The Laurel County Water District #2 recently named Roy Wayne Jenkins as their new chairman.  Also, David Hughes has been the new general manager for a year, replacing longtime manager Jim Sensabaugh who retired.  Mr. Hughes started with the LCWD #2 in January 1997 as a meter reader and in 1990 became the distribution supervisor.  His qualifications include a water meter testing certification from the PSC, a certification for backflow testing, Class IIID Distribution license and he holds a Journeyman and Master Plumber license.  He has one year of college in administrative and he also ran a plumbing business for 16 years.  Mr. Hughes is retired from the US Military with 28 years of services as a Sergeant Major, serving overseas during two conflicts with a total of 28 months in the combat zone.  MSE is preparing to take bids for a major water plant expansion and new Laurel Lake water source intake and supply for the District.

The Foundation operation under the direction of Martin Shearer asked MSE to evaluate and develop a re-use plan for the old Crane Plumbing Manufacturing Building.  The plan for the rail-served facility is now complete and the recommendations are being considered by the Foundation with some building cleanup activities already underway.

The upper section of Bacon Creek in Southwest Corbin, KY has been plagued by flooding for many years.  Road access to hundreds of residents at two nursing homes is prevented by the floods over Bacon Creek Road.  The City was recently awarded funds by FEMA to address the problem.  Corbin has selected MSE’s water resource design team to plan and design the needed flood control improvements.  MSE’s design will allow for the sensitive environment at Bacon Creek in order to alleviate flooding, but also enhance the stream habitat for establishment of wildlife and native vegetation.  Mr. Bill Ed Cannon, City Manager, is the community’s project manager for the Bacon Creek project.

Mr. Douglas Bell, V.P. of Ohio Valley Financial Group in Henderson, KY, has been named chairman of the Northwest Kentucky Regional Industrial Authority which oversees the development of the FourStar Regional Business Park.  Mr. John Sites, the group’s only previous chairman, remains on the board but now has more time to indulge in his passion for bird hunting.  MSE has just completed the first phase of the expansion of the park along Shooting Star Way next to Columbia Sportswear.

MSE is designing a new community grocery for the Whitley City, McCreary County, KY area.  The 36,000-sq. ft. IGA will include a pharmacy, deli and flower shop and will be located in The Oaks Shopping Center and is being developed by Rick Stephens.

Pattie A. Clay’s Garrard County Health Facility (engineering and architecture by MSE) will host an open house and grand opening celebration October 23, 2009.  The facility will accommodate internal medicine offices, an outpatient laboratory as well as a multi-specialist clinic where specialists in cardiology, gastroenterology, urology, obstetrics, rheumatology and orthopedics will rotate throughout each week.  MSE was recently selected to be architect and engineer for the new ambulatory acute-care facility which will be located on the same site.  The site is located on a six-acre property on KY 52 in Lancaster.

Excerpts from the Garrard Central Record Newspaper publication:

MSE provided Master Planning and Environmental Review for a 1,536-acre industrial park that was purchased by the Kentucky Legislature to allow Kentucky to compete for major national projects.  MSE is assisting Elizabethtown and Hardin County in implementing improvements at this site and with their marketing effort.  The site was recently selected by a national consortium to manufacture lithium-ion batteries (NAATBatt).  The consortium did not receive stimulus grant funds from the Energy Department but is currently seeking a low interest Federal loan to implement this $600,000,000 project.  There is currently no domestic lithium-ion battery production in the US.   This project represents an opportunity for Kentucky to be the leader in the next era of energy powered devices.

Advertisement for Bids was recently published for the fit-up of Intermountain Electronics’ 105,000-sq. ft. facility located in Ashland, KY.  MSE is architect and engineer for the building project as well as the finished project.  Intermountain Electronics, a Utah based company, manufactures heavy mining equipment.

The Carrollton Area Regional Economic Development project will allow wastewater collections facility upgrades and expansion to serve existing and future commercial and industrial needs. The project will create additional jobs and boost private investment in the Carroll and Gallatin County region by making the vital wastewater system improvements needed to serve existing and future business needs.   Companies benefiting from this project include:  Gallatin Steel, Celotex, Dow Corning, North American Stainless and the Kentucky Speedway.  MSE is scheduled to advertise this project for construction bids by December 2009.

MSE was recently procured by Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, Inc. to design a 7,000-sq. ft. health clinic to be located in Stanton, Kentucky.  Kentucky Foothills has already received ARRA funding and is currently seeking additional ARRA funding for the construction of their new facility.