By Dennis Brown

The University of Kentucky recently released statistics reflecting how the institution affects the lives of Kentuckians.

Among the plethora of numbers were statistics on each county in the Commonwealth. In the just-completed academic year, for instance, UK had 25 Lewis Countians enrolled in classes there.

"We are serious about our mission to affect the lives of every Kentuckian regardless of whether he or she has attended UK," said UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. "We know UK has the potential to energize a spirit of advancement acres the Bluegrass State and we are committed to serving as the Commonwealth's primary catalyst for change and prosperity."

Todd made the remarks while planning for a bus tour into each of the state's six congressional districts. The tour as aimed at building partnerships with government, school and business leaders, along with private citizens. He said he wants to ensure an effective use of UK's educational, research and economic development resources.

Lewis County is home to 226 alumni of the state's flagship university, according to the information provided by the recent release. UK's impact also stretches beyond those who have studied in its classrooms by their assistance in regional and local economic development efforts.

UK is Kentucky's ninth largest economic enterprise with some 10,000 employees representing every county in the state. The university is also directly linked to nearly 80,000 manufacturing, construction, technology and science jobs here.

In addition, nearly 250,000 patients relied on the UK Chandler Medical Center, which includes the UK Hospital, the Kentucky Clinics and the UK Children's Hospital for health care. That includes 505 Lewis County residents over the past year.

Merl Hackbart, a UK finance and public administration professor and adviser to governors said that UK's impact is so pervasive that people have come to take it for granted. "They often don't realize how far UK reaches into their communities and even into their own homes," he added.

In Lewis County, for example, resident consulted with UK Cooperative Extension agents on a broad range of issues on more than 28,000 occasions. Those included medical issues, healthy recipes, household budgeting and weather precautions for both farmers and homeowners. Kentucky has the nation's third largest Extension service.

The university also offers an industrial extension service. That program, along with UK's Lean Manufacturing Institute, advises nearly 320 companies each year on ways to heighten profitable operations. Most of those companies are in Kentucky.

Hackbart said that UK's future economic impact will continue to extend into Lewis County. He said that coming generations will seek their degrees both on the campus in Lexington and on the Internet via Kentucky's Commonwealth Virtual University.

For more information, residents may contact UK Extension agents Philip Konopka, Sally Mineer or Sherrill Bentley at 606-796-2732 or online at www.uky.edu 

By Al Owens

By Al Owens

Meeting in a brief special session Tuesday, May 31, the Vanceburg City Council gave first reading to and amendment to the 2004-05 budget and also to the new budget for the fiscal year 2005-06.

The amendment simply shows the reception of unbudgeted funds from the sale of the old shoe factory to Northern Contours.

The new budget shows $1,370,767 in the general fund; $600,000 in the hydro fund; and $137,956 in the sanitation fund.

Of those receipts $372,973.79 is earmarked to run the general government; $600,000 for the hydro fund; $296,426 for the police department; $32,565.80 for the fire department; $93,284 for streets; $137,952 for the sanitation department; and $577,517.41 for community development.

The City Council will adopt both the amendment to the current budget and the new budget upon giving them second reading at the council's next regular session. That is set for Monday, June 6, at 5:30 p.m. in the city's Municipal Building at 615 Second Street, Vanceburg.