By BERRY CRAIG
AFT Local 1360
Active and retired union members helped swell large crowds that greeted Gov. Andy Beshear on campaign stops in westernmost Kentucky on Thursday.
Beshear, the Kentucky State AFL-CIO-endorsed Democrat who is seeking a second term, spoke to enthusiastic supporters at the local Democratic headquarters in Paducah and at fundraising events in Mayfield and Bardwell. At Mayfield, he took time off the campaign trail to dedicate the 100th house funded in part by the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund. (See news release from the governor's office below.)
Mayfield was one of the communities hardest hit by deadly tornadoes that devastated parts of western Kentucky on Dec. 10, 2021.
In his remarks, Beshear stressed Kentucky's strong economy, notably job and manufacturing growth, and his leadership in helping guide the state through the COVID pandemic and the aftermath of the western Kentucky tornadoes and severe flooding in eastern Kentucky-two of the worst natural disasters in state history.
The election is Nov. 7. Beshear's challenger is Republican Attorney Gen. Daniel Cameron.
Gov. Beshear Dedicates 100th Home Partially Funded by Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund
Governor also presents Graves County with more than $890,000 from the Kentucky Product Development Initiative
MAYFIELD, Ky. (Aug. 31, 2023) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear joined local leaders from The Hope Initiative to hand over keys to the 100th new home built for tornado survivors that was funded in part by the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.
“I’m so excited to be back in Mayfield today dedicating the 100th home partially funded by the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund,” Gov. Beshear said. “Thank you to each of the 150,000 donors who helped make this milestone possible. Your generosity has helped another family become homeowners for the very first time and get a fresh start after losing so much during the devastating tornadoes.”
The Governor presented $890,670 to the Graves County Fiscal Court from the Kentucky Product Development Initiative. This funding will assist in the development and construction of a speculative building in the Hickory Industrial Park. To learn more, see today’s full release. Earlier today, Gov. Beshear announced that HVAC Distributing plans to expand its Graves County operations for a second time with a $5.35 million investment creating 40 full-time jobs.
“As this community continues to recover, I’m excited to announce that we’ve created nearly 800 new jobs in Graves County,” said Gov. Beshear.
The Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund provided $100,000 to help build this home. Over 124 projects are completed, under construction or approved to start construction with the support of nearly $8 million from the fund. In total, $21.6 million has been committed from the fund to build or significantly repair 300 homes. The Governor thanked nonprofit building partners, including The Hope Initiative, Habitat for Humanity, Homes & Hope for Kentucky, Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders, The Mayfield/Graves Fuller Center for Housing and The Mayfield/Graves Long-Term Recovery Group.
“The Hope Initiative continues to serve the needs of our community throughout the recovery process because of the kindness and generosity of so many partners. In our long-term efforts, the biggest need continues to be housing solutions for renters whose homes were lost or destroyed by the tornado,” said His House Ministries Lead Pastor Stephen Boyken, who serves as president of The Hope Initiative. “The financial support from the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund is allowing us to put the pieces and the people of our community back together one home at a time.”
Launched just days after the tornadoes in December 2021, the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund has raised over $52 million with donations from over 150,000 individuals and businesses. The money raised helped pay funeral expenses for the families of the deceased and provided assistance to survivors as well as local farmers. The remaining funds will be used to build houses. For more information and to donate, click here.
In April 2022, through nonpartisan work with the General Assembly, Gov. Beshear also established the $120 million Western Kentucky State Aid Funding for Emergencies, or SAFE, Fund to assist with tornado recovery.