WQXE News
The Hardin County Fiscal Court met for their final meeting of 2025 Thursday.
Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith recounted his office’s activities in 2025. Smith said his team put a lot of energy into election work.
“We made nearly 50 years of election recordings available online,” Smith said. “Our elections staff completed national training qualifications. I’m really, really appreciative of the hard work they put into those certifications. We held voter registration drives at ECTC, E-Town High, School, and John Hardin.”
The court approved the clerk’s office’s budget for calendar year 2026, which was requested at $2,565,919.46, which Smith said represents “a cumulative savings to the Hardin County taxpayers of over $169,000.”
A resolution approving the hiring of a GIS coordinator was removed from the consent agenda for more discussion. Some of the magistrates took issue with hiring a full-time employee when the county has a contract with the Lincoln Trail Area Development District for GIS services.
“My sense is let’s stop trying to bring somebody in and let the contract play out,” said Fifth District Magistrate Aaron Pennington. “If it’s advantageous to us, if we hit $85,000, okay, well, obviously we need to hire somebody because we’ve hit that mark, but if we haven’t hit the mark, our advantage is to go somewhere else.”
Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said the GIS coordinator position is already budgeted, and he took issue with what he called the magistrates inserting themselves into operations that are under his office’s management.
“This is a budgeted position,” Taul said. “We’re filling it, and the only thing that is in the way of doing that are some folks that have decided to take it upon themselves to manage this government on a day-to-day basis instead of me, and it’s very upsetting.”
The vote tied at four yes, four no, and Magistrate E.G. Thompson abstained, meaning the resolution was voted down.
The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet January 13.
As the news broke this week of Ford Motor Company’s decision to end operations at BlueOval SK and replace it with a battery energy storage systems operation, area officials offered their reactions.
“With impending layoffs of an announced 1,600 co-workers, Judge Taul has announced his main focus is to do whatever is possible to help the impacted citizens have the support and resources they need to find new jobs,” said Hardin County Government Communications Officer Brian Walker. “The county is in communication with Ford, state officials, and other stakeholders as additional details become available.”
Walker said Judge/Executive Keith Taul is optimistic about Ford’s decision to maintain a presence in Glendale along with investments in other facilities.
“Their long-standing presence in Louisville and the announced retooling of that factory has historically shown their dedication to remain in the Commonwealth,” Walker said. “We’re here to support long-term job opportunities, economic stability, and responsible growth that will serve Hardin County and surrounding areas and its residents now and in the future.”
Kentucky Tenth District State Senator Matt Deneen said in a statement: “As Ford moves through an organizational and ownership transition, there will be short-term challenges associated with that process. However, Ford’s $2 billion commitment to the Glendale facilities, coupled with its expansion of energy-storage battery production to serve a broad range of industrial and utility needs, underscores the company’s long-term commitment to this community. The company’s presence and employment in the region will continue as planned.”
Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation President and COO Andy Games said in a release: “While the Glendale site will transition from the original joint venture structure, it remains clear that this project has already delivered significant investment and economic impact to our community and will continue to deliver in the future.”
The Lincoln Trail Area Development District said their Rapid Response team, which is part of the Kentucky Career Center, is prepared to assist BlueOval SK employees facing layoffs.
Community members are invited to an afternoon of food, fellowship, and community spirit at the second Free Community Stone Soup Dinner, to be held Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at North Hardin High School.
“There’ll be spaghetti, salad, pizza, sweets, popcorn, and fried chicken on the menu, all made possible through the generosity of local businesses,” said Radcliff resident Pete Countryman at Tuesday’s Radcliff City Council meeting.
Saturday’s dinner comes a few weeks after managers at Little Charlie’s Pizza organized the first dinner in November.
Countryman said the theme for the dinner comes from the European fable of a traveller passing through a village who starts a campfire to cook a soup and other members of the community start contributing.
“The moral of the story is: when you share resources and work together in the community, you can accomplish great things,” Countryman said
The event will also feature toys for kids and photos with the Grinch, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and other fun characters. All are invited to attend. The event is free but donations will be accepted.
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College recognized the accomplishments of students during commencement ceremonies for the Summer and Fall semester.
About 200 students walked across the stage before hundreds of guests Tuesday as the college hosted commencement at Severns Valley Baptist Church.
According to ECTC, two ceremonies were held Tuesday to honor students who completed their academic programs in the summer and fall. The college expects to award graduates approximately 500 degrees and diplomas along with more than 1,400 certificates. Credentials awarded include Associate in Applied Science degrees to help support students heading into careers in high-demand fields such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and trades, along with Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degrees for students looking to transfer to four-year colleges and universities.
ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate said: “We are so proud of our new alumni and look forward to seeing the class of 2025 become part of the next generation of leaders in our region. Whether they are entering the workforce and starting a high-demand career or moving on to successfully complete a Bachelor’s degree, the time they spent at ECTC has prepared them for the next step in their journey.”
ECTC is currently enrolling students for the Spring 2026 semester, and the application for financial aid opportunities is open. Visit the ECTC website or contact the Admissions office for more information.