Burgess-Taylor named 

CEO at Fruit of the Loom

Melissa Burgess-Taylor has been named chairman and chief executive at Fruit of the Loom Inc. after the death of president and chief executive officer Rick Medlin.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. owns Fruit of the Loom, which is headquartered in Bowling Green.

Medlin died of natural causes Nov. 27. He was 68.

Burgess-Taylor has been senior vice president of brand management and sales for the company’s Fruit of the Loom, Vanity Fair, Lily of France, Vassarette and Curvation brands.

Burgess-Taylor is “passionate, smart and cares deeply about Fruit of the Loom customers and employees,” Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, said in a news release. “She understands the importance of building a great brand, and she’ll add tremendous value to Fruit of the Loom going forward.”

Berkshire Hathaway acquired Fruit of the Loom in 2002, and Medlin became chief executive in 2010.

“Rick lived and breathed Fruit of the Loom, and he was an inspirational leader to everyone associated with the company. He will be greatly missed,” Buffett said.

Gov. Bevin appoints local man to state board

Gov. Matt Bevin appointed Ken DeLane McKenney of Bowling Green to the Kentucky Board of Respiratory Care, a news release said.

McKenney is respiratory care director of clinical education and an associate professor at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College. McKenney’s term expires Oct. 31, 2019.

The Kentucky Board of Respiratory Care is a government agency that regulates respiratory care practitioners and their services. It was established in 1990 to protect citizens from unsafe practitioners and practices.

The board is self-supporting and receives no Kentucky general fund tax appropriation. It is funded through fees assessed for licensing its professionals.

Holistic Therapy Playplace plans open house Saturday

The Holistic Therapy Playplace will have an open house from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The open house is at Faith Harbor, 1268 Campbell Lane.

The program is designed to help people 3 to 19 years old with needs ranging from ADHD, Asperger’s, Autism and sensory disorders to those lacking gross/fine motor and social skills.

Director Hayley Thorpe is an occupational therapist who employs a psychologist for the program. The open house is intended to allow parents or caregivers to ask questions and bring their children to the facility.

The Warren County Farm Bureau awarded top honors

Warren County Farm Bureau was awarded top honors for its region of the state in the 2016 Safety Challenge Awards competition during Kentucky Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in Louisville.

The award was given to Warren County Farm Bureau for coordinating an early heart attack education event. The event taught members of the community about the importance of early warning signs of a heart attack and local resources for pre-screening, a news release said.

Recognized for the achievements of its women’s program this year, Warren County Farm Bureau received the 2016 Gold Star Award of Excellence. The award honors county women’s committees for active participation in leadership development programs, agricultural promotion, educational initiatives and numerous other aspects of support to the local Farm Bureau.

Kentucky Farm Bureau, with more than 475,000 member families statewide, is the state’s largest general farm organization. About 2,000 members attended KFB’s recent 97th annual meeting.

The Kentucky Grand Hotel opening is Wednesday

The Kentucky Grand Hotel, a new hotel in downtown Bowling Green that features a spa, coffee and ice cream shop, and the already open Derby Piano and Dessert Bar will hold a grand opening at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The grand opening is sponsored by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce.

The hotel at 635 College St. is across the street from Circus Square Park.

“This is an exciting time,” owner and developer Dan Murph said in a news release. “We want this to be an active place in the heart of downtown where folks can come and enjoy themselves, whether it be eating dinner, being entertained, getting a massage, ordering a scoop of ice cream in the market or even spending the night.”

In case of inclement weather, the ribbon-cutting will be held inside the hotel.

SportsEvents lauds local CVB for Readers’ Choice

SportsEvents Media Group has named the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau as one of its 2017 Readers’ Choice Award winners. All Readers’ Choice winners will be featured in the January issue of SportsEvents.

The publication focuses on helping sports event planners produce competitions in the United States, a news release said.

Sports event professionals were asked to nominate destinations and sports venues that they believed display exemplary creativity and professionalism toward groups they host. Nominations were received from readers throughout the year, and the top picks were selected based on results from an online voting system.

“It is clear, based on our readers’ experiences, that these award winners are willing to go above and beyond typical service levels to help sports event planners produce outstanding events that participants, their families and spectators will want to experience again and again,” said John Rezell, SportsEvents executive editor.

Bowling Green hosts hundreds of sports events throughout the year, including the largest amateur disc golf tournament in the world, major national youth softball tournaments, several Kentucky High School Athletic Association events and 20 Mid-South Conference championships.

“The Bowling Green CVB is honored to be named a SportsEvents Readers’ Choice winner, and the exceptional hospitality and services offered at our sports events are made possible through partnerships with facilities and community organizations,” said Amy Cardwell, sports sales director at the Bowling Green Area CVB.