Local News

As Spencer County students head back to the classroom to begin a new year this fall, don’t expect to see them bringing home any new books.

Superintendent Chuck Adams said he expects the state to forego next year’s textbook purchase cycle, which could have meant new math books for grades K through 8. In a similar move, the school board voted to cut $30,000 toward the purchase of high school textbooks when they approved the district’s 2009-10 draft budget last week.

A new federal ruling aimed at curbing the potential spread of Mad Cow disease could spike a huge increase in the cost of disposing of dead livestock for local farmers.

The new FDA regulation, scheduled to take effect in April, will prohibit the rendering of dead cattle over the age of 30 months unless the brain and spinal cords have been removed, an added expense that could threaten the profits and survival of the company that currently handles dead animal removal for Spencer and 21 other Kentucky counties.

Local agencies have decided to relocate the emergency shelter on the anticipation of students heading back to school Tuesday. Spencer County Schools are scheduled to open on a 2-hour delay tomorrow after being closed for the past week.

Any resident in need of a warm place to stay can now seek shelter at On the Way Cafe, located on KY44-East next to Eagle's Motel. Hot meals and access to a shower will also be available. Currently about a half dozen empty cots have been prepared.

Bright spots in business will be an occasional series that highlights Spencer County business owners who are not only surviving, but thriving during the current recession. With this feature, the Magnet will celebrate businesses that are helping to keep our local economy flowing and will provide some insight for those entrepreneurs in need of some good news in these bad times.

Just as the global financial crisis was beginning to take shape in September 2008, Paul Daugherty was breaking ground on a 10,500 sq. ft. expansion project to his Taylorsville body shop.