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Heartland Harvest Festival cancelled due to weather; concert, pickleball tournament rescheduled

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Elizabethtown Events Manager Beth Pyles said due to unsafe weather conditions resulting from the remnants of Hurricane Helene, the city has reluctantly chosen to cancel the Heartland Harvest Festival.

“The cancellation includes the crafted commercial vendors, the food vendors, the kids zone activities, the petting zoo, and the concert scheduled for downtown,” Pyles said. It also includes the Heartland Harvest Festival 5K Run/Walk at the nature park, the fishing derby at Freeman Lake Park, the Ron Thomas Memorial Fishing Tournament at Freeman Lake Park, and unfortunately the Great Pumpkin Battle decorating contest.”

Pyles said one event will still be happening Saturday.

“The Women’s Club of Elizabethtown will still have their Heartland Harvest Breakfast at Pritchard Community Center tomorrow morning,” Pyles said. “That’s from 8 to 11 a.m. They have dine-in, carry-out, and drive-thru. You can purchase tickets online and I think they’re taking them at the door still.”

The city was able to announce at least one bright side. The concert featuring country artists J.D. Shelburne and Craig Morgan has been rescheduled for May 31, 2025. Additional details on the concert will be released at a later date. Follow the Elizabethtown City Events Facebook page or visit etownevents.com for more information.

Additionally, the Elizabethtown Pickleball Commission rescheduled their pickleball open tournament to Saturday, October 5. Registration has re-opened for the tournament through Wednesday night, with a link available on the commission’s Facebook page.

Unemployment rates across Kentucky up in August from last year

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While unemployment rates across the Lincoln Trail District saw slight increases in August 2024 compared to the year prior, the rates across the district are down from the month prior. 

The Kentucky Center for Labor Statistics says unemployment rates increased in all 120 counties in the commonwealth from August 2023 to August 2024.

The state unemployment average for August was reported at 5.1 percent, down some from the 5.4 percent average reported in July and up from the 4.1 percent average reported in August 2023. Four counties in the Lincoln Trail District had rates higher than the state average and three counties had rates lower than the state average.

Hardin County’s unemployment rate for August 2024 tied the state average at 5.1 percent. Hardin’s rate is a slight decrease from July 2024 when the rate was 5.4 percent and an increase from the 4 percent rate reported in August 2023.

Breckinridge and Grayson counties tied for the highest unemployment rate in the district for August at 5.7 percent, while Nelson County had the lowest at 4.3 percent.

More information on how the unemployment rate is calculated and more data is available at kystats.ky.gov.

HCS hosts groundbreaking for new West Hardin Middle School building

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Hardin County Schools celebrated the start of a new chapter Thursday.

West Hardin Middle School students were the first to break ground on the new West Hardin building, to be located behind Cecilia Elementary School. The students were joined by the Hardin County Board of Education, school administrators, community and business members, and current and former West Hardin students and staff.

West Hardin Principal Christin Swords said West Hardin has served the district as an elementary, middle, and high school, and community support has maintained the school’s legacy.

“It is not just a building that makes us West Hardin,” Swords said. “It is definitely the people within that building, and we are so grateful that our board members and Superintendent Morgan and our community have this vision to continue West Hardin’s future and add to that next chapter.”

Swords said some of the current students may not attend classes in the new building, but they are excited to be part of the process.

“They keep asking questions, and they’re looking forward to seeing the next step, so we’re excited about including them in this project, not just today but in the building process, and what we can learn from that as well in terms of vision and perseverance through a project, and the commitment that we’re making,” Swords said.

The new West Hardin Middle School, designed by JRA Architects and built by Wehr Construction Inc., is due to open for students in 2026.

Health department continues to investigate Upton water contamination

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The Lincoln Trail District Health Department is continuing to monitor water supplies after an investigation into possible contamination in Upton in August.

According to a release, the health department became aware of suspected water contamination in Big Spring on August 17. Samples collected on August 21 “indicated the presence of coliforms and E. Coli bacterium.” Additional testing was conducted to determine the type of E. Coli present and “indicated the presence of fecal waste from humans and deer.” The test results were shared with the Kentucky Environment and Energy Cabinet.

The health department says based on information from the Environmental Protection Agency bacterial levels in bodies of water can vary and change with rainfall, which makes it difficult to pinpoint the source of the contamination. 

After offering free well water testing to residents in the affected area, the health department has conducted or assisted with 14 tests across 12 locations in Hardin and LaRue counties. Sites from tests taken on August 21 and 27 resulted in E. Coli counts of more than 2,400, but five tests resulted in zero counts.

The health department will continue to work alongside the Environment and Energy Cabinet to test and monitor private water supplies as they work to identify the source of the contamination. If you believe your water supply has been impacted, contact the health department (270-769-0312 for Hardin County and 270-358-8665 for LaRue County), and visit their website for information on well and cistern maintenance.

Heavy rains expected and heavy winds possible with Hurricane Helene

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Hurricane Helene is due to make landfall in Florida Thursday night, with the storm impacting Kentucky on Friday.

“First there will just be a light rain, and then Friday we will get some winds,” said Meteorologist Samantha Michlowitz with the National Weather Service in Louisville. “We are looking at about 30 to 50 miles per hour there for winds on Friday and some pretty heavy rains, then scattered rain chances will last Saturday into Sunday.”

The tropical storm is the second to impact the area this year after the remnants of Hurricane Beryl in july.

“We had one earlier this year that moved through and gave us a good amount of rain, but this time around we’re going to see between 2.5 to 3.5 inches of rain,” Michlowitz said.

Michlowitz says remember to be safe as the storm works its way through.

“If you have anything outside like outdoor decorations or pillows on outdoor furniture, it would probably be best to bring that inside just so that it doesn’t get picked up and thrown,” Michlowitz said. “With rain, just watch out for any ponding. Never drive through any flooded roadways. You never know how deep it is.”

Follow the National Weather Service for more updates on Hurricane Helene’s path.