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Be safe as you light up campfires or bonfires this summer

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As you continue to enjoy the summer months, if a bonfire or campfire is part of your plans, make sure you are taking precautions beforehand.

“Always check where you are, and make sure that the season is not too dry,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Whatever you’re doing, I always tell people, watch the weather conditions, especially the wind, because it can get away from you.”

Crane says it’s safest to enjoy a fire from properly-constructed fire pits made of materials that can contain the fire.

Whenever you are around a fire, keep an eye on children.

“Make sure that they’re not getting too close,” Crane said. “If you’re roasting those hot dogs or those marshmallows, just keep an eye on them. Make sure that they’re not being rambunctious around there.”

Keep fires at least 15 feet away from structures, and never leave a fire unattended.

“If you’re going in for the night, just make sure that it’s cooled down, and maybe have a water hose close,” Crane said.

Be aware of local ordinances concerning outdoor burning, and only burn materials that are approved for burning.

Breck. Co. Health Department hosting teen Narcan training event

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The Breckinridge County Health Department hosts monthly Narcan training events, but with statistics showing that 6.4 percent of Kentucky children ages 12 to 17 have reported using illicit drugs, the department decided to host a teen Narcan training event.

“It’s for ages 14 to 19, so high school and then those starting to go off to college,” said BCHD Harm Reduction Program Coordinator Kayela Bennett. “We teach them the signs of an opioid overdose, how to use Narcan, how to call for help, and then we teach them about the dangers of opioids like fentanyl and those things that could be out on the street or in substances that they take that they didn’t know they took.”

Bennett says your child may not be in that 6.4 percent, but they can help somebody who is.

“You never know who could need it,” Bennett said. “It could be you, it could be a friend, it could be a family member, it could be a stranger on the street, and the more people that are aware and educated on how to use it, then the more lives that can be saved,” Bennett said.

The training event will be held at the health department at 5:30 p.m. CDT on July 23. Registration is required. Find the link to register on the Breckinridge County Health Department Facebook page.

As the school year gets closer, the health department also is offering special back to school packs for college kids.

“It comes with a drawstring bag that has our logo and everything on it, and then inside they get Narcan, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, a pack of condoms, and then education on an opioid overdose, first aid, kratom, marijuana, and then also the contact information for the Poison Control Line,” Bennett said.

Contact Bennett at 270-668-7294 to reserve a college pack.

KSP drug operation nets nearly 200 arrests

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A summer effort by the Kentucky State Police targeting suspected drug networks has resulted in nearly 200 arrests.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear last Friday announced the results of Operation Summer Heat 2.0, which saw participation from all 16 posts of the KSP. According to a release from the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the operation was not only focused on making arrests but also on “disrupting the criminal enterprises that threaten the safety and health of Kentuckians.”

Operation Summer Heat 2.0 resulted in 197 arrests, with 30 of those arrests made by KSP Post Four in Elizabethtown. The operation resulted in the combined seizure of more than $640,000 worth of drugs including 3,002 grams of fentanyl, 1,176 grams of cocaine, and 6,046 grams of methamphetamine. The operation also resulted in the confiscation of 82 firearms, more than $181,000 in cash, and $200,000 worth of stolen property.

Operation Summer Heat 2.0 remains active and more arrests are expected in the coming weeks. Anybody with information on possible drug activity in the commonwealth is encouraged to leave an anonymous tip with the KSP via their website.

Voter registration for independent or other continues to grow in Kentucky

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Registration for independent or other voters continues to see gains in Kentucky. 

The Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office says independent or other registration accounted for two-thirds of new voter registrations in the month of June.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, independent or other registration increased by 1,579 voters. Republican registration increased by 828 voters, and Democratic registration fell by 890. Republican registration makes up 47 percent of the state electorate, Democratic registration makes up 42 percent, and independent or other registration makes up 11 percent.

The Secretary of State’s Office says 4,228 voters were removed from the rolls in June. 3,006 were deceased, 547 were felony convicts, and 410 moved to another state.

Kentuckians can register to vote or check their registration status by visiting govote.ky.gov, or by contacting their county clerk’s office.

One dead, two injured following Patriot Parkway crash

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The Elizabethtown Police Department is investigating a fatal traffic collision.

According to the EPD, at just after noon on Friday officers along with other emergency responders responded to “a serious injury collision at the intersection of Patriot Parkway and Timber Lane.”

The EPD says the preliminary investigation indicates that a driver operating a SUV attempted to make a left turn from Timber Lane onto the northbound lane of Patriot Parkway when it crossed into the path of a southbound sedan. The driver of the sedan hit the brakes and attempted to stop, but the vehicle collided with the driver’s side of the SUV.

A passenger in the SUV was pronounced dead at Baptist Health Hardin. The drivers of both vehicles were transported to BHH for treatment of minor injuries.

The southbound lanes of Patriot Parkway were closed at the scene of the collision for several hours. The incident remains under investigation by the Elizabethtown Police Accident Reconstruction Team.