The City of Monticello is hoping to grow its boundaries and annex four parcels of property into the city limits. The council met a week ago Monday evening and heard first reading of two ordinances that would annex property along Bypass 90 and East KY 90 into the city.

The proposed properties include the Farmer’s Coop and the adjacent property which is owned by Don Sidwell. The other two pieces of property include the new Don Franklin location and the property adjacent to it which is owned by CKV LLC Property.

Since this was the first reading of both ordinances, no council action was required. The ordinances will require a second reading and council approval.

The council approved the tax rates for this year. Property taxes will increase slightly in the city, from 12.1 cents per hundred dollars assessed value to 12.3 cents per hundred dollars assessed value.

The minimal increase was mandated so that the city will stay at the same funding level as last year. City Clerk-Treasurer Greg Latham explained that the assessed value of tangible property in the city decreased, which is why the compensating rate for the city increased.

Latham explained that for a home valued at $100,000, the property tax would increase by one $1 dollar.

The tangible property tax rate was set at 12.3 cents per hundred dollars assessed value. The tax for motor vehicles and watercraft will be 22.5 cents per one hundred dollars assessed value.

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Forty-eight percent of Hepatitis A cases in Kentucky have resulted in hospitalization and the numbers continue to climb.

The latest information that has been made available includes a total of 4,879 cases. Total people hospitalized was 2,361 and there were 61 deaths.

Current numbers for the Lake Cumberland area show that this region has a total of 231 cases, including 19 in Wayne County.

Case numbers for other counties include: Pulaski County, 97; Taylor County, 50; McCreary County, 28; Casey County, 14; Clinton County, 12; Adair, Green and Russell counties, three each; and Cumberland County, two.

The majority of cases have been reported among those who use illicit drugs and/or are homeless.

A contaminated food source has not been identified and transmission is believed to have occurred through person to person contact. Transmission of the virus occurs via oral contact with contaminated hands or objects.

Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, fatigue, and fever. Individuals are contagious two weeks before and one to two weeks after the onset of symptoms.

The average incubation period of Hepatitis A is four weeks. Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable disease, and the best way of slowing the outbreaks is by vaccinating at-risk individuals.