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Today’s Lane Links

Steve Schultz has resigned as executive director of the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority to become a special adviser to Indiana for its portion of the Ohio River Bridges Project, reports the Louisville Courier Journal.

Schultz submitted his resignation Friday and said uncertainty surrounding the authority’s future was a “partial” factor in his decision.

The authority helped craft a financing plan for the two-bridge project that was released in March. But the panel’s role, which initially was to oversee construction procurement and create a tolling policy, changed after the states divided the project late last year, the paper reports.

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Berea residents and businesses will see a 12 to 13 percent increase in electricity rates in September, reports the Richmond Register.

The Berea City Council voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to approve a budget that was adjusted to cover the 8-percent cost increase of purchasing power from Kentucky Utilities for the city. The remaining 4 to 5 percent will go toward Berea Municipal Utilities’ operational expenses, the paper reports.

Residential customers make up more than 85 percent of BMU’s business.

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Bowling Green’s Fountain Square business owners want to make sure they are part of the conversation in determining future uses of the Capitol Arts Theatre, reports the Bowling Green Daily News.

The theatre is vital to Fountain Square’s success, said Ron Murphy, director of the Downtown Redevelopment Authority.

The Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center on July 1 will take over operations of the Capitol. Rumors about plans for the theatre worry the business owners, who say they want to be part of the conversation about the building’s future, the paper reports.

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Western Kentucky farmers are bracing for a grim year as a drought in the area worsens.

Officials say the drought has been upgraded from “severe” to “extreme,” reports the Henderson Gleaner.

Henderson County Extension Agent Mike Smith said that means farmers could see losses of up to 40 percent in the fields, meaning they might make enough to pay expenses but will make little or no profit.

Henderson has gotten less than an inch of rain during the past four weeks.

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University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto Tuesday said a proposed $2.6 billion budget for the coming year, while difficult, will help ensure that UK long-term is even more of a “student centered, student-first institution.”

Capilouto has directed plans to be put in place for a two-year budget process to give departments and units the ability to plan for reductions, but also give the institution the time to responsibly prepare for lower tuition increases and larger pay increases to ensure more competitive compensation for faculty and staff.

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