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Hodgenville Police hosting ‘sextortion’ presentation via Zoom Monday

The Hodgenville Police Department is striving to educate parents after a recent uptick in cases involving “sextortion.”

“We are going to go live via Zoom on Monday (March 25) at 7 p.m., and what we’re going to do is we’re just gonna talk about: ‘What is extortion? How can I try to keep my kids safer? What do I do if it happens to me or my kids?’” said Hodgenville Police Chief James Richardson. “We’re going to have the SRO talk about some of the things that he’s seen in the school system, and we’ve got a representative from the school system. We’re also going to talk about, a little bit, the mental health that we see with the kids, that sort of thing.”

The goal of the presentation is to help parents protect their kids.

“We just want to kind of get the word out,” Richardson said. “This is what to be on lookout for. These are some resources you can use. There are some agencies out there and some folks that can help, so we’re just trying to get that word out, get the resources out there for parents, and kind of give a heads up on what they can do to help protect their kids, and if it does happen to them what they can do and who to report it to.”

More information on the presentation and the Zoom link can be found on the Hodgenville Police Department Facebook page.

Registration deadline for winter energy assistance March 31

The deadline to register for the winter Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is approaching.

Registration for winter LIHEAP subsidies runs from now through March 31 or until funds are depleted.

“It covers heating, so it will cover electric, gas, propane, kerosene, and wood, however you heat,” LaRue County Community Action Coordinator Renna Miller said. “It’s income based, so depending on their income and how many people they have in their household.” 

Applicants have to bring proof of income, a license, and a Social Security card, along with their bills that they want help with.

Each county has dedicated offices for Central Kentucky Community Action, locations for which can be found at ckcac.org. Residents who want to learn more about the program should contact their local office.

“They can call their local office and talk to the coordinators at the local offices, and then we can tell them what they need,” Miller said. “They can also give us their income and we can tell them if they qualify or not before they even come into the office.”

Assistance is available on a first come, first served basis.

Students returning to normal operations after threat at Rineyville Elementary School

Students have returned to class and school activities at Rineyville Elementary School after a threat was made against the building this morning.

“We received a threat somewhere before 10 a.m., just a threat to the building, and so we immediately contacted law enforcement,” said Hardin County Schools Community Relations Specialist John Wright. “The Kentucky State Police and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office have looked through the building, they have looked in every nook and cranny, and they have deemed the threat non-credible. We’ve also reviewed cameras in and out of the building and we have seen no one or no thing that is suspicious, and so after a thorough investigation and with the blessing of law enforcement we are bringing students back to the building.”

Wright says the threat at Rineyville Elementary is similar to other threats seen recently at Kentucky schools.

“We have learned from our friends in law enforcement that this is a trend,” Wright said. “I believe this happened to Jefferson County yesterday where someone called and made a threat to a building and they evacuated that building, but that is sick, just to be honest with you. It’s a waste of resources and a waste of time, but we have to take all threats seriously.”

Wright thanked area law enforcement for their efforts and Rineyville parents for their patience.

“If you’re a Rineyville Elementary School parent, we ask that you not come to school to pick up your child because of anything that’s happened today,” Wright said. “The learning process will go on. They’re going to eat lunch just like normal and the process, the learning process, is going to go on as normal today, with a normal release time.

Contact Hardin County Schools for more information.

Care Guide Partners hosting PACE Center open house March 27

Hosparus Health affiliate Care Guide Partners will be hosting a community open house at its new William B. and Janet B. Schmidt PACE Center, located at 109 Buffalo Creek Drive in Elizabethtown.

Care Guide Partners says the open house will be an opportunity to share more information on the mission of PACE and to offer tours of the facility.

When discussing the PACE Center at the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce’s January luncheon, Hosparus Health President and CEO David Cook said the PACE Center will be a valuable healthcare resource for the community.

“PACE is an acronym that stands for Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and it really is all-inclusive,” Cook said. “From covering all of their medical needs to transportation to the adult day, primary care, restorative therapies, socialization, and just fun, so we’re really excited to bring this additional level of support to folks in the community.”

The ultimate goal of PACE is to allow individuals to continue to maintain independence by offering access to primary medical care, adult day programming, therapy, behavioral health, specialty services, meals, nutritional counseling, social activities, and more.

“It’s just really a great solution for individuals who are facing serious illness that want to continue to live at home but are struggling to be able to do that and may not have the financial resources necessary to hire in-home support,” Cook said.

The facility will be named after William and Janet Schmidt following a donation from the Schmidt Family Foundation. Learn more about the March 27 open house and about the PACE Center by visiting Hosparus Health online.