The 4th of July is a day of celebratoin in Lee County. The community comes together at Happy Top Park for food, fun, and of course fireworks. New to this year's events, there will be a ceremony dedicated to honoring and recognizing the Veterans who served in Vietnam starting at 7:00pm. Followed by live entertainment by Brad Alford and the Saddletramp Band. Starting at 4pm there will be inflatables for the kids as well as concessions available for purchase by the Three Forks Historical Center. Attached is a flyer of all the events for the 4th of July. Fireworks begin at dusk and are sponsored each year by many local business, organizations, and individuals. 

Also the weekend of July 4th there will be the HWY 52 Yard Sale going on Friday and Saturday. Stop all along HWY 52 in Madison, Estill, Lee, and Breathitt Counties and browse though all the yard sale items. Here is also a video on the different hot spots in Lee County. See you there! 

Winners will receive cash prizes to start their businesses, gain access to angel investors

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Imagine having 10 minutes to pitch your business idea to a group of investors who could make your dream come true. Sound like a reality show? It is reality, right here in Kentucky.

Governor Steve Beshear announced the state will host eight regional pitch competitions this summer. Similar to the hit television show “Shark Tank,” these competitions will feature Kentucky entrepreneurs presenting their business ideas to a group of local angel investors, individuals who provide capital for startup companies. Winners will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to present their business plans to the entire Kentucky Angel Investors Network (Kentucky Angels) in Frankfort.

“The next great idea can come from anyone,” said Gov. Beshear. “As a state, we need to support these visionaries and provide them the tools to turn their vision into a reality, including the financial means to get started. I look forward to seeing more small businesses and new jobs come to life as a result of these competitions.”

The events will take place in Ashland, Pikeville, Murray, Elizabethtown, Richmond, Covington, Lexington and Louisville.

“Small businesses are job creators and the backbone of Kentucky’s economy,” said Mandy Lambert, acting commissioner of business development at the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. “This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to network with potential investors and get their businesses off the ground. We want to expose more people to investment opportunities right here in the Commonwealth.”

The competition is sponsored by the Office of Entrepreneurship within the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, along with the Kentucky Angels Network and the Kentucky Innovation Network.

“These regional events help form the foundation for a statewide network of entrepreneurs and investors working together to create new businesses and jobs across the Commonwealth,” said Dean Harvey, executive director of the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship in the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky.

The pitch competitions will make the following appearances:

Ashland: June 3, 2014, Ignite Accelerator, 1100 Greenup Ave., 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
Pikeville: June 10, 2014, Coleman College of Business, UPIKE, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
Murray: June 17, 2014, Heritage Hall, Murray State University, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Elizabethtown: June 19, 2014, Brown-Pusey House, 128 North Main St., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Richmond: June 20, 2014, Central Bank Community Room, 350 West Main St., 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Louisville: July 23, 2014, Greater Louisville Inc., 614 West Main St., Suite 6000, 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Covington: TBD
Lexington: Sept. 24, 2014, Commerce Lexington, 330 East Main St., Suite 100, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

For more information on the Richmond competition, visit kyinnovation.com, call(859) 622-8578 or email [email protected]

This is a great opportunity to learn more about angel investing, see entrepreneurs pitch and network with entrepreneurs and angel investors from our area.  The event will be held at the Community Room of the Central Bank located on the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Main Street in downtown Richmond.  To access the Community Room, park in the lower bank lot or at the adjacent First Christian Church parking lot and enter the double doors into the basement next to the drive-thru lanes.  The agenda will be as follows:

11:00 am    Networking
11:15 am    Dean Harvey, Discussion about Angel Investing and Term Sheets
11:45 am    Lunch
12:15 pm    Pitches
1:20 pm      Winner Announced
1:30 pm      END

If you are interested in learning more and would like to attend please register at the following Eventbrite link: www.kyangelrichmond.eventbrite.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

Best Regards,

Amber Moreland
Business Development Specialist
Kentucky Innovation Network at Richmond
Center for Economic Development, Entrepreneurship & Technology
Eastern Kentucky University
BTC 041
521 Lancaster Avenue
Richmond, KY 40475
859-622-8578
www.KYInnovation.com