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KSP reminds drivers to be on the lookout for deer

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As autumn rolls on, the Kentucky State Police is reminding drivers to be mindful of deer crossing roadways across the state.

The KSP says fall is the peak season for deer-related crashes. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows there are about 1 million car crashes involving deer across the country each year, resulting in about 200 deaths, more than 10,000 personal injuries, and about $1 billion in damages. The KSP says in 2023 there were 3,285 deer-related crashes across the commonwealth, resulting in 202 injuries and three deaths.

Deer crossings are most common during mating season, which runs October through January. Activity is most common at dusk and dawn.

The KSP is offering the following reminders for drivers:

-Watch for deer crossing signs on state roadways.

-Slow down when traveling through an area where deer are common.

-Deer travel in groups, so when you see one deer you should anticipate there are more nearby.

-Never veer from a deer. A sudden sharp turn could place the vehicle in the path of oncoming traffic or could lead to striking a tree or utility pole.

-Never forget to buckle your seatbelt.

Visit the KSP on the web for more information.

Restrictions placed on deer hunting in Breckinridge, Hardin, and Meade counties due to CWD

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Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is announcing special restrictions for deer hunting in Breckinridge, Hardin, and Meade counties due to the establishment of a chronic wasting disease surveillance zone after a deer at a farm in Breckinridge County tested positive for the disease.

The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to establish the zone during a special meeting Tuesday.

KFW Director of Wildlife Ben Robinson said the establishment of the zone and the restrictions are based on the agency’s CWD Response Plan.

“When you have a detection in a captive facility, you immediately draw a five mile radius around that detection, which becomes your management zone, and then you draw a 15 mile radius around that detection, and any county that touches that 15 mile radius then becomes part of your surveillance zone,” Robinson said.

There is no change to the deer hunting season or to bag limits, however baiting or feeding of deer in the zone is prohibited, as is the rehabilitation of deer or other cervids. Deer carcasses and high-risk parts cannot be removed from the three-county zone.

“That would really be head, skull with brain matter, spine,” Robinson said. “It is okay to debone meat and remove deboned meat or cleaned skull products, cleaned skull caps with no brain matter on those.”

Deer can still be moved within the zone, so a hunter that harvests a deer in Breckinridge County can still bring it to Hardin County.

Hunters can help KFW monitor for CWD by bringing the heads of legally-harvested deer to self-serve sample drop-off sites or by requesting a sample mail-in kit. Robinson said unlike in the Western Kentucky detection zone, testing will be voluntary.

“Because this is really a different landscape, when you’re looking at these three counties, we have a lot of deer, but we have a lot of deer hunters, and we have a high harvest, which is very much to our advantage, so we can really rely on our hunters to help us collect these samples using some alternative methods,” Robinson said.

KFW will be hosting a public meeting at the Breckinridge County Extension Office on November 7 to provide more information. Learn more about CWD monitoring on the KFW website.

Fundraiser benefiting Wreaths Across America returns for second year

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Area vietnam war veteran C.T. Christie says the local chapter for Wreaths Across America has been battling increasing costs, and it is important to support their mission of honoring veterans.

“I’ve been doing it with Donna Betson since the beginning,” Christie said. “When you smell those wreaths out, the evergreen smell on those graves, on a winter day when the snow’s on the ground, the green wreaths against the marble headstone, it’s a really nice atmosphere out there,  and it’s overwhelming for me, because I’ll be buried out there one day, and I hope I still get a wreath on my grave.”

All are welcome to attend a fundraiser for Wreaths Across America, to be held at ACE Hardware in Radcliff (2360 South Dixie Boulevard) Saturday, November 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“There’s going to be a first responder chili cookoff, car and bike show, and we also open it up to arts and crafts,” Christie said. “Anybody wants to put an arts and crafts tent up, they can. All of the proceeds go to the wreaths.”

The event will also feature a silent auction, and door prizes will be announced every hour. Contact Christie for information on purchasing a booth.

Hardin County Fiscal Court approves 911 fee increase, medical cannabis zoning

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

The first reading was held on an ordinance for enhanced 911 emergency telephone services within Hardin County. The ordinance would approve a $15 increase to the county 911 fee on next year’s tax bills, bringing it from $50.58 to $65.58. Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said with a budget shortfall for 911 and a hardware refresh on the horizon, the funds are needed to keep up with increases in use.

“We have seen an increase in staffing since 2022 due to a 112 percent increase in administrative calls, 206 percent increase in NCIC transactions, 42 percent increase in CAD reports created, and 114 percent increase in self-initiated calls,” Taul said.

The court approved on second reading an ordinance that amends the zoning text for medical cannabis businesses in unincorporated Hardin County. The amendment limits the businesses to I-1 (light industrial) or I-2 (heavy industrial) zones. An amendment for the 2024-2025 county budget was also approved on its second reading.

Hardin County Coroner Pat Elmore reported that the coroner’s office responded to 202 cases in August and September, and the number of overdose deaths year-to-date is 19, which is down from 37 year-to-date last year although Elmore noted toxicology is pending on a few cases.

Elmore said the county’s quick response team has been working hard to get established.

“Our policies and procedures are complete,” Elmore said. “We have MOUs ready to complete with the police and EMS, and (the rapid response officers) have both completed their national training for that, so they’re actually certified. We’re going to be the only coroner’s office, I think, in the nation that has a QRT, so we’re really proud of that.”

A QR code that links to info on the QRT and to resources available for people who are struggling with, or know people who are struggling with, addiction can be found in several county publications that will be going out soon as well as on the Quick Response Team – Hardin County Facebook page.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet November 12. The next Hardin County Town Hall Forum will be held in the fiscal courtroom on November 7.

Have an escape plan ready in case of fire

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October is Fire Prevention Month, and fire officials are reminding residents that one of the most important aspects of fire prevention is to be prepared.

“Make sure that you have a home fire escape plan, and that everybody knows it, so everybody knows the best way out of their room,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Tell the kids to remember to get low, and go and practice it. The NFPA recommends, at least twice a year, try to practice and get everybody familiar with what they’re going to do if there is a fire.”

Make sure everybody knows where to meet after evacuating the home, and make sure kids are ready to talk to emergency responders if necessary.

“Make sure that your little ones know your address for your home,” Crane said. “They may be the ones that have to call 911, so make sure they understand your address and what to tell the dispatchers, and also remind them that 911 is only for emergencies.”

The theme for Fire Prevention Month this year is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You.” Make sure the members of your household know what the smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm sound like.

Crane also says sleep with the door closed in case of fire.

“The saying is ‘close when you dose,’ so what that is is that helps keep that smoke and that fire away from you,” Crane said. “If you do hear the smoke alarm go off, maybe you don’t know where the fire is. You want to make sure that you’re checking the door before you open the door, but keep the door closed because if it works in a way where if you’re not able to get out your door, you may have to stay in your room and may have to shelter there until the fire department can get to you.”

Visit the National Fire Protection Association for more fire safety tips.