Menu Close

Man killed in Meade County crash; woman found dead in Hart County

An Indiana man was killed in a collision in Meade County Friday.

Kentucky State Police Post Four says at approximately 3:27 p.m. on May 29 troopers responded to a call regarding a fatal collision on Bypass Road near High Street in Meade County.

The KSP says the preliminary investigation indicates a vehicle operated by 34-year-old Dustin Farmer of Central, Indiana, was heading north on Bypass Road when it crossed into the center turn lane and collided head-on with a pickup truck operated by Maia Fisher of Mansfield, Missouri.

Farmer was pronounced dead at the scene by the Meade County Coroner’s Office. Fisher, along with two juveniles in Farmer’s vehicle, sustained serious injuries. Fisher was flown to the University of Louisville Hospital while the juveniles were transported to U of L Hospital and Norton Children’s Hospital.

Meanwhile, Kentucky State Police Post Three is conducting a death investigation in Hart County. KSP Post Three says at approximately noon on May 30 troopers responded to a call from the Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office regarding a possible death at the Dog Creek Recreation Area. Troopers located an unconscious woman lying in a green tent. The woman, identified as 43-year-old Edith Vaughn of Cub Run, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Hart County Coroner’s Office.

KSP Post Four’s investigation of the collision and KSP Post Three’s death investigation are both ongoing.

Summer meals programs from area school districts launching this week

Area school districts are set to launch their summer meals programs this week.

Elizabethtown Independent Schools is offering free meals for children 18 and under at Elizabethtown High School, Morningside Elementary School, and the American Legion Park waterpark Mondays through Fridays from June 1 through July 24, with no meals served June 29 through July 3. Meals must be consumed on site. Parents who signed up for multi-day meal pick-ups will be contacted with more information. Contact the EIS Nutrition Services Department at 270-766-1231 for more information.

Hardin County Schools is running its summer meals program at several locations between June 3 and July 29, with no service on July 3. Rural locations are grab-and-go, while meals at urban locations must be eaten on-site. Free meals are available for any child 18 and younger. Participants do not have to be a HCS student. Adult lunch is available for $4 at the Farmer’s Market, Dawley Park, and Optimist Park sites. Participants must register, and can find more information, on the HCS website.

“Dates and times and locations, all that information is on the Hardin County Schools website,” said HCS Community Relations Specialist John Wright. “If you just go to hardin.kyschools.us and click the Quick Links tab, right under that tab the very first item is 2026 Summer Feeding Program, so just click on that and you’ll find everything that you need.”

Breckinridge County Schools is offering their summer meals program June 3 through July 22. During each pick-up, a parent or guardian may pick up five breakfasts and five lunches per registered child. Weekly registration is required by 11 p.m. the Monday before each pick-up. Meals are not guaranteed if you do not sign up.

“We’ve got a schedule that parents and families are able to get online and sign up for their free pickups, and we’re really excited that we’re able to offer that again for our kids and the community,” said BCS Superintendent Dr. Nick Carter.

The link to the registration form and a menu for the meals can be found on the Breckinridge County Schools Facebook page. Contact Valerie Dowell at 270-756-3007 for assistance.

Contact your area school district for more information.

April unemployment in Lincoln Trail District up slightly from last year

Unemployment rates in the Lincoln Trail District in April saw decreases from the previous month but trended slightly higher than where they were the year prior.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says unemployment rates decreased in 66 counties, increased in 41, and stayed the same in 13 when comparing April 2026 with April 2025.

The state unemployment average for April was 4.2 percent. That’s down from the 4.6 percent average reported in March and is even with the April 2025 average.

Hardin County’s unemployment rate for April came in above the state average at 5 percent. That is a decrease from the March rate of 5.5 percent but is an increase from April 2025 when the rate was reported at 4.5 percent.

The unemployment average for the Lincoln Trail District in April was 4.7 percent. Grayson County posted the highest unemployment rate in the district at 5.5 percent followed by Hardin County. Washington County posted the lowest unemployment rate in the district at 3.7 percent followed by Nelson County at 4.3 percent.

Learn more about how the unemployment rate is calculated and find more labor market information by visiting kystats.ky.gov.

Hodgenville Police Chief James Richardson set to resign

The City of Hodgenville will be looking for a new police chief soon.

Current Hodgenville Police Chief James Richardson submitted a letter of resignation to Hodgenville Mayor Jim Phelps Thursday. Richardson’s resignation is effective at midnight on June 8.

“My family and I decided that with the current status of the county, with the recent election and how all that turned out, it’s just the arguments and the fights and the things that we have to put up with on a daily basis behind the scenes,” Richardson said. “It’s just no longer worth it to my family and I. We sat down and talked about it, so I am leaving on my own accord. The mayor and I discussed it. He said he understood.”

Richardson said in his resignation letter: “I am not willing to compromise my morals to ‘get along’ with LaRue County officials.”

Richardson had high praise for the employees and officers of the HPD.

“The city has been great to us,” Richardson said. “The city has been good to me. The mayor, the council, I want to thank them for all the support that they’ve given us over the years. The police department’s in a good spot. We’ve got some good officers, so I’m leaving it better than I found it, and that’s the way I always intended.”

Richardson said he has taken a position with another agency as a patrolman.

Phelps said during a special called Hodgenville City Council meeting Thursday that he had accepted Richardson’s resignation. Phelps said he would recommend an interim chief for approval at the next city council meeting, and the city would begin the search for a permanent replacement.