WQXE NEWS

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Chancellor Dr. Juston Pate said Tuesday’s groundbreaking for an expansion to the college’s Science Building is not just a kickoff for a construction project, it’s a kickoff for the next 40 years of the Science Building.

“Local workforce development is really the point for this,” Pate said. “When we talk about adding value to students’ lives and then returning that value back out into the community, it’s largely evident in the careers that they take.”

Pate discussed the expansion during ECTC’s annual Community Breakfast. The $16 million expansion to the west and south sides of the building is expected to be completed in 2027. Pate said biology and chemistry programs are important to the healthcare field, and the expansion comes at a time where healthcare worker shortages are seen across the area.

“By both expanding and providing more relevant experiences through this renovation, we’re really going to be enhancing our workforce through our students’ lives,” Pate said.

During the breakfast event, Jennifer Swope was presented with the ECTC Chancellor’s Pathfinder Award in recognition of her chairing of the ECTC Home for Hope campaign, which helped fund construction of the Family Scholar House housing facility.

Learn more about ECTC’s ongoing projects at ectc.us/grows.

A Bullitt County man will serve nine years in federal prison after his sentencing on wire fraud charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky says Stacy Allen Taylor of Shepherdsville “conspired with others in an international wire fraud scheme to defraud more than forty victims out of over $23.6 million.” Victims of the scheme believed they were investing into a private trading platform “that would provide significant returns on their investment.”

Taylor entered guilty pleas to seven counts on charges of Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud Conspiracy, and Carrying Out Transactions Over $10,000 with Criminal Proceeds. He was sentenced on August 11 to nine years in prison and was ordered to pay restitution to victims of the scheme.

The case was investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Detroit Field Office. Taylor previously served a three-year prison sentence after being convicted for federal fraud and drug crimes related to his role in an illegal online pharmacy.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says there is no parole in the federal system.

Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana invites area girls to come see what Girl Scouts is all about during two upcoming Taste of Girl Scouts events.

The first will be held at the Williams Pavilion at Freeman Lake Park in Elizabethtown this Friday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The second will be held at Creekfront Park in Hodgenville this Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.

“That gives prospective Girl Scouts, girls that are interested in becoming a Girl Scout, the opportunity to come out and try different Girl Scout activities such as STEM activities, crafts, slingshots, and more,” said Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana Heartland Area Service Unit Manager Ashley Kenney.

The event is an opportunity for girls and their families to learn more about the organization, which has activities for girls from kindergarten through 12th grade. Kenney says the main goal of Girl Scouts is to build girls’ courage, character, and confidence.

“If you’re able to watch a girl who starts out in Girl Scouts, they’re often very shy and timid, and you really see a lot of that confidence blossom out as they’re going through the program,” Kenney said.

The events are free to attend. Visit www.gskentuckiana.org for more information.