WQXE News

Hardin County Schools Community Relations Director John Wright said 2023 was a great calendar year for the school district, with assessments showing growth among students and students proving themselves as they look beyond their K through 12 education.

“87 HCS students earned an associate’s degree from ELizabethtown Community and Technical College through the HCS Academy at EC3 and the Early College Pathway,” Wright said. “That’s the most students that have ever done that.”

528 students earned work ethic certifications at ECTC, 141 made the college’s President’s List, and 118 made the Dean’s List, along the way earning an average GPA of 3.54 in college courses.

“479 of those passed a career end-of-program assessment or earned an industry certification in one of the 37 career pathways offered by the district, so students are succeeding,” Wright said. “They are getting what they need to succeed here in Hardin County Schools.”

As the district enters 2024, Wright says a major goal is improving attendance, an issue all Kentucky schools have been battling with particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. The district is under the state average for chronically absent students, but Wright says the district is still aiming to improve.

“Whether that be excused absences or unexcused absences, we really do need to take a focus on making sure that students are in the building and students are ready to learn,” Wright said. “You can’t learn effectively if you are not in the school building.”

Phase One of construction at Central Hardin High School is due to be completed in 2024, after which Phase Two will begin, and the district also plans to begin work on several other projects.

“Namely, the project of building a new West Hardin,” Wright said. “That land has been acquired. Everything is falling into place. Obviously there are some things that the Kentucky Department of Education has to approve, but we are looking at hopefully starting that project sometime in the calendar year of 2024.”

Visit Hardin County Schools on the web for more information and district news.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is asking hunters and the public to be aware of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.

The KDFW says HPAL “is highly infectious and often deadly in wild birds and domestic poultry. Infected birds spread the virus through their saliva, mucus, and feces.” Symptoms include “incoordination, droopy wings, lethargy, unwillingness to fly, swimming in circles, and head tremors.”

Hunters or members of the public that see birds they believe may exhibit those symptoms are asked to report sick or dead waterfowl, raptors such as hawks and eagles, vultures, and groups of five or more dead birds by calling the agency at 1-800-858-1549 or the department’s online HPAL survey portal.

Hunters should take precautions during waterfowl season such as never harvesting, handling, or consuming birds found dead or obviously sick, wearing disposable gloves then washing hands thoroughly when handling birds, and never feeding dogs raw or undercooked meat from harvested waterfowl.

The CDC believes the threat of humans contracting the virus is low. Find more information at fw.ky.gov.

Kentucky State Police Post Four is investigating a fatal two-vehicle crash in Meade County that occurred Monday, and is asking for the public’s assistance.

A Facebook post from KSP Post Four Public Information Officer Scotty Sharp says the accident occurred near the 3100 block of Kentucky Route 1692, or Fairgrounds Road, in Meade County.

The KSP is asking any drivers that were in the area of the accident at around 6:18 p.m. Monday to contact Post Four at 270-766-5078.

Meanwhile, the KSP is investigating after a train collided with a car in Horse Cave.

According to the KSP, at approximately 12:10 a.m. on December 31 a passenger vehicle traveling on West Main Street in Horse Cave attempted to cross railroad tracks at Guthrie Street as the railroad crossing arms were lowering.

A CSK train was traveling south on the tracks and struck the vehicle as it was crossing.

The KSP says the operator of the vehicle and a passenger were airlifted from the scene to the University of Louisville Hospital. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.