WQXE News

The Elizabethtown Police Department continues to investigate a fire that occurred at a residence on the 500 block of Henon Lane.

During a press conference at the Elizabethtown Police Department’s headquarters, EPD Public Information Officer Chris Denham confirmed that two people, believed to be adult males, were killed in the structure fire.

Denham said police work by the EPD, with assistance from the Hardin County Coroner’s Office and the Elizabethtown Fire Department, identified a person with information on the incident.

“They identified this individual within an hour and a half, roughly, of the initial report, so, very efficient,” Denham said. “We’re very proud of them for that. We have made contact with that individual, and we are conducting interviews with him at this time.”

Denham said reports from the scene indicated possible suspicious activity, including an individual who allegedly fled the area at a high rate of speed. Denham said this isn’t an indication of the person with information’s involvement in the fire, but it prompted the involvement of the EPD’s Special Response Team as a precaution.

“They went down to a hotel on East Dixie Avenue to locate the individual whom we believe has information concerning this investigation,” Denham said. “They came out of the hotel room to our officers without incident, but it was obviously a precautionary measure to do. Any time we have a critical incident like this, we’re going to immediately activate our Special Response Team.”

Denham stressed that the individual being questioned by police is not in custody and has not been charged at this time, and said at this time the EPD is not calling this more than a “death investigation with suspicious circumstances.”

The Kentucky Office of the State Medical Examiner will conduct post-mortems on the victims, and the Elizabethtown Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire. The EPD will release more information as it becomes available.

Election Day is less than one week away, and the Hardin County Clerk’s Office is anticipating a possible record turnout, so if you want to avoid lines on November 5 don’t forget about early voting opportunities. 

Wednesday is the last day for excused in-person absentee voting.

“That’s available to any voter who may be out of town during the early voting and regular election day voting,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith. “Also, it’s available for folks who due to age, illness, or disability, they have difficulty standing in line or they have other mobility issues, other issues that may take them longer to fill out a ballot, they’re welcome to come.”

Absentee voting is available at the main clerk’s office at the Hardin County Government Building. 

The county will then open up three days of in-person no excuse absentee voting.

“This is available to everyone, no excuse necessary,” Smith said. “It starts on Halloween, October 31, November 1 and 2, 8 a.m. to 4 30 p.m. We have two convenient locations. One is at the Hardin County Clerk’s main office in Elizabethtown. The other is at Colvin Community Center.”

Smith says the clerk’s office has expanded polling locations and has added voting machines at the busier locations for folks looking to cast their ballot from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day.

“As long as you’re in line by 6 p.m. you’ll be allowed to vote,” Smith said. “We have 15 locations available all across Hardin County. Any voter who’s registered in Hardin County can choose any location that’s convenient for them. I encourage folks to visit govote.ky.gov or the Hardin County Clerk’s Facebook page to find the location nearest you.”

Contact your county clerk’s office for election assistance.

Baptist Health capped off a three-year, $225.6 million project as they hosted a ribbon cutting for the Baptist Health Hardin Medical Pavilion Tuesday morning.

“Baptist Health Hardin Medical Pavilion stands as a testament to Baptist Health’s commitment to the people of the region,” said Baptist Health System CEO Gerald Colman. “It was imagined as a new concept for Central Kentucky. The pavilion would offer more services, advanced technology, and better access for all who needed to be served.”

Baptist Health says the 282,000 square-foot pavilion is a celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary as well as the hospital’s 70th anniversary.

Baptist Health Hardin CEO Robert Ramey says the pavilion features cutting-edge facilities to help serve the 400,000 residents in the hospital’s 10-county region.

“It will include a comprehensive cancer care center,” Ramey said. “It will have 12 operating rooms, including the first hybrid OR in our region. Most people traditionally have thought about hybrid operating technology as something that’s at an academic center or in a large urban tertiary center. We’re bringing that right here to Hardin County for Central Kentucky.”

Other facilities include “three new cardiac cath labs, multidisciplinary outpatient clinics, and patient-centered spaces designed to promote emotional and spiritual wellness.”

Ramey said the pavilion puts the hospital in a position to help support area growth.

“Our community and our county continues to grow, and we want to be a part of that, and help to meet the growing needs of our community and really positioning Hardin County and Elizabethtown as an economic and vibrant community for the future,” Ramey said.

Learn more about the medical pavilion on the Baptist Health Hardin website.