WQXE News

State and local officials were on hand at Logsdon Valley Park Monday as Grayson County was declared the 30th official Kentucky Trail Town.

The Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet says the Trail Town program recognizes a community’s commitment to sharing their areas outdoor opportunities, culture, histories, and stories while serving as an official gateway to the state’s outdoor offerings.

Leitchfield Mayor Harold Miller said the designation is a great honor.

“It recognizes our dedication to preserving our natural beauty here in the county and it promotes outdoor recreation for our citizens,” Miller said. “This distinction celebrates our ongoing effort to welcome visitors, to enhance our quality of life, and to showcase our hospitality.”

Miller and Grayson County Judge/Executive Kevin Henderson praised the seven-years-long effort that Grayson County Tourism and the Public Trails Association of Grayson County put into bringing about the designation. 

Kentucky State Parks Director of Interpretation and Engagement Seth Wheat said Grayson County fits well into the Trail Town program’s two-pronged goal of connecting people to outdoor spaces, such as Nolin Lake State Park and Rough River Dam State Resort Park, as well as improving the health of Kentuckians.

“This isn’t a silver bullet,” Wheat said. “It’s not a magic bullet, but what it’ll do is it’ll encourage people to get out and move more, and that doesn’t just help our physical health. It helps our mental health, our social health, more and more studies are showing why these kinds of activities are important, and they’re prescribing certain amounts of time for us to be outdoors. Spend 20 minutes a day, three days a week outdoors in a park, just like this beautiful park we have here, which is located right in town.”

Find more information on the Trail Towns program at kentuckytourism.com.

19 area nonprofit organizations received a total of more than $116,000 from the Central Kentucky Community Foundation through their fourth annual Granted program.

“The Granted program offers nonprofit organizations from throughout our nine-county region the opportunity to tell us what their needs are, what are the opportunities they see to better serve the people and carry out their mission,” said CKCF President and CEO Davette Swiney. 

The nonprofits apply to the foundation for grants awarded for three categories: capacity building, capital improvement, and programming.

This was the second year in a row that the total funds awarded through the Granted program totalled more than $100,000.

“I think that speaks to the generosity of people in our region, but also to the quality work that our nonprofit organizations do,” Swiney said. “People can want to give, but they want to know that it’s being used in a good manner and it’s really making a difference, and our nonprofits really step up to the plate in that regard.”

Area residents looking to support area nonprofits can contribute to the program.

“Most of these grants are funded from individual donors, but we also, as a foundation, supplement that with our MADE Fund, or Make a Difference Everyday Fund, and that’s an opportunity for anyone to give to that collective pool to help fund those grants every year,” Swiney said.

The 19 organizations that received funding through this year’s program are: Animal Rescue Kare – ARK, CASA of the Heartland, Central Kentucky Community Action Council Inc., City of Elizabethtown (Elizabethtown Police Department), Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland, Grayson County, Grayson County Alliance, Helping Hand of Hope, Hope Academy for Kids, Hosparus Inc., Lincoln Heritage Council, Boy Scouts of America, Nazareth Literary & Benevolent Institution Inc. dba Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Project L.E.A.R.N., Inc., Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana, Inc., St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Ministries, ShPIEL Theatre, and The Lincoln Museum, Inc. More information on how to donate can be found on the Central Kentucky Community Foundation’s website.

Paving crews will be making repairs between mile markers 91 and 98 on Interstate 65 in Hardin County Sunday and Monday nights.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says work will begin at 8 p.m. Sunday and continue until 6 a.m. Monday. Work will resume at 8 p.m. Monday and wrap up at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

I-65 northbound will be reduced to one lane Sunday night, and due to proximity to the interchange the northbound on-ramp at Exit 91 from the Western Kentucky Parkway on to I-65 will be closed. The off ramp will remain open. No Exit 91 ramp closures will be required Monday night when work shifts to the southbound lanes.

“This time of year, we’re always subject to weather, so it looks like the forecast is going to cooperate with us real well here Sunday night and Monday night, so we’re trying to get this work squeezed in, need to get these repairs complete here heading into winter and snow and ice, and doing this work at night minimizes the impact to traffic and makes it more safe and efficient for the crew out there too,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie.

Lane closures will be in effect both nights. Drivers should watch for signage, slow down, and use caution when approaching work zones.