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Radcliff council holds first reading on city tax ordinance

The Radcliff City Council met for their second meeting of the month Tuesday.

The first reading was held on an ordinance levying city ad valorem taxes for 2026.

“Assessed valuation (per $100) as follows: on real property, .126 and personal property .184, including real and personal property of public service companies,” said City Attorney Mike Pike, reading from the ordinance. “On privately owned and registered vehicles and watercraft, .199, and bank deposit tax, .00025.”

Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall presented Mayor’s Recognition Awards to Boundary Oak Distillery and Red Hill Cutlery, and recognized City Clerk Ashley Russo, for their efforts in hosting and organizing last Saturday’s Bourbon and Blades Festival. Duvall said the Radcliff Police Department estimated the event saw more than 10,000 total visitors.

“It was a great show, probably the largest show that we’ve had,” Duvall said. “The weather was great. Everything went very smooth and well.”

In other meeting news, the council approved 2026 Trick or Treat times for the city. Trick or Treating in the City of Radcliff will run from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 31.

The Radcliff City Council will next meet Friday morning to hold the second reading on the tax ordinance, after which the council will next meet for a work session on October 13.

ECTC sets school record for graduation rate

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is celebrating growth in student success.

ECTC says students at the college posted a graduation rate of 61.4 percent for the 2025-2026 school year, the highest in school history and nearly double the rate from 10 years ago.

ECTC Chancellor Dr. Juston Pate said with the graduation well above the national average of 42.7 percent, it is something the whole community can take pride in.

“It really does speak to the quality of the college, to the quality of the community that supports that college, and to the workforce in general that supports our graduates and motivates them to get the degrees that lead to those jobs,” Pate said.

The graduation rate measures “the percentage of full-time college students who earn a credential within three years of first enrolling at the college.” ECTC says success has been seen in other metrics as well, including an 80.1 percent course success rate in the Fall 2025 semester, which is up nearly 14 points from Fall 2018.

Pate said the hard work of the faculty and staff is critical to the college moving forward.

“I think what makes me most proud is the work that our faculty and our staff have done for ten years to continually get better, and to continually put our students in a better position to achieve their goals,” Pate said.

Pate also credited community partners for their work in reducing barriers to success, such as Family Scholar House. Learn more about similar initiatives on the ECTC website.

Hardin County man and LaRue County woman indicted as part of Medicaid fraud crack down

A Hardin County man and a LaRue County woman were included in six indictments secured by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office as part of a crackdown on Medicaid fraud.

The AG’s Office says on September 10 a Hardin County Grand Jury indicted Ricky Simpson of Elizabethtown and Shawna Smith of Hodgenville. Both were indicted on a count of Class C Felony Knowing Abuse or Neglect of an Adult and a count of Class D Felony Devising or Engaging in a Scheme to Defraud the Kentucky Medical Assistance Program of $1,000 or More.

According to the AG’s Office, the case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control. The indictments are part of the office’s participation in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which the AG’s Office says has secured 21 indictments on state and federal charges and uncovered nearly $11 million in health care fraud. 

You can file a Medicaid fraud or abuse complaint at ag.ky.gov/MedicaidFraud or by calling 1-877-228-7384.

Location change for Breckinridge County Health Department Flu Drive-Thru Clinic Tuesday

The Breckinridge County Health Department is moving the location of their Flu Drive-Thru Clinic taking place today.

According to a post on the Breckinridge County Health Department Facebook page, the drive-thru clinic will now be held at the Health Department building, located at 220 South Hardin Street in Hardinsburg. The clinic runs from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. CDT.

The Health Department says participants must be 19-year-old or older and must be insured. A limited number of high-dose flu vaccines will be available for individuals 65 and older on a first come, first served basis. Regular flu vaccines will also be available.

Contact the Breckinridge County Health Department for more information.