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UPDATED: Radcliff Police Department investigating shooting death; one person in custody

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The Radcliff Police Department is investigating a Wednesday morning incident that resulted in a shooting death.

“This morning at about 4:24 a.m. the Radcliff Police Department responded to the apartment complex located on Knox Boulevard in regards to a disturbance,” said Captain Willie Wells with the RPD.

Upon officers arrival, they discovered that a subject had been shot. 

“We do have one person in custody for the shooting, and the victim that was shot is deceased,” said Wells.

Detectives processed the scene and collected evidence, while patrol officers searched for the suspect who fled the scene. At about 5:52 a.m. the suspect, identified as Nicholas Vandergrift, was located and placed under arrest without incident.

Vandergrift faces multiple charges including Murder, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Assault. He was lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center.

The investigation is ongoing. Anybody with possible information on the incident should contact the Radcliff Police Department at 270-351-4477, or leave an anonymous tip at 270-351-TIPS.

Courtney Gilbert wins House District 24 special election; Griffee wins unopposed House District 26 race

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Eligible voters cast ballots in special elections Tuesday to fill vacancies in two Kentucky House of Representatives districts.

Republican Courtney Gilbert won the race to complete the term in House District 24 with 1,025 votes. Democrat Johnny Pennington received 372 votes and independent write-in Craig Astor received 244.

Pennington is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for District 24, which contains parts of Green, Hart, and LaRue counties. Ryan Bivens and Asa Waggoner are running in the Republican primary.

Republican Peyton Griffee was unopposed in the House District 26 special election, and is currently unopposed in the general election for that seat as well. Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith said 18 people out of an eligible 4,801 in the three Hardin County precincts cast ballots in the race, which he said was a similar turnout to the eligible precincts in Bullitt County.

Despite only having one person on the ballot, Smith said the special election is still part of the democratic process, and was an opportunity to introduce people to the clerk’s office’s Radcliff location.

“We had a lot of folks stop in even though they weren’t eligible to vote,” Smith said. “They may not have lived in the proper precinct. Some folks were still looking to pay their Nolin R.E.C.C. bill, but it did give us an opportunity to do some work up here in this office and show that it does have the utility. We are looking forward to opening it up for vehicle registration.”

The deadline to register to vote in the May 21 primary election is April 22. Hardin County is debuting new voting locations in this primary election.

“Last year we had 12 locations. This year we’ll have 15 locations,” Smith said. “The largest of those locations will also have additional check-in stations, so not only are we having more locations, but we also should be able to get people through the line faster. That was based on the feedback we got directly from the public.”

Find election information at govote.ky.gov.

Radcliff City Council meets

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The Radcliff City Council met for their second meeting of the month Tuesday.

The council approved an ordinance amending the city code concerning flood damage procedures to name the city’s contracted engineering firm QK4 as the city’s floodplain administrator. The first reading was held on an ordinance adopting certification and enforcement procedures for recovery residences in line with ordinances recently passed by the City of Elizabethtown and the Hardin County Fiscal Court.

The council approved an update to police policies and procedures that removes a requirement that officers must live in Hardin County in order to take their vehicles home. The new policy still requires officers to live within so many miles of Radcliff, but because the city is close to other counties it removes the Hardin County requirement. Radcliff Police Chief Jeff Cross requested the policy change to better help with officer recruitment. Council Member Jerry Brown thanked the chief for bringing the issue before the council.

“It’s just unbelievable that we were being so caught up on whether a policeman has to drive 20 miles or 25 miles or 25.1 miles in order to get their vehicle home and to keep our community safe,” Brown said.

Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall said several residents told the city they did not hear the emergency sirens go off during the storms that went through over the weekend. Duvall said the issue is being addressed.

“We did have upgrades to the sirens over the past few weeks,” Duvall said. “We had a few on Hill Street that were replaced, and so the chief and I talked this morning and they are working, they’re going to run either Wednesday or it could be Thursday. They’re going to run the sirens again and test each siren again just to make sure it’s running properly.”

Duvall also said guidelines on spring cleaning opportunities will be posted this week, and the mayor has a reminder for area residents: please cut your grass.

“It’s one of the biggest complaints, and I think our fire chief will tell you that people aren’t cutting their grass, without weedeating,” Duvall said. “Obviously, we know everybody’s not going to be pristine, but we do ask people to just try to do what’s right. If you can’t get your grass cut and you need help cutting your grass, feel free to call us.”

The Radcliff City Council will next meet April 8.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says don’t forget to clean your bird feeders

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Spring has sprung, and as you spruce up your yard or garden and enjoy the nicer weather be sure you are taking care of your bird feeders.

As bird feeders are high-contact areas for multiple birds, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife says it is important to keep them clean in order to help reduce the spread of disease in the bird population. To help keep birds healthy, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife recommends you:

-Clean feeders every two weeks with dish and soap water, then thoroughly rinse with a solution of one part bleach and nine parts water. This cleaning process also applies to bird baths.

-Rake up seed hulls and other waste beneath the feeders.

-Properly store food in a closed container.

If you find a sick or dead bird around your feeders, take the feeder down immediately, remove remaining seeds, and clean thoroughly. If you find multiple dead or sick birds around a feeder, report it to the department of fish and wildlife. You can use the agency’s online reporting portal or contact the information center at 1-800-858-1549.

Radcliff Police arrest three juveniles for vehicle break-ins and thefts

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A string of vehicle break-ins in Radcliff over the weekend led to the arrest of three juveniles.

The Radcliff Police Department says eight vehicle break-ins were reported in the city from late Saturday night to early Sunday morning, with three of the vehicles being stolen along with a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Jefferson County.

Multiple officers were conducting multiple overlapping investigations due to the high number of crimes reported. Through these investigations officers eventually located one of the vehicles in question, in which officers discovered three juveniles: two 14-year-olds and a 15-year-old.

The juveniles attempted to flee from police, initially in the vehicle and then on foot, before being caught and taken into custody. The RPD says evidence in the car connected the juveniles to the other break-ins and thefts.

The three juveniles face multiple charges including Engaging in Organized Crime, Theft, and Fleeing and Evading Police. More charges are likely as the investigation is ongoing. Anybody with possible information should contact the Radcliff Police Department at 270-351-4477, or leave an anonymous tip at 270-351-TIPS.

Captain Willie Wells with the RPD reminds residents to always take precautions such as securing your vehicle, never leaving valuables in your vehicle, and parking in a well-lit area.