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Winter Storm Watch issued for the weekend

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UPDATE: The Winter Storm Watch has been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning, in effect for the same time period as the previously-issued watch.
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The National Weather Service in Louisville has issued a Winter Storm Watch, which will be in effect for the area from 1 a.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Monday.

According to the NWS, widespread snowfall is expected. While confidence in snowfall is very high, meteorologists are still not certain on totals, with high probabilities of accumulation of more than eight inches and possibly more than 12 inches. Chances for sleet and ice accumulations have also increased, and dangerously cold air is possible.

The exact track of the winter storm has not been determined, which will impact what areas see more of what accumulations. The weather service says to expect “considerable disruptions to daily life.”

Area residents are reminded to be ready for the impacts of winter weather.

“Any weather event can cause damage, but ice is a particular concern,” said Nolin RECC Communications Manager Sarah Fellows. “The extra weight that it adds to the lines and surrounding trees can cause damage that may disrupt service. Nolin always has employees ready to respond, but we encourage residents to be prepared in advance, especially if you have a medical device that you rely on that needs power to run. You need to have your backups ready for that.”

Stay away from power lines that might be knocked down due to weather, and report them to your service provider.

Follow the National Weather Service in Louisville for updates.

London says LTADD growth means more services for area residents

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Lincoln Trail Area Development District Executive Director Daniel London says the numbers show how committed the 48-member staff at LTADD is to moving the district forward.

“Return on Investment, just at the counting level when you talk about projects that they’ve touched or completed, is $372 million for this region,” London said. “Almost 90,000 home delivered meals, over 108,000 congregate meals served with cooperation from a wonderful partner in Central Kentucky Community Action, 173 seniors receiving legal assistance, over 20,000 transportation trips, and 213 clients receiving in-home services.”

London spoke during LTADD’s annual meeting to discuss the organization with its board of directors, elected officials and citizen members from across the eight-county district.

London said three years ago LTADD began transitioning from a government operating system to an entrepreneurial operating system, which he said created efficiencies and positively impacted the organization’s culture.

“We are divided into business divisions, with each division director acting as their own company, the CEO, to have that ownership of KPI, Key Performance Indicators, that they’re all rated on and that our team has bought into to make sure that they understand exactly what we’re here for,” London said.

London said LTADD’s budget has grown from $15.2 million in 2023 to $30 million in 2026, which represents increased investment and service across the district.

“You haven’t seen anything yet as to what this team is going to accomplish and the talent that we’re going to continue to bring in, and you’re going to be absolutely proud year in and year out, and when we reach the end of this five-year strategic plan, you’re going to look back and say ‘oh my gosh, that was just a mere warm up as to what we’ve been and what we’ve done,’” London said.

The meeting also served as the swearing-in ceremony for the 2026 LTADD officers slate. Washington County Judge/Executive Timothy Graves will serve as chair, Hodgenville Mayor Jim Phelps as first vice chair, Becky Miller as second vice chair, Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory as secretary, and LaRue County Judge/Executive Blake Durrett as treasurer.

The organization presented the Dorothy M. Dolle Memorial Award to Janet Hobbs of Meade County, and Graves was presented with the Palmer A. “Pete” Peterson Memorial Award. Additionally, retiring board member Ted Brown of Breckinridge County was recognized for his 32 years of service, and London recognized the outgoing board chair, Marion County Judge/Executive David Daugherty.

Visit www.ltadd.org for more information.

Operation River Raid targets illegal catfish operations

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Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is wrapping up a 10-month, multi-agency investigation of the illegal commercial harvest and sale of catfish from public waters across the commonwealth.

Operation River Raid spans from Paducah to Ashland, and KFW says it “represents one of the most significant cases of illegal wildlife harvesting and distribution in recent state history.”

KFW says the investigation is anticipated to result in more than 700 criminal charges. Wardens plan to present more than 100 felony counts to juries as they seek indictments. Charges are pending as the investigation is ongoing, but authorities allege that the defendants in the cases failed to report the harvest of a total of more than 300,000 pounds of catfish in violation of state law.

KFW says officials believe the illegal activity involved harvesting catfish from public waterways and transporting them to sell to unregulated or illegally-operated pay lakes, which officials say not only violates state law but also threatens the long-term sustainability of natural resources in the state.

Investigators utilized “surveillance, intelligence sharing, and field inspections across multiple counties to disrupt these illegal activities.” If you witness suspected poaching activity, report it to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife by calling 1-800-25-ALERT, by texting KFWLaw to 847411, or through the contact information for your local game warden available at fw.ky.gov.

E-Town council approves financial support for Airport Board projects

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The Elizabethtown City Council met for their second meeting of the month Tuesday.

Heather Cochran with RFH, PLLC presented the city’s annual audit report. Cochran said the firm made some recommendations, some of which the city has already taken steps to address, but the city is in compliance for its federal audit.

“The important thing, in my mind, is to know you all did get a ‘clean opinion’,” Cochran said. “That’s kind of as good as it gets in the auditing world. Can’t give you any better than that, so having these recommendations, I know (City finance Director) Jeff (Hawkins) and (City Treasurer) Cheryl (Buhr) and your team will make sure that they get taken care of in the future.”

The first reading was held on an ordinance to rezone 614 through 622 Pear Orchard Road from Suburban Residential (R-2) to Urban Residential (R-3). The rezoning was recommended for approval by the city’s Planning Commission.

The council approved a municipal order which approved a contract with the Elizabethtown Airport Board for a promissory note.

“The city approves the promissory note with the Elizabethtown Airport Board for a bridge loan to cover expenses for the completion of construction of a T-hangar building, to be utilized for the benefit of providing enhanced public services at the airport property off of Kitty Hawk Drive here in Elizabethtown,” said City Attorney Ken Howard, reading from the municipal order. 

The loan is for $600,000 with no interest, to be repaid by January 1, 2028. After a closed session, the council also approved a municipal order which approved a contract for financing the Airport Board’s purchase of property located at 1331 Hayden School Road.

The council also approved municipal orders for a contract with Nolin RECC for the installation and maintenance of streetlights on Commerce Drive as part of the outdoor music venue project, as well as for the purchase of property at 607 Moore Drive for $12,000.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet January 26.

Radcliff council approves remediation efforts for Saunders Springs cabins

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The Radcliff City Council met for their second meeting of the month Tuesday.

The council approved the remediation of the cabins at Saunders Springs Nature Preserve to address damage caused by powder post beetles, with the work valued at $13,752. The council also approved the disassembly and storage of the Stovall cabin, which has suffered more extensive damage, until more extensive restoration options are decided upon.

Council Member Jerry Brown said it was important to work to keep something that makes the city special.

“There is so much duplication amongst what towns have,” Brown said. “Everybody has a McDonald’s, everybody has a yada yada yada. These are unique to Radcliff. It brings people into Radcliff. People might have their photographs taken there. They might have events there. This is one of the few things that we have that we can smile about and all agree on, so I think this is one of those things that’s worth keeping, worth supporting, worth putting our money in.”

Beth Avey with the Central Kentucky Community Foundation’s Heels Together initiative presented to the council on the Pink Dot Project,  which allows area residents to donate period products for women and girls who cannot afford them. Gathering Bakery in Radcliff served as one of the first drop off locations for the project, and a temporary drop-off bin is now located in the Colvin Community Center. Avey said the first distribution from the project is set for the end of this month.

“We don’t want it to be just a one-time thing,” Avey said. “We want to keep it going, so if you’re willing, put products in the box. You can also go online, and there’s a QR code on the box too, where you can buy products on our Amazon Wishlist, or you can donate money and we’ll go do the shopping for you.”

Visit the Heels Together Facebook page for more information.

The Radcliff City Council will next meet February 9.