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Public meeting to discuss KY 44 improvements in Bullitt County coming up

Bullitt County residents and drivers are invited to an upcoming meeting to discuss preliminary design plans for improvements along Kentucky Route 44.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Three will host the meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10 at Mount Washington Elementary School. Visitors to the open house-style meeting may drop in any time to review preliminary design plans, get handouts on project information, ask KYTC officials and project engineers questions, and fill out comment sheets. 

The KYTC says the goal of the project is to improve safety and accessibility along KY 44 from Water Street to U.S. 31E. Design alternatives being discussed include “reconfiguring KY 44 to five lanes with a center lane, four lanes with a raised median, or converting the U.S. 31E intersection to a median u-turn crossing to improve signal times and traffic flow.”

An online survey will be posted after the public meeting for anybody unable to attend. Contact KYTC District Three for more information.

Unemployment rates up slightly across Lincoln Trail District

Unemployment rates across the Lincoln Trail District saw slight increases in July 2024. 

The Kentucky Center for Labor Statistics says unemployment rates in July 2024 increased in 119 Kentucky counties and decreased in one.

The state average for unemployment for July was reported at 5.3 percent, up slightly from the 5.0 percent rate reported in June and from the 4.6 percent rate reported in July 2023. Five counties in the Lincoln Trail District had rates higher than the state average and three counties had rates lower than the state average.

Hardin County’s unemployment rate for July 2024 was reported at 5.4 percent. Hardin’s rate also shows a slight increase, going from 5.0 percent in June and 4.4 percent in July 2023.

Meade County had the highest unemployment rate in the district for July at 6.2 percent, while Washington County had the lowest at 4.2 percent.

More information on how the unemployment rate is calculated and more data is available at kystats.ky.gov.

Hardin County Animal Care and Control hosting annual rabies clinic

The Hardin County Animal Shelter is reminding area pet owners to mark their calendars for their largest annual vaccination clinic.

“Our once a year, great big rabies clinic is coming up Saturday, September 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. out at the Hardin County Fairgrounds’s main pavilion,” said Hardin County Animal Care and Control Director Mike McNutt. 

McNutt says the annual rabies clinic is the safest and easiest way to get these services for your cat or dog.

“It’s right after the new licenses go,” McNutt said. “It gives you the rest of the year before you have to worry about it again, so it is the main rabies clinic for Hardin County.”

Only cash or check payments will be accepted and animals must be at least 12 weeks old.

“You can get a rabies vaccination for a dog or a cat for $13.78,” McNutt said. “The Distemper Parvo vaccine will be $13.78 for dogs (Feline Distemper vaccines are also $13.78). Strongid, which is the dewormer we use, is $5.30. That just kills roundworms. The Bordetella vaccine will be $16.96. Microchipping will be $21.20, and of course a $15 license.”

Contact the animal shelter for more information.

Steven Lawson’s new attorneys ask for more time to review case files

Crystal Rogers investigation suspect Steven Lawson’s new attorneys made their first appearance in Nelson Circuit Court during a status hearing Thursday.

Darren Wolff and Zach Buckler were appointed to represent Lawson by Nelson County’s Department of Public Advocacy after Lawson fired his previous attorney Ted Lavit.

Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III said he wants the trial to begin on its scheduled date in February 2025, noting that three people are currently waiting in jail for the trial to begin, but Wolff and Buckler said they feel that is unlikely as they need to review the existing discovery in the case, which includes more than 2 terabytes of information.

Wolff and Buckler requested 45 days to review the case files before making any assessment of the scheduled trial date. Judge Simms scheduled a status hearing for October 4.