ADP LLC, a worldwide payroll services provider, plans to grow its operations in Jeffersontown. ADP, a provider of retirement and benefit administration services, will renovate its 160,000-square-foot facility on Bluegrass Parkway. The company will create 35 new jobs and invest nearly $26 million into the project. This expansion is another example of Kentucky’s favorable business climate that encourages existing businesses to expand and grow. In the past five years, more than 80 percent of announced new investment and 70 percent of new jobs have come through existing business expansions. Currently ADP operates multiple facilities in Jefferson County and wants to consolidate those operations to better support its clients. The company considered multiple real estate scenarios, including construction of a custom building outside Kentucky, but ultimately chose to recommit to Louisville. Construction will begin immediately at its facility at 11405 Bluegrass Parkway and is expected to be completed in a year. ADP significantly grew its Kentucky operations through the acquisition of SHPS Inc. in 2012. The purchase expanded ADP’s overall footprint in the Commonwealth to nearly 950 employees. The company also has operations in Covington and Lexington. ADP is a subsidiary of Automatic Data Processing Inc. Since its founding in 1949, the company has emerged as a comprehensive global provider of cloud-based human capital management solutions that unite human resources, payroll, tax and benefits administration and other services. The New Jersey-based company generates nearly $11 billion in annual revenue and serves more than 630,000 clients worldwide. To encourage the investment and job growth in Jefferson County, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $700,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets. Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority also approved the company for tax incentives up to $160,000 through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act. The program allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing equipment. In addition, ADP is eligible to receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies are eligible to receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced cost customized training and job training incentives. Last year, the Kentucky Skills Network trained more than 84,000 employees from more than 4,100 Kentucky companies. … [Read more...]

A crash between a mini-van and school bus sent 8 people to the hospital Friday morning. According to the Grayson Sheriff’s Department, the crash occurred just after 7 a.m. CDT when a mini-van, driven by 28 year-old Tarynn L. Dean of Caneyville, struck the rear of a Grayson County School bus, driven by 52 year-old James E. Coffey of Falls of Rough. Both vehicles were headed east on East Maple Street. Dean stated she did not see the bus stopped due to the sun obstructing her view. Two adults and two juveniles in the mini-van were treated at the scene and transported to Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center. One of the adults in the van was later flown to University of Louisville Hospital with facial injuries. A juvenile passenger was also flown to Kosairs Children’s Hospital with multiple non-life threatening injuries. The bus driver and 3 students on the bus were transported to Twin Lakes ER with minor non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the van was cited for Expired Temporary Tag and 2 counts of Failure to Use Child Restraint Device. The Grayson County EMS and the Caneyville Fire Department assisted the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office at the scene. … [Read more...]

Will Russell, owner of Funtown Mountain, was arrested again, this time for wanton endangerment 1st degree. According to Louisville police, Russell intentionally set a fire inside of his home. The fire caused minimal damage to the home, but it placed the residents inside in danger, according to police. Police said one of Russell's neighbors uses medical oxygen. Police said firefighters responded to the home on an emergency basis, placing them in danger of serious physical injury. … [Read more...]

A couple of accidents sent four people to the hospital Friday afternoon in Meade County. The first accident happened around 3:40 pm Friday in the 1600 block of Payneville Road near New Highland Church involving two vehicles resulting in two juveniles, a four year-old male and a thirteen year-old female, were treated at the scene by Meade County EMS and the airlifted to Kosair Hospital by Air Methods Air Ambulance. One of drivers were taken to University of Louisville by Meade County EMS. The Meade County Fire Department also responded to the scene. A second accident happened around 4:43 pm Friday in the 6300 block of Midway Road when a vehicle ran off of the roadway and overturned. The driver was taken to University of Louisville Hospital by Meade County EMS for their injuries. The Payneville Fire Department assisted the Meade County Sheriff’s Department at the scene. … [Read more...]

A custody case highlighting the controversy over "off-grid" families continues to work its way through the courts. Attorney Rick Hardin, who represents Joe and Nicole Naugler, said a hearing on Thursday in Breckinridge County did not resolve the case. He said a disposition hearing was set for early November. Child protection workers removed the couple's 10 children from the family's tumbledown shack in May after an anonymous complaint. The state returned the children in July but retains legal custody. The Nauglers say they haven't neglected their children, but are loving parents who choose to raise them in an "off-grid" lifestyle without public electricity, running water or a flushable toilet. Meanwhile, Hardin said a menacing charge against Joe Naugler has been resolved with an Alford plea, which means he maintains his innocence while conceding there is sufficient evidence for a conviction. … [Read more...]

A woman has pleaded not guilty after police say she was uncooperative during their investigation into the shooting death of a Kentucky state trooper. Ambrea Shanks 18 of Florissant, Missouri pleaded not guilty Thursday in Caldwell District Court in Princeton. Shanks is charged with first-degree hindering prosecution or apprehension. Thirty one year-old Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder was shot to death late Sunday in western Kentucky after a high-speed chase that reportedly started with the trooper pulling over Joseph Johnson-Shanks for speeding. Police say Shanks was in the car with Johnson-Shanks, also of Florissant, Missouri, during the police pursuit. She was arrested on Monday. Authorities say 25 year-old Johnson-Shanks was shot to death by other Kentucky troopers after he refused to surrender. … [Read more...]

Louisville Metro Police Department, Kentucky State Police and the U.S. Army bomb squads joined together at Fort Knox with other cities' squads in a week-long training session. Their goal is to enhance techniques and tactics to dismantle explosive devices and rescue hostages in various scenarios. These things many city and state bomb squads can't train on because they may not have the resources or the capabilities like mock villages that are set up at Fort Knox. Sgt. Robert Kaelin, commander of the LMPD Bomb Squad, said it's a unique opportunity for the bomb squads to get together with the military and to learn things they’ve done overseas, the techniques, as well as, the things they've encountered. In turn, state and city squads can show how they operate because while the situations will be the same for both responding squads sometimes the equipment isn’t. A learning curve one can't afford when seconds count. … [Read more...]

Several people involved in accidents this past weekend in Meade County have been identified.According to the Meade County Sheriff’s Department, an accident happened around 5:45 am Saturday morning at the intersection of US Highway 60 and Kentucky 1882. A 2011 military Humvee belonging to the United State Army, driven by 22 year-old Christopher Raine of Rhode Island was traveling west on US 60 and was making a left turn onto Highway 1882. The Hummer pulled into the path of a 2001 Yamaha motorcycle operated by 42 year-old Jesse Howard of Vine Grove. Due to the thick fog and low lighting conditions, neither driver could see the other causing Howard to strike the humvee in the side. Howard was pronounced dead at the scene by the Meade County Coroner. Kentucky State Police, Fort Knox Fire and EMS, Flaherty Fire Department and Meade County EMS also assisted at the scene. Later Saturday night, a two vehicle accident happened around 9:15 pm at the intersection of Flaherty Road and Kentucky 313 near the school. A 2003 Ford Escape driven by 38 year-old Charles Dunn of Rineyville, was attempting to make a left turn Kentucky 144 onto 313, when he struck a southbound 1995 Ford Ranger, driven by 40 year-old Lanny Batchelder of Brandenburg. The impact caused Batchelder’s truck to roll over and come to rest in the northbound lane of 313. Batchelder was airlifted to University of Louisville Hospital by Air Methods Air Ambulance. His passenger, 28 year-old Sarah Hazelwood was taken to University of Louisville Hospital by Meade County EMS. Dunn told the investigating deputy that he was not able to see the oncoming truck due to a vehicle in the right southbound turning lane. A Passenger in Dunn’s refused medical treatment at the scene. The Flaherty Fire Department also assisted at the scene. A third accident happened around 11:45 pm Saturday on Liberty Road, when a northbound 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer, driven by 24 year-old Jordan Wright of Brandenburg, struck the back of a horse rode by 41 year-old Bradley Arnold of Battletown. Arnold was taken to Hardin Memorial Hospital by Meade County EMS for his injuries. The suv failed to stop and was found on the following day when Wright admitted to officers of causing the accident and left the scene. Wright was cited for reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident and failure to render aid. The Payneville Fire Department also assisted at the scene. … [Read more...]