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Elizabethtown Tourism celebrates new home and E-Town history with children’s book

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Elizabethtown Tourism Director of Marketing Krysta Souleyrette says when the organization moved their office to 201 North Main Street, they wanted to celebrate the history of their new home.

“Whenever we moved into the home, it was listed as David May House on the Historic Registry,” Souleyrette said. “We didn’t know who David May was. We looked it up, and his story was so unique, and so we really wanted to share that with the community.”

Souleyrette came up with the idea for a children’s book as a way of talking about David May from a different perspective, and to involve young residents and visitors to E-Town in the city’s history.

“There’s so much history in Elizabethtown, and I think it’s a great way to get locals involved and our visitors, as well as getting the entire family involved, and who doesn’t love a children’s book?” Souleyrette said. “They’re fun and exciting, and a different way to learn about some of the great history that we have in our community.”

Souleyrette wrote the story while Jeff Dehut created the illustrations. She says creating the book was a good exercise in creativity.

“Being able to tell David May’s story was so exciting, and being able to look at it through a children’s lens was very fun and exciting for me,” Souleyrette said.

The book, Betty Visits the David May House, is available now for free at the David May House. Visitors and community members are invited to stop in and get a copy.

LTADD reminding family caregivers of available services on National Caregivers Day

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February 20 is National Caregivers Day, an opportunity to recognize the dedication and hard work of those who care for patients in homes, hospice programs, and long-term care facilities.

The Lincoln Trail Area Development District says the day is also an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of family caregivers.

“Providing care for a loved one is a rewarding yet demanding journey, and LTADD is committed to ensuring no one has to do it alone,” said LTADD Older Americans Director Tabitha French. “Caregivers are the backbone of long-term care in our region. Our goal is to provide the resources and professional support necessary to help them maintain their own well-being while helping their loved ones stay safe at home.”

LTADD says their Aging and Disability Resource Center is a “one-stop shop” for information and resources for caregivers in the district. Key services available include respite care, case management, participant directed services, SHIP/benefits counseling, and in-home support.

Visit the Aging Services page at www.ltadd.org for more information on services and contact information for counselors.

Defense points to Caudill’s mental health history in asking for removal of death penalty consideration

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Lawyers for Dustin Caudill, the Elizabethtown man accused of shooting and killing two men and then setting the Henon Lane residence they were in on fire in October 2024, made their case for the removal of death penalty consideration in Caudill’s upcoming murder trial.

The defense called two witnesses during a hearing in Hardin Circuit Court Wednesday. The first was Dr. Jean Hinkebein, who is currently a military psychologist at Fort Campbell. Hinkebien testified that she was Caudill’s therapist at the Central Kentucky Treatment Center when he was brought in at 15 or 16 years old, stating that he struggled with mood symptoms, and Hinkebein said she was worried about Caudill going from juvenile to adult facilities because she did not think he was “criminally minded”. 

Hinkebien said when Caudill entered the Department of Corrections as an adult he was depressed and “pretty well shut down emotionally” and noted he made a suicide attempt in 1998. Hinkebein said she diagnosed Caudill with post-traumatic stress disorder, based on childhood trauma, while he was under her care.

The defense’s second witness was neuropsychologist Dr. Sidney Binks, who testified that based on his interviews with Caudill, behavioral analysis, and review of his medical history, he “concluded that he does have a severe, serious mental illness” and diagnosed him with severe bipolar disorder with psychotic features and anxious distress. Binks testified that Caudill’s medical history shows he was first diagnosed as bipolar in 1996, with the diagnosis being noted multiple times between then and 2023. When asked if Caudill meets the criteria for state statutes, Binks said: “My opinion is very solid in believing that he had a mental illness, that it was involved in the commission of the incident offense, and that he meets the standard as written.”

9th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth’s Attorney Shane Young said his office needed time to request specific documents in the case. The commonwealth will proceed with its arguments on the defense’s motion when the court reconvenes for another hearing on February 26.

Elizabethtown High School student named state runner-up in poetry contest

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Elizabethtown High School senior Rush Clagett says he had never had much of an interest in poetry prior to his class’s involvement in the Kentucky Poetry Out Loud competition.

“I did a competition inside my classroom and I did well in that, and then I won the school-wide competition and I was just like ‘I’ll see how far this goes,’” Clagett said. “I’ve never really done anything poetry-related before so it was really interesting and challenging.”

The journey eventually took Clagett to the Poetry Out Loud State Championship, which was held at the Farish Theater in Lexington this past weekend. Clagett recited three poems as part of the competition, and ultimately was named the competition’s runner-up.

“I was a little surprised,” Clagett said. “I thought I was going to place a little lower. I had an unexpected mess-up in the final round, but I was really happy that I was able to get something like that, and in band and in pretty much anything else I’ve done academically, I’ve never gotten something like state runner-up. That’s my highest achievement so far, and I just think that’s really cool.”

Clagett said before the competition he was more interested in nonfiction and writing, but the experience gave him a new appreciation.

“I’m happy I did it,” Clagett said. “I was pretty out of my element at first, but eventually I realized that I’m semi-good at it, and I had a lot of support from my teachers and my classmates and my parents about all of it. It was overall just a really great and challenging and new experience.”

Claggett said after graduation he plans to attend the University of the Cumberlands.