Fiscal Court supports plan to build a grain bin rescue training facility
The Henderson County Fiscal Court is considering a plan to build a site for grain bin rescue training.
Jeff King, a 33-year veteran volunteer with the Coryon Civil Defense, presented information at last week’s Fiscal Court meeting to build a working grain bin simulation so that first responders in the county and region can train on how to rescue those who become trapped inside.
King said he has been in contact with Kentucky Dept. of Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell and others in the first responder community. He said that there are currently no other such facilities in the state and only one other that he knows of in the nation.
King estimated that it would take $200,000 to build.
Judge-Executive Brad Schneider said he supports the plan and will convene a work group to discuss and then bring back to Fiscal Court with fuller plans after the new year.
The plan comes after Smith Mills farmer John Southard got stuck waist-deep in a grain bin in March. Multiple agencies worked to free him. According to media reports, units from Smith Mills Volunteer Fire Department, Corydon Civil Defense, Henderson City-County Rescue and the Henderson Fire Department helped to rescue Southard.
The grain bin rescue training area would allow for local first responders to train, but also first responders throughout the state and region, officials said at the meeting.
Kenergy will not have the county high-speed connections ready by end of year
An incentive plan to have all of the county ready for connection to high-speed internet will not be completed by the end of the year.
The Henderson County Fiscal Court approved a plan in July to use $4 million of American Recovery Plan Act funds to incentivize Kenergy to get all of the county ready for high-speed internet by the end of the year.
In the plan, Kenergy will get the same percentage from the $4 million in ARPA funds as the percentage of the total residences in the Kenergy service area of Henderson County that have infrastructure in place to connect to high-speed internet by the end of the year.
Schneider said at last week’s Fiscal Court meeting that Connexion, which is the company contracted by Kenergy to complete the work, won’t have all the lines in place by the end of the year.
The estimate is that $1.56 million will not be given to Kenergy as part of the incentive. He said the company has around 75% of the county ready for high-speed connection. The work will continue.
“They believe they will be done by first quarter next year,” Schneider said.