WQXE News

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.

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.

Kentucky’s Pre-K for All Advisory Committee is inviting members of the public and leaders in education, business, and childcare to attend the committee’s town hall forum taking place in Bowling Green Wednesday evening at the Downing Student Union Auditorium at Western Kentucky University.

According to the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, the advisory committee is looking for feedback on the Pre-K for All Initiative, which aims to increase kindergarten readiness for all four-year-olds in Kentucky, eliminate childcare deserts, save Kentucky families on out-of-pocket childcare costs, and grow Kentucky’s labor force, among other goals.

During an appearance at the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce’s June luncheon, Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman said expanding access to pre-k in Kentucky is an investment in the future of the commonwealth, and community support is critical.

“It’s going to take all of Team Kentucky to speak up, to act, and to get involved, so as our advisory committee travels the state to hear from Kentuckians, I encourage you to get involved,” Coleman said. “We need the business in the private sector. We need education. We need higher education. We need all of our folks involved as we make this a reality.”

The town hall event begins at 5:30 p.m. CDT. Register for the town hall at prek4all.ky.gov. If you are interested but unable to attend, the final town hall event will be held during the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville on August 20.