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Guthrie talks shutdown with Fort Knox-area organizations and businesses during roundtable

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Kentucky Second District Congressman Brett Guthrie hosted a roundtable at the Colvin Community Center in Radcliff Wednesday in order to hear from community groups and leaders on the impact of the ongoing government shutdown.

An emphasis was placed on the impact of the shutdown in and around Fort Knox. Many of those in attendance discussed how much longer their organizations will be able to fund the services they offer if funding is not restored. Many also expressed concerns with the impact the upcoming loss of different services will have.

“As we go further down the line here, when we are discussing cuts, the upcoming cuts to SNAP benefits and others, it has a tremendous impact not only on folks in this community and the communities that surround Fort Knox, but even some of those folks that are employed at Fort Knox,” said Kentucky Tenth District State Senator Matt Deneen.

Guthrie said having been in the majority and in the minority during previous shutdowns he recognized the position the current minority finds themselves in, and he agrees that conversations on healthcare benefits need to take place, but he disagrees with the current tactics being used.

“I know the Senate separated out paying the military, paying TSA, paying air traffic controllers, so that they would be taken off the table if they wouldn’t, but you heard Katherine Clark, the Democratic Whip, say ‘If we did that, we’d lose leverage.’,” Guthrie said. “So if they fund SNAP, they’d lose leverage on all the other things they wanted to do. We’re saying that’s a bad way to go.”

Kentuckians dependent on SNAP benefits should check the Department for Community Based Services website for updates.

Reduce the risk of fires if burning candles this fall

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As we roll further into fall, if candles are part of your home decor, make sure you are taking steps to reduce fire hazards.

“Preferably, use a candle warmer where it’ll melt the wax enough to release the smell, but you don’t have an open flame,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Same way if we’re talking about Halloween decorations, you’re doing your jack-o’-lanterns. Use LED lighting. It’s much better, lasts a little longer, things like that.”

If you do end up using a candle with an open flame, make sure it is in a safe area away from potential hazards such as drapes. Keep it on a flat, stable surface in order to reduce the tip-over risk.

“If you do choose to light a candle, make sure you leave about a half inch of wax at the bottom because that helps absorb the heat, especially if it’s a jar candle, and then make sure you’re keeping that wick trimmed about a quarter inch,” Crane said. “That helps it burn a little better, so if you do choose to use a candle with an open flame, make sure you’re taking care of it.”

Running the candle all the way down in a glass jar runs the potential risk of the jar cracking or shattering due to thermal stress, which can create a fire risk.

Hardin County to house full-time ambulance unit in White Mills

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Hardin County will launch a ninth full-time ambulance unit, and it will be housed at the West Fardin Fire and Rescue station in White Mills.

According to a release from Hardin County Government, the announcement comes “after months of careful planning and listening to voices from every corner of our county.” The Hardin County Fiscal Court approved a lease agreement between the fire company and the county Tuesday night, with the county paying $250 a month primarily to cover utility expenses.

Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said in the release: “We considered a 40-hour ambulance at the new White Mills station. After listening to many concerns from people in the western, northern, and southern parts of this large county, I’m excited to partner with our newly merged West Hardin VFD. This amazing cooperative effort will now house the long overdue support and lifesaving care of emergency medical personnel to staff a 9th ambulance.  The other four station ambulances will keep their current staffing.”

West Hardin Fire and Rescue raised about $25,000 to cover renovations for the station to be able to host the ambulance and crew. The county says the cost to taxpayers will be about $300,000 in payroll through the end of the current fiscal year. One of the county’s four reserve ambulances will be put into full-time service.

The county’s goal is to have the unit fully operational by mid-November. Follow the Hardin County Government Facebook page for updates.

Line of credit will keep Central Kentucky Community Action Head Start programs going temporarily

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As the government shutdown continues, the Central Kentucky Community Action Council Head Start and Early Head Start programs are among the organizations that have grants expiring on October 31.

“November 1 is a time where the Central Kentucky Community Action Council will no longer have access to federal funds to operate our Head Start and Early Head Start centers across our six counties, and so that does put us in a situation where our 400 children and their families, as well as almost 150 staff members, are in a precarious situation,” said CKCAC Executive Director Bryan Conover.

With the November 1 cutoff approaching, the Central Kentucky Community Action Board of Directors on Monday unanimously approved a stop-gap solution. The organization is pursuing a line of credit from People’s Bank of Lebanon that will allow normal Head Start operations to continue until November 21.

Conover stressed that this is not a permanent solution, and said reopening the government to support programs like Head Start is not a partisan issue. It’s a people issue.

“We need our people taken care of and we need to make sure that our children, the most vulnerable of us in our communities, are able to get the early childhood education they so desperately need, and the nutrition services and the therapy services and just the socialization opportunities,” Conover said. “It’s really just a really important opportunity for the federal government to reopen and let us take care of our kiddos and our families.”

Contact Central Kentucky Community Action for more information.

Hardin County Fiscal Court approves White Mills ambulance lease agreement

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The Hardin County Fiscal Court met for their second meeting of the month Tuesday evening.

The court approved a lease agreement with West Hardin Fire and Rescue, which will allow Hardin County EMS to locate a “satellite emergency medical service station” at West Hardin’s Station Two facility located in White Mills. The agreement is for one year with automatic renewal unless one of the parties opts out.

Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said the lease agreement had been “a bit of a work in progress”, but he said hard work went into making the agreement possible.

“All that goes with it, and all the work that went into making this station suitable for a 24-hour ambulance as needed was impressive, and we have some of our West Hardin folks here from Eastview and the White Mills area of the county, the western part of the county, so I just wanted to, before we vote, acknowledge how much work you all put into this and thank you for doing that,” Taul said.

Taul said during the fiscal court’s Town Hall Forum Monday that if the lease was approved he would announce ambulance plans Wednesday.

In other meeting news, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office reported 181 arrests were made, 335 citations were issued, and 206 warrants were served in August and September. Hardin County Coroner Pat Elmore said his office worked on 90 cases in August and 89 cases in September, and noted drug overdose deaths year to date are down from 42 last year to 25 this year. Hardin County Quick Response Team Director Justin Blair said the QRT was busy making community connections in August and September.

“We went to 67 residential units, and in 27 of those we actually got to engage with the homeowner,” Blair said. “We distributed 18 naloxones and 51 resource guides so that they would know what resources are available to them.”

Learn more on the Quick Response Team – Hardin County Facebook page.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet November 10.