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KSP investigating after pedestrian killed north of Bardstown

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The Kentucky State Police is investigating after a pedestrian was killed in Nelson County Monday.

Troopers from KSP Post Four responded to a report of a single-vehicle collision involving a pedestrian at approximately 10:45 p.m. July 8.

Troopers arrived at the scene of the accident, located near the 4,000 block of Louisville Road just north of Bardstown. The KSP says the preliminary investigation shows a vehicle being operated by Langleigh Winters of Bardstown was traveling north on Louisville Road when she failed to observe a pedestrian walking in the northbound lane and struck him with the vehicle.

The pedestrian was later identified as 23-year-old Matt Berry of Bardstown. Berry was pronounced dead at the scene by the Nelson County Coroner’s Office. Winters reported no injuries from the incident.

The area of the accident on Louisville Road was shut down for several hours as troopers performed accident reconstruction. The KSP says the investigation into the accident remains ongoing.

Hardin County Fiscal Court discusses rural road funding, recycling program

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

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four Chief District Engineer Brad Bottoms and Branch Manager for Construction and Maintenance Bow Warren presented on the county roads that will receive maintenance using funds from the state’s Rural Secondary Road Program. Warren said 22.2 percent of the state’s Motor Fuel Tax receipts go to the program, with the funds allocated to the counties using a five-point formula.

“That formula is based on one-fifth equally among all counties, one-fifth based on the rural population, one-fifth based on the road miles, and two-fifths based on the land area, and then once that money is allocated to a county it cannot be transferred to any other county,” Warren said.

The program targets rural roads that are marked as secondary routes in a county. Bottoms said with 164 secondary miles in Hardin County, the funds have to go where they are most needed.

“Our guys in the county have a pretty good idea, Bow and his staff, of what roads are in need, so we kind of triage these,” Bottoms said. “We tend to pick the worst roads out of this rural secondary set of roadways every year that this pot of money comes up.”

Hardin County will receive a little more than $2 million in funds that will go towards asphalt resurfacing of a little more than 10 miles of roadway on portions of Rineyville Big Springs Road, Valley Creek Road, and South and North Long Grove Drive.

Hardin County Public Works Director Stephanie Givens reported that the county made 32 recycling trailer runs in May and 33 in June, with more than 323 tons of materials collected year to date. Givens said the county was excited to partner with Radcliff City Hall to place a recycling trailer in Radcliff city limits for the first time. It is located at 610 South Wilson Road.

“I will say that it is being utilized a lot right now, which is great,” Givens said. “It was there for seven days and on Monday it was overflowing when we came back in after the holiday, so they are using it, the people are liking it. They’re doing a really good job down there partnering with the City Hall and Public Works Department down there.”

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet July 23.

Former Dept. of Agriculture chief of staff calls Hardin County a major part of the state’s Ag economy

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Former Kentucky Department of Agriculture Chief of Staff Keith Rogers says Hardin County has a proud history of producing many of the state’s agriculture leaders, something he has personally benefited from.

“Presidents of the Kentucky Cattlemen Association, presidents of the Kentucky Pork Producers, the list can just go on and on,” Rogers said. “I’m very thankful to those that opened those doors and got those things, those opportunities because it was the coattails of many of those leaders that I was able to follow and ride along.”

Rogers was the featured speaker at the Kentucky Farm Bureau Media Luncheon at the Hardin County Fair Tuesday. Rogers discussed recent developments and growth in Kentucky’s agriculture industry. Rogers said 30 years ago tobacco represented $1 billion of the state’s $3 billion industry, with poultry not even on the radar. In recent years, farm receipts have cleared the $8 billion mark, with poultry, beef, and grains the usual top commodities.

Rogers said the more than 76,000 farms across Kentucky represent what he believes is the most unified farming community in the country.

“97 percent of those are family farms,” Rogers said. “The average size in Kentucky is still small. The national average is up to 144 acres, and Kentucky’s average is just 171, so it still shows you that even with that tobacco economy gone we still have a small farm-based small farm family.”

Rogers says efforts to diversify the state’s farming industry are ongoing, with fruit and vegetable production continuing to increase. Rogers says the story of Kentucky farming is still being written.

“But we in agriculture have to personalize that story,” Rogers said. “We have to acknowledge the consumer. We have to connect with that consumer’s wishes. We have to build trust with that consumer, knowing how that food is produced, and knowing that it’s done in an environmentally safe and a sustainable way.”

More stats on the Ag industry can be found on the Kentucky Department of Agriculture website.

Monster trucks on the schedule Wednesday at the Hardin County Fair; Kearsten Williams crowned Miss Teen Hardin County Fair

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The fun continues today at the Hardin County Fairgrounds as the 2024 Hardin County Fair rolls on.

Wednesday will feature the Youth Beef Cattle Show, which will be held at 6 p.m. at the livestock pavilion. 

In addition to great food at the restaurant and from vendors, adorable animals at the petting zoo, and exciting rides at the midway, Wednesday will feature the 2024 Miss Pre-Teen Hardin County Fair Pageant, which will be held at the pageant building at 7 p.m. UCW Wrestling will take it to the mat at 7 p.m. for their second night of wrestling. The KTPA Tractor and Truck Pull will be held at the motorsports track at 7:30 p.m. From 6 to 10 p.m., you’ll be able to take a free monster truck ride at the motorsports track, and don’t miss the big monster truck show at the motorsports track at 9:30.

Wednesday is Ride-Wright Tire Night at the fairgrounds. Stop by Ride-Wright Tire or visit their website for a coupon to get $1 off the $15 admission price.

The Hardin County Fair has lots to offer for everybody, and as Fair Board President Marty Fulkerson says: “It’s 61 years of the most fun you can have with your shoes on!”

Recapping some previous fair activity, the 2024 Miss Teen Hardin County Fair PAgeant was held Tuesday evening. Kearsten Williams was crowned as Miss Teen Hardin County, with Payton Allen named first runner-up and Ava Marie Elmore named second runner-up. Brittany and Adalyn Stout won the Parent/Child Look-Alike Contest Monday, and winners from Monday’s Demolition Derby were Hunter McQueary in the Built Big Cars division, Michael Kerr in the SS Rumble division, BJ Passmore in the Small Stock division, and Taylor Smith in the Lawnmower division.

Find the complete schedule on the Hardin County Fair website or Facebook page.

Radcliff council to introduce medical cannabis ordinance, updates to police policies

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

Radcliff Police Chief Jeff Cross discussed six proposed updates to the Radcliff Police Department’s policies and procedures. One policy concerning juvenile operations is a new policy, while the others (active shooter, motor vehicle stops/seizures, promotion and assignments for sworn personnel, search and seizure: residences, and stop, arrest, and search of persons) are revisions. Cross said the policies are built on recommendations from the Kentucky League of Cities and the Department of Justice.

“If you get too far away from what they’re doing and what they’re recommending you do, if you need their backing down the road and you have a lawsuit or something they’re going to come in and stand there with you, so you don’t want to be too far other than just putting our brand and stamp on the policy,” Cross said.

The council also discussed an ordinance that would approve the operation of medical cannabis facilities in the city.

“This is a basic ordinance to get going,” said City Attorney Mike Pike. “It doesn’t go into great detail of what these things can do and not do. This just allows them. Your land use restrictions will come into play in terms of what zones of the city these will be allowed to operate in.”

Pike reiterated that the ordinance does not ban the use of medical marijuana.

“Neither the county nor a city will have authority over the use of medical cannabis by someone that has a prescription and/or approved medical card for it, so that’s outside the purview of this,” Pike said. “If you guys enact this ordinance, it’ll have no effect on individuals within the city of Radcliff who are using medical cannabis legally, or illegally.”

Both the ordinance and the policy changes will be discussed at the Radcliff City Council’s next meeting on July 16.