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This week we get to meet Atlas and Ollie, two dogs looking for new Furever homes. We also talk about the Rabies Clinic happening on April 26 from 10AM to 2PM. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to the shelter at 270-769-3428, visit their Facebook page at Hardin County Animal Shelter – Elizabethtown or stop by in person at 220 Peterson Drive in E-town, Monday to Saturday form 12 noon through 4pm. Furever Friends is brought to you by locally veteran-owned, Pet Supplies Plus, at 209 Towne Drive in Elizabethtown.
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Kentucky state officials joined students and staff at Creekside Elementary School Monday to kick off the inaugural Ag Education Week, which runs now through March 21.
According to the Kentucky Department of agriculture, Ag Education Week “delivers an all-encompassing learning experience for students, equips educators with ready-to-use resources and lessons, and fosters community involvement to create dynamic, hands-on learning focused on the diverse world of Kentucky agriculture.”
Hardin County Schools says Creekside’s Agstream initiative, which launched in 2021, is one of the first, if not the first, elementary agriculture curriculum programs in the state, so Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman said it was appropriate to launch Ag Education Week there.
“We’ve got a public school system that has been underfunded and undervalued for far too long and we have a farming population that feels the same way, and so knowing how dependent we are on education for the future of Kentucky and knowing how dependent the entire world is on agriculture and growing this sector, there’s no better way to make sure that we value both by bringing them together and highlighting them and the work that’s being done,” Coleman said.
Creekside Elementary School Principal Brooke Custis said the Agstream initiative was born out of conversations with parents, staff, and students following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After listening to all those things from families and staff and the community, it seemed that what seemed to resonate the most was that they wanted their children to have less screen time and more social interaction,” Custis said. “They wanted them to have fresh air and sunshine and feel their hands in the dirt and the sun on their face.”
Kentucky Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher said the Agstream initiative fits well into the three main pillars of the Department of Education’s decision making: innovation, collaboration with community, and vibrant learning.
“How much more relevant can your learning in the classroom be than if you’re going straight out of your classroom into your community and applying what you’re learning in the classroom?” Fletcher said. “And that’s what you’re doing with agriculture. There is so much learning that’s going on day to day that is vibrant, that is relevant as it relates to agriculture.”
Learn more about resources being promoted during Ag Education Week at kyagr.com.
The Elizabethtown City Council met for their second meeting of the month Monday.
The first reading was held on an ordinance approving a general obligations bond for the Buffalo Lake outdoor music venue. The bond is not to exceed $47 million to be paid over a term not to exceed 30 years. Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory asked City Attorney Ken Howard to clarify that no additional taxes are being created to pay for the bond.
“It is not anticipated that any additional taxes will have to be imposed,” Howard said. “We’ve done the analysis, your financial advisors are here today as well and believe that the current sources of revenue available to the city and to tourism will be sufficient to pay the bonds.”
An ordinance establishing new sewer rates for the city also had its first reading. In addition to establishing new connection, industrial, and commercial fees, the ordinance sets gradual increases in the minimum residential bill, with a rate for the first 2,000 gallons beginning at $14.46 in 2025 and increasing to $19.52 by 2028. Gregory said the city is very careful when considering any increases to fees or taxes, and the fees and rates are still among the lowest in the state.
“We are very cognizant of the fact that with inflation and the economy the way it is right now that people don’t have a ton of extra money and we still want to keep our fees as low as we possibly can, but like I said we have not changed since 2012 on the rate change, and the connection fee since 1999,” Gregory said.
The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet March 24.