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Hardin County Fiscal Court hosts first December meeting

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

Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said it has been just over a week since Hardin County EMS formally launched their ninth full-time ambulance, which is housed at the West Hardin Fire and Rescue Station in White Mills, and the area is already seeing improved service.

“We have 17 responses so far and the average response time has been reduced down to right around 14 minutes from where it was, around 30 minutes, in that area of the county,” Taul said.

Hardin County Animal Care and Control Director Mike McNutt said the county saw 221 animals and administered 189 rabies shots at their final clinic of the year in October. He said the shelter is currently at an 88 percent live release rate for dogs for the year, but the county needs to get to 90 percent to reach no-kill status, and overpopulation problems are weighing on the shelter.

“Our sweet spot is 60 to 80 that we can take care of with the staff that we have,” McNutt said. “We have 123, and I had four people call out sick this morning, and we met and we discussed what we were going to do because when you’ve only got eight staff members for the day and it’s down that low, it’s a hard road to hoe.”

Hardin County Jailer Josh Lindblom reported the average daily population at the detention center in November was 606. Inmates worked 9,856 hours including collecting 2,104 bags of trash along 196.2 miles of county roadways.

Hardin County Emergency Management Director Joey Scott encouraged any county residents who have not yet done so to sign up for the county’s RAVE alerts, and said he has been making an extra effort getting the word out.

“I took an initiative to go ahead and get partnered up with Hardin County Schools and do a backpack flyer stuffer program,” Scott said. “We sent them home with the flyers and we’re already getting some feedback from them. We passed out roughly 10,000 to Hardin County Schools students, so we’re going to keep building and building and getting our message out and get more and more people to opt into the system.”

Sign up for RAVE alerts on the county website.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet December 18.

Number of Kentucky students pursuing healthcare degrees up

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More students in Kentucky are pursuing degrees in health-related fields.

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education announced during a Healthcare Workforce Collaborative event in Lexington Tuesday that enrollment in health-related majors across Kentucky public and private colleges and universities is up 22.8 percent since 2022.

According to the CPE, data shows enrollment in healthcare degrees has grown among several key demographics. Enrollment among students age 25 and older is up 17.3 percent, among low-income undergraduate students is up 30.5 percent, among first-generation undergraduate students is up 31 percent, and among Appalachian students is up 32.1 percent. 

The CPE says state officials have taken steps in recent years to address the shortage of healthcare workers in the state, including the passing of House Bill 200 in 2023 which is now “supported through public-private partnerships and provides scholarships, clinical expansion, and targeted support to help Kentuckians enter high-demand healthcare fields.” The CPE is requesting $1,000,000 from the Kentucky General Assembly in the next biennium to expand the Healthcare Workforce Collaborative and expand opportunities for more students.

Learn more about the program at cpe.ky.gov.

E-Town Council approves new radio system for EPD, special inspections for projects

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The Elizabethtown City Council met for their first meeting of the month Monday.

The council approved an ordinance on second reading which set the rate for hauled waste for leachate from Pearl Hollow Landfill at .0520 cents per gallon. The council voted to deny a bid for seating at the outdoor music venue, with the council instructing Mayor Jeff Gregory and city staff to contact previously interested vendors to secure new bids.

A municipal order for a change order was approved for Elizabethtown Fire Station No. Four to provide for additional special inspection services.

“The contract included a $5,000 contingency for bad soils, and during the first few sites visits L.E. Gregg discovered bad soils, which have now required additional inspections and testing until the issue was remediated,” said City Attorney Ken Howard, reading from the municipal order. 

$3,793.25 was approved for L.E. Gregg Associates for the additional inspections. A contract with Thoroughbred Architects and Engineers for $7,000 was also approved for special inspection services on the Freeman Lake Park north end restrooms project.

Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson provided an update on the department’s joint venture with the Kentucky State Police and Motorola on an updated radio system. Thompson said the purchase of five radio consoles, including one dedicated to the Elizabethtown Fire Department, will allow the department to cover anticipated growth.

“When we look at the fourth console (for EPD), we also are looking at the reason we went to Motorola originally, because our radio traffic is at a level that’s so voluminous, there’s times when officers in the field are needing to get airspace and they can’t,” Thompson said. “We need a second channel.”

The council gave authorization to the mayor to sign the contract in order to lock in $130,000 in savings.

The council approved the reappointments of H.Y. Davis to the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustments and Robby Walters to the Hardin County Board of Ethics, and approved the appointment of Aaron Hawkins as the city’s Director of Planning and Development. Hawkins was then sworn in for the position.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet December 15.

Keep fire safety in mind when decking the halls this holiday season

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As you are “making spirits bright” this holiday season, make sure you are taking steps to reduce fire hazards when decorating your home.

Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane said that starts with checking lights and cords for decorations to make sure they are in good shape.

“You want to make sure they’re not worn out or broken,” Crane said. “You don’t see any bare wires. Make sure the connections are tight. Try to choose decorations that are going to be flame-resistant or flame-retardant when you’re putting up the lights, things with the lights. LEDs are great because they don’t put off as much heat as older incandescent bulbs.”

Make sure outdoor decorations are rated for outdoor use, and be aware of limits for how many strands of light you can string together. Don’t follow Clark Griswold’s lead and use staples to hang your lights, and be safe on the ladder.

“The best thing is to have somebody actually holding the ladder for you, making sure that it’s stable,” Crane said. “If not, at least make sure somebody is aware that you’re going to be on the ladder, so if they don’t hear from you in a little while, or if they do hear a scream outside as you’re falling, they know to come and check on you.”

Be sure you are reducing the risks for hazards inside the home as well.

“Make sure that you don’t cover the cords with rugs, especially where there’s a connection,” Crane said. “Don’t run the cords across pathways, running them through the hallway or across a doorway where they could be a trip hazard. Make sure that with your decorations, try not to block the windows and doors.”

Don’t forget to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are in working order.

Voter registration in Kentucky sees another increase

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Voter registration in Kentucky saw another strong month in November.

The Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office says more than 5,000 Kentuckians registered to vote in the month of November.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, Republican registration in November increased by 2,412 voters, and independent or other registration increased by 1,209. Democratic registration decreased by 1,914 voters. Republican registration makes up 48 percent of the state electorate, Democratic registration makes up 41 percent, and independent or other makes up 11 percent.

The secretary of state’s office says 3,748 voters were removed from the rolls in November. 2,982 were deceased, 259 moved out of state, and 385 were convicted felons.

Kentuckians planning on voting in the May 2026 primary election must have their party registration set by December 31. Kentuckians can register to vote or check their registration status by visiting govote.ky.gov, or by contacting their county clerk’s office.