WQXE News

The United Way of Central Kentucky has not one but two community events happening this Friday. 

The United Way invites the community to come out to their Movie on the Lawn Series this Friday, October 17, where they will be hosting a free outdoor screening at their headquarters, located at 604 North Main Street in Elizabethtown.

This Friday’s movie is 1991’s The Addams Family. The movie will begin at dusk. Guests can enjoy free refreshments, face painting, lawn games, and a surprise character appearance. Featured nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana will also be on hand to share information about their organization. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs.

The United Way is also hosting an American Red Cross blood drive at their headquarters this Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Red Cross says somebody in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. Approximately 29,000 units of red blood cells, 5,000 units of platelets, and 6,500 units of plasma are needed daily.

As an added incentive, all donors from now through October 19 will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. Schedule your appointment by visiting www.redcrossblood.org and entering sponsor code “UWCKY” or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

The Elizabethtown City Council met for a special meeting Monday.

The council approved a municipal order which accepted a $1,846,000 bid from Dirt Works Unlimited for the Diecks Drive Improvement Phase One Project. Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory noted that this phase of the project is actually for work on Village Drive.

“We budgeted $2 million for this project and it came in about $150,000 under budget, which is always a good thing, and it’s going to be new road, new sidewalks, stormwater projects, and we’re going to clean that up and make it really nice down through there, so we’re excited about this project, especially since it came in under budget,” Gregory said.

The council also approved four municipal orders approving bids for paint (Pennington Properties – $19,750), audio/visual equipment (Stilwell Sound LLC – $73,179.58), carpet (Corvin’s Floor and Cabinets – $16,901.28), and a wall partition (Hub City Glass and Mirror – $17,500) at the new city council chambers, which will be quasi-temporarily located at 212 West Dixie Avenue.

“We intend to be there for probably five to six years while we work on our new City Hall campus downtown, where E-Town Laundry is right now,” Gregory said. “It’s gonna be the start of what we’re going to start building down there eventually, but we want to have nice chambers and one that’s accommodating to the public, and that’s why we’re working on the old Basketball Hall of Fame building.”

A municipal order approving easements and right-of-ways for the Commerce Drive Roadway Project was also approved.

The first reading was held on an ordinance that corrects the city ordinance concerning signage on scenic parkways to replace Miles Street with Saint John Road. The first reading was also held on an ordinance amending the city’s natural gas ordinance, including new rates.

“For section 51.20, the general rate will be $10,” said City Attorney Ken Howard, reading from the ordinance. “The base rate will be $3.44 per MCF. Section 51.21, the heat rate, the facility charge will be $10. The base rate will be $4.47 per MCF.”

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet October 20.