WQXE News

Hodgenville Police have reported an uptick in crimes against kids.

“We were actually in a class for Sexual Assault Online Predators, and it came up, the gaming systems that people use like Xbox and PlayStation, and that they were actually using those to contact these kids, and then move them over to apps on phones,”stated Hodgenville Chief of Police, James Richardson. 

Keep an eye out for videos on how parents can keep their children safe from sexual predators online. Videos will be posted on the Hodgenville Police Department Facebook page throughout the week.

Kentucky State Police are searching for two suspects after a high-speed chase on Saturday night in Elizabethtown. According to State Trooper Scotty Sharp, the St. Matthews Police Department reported several stolen vehicles. On Saturday around 6:06 p.m., KSP Post 4 was notified of several vehicles last known traveling southbound on I-65. 

KSP located the first vehicle, a white Chevrolet Corvette, on i-65 near the Bullitt County line.Troopers observed another vehicle, a burgundy Chevrolet Corvette, traveling southbound near the 113 mile marker traveling in excess of 123 mph. Troopers attempted to pursue the vehicle, but lost visual before it exited at the 94 mile-marker. The car was later located at the Five Star on North Mulberry. Two other vehicles were located on North Mulberry near the Speedway. The driver of a BMW stopped and the driver fled the scene. The other vehicle, a Jeep Trailhawk, fled at a high rate of speed onto Ring Road. The Trailhawk was later found submerged in Freeman Lake near the Ring Road access. According to reports, the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot.

KSP is still looking for two black males connected to the stolen vehicles. The operator of the BMW was identified as a black male last seen wearing white shorts, white crocs, and a white shirt in the area of Speedway and Motel 6 on North Mulberry. Another black male was last seen near Freeman Lake and was described as wearing red and black shorts with braided hair. If anyone has information about the individuals, they are asked to contact KSP Post 4 or St. Matthews Police Department.

This evening, Hardin County Schools announced a voluntary mitigation strategy in hopes of keeping students in the classroom. Test to Stay was created by the Lincoln Trail Health Department on guidance from the Kentucky Department of Public Health.

“Day zero is your day of exposure. Then from day 1-5, you would come to the school. You are swabbed. It is a rapid antigen test. You wait with your parent, and then if it’s a negative test you go on in and have school for the day. We love our students and we love our staff. We just want them to know we want to keep them safe and keep them in school as best as we can,” stated Janay Sutton, Director of Health and Family Services for Hardin County Schools.

Students wanting to participate must be entirely asymptomatic and quarantine when not in school. If a student has a positive test, they will be sent home and proceed with normal isolation guidelines. The Board believes this is the best option to keep students safe and in the classroom.