WQXE News
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four is advising motorists to be on the lookout for two projects set to begin Monday.
The KYTC says crews are expected to begin construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Shepherdsville and Ring roads on June 1. The work is part of the Shepherdsville Road widening and safety improvements project that runs through fall of 2027.
“Of course, the widening and safety Improvements project north of Ring Road has been going on now for a while,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie. “It’s ongoing, and the roundabout portion of the project was specifically kind of set for a summer construction phase so that work would be going on after school’s out and before school starts this fall. The roundabout piece of the project has to be complete by August 1.”
Westbound traffic on Ring Road will be reduced to one lane through the intersection with no dedicated right turn lane from Ring Road onto Shepherdsville Road. Southbound traffic on Shepherdsville Road will also be reduced to one lane and will not have a dedicated right turn lane onto Ring Road. Additional traffic pattern changes will be announced as the construction progresses.
Meanwhile, construction is also scheduled to begin Monday on rebuilding the KY 79 bridge over the Rough River Lake spillway in Grayson County. Traffic will continue to utilize the temporary signal for alternating one-way traffic that was put in place over the bridge when temporary measures were taken a few weeks ago to stabilize the roadway.
“They’ve always been anticipating a start date of June 1,” Jessie said. “Obviously, a couple of weeks ago when that happened, we put steel plates down to get the bridge back open. We instituted that one-way alternating traffic pattern early, and they did some patchwork on the bridge deck there to keep that driving lane safe and sturdy there during construction.”
The bridge construction project has a scheduled completion date of November 30.
Use caution when approaching and driving through work zones and pay attention to posted signage and flaggers. Follow KYTC District Four on social media for updates.
An Indiana man was killed in a collision in Meade County Friday.
Kentucky State Police Post Four says at approximately 3:27 p.m. on May 29 troopers responded to a call regarding a fatal collision on Bypass Road near High Street in Meade County.
The KSP says the preliminary investigation indicates a vehicle operated by 34-year-old Dustin Farmer of Central, Indiana, was heading north on Bypass Road when it crossed into the center turn lane and collided head-on with a pickup truck operated by Maia Fisher of Mansfield, Missouri.
Farmer was pronounced dead at the scene by the Meade County Coroner’s Office. Fisher, along with two juveniles in Farmer’s vehicle, sustained serious injuries. Fisher was flown to the University of Louisville Hospital while the juveniles were transported to U of L Hospital and Norton Children’s Hospital.
Meanwhile, Kentucky State Police Post Three is conducting a death investigation in Hart County. KSP Post Three says at approximately noon on May 30 troopers responded to a call from the Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office regarding a possible death at the Dog Creek Recreation Area. Troopers located an unconscious woman lying in a green tent. The woman, identified as 43-year-old Edith Vaughn of Cub Run, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Hart County Coroner’s Office.
KSP Post Four’s investigation of the collision and KSP Post Three’s death investigation are both ongoing.
Area school districts are set to launch their summer meals programs this week.
Elizabethtown Independent Schools is offering free meals for children 18 and under at Elizabethtown High School, Morningside Elementary School, and the American Legion Park waterpark Mondays through Fridays from June 1 through July 24, with no meals served June 29 through July 3. Meals must be consumed on site. Parents who signed up for multi-day meal pick-ups will be contacted with more information. Contact the EIS Nutrition Services Department at 270-766-1231 for more information.
Hardin County Schools is running its summer meals program at several locations between June 3 and July 29, with no service on July 3. Rural locations are grab-and-go, while meals at urban locations must be eaten on-site. Free meals are available for any child 18 and younger. Participants do not have to be a HCS student. Adult lunch is available for $4 at the Farmer’s Market, Dawley Park, and Optimist Park sites. Participants must register, and can find more information, on the HCS website.
“Dates and times and locations, all that information is on the Hardin County Schools website,” said HCS Community Relations Specialist John Wright. “If you just go to hardin.kyschools.us and click the Quick Links tab, right under that tab the very first item is 2026 Summer Feeding Program, so just click on that and you’ll find everything that you need.”
Breckinridge County Schools is offering their summer meals program June 3 through July 22. During each pick-up, a parent or guardian may pick up five breakfasts and five lunches per registered child. Weekly registration is required by 11 p.m. the Monday before each pick-up. Meals are not guaranteed if you do not sign up.
“We’ve got a schedule that parents and families are able to get online and sign up for their free pickups, and we’re really excited that we’re able to offer that again for our kids and the community,” said BCS Superintendent Dr. Nick Carter.
The link to the registration form and a menu for the meals can be found on the Breckinridge County Schools Facebook page. Contact Valerie Dowell at 270-756-3007 for assistance.
Contact your area school district for more information.
Unemployment rates in the Lincoln Trail District in April saw decreases from the previous month but trended slightly higher than where they were the year prior.
The Kentucky Center for Statistics says unemployment rates decreased in 66 counties, increased in 41, and stayed the same in 13 when comparing April 2026 with April 2025.
The state unemployment average for April was 4.2 percent. That’s down from the 4.6 percent average reported in March and is even with the April 2025 average.
Hardin County’s unemployment rate for April came in above the state average at 5 percent. That is a decrease from the March rate of 5.5 percent but is an increase from April 2025 when the rate was reported at 4.5 percent.
The unemployment average for the Lincoln Trail District in April was 4.7 percent. Grayson County posted the highest unemployment rate in the district at 5.5 percent followed by Hardin County. Washington County posted the lowest unemployment rate in the district at 3.7 percent followed by Nelson County at 4.3 percent.
Learn more about how the unemployment rate is calculated and find more labor market information by visiting kystats.ky.gov.