Author: Elijah Wilson
Major Program: Economic Development
What started as the result of 4-H community service has led to the largest annual event in the history of Cumberland County. The 6th annual River Festivus reached new heights of success this year, captivating locals and visitors alike with an unforgettable weekend of music, community spirit, and riverside fun. The festival, held along the scenic banks of the Cumberland River, featured a show-stopping performance by Grammy Award-winning country band Diamond Rio, drawing the largest crowd in the e
Author: Beka Burton
At a fall 2023 women's conference in Western Kentucky, I had the privilege of presenting on the critical role of data in making informed business decisions for expansion and startups. The session focused on leveraging SizeUp Kentucky, a powerful tool that helps businesses understand consumer spending patterns and identify lucrative market opportunities.The conference drew a diverse audience, including ambitious high school seniors from Muhlenberg, KY, who were eager to explore entrepreneuria
Author: David Hull
Small counties and communities have a distinct disadvantage when trying to increase tourism and economic development. Many try to “piggyback” on big attractions in larger communities with limited success. Others try to start a new festival of some type in hopes of drawing in crowds; but because of competition with other established festivals, success is far from guaranteed. In Gallatin County, we are looking at what assets we already possess that have the potential to draw peopl
Author: Lori Bowling
Once all the restrictions were finally lifted after all the Covid issues, a local small business owner recognized the need for a place that friends could get together and be creative and have fun. She had attended the Holiday Wreath program in the past that is offered by the Boyd County Extension Horticulture Program and wanted to create something similar on a smaller scale that was available year round. She came up with a boutique makers space where friends could be creative and enj
Author: Jeremy Williams
The Harlan County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources worked with Cumberland Tourism (event sponsor), and the Kentucky Division of Mine Safety to develop a training program (Harlan County Safety Days Mine Rescue Contest) for coal miners that participate on mine rescue teams. The ANR agent directed the event and developed logistics prior to and during the event. The event, in its 10th year, is provided to coal mining companies that have trained mine rescue teams ava
Author: Alethea Price
The FCS Agent sets up a table at the Boyle County Farmer's Market once per month. Sometimes a sample
Author: Jessica Marquez
The problem - Learning about finance and the economy can be difficult and unattainable. The director of multicultural services at Eastern Area Community Ministries and I have been working with a group of immigrant women for the past year to teach them personal finance and economic behavior as a way to help them integrate themselves to their surrounding community. The educational program response - I worked with the director of multicultural services at EACM to come up with a program that wo
Author: Paul Andrew Rideout
City Relies on Extension for ExpertiseIn 2015, the only public, 18-hole golf course shut down in Henderson, Ky. The closure left our community with 180 acres of weeds and no public golf course. Surrounding the course was a relatively new middle income neighborhood 90% developed. Part of the golf course included several retention ponds to collect runoff. Over the years, many of the overflow structures have not been maintained.185 homes surround the course. Home value
