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Hardin County residents among Service Award honorees

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear last week recognized the 16 winners of the 30th Governor’s Service Awards, recognizing exceptional service and dedication to Kentucky communities.

According to a release from the governor’s office, the award ceremony “is a longstanding tradition in the commonwealth that honors community volunteerism and service to others. The annual event is hosted by Serve Kentucky, which administers the state’s AmeriCorps programs, and coincides with National Volunteer Week.”

Several Hardin County residents were among the honorees. Yolande Denise Jackson-Smalls was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Staff Sergeant Jessica Lynn DeLaPaz was presented with the Veteran Volunteer Service Award, and the American Red Cross – Fort Knox was presented with the Nonprofit Service Award.

More information on the awards and a complete list of winners can be found on the Serve Kentucky website, serve.ky.gov.

ECTC Giving Day 2026 numbers up from 2025

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Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Director of Philanthropy Chrissie Angell says the college achieved its goal of exceeding the numbers from last year’s Giving Day.

“Giving Day 2026 was a huge success,” Angell said. “We raised over $33,000 from 160 donors, which is up 5.9 percent over last year.”

ECTC’s Giving Day activities took place the same day other Kentucky Community and Technical College System schools conducted fundraising efforts, with the KCTCS reporting more than $375,000 was donated by 1,389 donors, including 289 first time donors.

Angell said after ECTC hosted their first Employee Giving Day last year, this year the college wanted to put together an event to help students “create a culture of philanthropy.”

“We held an event, and many of our students gave what they could financially, but that really wasn’t our main goal because philanthropy is about more than just giving money,” Angell said. “It’s about giving your time and talents, your resources to improve your community, and we offered simple ways for our students to use their time and talents to say thank you to faculty and staff on campus. We had a great time celebrating with them.”

Giving Day 2026 may have come and gone, but community members looking to support ECTC students can still donate on ECTC’s website. Community members can also volunteer at ECTC through Family Scholar House. Visit the ECTC website for more information.

CKCAC recognizes efforts of HCS in support of Radcliff Head Start

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The Central Kentucky Community Action Council this week recognized support from Hardin County Schools to allow the Radcliff Head Start Center to remain in operation.

The CKCAC Head Start team hosted a celebration on Monday honoring HCS for the swift action the district took after extreme winter weather caused extensive damage to the Radcliff Head Start Center. The district made two classrooms at Radcliff Elementary School available to head start, allowing those students to continue their education without major interruption.

“Our partnership with the Central Kentucky Head Start is strong and we are truly honored to host them for the rest of this school year,” said HCS Superintendent Terrie Morgan. “The Radcliff Elementary School classrooms will provide a safe and wonderful environment for our Head Start students and staff to learn and play and grow together.”

The CKCAC says the ceremony was a chance to thank HCS and recognize the importance of inter-agency cooperation in keeping education accessible for all children.

“This partnership is a testament to what can be achieved when local leaders put families first,” said CKCAC Head Start Director Jennifer Akin. “The immediate response from Superintendent Morgan and Principal Mahone eliminated the hardships our families would have faced if we were forced to relocate outside of Radcliff. This celebration is a small token of our immense gratitude for their leadership during a challenging time.”

The bid process for necessary repairs for the Radcliff Head Start Center is under way. A construction timeline for the repairs has not yet been determined.

Kentucky Ozone Season restrictions begin in Bullitt County on May 1

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Open burning restrictions will be in place for several counties in Kentucky for the next five months as part of Kentucky Ozone Season.

Ozone Season runs from May 1 through September 30, part of efforts by the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet to protect families and preserve air quality.

According to the EEC, burning of brush, tree limbs, leaves, or natural growth is restricted in counties that have exceeded the federal air quality standards before and are more likely to have pollution problems in warmer months. Included in the restricted counties is Bullitt County, while Jefferson County has open burning restrictions in effect year-round.

The EEC says ozone is protective in the stratosphere, but on the ground-level ozone is a summertime health risk created when pollutants react in the atmosphere in the presence of heat and sunlight. Open burning contributes to ozone pollution, which can irritate breathing passages and can trigger asthma attacks for the more than 380,000 Kentuckians affected by the condition.

The EEC says burning trash is illegal everywhere in Kentucky year-round, and state law prohibits burning plastics, tires, coated wire, and treated wood. Check your local outdoor burning rules and for possible burn bans in effect. Visit the Energy and Environment Cabinet’s website for more information and guidelines.

E-Town council discusses North Downtown plan, wastewater plant expansion

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The Elizabethtown City Council met for a work session Monday.

Samantha Wiser with Taylor Siefker Williams presented on the North Downtown Master Plan, which she said will be the focus of the next round of Community Development Block Grant funding for city projects. Wiser said the improvements and projects in the plan fall under five general topics.

“So looking at that infrastructure(1) that is out there, that’s kind of our base need, right?” Wiser said. “But we’re also looking at walkability, that was something definitely we heard about, so the second topic is really about those walkable connections(2). Identity and design(3), and again, extending that kind of urban and downtown idea and design characteristics and transitioning that to more of the neighborhood scale there. Balanced development(4), and again, this does include Mulberry, so that’s a different kind of development than maybe what’s on Main Street or Williams or something of that nature, and then really the idea of that neighborhood pride(5).”

More information on the North Downtown Master Plan is available by contacting the city’s Planning and Development Office.

Andrew Bohlen and Jim Hagerty with Prime AE provided an update on the Valley Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion project. Bohlen said the project is advancing to the next design stage.

“This next phase will require approximately 16 months of design work,” Bohlen said. “It’s going to include new wastewater processes at the treatment plant. It’s going to include new basins for the expansion of that treatment plant and new buildings, but importantly, it’s also going to rehabilitate and improve existing structures to the extent that we can.”

Hagerty said the Kentucky Department of Water is reviewing the draft facility plan and has given the city permission to proceed to public hearings.

“We’re probably still another six months away from final adoption by the Division of Water, but this is one of the more significant steps in getting approval of the plan,” Hagerty said.

After completion of the design phase, construction is estimated to run between 2028 and 2031.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet May 4.