WQXE NEWS

With the primary election in Kentucky just over a month away, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is reminding residents of regulations in place to keep state right of way areas free of signs and other items.

“We find out a lot of times when people call to ask about putting signs up that they simply don’t know the rules or regulations with regard to what is and what isn’t allowed on right away, and it’s simply nothing is allowed on right of way unless it’s done by permit through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four office here in Hardin County,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie.

The KYTC says non-permitted signs can create additional hazards by blocking sight lines and distracting drivers. It is also illegal to attach signs or items such as flyers, posters, balloons, or streamers to stop signs, highway markers, other road signs, and utility poles.

“If you’re going to put up a yard sale sign or a political sign, it must be beyond the right-of-way onto the personal property side of that line,” Jessie said. “If you have a specific location in mind and you’re unsure, you are welcome to call our office and you can ask for our Permits and Right-of-Way Section at 270-766-5066.”

KYTC District Four has received requests to clear non-permitted signs across the district. Removed items will be taken to each county’s KYTC maintenance facility and held for a short period of time before being trashed or recycled.

Meanwhile, KYTC District Four is also alerting drivers heading through downtown Elizabethtown of a new traffic pattern related to permitted work being implemented by the developers of the former Hardin County Courthouse. The KYTC says the intersection around the Public Square is now functioning as a roundabout, therefore all drivers entering the roundabout must now look and yield to the left. The change is particularly significant for the southbound U.S. 31W approach. Drivers should also pay close attention for pedestrians navigating the intersection.

Earth Day is April 22, but Bernheim Forest invites the community to celebrate the beauty of the planet this Saturday with Restore: Healthy Planet, Healthy Us, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 18.

“We’re going to have a tree giveaway and plant sales,” said Bernheim Forest Director of Marketing and Communications Lynette Cox. “You can come and pick up a free native tree sapling from a horticulture team, and we’re going to be selling a variety of herbs and vegetables to get your garden ready for the season. We’ve got some fun hands-on activities for kids, including the STEAM chemist Jerald Smith. He’ll be delighting the crowd with science experiments.”

In addition to activities and play areas for kids and families, the event will include information on area plants and wildlife along with representatives from community partners.

Activities celebrating self-care for all will also be featured.

“You can take a spin on an electric bike from Pedego Electric Bikes,” Cox said. “They’re going to be on site and they’ll have their bikes here that people can ride around on. We’ll also have some drop-in yoga sessions as well, and we’re also going to honor our new Climate Heroes on that day.”

For the first time, this year’s Restore event will also feature electronics recycling. 

“From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., people can bring their old stereos, old phones, VCRs, things of that nature, and get those recycled and disposed of in an environmentally friendly way,” Cox said.

All are welcome to attend this free community event. Visit www.bernheim.org or the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest Facebook page for more information.

The annual unemployment rate for Kentucky in 2025 came in higher than 39 other states.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state’s annual unemployment average for 2025 was 4.6 percent. That comes in higher than the U.S. annual unemployment rate of 4.3 percent. Kentucky, along with Illinois and Ohio, tied for the highest annual unemployment rate among surrounding states. California posted the highest rate at 5.5 percent while South Dakota had the lowest at 2.1 percent.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that Kentucky’s total civilian labor force in 2025 was 2,115,589. The BLS noted that estimates are not comparable to previous years due to no data being collected in October because of the government shutdown.

Data shows expansion was seen in the Private Educational and Health Services, Government, and Financial Activities sectors in 2025. Declines were seen in the Other Services, Leisure and Hospitality, Information, Professional and Business Services, Mining and Logging, Construction, Manufacturing, and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sectors.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says unemployment statistics are based on estimates and measure trends rather than actually tracking the number of people working, and the numbers do not include unemployed Kentuckians who are not actively looking for work. Learn more about labor market information at kystats.ky.gov.