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WQXE News

Your source for local community news, weekdays at 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8, 9 and Noon.

T.K. Stone students put STEM skills to good use

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Students at T.K. Stone Middle School Thursday got hands-on experience in STEM education and helping members of their community.

Students in Jennifer Weaver’s class, with help from Heartland Ambucs, assembled two tricycles for children with disabilities.

Weaver said she met Heartland Ambucs volunteer Darrell Olson through Wesley Hilltop.

“We had a couple of bikes that they brought on Thursday, and I had the classes split up into two groups, and they kind of rotated groups around so that each kid had a little bit of buy-in with getting to help assemble the bikes together,” Weaver said.

Weaver said the project offered an opportunity to put the skills the Project Lead the Way students learn in their STEM classes to use, but it also gave them an opportunity to help beyond the classroom.

“A lot of times, unless they’re involved in specific clubs or other community groups that do service for other things, they don’t get the option to be able to do that, and so I think it was a great learning experience to kind of do something that was more about somebody else,” Weaver said.

Weaver said she is proud of the response of her students, and hopes they can contribute again in the future.

“I was a little, maybe, anxious, just to see, because they were using different tools that they’ve never used before, and this was kind of a little bit out of their comfort zone somewhat, but they kind of dove in and once they got started, they were hooked,” Weaver said.

You can learn more about Heartland Ambucs by visiting their Facebook page.

E-Town teen gets 10 years in prison for role in overdose death

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A Hardin County teenager was convicted for his part in a 2024 overdose death of a minor.

The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office says 18-year-old Aadyn Kristopher-Nelson Durbin pleaded guilty in Hardin Circuit Court this week to Second Degree Manslaughter, Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, and Trafficking in Marijuana. Durbin was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The AG’s office says “Durbin admitted to knowingly selling fentanyl, which caused the victim’s death in December 2024. As part of the plea agreement, Durbin agreed not to have any contact with the victim’s family or attend any events at Elizabethtown Independent Schools.”

The Elizabethtown Police Department arrested Durbin along with two adult suspects (Damien Felker and Brandon Durbin, both of Elizabethtown) as part of their investigation into the death of a 17-year-old at an Elizabethtown residence on December 18, 2024. The EPD said at the time that the overdose death was likely related to tablets that were designed to look like a prescription narcotic but were actually laced with fentanyl.

The AG’s office says fentanyl was present in more than 60 percent of the 1,410 Kentucky overdose deaths that occurred in 2024.

Stephen Foster Story hosting scarecrow trail

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The Stephen Foster Story may not be on stage at the amphitheater, but you’ll find some Halloween fun in its place.

Now through November 15, the community is invited to the inaugural Bardstown Scarecrow Trail, a family-friendly event that has transformed the Stephen Foster Story amphitheater’s driveway “into a vibrant display of creativity and community spirit.”

The drive-through experience features a variety of scarecrows sponsored and created by area businesses, organizations, schools, and artists. The scarecrow trail is open daily until dusk. The trail is open for free, but donations to the Stephen Foster Drama Association are encouraged.

Visitors to the trail between October 6 and November 7 will be able to vote for their favorite scarecrows. Winners will be announced for multiple categories. Visit www.stephenfoster.com/scarecrow for more information.

Take steps to help avoid scam phone calls

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Team Kentucky Stop Scams is offering advice on how to handle unwanted calls. 

The Stop Scams team says the best way to handle an unwanted call is to simply not answer. Once scammers know a number is live, they are encouraged to continue calling the number. Stop Scams says the best method is to let the call ring to voicemail as hitting ignore can also signal that the number is live.

If you do answer a suspicious call, don’t say yes on the phone call, as scammers may record your voice and use it to make it sound like you are responding to other questions or requests. Remember that even if a phone call appears to be coming from your area code it might be a spoofed number. Add important numbers such as your doctor or your child’s school to your phone so you recognize them when they call.

The Stop Scams team says to check your phone’s settings for built-in spam call features. Ask your carrier if they offer call blocking or call labeling services. You can also look into a call screening app.

You can get more information on ongoing scam attempts, report a scam, and sign up for alerts by visiting stopscams.ky.gov.

Animal shelter needs help adopting out large dogs

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Hardin County Animal Care and Control Director Mike McNutt says the shelter is continuing to deal with overpopulation issues, and in particular the need to get large dogs adopted out has substantially grown.

“We’re inundated with big dogs right now,” McNutt said. “When I say big dogs, I mean 40 pounds and up, and all of our kennels are full and they’re just coming in faster than we can move them.”

McNutt says larger dogs require more food and more care, so in addition to the space they need, an overpopulation of larger dogs puts a strain on shelter resources.

McNutt says in addition to encouraging more adoptions, he is also encouraging residents to claim dogs the shelter has picked up.

“We do have strays that are there and nobody is coming forward and claiming, so if you’re missing your dog, please stop by and check and see if we have it and I will work with you on the fees,” McNutt said. “I’ll do anything I can just to make sure we have space for the animals that are in need.”

More large dogs in the shelter means less time and space for other shelter operations.

“By law, strays have to be held for five days, so nothing can be done with them,” McNutt said. “We can’t adopt them out. We can’t spay and neuter them. We can’t do anything until those five days are complete. That’s why I’m asking: if you’ve got a lost pet, please, please come in and claim your pet.”

For current pet owners, the animal shelter is hosting their annual rabies clinic at the Hardin County Fairgrounds this Saturday, October 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Puppies and kittens must be at least 12 weeks old, with dogs on a leash and cats in a carrier. Check the flyer on the animal shelter’s Facebook page for more information.