2012 Ark Encounter news

Notes

• Article titles in italic indicate the story appeared in the print edition.

• Syndicated stories (Associated Press-AP, United Press International-UPI, AFP, Reuters, etc.) are noted when available. Not all instances of story syndication are listed.

2012

February

• Feb 16. Cincinnati Business Courier. Cincinnati, Ohio. Ark Encounter buys last piece of land for theme park by Lucy May.
  “This approach will reduce the initial construction period and funding requirements. It will also allow the utility infrastructure to be able to grow with the Ark Encounter’s expansions at a reasonable pace,” the release said. “Phased-in construction is also a safe way to proceed in a difficult economy. Even then, over $5 million in donations have already been received for the building of the Ark itself. In addition to that milestone, many more millions of dollars in memberships and private funding have been raised or committed for the construction of the other attractions surrounding the Ark, the centerpiece of the project.”

• Feb 16. WLKY-TV, Channel 32, CBS. Louisville, Kentucky. Final Land Bought For Ky. Biblical Ark Attraction via Associated Press.

• Feb 16. WLWT-TV, Channel 5, NBC. Cincinnati, Ohio. Final Land Parcel Bought For NKY Ark Park via Associated Press.

• Feb 16. TPMMuckraker Livewire. New York, New York. Creationist Theme Park Group Purchases Final Piece Of Land For Ark Encounter reported by David Taintor.

• Feb 16. Business First. Louisville, Kentucky. Final piece of land purchased for Ark park.

• Feb 16. God Discussion blog. Kentucky governor's budget proposal cuts education and public services, but gives Noah's Ark theme park $43 million tax break by Deborah.
  "Kentucky is the home to Ken Ham's "Creation Museum" and, in 2014, is expected to open the doors to another of Ham's creations, the religiously based Noah's Ark theme park that will feature a replica of the biblical ark and the Tower of Babel."

• Feb 9. OneNewsNow.com. Tupelo, Mississippi. Creation Museum hits five-year mark by Charles Butts.
  "The next major project for Ham and Answers in Genesis is the Ark Encounter, scheduled for opening in 2014. The project will feature a full-scale ark built according to the dimensions outlined in scripture."

• Feb 8. The Eastern Echo. Ypsilanti, Michigan. Eastern Michigan University student newspaper. Creationist theme park shouldn't get backing by James Tatum.
  "The Ark Encounter is a one-of-a-kind historically-themed attraction,” reads the company Answer in Genesis’s website. “In an entertaining, educational and immersive way, it presents a number of historical events centered on a full-size, all-wood Ark, which should become the largest timber-frame structure in the USA."

January

• Jan 23. Forbes blog. New York City, New York. Kentucky Cuts Education; Preserves Tax Breaks For Creationist Theme Park by Alex Knapp.

• Jan 21. Huffington Post. New York City, New York. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/21/ark-encounter-kentucky-budget-tax-breaks_n_1220806.html

Ark Encounter, Kentucky Creationist Theme Park, Gets Generous Tax Breaks In Budget Proposal].
"Ark Adventure (sic) is the brain child of Answers in Genesis, an evangelical group also behind the Creation Museum, another Kentucky attraction that has drawn millions of visitors since its opening in 2007."

• Jan 18. Kentucky.com. Lexington, Kentucky. Lexington Herald-Leader website. Beshear outlines 'inadequate' budget proposal for Kentucky by Beth Musgrave.
  "