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Families encouraged to register children for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

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Hardin County Schools, Elizabethtown Independent Schools, and the Central Kentucky Community Foundation are encouraging Hardin County residents to sign up for or support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

According to a release from HCS, when families register, the library mails a free age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age five. Registered children will receive a new book in the mail each month free of charge.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading, which creates a steady foundation for young learners.

“We all know that reading skills are essential for success, and proven research shows that children who are read to by their parents, older siblings, family members, and friends come to kindergarten ready to learn at much higher levels, so that also leads to success in and out of the K-12 classrooms, the college classrooms, and even in careers after graduation,” said HCS Community Relations Specialist John Wright.

The Imagination Library says 38 percent of eligible children in Hardin County are currently participating.

“This initiative has a legacy of creating a strong foundation of academic success for every child, and a book a month for five years can build a wonderful library and provide endless opportunities for fun and learning,” Wright said.

Families interested in signing up should visit www.imaginationlibrary.com. Community members can also donate to the literacy initiative by visiting the Community Foundation’s website, www.ckcf4people.org.

Submissions being accepted for Kentucky MLK contests

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The Kentucky Martin Luther King Jr. State Commission is now accepting entries for the 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay, Visual Arts, and Poetry contests.

According to a release from the Kentucky Heritage Council, the contests are “an exciting opportunity for students to express their creativity and honor Dr. King’s legacy by promoting unity, equality, and justice for all people in Kentucky, the United States, and the world.”

The contest is open to students enrolled in a Kentucky school or home-schooled in Kentucky. Each entry should be inspired by this year’s theme: “Equality for all, hope for tomorrow”. The entry deadline is December 12.

The visual arts contest is open to all K through 12 students. Visual arts entries will be judged based on creativity and originality, and how they address the theme of the contest.

The essay contest is open to students in fourth through 12th grade. The essay must be 500 words or less, and will be judged based on purpose, awareness of audience, idea development, organization, language, and correctness.

The poetry contest is for students in sixth through 12th grade. Entries must be 200 words or less.

Learn more about the contest on the Martin Luther King Jr. State Commission’s website.

Radcliff council hosts second public hearing on rezoning request

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The Radcliff City Council met for a special called meeting and work session Tuesday.

A second public hearing was held on a rezoning application for 238 Cedar Oak Drive in Vine Grove to rezone that property from Commercial to Residential-4, which would accommodate the development of about 80 single-family homes by Silver Gate Properties. The council tabled a rezoning ordinance for the property after Fort Knox raised concerns with the development’s proximity to the post.

The Radcliff Planning Commission previously recommended the rezoning be approved with some required remediations.

“Staff analysis is that the proposed rezone would permit the use of land for high-density single family and duplex development,” said Radcliff Planning Director Murray Wanner, reading from the staff report on the zoning change. “The area proposed for rezoning is not in close proximity to areas of commerce.”

Glenn Turner with Silver Gate Properties said no objection was made when a rezoning request for another section of the property went through earlier in the year, and the company was willing to accommodate Fort Knox’s previous request for downward-facing lighting and security fencing. He said further restrictions have the potential to hurt growth in the city.

“When I see people looking to put a mission, a government mission, in, and I think of Fort Knox, and I look around, one of the big attractions we have is our cost of housing and the affordability, and this would be a part of that,” Turner said.

Fort Knox Deputy Garrison Commander Jim Bradford said the post is not against housing developments, but they have concerns with impacts to operations that adjusting to nearby housing would force. He noted the Fort Knox area near the property is frequently in use.

“Last year, this area here next to the property in question had 195 days of training use,” Bradford said. “In addition to that, this area had 145 days of hunting use.”

During the work session, Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall said the city would be recommending the council approve a $46,850 bid from Air Temp of Radcliff for an HVAC unit for the Colvin Community Center’s basement, and a $63,604.63 bid from Shed ‘N Carport Pro for a storage building for Radcliff Parks and Rec.

The Radcliff City Council will take up the zoning issue again, as well as the bids, at their next meeting, which will be held October 21.

Hardin County Fiscal Court hosts first October meeting

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The Hardin County Fiscal Court met for their first meeting of the month Tuesday.

The court approved three ordinances on their second readings. The first approved a budget amendment to accommodate ambulance upgrades and bridge and road repair money. The second amends the county’s standing order to pre-approve recurring expenses to include lease payments on ambulance equipment. The third updates definitions in the county’s flood damage prevention ordinance to match state definitions.

The court approved two resolutions which awarded FEMA contracts to GSI for work on roads damaged in storms and flooding earlier this year. The first was for Stovall Road.

“The total cost is around $353,000 that we need for the contractor to do this work,” said Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul. “The county has the obligation of the county portion which is 13 percent for a FEMA contract like this. That’s about $46,000.”

The second contract was for work on Hall Road for about $229,000.

The court tabled two resolutions, one of which was an occupancy agreement with West Hardin Fire and Rescue which would allow Hardin County EMS to house an ambulance at their building in White Mills, and the other of which was an agreement with the Lincoln Trail Area Development District for engineering and GIS services. The measures were tabled in order to allow for the county attorney to review them.

Hardin County Animal Care and Control Director Mike McNutt said the shelter has adopted out 151 dogs year to date, which is down from 172 to this point last year. He said the shelter’s 10 percent rescue rate is up, and the live release rate is currently over 90 percent for the fiscal year.

“The (no-kill shelter) award is done by calendar, so I’m hoping that it continues and we can actually start chipping away,” McNutt said. “We’re at like 86 percent right now for the calendar year. I’m hoping to make it go back the other way.”

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet October 28. The next county town hall forum will be held in the fiscal courtroom at 5:30 p.m. on October 27.