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Winter storm means pothole season starts early this year

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Much of the snow and ice from the January winter storms has melted off, but in its wake the winter weather left an additional hazard.

“Potholes, of course, are a year-round thing, but it becomes even more evident after a winter storm, especially one with the extreme amount of cold temperatures we’ve had and the amount of moisture that fell,” said Hardin County Government Communications Officer Brian Walker. “Snow removal efforts and ice being removed from the road with the heavy machinery and those plows can and does create more damage to the roads and potholes start showing up. We’re actually starting to see those a little earlier this year than we normally would.”

Walker says the county repairs potholes found on county roads every Monday and Tuesday, with work broken down into five zones. If you find a pothole, you can report it to the county’s road department.

“There’s a phone number, and you can easily reach out to us 24 hours a day, even on a holiday, at 270-951-0951,” Walker said. “It’ll be a text exchange where it will help you to specify where it is and what you’re reporting. You can also go to our website, www.hardincountyky.gov, and there’s a button there called ‘Report an Issue.’”

Issues with state roads should be reported to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and issues with city roads should be directed to the respective municipality.

Baptist Health Hardin president says community health goals keep patients out of the hospital

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Baptist Health Hardin President Rob Ramey said during the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce’s February membership luncheon Wednesday that in recent years the focus of his comments has been the hospital, but he said more focus is needed on community health and wellness.

“As a hospital president, you may not expect to hear me say this, but I want to keep more patients out of the hospital,” Ramey said. “We need to start focusing a little bit more of our resources on not caring for the sick, but keeping people healthy, and community health and community wellness is more than what happens inside the four walls of the hospital.”

Ramey said Baptist Health Hardin is working to reduce healthcare deserts by providing more access to care, including the new Cecilia Mediplex facility set to open this spring and the new ER and urgent care center set to open in Radcliff this fall. Beyond new facilities and improvements within existing facilities, the organization looks to community partnerships to address other disparities in care.

“Ideas like partnering with Feeding America to address patients who might be experiencing food insecurities,” Ramey said. “It’s working with other organizations, like we recently announced a new Community Health and Wellness Fund with support from the Cecilian Bank. It’s working collaboratively around our community with our leaders to ensure that we’re continuing to address the unmet needs within our community.”

Baptist Health Hardin partnered with the Lincoln Trail District Health Department on a Community Health Assessment. Ramey said the top three identified needs in the most recent survey are mental health, substance use, and access to care. Ramey also said the organization partners with area schools each year on a Youth Risk Behavior Survey to identify stressors impacting area students.

“It’s something that we use to help really target the efforts that we’re taking,” Ramey said. “It’s part of why, then, we continue to have anti-vaping education within the school systems because that is a huge need that we continue to see on the risk behavior surveys.”

Visit the Baptist Health Hardin website for more information on community health initiatives, and find the Community Health Assessment dashboard on the Lincoln Trail District Health Department’s website.

Internet Crimes Against Children task force investigation lands Glendale man in jail

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A Hardin County man is in custody after a Kentucky State Police child sexual exploitation investigation.

Christopher Scott Barnes of Glendale is currently charged with one count of Fugitive from Another State, three counts of Class C Felony Procuring or Promoting the Use of a Minor by Electronic Means, and three counts of Class B Misdemeanor Indecent Exposure following his arrest Tuesday.

According to the KSP, Barnes was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. The Santa Claus Police Department in Indiana “began the investigation after discovering the suspect procuring a minor online.” The investigation was transferred to the KSP Electronic Crime Branch after Barnes was identified as a Kentucky resident.

A search warrant was obtained for a residence in Glendale and executed on February 10. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to the KSP’s forensic lab, and Barnes was placed under arrest.

Barnes made an initial appearance in Hardin District Court Wednesday and is currently incarcerated in the Hardin County Detention Center. The KSP’s investigation is ongoing.

Applications being accepted for Kentucky Farm Bureau scholarships

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The deadline is approaching for students to apply for scholarships offered by Kentucky Farm Bureau.

High school seniors from across the commonwealth have until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, February 28 to get their applications in for the Kentucky Farm Bureau post-secondary scholarship program.

According to KFB, scholarships for more than 50 categories are available. Funds may be applied to the cost of tuition, housing, books, or other expenses. Some scholarships for nontraditional students are also available.

The scholarship program is made possible through the partnership between the KFB Education Foundation and the county Farm Bureau offices. Scholarship applicants must be the child of a KFB member and must complete high school within the year they apply.

KFB awarded more than $810,000 to 601 Kentucky students through last year’s scholarship program. KFB says the scholarships “help remove barriers for students who are working hard to build their future.”

Find the full list of available scholarships and submit an application at www.kyfb.com/scholarships.

Preliminary work for Louisville I-65 closure detours getting under way

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Preliminary work ahead of the temporary closure of Interstate 65 in Louisville this summer got under way this week.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Five says overnight ramp and lane closures are going into effect this week on Interstates 65 and 264 as crews begin “work to widen and restripe interstate ramps to increase capacity and improve merge operations that will reduce traffic congestion along the designated detour route.”

As part of the project, I-65 will be closed between Jefferson Street and I-264 for two months this summer, with the official detour using I-264 and I-64. To support the preliminary traffic mitigation work, contract crews will establish temporary traffic configurations, install concrete barrier walls, restripe pavement, and place new signage to prepare the designated detour route for increased traffic volumes during the temporary closure. 

The summer closure is part of the larger corridor project which is expected to be completed in 2028. All construction schedules are weather dependent. Visit the I-65 Central Corridor project website for more information, and follow KYTC District Five on social media for updates.