With nearly 250 confirmed illnesses in their service area, the Lincoln Trail District Health Department is advising residents about how to be safe and healthy for the remainder of this flu season. Preventative measures against spreading the flu include getting the flu vaccine, washing hands often, and staying home when not feeling well. Hardin County is responsible for the majority of the influenza cases in the Lincoln Trail service area, with over 150 confirmed cases.
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An Elizabethtown Fire Department vehicle was involved in a single-vehicle incident last Friday morning. According to a press release from Deputy Fire Chief Everett Roberts, the truck slid off the icy road at 601 College Street and flipped onto the passenger side of the roadway, causing a minor shoulder injury to the firefighter inside the vehicle. Luckily, the injuries were minor due to the firefighter wearing his seatbelt. The damaged truck was towed to the Elizabethtown Public Safety garage for evaluation, and the city Public Works Department responded to the area to salt the road.
One of the victims of a home explosion last month has passed away due to her injuries. According to her obituary, Angela Young passed away Saturday morning at University of Louisville Hospital. As previously reported, Young and her daughter were in their Millwood home when a leak from a faulty connection to a gas furnace caused an explosion. Young and her daughter suffered severe burns and had to be airlifted to University of Louisville Hospital. Funeral services for Young will be held this Wednesday at Dermitt Funeral Home in Leitchfield.
The Kentucky State Police Telecommunications Academy Class Fifteen graduated on Friday in Frankfort. Six telecommunicators from throughout the Commonwealth were recognized at graduation ceremonies for the agency’s in-house telecommunications academy. The group began their studies on January 6, 2020, at the KSP Training Academy in Frankfort, and were taught 196 hours of instruction during the five-week period. To complete the course, the communicators were required to successfully process scripted calls for service and demonstrate proficiency in obtaining information, dispatching responders, and documenting information from the call.
A jackknifed truck caused delays on I-65 North this morning. According to Transportation Cabinet Spokesperson Chris Jessie, the commercial vehicle jackknifed at Exit 91, and took the interstate down to one lane for several hours. The lanes reopened and traffic returned to normal, but Jessie stressed allowing for extra time and caution while driving to avoid slick spots on the roadway.
Several school districts, including Hardin, Breckenridge, Meade, and Grayson called off school today due to large amounts of absences because of illness. Larue County Schools called off today as well as Monday so the schools and all properties could be deep cleaned and sanitized. No make up day has been scheduled for Larue County while Hardin County will make up this absence by being in session on President’s Day.
The Elizabethtown Police Department responded to the Speedway at 1005 North Dixie in reference to a vehicle theft. When officers arrived, they learned that a motorist inside the store had left their minivan running in the parking lot with two children, aged eleven and five, inside. The suspect, Fredrick Ruelas Branham unlawfully entered the van and departed the parking lot with the children still inside. After travelling a short distance, the suspect stopped and ordered both children out of the vehicle, then he continued northbound on Dixie Highway. He was located on KY 313 by Radcliff police shortly thereafter. Ruelas Branham was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle, as well as wanton endangerment. No one was harmed in the incident, but the police department urges the public never to leave a vehicle running or leave children inside of a vehicle without an adult present.
After a town hall meeting held earlier this week, officials in the city of Vine Grove are working to come to a conclusion on a plan for the City Hall Building. Mayor Pam Ogden says the goal for this year is to work out all the financials for the project. The city has started to look into loans and grants to help pay for the project. Residents of Vine Grove were in favor of demolishing the old building and building something brand new.
The search for a missing Vine Grove man has ended. The Vine Grove Police Department posted yesterday morning that Willard McManis, an 81-year-old Navy veteran, had gone missing, and was entered as endangered due to the medication he required. Yesterday afternoon around 2 PM, the department announced that McManis had been found in another state, and that the search was cancelled. McManis was reportedly undergoing medical treatment after being located. The department wishes to thank all those who provided any leads for them to follow.
The Hardin County Animal Shelter has achieved pro-life status and is now classified as a no-kill shelter. A shelter is classified as a no-kill by not euthanizing for time and space. Only animals that are a danger to the public and animals who are unable to recover from health challenges are euthanized. Hardin County Government created a strategic plan in 2017 with the goal of the shelter becoming pro-life by 2021. According to Director of Animal Control Mike McNutt, 95% of animals that came through the shelter last year departed with a live outcome, which equals around 2,600 animals alive when they left the shelter.
The John Hardin High School FFA Chapter has received a $10,000 agriculture innovation grant from the Kentucky FFA Foundation. According to a release from Hardin County Schools spokesperson John Wright, the funds will help the school complete the conversion of what is believed to be the first hydroponic STEM lab in Kentucky. The system will raise crops including microgreens, peppers, tomatoes, and tilapia fish, which will supply the nutrients to the crops. Students with the FFA are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the project, including planting, harvesting, and marketing. The John Hardin High School cafeteria is purchasing the produce and serving it to the John Hardin student body.
The Radcliff Veteran’s Center will be holding a concert at the Historic State Theater to celebrate the release of their new record entitled “Lest We Forget”. The concert will take place on February 22nd. The record contains eleven songs, and talks about various aspects of the lives of the veterans involved in the project.
A Radcliff man has been charged after a Radcliff Police officer-involved shooting that took place last month. According to a press release from Kentucky State Police, Joseph Godsey, 34, has been charged with one count of assault of a police officer, which carries a one to five- year prison sentence. The two officers involved were Officer Roger Beets III, a two-year veteran of the department, and Officer Jonah Everage, a one-year veteran of the department. As previously reported, Godsey was attempting to illegally enter a home when he was confronted by police. He then charged the officers with a knife and was shot, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.
Officials with Fort Knox Federal Credit Union, or Abound Credit Union as it will soon be known, have responded to some criticism regarding the name change. President and CEO Ray Springsteen says that people are passionate, and that’s what the Credit Union is all about. He also says it would likely have been impossible to please everyone. He emphasizes that the Credit Union is still doing a lot for the military, and will not stop doing so. Reportedly, the institution, in collaboration with Hardin Memorial Health, invested over $1 million in to military health programs on Fort Knox, as well as donated $70,000 to veterans programs.
Hardin County Animal Care and Control will now be using new forms of technology to help recover lost pets. The organization has begun to use revolutionary facial recognition technology to identify lost dogs and cats. The Hardin County Animal Shelter registers every animal that enters the shelter system on Finding Rover. In addition to helping lost pets find their home, Finding Rover also features dogs and cats that are available for adoption. More information can be found at findingrover.com.