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Registration deadline Monday for Hodgenville Police’s Teen Citizens Police Academy

Monday is the deadline for area teens to register for the Hodgenville Police Department’s Teen Citizens Police Academy. 

Hodgenville Police Chief James Richardson says the Teen Citizens Police Academy covers all of the same topics as the academy hosted for adults.

“We’ll give them introductions to the officers, and an introduction to our cadets that are in our cadet program,” Richardson said. “We’ll introduce them to the facility, the equipment we use, the process and stuff we go through. Our policies, procedures, we’ll talk about use of force, and all of that culminates with a trip to the Elizabethtown Police Department where they have been gracious enough to allow us to use their use of force simulator.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from their peers as the Teen CPA is hosted by the HPD’s cadets, and the presentations will relate the missions of the police department to issues facing area youth.

“It kind of helps them open their eyes to exactly what it means to be the police, and when they see stuff on the news they can be like ‘Yeah, I’ve been there. I understand what’s going on,’” Richardson said. “Have a little bit better understanding.”

The deadline to register for the Teen CPA is Monday, December 9 at 4 p.m.

“Anybody is welcome to join, ages 15 to 18,” Richardson said. “If they are LaRue County residents, of course they’ll get first dibs, but anybody outside of LaRue County is more than welcome to apply and we’ll take the first 10 to 15 kids we get.”

The application is available at www.hodgenvillepd.com, or contact the HPD for assistance.

AT&T announces coverage expansion with new Hardin County tower

Representatives from AT&T Kentucky joined government officials from Hardin County and Elizabethtown as the communications company announced the addition of a new cell site southeast of Glendale.

AT&T says the new tower will “enhance Hardin County’s coverage and capacity” and “boost coverage for travelers and businesses in the area of Interstate 65 and U.S. Route 31W.”

The tower also provides a boost for FirstNet, the cellular network exclusive for first responders and public safety officials

“We are big-time, long-time customers of AT&T FirstNet,” said Hardin County EMS Director Mark Peterson. “They are mission-critical for what we do on a daily basis, and we’re excited to have this expansion in our area that’s going to help us and further our technology into the southern and western parts of the county.”

The expansion goes along with other county goals of improving public safety ahead of anticipated growth in the area, including the recent approval for technology upgrades for Hardin County E911. 

AT&T Kentucky President Carlos Sanchez said the company wants to support those goals.

“AT&T is the company that supports law enforcement and first responders exclusively nationwide, and this tower is very important for us and is going to make a huge difference in coverage and capacity in Hardin County,” Sanchez said.

AT&T says the new tower will include 5G coverage for business and residential use and Band 14 spectrum coverage for FirstNet users.

Former Fort Knox garrison commander receives civilian appointment

One of five civilians recently appointed as Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army is a familiar face from Fort Knox.

During a ceremony at the Pentagon Tuesday, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth swore in five new civilian aides. Among the appointees is former Fort Knox Garrison Commander Retired Colonel Lance O’Bryan.

According to a release from the U.S. Amy, civilian aides play an important role in building relationships between the Army and the community. They work to advise the secretary on regional issues, support the total Army workforce, and assist with recruiting soldiers and helping them when they transition out of active duty.

The release states that O’Bryan “has an intimate knowledge of installation management and is uniquely familiar with serving soldiers, families, and veterans. He is passionate about issues involving military-connected families.”

O’Bryan said in the release that it is a “distinct honor and privilege” to serve as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Northern Kentucky, and he is honored to continue to serve his country, the Army, and Kentucky.

O’Bryan retired from the Army last summer after the conclusion of his assignment as garrison commander, capping a military career of nearly 26 years.

ECTC accepting applications for 2025-2026 scholarships

Students attending, or planning on attending, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College may now submit their applications for the college’s 2025-2026 scholarships.

According to ECTC, students only need to submit one application to apply for more than 50 scholarship opportunities. Some scholarships are available for all students while others are targeted to specific programs. The college says more than $108,000 was awarded through ECTC scholarships last year.

The local scholarships are joined by several federal and state financial aid opportunities, including the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship.

“Truly, it is a gift certificate for tuition if you’re going into a healthcare field, manufacturing, business, IT, transportation, automotive, any of those fields that the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship does pay for the tuition for any Kentucky citizen who does not already have a degree,” said ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate. 

Pate says the easiest way to learn more is by visiting the ECTC admissions office, and the college has Scholarship Day workshops and other events on the calendar to help students get started.

“We’re having express enrollment December 17 through 19, and that’s kind of your one stop shop,” Pate said. “Come in, get everything from initial financial aid work to registration, books. Those days are really set up to help students expedite that process.”

The scholarship application can be found on the ECTC website. The priority application deadline is February 28.

Tickets available for Heart of Kentucky Chorus Christmas show

The Heart of Kentucky Chorus is gearing up for their annual Christmas show, titled “Christmastime is Here,” which will be held at the Hardin County Performing Arts Center at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 8.

“I think we have 42 members, right now, that should be on the show,” said chorus director Aaron Dale. “We’ll have some breakout quartets, quintets, and some solos throughout the show.”

The chorus says it has been preparing for this year’s show, which includes a selection of religious and conventional holiday songs, since July. The chorus hopes to entertain audiences of all ages with a variety of songs.

The chorus says the Christmas show benefits local nonprofits. Tickets are available for purchase at www.thepac.net.