Anthony Todd Ruckel has announced his candidacy for re-election to the office of Lewis County Judge Executive.
Ruckel has served in the county’s highest elected position for the past five years, winning a race to complete the term of Thomas Massie in 2012 and winning again for a full term in 2014.
“I feel we’ve accomplished a lot in the past five years and look forward to continuing to improve all aspects our county,” Ruckel said in making his announcement.
He says economic development remains high on his list of priorities and cites the recent announcement by Braidy Industries to locate a $1.3 billion aluminum rolling mill in the area as having a tremendous regional effect.
“We are poised to benefit greatly from the location of Braidy Industries in our area,” Ruckel said. “I’ve been working with other officials, as well as with the Cabinet for Economic Development in Frankfort, to market Lewis County and our excellent workforce in relation to this regional growth.”
Ruckel said other recent economic growth projects include JSB Industrial Solutions at Tollesboro,
and Nelson Brothers at St. Paul.
Expansion projects are also underway for Superior Composites at the Black Oak Industrial Park, and for Rip’s Farm Center and Ribolt Fabrication at the Tollesboro Industrial Park.
“We continue to actively work on attracting new employers here to Lewis County,” Ruckel stated. “We have more than 4,000 acres of prime property we are marketing for the creation of new jobs for our citizens.”
Lewis County has received a Work Ready Community in Progress certification. The program requires communities to meet criteria in six key areas that are critical to producing a productive workforce.
Community recreation opportunities are also important to Ruckel.
“We are in the process of locating playgrounds in Garrison and Tollesboro for our youth,” Ruckel said, adding he will be announcing a large-scale recreation project in the coming weeks.
“It isn’t something I can provide details on at this time, but it will create multiple recreational opportunities for all ages,” he said.
Ruckel also cited the recent opening of a walking/hiking trail near Trinity, a shooting range, and improved access points to Kinniconick Creek.
Ruckel said improvements to communications for emergency and first-responders have been made with efforts continuing to create better service across the county.
“We have installed new communications towers and equipment and have just completed the installation of a new E-911 computer-aided dispatch computer system,” Ruckel said.
He added other improvements include reorganization of the county’s emergency management structure and the improvements to ways of alerting residents of emergency situations.
“This past year we’ve been designated as a Storm Ready Community by the National Weather Service and now have three outdoor warning sirens in place with the approval of a fourth to be located in the Tollesboro community,” he said.
Ruckel and other local officials have also been working to improve emergency medical transportation in the county.
Improvements to broadband access and cellular telephone coverage are also underway, he said.
Ruckel said infrastructure projects recently completed include multiple bridge replacements, road upgrades, Gravel to Asphalt Projects, safety improvements to Dugan’s Curve, a new entrance to Straight Fork Road, and multiple water and sewer expansion projects across the county.
The county also recently improved waste efforts with the creation of a recycling center and new policies for the solid waste department in cleaning up illegal dumpsites and keeping the county free of litter.
Ruckel said a new website is in the works and will help to market the county globally as well as provide convenient access for Lewis County citizens to contact and communicate with county departments and keep up with activities within the county.
“I’m excited about our new website and the benefits it will provide and make available to our citizens,” he said.
Ruckel was named the 2017 recipient of the Kentucky Emergency Management Judge Executive of the Year award and has been elected to serve on the Kentucky County Judge Executive Association Board for the coming year.
He is married to Sandy Hendrickson Ruckel. Their three sons are Adam, Brett and Cameron. The Ruckels reside on Front Street in Vanceburg.
He is a son of Jerry and Donna Ruckel of Vanceburg, he attended Maysville Community College and is a Lewis County High School graduate.
Ruckel worked for more than 18 years as a financial consultant and his prior political experience includes service as a Lewis County magistrate and Mayor of Vanceburg.
“My door is always open and I pledge to always listen to the concerns of the people of Lewis County,” Ruckel stated.
Kentucky’s primary election is May 22.
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