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Public Assistance approved for 64 Kentucky counties

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced on Wednesday that the White House has approved Public Assistance for 64 counties affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides on April 2 and for 36 counties affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes May 16 and 17.

According to a release from the governor’s office, counties designated for Public Assistance for the April flooding include Breckinridge, Grayson, Hart, LaRue, Meade, and Nelson. LaRue County was also designated for Public Assistance for the May tornadoes. Additional counties are expected to be approved in the coming days.

Beshear said in the release: “We never gave up hope and are excited that these counties and communities are going to see the support they need and deserve.”

According to FEMA’s website, the Public Assistance Program “provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.”

Kentuckians looking to support survivors of the April and May severe weather may still donate to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund. Learn more or make a donation at kentucky.gov.

Museum event focused on Downtown Elizabethtown

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The Hardin County History Museum invites the public to attend their event Thursday evening, An Evening with Kevin Addington, which will be held at the museum located at 201 West Dixie Avenue in Elizabethtown beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The event will be a discussion on goals and strategies for the development and historic preservation of Downtown Elizabethtown. The museum says “Mr. Addington is an important community leader who has almost single-handedly revitalized Downtown Elizabethtown.” 

Overflow parking will be available in the State Theater parking lot. RSVP for the event by calling the museum at 270-763-8339.

Hardin County Fiscal Court meets

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

West Point Mayor Richard Ciresi provided an update on the Kentucky Ohio River Regional Recreational Authority, which is aimed at developing and maintaining land and water trails in Kentucky counties along the river as a way of promoting economic development, tourism, and outdoor recreation. Hardin County is part of the authority by way of the 2.9 miles of Ohio River shoreline located in West Point, and Ciresi says being part of the authority gives Hardin County and West Point a “larger voice in the legislature for state funding and for recreational assets that increase tourism while conserving local resources.”

“I have to speak for West Point: we don’t have any local resources,” Ciresi said. “We have very, very little money to do this, and to be able to be a part of this larger group, thanks to you guys, is going to give us an opportunity to increase our tourism base, probably add some trails, etc., so it’s a big deal for West Point and it’s also a big deal, I think, for Hardin County. It puts us back on the map.”

The council approved a resolution approving of the renaming of a stretch of U.S. 31W to honor Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The resolution recommends the Kentucky General Assembly pursue changing the name of the roadway from the Hardin County line north of Fort Knox south to Veterans Way.

In other meeting news, Hardin County EMS Director Mark Peterson reported that Hardin County EMS made 16,683 total runs and brought in more than $7,063,000 in collections in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The number of calls are down from 18,045 in the previous fiscal year, but collections are up from about $6,282,000.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet August 12. The fiscal court’s next town hall forum will be held in the fiscal courtroom at 5:30 p.m. on July 29.

John Hardin High School Best Buddies program recognized at international conference

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The Best Buddies program at John Hardin High School recently received some special recognition.

The JHHS Best Buddies program was recognized at the International Best Buddies Leadership Conference.

“We were one of the top chapters in the world, recognized for being one of the top high schools with how we run our program and the opportunities that we give our students, both with special needs and without,” said JHHS Vice Principal Jennifer Cobb. 

John Hardin’s program was the only high school program in Kentucky and one of only 40 across the globe to be recognized.

Cobb says the recognition is a testament to the students as well as club sponsors Erin Creason, Chris Vvans, and Kyah Neal.

“We have three teachers who are incredibly passionate, and have created a culture for inclusiveness at John Hardin, and through that they have probably the largest club right now at John Hardin, and it is all about fostering friendships between our students who are in the general population and then our students with special needs,” Cobb said.

Community members looking to support the program can follow the John Hardin High School Facebook page or look for the club out in the community.

“You can actually support the club by purchasing a lemonade,” Cobb said. “We do a lemonade stand where every student who is part of Best Buddies works it, and I think that they are out in the community all the time.”

Students looking to learn more about Best Buddies should contact Creason, Evans, or Neal.