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CASA of the Heartland invites public to Pinwheels for Prevention events

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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and in observance CASA of the Heartland is hosting a Pinwheels for Prevention planting event in each of the five counties the organization serves.

“The pinwheels, because they’re very whimsical and fun, represent the healthy and happy childhood that all children deserve, and so we plant a thousand of them in Hardin County to represent all of the children of Hardin County and the fact that they do deserve that happy, healthy childhood,” said CASA of the Heartland Executive Director Michelle Kail. 

The first planting event is coming up this Thursday.

“We will be hosting our annual pinwheel planting in Hardin County at the Elizabethtown Police Department on March 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the EPD has so graciously sponsored Juanito Street Tacos again this year, so they will be out there to provide lunch for our participants,” Kail said.

All are welcome to attend Thursday’s event.

“We do have a QR code that we’ve kind of pushed out there for if people want to just kind of sign up in advance so that we can just kind of engage with them and they can stay in the loop about other events and stuff that we’ve got going on, but they can register on site,” Kail said. “They don’t have to register in advance, but it is a free event and completely open to the public.”

Learn more about the organization, including how to serve as a court-appointed special advocate or other opportunities to help, at www.casaheartland.org or on the CASA of the Heartland Facebook page.

HCS board sets last day of school and high school graduation dates

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Hardin County Schools has a new last day of school and has set the dates for their high school graduation ceremonies.

According to a release from the district, the Hardin County Board of Education voted to move the last day of school for kindergarten through twelfth grade students to Friday, May 23. HCS students missed five days of school due to inclement weather, but the board is excusing accumulated time built into the school calendar, allowing the school year to end on a Friday and before Memorial Day.

The board also voted to approve graduation ceremonies for the district’s high schools. North Hardin High School graduation will be May 23 at 7 p.m. at Ray Story Stadium. Central Hardin High School graduation will be May 24 at 11 a.m. at Bruin Gym. John Hardin High School graduation will be on May 24 at 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium. Hardin County High School graduates have appointments to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas on May 17.

The schools will communicate logistics with seniors and their families. Contact HCS for more information.

KFW predicts strong turkey hunting season

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Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says surveys show a great turkey hunting season looks to be coming up soon.

Kentucky’s spring hunting seasons get under way with the youth-only turkey season on April 5 and 6, followed by the general turkey season from April 12 through May 4.

The KFW Wild Turkey Program says an unusually high number of younger birds were found during winter netting and leg banding research, which aligns with productive hatching numbers in 2024. The season should be especially beneficial for younger or inexperienced hunters as younger birds are typically easier targets. Public lands hunters should focus on prescribed burn sites at wildlife management areas as turkeys favor areas of regrowth.

No more than two legal turkeys may be taken per spring season. Hunters may only harvest one bearded turkey per wildlife management area and no more than one bird may be taken per day. Find more information on hunting regulations and license requirements in the KFW’s Spring Hunting Guide, available at fw.ky.gov.

State officials hosting ‘Scam Jams’ to raise awareness of scam tactics

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The Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions and other state leaders are encouraging Kentuckians to educate themselves on the shifting tactics of scammers looking to deceive consumers.

“The best thing we can do is to prevent it from ever happening,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear during last week’s Team Kentucky Update. “It’s really hard to get that money back once it’s been paid. The times we’ve been able to do it, returning those dollars, have been something pretty special, but we want to make sure that no one loses their life savings to one of these scams.”

The DFI is educating residents on technology used by scammers to clone voices, create deep fakes, and craft sophisticated schemes designed to steal personal and financial information. In addition to resources available on their website, the department is hosting four “Scam Jam” events across Kentucky to educate residents. The nearest event for the area will be in Jeffersontown on June 5.

“Topics will include information on what resources are available to help those that have already been victimized and how to prevent being victimized,” Beshear said. “We also have free secure document shredding for those who attend.”

Register to attend and find additional resources at kfi.ky.gov.