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Help against summer blood supply issues by donating with the Red Cross

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The American Red Cross invites area residents to celebrate Independence Day and support patients in need during the summer months by donating blood, including at an upcoming local drive.

“We’re having an Elizabethtown Holiday Hero Blood Drive that is going to be on Thursday, July 2 at Back Home Catering Event Center (444 South Mulberry Street in Elizabethtown) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” said American Red Cross Account Manager Lou Zimmerman. 

Zimmerman says the Holiday Hero Blood Drives are important as the summer season is one of the hardest times to collect blood.

“Schools are out and many regular blood drive sponsors pause for the summer, vacations and travel reduce donor availability, and at the same time hospital needs do not slow down, and the Independence Day week creates a critical drop in donations based upon holiday plans and long weekends, which leads to lower turnout,” Zimmerman said.

If you have never donated blood before, the process is a simple one.

“By the time you register and then answer a few questions, it’s probably going to take maybe 45 minutes, shouldn’t take any longer than that,” Zimmerman said. “The actual process of donating blood is probably between five to 15 minutes.”

Blood donors who donate between June 29 and July 12 will receive a Looney Tunes Red Cross t-shirt and a ticket to a Six Flags theme park of their choice, while supplies last.

Visit www.redcrossblood.org, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or call 1-800-RED-CROSS for more information or to schedule a donation.

ECTC and WKU announce new human resources degree partnership

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Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and Western Kentucky University are expanding their partnership with an expanded academic pathway.

ECTC Provost Dr. Telly Sellars and WKU Gordon Ford College of Business Dean Dr. Evelyn Thrasher formally signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday which added a new Bachelor of Science in Management: Human Resource Management at WKU in Elizabethtown.

According to a release from WKU, the new educational pathway begins at ECTC where students will earn their Associate’s Degree. The students will then transfer to WKU to complete the Bachelor’s Degree. The program’s curriculum is aligned with “the world-leading Human Resources Society’s standards” and WKU’s Gordon Ford College of Business is accredited through AACSB international.

The new degree program combines online and face-to-face coursework to allow students to complete their degree closer to home while gaining practical, career-ready skills. WKU says U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that “employment in human resources-related fields is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations in the coming years.”

Registration for the Fall 2026 semester is open. Visit ECTC’s website for more information on enrollment and the WKU in Elizabethtown website for more information on degree programs.

Hardin County Fiscal Court approves 2026-2027 budget

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

The court approved the adoption of the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget on its second reading. The budget ordinance was approved on a 7 to 1 vote, with Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul voting no as he said he was still not happy with changes made to his proposed budget.

“I believe that these cuts will reduce the quality of our services,” Taul said. “We’ll have higher turnover and continuous training of new employees, and then we also have this lack of support for fire services improvement for some future objectives here.”

Fifth District Magistrate Aaron Pennington said he thinks the idea that the magistrates do not care about fire services is “extremely inaccurate.”

“I think we believe in common sense, and I think we believe in coming up with a proper plan for how we’re going to take care of things, and blindly just throwing money left and right hoping you’ll fix something is not the proper way to do it,” Pennington said. “It’s not the way to do government. It’s not the way to spend your money personally or professionally.”

In other meeting news, Hardin County Animal Care and Control Director Mike McNutt said 44 dogs were adopted out in May, bringing the year to date total to 546. McNutt said the shelter is hovering just above a 90 percent live release rate, which would qualify the shelter for no-kill status, which he said is an important goal for the staff at the shelter.

Taul recognized three Hardin County EMS technicians and paramedics for their quick work in helping to deliver a baby during an ambulance run, joining what is known as the “Stork Club”.

“On May 24, EMT Rea Daugherty, Paramedic Kimberly Holcomb, and Paramedic Logan Savage successfully delivered a baby while on call for service, and it was discovered that while they were doing this that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the child’s neck, and the crew quickly addressed this and delivered the child without any further complications,” Taul said.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet June 23.

One-lane roundabout to be implemented at Ring Road and Shepherdsville Road intersection

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The next traffic pattern shift for the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Ring and Shepherdsville roads is scheduled to begin Wednesday night.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four says assuming weather is favorable and concrete pours reach the required curing levels, traffic will be placed into a one-lane roundabout at the intersection. When the roundabout is implemented, the traffic signal at the intersection will be turned off.

Traffic on both Ring Road and Shepherdsville Road will be reduced to one lane on the approach to the intersection. This one-lane configuration will be a temporary pattern until the full roundabout is implemented.

Crews will be working in the center of the circle and in the middle of all four approaches. Motorists should pay close attention to work zone signage, workers, and equipment as the work will take place very close to traffic.

The roundabout is part of the larger Shepherdsville Road widening project.

“Of course, the widening and safety Improvements project north of Ring Road has been going on now for a while,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie. “It’s ongoing, and the roundabout portion of the project was specifically kind of set for a summer construction phase so that work would be going on after school’s out and before school starts this fall. The roundabout piece of the project has to be complete by August 1.”

Follow KYTC District Four on social media for updates.

Stephen Foster Drama Association opens season with special ‘Lights Up’ performance

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The Stephen Foster Story is set to kick off their 2026 season with a special performance.

The Stephen Foster Drama Association will host their “Lights Up” production of The Stephen Foster Story on Friday, June 12, with pre-show festivities at 6:30 p.m. and the performance at 8.

The “Lights Up” production takes place during the final dress rehearsal for the show and is specifically tailored for children and adults with special needs. Thanks to sponsor support, families will be able to experience The Stephen Foster Story in a safe and accommodating setting free of charge. Attendees will get to enjoy demonstrations, snacks, and treats prior to the performance.

This is the eighth season the association has offered the “Lights Up” production. Tickets are free but reservations are required. Call 502-348-5971 for details.

The Stephen Foster Story begins its season June 13. Annie will run Wednesdays and Fridays beginning July 8. Visit www.stephenfoster.com for ticket information and a schedule of performances.