WQXE News

On the same day that Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles warned residents about suspicious packets of seeds from China, several cases were reported in Hardin County.

Hardin County Extension Agent Doug Shepherd says 2 residents had contacted his office after they received the mysterious seeds instead of the ones they ordered.

“When they were delivered, they were marked as jewelry, but there were these mysterious seeds from China,” Shepherd said.

Shepherd says that if any other residents receive the the seeds, they should package them and send them to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection in Hebron, Kentucky, where he said they will likely be grown in a controlled facility to see what they are.

Address: USDA-APHIS PPQ, P.O. Box 475, Hebron, KY 41048.

Kentucky is one of 4 states to report the packages.

Editor’s note: above photo is not Hardin County packages

Two significant projects for the City of Elizabethtown are nearing completion as the month of August draws closer. The Elizabethtown City Council was updated on the the renovation of Pritchard Community Center and the construction of the new Fire Station #2 at last night’s city council meeting. Facilities Management Director Scott Reynolds says that Pritchard, which received a major overhaul, was slated to move the Parks and Recreation staff back into the building by Friday. While not open yet to the public, the center is scheduled to host its first event this weekend.

Fire Station #2 is also nearing completion, Reynolds says, with construction being complete in mid-August. The Fire Department will then begin to move equipment to the new location, located on Dixie near the Western Kentucky Parkway, with the station becoming operational by September.

Barry Howard spent part of his weekend doing what he loves doing: giving back to the community. On Saturday, Howard treated the Elizabethtown Police Department to a cookout at the station, in an effort to let the officers know the community is still there for them.

“I’m targeting the police department because people are down on them, and they’re fighting a losing battle right now in my eyesight,” Howard said. “So I’m going to go down there and make them feel wanted, make them feel loved, and show them something.”

Howard says he was inspired to put on the event based on all the recent news coverage involving police.

Howard travels around the area cooking for individuals and groups as part of an outreach ministry headed by him called Barry’s Mission. Volunteer’s of Barry’s Mission helped with setup and serving as part of the event.

Officer Chris Denham says that while the law enforcement profession is going through hard times nationally, that’s not the case on a local level.

“The citizens we serve are absolutely our most valuable asset, and we are beyond grateful for them.”