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E-Town dog needs your vote in contest

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A local dog is in the running for a national competition. 

Kentucky Farm Bureau says that Daisy, owned by Shelby and Lora Ennis of Elizabethtown, is one of five finalists for the People’s Choice Pup Award in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2024 Farm Dog of the Year competition.

The Ennises told KFB that Daisy showed up at their door one day, and after a week of searching for an owner they decided to keep the mixed-breed dog. Daisy proved to be a special dog.

The Ennises say Lora had a hard fall at home while Shelby was asleep, leaving her bleeding and dazed. Daisy ran upstairs and alerted Shelby, who found Lora and got her to the hospital.

Some time later, while walking at an area nature trail, Shelby and Daisy came upon a downed tree limb. When Shelby went to move it, Daisy discovered a man that was trapped in the brush. Shelby then contacted emergency responders.

The Ennises decided to enter Daisy in the People’s Choice Cup contest, and you can help Daisy bring home the trophy. Visit kyfb.com/vote4daisy Voting ends November 8.

Elizabethtown City Council meets

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The Elizabethtown City Council met for their second meeting of the month Monday.

The first reading was held on an ordinance that would extend Comcast’s non-exclusive franchise rights in the city for 15 years.

The council approved on second reading an ordinance that amends the zoning for 204 Jackie Street from future development holding to urban residential general (R-4). The change was recommended for approval by the city’s planning commission.

In other meeting news, Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory commended the response of the staff at Baptist Health Hardin to the armed gunman incident in the hospital’s emergency room Saturday, and called the response of the Elizabethtown Police Department “textbook.”

“Quite frankly, I wouldn’t trade our PD or our people that work at our PD with anybody anywhere, and I think that is just another reminder of what happened Saturday and why we’re so blessed to have the folks that we do down there at the PD,” Gregory said.

Gregory also announced that trick or treating in the city will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on October 31. 

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet October 28.

Bardstown man killed in crash

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A Nelson County man was killed in a crash in Meade County Sunday. 

The Kentucky State Police says troopers from Post Four were requested by the Meade County Sheriff’s Office at approximately 11:24 a.m. on October 20 to investigate a single-vehicle collision.

The KSP says the crash occurred near the 4,500 block of Garrett Road in Ekron. The preliminary investigation indicates that 30-year-old Dustin C. Gray of Bardstown was traveling east on a motorcycle on Garrett Road when for unknown reasons he lost control of the motorcycle, left the roadway, and struck a utility pole.

Gray was declared dead at the scene by the Meade County Coroner’s Office.

Garrett Road was closed for several hours in the area of the crash as troopers conducted accident reconstruction. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.

Man shot by police after entering Baptist Health Hardin hospitalized

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UPDATE 11/1/24: The Elizabethtown Police Department says George Lee Jr. has been indicted by a Hardin County Grand Jury. Lee faces two charges of Kidnapping, three counts of first degree Wanton Endangerment, one count of Being a Persistent Felony Offender. The EPD says indictment warrants were served upon Lee’s release from the University of Louisville Hospital, and Lee will be lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center.

The Elizabethtown Police Department confronted an armed suspect in a hospital emergency room Saturday morning.

“Shortly after 5:00 a.m. this morning, our officers responded to Baptist Health Hardin, located at 913 North Dixie, on the report of an active shooter,” said EPD Public Information Officer Chris Denham during a press conference Saturday. “Our officers arrived within just a couple of moments of receiving the initial call, encountered the suspect, and an officer did discharge his weapon, striking the suspect. The suspect was not fatally wounded. He was airlifted from the scene to the University of Louisville Hospital where treatment is ongoing.”

The suspect was confronted by unarmed hospital security staff prior to the arrival of officers, and the EPD says the suspect fired shots but nobody else was injured in the incident. Officers with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and the Kentucky State Police also responded.

“The criminal investigation concerning the shooting at the hospital will be conducted by the Elizabethtown Police Department,” Denham said. “Any investigation concerning the officer-involved shooting will be handled by the Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team.”

Per standard EPD protocol, the officer involved will be placed on two weeks paid administrative leave.

The EPD identified the suspect Sunday afternoon as 39-year-old George Lee. Jr. of Radcliff. He remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

In a statement on their Facebook page, Baptist Health Hardin thanked their staff and security team along with the EPD for their response to the incident, and stated that staff, patients, and visitors were not injured.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing and charges will be filed as the case progresses.

Arguments made in JCPenney-Towne Mall injunction case

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Attorneys for Penney Property Sub Holdings LLC, which owns the Elizabethtown JCPenney, and for Linnick Investments LLC, which owns the Towne Mall, were back in Hardin Circuit Court Thursday afternoon for a hearing on Penney Property’s motion for an injunction to halt renovations at the Towne Mall facility.

Zachary VanVactor with Stites and Harbison PLLC called Bill DeMuth as his first witness. DeMuth retired recently from his position as JCPenney’s real estate director, in which position he oversaw development at shopping mall properties. DeMuth said during testimony that he was not part of the recent lease negotiations between Penney Properties and Linnick Investments but he did respond to communication from Linnick owner Tim Aulbach on a proposal for a loading dock to be shared between JCPenney and Bealls. DeMuth said the company denied the proposal for security reasons, and he said Aulbach did not say anything to him about the installation of the wall that was built over the store’s interior entrance to the mall, which was covered as part of plans to renovate Towne Mall into an outdoor shopping space and to move Bealls into the space next door. 

When asked by Linnick’s attorney Shawn Williamson with Wyatt, Tarrant, and Combs LLP about the floorplan for the renovated mall being sent to DeMuth with the loading dock request, DeMuth said no specific request was made regarding the new layout for the mall.

Aulbach was then called as a witness by the plaintiffs. When VanVactor said Aulbach never sent any official plans on the renovations to the addresses listed in the lease agreement between the companies, Aulbach said nobody from Penney Properties said the information needed to be sent to those addresses when discussing the loading dock. Aulbach later said the renovations only became an issue when JCPenney asked to renegotiate its lease agreement. Aulbach said the company’s lease is due to increase to $4 per square foot beginning in 2026, but the company asked to stay at the current rate of $1.90 per square foot. Aulbach said that rate is well below market value and doesn’t offset the $700,000 he has put into roof and HVAC upgrades along with improvements to the building’s exterior. 

When defense attorney Corky Coryell asked Aulbach what impact an injunction would have on the property, Aulbach said “Staggering. It might even ruin us.” Aulbach said stalling the work jeopardizes the $10 million commitment from Malibu Jacks and a $3.5 million lease extension from Belk’s currently in place, as well as about $10 million in potential tenant commitments.

The hearing was adjourned after about five hours with at least one more witness due to be called. The plaintiffs, defense, and court will set the next court date after consulting schedules.