Kentucky’s public libraries are providing new digital services along with books and other items at an unprecedented level, according to statistics compiled by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) from annual reports submitted by Kentucky’s 119 public library systems.

Kentuckians checked out almost 20 million books from public libraries and bookmobiles in addition to more than nine million audio visual items in 2012, while welcoming almost 20 million visitors and serving many more through websites offering a wide range of services.

By Jason Williams

Passenger vehicles might only have to pay $1 to cross a new Brent Spence Bridge between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati if tolls are used to pay for the project.

Preliminary results of a study being conducted to map out a finance plan for the bridge replacement show toll rates will not exceed $2 one-way for passenger vehicles.

“Initial models show we’re going to be on the low end of the $1 to $5 range,” said Steve Faulkner, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. “But it’s really too early to tell right now.”

Scammers have been making phone calls posing as representatives of the National Do Not Call Registry. The calls claim to provide an opportunity to sign up for the registry or ask consumers to verify their information. Of course, the callers are really trying to solicit personal information, which opens victims up to identity fraud.

How the Scam Works:

Someone calls you claiming to represent the National Do Not Call Registry. The registry "official" asks for personal information, such as name, address and Social Security number. The scam has several variations. In one, the caller wants to verify that you are on the National Do Not Call Registry. In another, he/she claims to give you a chance to register your phone number.

Just hang up the phone; this is a scam. Representatives from the registry will not call you. Plus, sharing personal inormation with the caller will just put you at risk for identity theft.

How to Protect Yourself from Scam Calls:

Don't share your personal information if someone calls you claiming to represent the National Do Not Call Registry.

Do not call the scammers back.

Remember that your participation in the National Do Not Call Registry does not expire. Do not listen to claims otherwise. If you want to add your number to the Do Not Call Registry, go to Donotcall.gov or call 888-382-1222 from the phone you wish to register.

For more information, contact the BBB at 1-800-388-2222 or go to www.bbb.org.

__PUBLIC__

Having health insurance is an important factor in being able to get needed health care. According to the 2012 Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP), nearly 3 in 10 Kentucky working age adults (28 percent)* are uninsured, similar to previous surveys. In Northern Kentucky, more than 3 in 10 (35 percent) of adults are uninsured. In general, as age, education level and income increased, the percentage of Kentuckians who were uninsured decreased. KHIP is funded by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

Harrison Memorial Hospital (HMH) was recently named as one of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky 2013.  The awards program was created in 2005 and is a project of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (KYSHRM) and Best Companies Group.

“We are delighted and proud to receive a prestigious honor for Harrison Memorial Hospital,” says Doug Hampton, Chairman of the Harrison Memorial Hospital Board of Directors. “HMH is the third largest employer in Harrison County, providing careers to more than 300 highly skilled, highly dedicated professionals in both the clinical and non-clinical fields."

This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Kentucky, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.

Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) leaders across the state are celebrating national “Food Check-Out Week,” February 17-23, to mark the time of year when the average American has earned enough income to meet his or her annual cost of food. Despite recent challenges in the economy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans spend just 10 percent of their disposable income on food each year.

The Senate continued working hard this week passing bills addressing healthcare, the state’s debt, school safety, economic development, and the justice system. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.

Healthcare

Senate Bill 3 allows for a Christian medical-needs sharing program to return to Kentucky after being rejected last year by the Kentucky Department of Insurance. This insurance-like program has helped hundreds of people in our state afford health insurance and even qualifies as certified coverage under the federal Affordable Healthcare Act. There are three such programs in Kentucky.

Senate Bill 43 allows for greater access to healthcare by the general population by making it easier for physician’s assistants to work in Kentucky rather than graduating from our schools and then leaving the state.  We have many areas here that are medically under-served and these medical professionals fill a real need in our communities.

In any given legislative session, it is not unusual for the House or Senate to vote for proposals that have been through the chamber before.

Some of these bills may have been stopped previously because of cost, or because time ran out, or because one chamber’s priorities may not always be shared by the other.  Other initiatives may require more time to get the public’s support.

Last week, the House took up several of these familiar pieces of legislation, in the hope that this will be the year they become law.

The most publicized of those would raise the high school dropout age from 16 to 17 in 2017 and then to 18 the following year.  The House passed it with a sizeable majority on Thursday, as my colleagues and I have done several times in recent years.

This is a top priority of Governor and first lady Beshear as well, because we are seeing 6,000 young men and women leave high school early every year.  That decision almost guarantees they will have a difficult time qualifying for most jobs, and they will be more at-risk of costing the state in other ways by increased need of such safety-net programs as Medicaid.

By: Sara Lundberg

In today’s economy, you will be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t think they spend too much money on groceries.  For many people it is one of their top budget categories for their household.  And for many it is the one they feel they have the least amount of control over.

Whether you are just too busy to cook every night, so most of your budget goes to eating out, or you don’t take the time to shop for deals so you end up paying full price, everyone has room to makes changes to how they shop and eat to help cut out a portion of the food budget.  There are many tricks and tips you can use to help your grocery bill get smaller.

By: Mary Pat Regan, president of AT&T Kentucky

Advanced, broadband communication technology is essential to the commonwealth’s future.

That’s the simple message behind Senate Bill 88, the Kentucky Senate’s New Economy Communications Act, which passed the Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee this week.

SB 88 is forward-looking legislation that will stimulate investment in the newest technologies by erasing obsolete, monopoly-era regulations, while also protecting consumers and rural areas.