WQXE News

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

An ordinance approving a zoning change for 1505 North Miles Street was approved on its second reading. The zoning was changed from R-2 to R-3, which fits developments such as duplexes.

The council approved several municipal orders, including the appointment of H.Y. Davis IV to the Board of Zoning Adjustments. The council also approved a contract not to exceed $200,000 with Palmer Engineering for professional design services for the upgrading of Commerce Drive for the city’s outdoor music venue.

“These services shall include surveying, final roadway design plans, permitting, preparation of bid documents, bidding assistance, and construction administration to be completed in coordination with the design of the outdoor music venue site,” said City Attorney Ken Howard reading from the municipal order.

An order approving the acceptance of $1,250,550 from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority was approved. The city entered into a partnership agreement with the Authority for sanitary sewer upgrades for Leitchfield Road and South Ring Road to help support development on that end of the city.

Mayor Jeff Gregory and members of the council presented a portrait and plaque recognizing former Council Member Bill Wiseman, who passed away in June, to Wiseman’s wife and children. Patricia Wiseman said the portrait was a nice honor.

“I am very emotional, so this is really hard for me, but thank you, and I don’t think I realized until he passed away how many people really did love him, so he’d appreciate it very much,” Wiseman said.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet August 26.

Officials are investigating an area water issue.

According to a press release from Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul’s office, the Kentucky Emergency Response Team and the Kentucky Division of Water are investigating to determine the source and substance of contamination of Big Spring in the Upton area.

The judge/executive’s office says: “There is confidence that no drinking water is affected, and no public health warnings are in effect.”

Concerns about well water should be directed to the Kentucky Division of Water at 502-564-3410.

UPDATE 8/20/24: The Elizabethtown Police Department has confirmed that Christopher Elder died Monday evening as a result of injuries he sustained from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head during a standoff with police.
—
Two people are dead and another is injured following a shooting in a parking lot across from the Hardin County Justice Center Monday, and the suspect is hospitalized after a vehicle pursuit ended with him shooting himself.

The Elizabethtown Police Department said Christopher Elder is currently hospitalized in critical condition.

Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompsion said during a press conference that shortly before 9 a.m. Monday 911 calls came in reporting the shooting. 

“We were on scene within a minute, and located three victims while we were down there, and the suspect had fled the scene, obviously armed and dangerous,” Thompson said. “We began working to find that individual. We later identified him as Christopher Elder.”

The EPD said 37-year-old Erica Riley of Elizabethtown was pronounced dead at the scene. Her mother, 71-year-old Janet Riley of Hardinsburg, died as a result of her injuries at an area hospital. A third victim is currently hospitalized in stable condition.

Thompson said Elder had been in a relationship with one of the victims, later identified as Erica Riley.

“At no time was this a threat to anyone other than the individuals that were involved,” Thompson said. “This was a domestic-related incident. There was a hearing at the courthouse this morning stemming from previous incidents, and we believe it was isolated to the individuals that were involved.”

Thompson described the shooting as an ambush-style attack, and Elder’s vehicle had been seen waiting around the area ahead of the shooting.

The Hopkinsville Police Department said in a Facebook post that their officers along with officers from the Christian County and Muhlenburg County sheriff’s offices and the Kentucky State Police pursued a male subject, identified by the EPD as Elder, after he fled the Elizabethtown area. The HPD said that at multiple times during the pursuit Elder pointed a rifle at pursuing officers. Elder then pointed the rifle at himself after pulling into a church parking lot near the intersection of Greenville and Judges Chapel roads, and after about 90 minutes of negotiations with police he shot himself in the head. Elder was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital.

The EPD is investigating the shooting, while Kentucky State Police Post 2 is investigating the pursuit and standoff.