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Hardin County Fiscal Court meets

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

The first reading was held on an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget, which Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul said primarily concerned purchases for Hardin County EMS.

“The biggest one of which is around $900,000 for some new cardiac monitors that replace some old ones that have reached the end of their life,” Taul said.

Hardin County EMS Director Mark Peterson said crews made 1,417 dispatches in June, and responded to 16,394 calls in fiscal year 2025-2026. That number is down about 300 from the previous fiscal year, continuing a general decline over the past five years.

Hardin County E-911 Director Mike Leo said dispatch answered 4,566 calls in June. For fiscal year 2025-2026, 25,390 calls were answered, up from 24,784 the previous fiscal year.

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith said the Hardin County Election Board approved the addition of a new polling site.

“That still has to go through state approval, but with the state’s approval, which we anticipate, we’ll have an additional location for the three days of early voting and that same location will be available on Election Day,” Smith said.

Smith said he will announce the polling site once it is approved by the state.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet August 11.

I-65 lanes through downtown Louisville reopen early while construction continues

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If you are heading through Louisville today, you’ll have more travel options as four of the six closed lanes of Interstate 65 in Louisville reopened ahead of schedule at midnight last night.

“We’re still a little ways from completing the full infrastructure project, but the disruption of having I-65 fully closed is over, and I can promise you this: even though some work will extend into March of next year, we won’t be shutting down this crucial roadway all the way back for this project again,” said Governor Andy Beshear during a press conference Tuesday.

The governor, and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Five Chief District Engineer Matt Bullock, credited the work of project engineers and construction workers for their accelerated work which saw the setting of 70 steel beams and more than 200 precast deck panels. Bullock said it was important to note that I-65 through downtown is still a construction zone.

“The speed limit, I think it’s important to note, will be 40 miles per hour just south of the CSX Bridge to the north end of the project in the Spaghetti Junction,” Bullock said. “We’re going to have barrels and barrier walls used to guide traffic.”

Because of the reduced capacity still in place, officials are asking drivers who are not going to downtown destinations to continue using the signed detour route in place on Interstate 264. Visit www.i65centralcorridor.com for more information and updates.

E-Town Planning Commission sends data center amendment to City Council

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A standing room only crowd was in attendance at the Elizabethtown Planning Commission meeting Tuesday evening as the commission considered a text amendment proposed by the city’s Planning and Development office concerning data centers.

Elizabethtown Planning and Development Director Aaron Hawkins said currently a data center would fall under existing definitions for a data processing center.

“If you look at the definition, it’s a lot older,” Hawkins said. “You can tell that this was written probably 25-plus years ago, and it has not been modified since because a lot of the items listed in that are no longer even relevant.”

Hawkins said the proposed amendment adds definitions recommended by the Kentucky League of Cities while also adding enforceable standards such as size limits, utility upgrade responsibilities, and closed-loop cooling systems. Data centers will also be limited to “accessory use.”

“So the way this is written, as these only being accessory uses, is you cannot have a data center on a lot by itself,” Hawkins said. “It would have to be affiliated with a permitted use in that zone.”

Planning Commission Chair Steve Rice said Elizabethtown can’t say a data center can’t come to the city, but they can regulate it, and he felt the proposed amendment gives the city protection before any proposals are made.

“This is a hot item, a very hot item,” Rice said. “Other communities have put moratoriums on it. I don’t think that’s going to work, so we’ve decided to be a little more proactive and take a stance on this, that we can protect ourselves in terms of what comes in here.”

The commission voted to recommend the city council approve the amendment.

In other meeting news, the commission also recommended approval for an application for construction of a cellular antenna tower to be located at 204 Ring Road. The city staff found the proposal is in line with zoning and development requirements, and an attorney representing TowerCo said the FAA said the tower will not be tall enough to require beacons.

An application concerning a Downtown District area-wide zone change was withdrawn, but Hawkins said the city is seeking more public input on the subject at public meetings to be held August 18 at the Pritchard Community Center and September 29 at the State Theater.

Tuesday’s meeting can be viewed in full on the City of Elizabethtown Government Facebook page.

E-Town Council talks parks, stormwater, and south end development during work session

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

City Parks and Recreation Director Seth Breitner provided an update on his department’s activities. Breitner said the city’s summer camp program saw a capacity crowd of 280 total campers, and the city hopes to increase that capacity as well as add ADA accessible transportation next summer. Breitner said the American Legion Pool has seen to date 32,521 attendees, and the pool closes for the season on August 9.

Breitner discussed several ongoing and upcoming projects, including work at Trooper Lake. He said the city has been working with the International Mountain Biking Association on designs for trails and a pump track.

“We will be able to be a regional destination for mountain biking in the area,” Breitner said. “We are very excited about this project because I think it adds so much to what the city already has with the park system, the sports park, and everything else, and just adds another element to what we’ll have out there.”

Ashton Park resident Sandy Mattingly came before the council to voice ongoing concerns with stormwater issues in the neighborhood. Mattingly said she and her neighbors have previously contacted the city regarding water runoff issues, but mitigation efforts to this point have been ineffective.

“This isn’t something that happens once or twice a year,” Mattingly said. “It’s a constant recurring problem every single time we receive measurable rainfall. The current infrastructure cannot handle the volume of water we receive, and the runoff controls are completely inadequate.”

City Stormwater Director Rita Davis said the city has been working with developers in the subdivision, but they will not know what sort of mitigation is necessary until development there is completed.

City Administrator Ed Poppe and Business Development Officer Terry Shipp discussed proposals for supporting development on the city’s south end. Poppe said the city is still developing programs to attract new businesses, but the council requested programs that would benefit existing businesses, so Poppe said the city is proposing a grant program aimed at exterior improvements.

“You paint the outside, you change the windows and doors to try to implement some things that we have encouraged through our zoning standards,” Poppe said. “You make pedestrian connections from your business to the public sidewalks that we’ve installed.”

Poppe said the program will mirror the Downtown Development Grant program currently run by the city, but will cap grants at $25,000 to ensure multiple properties can take advantage. The program would also be made retroactive to last year to reward current businesses who have made additional investment.

Shipp said he is optimistic that supporting the existing businesses will help encourage further growth.

“You know, you spend $25,000 or $30,000 on an individual building, it makes a difference,” Shipp said. “It makes a really big difference, so it would really help, and with the new road scape and things like that I think we can see a much improved area out there.”

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet August 3.

LTDHD wrapping up Back to School Bashes this week

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Families can start the school year off right with the Lincoln Trail District Health Department’s Back to School Bashes, the last three of which are happening this week.

Health Department Public Relations Officer Melissa Phillips says the Back to School Bashes will have education stations, immunizations to help get kids caught up on their shot records, and dental varnishing, among other services. Phillips says, however, the main focus is fun.

“Our mascot will be at each location so families can take pictures if they want to,” Phillips said. “There’s going to be coloring contests and games and prizes, and then there’s going to be gift cards given away, two gift cards at each location. So lots of fun, lots of giveaways. We just need folks to come out.”

LaRue County’s Back to School Bash will be Tuesday, Hardin County’s will be Wednesday, and Nelson County’s will be Thursday. Visit the health department’s Facebook page for more information.