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Baptist Health Hardin cuts ribbon on new Medical Pavilion

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Baptist Health capped off a three-year, $225.6 million project as they hosted a ribbon cutting for the Baptist Health Hardin Medical Pavilion Tuesday morning.

“Baptist Health Hardin Medical Pavilion stands as a testament to Baptist Health’s commitment to the people of the region,” said Baptist Health System CEO Gerald Colman. “It was imagined as a new concept for Central Kentucky. The pavilion would offer more services, advanced technology, and better access for all who needed to be served.”

Baptist Health says the 282,000 square-foot pavilion is a celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary as well as the hospital’s 70th anniversary.

Baptist Health Hardin CEO Robert Ramey says the pavilion features cutting-edge facilities to help serve the 400,000 residents in the hospital’s 10-county region.

“It will include a comprehensive cancer care center,” Ramey said. “It will have 12 operating rooms, including the first hybrid OR in our region. Most people traditionally have thought about hybrid operating technology as something that’s at an academic center or in a large urban tertiary center. We’re bringing that right here to Hardin County for Central Kentucky.”

Other facilities include “three new cardiac cath labs, multidisciplinary outpatient clinics, and patient-centered spaces designed to promote emotional and spiritual wellness.”

Ramey said the pavilion puts the hospital in a position to help support area growth.

“Our community and our county continues to grow, and we want to be a part of that, and help to meet the growing needs of our community and really positioning Hardin County and Elizabethtown as an economic and vibrant community for the future,” Ramey said.

Learn more about the medical pavilion on the Baptist Health Hardin website.

Elizabethtown council gets updates on alcohol licenses

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The Elizabethtown City Council met for a special meeting and work session Monday.

An ordinance approving the renewal of Comcast’s non-exclusive franchise agreement with the city for 15 years was approved on its second reading.

City Clerk and Alcohol Beverage Control Administrator Jessica Graham gave an update to the council on the city’s alcohol licenses. Graham says the city has approved 179 licenses this year.

“59 of those this year so far are temporary, special temporary,” Graham said. “I have about four of those pending. I have probably 12, whether it’s inquiries or applications, in process.”

The city has brought in $1.2 million in regulatory fees so far this year. Graham said there are still two quarters to collect for as well as for October, November, and December, so she anticipates the city will clear $2 million by the end of the year, which would be more than the $1.8 million collected last year.

Graham said she would like to see some slight amendments to the city’s ABC ordinance to clean up some language and make some clarifications.

“We want you to use our city forms,” Graham said. “It causes a lot of problems for us if you try to make your own. We want to make sure that everyone understands you cannot have any alcohol out after 1 a.m. That doesn’t mean you just close your door. We had to add the EDC ordinance. We hadn’t added that.”

Elizabethtown Fire Chief Mark Malone said the fire department’s new burn building has been put to good use, including for thermal vision training that saw participation from several area fire departments recently. Repairs and replacements were made at fire stations One and Three, and construction is going well on the city’s newest fire station.

“Station Four is under construction and on schedule and on budget,” Malone said. “We hope to open that station late July of 2025.”

Elizabethtown Director of Engineering Michael Page said street and sidewalk improvements on North Main Street have been going smoothly. The city plans to announce additional road closures in that area as the project wraps up.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet November 4.

Be careful with outdoor burning and check your heating sources ahead of winter

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October is Fire Prevention Month, and fire officials are reminding residents to have safety in mind as they enjoy fall activities.

“If you’re going to do fires, little campfires or bonfires, that kind of thing, make sure you’re always attending the fire,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Make sure that you’re keeping your fire pits and things like that away from residences. You don’t want to put it too close. We tell people at least 15, 20 feet away from your buildings, any overhangs, anything like that.”

Check with your municipality on burning laws, and if you will be doing a large controlled burn alert your area fire department.

Crane says the fall season is a good time to make sure your heating sources are ready to operate properly ahead of winter.

“Maintain your fireplace, your wood stove,” Crane said. “Make sure you’re only burning clean, seasoned wood, not wet wood or green wood. Make sure that you’re checking the chimney and the stove pipes that they’re clean, there’s not a lot of creosote buildup. Get them serviced professionally periodically as well. The furnaces, change your filters. That’s probably the biggest thing on furnace maintenance is change those filters regularly.”

Crane also says with Halloween approaching, be sure your decorations are not a potential fire hazard. Keep entryways clear and decorations such as hay bales away from potential fire sources.

“Make sure in your decorative lighting, just like your Christmas lights, make sure the wiring is in good shape,” Crane said. “Make sure you’re not overloading any of your circuits. When you hook those lights together, how many strands can you hook together? Things like that. Don’t staple them to the side of your house because the staples could damage that wiring.”

Find more fire safety tips on the National Fire Protection Association’s website.

Area schools seek survey responses

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Three area school districts are looking for feedback from school families through active surveys available through their websites and social media.

Breckinridge County Schools is seeking responses for their Parent/Caregiver Experience survey. BCS says feedback from the survey will help the district determine what is working well in their schools and what needs improvement. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and can be found on the Breckinridge County School District Facebook page.

Meanwhile, the Hardin County Schools Calendar Committee has created two options for the 2025-2026 school year. That survey is available on the News and Announcements section of the Hardin County Schools website until midnight this Friday. The HCS School Board has the final decision on the calendar but will consider community input in their decision.

Finally, Tuesday is the last day to provide input on the Elizabethtown Independent Schools 2025-2026 school calendar. A link to the survey options can be found on the Elizabethtown Independent School District Facebook page.

Unemployment rates up in September across Lincoln Trail District

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Unemployment rates across the Lincoln Trail District were up in September from where they were the year prior. 

The Kentucky Center for Labor Statistics says unemployment rates increased in all 120 counties of the commonwealth in September.

The state unemployment average for September 2024 was reported at 4.9 percent. While that is down from the 5.2 percent average from August, it is up from the 4 percent average from September 2023. Four counties in the Lincoln Trail District came in higher than the state average for September while three counties came in below the state average.

Hardin County’s unemployment rate for September 2024 tied the state average at 4.9 percent. That’s a slight decrease from August when the rate was reported at 5.1 percent but it is a jump from September 2023 when the rate came in at 3.8 percent.

Breckinridge County has the highest unemployment rate in the Lincoln Trail District for September with a rate of 5.5 percent. Nelson and Washington counties tied for the lowest rates in the region, and tied for the ninth lowest in the state, at 4.2 percent.

Learn more about how the unemployment rate is calculated and find more labor market information by visiting kystats.ky.gov.