WQXE NEWS

The Hardin County Fiscal Court met for their second meeting of the month Tuesday.

The fiscal court voted to advance two ordinances from first to second reading, the first which updates the creation of an industrial taxing district and payment of a special ad valorem tax related to anticipated development spurred by industry such as BlueOval SK, and the second which updates the occupational tax within the industrial and commercial taxing district.

Judge-Executive Keith Taul said there is never a good time to increase taxes, but with the county responsible for providing services to residents it is a necessary investment.

“Honestly, I hate it,” Taul said. “I don’t want to do it, but it is, I believe, the responsible thing to do.”

Magistrate Chris Yates said the tax is unfortunate but necessary.

“When you call 911, you want the sheriff’s department to be out there ASAP,” Yates said. “When you call for an ambulance, you want them there yesterday, and at that time you wouldn’t put a price tag on your family, so this is the necessary thing to do to ensure that we have the resources available to you guys.”

Larry Hicks was the only magistrate to vote against the ordinances. Hicks said he was not comfortable putting an extra burden on taxpayers, and had concerns with the recently announced delay of the opening of BlueOval SK’s second plant.

“How many more times is BlueOval going to back up?” said Hicks. “It’s 5,000, then it was 2,500, and the latest I’ve heard maybe 1,000, so do we have to do this right now? I’m not against doing this if it’s needed, but I’m not sold on it’s needed right now.”

The ordinances, which can be viewed on the county’s website, will go up for a vote at the next fiscal court meeting.

In other meeting news, Hardin County Jailer Josh Lindblom reported that the Hardin County Detention Center took in 476 inmates during the month of October while 481 were released, and inmates worked more than 13,000 hours, resulting in more than $81,000 in savings for the county.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet December 12.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court met for their first meeting of the month Tuesday.

Hardin County Director of Public Works Stephanie Givens reported that 58.3 tons of recyclable materials were collected from the county’s recycling trailers in September and 67.8 tons were collected in October, bringing the year to date total to 412.8 tons. Later in the meeting, the Fiscal Court voted to approve extending the county’s inter-local agreement with Meade County for recycling.

“We collect all of the recycling products in the trailers and then we haul those to Meade County,” said Hardin County Judge-Executive Keith Taul. “They’re the ones that take it from there and do the sorting and do all of the things that they do, and then they sell it whenever they can.”

Hardin County Planning Director Adam King gave a report to the court on his department’s activities. He said the county has seen growth this year in houses built.

“We are at 95 single family dwellings so far for the year,” King said. “In addition to that, we’ve done six duplexes, so that would be an additional 12 units, so the numbers are up. In 2022, we were at 98, and in 2021 we were at 110.”

King also said his department has issued 51 stop work orders so far in 2023. He encouraged anybody planning to build to contact the office.

“If you are constructing something out in the county, it’s kind of a misnomer that you don’t need a permit. You do need a permit,” King said. “Depending on the use of that structure and your acreage, it may qualify as ag exempt, but come see us and we’ll help you out. It will be easier to do things right on the front end.”

Taul said during the meeting that he had received calls from residents expressing concern with the news that the second plant at the BlueOval SK battery park in Glendale will be delayed. Taul said he was told construction on the facility will not be interrupted by the delayed opening, and said there will be no changes to the county’s work on improving infrastructure to prepare for future development. Taul said he thinks the delay could be something of a silver lining.

“Things have moved so fast that it’s hard to adjust that quickly, and so if anything it gives us a little more time, as your local government and the services that we provide, to adjust and to get prepared for a lot of people moving to this area.”

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet November 28.

A Leitchfield native killed in action during World War II will be laid to rest Thursday.

According to the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Private First Class Charles W. Wells was reported killed in action following the siege of Myitkyina, Burma, on June 30, 1944. Wells was an infantryman who served with Company G, Second Battalion, 5307th Composite Unit, also referred to as Task Force Galahad or Merrill’s Marauders.

Wells’s remains could not be immediately identified, but his remains were accounted for by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in May of this year following laboratory analysis.

Visitation for PFC Charles Wells will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Chism Family Funeral Home. Wells will be laid to rest in a graveside service with military honors at 11 a.m. in the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central.