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HCS says no threat to students after student brings toy gun to North Hardin

Hardin County Schools says there is no threat to student safety after a student at North Hardin High School brought a toy gun to the building this morning.

“A student arrived at school this morning and told a fellow student that they were in possession of a weapon,” said Hardin County Schools Community Relations Specialist John Wright. “The second student acted extremely responsibly and notified a staff member. That staff member and the administration immediately reached out to our school resource officer, and the SRO found a toy gun in that student’s possession.”

Wright stressed that the student was not in possession of a weapon.

“Obviously, we want to applaud the student who acted responsibly and told an adult and the school administration about what they had heard,” Wright said. “We also want to thank our SRO and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office for always protecting our students and our staff, and this student will, in fact, endure the fullest extent of the law and will be dealt with in accordance with the Hardin County Schools Student Code of Acceptable Behavior and Discipline.”

Wright says parents should make sure to talk to their kids about making smart choices.

“Please continue to reinforce with your students that if they see something or hear something to say something to an adult, or see something or hear something, anything that would cause them to feel uncomfortable or they feel that would cause them or anyone else harm,” Wright said.

Classes at North Hardin are running on their regular schedules.

Hardin County residents can bring items to landfill for Free Dump Day

Hardin County residents can take advantage of Saturday’s Free Dump Day event at the Pearl Hollow Landfill.

From 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents can bring all waste materials that are not regulated or defined by applicable federal, state, or local laws as hazardous, infectious, biomedical, explosive, toxic, radioactive, volatile, and/or flammable. All loads must be tarped and secured.

The event is for Hardin County residents only. No contractors or commercial businesses are allowed. Regulations apply.

Hardin County government is also reminding residents that trash pick up will be delayed one day from Tuesday through Saturday due to the Labor Day holiday.

The landfill is located at 1620 Audubon Trace in Elizabethtown. Contact the Hardin County Public Works Department at 270-360-9207 for more information.

Free concert Sunday at North Hardin Christian Church

Area residents are invited to a special event this weekend at the North Hardin Christian Church.

“We have a concert by the Southern Plainsmen out of Louisiana, and they’ll be performing at the North Hardin Christian Church this coming Sunday, September 8, at 6 o’clock,” said North Hardin Christian Church Pastor Ronald Hockman. 

Hockman says the concert has become an annual event for the church.

“They have been doing this for us for something like 13 years, and it’s a free concert,” Hockman said. “There’ll be no offering taken by the church and the public is invited to attend.”

The church is located at 123 Persimmon Ridge in Radcliff. Find the North Hardin Christian Church Facebook page for more information.

KCTCS celebrating record year for student enrollment

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System says it expects to welcome more than 85,000 students to its campuses this fall, which the system says is an 8.4 percent increase from last year and will set a 10-year record.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate says ECTC has also seen substantial growth.

“The college has really had a record period of growth since 2017,” Pate said. “Our graduation rate has gone from 31 percent to a little over 57 percent.”

KCTCS says the system has seen growth across all student classifications. New student enrollment is up 11 percent, credential-seeking enrollment is up 11.9 percent, and high school students taking dual credit courses is up 11.6 percent.

Pate says more and more people are recognizing that a community college education can be more than just a cost-saving measure.

“The real value is the quality of the education, and the people who chose to teach at a community college because they wanted to teach,” Pate said. “They didn’t want to do research. They didn’t want to publish papers. They want to be with students. That, to me, is what’s reflected when you start looking at the way ECTC has increased its student success. We’ve got to where now the number of students who are passing all of their classes in the first semester is, I think it’s almost like 80 percent. That’s unheard of.”

KCTCS expects to enroll about 112,000 students by the end of the 2024-2025 school year in either an associate program designed to transfer to a four-year university or one of 104 technical programs.

In addition to expanding programming, KCTCS campuses have focused on assisting students with barriers to education, such as ECTC’s work with Family Scholar House.

“I think all of these things have just really led us to meet students where they are, help them overcome the barriers they’re facing, and getting them the skills and the education, the training they need to go out and get that career that’s going to change their lives and their families’ lives,” Pate said.

Visit the KCTCS website for more information on enrollment numbers, and visit ECTC’s website for more information on classes and program offerings.

Hunters reminded to check on regulations as archery deer hunting season opens Saturday

Deer hunting season in Kentucky opens this weekend, and hunters should familiarize themselves with state regulations including measures to protect the deer population from disease. 

Archery deer hunting season opens on September 7, with crossbow hunting opening on September 21. Both the archery and crossbow seasons then run through January 20.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says they expect the deer harvest for the 2024-2025 season to be around 140,000 deer, which is in line with numbers seen over the last ten years. The 2023-2024 deer harvest was about 141,000, the seventh highest total on record.

Hunters should consult the 2024-2025 Fall Hunting and Trapping Guide, available at fw.ky.gov, for a summary of regulations and license requirements. Kentucky’s statewide deer permit allows for hunters to take up to four deer. Hunters must immediately report their deer harvest to the KFW.

Hunters in Western Kentucky should also familiarize themselves with specific requirements within the Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Zone, which was established after the disease was detected in Ballard County in 2023. Hunters should report sick or dead deer to the KFW, which they can do online or by calling 1-800-858-1549.