WQXE News

The City of Elizabethtown Planning and Development Department will host a neighborhood meeting on the North Downtown Master Plan Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Central Avenue Baptist Church.

“This is actually the second meeting that we’ve held in this neighborhood,” said City Administrator Ed Poppe at Tuesday’s Elizabethtown City Council meeting. “The first meeting was back in the fall. We got a lot of good public input on concerns that the neighbors had.”

Poppe said the “basic boundaries” of the neighborhood are South Mulberry Street on the north, the railroad tracks on the south, Williams Street on the east, and East Poplar Street on the west.

The meeting is an open house format with no formal presentation, so residents may come and go as they please.

“We’re looking for more input from the property owners in that area,” Poppe said. “We heard issues about compatibility of land uses and walkability in the community, so we’ve got some information that our consultants TSW has put together.”

Poppe said the neighborhood will be the target area for the next round of Community Development Block Grant funding the city receives.

“We hope to spend a number of years in the neighborhood helping to redevelop the area, place some infill residential housing in some areas, upgrade pedestrian access through sidewalks and trails in the area, and also probably look at street lighting,” Poppe said.

Contact the Elizabethtown Planning and Development office for more information.

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

The council approved a municipal order approving the purchase of 522 Commerce Drive for $25,000. The purchase is part of work on the Commerce Drive Corridor Road Improvement Project.

“The city has budgeted funds for the expansion and extension of Commerce Drive from Executive Drive to its terminus at Springfield Road, to include the acquisition of additional public street right-of-way and the acquisition of utility and drainage easements,” said Elizabethtown City Attorney Ken Howard, reading from the municipal order.

The city is hosting an open-house style neighborhood meeting to discuss the North Downtown Master Plan Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Central Avenue Baptist Church. City Administrator Ed Poppe said this is the next area the city is targeting for Community Development Block Grant funding.

“We hope to spend a number of years in the neighborhood helping to redevelop the area, place some infill residential housing in some areas, upgrade pedestrian access through sidewalks and trails in the area, and also probably look at street lighting,” said Poppe.

Also meeting for a regular meeting Tuesday night was the Radcliff City Council. 

The council approved the sale of the former FFO building and property, located at 987 North Dixie Boulevard, to John Tindall. Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall said Tindall’s bid was for $508,500, and Tindall included the required reserve amount for the bid.

The council recognized the efforts of Radcliff Fire Department Lieutenant Sean O’Donley to rescue a homeowner during a December 14 residential fire. Radcliff Fire Chief Timothy Marsh said O’Donley was on his way home after a shift change when the report of the fire came in.

“He turned around and was on scene within a minute,” Marsh said. “He was the first one on scene, and he didn’t hesitate. He confirmed that there was somebody inside the house, that the house was on fire, and at that point in time he proceeded to enter the house to pull the homeowner out.”

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet February 23, and the Radcliff City Council will next meet March 9.

Monday marked the beginning of a new era for Warm Blessings Community Kitchen as Josh Miller began his first official day as the organization’s executive director.

“I’m feeling good,” Miller said. “I’ve made a lot of connections with a lot of people in the community. I’ve been able to meet with our team and our staff. We’re really excited about going forward., so I’m really excited. It’s been a busy day, but hey, I love it. That’s what we’re here to do, is here to serve.”

Miller said the mission-minded nature of Warm Blessings stood out to him when he applied for the role.

“I love to serve, and I love people,” Miller said. “I grew up serving all of my life, so being able to give back to my community and being able to serve our neighbors in need, that was the draw. I feel like service is a calling, so I’m just answering the call, all my life.”

Miller says the organization is rooted in loving your neighbor and coming together, so he is hoping to attract more community involvement.

“We need volunteers,” Miller said. “We need resources. We just need the support of everybody in Hardin County, and I know we’ll get that. We’re in such a tight-knit community, so I’m just thankful to be a part of Warm Blessings and be a part of this community, as well.”

Miller steps into the executive director role following the death of Dawn Cash, who died at the age of 61 in December.

Learn more about the organization on their website, www.warmblessings.org, or follow the Warm Blessings Community Kitchen Facebook page.