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Awards presented at fiscal court meeting to agencies which investigated and prosecuted Radcliff animal torture case

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The Hardin County Fiscal Court met for their first meeting of the month Tuesday.

Humane World for Animals Kentucky Director Todd Blevins attended the meeting in order to recognize the Radcliff Police Department, Hardin County Animal Care and Control, and the Ninth Judicial Circuit’s Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office with the organization’s 2025 Humane Law Enforcement Award.

“We present our Humane Law Enforcement Awards to agencies across the country that do exemplary work to highlight animal cruelty and, more importantly, prosecute it and make sure that justice is served,” Blevins said.

The award was presented to the three offices in recognition for their work investigating and prosecuting the Morgan Barrick case, which saw the Radcliff woman convicted on multiple counts of Animal Torture. 

“We normally present it to an agency, but we felt it was important in this case to present awards top to bottom because this was a case in which from the time of investigation all the way through prosecution, the work was exemplary,” Blevins said.

Hardin County Animal Care and Control Director Mike McNutt said the investigation work on the case was “hands down, perfect” and said a great amount of time and energy went towards the case.

“With two and a half years of taking care of the same 14 animals, there’s bonds that are built,” McNutt said. “It was a labor of love by each of the kennel techs that are represented here today. I can’t say enough about the work that this staff does.”

Detective Kenneth Mattingly accepted on behalf of the RPD, and Eric Carr accepted on behalf of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

In other meeting news, Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul thanked county employees who devoted extra time to supporting response and recovery efforts following the winter storms, and Taul expressed his appreciation for the patience of county residents.

“It’s been rough, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry for all of the inconveniences and the issues that people have had to deal with,” Taul said. “Between the roads and garbage collection, it has been rough.”

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet February 24. The first Hardin County Town Hall Forum of the year, rescheduled from January due to the weather, will be held in the fiscal courtroom on February 23.

LTADD hosting public hearing on Area Plan for Aging Services

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The Lincoln Trail Area Development District is asking for public input on future aging services and senior support.

The LTADD Community and Social Engagement Division will be presenting their Area Plan for Aging Services for fiscal years 2027 through 2029, and LTADD is inviting area residents to review the plan and provide feedback at a public hearing next week.

“This comprehensive plan outlines the essential services and support available to older adults in the Lincoln Trail region,” said LTADD CASE Director Sue Greenwell. “These services are funded through the Older Americans Act, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Kentucky state-funded initiatives made possible through partnerships with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Administration for Community Living.”

Greenwell says community input is crucial to ensure programming meets the actual needs of the community.

“By sharing your experiences and feedback on this area plan, you help us advocate for the resources and support systems that will best serve our aging population and their families over the next several years,” Greenwell said.

The public hearing will be held Wednesday, February 18, at 9 a.m. at the LTADD office, located at 750 South Provident Way in Elizabethtown. The proposed area plan can be viewed ahead of the public hearing at local senior centers, at the LTADD office, or online at www.ltadd.org.

Pedestrian struck and killed on Interstate 65

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Kentucky State Police Post Four is investigating a fatal collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian on Interstate 65 in Hardin County Tuesday.

KSP Post Four says at approximately 4:30 a.m. on February 10 troopers “received a call regarding a pedestrian in the roadway who had been struck by a Dodge Durango operated by an individual from Alabama.” The collision occurred on I-65 South near the 100-mile marker.

The pedestrian was identified as 45-year-old Carl Ollis of Elizabethtown. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Hardin County Coroner’s Office.

I-65 South was closed for approximately four hours for on-scene investigations and collision reconstruction. The KSP’s investigation is ongoing.

Elizabethtown and Radcliff city councils meet for work sessions

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

The city recognized employees who recently completed certifications. Two employees completed their Playground Safety Inspector certifications, which Elizabethtown Parks and Recreation Director Seth Breitner said is one of the most challenging programs to complete. 19 Elizabethtown Police Department officers completed certification to become Alcoholic Beverage Control inspectors.

“Really, we wanted this to be just supplemental, and another tool in the toolbox is what I like to say for them, and we want to be good partners with our businesses and continue to keep our citizens safe, and we feel this is another way to do this,” said City Clerk and ABC Administrator Jessica Graham.

City Stormwater Director Rita Davis provided the council with an update, providing statistics on 2025 activity.

“We had 153 new erosion control permits issued, 25 private water quality units were inspected, we had 12 illicit discharge investigations in 2025, and 38 plan reviews,” Davis said. “We had 176 stormwater requests. A lot of those are from all the rain we had last year.”

Davis said the department completed an audit with the Kentucky Division of Water for the city’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program, and received a rare 100 percent inspection rate.

Also meeting for a work session Monday was the Radcliff City Council. The council received information on the single bid received for the former FFO building and property located at 987 North Dixie Boulevard.

“In this case, the bid amount for the building was $508,500,” said Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall. “We did have a reserve of $500,000, so it did meet the reserve of that, and the 10 percent earnest money was also included in that, which was $50,850.”

Members of the council expressed their support for the bid, noting the many attempts the city made to find a use for the property after it was gifted to the city.

The Radcliff and Elizabethtown city councils will both host their next regular meetings on February 17.

Hardin County EMS receives Gold Achievement Award from AHA

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Hardin County EMS is receiving some special recognition.

“Hardin County EMS just received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline Gold Achievement Award,” said Hardin County Government Communications Officer Brian Walker. “Last year we were ranked as silver. This is in response to heart attacks, strokes, and lifesaving measures that ultimately help people to stay alive before they can even get to the hospital.”

Hardin County Government says the Mission: Lifeline EMS initiative aims to “advance the system of care for patients with high-risk, time-sensitive disease states” and helps to reduce barriers to proper treatment, starting from when 911 is called.

Walker said the award is a testament to the hard work of the county’s EMS crews.

“We just have an outstanding group of people that work for our Emergency Medical Services Office,” Walker said. “We’ve got those different locations around the county, and we’re always looking at ways to improve, upgrade equipment, do more training, and there’s just so much that goes on behind the scenes that people just don’t know, the constant chance to step up and to do better and to do more.”

Learn more about the award and the initiative on the American Heart Association’s website.