Kentucky family rejects Fortune 100 company’s $26 million offer to sell ‘priceless’ generational farm for AI data center

A farming family in Northern Kentucky has turned down a $26 million offer from a Fortune 100 company seeking to build a massive AI-linked data center, instead opting to keep the land they say is worth far more than the money.The Huddleston family’s decision has drawn attention as the clash between expanding digital infrastructure and long-occupied agricultural land continues to fuel tensions in parts of the United States.

A generational farm at the center of growing controversy

The Huddleston family’s 1,200-acre farm in Mason County, Kentucky has been raising cattle for generations, supplying a wide area. The land has lived through major historical periods, including the Great Depression, when the family helped feed local communities. That continuity is now under pressure. According to Delcia Baer, ​​a family member, an unnamed company approached them last April with an offer of $26 million for the approximately 900-acre property located just outside the Maysville city limits. The plan is to build a large-scale data center campus. “It’s heartbreaking [the land] It’s the first thing I feel. “The chest pain is literally where the heart is,” Baer said. Live 5 WCSC.

Delsea Baer and her mother, Ida Huddleston, rejected a $26 million offer, calling the generational Kentucky farmland priceless/ Image: Fox 19

His mother, Ida Huddleston, rejected the proposal outright. “I said, ‘No, mine is precious.’ I want to carry forward what I have got here. What God asked me to do was to keep it with me until I pass away and then pass it on to the next generation,” she said.

a project of economic importance

The proposed development would extend beyond the Huddleston land. Plans indicate the rezoning of 28 properties, covering more than 2,000 acres in total.Matt Wallingford, Maysville city manager, told the outlet that the scale of the potential project is significant, calling it “a big deal for us.” Wallingford said the data center could generate more than 1,000 construction jobs over eight to 10 years, as well as more than 100 permanent roles averaging $100,000 per year. He also said the state tariffs would require the company to finance additional infrastructure. “I know it’s a lot, but I know the state of Kentucky passed a tariff under which the project must pay for all the power, so that means building a second power plant equivalent to the power plant we have now, at no cost to the taxpayers. There will be no rate increase for those receiving power from RECC,” he said. He said the facility would use a closed-loop water system to reduce the risk of contamination, and its waste output would be comparable to existing large retailers or factories.

Concerns about land, water and long-term impacts

For the Huddleston family, the matter extends beyond a sale. They have raised concerns about pressure on water systems, pressure on the electricity grid and permanent loss of fertile agricultural land. “They call us all stupid farmers, you know, but we’re not. We know when our food is disappearing, our land is disappearing,” the family said. Wallingford acknowledged those concerns but suggested that the value of the land could still be retained even if its use changed. “I would agree with that,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean the buildings can’t be reused with the infrastructure there. Our industrial authority will recruit a new business to come in, so I think that land will be valuable regardless of whether the data center is there.”

“Mine is precious”

For Ida Huddleston, the decision is also personal. Her house on this land was built by her late husband, and she says she wants to live there. “He’s here with me all the time and tells me what to do with the farm the next day and the next day, exactly how he wants it. He was something else,” she said. Both she and Baer have made clear that any financial proposal will not change their position. The family has said it will continue to oppose the proposed development, even as pressure grows from a project that local officials say could reshape the area’s economy.

संग्रामपुर के सामुदायिक स्वास्थ्य केंद्र (सीएचसी) में स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं को लेकर गंभीर लापरवाही का मामला सामने आया है। शनिवार को सड़क दुर्घटना में घायल दो युवकों को एंबुलेंस से अस्पताल लाया गया, लेकिन आरोप है कि उन्हें उचित प्राथमिक उपचार दिए बिना ही रेफर कर दिया गया. इस घटना ने स्वास्थ्य व्यवस्था पर सवाल खड़े कर दिये हैं. बताया जा रहा है कि अस्पताल में सिर्फ औपचारिकताएं पूरी की गईं और घायल को बिना किसी ड्रेसिंग के दूसरे अस्पताल में जाने के लिए छोड़ दिया गया.

कैसे हुआ सड़क हादसा?
घायल युवक सुधांशु श्रीवास्तव (26 वर्ष) निवासी अयोध्या लाल, कुड़वार जिला सुल्तानपुर अपने साथी के साथ मोटरसाइकिल से जा रहा था। वह अमेठी से कालिकन होते हुए सुल्तानपुर जा रहे थे। तभी संग्रामपुर थाना क्षेत्र के जरौटा गांव के प्राथमिक विद्यालय के पास उनकी बाइक एक आवारा कुत्ते से टकरा गयी, जिससे वह अनियंत्रित होकर सड़क पर गिर गये.

एक के बाद एक कुत्तों का हमला
हादसे के बाद स्थिति तब और गंभीर हो गई जब एक ही कुत्ते ने दोनों घायलों पर हमला करना शुरू कर दिया. हालांकि आसपास के लोगों ने तुरंत दौड़कर दोनों को बचा लिया, जिससे बड़ा हादसा टल गया. इस हादसे में सुधांशु को गंभीर चोटें आईं, जबकि पीछे बैठे युवक को मामूली चोटें आईं।

अस्पताल में क्या हुआ
दोनों घायलों को एंबुलेंस से संग्रामपुर सीएचसी लाया गया। यहां सिर्फ औपचारिक प्रक्रिया पूरी की गई। जानकारी के मुताबिक, सिर्फ सुधांशु का नाम दर्ज किया गया, जबकि उसके साथी का ठीक से इलाज नहीं किया गया और न ही उसका पंजीकरण किया गया.

बिना इलाज के रेफर
सबसे गंभीर बात तो यह थी कि घायल सुधांशु को बिना मरहम पट्टी किये ही रेफर कर दिया गया. बाद में पता चला कि दोनों घायल इलाज के लिए निजी वाहन से संजय गांधी अस्पताल गये थे.

स्वास्थ्य व्यवस्था पर सवाल
इस घटना ने सरकारी अस्पतालों की कार्यप्रणाली पर सवाल खड़े कर दिये हैं. स्थानीय लोगों का कहना है कि यदि समय पर प्राथमिक उपचार मिल जाता तो मरीजों को अधिक राहत मिल सकती थी.

(रिपोर्ट:बृजेश मिश्र,अमेठी)

Virat Kohli praised Devdutt Padikkal after his stellar performance to help Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) start their IPL 2026 campaign with a win. On Saturday, March 28, RCB defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and started their title defense in style.

Padikkal, who came in as an impact sub for Jacob Duffy, brought RCB under control by scoring a half-century in 21 balls. The left-handed batsman scored 61 runs in 26 balls with the help of seven fours and four sixes, as RCB achieved the target of 202 runs with 26 balls remaining.

Read the full story

IPL 2026, RCB vs SRH: Achievement: – highlight

Kohli praised Padikkal’s extraordinary innings and said that he wanted to keep him on strike from the beginning. Padikkal’s aggressive batting, which came after the dismissal of Phil Salt, did not give Sunrisers any scope to breathe in the first match of IPL.

Kohli told broadcasters after the match, “Excellent innings. Right from the start, I had planned to be aggressive in the powerplay, but when I saw him play, I just wanted to keep him on strike, hit the odd boundary here and there. He completely took the game away from the opposition.”

“I remember after hitting a six over mid-on on a slower ball I told him, just keep going, you are hitting the ball very well, keep going and take the game away from the opposition. We finished with 25-26 (26) balls, and we are going to increase the net run rate as well,” Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 69, said.

‘Sheer genius’

Padikkal entered the IPL on the back of a stellar Ranji Trophy season and scored 543 runs at an average of 60.33, including a top score of 232 against Uttarakhand. Kohli said he was not surprised by Padikkal’s explosive innings, adding that his confident performance reflected his world-class talent and exceptional batting ability.

Kohli said, “His innings were tremendous. I have watched him closely and the skill he has is incredible. His timing, head position and balance were all world class in a brilliant domestic season with the red ball. I knew what he could do if he had the confidence and tonight was a display of his talent.”

Padikkal, Kohli and RCB will aim to maintain their winning streak in their next encounter against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru on Sunday, April 5.

ipl 2026 | ipl schedule | ipl points table | ipl video | cricket news | live score

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Kannada actor Rajvardhan is the son of veteran actor Dingri NagarajHe may have found his entry into the industry, but his journey so far reflects a steady accumulation of experience – both in front of and behind the camera. After doing headline-grabbing films like Bichchugatti and Gajarama, the actor is optimistic about the trajectory of Kannada cinema and says his next project is a pan-Asian film, a vision he has been developing over the years.Regarding the ‘Pan-Asian’ concept, Rajvardhan believes that film industry Naturally evolving towards broader markets. “Kannada cinema is moving towards pan-Indian and even pan-Asian storytelling, given the kind of stories we are telling now,” he explains, pointing to narratives that are increasingly universal and supported by larger production values. He is also candid about the challenges. “We often limit our films to the Kannada market and sometimes don’t even take them to neighboring states,” he said.According to him, this hesitation arises due to limited access to networks and distribution channels. However, he believes the mindset is changing. Seeing every project as a stepping stone, Rajavardhan says, “Each film has taught me something. Last year, working as the creative head and producer of Kamal Sridevi gave me a deep insight into the creative and business sides of the industry. There are investors across the country who are willing to take our cinema global – we just need to make the right connections,” he says.