pulaski, an 81-year-old female who is hospitalized, and a 75-year-old female on home isolation; and, a 52-year-old female healthcare worker from Russell on home isolation. There were no new deaths. We released five from isolation (recovered), leaving us with seven active cases in our district. Eighty-five percent of our total active cases have recovered.

The Lake Cumberland area has experienced 218 Cumulative Confirmed Cases and there have been 8,954 Confirmed COVID-19 cases across 117 Kentucky Counties as of 05/26/20 (this includes 8,951 statewide plus 3 recently reported cases in Lake Cumberland not in the Governor’s daily report). Regardless of the confirmed case count for any Lake Cumberland County, we believe COVID-19 to be widespread.  LCDHD is working to identify and contact all those with whom any positive case may have come into close contact.

Over the holiday weekend, there were a good number of people and businesses complying with safety guidelines. However, there were reports of quite a few people not wearing masks in businesses, employees, and customers; and, several gatherings that exceeded the limit of ten.  If you want to protect yourself and your family, remember, avoiding crowds as much as possible is your best way to reduce your risk. Wash your hands with soap and water often and thoroughly; wear a mask when out in public; stay home if you have a fever or are coughing; increase sanitation, and avoid touching your face to further reduce your risk.

https://www.lcdhd.org/2020/05/26/public-information-brief-5-26-20/

 

VFW members honor comrades on Memorial Day

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Due to COVID-19, the Adair County VFW was unable to have their annual Memorial Day program. Thus, on Memorial Day, some members of VFW Post 6097 and 6097 Auxiliary met at the Memorial Monument to honor their deceased brothers and sisters. Pictured is the group as Taps was played.
Cliff Hopper, a Vietnam Veteran and member of VFW 6097 studies a stone looking to confirm if this stone needed a flag. Cliff was one of the more than 20 veterans, Masonic Lodge and Masonic Demolay members placing flags on the graves of deceased veterans at Haven Hill Cemetery. A group of similar size the same act of gratitude at the Columbia City Cemetery.

Farmers and Ranchers in Kentucky can now apply for financial assistance through USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

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Online Tools and Toll-Free Number Available to Assist Producers

Lexington, KY, May 26, 2020 – Agricultural producers can now apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The application and a payment calculator are now available online, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers complete applications. The agency set up a call center in order to simplify how they serve new customers across the nation.

“We know Kentucky producers are facing a tough time now, and we are making every effort to provide much needed support as quickly as possible,” said SED Brian Lacefield, state executive director for FSA in Kentucky. “FSA is available over the phone and virtually to walk you through the application process, whether it’s the first time you’ve worked with FSA, or if you know us quite well.”

Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020. Through CFAP, USDA is making available $16 billion for vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.

“We also want to remind producers that the program is structured to ensure the availability of funding for all eligible producers who apply,” SED Lacefield said.

In order to do this, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date nationwide, as funds remain available.

Producers can download the CFAP application and other eligibility forms from farmers.gov/cfap. Also, on that webpage, producers can find a payment calculator to help identify sales and inventory records needed to apply and calculate potential payments.

Additionally, producers in search of one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance. This is a good first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.

Applying for Assistance

Producers of all eligible commodities will apply through their local FSA office. Those who use the online calculator tool will be able to print off a pre-filled CFAP application, sign, and submit to your local FSA office either electronically or via hand delivery. Please contact your local office to determine the preferred method. Find contact information for your local office at farmers.gov/cfap.

Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested after the application is filed. FSA has streamlined the signup process to not require an acreage report at the time of application and a USDA farm number may not be immediately needed. 

Additional Commodities

USDA is also establishing a process for the public to identify additional commodities for potential inclusion in CFAP. Specifically, USDA is looking for data on agricultural commodities, that are not currently eligible for CFAP, that the public believes to have either:

  1. suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
  2. shipped but subsequently spoiled due to loss of marketing channel, or
  3. not left the farm or remained unharvested as mature crops.

More information about this process is available on farmers.gov/cfap. 

More Information

To find the latest information on CFAP, visit farmers.gov/cfap or call 877-508-8364.

USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.