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Bridge work in Louisville will close I-65 for two months next summer

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An $150 million construction project will result in traffic impacts on Interstate 65 in Louisville.

Governor Andy Beshear on Wednesday announced that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet awarded a contract to Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. for the replacement of three bridges on I-65, the first phase of the I-65 Central Corridor Project.

According to a release from KYTC District Five, the project is “a bridge replacement and rehabilitation initiative to ensure safe and sound bridges along one of Kentucky’s busiest transportation arteries.” Under the contract, bridges over Kentucky and Brook streets, Hill Street, a CSK rail line, and Burnett Avenue, along with Bradley Avenue will be fully replaced. The KYTC says all three bridges are more than 60 years old and are rated in poor condition.

The work will be completed in phases, with the first phase consisting of work underneath the interstate with minimal traffic impacts between now and June 2026. The second phase will result in a full closure of I-65 between Jefferson Street and the Watterson Expressway for two months, with traffic detoured via Interstates 264 West and 64 West.

More information on the project can be found at www.iI65centralcorridor.com.

Hardin County Fiscal Court approves property tax rates

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

The fiscal court approved property tax rates for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

“The real estate tax rate of 10.8 cents per each $100 of assessed value, the personal property, business inventory, non-Kentucky-registered watercraft and aircraft rate of 12.3 cents per $100 of assessed value, and then the motor vehicle and watercraft tax rate of 11.5 cents on each $100,” said County Attorney Jenny Oldham during a public hearing on the tax rate held during the meeting.

Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said during his presentation on the tax rate that the county was going with the four percent revenue increase.

“The four percent increase from the previous year brought us very close to what we looked at and what we were able to predict,” Taul said. “It came in within a total of about $60,000, so very close to what the budget that we are currently in shows.”

Taul said the county budget is being balanced with about $2.5 million from the BlueOval SK Pilot Agreement, while not using annual funds from the Baptist Health Hardin hospital sale. The business personal property rate increased while the real estate property rate decreased.

“The reason that we could do this, to actually have an increase in revenue with a tax rate that went down 0.3 cents, is because it’s due to our growing county, really, and with an almost $1 billion increase in real estate property valuations,” Taul said.

In other meeting news, Hardin County Coroner Pat Elmore said his office responded to 72 cases in June and 129 in July, noting an increased number of autopsies performed. Hardin County Sheriff John Ward said in June and July his office made 189 arrests and issued 254 citations.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet September 9.

ECTC and U of L partner on applied engineering degree program

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Elizabethtown Community and Technical College President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate said during the college’s community breakfast Tuesday that ECTC is progressing in its mission of being a “3.0 community college,” which means students are not attending just to get the so-called “basics.”

“Maybe it’s the first two years of a four, five, or six year degree, or maybe it’s one year and going into the workforce in a high-wage, high-demand job,” Pate said. “It’s not the basics. It’s not the first two years. It’s a clear career path and a clear educational plan to get that career.”

Progress has been made on that goal with expansions and upgrades on campus and improving the experience for students, and the college took another step towards creating pathways for students with the introduction of an undergraduate applied engineering degree, created in partnership with the University of Louisville.

U of L Speed School of Engineering Dean Dr. Emmanuel Collins was on hand Tuesday to formally sign the agreement between the schools. He said the applied engineering program will give students a deeper understanding of the math and science foundation of engineering, which is a benefit to them and their community.

“They’re going to be able to solve deeper technical problems, so when they look at your plants and they see the engineering issues that are prevalent, they’re going to have greater capacity to solve those problems,” Collins said. “They’re going to have a more in-depth understanding of how to use some of the tools that are really common in your plants.”

The ECTC program will open in the spring. More information on the applied engineering program is available on the University of Louisville’s website.

Hardin County Clerk’s Office asking for wheelchairs for voting locations

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The Hardin County Clerk’s Office has announced an initiative to assist mobility-impaired voters by making a wheelchair available at all county voting locations.

“We have come up with an idea of utilizing wheelchairs and some assistance so that walk from your handicap-accessible parking place to the poll booth is going to be a whole lot easier for folks,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith. 

The clerk’s office is asking residents with an unused wheelchair at home to donate it to the cause.

“We know a lot of folks have a wheelchair either in their basement or their garage,” Smith said. “It belonged to a family member who needed it, and maybe that family member has passed on or no longer needs it. We’re asking you to donate it to the county clerk’s office. We’re going to put it to good use. We’re willing to come pick it up. We’ll clean it up. We’ll make sure it’s safe and functioning, and we’re going to help people vote with it.”

The clerk’s office is aiming to collect 10 wheelchairs by the end of the year to prepare for the 2026 election cycle. Contact the clerk’s office at 270-765-6762 or email HCelections@hccoky.org for more information.

E-Town Council approves trade of City Hall building for E-Town Laundry Co. building

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The Elizabethtown City Council met for a special meeting Monday.

After a brief closed session, the council approved a municipal order authorizing the transfer of property in a purchase agreement with 117 Properties LLC “for the transfer of 2.889 acres of properties along South Main Street and College Street to the city and the sale and lease agreement of the property at 200 West Dixie Avenue to 117 Properties LLC.”

Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory said under the terms of the agreement, the city will trade the City Hall building for the former E-Town Laundry Company property. He said City Hall is out of space.

“We did lease that property beside us, which was the old High School Basketball Hall of Fame, which will eventually here in the next few months hopefully become our City Council chambers, and there’s some offices in that building that we can use as an annex until we get things squared away on the laundry property like we want to and get a design done for a new City Hall building or a new city campus complex down there and are able to move down there,” Gregory said.

Gregory said the city will sign a lease for the City Hall building and lease out the laundry building as warehouse space until ready to build the new city government campus. 

City Council Member Marty Fulkerson said the city got where they needed to be on the agreement.

“We had to go out and lease more property to be able to have meetings for the Planning Commission and for the city, and still employees are on top of each other at City Hall, and as we continue to develop downtown, this is a step in the right direction for the future of Elizabethtown, and it’s not always about today, it’s about tomorrow,” Fulkerson said.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet September 8.