Government

Magistrates have begun work on the County's 2011-2012 fiscal year budget.

They focused on the road department and jail budgets Monday night by examining each of the funds' proposed line item allocations during a meeting of the County's Budgets, Audits and Personnel Committee.

To begin the meeting, Taylor County Judge/Executive Eddie Rogers said the County faces several budget uncertainties.

"We've got a lot of work ahead of us right here," he said.

Local economic development incentives have led to one expansion, and another announcement is waiting in the wings.

During a special joint meeting of the Taylor County Fiscal Court and Campbellsville City Council on Monday, magistrates and council members gave Economic Development Authority Executive Director Ron McMahan the OK to move forward with a project that would bring additional jobs to Taylor County.

Students who'd like a jump-start on college could soon be able to graduate and leave high school early.

A proposed bill creating an early graduation program has passed the Senate and is now at a House of Representatives education committee for its consideration.

Senate Bill 69, sponsored by Sen. Ken Winters, R-Murray, would require 18 credits in core academic areas for early graduation, including two college-level courses through the Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs. The program would begin with the 2012-2013 school year.

Downtown shoppers no longer need to rush.

During its regular meeting Monday, Campbellsville City Council members approved replacing signs limiting downtown parking to just two hours. The signs will be repainted to read "Customer Parking Only."

Downtown Business Association President Doug Tucker, who attended the Council meeting, said the signs were erected long before Main Street was ever home to restaurants. Now, limiting customers to two-hour parking doesn't provide enough time to eat and shop downtown.