NOAH’S ARK PARK
Noah’s Ark religious attraction to open in July in Kentucky
WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. (AP) β Construction on a Noah’s Ark attraction in northern Kentucky is sailing along, and the builders say it will open next year.
Answers in Genesis, the Christian ministry leading the project, announced on Thursday that the attraction will open to visitors July 7, 2016.
The massive, 510-foot-long wooden boat is the $90 million first phase of a planned religious theme park. Answers in Genesis founder Ken Ham says work on the bow and stern will begin soon.
The state had awarded an $18 million tax incentive to the project before withdrawing it last year over concerns of “religious indoctrination.” The ark’s builders are suing in federal court to get the incentive back.
Answers in Genesis built the nearby Creation Museum with $27 million in private donations. It opened in 2007.
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225-w-35-(Steve Coleman, AP religion editor, with Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis, and Christian author John Whitcomb)–Construction on a Noah’s Ark attraction in northern Kentucky is sailing along, and the builders say it will open next July. AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman reports. (12 Nov 2015)
< 222-a-09-(Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis, which is building the Noah’s Ark attraction, at news conference)-“and the engineering”-Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis, which is building the Noah’s Ark attraction, says the ark will be 510 feet long and eight stories high. (12 Nov 2015) < 223-a-09-(Mike Zovath, ark construction manager, in AP interview)-“a big project”-Mike Zovath, the ark’s construction manager, says it uses enough wood to stretch from Kentucky to Philadelphia. (12 Nov 2015) < 220-a-13-(Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis, which is building the Noah’s Ark attraction, at news conference)-“in the world”-Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis, which is building the Noah’s Ark attraction, says it’s being built to accurately depict what’s recorded in the Bible. (12 Nov 2015) < 224-a-09-(John Whitcomb, Christian author, at news conference)-“upon the Earth”-Christian author John Whitcomb reads part of ark story from the Bible. (12 Nov 2015) < 221-a-09-(Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis, which is building the Noah’s Ark attraction, at news conference)-“to be entertaining”-Ken Ham, CEO of Answers in Genesis, which is building the Noah’s Ark attraction, says its exhibits will be more than just religious. (12 Nov 2015) < PASTOR’S WIFE SLAIN Indianapolis pastor’s wife shot during home robbery dies INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Officials in Indianapolis say a pastor’s pregnant wife died after being shot in the head at the couple’s home. The Marion County Coroner’s Office said 28-year-old Amanda Blackburn was pronounced dead Wednesday. She had been on life support since the shooting Tuesday morning. The Indianapolis Star reports that police believe the shooting took place during a robbery, but have released few details. Family spokeswoman Suzanne Swift says Blackburn was 13 weeks pregnant, and the child did not survive. She and her husband also have a 15-month-old son. 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