Kentuckian. Reporter @kentucky.com. Beep me: phansen@herald-leader.com. she/herhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mnxkk2vks22nThe council member said in her conversations with planning and legal staff, since the Lexmark property changed owners through the sale, DartPoints still needs to apply for a zoning compliance permit, something the moratorium council passed puts a pause on issuing. https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/counties/fayette-county/article316045774.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/counties/fayette-county/article316045774.html#storylink=cpy10 Jun 2026 20:31 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnxkk2vks22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mnv223dez22vThe Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council won’t consider development plans, give approvals or any other authorizations — including zone changes — for data centers in Fayette County through Oct. 31, the body decided unanimously today. https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article316064052.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article316064052.html#storylink=cpy09 Jun 2026 20:30 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnv223dez22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mjmmfdzfdc2pmaybe the real sine die was the friends we made along the way #kyga2616 Apr 2026 14:24 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjmmfdzfdc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mdxx4conlk2nthe bill, filed monday, gives local governments the ability to use bonds and other incentive tools in order to support large residential developments in their communities as well as their infrastructure and utility needs https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314547240.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314547240.html#storylink=cpy03 Feb 2026 18:04 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdxx4conlk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3md23mdp2js2lthe ky house formed an impeachment committee and met for the first time yesterday to discuss rules to review petitions filed against elected officials for their removal. it's having its second meeting right now and has been in closed session for over an hour https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314414486.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314414486.html#storylink=cpy22 Jan 2026 21:04 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3md23mdp2js2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mckonusmsc2xwe have the first bill from the ky senate to be sent to the house of representatives for consideration: a proposal allowing counties without a regional licensing office the option to run driver’s license renewal and duplication services. more from today's vote: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314337668.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314337668.html#storylink=cpy16 Jan 2026 18:03 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mckonusmsc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mciee3ehwk22though carrying out immigration law typically falls to federal officers, some kentucky lawmakers want to see local law enforcement enter agreements in order to aid ICE. updated with comments from gov. andy beshear: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314333972.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314333972.html#storylink=cpy15 Jan 2026 19:53 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mciee3ehwk22https://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mchrvokjnk23wrote about a proposed policy that would allow the state to award eligible applicants enough money to cover one-third of the cost of applying for federal permits for a kentucky nuclear site: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314323704.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314323704.html#storylink=cpy15 Jan 2026 14:23 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mchrvokjnk23https://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mcfayyknas2li am finally back to writing about housing policy. three still-to-be-filed bills aim to close the state’s affordable housing gap, improve access, continue economic development. more on each, who is sponsoring, etc. watch this space, as they say: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314309149.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314309149.html#storylink=cpy14 Jan 2026 14:15 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcfayyknas2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mbx4n42mus2vin his first team kentucky update of the year, ky gov. andy beshear took a stance on ice and described the fatal shooting of a minnesota woman by on of the agency’s officers yesterday “foreseeable,” “preventable” and “tragic.” more: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314251240.html08 Jan 2026 23:20 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbx4n42mus2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mbwi6tdaxk2palso new from me: a bill to protect medical privacy and prevent criminalization of those who seek reproductive care outside the commonwealth was filed this week the same day a kentucky woman was indicted for fetal homicide after taking abortion medication https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314235367.html08 Jan 2026 17:14 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbwi6tdaxk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mbweo6ighs2qky gov. andy beshear’s state of the commonwealth speech doubled as his final budget address, which sounded a lot like the governor - now half way through his second term - already has his eyes on what’s next. some key takeaways from last night: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article314242137.html08 Jan 2026 16:11 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbweo6ighs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mbr4ttv4vc2khey y'all, i'll be in frankfort this session aiding in coverage @kentucky.com of #kyga26, budget talks and daily goings on at the capitol. i'm eager to take on the task. send tips, advice, say hi, add me to your press list: phansen@herald-leader.com06 Jan 2026 14:07 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbr4ttv4vc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3mallx523ac2xThe joint venture’s end means BlueOval SK will cease operations at the Hardin County plant and all employees will be terminated on or shortly after Feb. 14. https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article313893876.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article313893876.html#storylink=cpy22 Dec 2025 15:56 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3mallx523ac2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3ma6wwz3k522gattempted to summarize what’s happened to/at/with blueoval in the past week. hope it’s helpful: https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article313745343.html17 Dec 2025 15:09 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3ma6wwz3k522ghttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3ma2lj7dpy22pmajor job loss incoming at blueoval sk in kentucky as ford announces a pivot to ... using the facilities in glendale for battery energy storage systems instead of ev batteries. 'tis developing, i may have more soon but for now, new from moi: https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article313723819.html15 Dec 2025 21:33 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3ma2lj7dpy22phttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3m7q4xxkprk2uSouth Korea-based SK On and Ford Motor Co. said Dec. 11 the businesses will break apart their agreement to collaborate and will instead run their BlueOval SK battery plants separately. https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article313615213.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article313615213.html#storylink=cpy11 Dec 2025 17:47 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7q4xxkprk2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3m5z5tcg4kc2tThe investment is part of a larger $912 million announcement across five of the automaker’s American manufacturing plants that will add a total 252 jobs in Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri and Mississippi, to increase hybrid vehicle capacity. https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article312962788.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article312962788.html#storylink=cpy19 Nov 2025 21:06 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5z5tcg4kc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3m5mldttvdk23The tenured full professor in UK’s J. David Rosenberg College of Law, told the Herald-Leader Friday this instance of his speech comes from research conclusions about Israel and colonization. https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article312915574.html https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article312915574.html#storylink=cpy14 Nov 2025 21:03 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5mldttvdk23https://bsky.app/profile/piperjhansen.bsky.social/post/3m5hk7tu7ic22“I think we did hit the triggers in Kentucky, and even if we didn’t — but we did — we should, we need to reduce the taxes anyway.” https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article312875758.html#storylink=cpy12 Nov 2025 20:59 +0000at://did:plc:dlqbco6kxy4occmxwwyma3ee/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5hk7tu7ic22