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Roundabout construction at KY-251 and Poplar Street starts Thursday

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Work is set to begin Thursday on Elizabethtown’s next roundabout.

According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, construction at the intersection of KY-251 and Poplar Street will result in motorists experiencing varying traffic patterns throughout the scheduled 30-day construction period. The intersection will remain open with one lane as work progresses.

Motorists should pay close attention to work zone signs and be aware of their surroundings as they approach the intersection.

The construction is part of 10 roundabouts being installed in Elizabethtown. Project information can be found at www.transportation.ky.gov.

E-Town Planning Commission approves two design plans, denies a sidewalk waiver

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The Elizabethtown Planning Commission approved two development plans and denied a sidewalk construction standards waiver during their meeting tuesday.

The development plan and commercial design review was approved for APEX Center, which will be located at 245 Ring Road. Two 15,300 square foot buildings will be constructed for a proposed retail strip center. Contractors said the site should host about 12 tenants.

A development plan and commercial design review was also approved for Vibrant Vitalite, which will construct a 5,000 square foot medical office at 1106 Julianna Court.

The commission heard a sidewalk construction standards waiver request from the Kort Office Center, located at 2618 Ring Road. A contractor installed a four-foot sidewalk on the property while construction standards require a five-foot sidewalk. Mike Billings with Engineering Design Group said a mistake was made by a contractor that installed the sidewalk to match the other sidewalks on the cul-de-sac, and Billings said the cul-de-sac has functioned without issue for nearly 20 years with four-foot sidewalks. Commission Chair Steve Rice said he was concerned with setting the wrong precedent by granting the waiver.

“Whenever you make exceptions to what the plan says and/or our guideline, you are setting a  precedent, and you have to look forward to any other situations and be able to defend those,” said Rice.

The commission voted to deny the waiver 3 to 1.

Elizabethtown Director of Planning and Development Joe Reverman said construction numbers are already up in the new fiscal year.

“Just since July 1, the new fiscal year, we’ve got 277 new housing units,” said Reverman. “For the entire year, we’ve got 824 new housing units and $308 million in construction costs for this year.”

The commission asked Reverman and his staff to research and make recommendations on height requirements for new construction.

The Elizabethtown Planning Commission will next meet September 12.

New voter registrations up with election within three months

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The Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office provided an update on voter registration numbers as the 2023 election is now less than three months away.

According to the Secretary of State;s Office, 6,149 new voters were added to the rolls in July, while 4,903 voters were removed. The Secretary of State;s Office says this is the fifth month in a row that new registrations outpaced voter removals.

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith says growth in the area means more potential voters.

“Hardin County is a growing county,” Smith said. “We can see that every day as we travel throughout the community. That includes new people moving here for the first time, and I’m excited to see that they’re choosing to register to vote here in Hardin County.”

Kentuckians who want to have a say in an election highlighted by the race for governor can get registered with a quick trip to their county clerk’s office.

“It’s pretty easy,” Smith said. “We can have you in and out in about two minutes once you register to vote. It’s important. The elections coming up will be big and will impact Hardin County for years to come, everything from governor to auditor to attorney general to ag commissioner, and we’d love to see a high turnout for Hardin County in November.”

Election Day is November 7. Voters must be registered by 4 p.m. on October 10.

Alleged threat puts North Hardin High School on soft lockdown

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North Hardin High School was placed on a soft lockdown at the request of area law enforcement Wednesday.

“That means that no one enters or exits the school building, but our students continue learning and our teachers continue teaching,” said Hardin County Schools Community Relations Specialist John Wright. “Our students can go to lunch, they can change classes, they can go about their day as normal. It’s just that no one can enter or exit the building.”

The lockdown was requested by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office as they conducted an investigation.

“We received an alleged threat from outside the school, and I want to emphasize: a possible threat,” said Hardin County Sheriff John Ward.

Ward said students were never in danger at any time.

“No arrests, and no issues at the school, but the school was just put on a soft lockdown just to add every precaution,” Ward said.

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Leitchfield man suspected of multiple crimes in Grayson and Breckenridge counties arrested

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A Leitchfield man police believe is responsible for multiple incidents in Grayson and Breckinridge counties over the past month is in custody.

According to the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, from July 14 to August 12 deputies responded to at least 10 reports of burglaries, thefts, and destruction of property in and around Grayson County. The alleged thefts include stolen vehicles, UTVs, guns, identity theft, and allegedly leading officers on a pursuit in a stolen vehicle earlier this month.

Grayson County Sheriff Norman Chaffins says investigators were able to identify the suspect as Tyler W. Corbin.

“We’ve been receiving multiple thefts over the last several weeks,” Chaffins said. “We figured he was in the Breck. County/Grayson County area, and every time there was a theft we received information that he was a suspect, and we had witnesses that saw him. We had him on camera a few times, so we knew who we were looking for.”

Corbin was taken into custody by Breckinridge County Sheriff Billy Richardson after he spotted Corbin and detained him after a short foot pursuit.

Chaffins says Corbin has been through multiple attempts at pre-trial diversion programs, and while he believes in second and sometimes third chances at a certain point public safety must be considered.

“At some point we have to draw the line somewhere, and I think that he certainly forced us to draw the line,” Chaffins said. “This cannot continue to happen, otherwise we’re going to be reading a different headline in the news where someone was hurt or killed because of his actions, and it’s certainly not something as sheriff that I want my citizens to have to deal with.”

Corbin faces multiple counts of Burglary, Theft, and Criminal Mischief in Grayson and Breckinrdige counties, and the sheriff’s office says more charges are likely as the investigation continues. Corbin was lodged in the Breckinridge County Detention Center.