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Concrete work on I-65 at Joe Prather Highway exit begins Friday

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A lane closure on Interstate 65 South near the Hardin-Bullitt county line may result in delays this weekend.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says concrete repair on I-65 South at the KY 313/Joe Prather Highway interchange will require closing the right lane. Removal of concrete slabs and pouring of the new surface will begin around 8 p.m. Friday and should be completed by early Sunday afternoon.

KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie says the work is being done to maintain the integrity of the roadway.

“We’re trying to stay ahead of any major problems in the concrete sections south of the county line into Hardin County,” Jessie says. “We’re all aware of the concrete condition north of Lebanon Junction. Obviously the project’s under way now to take of a significant chunk of that, but we want to make sure that we’re doing all we can do maintenance wise to take care of some of these slabs before they get to a really bad condition, and that’s what we’re doing out there this weekend.”

The center lane is not expected to be closed at this time, and the KY 313 on-ramp to I-65 will remain open while work takes place.

Get more information on traffic conditions at www.goky.ky.gov.

Military Female Sexual Trauma Program opens Monday

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Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health System held a ribbon cutting Thursday for its new inpatient Military Female Sexual Trauma Program.

Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health System CEO Leslie Flechler said the program will offer specialized treatment designed to inspire, empower, and build upon the resiliency skills many service members use while serving in the armed forces.

“It’s designed to meet the needs of active duty service members and veterans, females that is, that are in need of more intense treatment,” Flechler said. “They will come to us for maybe 21 to 45 days, focus on their trauma, and stabilize so they can return to duty.”

Flechler said a goal of the program is to keep area service members in need of treatment closer to the communities and families that support them.

“We were specifically approached by some of our local, more regional military installations, and they are sending service members out to other states, and we feel it’s important for them to be able to stay local, many times close to their families, but also it’s just as important they are close to their command and their behavioral health providers at the installations,” Flechler said.

The first patients will be welcomed to the program beginning Monday. In addition to the Military Female Sexual Trauma Program, the health system provides an inpatient PTSD and Substance Use Military/Veteran Program. No-cost level of care assessments are available 24/7.

Contact the Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health System at 270-351-9444 or visit www.lincolnbehavioral.com.

Out of the Darkness walk this Saturday at Central Hardin High School

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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Kentucky Chapter will host the 2023 Elizabethtown Out of the Darkness Walk this Saturday at Central Hardin High School.

According to the foundation, suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States, and the Out of the Darkness walks allow people to raise awareness and funds to invest in new research, create educational programs based in current science, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of loss.

Registration is free and open to the public at www.afsp.org/elizabethtown, and walk-up registration will be accepted Saturday. Check in at Central Hardin High School begins at 9 a.m. with the walk scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

United Way kicks off annual campaign; Shouse named president

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United Way of Central Kentucky was the featured organization at the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce’s September luncheon Wednesday, with emphasis placed on the multiple ways that supporting the United Way supports the community as a whole.

“We have 22 funded partners, now 23 funded partners this year, and that represents 27 programs,” says Central Kentucky United Way Director of Development Christa Shouse, who announced during the meeting she would be taking over as the organization’s president.

“There’s maybe one degree of separation between those who need help and those who can give it, and a lot of times it’s our neighbor, it might be somebody we work with,” says Shouse. “We don’t know, but what my job is is to make sure that we have resources in this community for people when they need it.”

Wednesday marked the beginning of the United Way’s annual fundraising campaign. Shouse says while the organization doesn’t have an official number in mind, her personal goal is to see contributions return to pre-pandemic levels and to continue bringing new people into the United Way’s network.

“There’s still, even with the money that we’ve raised, grant requests that we can’t fulfill, but the community desperately needs these programs, so I want to keep trying to find that revenue out there, make new partners for volunteer experiences, for fiving back, for finding a way to be a part of the community,” Shouse says.

When it was announced during the luncheon that Shouse would step into the president role, there was a round of applause. Shouse says it is humbling to be entrusted with leading the organization she has been part of now for 12 years.

“I love United Way,” Shouse says. “I love the community that we serve. Having this opportunity, I can’t quite distill into words what that means, but I’ll say this: I started out as the admin assistant, and I’m going to be the CEO, so all of my experiences within the organization are important, and I’m blessed to have this work to do.”

To learn more about United Way of Central Kentucky, visit www.unitedwayck.org, or call 270-737-6608.

Hardin County says recycling program could be lost if users don’t take better care

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Hardin County Government offers six drop off locations for residents to use the county’s recycling program.

County officials, however, say they need residents to use the program more responsibly.

“We’re actually in jeopardy of losing our recycling program, just due to citizens not following the guidelines, and we do not want to lose this valuable program,” says Hardin County Public Relations Officer Megan McDougal.

McDougal says the county has been having issues with people bringing items to the recycling drop-offs that are not accepted by the recycling program.

“If it’s something we cannot take, it turns into trash, which in fact costs the program more money and the county, and so we won’t be able to continue that way,” McDougal says.

Users have also not been taking care to properly sort their recycling in the provided bins and not following directions to load trailers from front to back. McDougal also says improper care results in unwanted visitors to the trailers.

“All items have to be rinsed, and if not there are rodents and bugs and bees that intrude in the trailers at night,” McDougal says.

McDougal encourages residents to review the recycling guidelines to ensure they are using the program efficiently.

“There’s guidelines on our website (www.hcky.org) under ‘Solid Waste Department, Recycling,’” McDougal says. “There’s also signage, lists, and guidelines at every recycling spot, and there’s also a brochure online that really lays out everything really nicely on the same page.”

Residents can also call the Solid Waste Department at 270-360-9207 for more information.