WQXE News
The sixty-first year of “the most fun you can have with your shoes on” wrapped up Saturday night as the Hardin County Fair came to a close.
“We had a really, really good fair week,” said Fair Board PResident Marty Fulkerson. “We ran into some issues with all the storms and tornado warnings Tuesday, that kind of hurt the attendance a little bit, but we had a really, really good fair. It was hot, but gosh, it’s July, and that’s what happens when fair time is here.”
He said entries appeared to be up among 4H and FFA members and a good turnout could be seen in the Family Living Building, including the debut year for the Exceptional category.
A scary situation was seen Saturday morning as one of the fair volunteers was seriously injured while preparing for the Brush Pull and had to be flown to a Louisville hospital for treatment. The fair board said the volunteer is stable and recovering.
“There’s still a long way to go and more surgeries and things it looks like, but it was just a freak accident,” Fulkerson said. “In 61 years, we’ve never had something like that happen. We’ve been pretty blessed, and we’re still praying for him and his family, and he’s got a long road to go.”
Fulkerson said the fair would not be possible without the support of the community and the fair’s sponsors, along with the hard work of the fair team.
“You get a fair board group of 20 people,” Fulkerson said. “There’s no way we can do it. It takes all the volunteers. I think there’s probably 60 or 70 volunteers in the Family Living Building. That track crew up there consists of probably 12 people that make that happen, and it’s a lot of turnovers and turnarounds.”
The Hardin County Fair will return the first full week of July 2025.
A major summer narcotics operation launched by the Kentucky State Police is showing results.
Following a three-month long investigation into suspected drug trafficking rings, all sixteen KSP posts joined in on Operation Summer Heat. KSP personnel partnered with law enforcement agencies from across the commonwealth to make a series of arrests.
Governor Andy Beshear included KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. as a speaker during Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update. Burnett said the operation resulted in 206 arrests, 490 charges, and the seizure of more than $684,000 in illicit drugs.
“Fentanyl, 554 grams was removed, as well as 2,931 pressed pills of fentanyl, 219 grams of cocaine, 4,862 grams of methamphetamine, 40 grams of heroin, 50 hydrocodone pills, 60 oxycodone pills, and then 90 hallucinogens, as well as other illegal drugs,” said Burnett.
Burnett said Operation Summer Heat is ongoing, with additional arrests expected soon. He said the successful launch of the operation is a testament to the state’s efforts to keep communities safe.
“This statewide initiative is to show a clear message across Kentucky that those who continue to distribute illegal drugs in our communities, the Kentucky State Police and our law enforcement partners local and federal will focus our efforts to cease such activities,” Burnett said.
Beshear said drug enforcement is important, but it goes hand in hand with drug treatment. The governor announced four additional counties, including Nelson County, have received their Recovery Ready Community certifications from the state.
“Since we launched the Recovery Ready Community certification last year, 14 counties have now been certified,” Beshear said. “These communities are stepping up to help fellow Kentuckians who are struggling with addiction. They’re providing families more support through mental health and addiction treatment as well as employment services, and we are grateful for and we applaud their good work.”
Kentuckians seeking treatment help can visit FindHelpNowKY.org. Drug activity can be reported anonymously via the KSP website tip form.
As the new school year approaches, Nolin RECC is encouraging educators in Hardin and LaRue counties to apply for their Be a Light Teacher Grants.
Nolin RECC Communications Manager Sarah Fellows says the Nolin RECC Operation Round-Up board created the Be a Light grant program as a way of honoring and supporting local teachers.
“They know, and they hear from teachers and we all do, that if funds aren’t available for their classrooms, a lot of times that money comes out of their own pockets, so the Be a Light Teacher Grants are a way for the Operation Round-Up board and for Nolin members to say thank you to our local teachers for everything that they do for our children,” Fellows said.
30 $200 grants will be awarded to K-12 teachers in Hardin and LaRue counties. The funds come from the donations Nolin RECC members make through the Operation Round-Up program.
“Nolin members can voluntarily round up their bill each month to the nearest dollar,” Fellows said. “Now for an average Nolin member, that’s only about $6 a year, but we have over 6,000 members who are participating in Operation Round-Up, so when those dollars come together, they can make a huge impact on our community.”
The application for the Be a Light grants can be found at NolinRECC.com. The deadline to apply is August 31.
Breckinridge County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nick Carter says the district has been hard at work all summer gearing up for the new school year.
“Teachers and staff have been working hard throughout the summer with different training opportunities and just getting ready for the year,” Carter said. “Our building maintenance folks and custodians are doing a great job getting our buildings cleaned and looking absolutely wonderful for the start of the year, so I just want to give all of them a huge thanks, and to our principals. They’re working hard getting ready for the year.”
BCS families will get a chance to get into the school buildings ahead of the new year as each school hosts its open house.
“It’s a time that we get to welcome our kiddos and families back into the school and our new students and new families into the school, and what we do with open house is they come in and they get to tour the building, meet teachers, and just get comfortable so that that first day of school isn’t as scary,” Carter said.
Breckinridge County Middle and High schools will host their open houses from 4 to 6 p.m. on July 29, Hardinsburg and Ben Johnson Elementary schools will host theirs from 4 to 6 p.m. on July 20, and Irvington and Custer elementaries will host theirs from 4 to 6 p.m. on August 1.
Carter says the district has a lot to look forward to.
“We’re super, super excited, and I truly believe that it’s going to be one of our best years yet,” Carter said. “It’s a great day to be a Tiger.”
Visit the Breckinridge County Schools website or Facebook page for more information.