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Glendale farmer in the running for Farmer of the Year award

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A Glendale farmer is in the running for Kentucky Farm Bureau’s 2024 Farmer of the Year award.

Richard Preston was named one of three finalists for the honor, which is presented to a Kentucky Farm Bureau member “whose efforts strengthen the state’s agriculture industry and demonstrate service and leadership, both on and off the farm.”

Preston says he wasn’t expecting the nomination, let alone being named a finalist.

“I spend a lot of time doing things that do not necessarily make the most money in farming, like looking for new ways to farm, but I was really excited when my colleagues, my peers, picked me to run in this contest, and then I know the competition was tough but somehow I managed to squeeze into the top three,” Preston said.

Preston is a first generation farmer, managing 3,300 acres of land with his wife Marjorie. After starting out in hogs and crops and transitioning to crops and tobacco, Preston grows corn, soybeans, and wheat, but farming wasn’t his original job when he graduated from Yale with a doctorate in physical chemistry.

“I was a scientist before I was a farmer, but I decided to come back to Kentucky to get away from the big city and everything, and now I live in Glendale and they’re bringing the big city to me, so I guess it’s just funny how things come around to get you, don’t they?” Preston said.

Preston says he is proud to be part of the Hardin County farming community.

“We have a group of excellent farmers,” Preston said. “They’re high up in leadership positions in commodity organizations and Farm Bureau, and just to be recognized in Hardin County gives me a lot of pride.”

Preston has worked as an advisor and mentor in the Crop Observation and Research Education Program and held leadership roles in Hardin County Farm Bureau. He tells future farmers the job is worth the time.

“It’s a great occupation,” Preston said. “I love being outside. It is very stressful and takes a lot of hard work, but if they’re willing to do that, it’s a very rewarding experience.”

Preston and the other finalists will be honored at the KFB Ham Breakfast at the Kentucky State Fair on August 21. The winner will be announced October 2 and recognized at December’s annual meeting.

HCS Superintendent Morgan hosting community conversations

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Hardin County Schools Superintendent Teresa Morgan will be hosting three Coffee and Conversation with the Superintendent events over the next month and a half.

“It’s a great opportunity for Ms. Morgan to visit with our community stakeholders about the great things taking place in our schools and for her to answer some questions from our community members,” said HCS Community Relations Specialist John Wright.

The first session will be held Tuesday, July 9 from 8 to 9 a.m. at Apostoli Coffee in Radcliff, the second on July 19 at Tony York’s on Main in Glendale, and the third will be at Social on Main in Elizabethtown on August 13.

“It’s just a great time to learn what’s taking place across our district,” Wright said. “Hardin County Schools is a leader in the state in instructional initiatives and technology initiatives, and it’s just a great opportunity to learn more about that and the quality education that the students in our community are receiving.”

All are welcome to attend.

Meanwhile, HCS has announced new start times for some of their schools ahead of the first day of classes on August 7. The district says the changes are by no more than five minutes. You can find a link to the new schedules on the Hardin County Schools Kentucky Facebook page.

Information update window open for Hardin County Schools families

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The window for Hardin County Schools families to update student information through the Infinite Campus parent portal system is open.

HCS Community Relations Specialist John Wright says the district has used the portal system for the last several years.

“This is a great way to cut down on the amount of paperwork that we ask parents to complete near the beginning of the school year,” Wright said. “It streamlines the process. It makes it a whole lot easier. There’s some paperwork that our parents will still have to complete on paper, but this online process makes it a whole lot simpler for everyone.”

The parent portal can be found on the Hardin County Schools website. Getting the portal information updated now will help get the new school year off to a smooth start.

“This is really important because the school needs to have the correct information for each student,” Wright said. “For example, the correct emergency contact information, the correct phone number, or work phone number, or cell phone number for a parent, or maybe a grandparent who may also be able to pick up that child or to serve as an emergency contact for the students.”

Parents who do not have a parent portal log in already set up will need to contact their child’s school to get an initial log in number. Videos with step-by-step instructions on using the portal are available on HCS social media.

“The window closes for that on August 2, so on August 3 be expecting to fill out a lot of paperwork for the beginning of the 24-25 school year,” Wright said.

The first day of class at Hardin County Schools is Wednesday, August 7.

Col. Ricci highlights Fort Knox role and relationships during Chamber breakfast

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Fort Knox Garrison Commander Colonel Christopher Ricci says Fort Knox may have changed shape since the armor days, but the installation remains a “strategic, critical, and high functioning Army base.”

“In fact, we’re currently right in the middle of Cadet Summer Training right now,” Ricci said. “That is the largest annual training event for the Army, so we’ve got over 10,000 cadets from colleges and universities across the country descending on Fort Knox for training across this span of 100 days of summer. Additionally, over 5,000 cadre from across the Army are on post to assist in the training of these cadets.”

Ricci was the featured speaker during the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce’s June Business at Breakfast event, held Thursday at the Colvin Community Center in Radcliff.

Ricci discussed the command operations that are located at Fort Knox and their relationship to other operations in the Army. The colonel also said Fort Knox’s importance to the Army is evidenced by the construction of the Digital Air-Ground Integration Range, or DAGIR, at Fort Knox’s Yano Range, making it one of only three such ranges in the Army and the only one located east of the Mississippi River.

“DAGIR allows for all manner of tank, gravity fighting vehicle, aviation, mounted, and dismounted training and allows for integration of air and ground unit training simultaneously,” Ricci said “It’s a huge deal for the Department of Defense, the Army, and the greater Fort Knox community. It was a $56 million investment to make this range possible, but it’s been made to ensure our troops are the best trained in the world.”

Ricci said Fort Knox tries its best to alert the surrounding area of training activity and to limit the noise when they can in order to be good neighbors. He closed by recognizing Fort Knox’s gratitude for the support offered by area communities.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to have the relationships that we do with all of the leaders in this community, and all the folks that are in this room right now,” Ricci said. “It’s something we don’t take for granted and we look forward to advancing in the years to come. Again, thanks for your time. We hope you know that your positive support to the soldiers, families, and civilians who live, work, and play on Fort Knox is without a doubt appreciated and absolutely contributes to the success of Fort Knox.”

Ricci encouraged anybody interested to visit Fort Knox. Information on the necessary passes can be found on the installation’s website.

Medical cannabis licensing application period opens Monday

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The application period for Kentucky businesses looking to secure medical cannabis licenses will open Monday.

Governor Andy Beshear said Thursday the application process is six months ahead of schedule as the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program took significant steps to expedite the timeline. Under the terms of the state program, licenses will be issued for five types of medical cannabis business: cultivators, processors, producers, safety compliance facilities, and dispensaries. A series of YouTube webinars, a business licensing application guide, and other materials are available to help applicants at kymedcan.ky.gov.

Area municipalities have been weighing whether or not to opt into the state program or opt out, which would not prevent cardholders from accessing or possessing medical cannabis but would prevent businesses from setting up shop. The Elizabethtown City Council took up action to opt in while the Vine Grove City Council and the Hardin County Fiscal Court voted to put the issue on the November ballot, and the Radcliff City Council is weighing options. Elizabethtown City Council Member Julia Springsteen said the city shouldn’t put an undue burden on patients in need when the program is as regulated as it is.

“There’s a board of eight doctors and two nurses that govern the whole thing,” Springsteen said. “It can’t be near schools, it can’t be advertised that well, and the bottom line is this was passed because sick people need this and it’s proven to help sick people.”

Radcliff City Attorney Mike Pike said it is important for local communities to get regulations on the books so that the city has a say.

“You can’t restrict those people’s usage, but what you can do is restrict time, manner, place in terms of all these various cannabis operations, so if you do nothing, then what that means is you’re allowing it,” Pike said.

Monday is also the launch of the application process for physicians and advanced practice registered nurses seeking authorization to issue medical cannabis certifications.