WQXE News

More details are coming out after a Hardin County family went viral for not signing documents for self-isolation.

According to court records obtained by WQXE News, the Lincoln Trail District Health Department petitioned 9^th Circuit court judge Ken Howard for an Order for Quarantine, which he granted on July 16^th for Isaiah and Elizabeth Linscott, as well as their daughter. In the order, the court made several conclusions from the evidence they were presented, among these:

• The Lincoln Trail District Health Department had the authority to issue an order of quarantine to the family in question, and
• The court had both jurisdiction and power to issue the injunction compelling the family to comply with the order.

In the final paragraph of the document, it was ordered that the Lincoln Trail District Health Department would bear, “the logistical and financial responsibility for all necessary expenses related to the confinement or measures necessary to ensure compliance.” A third-party, Envivo Health, was responsible for the location monitors. This comes into direct conflict with widespread belief that the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, not the health department, was responsible for any tracking devices used for confinement.

The voluntary quarantine order, which was given to the family by the health department, was finally returned, with the recipients indicating that they declined the order. In various interviews, the mother reiterated the belief that she did not agree with the wording of the document. When the order was returned to officials, it was accompanied by a written statement:

“I will do my best to stay home, as I every other time I get sick. But I cannot comply to having to call the health department every time that I need to go out and do something. It’s my right and freedoms [sic] to go where I please and not have to answer to anyone for it. There is no pandemic and with a survival rate of 99.9998%, I’m fine. I will continue to avoid the elderly, just like PRIOR guidelines state, try to stay home, get rest, get medicine, and get better. I decline.”

The mother, Elizabeth Linscott, had tested positive for the virus around July 11^th. It is possible that she had contracted the virus from attending church. In the court documents, the health department says the family’s church has seen 25 positive cases of COVID-19. The last in-person service was July 1^st.

A massive fire from a wrecked tanker truck has closed all four lanes of Dixie Highway in West Point. Officials are on the scene attempting to put down the flames, which has resulted in a large plume of black smoke.

Bryce Shumate, Director of Hardin County Emergency Management, says that motorists should avoid the area and seek an alternate route. Shumate did say that residents of West Point will still be able to access their homes.

It is unclear at this time what caused the truck to run off the roadway, or what the condition of the driver is. More details will be added to this post as they become available.

After signing a new 8-year franchise agreement with Hardin County Government, Red River Waste officials are responding to customer complaints about new service guidelines and policies that will be implemented soon. Mainly, that new, County-provided trash cans will be the only kind that will be accepted.

“Those carts are designed to operate with the machinery that we have,” Red River Vice President of Business Development Steve Smith explained, going on to say that the new carts will help keep workers safe from heavy personal cans.

“These things roll up to the truck…, they’ve got a metal bar on them that lifts it, puts it in the truck and sets it back down,” he said.

As part of the new agreement, Smith says customers can expect to receive their new collection bins in the coming weeks, with a second cans being provided upon request. After that, customers can get additional cans for $6 a month. Customers can find an entire list of coming changes on the Hardin County Government website.