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Ozone Season runs now through end of September in Bullitt County

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It’s the first day of May, which means it is the first day of Ozone Season in Bullitt County.

During Ozone Season, the outdoor burning of brush, tree limbs, leaves, and natural growth from land clearing is restricted in counties that have at one time or another exceeded air quality standards for ozone or particulate matter pollution. Burning is prohibited from May 1 through September 30 in order to help protect families and improve air quality.

According to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, ozone is protective when it occurs high in the stratosphere, but ground-level ozone is a summertime health risk that irritates breathing passages and can trigger asthma attacks. Ground-level ozone is created when pollutants chemically react in the atmosphere in the presence of heat and sunlight.

The Energy and Environment Cabinet says Ozone Season restrictions are not the same as burn bans, which counties declare during times of extreme wildfire hazard. The burning of trash at any time of year is illegal in all counties, and state law prohibits the outdoor burning of many materials such as plastics and tires. Visit the Energy and Environment Cabinet on the web for more information on burning restrictions.

Beshear requests additional counties for assistance approval

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear made two additional requests to FEMA on Tuesday seeking aid for Kentuckians and communities impacted by the April flooding and storms.

The governor requested an additional 16 counties be approved for individual assistance. Following the White House’s approval of a Major Disaster Declaration, 13 counties including Hardin County were initially approved. Included in the additional request are Bullitt, Grayson, Hart, Meade, and Nelson counties.

“This means that there is going to be both immediate need as well as cleaning, as well as rebuilding money that’s available to our families,” Beshear said during a Facebook update on the initial assistance approval. “It is a process that you have to apply for and it’s an in-depth process, but it does provide that funding that’s going to help us not just muck out, but ultimately move forward.”

The governor is also requesting public assistance for 64 counties in which FEMA has certified damages. This includes the previously mentioned counties along with Breckinridge and LaRue counties. The governor also renewed his request for hazard mitigation approval for the entire state.

Residents and business owners in the approved counties may begin applying for assistance.

“You can do it by visiting a Disaster Recovery Center when it’s open,” Beshear said. “You can go online at www.disasterassistance.gov, or you can call the hotline 1-800-621-FEMA. That’s 1-800-621-3362.”

When applying, make sure you are applying for the correct designation (April Flood DR-4864). Find your nearest Disaster Recovery Center by searching at www.fema.gov/drc.

Man arrested in Nelson County crash investigation

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The Kentucky State Police’s investigation of a collision in Nelson County has resulted in an arrest.

The KSP says Jonathan Hood of Lawrenceburg has been charged with Vehicular Homicide, Wanton Endangerment, Driving Under the Influence, and Open Alcoholic Container as a result of the investigation.

The KSP says the preliminary investigation indicates that on April 22 a vehicle operated by Hood was traveling east on KY 509 near Coxs Creek when the vehicle crossed the center line, crossing into the path of a vehicle operated by a 17-year-old juvenile. A passenger in the juvenile’s vehicle, 18-year-old McKinzi Raisor of Bardstown, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Nelson County Coroner’s Office.

Hood was lodged in the Nelson County Detention Center. He is being held on a $250,000 cash bond.

Tickets still available for E-Town Wine Fest

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Tickets are still available for the ninth-annual E-Town Wine Fest, which will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 at Freeman Lake Park.

The Elizabethtown Events staff says tickets purchased in advance are $30 and tickets purchased at the door are $35. That ticket includes ten tasting tickets and a commemorative wine glass. Non-tasting tickets are available for $10.

The event will feature Kentucky wineries offering tastings and sales by the glass or bottle. E-Town Tourism will bring their Bourbon’s Backyard table, and a vendor village, food vendors, and craft breweries will also be set up on site.

Two bands will be performing at the festival.

“This year we have the Honky Tonk Wranglers coming, which that’s a really fun local favorite, and then we have Tony and the Tanlines, which is a huge yacht rock revue, so we’re really excited about that one,” said Priscilla Scarborough with the city’s event staff.

The event is 21 and up only, and a valid ID will be required for entry. Purchase tickets or find more information at www.etownevents.com.

E-Town council hears historic preservation update

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The Elizabethtown City Council met for a work session Monday afternoon.

Elizabethtown Planning and Development Director Joe Reverman provided an update on his office’s research on expanding historic preservation in the city, as requested by the council following a zoning change for a property on College Street earlier this year. Reverman said the city’s Historic Preservation Commission has been considering updates to the Historic Preservation Ordinance and properties to consider including.

“This first phase was just to look at expansion of the district to the north up to Poplar Street, so that would be from Mulberry to Quince, and just taking that straight up to Poplar Street,” Reverman said. “This doesn’t mean all of those properties would be recommended for approval to be within the district. It just means that they’ve asked staff to do a study and research those properties and provide information to the commission to see if they do belong within the preservation district.”

Any recommendations from the commission would ultimately go before the city council for final approval. Reverman said any residents with recommendations should contact his office.

“They don’t have to be districts, and they don’t have to be downtown,” Reverman said. “We can designate anything, any building, any structure, any site as an individual landmark within our city that can be regulated and guided with our historic preservation program.”

Project L.E.A.R.N. President Ann Borders provided an update on the organization, which provides support and day habilitation for adults with intellectual disabilities. Borders discussed the growth the organization has seen since its founding in 1983, such as acquiring their building in 2022, along with challenges including funding and facilities.

“Our utility costs run well over $1,000 a month because of no insulation in the walls and floors, and when we put the blown insulation in the ceiling I talked to the gentleman who did the work about doing the walls, and he said ‘well, you can do it, but it’s going to be very expensive,’” Borders said.

Learn more about the organization by finding the PL ProjectLearn account on Facebook.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet for a regular meeting on May 12, with budget meetings scheduled for May 5 through 8.