WQXE NEWS

More than 15,000 Hardin County residents took advantage of in-person early voting opportunities ahead of the November 5 general election.

The Hardin County Clerk’s Office says after more than 4,800 early in-person no-excuse ballots were cast on both Friday and Saturday, the grand total for in-person no-excuse absentee voting was 13,887, with 8,118 ballots cast at the main clerk’s office in Elizabethtown and 5,769 cast at the Colvin Community Center in Radcliff.

The clerk’s office also says 1,679 residents cast their ballot at the clerk’s office during in-person excused absentee voting.

If you received a mail-in absentee ballot, you have Monday and Tuesday to get it to the clerk’s office.

“Those ballots must be back to the clerk’s office by mail or by hand delivery no later than 6 p.m. on election night,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. With a record turnout expected for this year’s election, Smith says Hardin County has expanded voting locations and added machines at the traditionally busier locations.

“As long as you’re in line by 6 p.m. you’ll be allowed to vote,” Smith said. “We have 15 locations available all across Hardin County. Any voter who’s registered in Hardin County can choose any location that’s convenient for them. I encourage folks to visit govote.ky.gov or the Hardin County Clerk’s Facebook page to find the location nearest you.”

Contact your county clerk’s office for more election information.

CASA of the Heartland recently received a grant to support their efforts as they expand their services to three more counties.

The organization was awarded a $33,665 Volunteer Recruitment Grant from the National Court Appointed Special Advocate/Guardian ad litem Association for Children. According to a release, the grant will allow CASA of the Heartland “to strengthen its efforts to recruit additional volunteers, enabling the program to increase the number of children served across its expanding service region.”

CASA of the Heartland Executive Director Michelle Kail said after originating in Hardin County and expanding to cover LaRue County, the organization decided to take over for the dissolving Tri-County CASA organization and expand to cover Breckinridge, Grayson, and Meade counties.

“We went through a pretty extensive process to figure out if taking on this extra area would be something that we could do and do well, and ultimately we decided that we could not let those kiddos go unserved, and so we are now serving a five county region,” Kail said.

Kail said the organization has an Amazon Wish List posted and is accepting donations, but the best way to support CASA’s mission is by becoming a court-appointed special advocate yourself.

“If you are interested in learning more about being a CASA volunteer, you can visit CASAheartland.org,” Kail said. “We recently shared a video called Coffee with CASA, so if someone just wants to sit down with us and ask more questions, just give our office a call and we will set something up. Our number is 270-982-2274.

More information is also available on the CASA of the Heartland Facebook page.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officials have scheduled a public meeting to discuss the recent implementation of a chronic wasting disease surveillance zone after the disease was discovered on a farm in Breckinridge County.

KFW will host that meeting at the Breckinridge County Cooperative Extension Office, located at 1377 South Highway 261 in Hardinsburg, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 7.

During a special meeting of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission, a surveillance zone containing Breckinridge, Hardin, and Meade counties was established. KFW Director of Wildlife Ben Robinson said the zone follows the agency’s policies concerning CWD.

“When you have a detection in a captive facility, you immediately draw a five mile radius around that detection, which becomes your management zone, and then you draw a 15 mile radius around that detection, and any county that touches that 15 mile radius then becomes part of your surveillance zone,” Robinson said.

During the public meeting, KFW staff will share “updates on the collaborative agency and partner response, new hunting regulations in the area, and available CWD testing options.” Attendees will also have a chance to ask questions.

Learn more about chronic wasting disease and the agency’s response plan at fw.ky.gov.