WQXE News

The Hardin County Coroner’s Office has announced the hiring of Justin Blair, who will serve as the county’s new rapid response officer.

Hardin County Coroner Pat Elmore says the rapid response officer will be leading efforts to connect with and assist overdose survivors.

“So anytime  there is an overdose that is survived, they will be making a response,” Elmore said. “We’re in the early stages of building a team to make responses to offer assistance. It will be anywhere from offering to take them to rehab services, any type of services they may need to help them  in their recovery.”

Elmore said Blair has an extensive background for the job.

“Justin brings an extensive amount of experience in counseling and building a team as far as helping people to do their recovery and so forth, so he has an extensive history and extensive experience with it,” Elmore said.

Lincoln Trail District Health Department Social and Community Services Manager Jennifer Osborne says a rapid response team was identified as a missing element by the coroner’s office’s Overdose Fatality Review Team, and when Hardin County applied for Recovery Ready Community status with the state.

“That was one of the recommendations, along with the development of a recovery community center, and also the passage of the ability to operate a syringe service program within the county,” Osborne said.

Area residents looking for recovery resources can go online to www.findhelpnowky.org or contact the KY Help Call Center at 1-833-859-4357.

The Radcliff City Council met for their second meeting of the month Tuesday.

The council approved on second reading an ordinance that approves the operation of medical cannabis facilities in the city, as outlined by a Kentucky law that went into effect this year. 

“The cannabis business is any entity licensed under Kentucky statutes or administrative regulations as a cultivator, dispensary, processor, producer, or safety compliance facility,” said Radcliff City Attorney Mike Pike, reading from the ordinance. “Please find the full ordinance on the website www.radcliff.org, or by contacting the Radcliff City Clerk by email at Ashley.Russo@radcliffky.gov.”

That’s Radcliff City Attorney Mike Pike reading from the ordinance. Council Member Jerry Brown said the council had weighed the good and the bad, and after speaking with a pharmacist he said he believes the good outweighs the bad.

“He said there’s all these positive things and very little downside,” Brown said. “We’ve had to do a lot of research. We talked about this. I feel like this is the right thing to do.”

The first reading was held on an ordinance that will amend the city’s budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall said the budget adjustment is standard for the end of a fiscal year.

Council Member Pamela DeRoche encouraged area businesses and organizations to sign up for the Radcliff Days Festival and parade, which is coming up on September 21.

“That starts at 4 p.m. with vendors, and then the parade at 5, so we are looking for parade entries,” DeRoche said. “We’re looking for vendors. I’ve got several vendors already lined out. We’ve got food booths.”

The Radcliff City Council will next meet September 9.