Menu Close

WQXE News

Hardin County EMS invites area kids to their Teddy Bear Clinic

WQXE News 0 Comments

Hardin County EMS invites area school-age children and their families to come out to their headquarters Tuesday for their Teddy Bear Clinic.

“We provide a class that teaches the children about health and how to take care of themselves, as well as how our body works,” said Hardin County EMS Public Relations Officer Jennifer Kant.

Using their teddy bears as patients, kids will learn about basic first aid and some of the supplies and tools that are used on an ambulance.

“That way if they ever have an emergency or they have a family member or a friend who has an emergency, they have a better understanding of what’s happening, and it reduces fear for the situation and also it lets them learn in a fun way,” Kant said.

The Teddy Bear Clinic is a chance for kids to learn more about ambulances, as well as a chance for kids who may have had a negative previous experience to help process that experience.

“It just gives them the opportunity to express what happened and to get some answers for what happened, and we can talk to them about it and just help lower the chances of a post-traumatic experience,” Kant said

Hardin County EMS will also be conducting free car seat checks at the event, which runs Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Contact Kant at 270-599-2967 or jkant@hardincountyky.gov to RSVP. Find the flyer for the event on the Hardin County Government Facebook page for more information.

ECTC hosting Express Enrollment ahead of fall semester start

WQXE News 0 Comments

The start of classes at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is just around the corner, and students can get a jump start on the school year at Express Enrollment.

ECTC will be hosting Express Enrollment for the fall semester from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. August 12 through 14 as well as from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on August 15.

According to ECTC, at Express Enrollment students can meet with an advisor, select classes, and get questions answered on topics such as course information and financial aid. New students can learn about student support services.

Students should sign up for an Express Enrollment appointment online at ectc.us/express-enrollment. Appointments are available virtually and in person, and walk-ins will also be accepted. New students are encouraged to attend and will begin their visit in the Student Success Hub at the Academic Technical Building, while current students will start in the Welcome and Admissions Center at the Regional Postsecondary Center.

The first day of classes for the fall semester is August 18. Contact the ECTC admissions office for more information.

Elizabethtown High School has new band director

WQXE News 0 Comments

Elizabethtown High School has a new band director.

Elizabethtown Independent Schools on Thursday announced the appointment of Reginald Smith as the Director of Bands at EHS.

According to a release from the school district, Smith earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Georgia Southern University, where he also earned a Master of Music Education. He also received a Master of Arts in Teaching Integrated Music K-12 from the University of the Cumberlands.

Smith has served as a music teacher at T.K. Stone Middle School since 2019. He came to the district after working as the assistant band director at Metcalfe County Schools.

Smith said in the release that he is excited to take on the Director of Bands job, stating: “With great anticipation, I foresee the coming year as a period of artistic growth, academic rigor, and collective achievement. I aspire to cultivate a culture of excellence, where each student is empowered to reach their fullest potential through dedication, discipline, and a shared commitment to musical distinction.”

The first day of classes for Elizabethtown Independent Schools is August 12.

Additional measles case confirmed in Jefferson County

WQXE News 0 Comments

A second measles case has been confirmed in Jefferson County.

According to the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, the second case is a known contact of the case reported in mid-July. The contact has been in quarantine since their exposure. There are no new public exposures with the second case, and health officials say the new case is unrelated to the measles outbreak in Woodford and Fayette counties.

Health officials say 14 cases of measles have been confirmed in the commonwealth in 2015, with 13 of those cases unvaccinated and one with only one dose.

Kentucky Chief Medical Officer and Commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health Dr. Steven Stack says the best defense against measles is a simple one.

“Two doses of vaccine 97 percent guarantees you will not get measles,” Stack said. “Not just that it’s mild measles. You just will not even get measles if you have two doses of childhood measles vaccine, so it’s really, really important that parents have their child get the MMR immunization as a child along with their other routine immunizations.”

The most recent data for Kentucky kindergartners shows the MMR immunization rate is just under 87 percent. Stack says he encourages parents to talk with their primary care provider to learn more about the vaccine.

“It just troubles me that folks are misleading and confusing the American people about vaccines,” Stack said. “They are incredibly safe. The diseases are far more dangerous if you get them without having been vaccinated, and there’s virtually no risk for most of these vaccines.”

The Lincoln Trail District Health Department provides measles vaccinations at all of its health centers. Contact the health department or your primary care provider for more information.