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Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office investigating after human remains found

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The Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after the discovery of human remains.

The sheriff’s office says deputies responded Monday evening to a call about remains that had been found at a property north of the Little Flock Baptist Church on Old Preston Highway North. A person there was bush-hogging near Tanyard Branch Creek when they discovered the remains and contacted law enforcement.

The case is being considered a death investigation. The sheriff’s office is reviewing area missing persons reports while working with the medical examiner’s office to try and identify the individual.
Anybody with possible information that may assist the investigation is asked to call or email the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip Line. (502-543-1262, crimetip@bcky.org)

Registration open for ECTC Kids College

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Registration is open for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College’s annual summer program, Kids College.

“Kids College is an opportunity we have in the summer for kids to come on campus and learn from a few of our instructors in the areas of robotics, baking and food prep, and agriculture,” said ECTC Lead Recruiter and Kids College Coordinator Becca Owsley. “It is for students that have finished the first through eighth grade, and they’re broken up into three different groups. There’s kids first through third grade, fourth through fifth grade, and sixth through eighth grade.”

The camp is sponsored by Abound Credit Union, and kids can sign up for three different classes. “Beginning Robotics” will see students building and programming a robot built from a LEGO Robotics kit. “Baking Fun” will include projects based on food, nutrition, and baking. “Ag is for Everyone” will include live animals, demonstrations, and lab activities.

“Registration is open now, and it will run through June 14” Owsley said. “They can go to the ECTC website and search for Kids College, and they can find where to register there.”

Advanced registration is required and spaces are first come, first serve.

KFW warns of increased tick activity as warmer weather arrives

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Warmer weather means more time outdoors, which also means more potential for exposure to ticks.

The most common ticks in Kentucky are the lone star tick, the blacklegged tick, and the American dog tick. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says that any tick bite should be taken seriously due to the potential for illnesses such as Lyme disease, which is of growing concern in the commonwealth.

Before going outdoors, use EPA-registered insect repellents, treat clothing with products containing permethrin, and take precautions when walking through wooded or brushy area, tall grass, and wood or leaf piles.

After spending time outdoors, perform tick checks, shower, and tumble dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes. If a tick is found attached to the skin, remove it as soon as possible. Use tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and gently pull with steady pressure, then clean the area of the bite and wash your hands. If symptoms of an illness arise within a few weeks, get medical attention and tell them about the tick bite.

Kentuckians can contribute to tick research by looking up the Kentucky Tick Surveillance Project, which is run by the University of Kentucky.

Leitchfield couple revive historic Alexander Hotel and Alice Theatre buildings

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Mandi McKinzie said it was faith and a deep personal connection that led her and her husband Robert to purchase the Alexander Hotel and Alice Theatre in Leitchfield in 2021.

“My husband is from Kansas, but I would tell him about the memories that I had in the building, and it was just a staple in the community when we were young,” McKinzie said. “This is where we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We watched a movie every weekend, and then when my parents got divorced, my dad actually lived in the hotel after that for a while, so this was home, too.”

The buildings opened in 1935, named after the children of the original owners, but the buildings had been vacant since 2013. McKinzie says the last three years have consisted mostly of blood, sweat, and tears, but also joy.

“We went into it with one budget in mind, and that budget doubled,” McKinzie said. “We’ve literally used our retirement money, but we don’t have any regrets because it’s what we know we were supposed to do, and we’ve done it, and we just hope that our community loves it as much as we do.”

The effort that the McKinzies have devoted the time, money, and energy to is coming to fruition. Rooms at the Alexander Hotel are now available for booking on Airbnb, and the first official event at the revived Alice Theatre, a performance by Papa Bear and the Love Den, will take place on May 16.

McKinzie says the efforts were all worth it to be part of a revival in Downtown Leitchfield and to keep the tradition alive for future generations.

“I have two grandbabies, and I want the square, our little historic square, to be as lively as it was when I was a kid growing up, and so that’s my hope, and I think it’s catching fire around here because we have had lots of people investing in our community, especially in the downtown square,” McKinzie said.

The Grayson County Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the downtown development on May 17 with a ribbon cutting ceremony for Elmore’s Big 7 Furniture at 11 a.m. followed by a ribbon cutting for the hotel and theater at 11:30 a.m. Find the Alexander Hotel and Alice Theatre on Facebook for more information.

Deadline to request a mail-in absentee ballot next week

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The deadline to request an absentee mail-in ballot for the May 21 primary election is approaching.

“That portal is available through May 7,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith during the most recent Hardin County Fiscal Court meeting. “You can go to govote.ky.gov. You can feel free to stop by our office or call our elections team. When you call our office, we’ll walk you through govote.ky.gov so you can order and request that absentee ballot.”

After the mail-in portal closes, voters that qualify can take advantage of in-person absentee voting.

“There are six days in which a person who qualifies for the same qualifications for absentee voting can come by the clerk’s office from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,” Smith said. “Those dates are May 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, and 15.”

The same qualifications for a mail-in absentee voting apply to in-person absentee voting, but allow the voter to cast their votes as they would on Election Day.

“Some of those qualifications are if you’ll be out of town or scheduled to work all dates and times of in-person voting,” Smith said. “The law uses the phrase ‘age, illness, and disability.’ Sometimes those words ring a little harsh on our ears. There is no definitive age, illness, or disability. We don’t ask. You just attest to it.”

Smith is also reminding Hardin County residents about the free PropertyCheck program available through the clerk’s office.

“If any document is recorded in our office, you’ll get an email and text alert,” Smith said. “I think a lot of folks are really concerned about identity theft, and there are, growing in other parts of the country, property crimes related to fraudulent filings. It’s not a huge problem, but we want to get ahead of it and not be behind it.”

Contact the clerk’s office or visit their website for more information.