Kentucky’s growth depends on businesses leading solutions that create opportunities, strengthen communities, and drive the state forward. With its next chapter, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation is expanding its impact across the Commonwealth, guided by its strengthened purpose: unlock the power of business, accelerate solutions, and build opportunity in Kentucky.

“This next chapter marks a defining moment in our work, demonstrating the growing impact of business-led solutions across Kentucky. We are proud of what we have accomplished alongside our partners and Chamber members, and this reintroduction builds on that foundation. When employers engage with the Foundation, they help unlock solutions that extend beyond individual companies and create a thriving future for the entire Commonwealth and its people,” said Kentucky Chamber Foundation Senior Vice President Beth Davisson.

The Foundation advances this purpose through three core areas:

Since 2017, the Kentucky Chamber Foundation has worked to strengthen Kentucky’s workforce, education, and communities through employer-led solutions that expand opportunity and drive economic growth. Through its workforce initiatives, the Foundation has trained 358 employers, connected 1,743 Kentuckians to jobs, and partnered with more than 650 employers across 70 industries to grow their workforce.

Through its education initiatives, the Foundation has engaged 1,055 educators and impacted 52,845 students statewide, helping connect classrooms with careers and prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.

The foundation has also created 600 post-high-school workforce placements in partnership with businesses across the state. Here are a few examples of impact:

Kentucky Chamber Foundation

When the Kentucky and Auburn football programs met last season in Lexington, it featured two struggling clubs. The Wildcats were 14th in the 16-team SEC, with a 1-4 record in conference games at that point; the Tigers were 0-4 and in a tie for last (alongside Mississippi State).

A year later, UK and AU are once more fighting to climb out of the conference cellar.

Kentucky is last in the league standings, sitting at 0-5. Auburn is only one game better, with a 1-4 mark. The Tigers have a better overall record as well. They’re .500 (4-4) on the season, while the Wildcats are 2-5.

UK and coach Mark Stoops seek an end to a 10-game conference losing streak that has lasted more than a year.

The Wildcats also hope they can change their luck in the series with the Tigers. Heading into Saturday night’s matchup, Auburn is 28-6-1 versus Kentucky all time. AU is 19-1 against UK in the past 20 meetings.

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Which Kentucky defense shows up? The one that limited Texas to fewer than 200 yards in an overtime loss on Oct. 18? Or the one that gave up seven touchdowns and more than 500 yards in a one-sided setback to Tennessee last week? Much like life, the answer is probably somewhere in the middle. Think back to last season’s game between the Wildcats and Tigers: It was 10-all at halftime before Auburn scored the final 14 points in a 24-10 win at Kroger Field. Expect another close battle for a good portion of Saturday night’s contest on the Plains. But the Wildcats haven’t been able to get over the hump and vanquish an SEC foe in quite some time. Desperate for a winning season for the first time since 2020 — an accomplishment that, perhaps, would save coach Hugh Freeze’s job in the process — Auburn will hold serve at home and hand Kentucky its 11th consecutive conference loss.

Why Kentucky has an advantage: The Wildcats have clarity at quarterback. While the Tigers are sorting through whether to stick with Jackson Arnold (who started the first eight games this fall) or Ashton Daniels (who led a second-half comeback to top Arkansas last week), the Wildcats know Cutter Boley is QB1. The redshirt freshman is fresh off a record-setting performance. His five touchdown passes last week set a single-game UK record for a freshman. How well Tigers defensive coordinator DJ Durkin disguises his coverages could be the difference in this one, particularly if Seth McGowan, the Wildcats’ leading rusher and top offensive threat, misses his second straight game and forces the unit to rely more heavily on Boley’s arm.

Why Auburn has an advantage: The Tigers have one of the best defenses around. They give up just 84.1 rushing yards per game, which is second in the SEC and fifth nationally. They also rank among the top 30 in the FBS in scoring defense (18.6 points per game; tied for 21st) and total defense (318.5 yards per game; 29th). The most points Auburn has allowed this fall is 24 — on three occasions (Arkansas, Baylor and Oklahoma). The Tigers are one of only four teams in the country, and the only one that resides in the SEC, not to allow an opponent to reach the 25-point threshold in 2025.

Auburn 31, Kentucky 20.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

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OCALA, Fla. (WKYT) – The man convicted in the stabbing death of a 6-year-old who was arrested in Florida while serving mandatory re-entry supervision is headed back to Kentucky.

In a press conference on Tuesday that included Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, officials announced that Ronald Exantus is being transported back to Kentucky.

Ronald Exantus was charged with stabbing and killing Logan Tipton in 2015. While he was found not guilty of the child’s murder by reason of insanity, Exantus was convicted on three assault charges for stabbing other members of Logan’s family.

The court sentenced Exantus to a combined 20 years in prison.

On October 1, The Department of Corrections released Exantus on mandatory re-entry supervision, overriding the parole board’s recommendation that he complete his full sentence behind bars. Exantus chose to service his mandatory re-entry supervision in Florida.

Exantus was arrested in Marion County, Florida on October 9. In a release, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Exantus failed to register as a felon with the sheriff’s office within 48 hours as required by law.

WKYT is working to learn more details about the situation.

This is a developing story.

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