WQXE News
The Elizabethtown City Council met for a work session Monday evening.
Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory said the city recognized new hires and longtime employees during a breakfast last week. Gregory made note at the meeting of employees who recently hit major employment milestones.
“We had four people that hit the 20-year mark this month: Pat Jelinek from Public Works, Kim Bell from Gas, Nathaniel Gardner from Fire, and Melissa Harrell-Nepi from Administration,” Gregory said. “The 25 year mark, Police Officer Billy Boling. The 30 year mark, Tim Reynolds from Customer Service, and then I like to call him ‘the granddaddy’ at the 35 year mark, Glenn Sims from Public Works.”
Elizabethtown Fire Chief Mark Malone recognized two recently promoted firefighters: Captain Shawn Seymour and Lieutenant Ryan Kelly. Malone also presented the EFD’s annual awards.
Hunter Thomas was named Firefighter of the Year.
“This year’s Firefighter of the Year was recognized for going above and beyond by assisting with the recruit class and taking on some other projects around the department that he wasn’t asked to do, he just took it on,” Malone said.
Lieutenant Thomas Kail was named Officer of the Year.
“He loves the communication side of things, so he takes care of actually programming our radios and maintaining our radios,” Malone said. “It saves us a lot of money to be able to utilize him without having to go to a third party.”
Catholic Charities of Louisville Volunteer Coordinator Stephen King spoke to the council about the organization’s efforts serving area assisted living facilities and nursing homes. King said the organization is recruiting volunteer ombudsmen and friendly visitors.
“Something like 60 percent of residents do not receive visitors, for whatever reason,” King said. “Family ties, or maybe their relatives have passed on, but we see a lot of loneliness, and so we’re really looking to bring some bright spaces to a lot of these folks in these facilities.”
Visit the Catholic Charities of Louisville Facebook page for more information.
The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet March 9.
There is still time this week to provide the Central Kentucky Community Action Council with input for their 2026 Community Needs Assessment.
“The Community Needs Assessment is the first phase of our strategic planning cycle,” said CKCAC Executive Director Bryan Conover. “It allows us to ground our work in data and direct community input, ensuring we implement services that truly lift families out of poverty and toward self-sufficiency.”
According to the council, the needs assessment helps the organization ensure its programs “are effectively targeting the real-world challenges faced by local families.” A needs assessment is required annually to meet federal guidelines.
Data gathered through the needs assessment helps the council prioritize resources, identify gaps in coverage, and plan strategically.
“We encourage everyone in the Lincoln Trail region to complete the Community Needs Assessment,” Conover said. “Whether you have utilized our services such as Head Start, Senior Meals, or LIHEAP Energy Assistance, or you want to advocate for the community’s growth, your feedback has a direct hand in shaping local solutions.”
More information and a link to the survey can be found at www.ckcac.org. The deadline to submit a response is February 27.
Kentucky Career Center – Lincoln Trail invites job seekers and employers to two more job fairs happening this week.
The Hardin County Job Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday at Severns Valley Baptist Church. The Breckinridge County Job and Resource Fair, which will be held in conjunction with Breckinridge County Economic Development and the Breckinridge County Chamber of Commerce, will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Breckinridge County Public Library in Hardinsburg.
“This is just another opportunity for job seekers to connect with employers and be able to talk with them about specific current open positions,” said KCC – Lincoln Trail Center Manager Robin Gooden. “Remember that we also ask employers when they come in that they do have current open positions available, and if possible that they are willing to do on-site interviews, so make sure you dress for success and you come willing to engage with employers about your next job opportunity.”
Businesses are asked to register ahead of the job fairs at www.ltcareercenter.org. Jobseekers do not need to register in advance. Just bring a hard copy of your resume.
Kentucky Career Center has a number of free resources and services available for potential job seekers.
“A lot of times people come into the center because they need new resumes, they haven’t written a resume in 20 years, and so we help them do that,” Gooden said. “We help them with mock interviewing. We help them get ready. We also have a list of open current positions that are available, so we give them those resources and also just kind of help them and guide them through their career planning.”
Visit the website or the Kentucky Career Center – Lincoln Trail Facebook page for more information.