WQXE NEWS

May is Community Action Month, and the Central Kentucky Community Action Council is joining more than 1,000 agencies dedicated to supporting individuals and families.

CKCAC Executive Director Bryan Conover says Community Action Month is a time to reflect on the resiliency of neighbors and the power of local partnerships.

“At Central Kentucky Community Action Council, we aren’t just providing a service,” Conover said. “We are providing hope. Whether it’s through ensuring a senior has a warm meal or helping a family keep their lights on, we are here to bridge the gap between crisis and opportunity.”

The CKCAC serves Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, and Washington counties. During Community Action Month, the organization is highlighting key programs that have made a significant impact in the region including “early childhood success through Head Start, reliable connection via CKCATS Transportation, senior nutrition and connection, LIHEAP Spring Subsidy, and weatherization and home efficiency.”

“The promise of Community Action is that we care about the entire community and we are dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other,” Conover said.

Learn more about available services or how you can get involved by volunteering at www.ckcac.org or by calling 270-692-2136.

Absentee voting has begun in Kentucky ahead of the May 19th primary election.

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith says that as of the close of the absentee ballot request window on Tuesday his office had processed 729 requests for mail-in ballots, more than 250 more than the previous presidential election and setting a new record for the county.

Smith is reminding all voters with mail-in ballots that the deadline for the clerk’s office to receive a mail-in absentee ballot is 6 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not matter; the ballot must physically reach the clerk’s office prior to the deadline. If you cannot get the ballot in the mail early enough to arrive on time, secure drop boxes are available at the clerk’s office’s Elizabethtown and Radcliff locations.

In addition to mail-in ballots, in-person excused absentee voting runs weekdays now through May 13.

“These are days that are set aside for any voter who qualifies for an absentee ballot,” Smith said. “They can come into the county clerk’s office and cast their vote in person.”

The in-person no-excuse absentee voting period then follows.

“Early voting begins May 14 and runs through the 15th and 16th,” Smith said. “These three days are available for any voter in Hardin County who wants to come in person to cast their ballot. The hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We have locations at the Hardin County Clerk’s main office in Elizabethtown and at Colvin Community Center in Radcliff.”

Contact your county clerk’s office or visit govote.ky.gov for more election information.

Fire crews in Elizabethtown are returning to their station Thursday after a bite from a brown recluse spider prompted the closing of it last week.

According to a statement from the city, a firefighter received the bite on April 29 and was seen at an occupational health clinic the next day. The firefighter was released after being seen by a medical professional. After discovering the bite came from a brown recluse, shifts at the fire station were moved to another station. The city says: “They have continued to respond to calls throughout the city in a normal response time.”

Professional exterminators treated the fire station with spraying, fogging, and dusting of the entire facility. The exterminators said crews were cleared to return to the station on Wednesday, but waited until Thursday out of an abundance of caution.

The Entomology Department at the University of Kentucky says” “Although brown recluse spider bites are rare, the venom can sometimes cause serious wounds and infestations should be taken seriously.” If you suspect a brown recluse spider bite, apply ice, elevate the affected area, and seek medical attention immediately.