November 2009 Archives

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) is encouraging residents across the First Congressional District to show their support for U.S. troops this holiday season by sending greeting cards to veterans, service members and their families stationed around the world.

“While we owe our military men and women a debt of gratitude we can never repay for their hard work and selfless sacrifice, it is essential we do all that we can to support them,” Whitfield said. “During this holiday season, I encourage all Kentuckians to show their support for our troops, their families and our veterans by sending them a holiday greeting card.”

The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes have partnered up again this year to sponsor the third annual “Holiday Mail for Heroes.” The program aims to collect and distribute cards to service members and their loved ones stationed around the country and across the globe. Whitfield signed holiday cards today at the U.S. Capitol for troops and their families as part of the program.

In 2007, Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC asked the Red Cross to distribute thousands of holiday cards for wounded service members. In response, the Red Cross teamed up with Pitney Bowes to reach veterans, members of the military and their families in the U.S. and abroad. Last year, the program received more than 1.4 million cards that were distributed in communities around the world.

Kentuckians interested in participating can send their holiday greeting cards to the below address. All cards must be postmarked by December 7, 2009 in order to be distributed. For a full list of recommended guidelines and best practices, please visit: www.redcross.org/holidaymail

Holiday Mail for Heroes

PO Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) implored a congressional committee today to adopt important provisions, which will ensure residents of the region are not forced to pay higher electricity rates in the midst of an economic recession and aid business owners adversely impacted by the rehabilitation of Wolf Creek Dam.

Whitfield testified today before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment at a hearing entitled “Proposals for a Water Resources Development Act of 2010.” During the hearing, Whitfield requested that the rehabilitation of Wolf Creek Dam be classified as a “dam safety” issue and that assistance be provided to marinas adversely impacted by the project in the Water Resources Development Act of 2010.

“At a time when we have soaring unemployment and many businesses in my District that went bankrupt through no fault of their own, I respectfully ask the Committee to work with me to do everything we possibly can to make sure that electricity rates in Kentucky are not increased because the Army Corps of Engineers has now capriciously determined at a national level that this is not a safety issue,” Whitfield said. “This about face decision is unbelievable to me as all along it was made very clear to us that the dam was in imminent danger of breaking, lives were threatened, property was threatened and that it was an emergency issue.”

In 2007, the Commander of the Nashville District Army Corps of Engineers issued an emergency draw down of Lake Cumberland’s pool levels as a result of independent studies which classified the dam at “high risk” for failure. In fact, the Corps classified the rehabilitation of the dam as one of its top five national priorities. Whitfield shared the concerns of many residents and elected officials in the area about the tremendous safety risk the dam posed and began working soon after to secure resources for warning sirens in and around the area to be used in the event of a dam failure.

The Army Corps of Engineers is now saying the rehabilitation of Wolf Creek Dam is not safety related. Should the project not be classified as a “dam safety” issue, it will impact how the rehabilitation will be paid for under Section 1203 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986. Ratepayers for electricity generated by the hydro projects at the dam would be required to pay 50 percent of the rehabilitation costs. This expense would in turn likely trickle down to residents of the region whose electricity rates could increase by 46%. 

Additionally, the rehabilitation of the Dam has resulted in lower water levels on Lake Cumberland, which has adversely affected tourism and recreation at the popular lake. Whitfield asked the Committee today to also include provisions in the Water Resources Development Act of 2010 to help marina operators in the area maintain their operations, aid the local economy and help ensure tourism in the area continues to thrive. Whitfield and Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) introduced legislation earlier this year which would provide similar assistance to marina owners.

Whitfield has worked to secure millions of dollars for the rehabilitation of Wolf Creek Dam. The Congressman, along with Congressman Rogers, requested $116,206,000 for the project in the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010. The bill was signed into law at the end of October.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) supported legislation today which will help ensure firefighters and first responders in the First Congressional District are prepared when disaster strikes and have the resources they need to keep Kentuckians safe.

“It is essential that firefighters and first responders, especially in rural areas like the First Congressional District, have the training and tools they need to aid Kentuckians in the event of an emergency,” Whitfield said. “The FEMA fire grants programs reauthorized today will help make certain local fire departments in our area have access to the resources they need to quickly respond in emergency situations and save lives.”

The House passed, and Whitfield supported, H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act. The bill reauthorizes the “Assistance to Firefighters Grant” (AFG) and “Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response” (SAFER) programs within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The AFG program awards competitive grants to local fire departments to purchase emergency response equipment and fund training. SAFER also provides competitive awards to fire departments for the hiring, recruitment and retention of firefighters. The bill passed today authorizes $1 billion per year for the AFG program and $1.2 billion per year for the SAFER program for the next four years.

Whitfield has been a longtime supporter of the FEMA fire grants programs, which have brought millions of dollars to the First Congressional District for new fire trucks, equipment, and training for local fire departments and fire fighters. The Congressman supported the establishment of these programs when they were passed in the 2001 and 2005 Defense Authorization bills.

The application period for the SAFER grant program is currently open. Whitfield is encouraging Kentucky fire departments interested in applying for FEMA’s fire grants programs to visit: www.firegrantsupport.com  For additional information on the grants programs, interested fire departments can also contact the Congressman’s Hopkinsville office at 270-885-8079.

The legislation now awaits consideration in the Senate.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) raised serious concerns today about the shortage of H1N1 vaccines in Kentucky at a congressional hearing examining the nation’s preparedness to combat this virus which has hit many communities in the First Congressional District. 

“I suspect that every Member of this panel has received as many phone calls from residents of their Districts, as I have, who are concerned about the shortage of H1N1 vaccines and the health of their children and family members,” Whitfield said. “My constituents want answers about why there is a shortage and so today I believe we need to focus on three things. First, we need to look at the relationship and interaction between the federal government, state governments and manufacturers in the distribution process. Second, we need to know why there have been production delays and why there have been difficulties in growing the virus. Is it because of technology, process or something else? Lastly, we need to look at how the U.S. compares to other countries in terms of getting this vaccine out and responding to this virus.”

The House Subcommittee on Health, on which Whitfield serves, held a hearing in conjunction with the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations today entitled “H1N1 Preparedness: An Overview of Vaccine Production and Distribution.” The hearing focused on the U.S. response to the H1N1 flu thus far and what measures can be put into place to ensure all Americans are safeguarded from this virus in the future. Testifying before the joint Committees were representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several pharmaceutical companies involved in the production of the H1N1 vaccine.

Whitfield noted that he has received numerous phone calls from concerned citizens asking about the availability of the vaccine. The Congressman also stressed the importance of communicating accurate and useful information about H1N1 effectively to the public. Whitfield said the FDA and the CDC need to work closely together to send out the same pertinent and reliable information to the American public. 

To find H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines in Kentucky, Whitfield is encouraging constituents to visit the Department of Health and Human Services Flu website at www.flu.gov.

1100 South Liberty Street
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
$1,000,000
Pennyrile Allied Community Services works to reduce and eliminate poverty by providing the opportunity for education, training, and work. These funds will be used to help transport individuals participating in the services.

Audubon Area Community Services
1800 West Fourth Street
Owensboro, KY 42304
$1,500,000
These funds will be used to construct a bus maintenance facility that is needed to help maintain and protect the safety of people using this service for transportation purposes.

Lake Cumberland Community Action Agency
23 Industry Drive
Jamestown, KY 42629
$70,000
These funds will be used to install emergency radios in buses that transport senior citizens to and from their medical appointments in an area that is currently undergoing a Dam safety rehabilitation project, which increases the need for emergency communications.

Hickman County Fiscal Court
110 East Clay Street
Clinton, KY 42031
$1,250,000
These funds will be used to construct a two-story, eight unit senior housing complex.  This construction will aid the City of Clinton and Hickman County as they work to revitalize the downtown area to facilitate economic development and community well-being.

Monroe County Fiscal Court
1194 Columbia Avenue
Tompkinsville, KY 42167
$500,000
These funds will be used to construct a new market facility that will promote economic development and provide added benefits to the local community.

Lindsey Wilson College
210 Lindsey Wilson Street
Columbia, KY 42728
$3,000,000
These funds will be used to construct a Nursing, Allied Heath and Counseling Center to serve the needs of the community and further economic development.

P.O. Box 4162
511 South Main Street
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
$750,000
These funds will be used to support local law enforcement efforts to prevent the spread of drugs and, in particular, methamphetamine production, trafficking, and abuse.

$28,000,000 (requested jointly with 105 other Members of Congress)
Reading is Fundamental
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Reading is Fundamental enhances child literacy by providing millions of underserved children with free books for personal ownership and reading encouragement from the more than 18,000 locations throughout all fifty states.

Madisonville Community College
2000 College Drive
Madisonville, KY 42431
$485,000
These funds will be used to purchase instructional equipment to support full implementation of the Advanced Industrial Integrated Technology (AIIT) associate degree program, developed to provide the multi-skilled maintenance technician workforce demanded by modern manufacturers. The AIIT curriculum can serve as a national model for the effective web-enhanced delivery of technical training. 

McLean County Fiscal Court
P.O. Box 127
Calhoun, KY 42327
$400,000
These funds will be used to purchase computers, teaching equipment, and develop training seminars to facilitate educational opportunities throughout McLean County. This will help increase educational opportunities for school children and residents throughout the area.

Western Kentucky Community and Technical College
4810 Alben Barkley Drive
Paducah, KY 42002
$500,000
Western Kentucky Community and Technical College is proposing to develop a skilled crafts training center in Graves County, Kentucky. Funds have been dedicated to purchase the facility, but additional funds are need for equipment purchases to enhance automotive and diesel technology programs to facilitate training in the automotive industry, which will help attract businesses and jobs to the area.

715 North Drive
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
$1,000,000
These funds will be used for teaching and laboratory equipment purchases, installation, and maintenance at the Center. The Breathitt Veterinary Center is a Biological Safety Level (BSL) 2 facility, employing over 50 people and serving a 150 mile radius to research, diagnose, and report bioterrorism and high impact disease agents in the food supply.

Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20585
$144,729,000
These funds will be used to accelerate the removal of over 50 years of legacy waste and environmental contamination stemming from the production of enriched uranium.

Louisville Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 59
Louisville, Kentucky 40201
$101,400,000
This strategic reach of the Ohio River provides a connection between the Mississippi River, Tennessee River, and Cumberland River. More tonnage passes this point than any other place in America's inland navigation system. Traffic at the Olmsted project is projected to exceed 113 million tons by 2020. This project will facilitate the needed movement of goods throughout the country. 

Nashville District Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 1070
Nashville, Tennessee 37202
$123,000,000
The rock foundation under the dam continues to deteriorate and foundation seepage pressures have increased, which prompted the Corps to begin this major rehabilitation at one of the largest and most dangerous dams in the country. Catastrophic failure of the dam could result in loss of life and massive destruction of property downstream.

Nashville District Army Corps of Engineers
P.O. Box 1070
Nashville, Tennessee 37202
$74,000,000
These funds will be used for construction of a new lock and dam structure, which is vital to the movement of goods through the inland waterways system.  The project will have an average annual benefit of $70.7 million when completed. Expanding Kentucky Lock will help protect hundreds of jobs and help ship products promptly to more than 23 other states.

Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20585
$1,000,000
This funding will be used to assess the health of former Department of Energy workers in order to detect selected occupational illnesses at an early stage, at this government owned uranium enrichment plant. This funding will help screen for health problems, which will save taxpayers’ money in the long-run.

Hickman-Fulton County Riverport Authority
625 Catlett Street
Hickman, KY 42050
$1,000,000
This funding will provide for maintenance of an off-river harbor channel extending from the main channel of the Mississippi River along the City. Annual dredging is necessary to ensure  efficient operation of the Harbor. This project will provide vital economic development and community growth.

City of Henderson
222 First Street
Henderson, KY 42420
$100,000
These funds will be used to develop an engineering model of Canoe Creek and identify construction projects to mitigate the flooding in and around the area. This project is vital to the safety of the citizens of Henderson.

City of Paducah
300 South 5th Street
Paducah, KY 42001
$340,000
These funds will be used for rehabilitation of the current flood control system which will involve repair/replacement of pumping station equipment, corrugated pipes, concrete, and other appurtenant features.  It is critical that this work be completed so that the major floodwall repair can go forward.

City of Hopkinsville
101 North Main Street
Hopkinsville, KY 42241
$250,000
These funds will be used for an engineering analysis  of a proposed dry-dam on the South Fork of the Little River which will reduce 100 year flood levels in Hopkinsville by 2.6-4.9 feet. This project is vital to alleviate flooding in the City.

100 Van Morgan Drive
Golden Pond, KY 42211
$8,223,000
These funds will be used for vital maintenance of this regional recreation area to facilitate wildlife, environmental management, transportation, and tourism in the region.

City of Tompkinsville
206 North Magnolia Street
Tompkinsville, KY 42167
$189,750
These funds will be used to install a backwash lagoon at the Tompkinsville Water Treatment Plant. The existing lagoons are undersized and do not provide enough detention time for the solids to settle out.

City of Hartford
116 East Washington Street
Hartford, KY 42347
$1,000,000
These funds will be used to replace and rehabilitate sewers in the City of Hartford while also upgrading the pump station to improve service to approximately 2,300 residents.

Simpson County Fiscal Court
P.O. Box 242
Franklin, KY 42135
$1,400,000
These funds will be used to replace fire equipment, which will help protect the community should there be any fire disaster. The current equipment is over twenty-eight years old and has exceeded its life expectancy. 

Russell County Fiscal Court
410 Monument Square, Suite 110
Jamestown, KY 42629
$200,000
These funds will be used to install outdoor sirens to warn the public in the event of a disaster. This funding will help the rural communities be better prepared should catastrophe strike.   The area served is near a major dam that presently is undergoing emergency repairs.

Breathitt Veterinary Center, Murray State University
715 North Drive
Hopkinsville, KY 42240
$1,000,000
These funds will be used for teaching and laboratory equipment purchases, installation, and maintenance at the Center. The Breathitt Veterinary Center is a Biological Safety Level (BSL) 2 facility, employing over 50 people and serving a 150 mile radius to research, diagnose, and report bioterrorism and high impact disease agents in the food supply.

Fort Campbell
39 Normandy Avenue
Fort Campbell, KY 42223
$14,000,000
These funds will be used to construct a 1,200-seat chapel/family life multi-purpose facility to serve the soldiers and family members at Fort Campbell.  

Fort Campbell
39 Normandy Avenue
Fort Campbell, KY 42223
$14,400,000
These funds will be used to construct an Army Standard Physical Fitness Center to serve soldiers and family members at Fort Campbell. The existing facility is inadequate and fails to meet Army requirements.

Luvata Franklin
4720 Bowling Green Road
Franklin, KY 42135
$2,800,000
These funds will be used to evaluate improvements to infections through use of antimicrobial copper in medical units and HVAC systems in military units – tanks, Veterans hospitals and barracks.

WASHINGTON – Heeding the call of thousands of concerned Kentuckians and millions of Americans across the country, U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) voted against sweeping healthcare reform legislation which will decrease the quality of care many Americans receive, hamstring small business owners in the midst of an economic recession and bury future generations under a mountain of debt.

"Just yesterday we heard the grim news that the unemployment rate in the United States has hit a staggering 10.2%," Whitfield said. "Yet instead of working to turn our economy around and create new jobs, Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team have instead decided to jam through Congress dangerous and misguided healthcare legislation which will decrease the quality of care many Kentuckians receive while raising prices, increase the already sky high deficit and hurt small business owners. The American people deserve better than this. I hope the Senate can produce a more commonsense plan that will improve access to quality, affordable healthcare without bankrupting our nation."

This evening the House passed H.R. 3962 the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Whitfield, a member of the House Subcommittee on Health, opposed this legislation. The bill was introduced by Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team a little over a week ago with little to no input from most Members of Congress. The legislation, which seeks to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system, creates a new public insurance option, mandates that all Americans obtain health insurance or face a tax penalty, and will cost taxpayers an estimated $1.2 trillion over the next ten years.

To pay for this massive proposal, the bill cuts Medicare and Medicaid by $400 billion; makes cuts to Medicare Advantage that will result in higher premiums and dropped coverage for more than 10 million seniors; raises taxes by $460 billion over the next ten years; and imposes penalties paid by individuals and employers who don’t obtain coverage.

The legislation requires employers to provide insurance to their employees or pay a penalty of 8 percent payroll. Whitfield expressed concerns over how this proposal would impact small business owners and their ability to keep and create jobs during tough economic times.

Furthermore, the bill establishes unreasonable insurance regulations that could raise premiums and encourage employers to drop coverage. Many concerns have also been raised about illegal immigrants having access to healthcare under this plan.

"At a time of unprecedented deficits, it is unbelievable that the Pelosi healthcare bill expands Medicaid coverage, not only to illegal immigrants, but also to the citizens of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau," Whitfield said.

Whitfield supported a Republican alternative to Speaker Pelosi’s bill, the Common Sense Health Care Reform and Affordability Act. This legislation would have lowered premiums for working families and small businesses and lead to expanded access to affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans without increasing taxes, cutting benefits to seniors or raising the federal deficit.

The Senate has yet to pass healthcare reform legislation. Both Chambers of Congress must pass legislation, which then needs to be reconciled between the two bodies, before the proposal can be signed into law by President Obama.

Casey County was established on November 14, 1806 and named in honor of Revolutionary War veteran, and great-grandfather of Mark Twain, Col. William Casey. One of the first families to settle in Casey County was that of Captain Abraham Lincoln, the president's grandfather. The family lived for two and a half years on 800 acres on the Green River. While there is no record of Civil War battles taking place in Casey County, the county is credited with producing one-third of the 1st Kentucky Cavalry which served in the Union army. The 1st Cavalry was active in the Battles of Mill Springs, Perryville, and Lebanon, Tennessee.

Today Casey County is known for its annual apple festival held every September, its Amish and Mennonite communities and the Central Kentucky Ag/Expo Center.

Calloway County was established in 1821 after the Chickasaw Indians ceded their lands in western Kentucky under a federal treaty. The County was named in honor of Colonel Richard Callaway, a Kentucky explorer and pioneer who was a friend of Daniel Boone. Calloway County residents were deeply involved in the Civil War and in 1863 Federal Forces took the town of Murray and occupied it for a brief time. In an attempt to establish control of the area, the Confederates erected Fort Heiman on the Tennessee River in the southeast section of the county in 1861. However, Federal Forces captured the fort in 1862 and held it until 1864 when the Confederate army retook it and used it as a base for their successful assault on Johnsonville, Tennessee.

In 2004, Congressman Whitfield introduced legislation, which became law, to revise the boundary of the Fort Donelson/Fort Heiman Civil War Battlefield. The battlefield now includes the site of Fort Heiman and associated land in Calloway County as well as the Fort Donelson National Cemetery in Stewart County, Tennessee. The legislation also called for the National Park Service to take over administration of the battlefield.

Calloway County is home to Murray State University as well as Kentucky Lake. Murray State is one of the nation’s best public universities and is home to more than 10,000 students. Kentucky Lake is a major tourist destination in the state and offers more than 2,300 miles of shoreline. Visitors can enjoy a multitude of activities on the lake including fishing, boating and jet skiing.

 Caldwell County was established in 1809 and named in honor of General John Caldwell, a prominent legislator and businessman who had served in the Indian wars. He was the first western Kentuckian to be sworn in to the Kentucky State Senate and was the state's second lieutenant governor. When Caldwell County was created, it was one of only two Kentucky counties that claimed land west of the Tennessee River. After the Jackson Purchase in 1818, the newly created town of Princeton became the staging area for the settlement of the Jackson Purchase region.

Since its founding, the economy of Caldwell County was based upon agriculture with dark-fired tobacco being the principal crop. Western Kentucky was the most strategically located of all the regions for the export of tobacco through the port of New Orleans and in 1860 Caldwell County ranked sixth among Kentucky counties in the production of tobacco. Today, the County is home to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Research and Education Center, an on-farm/laboratory research operation. This center is headquarters for more than 50 UK faculty and staff researching agriculture.

Caldwell County is also home to numerous historic sites including the Adsmore Museum, the Amoss House Museum, the Caldwell County Railroad Museum, the Cherokee Trail of Tears and a downtown commercial district listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. Caldwell County also hosts Newsom's Old Mill Store, home of the nationally renowned Col. Newsom's Aged Kentucky Country Ham. In addition, a brand new, state-of-the-art hospital opened in Princeton last month.

No matter how you feel about healthcare reform, there is one thing we should all be able to agree on – the need for transparency and an open and honest public debate about the impact legislation could have on American citizens. The bills currently being debated in the United States Congress will have a sweeping impact on not only the availability of insurance plans, but the quality of care everyone will be able to receive. It will affect businesses and our economy as a whole. It will impact doctors, nurses and all healthcare professionals as well as patients of all ages. And it will potentially cost taxpayers $1 trillion. Too much is at stake here for important decisions to be made without the input of the American people and without sufficient time to review the proposal.

While there have been some legislative hearings and meetings held publicly throughout the healthcare debate, news reports have indicated in recent weeks that the final version of healthcare legislation will be very different then the bills considered publicly in Committee hearings. When considering bills which have the potential to be among the most significant legislation enacted in the last fifty years, shirking the legislative process with behind-the-scenes deal making will not produce the best proposal for our country. It is essential that the legislative process be transparent so we can ensure the very best ideas are heard and that the American people have faith in our system of government.

For this reason, I am proud to be a cosponsor of two Resolutions in the House of Representatives which would open the healthcare debate to the public and ensure citizens, as well as Members of Congress, have time to review this legislation before it is voted on. One Resolution I am a sponsor of would require any meetings held by policymakers to determine the final content of national healthcare legislation be conducted publicly. I know many Kentuckians have become discouraged with the way Washington has conducted business in recent years. One of the best ways to win back the trust of the American people is for Congress to work in an open and transparent manner and the healthcare debate gives us an excellent opportunity to do just that.

Another measure I am a cosponsor of would require all legislation to be made public for at least 72 hours before receiving a vote on the House floor. Earlier this year, Members of Congress and the general public were given just 12 hours to review a $787 billion stimulus package. The bill was 1,073 pages long. Furthermore, when the House voted on cap and trade legislation, Members were given only 16.5 hours to review the 1,428 page proposal which is expected to cost taxpayers $846 billion. I, along with many Kentuckians, find this to be unacceptable. Requiring Members of Congress to vote on complex legislation without giving them – and the general public – the opportunity to actually read the bill is both foolish and dangerous.

As Congress moves forward with healthcare reform legislation this fall, the American people must be a part of the process. I have had the opportunity to discuss healthcare with thousands of Kentuckians this year and know of the strong feelings and concerns many of you have. As active and engaged citizens, residents of the First Congressional District should be given every opportunity to witness the debate in Washington and read the final bill before Congress is forced to vote on it. While sometimes difficult, the best solutions come when many different ideas are considered and honest debate is held in public.

Caldwell County was established in 1809 and named in honor of General John Caldwell, a prominent legislator and businessman who had served in the Indian wars. He was the first western Kentuckian to be elected to the Kentucky State Senate and was the state's second lieutenant governor. When Caldwell County was created, it was one of only two Kentucky counties that claimed land west of the Tennessee River. After the Jackson Purchase in 1818, the newly created town of Princeton became the staging area for the settlement of the Jackson Purchase region.

Since its founding, the economy of Caldwell County was based upon agriculture with dark-fired tobacco being the principal crop. Western Kentucky was the most strategically located of all the regions for the export of tobacco through the port of New Orleans and in 1860 Caldwell County ranked sixth among Kentucky counties in the production of tobacco. Today, the County is home to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture Research and Education Center, an on-farm/laboratory research operation. This center is headquarters for more than 50 UK faculty and staff researching agriculture.

Caldwell County is also home to numerous historic sites including the Adsmore Museum, the Amoss House Museum, the Caldwell County Railroad Museum, the Cherokee Trail of Tears and a downtown commercial district listed on the National Register of Historic Districts. Caldwell County also hosts Newsom's Old Mill Store, home of the nationally renowned Col. Newsom's Aged Kentucky Country Ham. In addition, a brand new, state-of-the-art hospital opened in Princeton this month.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace and Dynamics
P.O. Box 219, State Route 175
Graham, KY 42344
$3,000,000
These funds will be used to develop a replacement for current reactive armor used by the Army which will be reduced in weight, meet new threats and increase the overall safety of the armor.