News money 2008-06-02 Andanh.com

Keeping a recording is a big business Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:19:00 EST
MetroSafe, the multimillion-dollar emergency communications system serving police, fire and emergency medical services in Louisville, answered and recorded 1.4 million telephone calls last year. Its dispatchers are in radio contact with emergency workers every minute of every day, and those transmissions are also recorded.

Planning ahead for disaster is a necessary precaution Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:14:00 EST
A spring that has already brought deadly and destructive weather to parts of the nation is a reminder to small businesses that they need to prepare for disasters that could shut them down. Owners should try to make their companies as prepared as possible -- or at the least be sure that employees and data are protected.

re: Jamie Estes, PR president Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:14:00 EST
My job is: "To build brands for our clients, who are mainly in the lifestyle, culinary and hospitality industries. … I have also had the pleasure of working with such networks as CNN, The Travel Channel and The Food Network. … I am happy to say that I have my dream job.

Loyalty cards support small-town charities Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:15:00 EST
At the Country Loft gift shop, customers buying homemade fudge or a porcelain doll will come away with something more: cash back on a card to use for more shopping and a good feeling about supporting a charity and their local economy.

Coastal insurance costly Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:16:00 EST
Since Hurricane Katrina blew ashore nearly three years ago and caused massive damage along the Gulf Coast, families in many coastal states have found it difficult and costly to obtain comprehensive homeowners insurance.

Delphi to sell Ohio assets Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:16:00 EST
Tenneco says it has finalized an agreement to buy assets and inventory from Delphi's Ohio suspension plant in the Dayton suburb of Kettering.

Interview no place for bad behavior Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:17:00 EST
Candidates' manners are on a downward spiral. According to a new survey released by Vault, 59 percent of hiring managers say job seekers' behavior is deteriorating.

Business People Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:18:00 EST
Health care and professional services are in today's Business People. Submit new items at courier-journal.com/businesspeople Sign up for the daily Business People newsletter at courier-journal.com/newsletters.

Vogt Award entries are due June 16 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:18:00 EST
The deadline to apply for the next Vogt Invention and Innovation Award is June 16. A short application is available at www.vogtawards.com.

Lack of interaction hurts U.S. work force Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:20:00 EST
While there is increasing debate about the changing economy, shifting work-force demographics and, of course, a future skilled-worker shortage, a recent survey has uncovered a very critical factor leading to a future talent shortage for decades to come.

Park it! Tue, 27 May 2008 11:39 EDT
There are other ways to get to work that burn less gas. You can take the bus, ride a bike or share the driving

All signs point to a satisfying business Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
A business with no sign is a sign of no business: Just ask signmaker Ralph Craycraft, of Craycraft Signs, est. 1975, as his sign says. His sign also features an artist's palette, which is a sign he's a craftsman as well as a businessman.

Sign me up: Craycraft does jobs big and small, from individual signs for homeowners and small businesses to hundreds of pedigree signs for Thoroughbred sales. "We do a lot of work for the horse industry," he says. On a recent day at his shop on DeRoode Street, he was finishing up 14 signs for food booths at the Rolex equestrian event at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Please do enter: Inside his front door is a foyer with some small examples of his work. On the walls of his office area are a poster illustrating 1,000 fonts, an old hand-lettered Keeneland oak and gold-leaf sign (he used to do all their work until they got their own sign shop), along with a finely carved version of that subversive workplace classic, "You Want It When?" and a plentiful supply of Marilyn Monroe images. Apparently he likes her.

The workshop itself is an approximately 3,000-square-foot garage-like space decorated with more signs he's made, signs he admires and signs of businesses that went under owing him money. There's a large sign of a bass he's "been moving around the building for 20 years," and a giant image of Batman dominating one wall.

Da road to DeRoode Street: Craycraft, a Clark County native, became a sign-maker's apprentice right out of high school. He worked for Jim Ramsey's Signs, on Jefferson Street near Short Street, for six years. It was there he mastered the art of hand-lettering, which he still does occasionally.

Footnotes Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Kentucky Money Market

Certificates Annual percentage yield of deposit

Phone Money Minimum Super Minimum Three Six One Two Banks number Market Balance NOW Balance months months year years

American Founders Bank (859) 367-3700 2.80 100,000 2.20 25,000 2.00 2.15 2.75 3.50

Bank of the Bluegrass1 (859) 233-4500 3.25 100,000 0.40 1,000 2.40 2.80 3.20 3.60

KENTUCKY PATENTS Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Media tray stack height sensor with continuous height feedback and discrete intermediate and limit states.

Inventors: William Cook, Niki Murrell and Raymond Barry of Lexington; and Daniel Carter, Georgetown. Patent No. 7,374,163 assigned to Lexmark International, Inc., Lexington.

Methods for determining unidirectional print direction for improved quality.

Inventor: Stephen Olson, Lexington. Patent No. 7,374,269, assigned to Lexmark International.

Method of operating a microelectromechanical inkjet ejector to achieve a predetermined mechanical deflection.

KENTUCKY BY THE NUMBERS Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT

4.4
The average budgeted salary increase for private business executives in Kentucky for 2008 is 4.4 percent according to a survey by ERI Economic Research Institute Inc. The budgeted amount is 4.3 percent for middle management, 4.0 percent for engineers, 4.0 percent for technicians and 3.8 percent for general non-union workers.

The projected salary increases for 2009 for these positions for Kentucky is executive 4.2 percent, middle management 4.1 percent, engineer 4.0 percent, technician 3.8 percent and 3.6 percent for general - non-union workers.

The U.S. average for 2008 is executive 4.3 percent (4.3 percent in 2009), middle management 4.3 percent (4.2 percent in 2009), engineer 4.0 percent (4.1 percent in 2009), technician 4.0 percent (3.9 in 2009) and general non-union 3.9 percent (3.6 percent in 2009).

fuel-friendly and affordable Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Gasoline prices are setting records just about every day, and people's driving and car-buying habits are changing.

Small, affordable, fuel-efficient cars are selling well, while big pickups and traditional SUVs are dead in the water, auto dealers and manufacturers report.

But don't despair: Just because a car is small and gets great fuel economy doesn't mean it has to be boring.

The editors at kbb.com -- the automotive consumer Web site of the Kelley Blue Book organization -- have announced their annual list of the coolest of cool, affordable cars on the market now.

All are 2008 models except for the Pontiac Vibe, which is an early 2009.

Meetings Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
The Central Kentucky Inventors Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Bluegrass Area Development Center, 699 Perimeter Drive. Topic: How to Make Your Product a Household Name. Information: Don Skaggs, (859) 201-1311.

Professional Women's Forum will meet 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at The Red Mile clubhouse. Program: E-Discovery with speakers from Fowler, Measle & Bell. Reservations to Prowomensforum@aol.com .

The Mortgage Bankers Association of the Bluegrass will have its annual golf outing June 16 at Andover Country Club. Information: Go to www.mbabluegrass.org and click on members' area.

The Bluegrass Kiwanis Club meets at 11:30 a.m. Thursdays at Ryan's Steak House, 701 Red Mile Road. Information: Paul Bimschleger, (859) 272-1467.

The Lexington Kiwanis Club meets at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Ryan's Steakhouse, 701 Red Mile Road. Information: Mel Boyd, (859) 277-2058.

Architecture Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Omni Architects: Donald L. Adams has been promoted to senior associate in the firm.

SCORE: Billy Kelley has been elected chairman of the Lexington Chapter of SCORE, counselors to America's small business.

Fayette County Bar Association: The following have been named officer and board members for 2008-2009: Douglas T. Logsdon, McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie . Mindy Barfield, Dinsmore . Erin McMahon, Wyatt, Tarrant . Christopher Goode, Bubalo, Hiestand . Cassidy Ruschell Rosenthal, Stites . Alex Scutchfield, Stites . Ed Clark, Clark Law Office; Christopher Frost, University of Kentucky College of Law; Glenda George, Lexington-Fayette County Urban City Government; Brandon Gross, Woodward, Hobson . Lucy Pett, Stoll Keenon Ogden; Tim West, Fowler Measle Bell; Amy Collier Eason, young lawyer representative, Woodward Hobson . and James E. Keller, senior adviser, Gess Mattingly Atchison.

League of Women Voters of Lexington: The following have been named officers and board members for 2008-2009: Tammy Fagley, Gibson . Terry Naydan, vice president; Betty Higgins, secretary; Steve Senft, treasurer; Lowell Eberwein; Cindy Heine; Richard Heine; Shirley Hendrix; Judy Johnson; Margaret Melville; Mary McNeese; Kitty Parker; Barbara Sterrett; and Nikole Wolfe.

National Association of Credit Management, South Central Region-Bluegrass Division: The following have been named board officers for two-year terms: Stephanie Shaver, Brock-McVey Co., chairwoman; Hope Hurst Lanham, Hurst Office Suppliers, vice chairwoman. The following have been named board directors for three-year terms: Erica White, Ferguson Enterprises; Barry Mee, Hager Cabinets.

CONVENTIONS Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Events scheduled for Lexington, including headquarters and expected attendance:

Kentucky Society of Association Executives: Through Wednesday, Doubletree Guest Suites, 80.

Kentucky Association of School Superintendents, 2008 Annual Summer Conference: Today through Friday, 100.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Wednesday-Sunday, Hyatt Regency Lexington, 800.

Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture: June 8-13, Griffin Gate Marriott Resort, 150.

Chapter 7 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
Definitions -- Chapter 7: Court-appointed trustee sells assets and debtor is discharged of debts. Chapter 11: Company or individual reorganizes under court supervision. Chapter 12: Farmer reorganizes debts under court supervision. Chapter 13: Debtor arranges to repay debt.

More detailed information about Kentucky's Eastern Division bankruptcies can be obtained for a fee by visiting www.kyeb. uscourts.gov, clicking on the electronic case file (ECF) icon and following the instructions for setting up a PACER account.

Ashland Division

Charles V. Franks, Crockett. 08-10250.

Christina Brooke Spilman, Russell. 08-10251.

Detroit's Big Three must shift gears Sat, 31 May 2008 02:05 EDT
Detroit's automakers have been making the shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles, but consumers have been making the move even faster -- to hybrids and high mileage models made overseas. Gas prices have accelerated the move away from trucks and sport utility vehicles at a furious pace, leaving the Big Three at the most critical crossroads in 30 years.

"In the early '70s, we were caught flat-footed, without smaller, fuel-efficient cars. We had nothing to sell," said Gerald Meyers, a former chairman of American Motors Corp. "That's exactly what's happening now."

As of April, year-over-year sales of large pickups were down 17 percent and large sport utility vehicles were down 29 percent, while sales of subcompacts jumped 33 percent and the Toyota Prius hybrid was up 23 percent, according to Autodata Corp. The shift was exacerbated by a perfect storm of high gas prices -- which soared 10 percent between March and April alone -- as well as the weak economy, tightening credit and the slowdown in home construction.

There isn't likely to be much improvement when automakers report May sales Tuesday.

Ford has responded by cutting North American production by nearly 40 percent through the rest of this year, and it's expected to cut thousands of salaried jobs this summer. GM is expected to announce production cuts and other restructuring efforts at its annual meeting Tuesday. Chrysler cut North American production by 16 percent in the first four months of this year but won't say if further cuts are in the works.

THE WEEK AHEAD Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT

Major business events and economic events scheduled for the coming week (some dates are tentative):

MONDAY

.. WASHINGTON -- Commerce Department reports on construction spending for April, 10 a.m.; Treasury bill auction.

.. NEW YORK -- The Institute for Supply Management releases its May manufacturing index, 10 a.m.

TUESDAY

Dawahares files bankruptcy Sat, 31 May 2008 07:07 EDT
The Lexington-based Dawahare's chain of clothing stores filed for bankruptcy reorganization Friday, citing the national economic downturn and competition from other retailers.

The 101-year-old family-owned business that was started by a peddler in the Eastern Kentucky coalfields and grew into the largest Kentucky-based retailer said it will close nine of its 31 stores over a two-month period and shrink its corporate staff in Lexington.

About 100 jobs will be eliminated at the nine stores, plus seven jobs at Dawahare's headquarters, said Harding Dawahare, the company's president. Dawahare's will have about 400 employees after the closings.

"We are not reducing staff at the stores that are staying open," Dawahare said in an interview.

The company listed more than $10 million in assets and nearly $9.3 million in liabilities in its Chapter 11 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Lexington. The largest secured creditor is Fifth Third Bank, which is owed $4.94 million.

Pizza Hut at 50 Sat, 31 May 2008 07:18 EDT
LOUISVILLE -- Dan and Frank Carney borrowed $600 from their mother 50 years ago and opened a small pizzeria in Kansas using secondhand equipment in what was once a bar.

The dream was to make enough pizzas to pay for college and earn a little money on the side for the family.

That humble enterprise with a humble name -- Pizza Hut -- is now the world's largest pizza chain, with $10 billion in annual sales and more than 11,000 stores worldwide.

"We were able to build something from nothing," Dan Carney said, recalling the hardscrabble early days and that first pizzeria in Wichita, Kan., which opened 50 years ago Saturday.

The chain known for its red-roofed restaurants is now updating its look, with plasma TVs, sports bars and local sports memorabilia. It's also rolling out tubs of baked pasta and piles of fried chicken wings to go with its famous pizzas.

Earn loyalty points by e-mail Sat, 31 May 2008 07:18 EDT
Earn points to read e-mail? Warning: you will get a lot of spam if you try this next idea, so open a separate account dedicated to deal-hunting.

At www.mypoints.com you will find a loyalty program that basically sends e-mails to you asking you to jump through hoops to earn points. For instance, sign up for eBay and make a bid on an item and you'll earn 500 points. Take a survey, earn 50 points. You could earn a free $10 iTunes gift card and enough points to take the family out to eat.

You can also earn points with Mypoints.com if you use it as a shopping portal. A similar site is www.ebates.com ; shop online and get cash back.

Mcclatchy-tribune

EARN LOYALTY POINTS BY E-MAIL

Ford exec: No closings for now Sat, 31 May 2008 02:05 EDT
Ford Motor Co. has no plans at present for further U.S. plant closings despite a dramatic drop in demand for pickups and sport utility vehicles, a top company executive said Friday.

But Joe Hinrichs, group vice president of global manufacturing, also told reporters Friday in Wayne, Mich., that it makes no sense to have five factories, including two in Louisville, making trucks and sport utility vehicles on one shift each.

Hinrichs said the company's long-term choices are to either add production to the plants or close some of them.

The company, he said, plans to honor a commitment to the United Auto Workers during contract talks last year not to close more plants.

"There's no plans right now to do anything different than we committed to," he said after a tour of the plant that makes the small car Focus.

Business notes Sat, 31 May 2008 07:19 EDT
NATIONAL

UNITED SCRAPS BID TO JOIN WITH US AIRWAYS

United Airlines scrapped its latest attempt to combine with US Airways and create the world's largest carrier, formally backing away Friday from a deal that probably would have meant fewer routes and higher ticket prices. The CEOs of the two airlines told their employees in separate messages that a combination was off for now. US Airways' Doug Parker indicated it is unlikely for at least the rest of this year. The two companies spent months exploring a deal to shed costs.

SPENDING UP, BUT BARELY

The Commerce Department reported Friday that consumer spending barely budged in April, rising a tiny 0.2 percent, and income growth was just as weak, also 0.2 percent. The growth in incomes, restrained by four straight months of job losses, would have been just 0.1 percent had it not been for the first wave of economic stimulus payments the government started sending out April 28. The 0.2 percent rise in personal incomes in April was the weakest gain since a similar 0.2 percent rise in January.

Recognize effect of divorce on finances Fri, 30 May 2008 06:44 EDT
The distress of divorce spreads beyond couples when children are involved. Financial scars accompany emotional scars, and the parents' reaction can either heal or spread those scars to children.

In a new book, We Need to Talk: Money & Kids After Divorce , financial planner and divorce financial analyst Linda Leitz shares valuable advice for parents dealing with divorce.

Leitz explains five stages of grief that spread to money management, in hopes parents will recognize them and learn to deal with them:

1. Denial: When a parent refuses to accept a change and make adjustments in financial habits.

2. Anger: This breeds financial revenge, which is very harmful to children, Leitz writes. A spouse might run up a credit card or blame the other for a financial mess.

Economic growth improves . a little Fri, 30 May 2008 06:43 EDT
The economy logged slightly better -- but weak -- growth during the first quarter, spurred by improved sales of U.S. products overseas. Although that is heartening, the country is still far from being out of the woods.

In fact, a closer look behind the annualized 0.9 percent increase in the gross domestic product during the January-March period revealed much caution on the part of consumers clobbered by the housing, credit and financial debacles.

"What emerges is a picture of an economy that's gasping for air," said Bernard Baumohl, managing director of the Economic Outlook Group.

Consumers -- major shapers of overall activity and thus the economy's lifeblood -- boosted their spending at the slowest pace since the last recession, in 2001. Their decreased appetite for shopping sprees reduced sales of foreign-made imports, which helped narrow the trade deficit.

The new GDP reading, released Thursday by the Commerce Department, was an improvement from the government's initial first-quarter estimate as well as from the economy's performance during last year's final quarter. Both periods were pegged at a 0.6 percent growth rate.

Comair looking to hold onto Delta Fri, 30 May 2008 02:05 EDT
While Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. forge ahead with plans to merge, Delta subsidiary Comair is moving forward with confidence that it will remain an integral part of Delta's network of regional fliers.

Comair said it is making steady progress in cutting $35 million in costs this year as part of Delta's overall cost-cutting in response to high fuel prices, and the company recently announced that it won't have to cut back as much as expected on aircraft and flights. The Erlanger-based airline also is adding income by providing contract work in ground handling and maintenance for other airlines.

Delta President Ed Bastian said last month that no decision had been made on whether to keep Comair as a subsidiary. Regardless, he said, Comair will remain an important part of the Delta Connection network.

Delta and its affiliated carriers, Atlantic Southeast, Chautauqua, Comair and Freedom, carried more passengers to and from Blue Grass Airport in 2007 than any other airline. Delta and its affiliates handled 44 percent of the Lexington market in 2007, with 460,902 passengers.

Delta recently decided to end a contract with another Delta Connection carrier -- Freedom Airlines, a subsidiary of Mesa Air Group Inc.

Merger to create United Bank Fri, 30 May 2008 02:05 EDT
Farmers Capital Bank Corp. plans to merge three of its Lexington area banks.

The merger of Farmers Bank & Trust Co. in Georgetown, Citizens Bank of Jessamine County in Nicholasville and United Bank & Trust Co. in Versailles is expected to occur in the fourth quarter, the Frankfort-based financial-services company said Thursday.

The merged bank will be called United Bank. It will have 13 branches and 36 ATMs in Fayette, Scott, Woodford and Jessamine counties.

The new United Bank will have assets of $809 million and deposits of $545 million.

Farmers Capital said some operations of the three banks will be merged to reduce costs, but customers should notice few changes and will have access to more bank locations.

Oil prices steady above $127 a barrel in Asia Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:51 EDT
Oil prices held steady around $8 below the record hit last month as investors tried to determine if the market's yearlong bull run is over.

Jitters that record high fuel and energy prices are cutting into demand - particularly in the U.S., which has just started its summer driving season - helped to pull oil off the $135.09 a barrel trading record hit May 22. At the same time, worries that supplies in the near-term won't be able to keep up with demand growth in Asia have kept a floor underneath prices.

Many analysts say institutional investors and fund managers still view any retreat of $5-$10 as a buying opportunity.

Midday in Singapore, light, sweet crude for July delivery was up 9 cents at $127.44 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the contract settled at $127.35 a barrel, up 73 cents.

At one point Friday, July crude futures dipped below $125 a barrel before rebounding.

Study shows young adults hit by 'news fatigue' Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:41 EDT
Young adults experience news fatigue from being inundated by facts and updates and have trouble accessing in-depth stories, according to a study to be unveiled at a global media conference Monday.

The Context-Based Research Group, an ethnographic research firm, found that the news consumption behavior of younger readers differs profoundly from that of previous generations.

The research project, commissioned by The Associated Press in 2007, analyzed the news consumption patterns of an ethnically diverse group of 18 men and women between the ages of 18 and 34 in six cities in the United States, Britain and India.

It ultimately helped AP design a new model for news delivery to meet the needs of young adults, who are driving the shift from traditional media to digital news, said Jim Kennedy, AP's director of strategic planning.

"The real value was that it gave us a lasting model of how news is being consumed in the digital space by young people that we can use to improve our own newsgathering and project development," Kennedy said.

Inflation Watch continues this week on Wall Street Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:21 EDT
Investors examine the same key economic reports at the start of every month - on manufacturing, the service sector and employment. This week, they'll be looking at these indicators for inflation clues as much as they will for insight into economic growth.

Inflationary pressures have overtaken recession as Wall Street's primary concern. At least for now.

The market has been mercurial lately, confident that it has a lot to worry about but not completely sure what to worry about most. There are so many choices: the ever-sinking housing market, the still-strained debt markets, and ongoing deterioration in consumer credit.

But what has appeared in recent weeks to be the most tangible, widespread risk to consumer spending - and therefore the economy and corporate profits - is the high price of food and energy. Just months ago, the market was monitoring every tick in interest rate spreads. Now it's all about light, sweet crude.

"The biggest story continues to be oil," said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at RDM Financial Group in Westport, Conn. It is true that oil has been rising for many years now, he said, "but over the past few years, there was positive employment growth, rising asset prices, positive real wage growth. In the current environment, those tail winds are missing - as a result, oil prices are a bigger and growing worry for consumers and the economy."

Germany to push G-8 on food price plans Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:21 EDT
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she will push G-8 leaders at this year's summit in Japan to come up with a common approach for combatting the rise in global food prices.

Merkel says action needs to be taken to ensure that agricultural areas are not converted to produce biofuels.

Merkel was speaking after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in Berlin on Sunday. Germany handed over the G-8 presidency to Japan at the start of the year.

Fukuda says he agrees that we "need biofuels that do not threaten the production of food."

Fukuda says Japan will follow Germany in making climate protection a central theme for the G-8 during Japan's term leading the group of industrialized nations.

Booksellers talk big, act quietly at convention Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:21 EDT
They spoke of revolution this weekend at BookExpo America, of changing how we read and how we shop.

But the biggest noise happened miles away from the Los Angeles Convention Center, at the Beverly Hills mansion of Prince.

"It was quiet, very quiet," Simon & Schuster CEO and president Carolyn Reidy said of the industry's annual national gathering, which lacked a "buzz" book or spectacular speech, but did offer a rare private concert from the enigmatic rock star.

"I think when this is over, we're going to do some soul searching," said CEO David Shanks of Penguin Group (USA). "There are people in this hall who have spent way more than a million dollars at a time when we all should be pinching pennies."

The numbers were harsh at BookExpo. New annual releases keep increasing (more than 276,000, according to researchers R.R. Bowker), while the number of books purchased is expected to drop, according to a report by the Book Industry Study Group, an industry-supported organization.

Singer's eatery a Maine attraction Mon, 02 Jun 2008 02:05 EDT
It'll take about six weeks beginning in mid-July to "stack" the logs for country singer Eddie Montgomery's Steakhouse at Skylar's Landing in Harrodsburg.

Allow another two or three weeks for roofing and a couple of months for installing electricity, plumbing and a professional sound system. Then the country duo Montgomery Gentry can sing while the steaks are cooked and served.

"We are going to do all we can to have it open this year," said Tommy Mitchell , Montgomery's business partner. "I'm on a mission, let me tell you."

The building is expected to cost as much as $3 million, but it's basically a 16,000-square-foot log cabin that will be trucked log-by-log on 18-wheelers to Harrodsburg from Katahdin Cedar Log Homes in Oakfield, Maine.

Kentuckians might well ask why the logs are coming all the way from Maine? If a Kentucky log cabin was good enough for the likes of Abe Lincoln , why wouldn't it be good enough for Eddie Montgomery?

Loose change Wed, 28 May 2008 08:21 EDT

Chinese Dir