WQXE News

There’s still time to register for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College’s Upward Bound Math and Science Summer Bridge and Summer Academy programs.

“Our students are usually interested in STEM careers and college programs, and they come from five different regions,” said UBMS Director Rebecca Maddox. “So the five high schools are LaRue County High School, Nelson County High School, North Hardin High School, Thomas Nelson High School, and Washington County High School.”

The Summer Bridge program is for graduating seniors interested in earning a degree in a STEM field and allows students to take two free college courses as part of ECTC’s summer calendar June 3rd through July 28th.

The Summer Academy is a non-residential program that simulates a college experience for high school students to allow them to polish their skills in math, science, English, and Spanish from June 3rd through July 3rd.

Because the program is grant-funded, all participating students must meet federal guidelines.

“Our students have to be what we call first generation students, so they’re going to be students that will be the first ones in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree,” Maddox said. “They must meet federal low income guidelines and be a US citizen or permanent resident, and they need to attend those five different schools.”

Learn more or register for the programs by contacting the UBMS office at 270-706-8578 or by searching for the programs on the ECTC website.

Voters across the commonwealth headed to the polls Tuesday for the 2024 Kentucky Primary Election.

Joe Biden won the Democratic presidential primary with 131,439 votes, getting 71 percent. Donald Trump won the Republican presidential primary with 214,932 votes, getting 85 percent.

In contested races in the area, Hank Linderman (12,508) beat William Compton (9,303) in the Kentucky House District 2 Democratic primary with 57 percent. Stephen Meredith (5,973) won the Kentucky State Senate 5th District Republican primary against Thomas Ballinger (2,344) with 72 percent. Josh Calloway (2,773) beat Julie Cantwell (738) in the State Representative 10th District Republican primary with 79 percent. Ryan Bivens (2,636) defeated Asa Waggoner (878) in the State Representative 24th District Republican primary with 75 percent. Thomas Huff (1,955) won the State Representative 49tyh District Republican primary against William Harned (647) with 75 percent. Amanda Troutman (2,998) won the Commonwealth’s Attorney 55th Judicial Circuit Republican primary in Bullitt County over Nathan Batey (1,379) with 68 percent.

The state voter turnout was reported at 12.7 percent, down significantly from the 31.1 percent turnout seen in the 2020 primary. Turnout percentages for the area were:

-Nelson County: 15.7 percent

-Breckinridge County: 15.4 percent

-Hart County: 13.8 percent

-Grayson County: 13.5 percent

-LaRue County: 13.2 percent

-Meade County: 11.3 percent

-Bullitt County: 9.9 percent

-Hardin County: 9 percent

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith said he would have liked to have seen a larger turnout, but he was pleased with operations.

“Everything ran smoothly,” Smith said. “Our poll workers, I’m extremely proud of them. They have been working since well before sunup. Our local board of elections has as well, and I can say everything went as smooth as you could expect for an election.”

Breckinridge County Clerk Jared Butler was also pleased with his team’s efforts after a relatively quiet day.

“It’s been a pretty slow day, which was expected, but it’s been a very good day,” Butler said. “We’ve had very few issues and it’s been smooth so far.”

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday, October 7. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Voter registration information is available at your county clerk’s office or by visiting govote.ky.gov.

With summertime temperatures on their way, Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane says anybody responsible for children should take extra care to not leave children in hot cars, a situation that can turn tragic quickly.

“It wasn’t as bad last year, there were only 29 deaths,” Crane said. “That’s still too many, but it is down from 2019 when it was 53. So still, 29, that’s a lot that we could prevent.”

Crane says on a sunny 60 degree day, the temperature in the car can reach 110 degrees. Temperatures in the car can increase nearly 20 degrees in about 10 minutes.

Crane says to set a reminder for yourself to make sure you are checking the backseat, including a text or an alarm or a visual cue.

“Put something in the back seat that you’re going to have to get out when you get to work,” Crane said. “Maybe it’s your lunchbox, maybe it’s your laptop case. Something where you have to physically open the door and look. Another idea is to use a stuffed animal, and the stuffed animal is in the seat when the child is not in there and then put the stuffed animal in the front seat by you when the child is in the seat so that you have that visual reminder as well.”

If you see a child in a car, check to make sure that the child is unattended and there isn’t somebody else in the car more out of sight. If the child is indeed unattended, take action.

“Check the vehicle, communicate with the child, see if the child is responsive,” Crane said. “If the child is not responding, call 911, do that first, and if the child looks like they are in distress, go ahead and gain access to the car. In those cases where it is an emergency like that, you are protected.”

Make sure cars are locked so kids can’t get into them and lock themselves in, and keep the keys away from children.