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COVINGTON
Omnicare Inc., a Covington-based provider of pharmaceutical care for the elderly, has acquired Advanced Care Scripts, Inc., a Florida specialty pharmaceutical services provider. Based on the quarter ending Mar. 31, 2008, Advanced Care Script had an annual revenue of $212 million. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

ERLANGER
Faced with skyrocketing fuel prices, Delta Air Lines has announced that it will reduce its flights in and out of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport by 23 percent. Company officials say the cutbacks will be seen more in flight frequency rather than pulling out of markets altogether. The cuts are scheduled to begin in September. The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport will remain the Atlanta-based carrier’s second-largest hub.

Erlanger-based Comair will cut 520 flight crew positions as part of the airline’s previously announced plans to ground 14 of its aircraft due to high fuel costs. The cuts will affect 300 pilots and 220 flight attendants. The company employs a total of approximately 6,400. Of those, some 1,470 are pilots and 940 are flight attendants.

In response to consumer demand, Toyota has adjusted its production mix at three of its U.S. plants. The Highlander model, originally scheduled to be built at the company’s plant currently under construction in Blue Springs, Miss., will now be manufactured in Princeton, Ind., beginning the fall of 2009. The Mississippi plant will handle construction of the company’s popular hybrid model, the Prius. Production of the Tundra, a full-size pick-up truck that is currently being built in Indiana and Texas, will be consolidated at the San Antonio plant beginning in the spring of 2009. Toyota has temporarily suspended production of the Tundra and its large SUV, the Sequoia, in response to the decreased demand for full-size trucks and SUVs. Production is scheduled to resume in early November. Company officials emphasized that workers at the Indiana and Texas facilities, as well as the Huntsville, Ala., plant that builds Tundra and Sequoia engines, will continue to be provided work.

FLEMING COUNTY
After more than a decade of planning and development, Fleming County Hospital has officially opened a new 100,000-s.f. facility, which provides twice the space of the previous hospital. The new $38 million facility houses 52 beds, the same as before, but enables the hospital to offer 36 private rooms. Though the new facility isn’t expected to create a need for additional staff, hospital officials say the new facility will serve as a good recruiting tool to attract more physicians to the area.

HARDIN COUNTY
The Nielsen Company is adding 54 full-time jobs at its call center in Hardin County, where it currently employs 60 full-time workers. The company plans to have its new hires – many of whom are expected to come from the center’s 300-plus part-time and temporary workers – in place before its survey season begins for the fall TV sweeps.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS
Northern Kentucky University has established a new program for students in kindergarten through eighth grade that is designed to identify and develop talent and increase readiness for postsecondary education. The Talent Development and Gifted Studies program will offer opportunities for students to participate in interactive, hands-on courses that match their interests and abilities. In addition to providing services for youth, the program will offer a Master of Arts in Education degree with an endorsement in gifted and talented education, professional development workshops to area teachers and educational resources to local educators and parents.

LEXINGTON
Ray Paulick, former editor-in-chief of The Blood Horse, has launched an online publication focusing on Thoroughbred industry news, analysis and commentary. The Paulick Report (www.paulickreport.com) features links to global Thoroughbred news and commentary produced by mainstream media as well as a community of bloggers who keep a watchful eye on the racing and breeding industry.

LONDON
Wazoo Sports Inc., a high school sports broadcast network based in London, has received a $2 million equity funding commitment from Meritus Ventures, a London-based venture capital fund. Wazoo President and CEO Carlos “Doc” Carpenter said that in addition to financing, Meritus brings “valuable strategic insight and experience to the table as we launch Wazoo Sports and aggressively expand our network, capitalizing on the national high school sports opportunities.” Wazoo utilizes streaming and broadcast technology to deliver video content over the Internet.

LOUISVILLE
In response to an increasing need for qualified pharmacy personnel, Sullivan University’s College of Pharmacy has established a professional pharmacy technician program. U.S. Department of Labor statistics indicate employment opportunities for pharmacy technicians are expected to increase by 32 percent over the next few years.

LOUISVILLE
Alpine Access, a Denver-based company that provides customer service support for companies such as Office Depot, J.Crew, ExpressJet and the Internal Revenue Service, is expanding into Kentucky and is hiring more than 100 people for work-at-home customer service positions. Alpine Access launched its home-based employee contact center model in 1998 and now employs more than 7,500 home-based agents. The company has been included on a number of fastest-growing company lists such as the Inc. 500, Deloitte & Touche Fast 500 and the Denver Business Journal in each of the past several years.

Papa John’s International Inc. has signed a development agreement with Berjaya Pizza Company Sdn Bhd, to open 100 Papa John’s restaurants in Malaysia over the next 10 years, with the first slated to open later this year. The company plans to initially focus its development in Kuala Lumpur before developing further within the Klang Valley region and other cities over the next decade. There currently are 171 Papa John’s restaurants in Asia, including China and South Korea, and more than 3,200 Papa John’s restaurants worldwide.

LOUISVILLE
Ford’s move to reduce production of its Explorer model is also impacting its suppliers. Lear Corp., which operates a Louisville plant that supplies seats for the Ford Explorer, has eliminated 140 positions at the Louisville facility as a result of Ford’s cutbacks. “That [Explorer] plant is their only customer,” United Auto Workers spokesman Roger Kerson told the (Louisville) Courier-Journal. “They are going to match what is going on in the assembly plant.”

Frontier Airlines has notified the Louisville Regional Airport Authority that it will cease operations in Louisville on Aug. 26. Frontier began service to Louisville in April 2007, and operates two daily nonstop flights to Denver, giving it a 3.37 percent market share at Louisville International. “These are constantly changing and very challenging times for the airline industry,” said Skip Miller, executive director of the Airport Authority. “The financial impact of high fuel costs has caused many airlines to rework their business plans and reduce flights and routes.” In April, Frontier filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11.

Humana has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Metcare Health Plans Inc. (MHP) for $14 million. Metcare is a wholly owned subsidiary of Metropolitan Health Networks Inc., based in West Palm Beach, Fla. AdvantageCare, the Medicare Advantage health plan offered by MHP, provides Medicare beneficiaries with access to comprehensive health care coverage in Florida. The acquisition is expected to increase Humana’s Medicare Advantage membership by approximately 7,000 members in 13 Florida counties.

Arison Insurance Services Inc. has been sold to Assurance Investment Partners for an undisclosed amount. Previously an affiliate of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky, Arison has six offices across Kentucky and sells medical, dental, life and disability insurance to groups and individuals. The company will continue to operate under the Arison name and all of Arison employees will be employed by AIP.

General Electric’s announcement that it is considering spinning off its Louisville-based Consumer & Industrial division into a new company was met with optimism by city and state officials. Gov. Steve Beshear and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson said such a decision would give Louisville the chance to retain the jobs at GE Appliance Park – and to become the home of a new Fortune 250 company. Abramson, Beshear and Greater Louisville Inc. have already begun working on a plan to retain the new company. “Now, the real work begins – convincing this new company that Louisville should be the global headquarters for this new company,” Abramson said. The Consumer & Industrial division includes GE’s appliances, lighting and industrial units.

LOUISVILLE
Royal Philips Electronics, a Dutch company that purchased The Genlyte Group Inc. earlier this year, has announced plans to move its Louisville operations to Boston. Company officials said moving the office to the Northeast enables Philips to more easily consolidate the Louisville operations with facilities the company already has in the area. The relocation of will mean the loss of approximately 60 jobs for Louisville.

The University of Louisville has announced plans to establish a multi-disciplinary autism center that will serve as a one-stop resource for families dealing with autism. A joint effort by the UofL departments of psychiatry and pediatrics and the College of Education and Human Development, the UofL Autism Center eventually will incorporate resources from other university programs to provide research, educational leadership, support, clinical and educational services to children with autism and their families. The university-based partnership also will serve as the focus for collaboration with other community-based autism services and advocacy groups. Autism, a brain disorder that causes significant social and communication problems, is one of the nation’s leading disabilities. Autism and related disorders are believed to occur at a rate of 1 in 144 children.

The Louisville Water Company (LWC) has entered a partnership agreement with the Hardin County Water District (HCWD) No. 1 to expand water service to Hardin County and Fort Knox. HCWD No. 1 General Manger Jim Bruce said the partnership utilizes the strengths of both utilities. “Hardin County is growing, and regional partnerships like the one with Louisville Water are critical to successfully managing that growth and making sure that our community continues to thrive.” LWC currently provides water to more than 810,000 people in the Louisville metro area and parts of Bullitt, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby and Spencer counties.

WK Dickson, a North Carolina-based multi-disciplined consulting firm that specializes in infrastructure solutions, has opened a new regional office in Louisville to better serve its growing client base in the region. The new Louisville office will be managed by John W. Cosper, PE.

Researchers at the University of Louisville’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center have confirmed a link between the human papillomavirus and head and neck cancer. Their findings indicate that current vaccines, which protect against the HPV 16 virus, could prevent a large number of head and neck cancer cases. Head and neck cancers account for approximately 5 percent of all cancers in the United States and are more common in men and people over age 50. The American Cancer Society estimates that 35,000 men and women in this country will develop head and neck cancer in 2008.

LOUISVILLE
ResCare, a Louisville-based provider of services for people with disabilities and special needs, has acquired Caregivers Home Health, Inc., a Wisconsin home care company. The company has operations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Florida and primarily provides home care and personal care services to seniors. Annual revenues are expected to be $20 million.

MT. STERLING
A. O. Smith Electrical Products Co. is moving lamination stamping operations, which produce components for electric motors, to its plant in Mt. Sterling. The work is currently being handled at the company’s facility in Scottsville, Ky., which is slated to close. The expansion of the Mt. Sterling operation is expected to potentially add 50 to 75 new jobs to the plant’s existing workforce of 160 by next spring.

Nestle Prepared Foods Co. has announced plans to build a new distribution center in Mt. Sterling. The distribution center will be built next to Nestle’s existing plant, which produces Hot Pockets’ sandwiches and related products. Total Logistic Control has been selected to operate the new 265,000-s.f. distribution center. The distribution facility will create approximately 60 new jobs.

NEWPORT
Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has received an approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Zipsor, its candidate for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate acute pain. Gregory Flexter, president and CEO of the Newport-based company, said Xanodyne has been informed that no additional clinical trials have been requested and said the company will work closely with the FDA to provide a complete response.

SHELBYVILLE
Johnson Controls has laid off 114 workers at its plant in Shelbyville as the company cuts one of its two work shifts that produce seats for Ford’s F-Series Super Duty trucks. The move comes in response to Ford’s decision to decrease production of the F-Series line. The cutbacks represent more than half of the Shelbyville plant’s workforce.

SHEPHERDSVILLE
Alliance Entertainment, a company that markets and distributes DVDs, CDs, video games and books, has opened a new 404,000-s.f. distribution center in Shepherdsville’s Cedar Grove Business Park. The new Shepherdsville warehouse houses state-of-the-art, high-speed material handling automation equipment and automated e-commerce packaging equipment that is capable of sorting and labeling more than 200 million units each year. The new facility replaces a Shepherdsville warehouse of approximately 170,000 s.f. that the company occupied for five years. According to the company, the new Shepherdsville distribution center is one of the largest single-building warehousing facilities in the wholesale entertainment product space.

SIMPSON County
Kentucky Downs has opened a new horse show ring as part of the track’s plan to diversify and expand opportunities for the area’s equine industry. The arena has the capacity to accommodate a variety of events, ranging from 4-H contests to rodeos. Kentucky Downs officials say future enhancements could include a cross-country course in the infield of the existing track and an RV park.

WILLIAMSBURG
Forcht Group of Kentucky has changed the name of Key Insurance Agency to Forcht Insurance Agency. The Williamsburg-based agency is one of several insurance entities operating under the Forcht Group of Kentucky corporate umbrella, including Kentucky National Insurance Co., First Kentucky Insurance Co. and a partnership in Kentucky Home Life. Forcht Insurance Agency has offices in Corbin, Lexington and Williamsburg and offers a variety of property, casualty life and group medical insurance.

STATE
The Kentucky Commerce Cabinet has changed its name to the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet as part of a reorganization designed to more accurately reflect the mission of the agencies within the cabinet. As part of the reorganization, the name of the Department of Tourism will be changed to the Department of Travel. Other changes include changing names of divisions and branches within the new Department of Travel, reducing the number of regional divisions within the Department of Parks from three to two and moving the Kentucky Sports Authority to the Secretary’s Office. Though some positions were moved as a result of the reorganization, there have been no position or pay cuts.

Gov. Steve Beshear has announced two initiatives to help state employees deal with rising fuel costs. The first initiative involves a new carpooling Web site to link employees who are interested in commuting. Beshear is also encouraging more flexible work hours throughout state government. Flexible work options already exist through Personnel Cabinet regulations and the governor has asked Cabinet secretaries and other agency heads to take a closer look at implementing a voluntary flexible schedule for employees whose duties would allow it. The governor emphasized the flexible work options initiative will not affect delivery of services and will not reduce operating hours or quality of service.

The Kentucky Department of Revenue has set the 2008 State Real Property Tax Rate at 12.2 cents per $100 of assessed value. KRS 132.020 requires the Department of Revenue to set the real property rate no later than July 1 of each year. The rate is based on the revenue generated from the increase in taxable real property assessments from 2007 to 2008. If the increase in revenue is more than 4 percent after the exclusion of new property added to the tax roll during 2008, then the new rate must be a reduction. Since the revenue increase for 2008 is estimated at 6.65 percent, the state rate will decrease from 12.4 to 12.2 cents per $100 of assessed value to limit the increase in revenue to 4 percent. All of the revenue generated from the state property tax rate will go into the state’s General Fund.

Kentucky’s gas tax increased on July 1, going from 21 cents per gallon to 22.5 cents. The tax of diesel fuel was increased from 18 cents per gallon to 19.5 cents.

Unemployment rates rose in 108 Kentucky counties between May 2007 and May 2008 and fell in 12 counties, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training. Woodford County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the commonwealth at 4.6 percent, while Jackson County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate – 11.3 percent.

Kentucky’s minimum wage has officially been raised by 70 cents per hour, increasing from $5.85 per hour to $6.55. An additional increase – to $7.25 per hour – is scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2009.