Menu Close

WQXE NEWS

ECTC hosting Express Enrollment for Spring 2026 semester

WQXE News 0 Comments

The spring semester at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College gets under way on January 12, and students can fast track the enrollment process during the college’s Express Enrollment dates this week.

ECTC will host Express Enrollment for new and current students from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. No appointment is necessary. Students should head to the Welcome and Admissions Center in the Regional Postsecondary Building to participate.

According to ECTC, the admissions staff will be available during Express Enrollment to help students complete the college application for free, register for Spring 2026 courses, get help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, check on VA benefit status, and get information on placement testing.

If you are unable to attend in person, students can meet with an advisor online. Virtual sessions are available beginning at 9 a.m. on January 6, 7, and 8. Visit the ECTC website to register for a virtual session.

If the Express Enrollment times do not work for you, walk-ins will be accepted at the Welcome and Admissions Center Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students at the Leitchfield and Springfield campuses should contact those facilities for more information.

State says Kentucky highway deaths down in 2025

WQXE News 0 Comments

The state of Kentucky is reporting that efforts to make highways safer in the commonwealth saw some success last year.

Governor Andy Beshear said during the last Team Kentucky Update of 2025 that preliminary data shows there were 636 highway fatalities in the state heading into December.

“While that’s still too many, 636, it’s a 7 percent decrease in fatalities from the past year,” Beshear said. “It’s an 18 percent decrease since this day in 2023. We’ve also seen an over 2 percent decrease in serious injuries, going from 2,713 to 2,647.”

Beshear said the state is working on bringing those numbers even lower in 2026.

“In Team Kentucky, we’re working harder to create safer roads,” Beshear said. “In 2025, we’ve awarded more than $1.5 billion in road and bridge projects. This is work focused on making your commute smoother with new pavement, and safer with updated intersections and more.”

The state is also pushing statewide and nationwide traffic safety initiatives such as the Safe Teen Driving Challenge and the Click It or Ticket campaign.

“So to everybody, remember” drive the speed limit, buckle up, and most importantly, put your phone down,” Beshear said. “Let’s keep doing our part because simple choices save lives. Together, we can make the roadway safer for everyone.”

Visit drive.ky.gov or the Kentucky State Police’s website for more information on safety initiatives.

Hardin County man in custody after allegedly killing mother in nursing home stabbing

WQXE News 0 Comments

A Hardin County man is in custody after he allegedly stabbed and killed his mother Friday in an area nursing home.

Joseph Curtis is currently incarcerated in the Hardin County Detention Center, where he is being held on a Murder – Domestic Violence charge.

Radcliff Police Chief Jeff Cross told media officers responded to Signature HealthCARE at North Hardin shortly after 2 p.m. on January 2 following a reported stabbing.

Curtis is scheduled to appear in a video arraignment hearing in Hardin District Court Monday morning. He is being held on a $500,000 cash bond.

(Photo Credit – Hardin County Detention Center)

Hardin County Quick Response Team reminding residents struggling with addiction that they are not alone

WQXE News 0 Comments

Hardin County Quick Response Team Director Justin Blair says December saw another spike in drug overdoses.

“It’s still the same old thing with fentanyl and methamphetamines,” Blair said. “That’s really what’s creating all of this issue, and like I’ve said before, the hospitals use fentanyl, but it’s regulated, and so what they’re getting on the street is made in somebody’s basement, and it’s just super dangerous and you have no idea if it’s in what you’re getting or not, so you just have to be really, really careful.”

Blair says he recommends anybody currently struggling with addiction contact the QRT in order to receive free fentanyl testing strips to ensure they know if they are being exposed to the potent opioid. It is one of the many free and confidential services offered by the QRT.

“When there is an overdose, EMS or law enforcement, or anyone really, can put in a referral and then that will trigger me to find out where that person is and then go to them, and my goal is just to meet them where they are,” Blair said. “There are no consequences for me coming. You do not have to do anything. We just want to let people know that we’re there, and that there are resources available, and we will help navigate those resources for them.”

Blair says it is important for people struggling to know they are not alone.

“Substance use obviously is what we’ve got to get to the bottom of first, but then there’s other layers to what people are facing,” Blair said. “Housing is an issue, food insecurities could be a thing, and so we’ve got resources to help with those things as well. We want to try to eliminate as many barriers as we can.”

Visit the Quick Response Team – Hardin County Facebook page or email jblair@hardincountyky.gov for more information.

Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Plan approved

WQXE News 0 Comments

More than $200 million in funding will help support health care in Kentucky’s rural communities.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced this week that the state’s Rural Health Transformation Plan has been accepted in full by the White House, securing $212.9 million in funding from the $50 billion authorized by Congress earlier this year and administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

According to a release from the governor’s office, the state’s plan will use the funding over five years “to help address the unique challenges rural Kentucky faces, including high rates of chronic conditions, maternity care deserts, and gaps in coverage for oral care, emergency services, and behavioral health.” Kentucky’s plan advances five integrated care innovation models: Rural Community Hubs for Chronic Care Innovation, PoWERing Maternal and Infant Health, Rapid Response to Recovery (EmPATH Model), Rooted in Health: Rural Dental Access, and Crisis to Care: Integrated EMS Response.

More information about the plan is available at ruralhealthplan.ky.gov.

Kentuckians looking for health care coverage are encouraged to visit Kynect, the state’s marketplace for affordable coverage.

“If you’d like assistance with exploring your health insurance options, Kynect also helps link Kentuckians to ‘Kynnectors,’” said Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Dr. Steven Stack. “These are trained professionals who provide free and unbiased guidance to help you enroll in health coverage and benefits, such as Medicaid, Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Plan, Qualified Health Plans, and nutrition or child care assistance programs.”

The enrollment deadline is January 15. Visit kynect.ky.gov or call 1-855-459-6328 for assistance or to enroll.