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City of Elizabethtown holiday events set to make spirits bright

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The City of Elizabethtown is set to celebrate the holiday season with multiple events and activities coming up on the calendar.

Christmas in the Park returns to Freeman Lake Park for the 35th year beginning on Wednesday, November 26.

“That will run nightly from 6 to 11 p.m.,” said Elizabethtown Events Manager Beth Pyles. “This year we have over 115 displays from not only the city of Elizabethtown but many local community partners, and you will be surprised. We’ve got a lot of new displays, and a lot of new businesses have joined in.”

The annual Light-Up E-Town Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting event will be held Friday, December 5.

“It will step off at 7 p.m., and it’s our backwards parade, so we’ll be coming from St. John Road and Santa will take up the rear of the parade, and he and Mayor Gregory will light the Christmas tree when they come to Downtown E-Town,” Pyles said.

In addition to the parade and at the tree lighting, Santa has several planned appearances in Downtown E-Town coming up.

“Breakfast with Santa at the State Theatre tickets are on sale now,” Pyles said. “You can purchase those at www.thestate270.org. That is Saturday, December 6. And we are bringing back our Santa House again. I think this is our third year since we revived it. That will be December 6 and 7 from 4 to 7 p.m., December 13 from 2 to 4 p.m., and December 14 from 4 to 6 p.m.”

Tickets are also on sale for Christmas movies at the State Theater and the Holly Jolly Experience. Visit www.etownevents.com for more information.

Blood and platelet donors can get exclusive Red Cross/Pac-Man socks

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With the holiday season approaching, the American Red Cross is encouraging blood and platelet donors to “level up”.

Now through December 7, donors will receive an exclusive pair of Red Cross/Pac-Man socks. Donors in that same time frame can also get a custom Red Cross/Pac-Man Gashapon capsule toy. Successful donations will also receive free A1C testing.

According to the Red Cross, the organization has seen a drop in donations this fall. This means the Red Cross is counting on donors to keep their donation appointments as a typical decrease is also seen around the holidays.

“The need for Type O, O-positive and O-negative, is in an emergency need right now,” said American Red Cross Account Manager Tammy Ritchie. “Transfusions are happening when needed, but because that is the most common blood type, it is also the most needed, and in an emergency situation, that is what’s going to be transfused until we know that patient’s blood type.”

Visit www.redcrossblood.org to learn more and make an appointment to donate.

Johnson family to once again host Thanksgiving breakfast at Vine Grove City Hall

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For the fourth year, the Johnson family is gearing up to host their annual Thanksgiving breakfast.

“We feed the community for Thanksgiving breakfast, and it’s free to whoever comes in,” said Johnson family member Jennifer Banks. “We have breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Vine Grove City Hall, and anybody is welcome.”

Banks said the annual breakfast was born out of her mother’s long-running efforts to feed cadets, soldiers, and community members at Fort Knox.

“She just said she wants to do more for the community, so that’s how we (me, my sisters, and my mother), we all pitch in with our own money,” Banks said. “We’ve been doing this for four years, just feeding the community, blessing the community once a year on Thanksgiving morning.”

Community members looking to support the effort should contact Banks.

“They can call me at 270-304-5101,” Banks said. “They can volunteer, they can donate money, they can donate food. We’re open. Like I said, this is strictly out of our pocket. This is not a nonprofit. We don’t ask for grants or anything. This is strictly our own money, and we just want to bless the community on Thanksgiving morning.”

Area residents who would like a meal but are unable to attend in person should contact Banks to schedule a delivery.

New regulations, licensing requirements for tobacco retailers about to hit the books

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New regulations for businesses that sell tobacco, nicotine, or vapor products go into effect the first of the year.

The Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet says all businesses engaged in the retail sale of tobacco, nicotine, and vapor products in the commonwealth must be licensed by the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control by January 1.

According to the Public Protection Cabinet, the licensing requirement is the result of Senate Bill 100. The bill also enacts several measures aimed at strengthening enforcement including routine and unannounced compliance checks to ensure retailers are not selling to minors or selling illegal products, greater fines and penalties for violating the law, and a new enforcement team to investigate consumer complaints.

Retailers can find more information and apply for their license on the ABCs Online Licensing Portal.

According to the 2023 Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 8.7 percent of Kentucky students self-reported daily vaping and 19.7 percent reported vaping in the past 30 days. The Kentucky Department of Public Health has several programs aimed at educating teens on the dangers of vaping and nicotine products. Kentuckians 17 and under can contact “My Life, My Quit” and adults 18 and older can contact “Quit Now Kentucky” to access resources.