94.3 The Wolf

In his evening press conference on Saturday, Governor Andy Beshear announced that there are now 6,440 cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. Of these cases, 158 were newly confirmed. It is believed that 2,308 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus, however there were six new deaths reported on Saturday, bringing the state’s total to 304. In light of recent court rulings allowing in-person church services to resume immediately, the Governor urged those places of worship to be safe in reopening. Places of worship must clean according to COVID-19 standards and enforce social distancing. The Governor also said that places of worship should strongly consider continuing to offer alternative services, including virtual and drive-in. The state’s complete guidance on houses of worship can be found at healthyatwork.ky.gov.

The Lincoln Trail District Health Department announced an additional COVID-19 related death over the weekend. The department announced on Saturday that a Meade County patient had died due to the virus. This is death number four for the region, which saw three additional deaths last week. In the district’s most recent announcement on Saturday, 133 total cases of the virus and had been confirmed with 97 patients either in home isolation or having recovered.

The sale of Hardin Memorial Health to Baptist Health has been expedited. It was announced over the weekend that the finalization of the deal between the two healthcare providers has now been moved to September 1^st. According to the sale’s asset purchase agreement, Baptist will take on all of Hardin Memorial’s assets, and will invest over $230 million to HMH’s operating and capital over ten years. Additionally, HMH will be renamed to Baptist Health Hardin. The sale was previously set to take place December 1^st.

One of Hardin County’s most prominent summertime events has been cancelled. The Hardin County Fair has announced that the board voted to cancel the fair this past week in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a Facebook post, the Board decided on their course of action after reviewing current and future health guidelines for organizations to follow. The Fair Board will work with local youth organizations to help them compete for state showcases and contests. The fair has taken place in the county since 1885.

In his evening press conference last night, Governor Andy Beshear announced that there are now 6,128 cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. Of these cases, 208 were newly confirmed. It is believed that 2,177 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus, however there were eleven new deaths announced on Thursday, bringing the state’s total to 294. As phase one of reopening prepares to begin, Governor Beshear laid out a plan for the second phase of reopening, which the state hopes to begin on May 22^nd. This phase will see restaurants reopen at a 33% capacity. On June 1^st, movie theaters and fitness centers will reopen at a limited capacity. On June 11^th, public and private campgrounds will reopen, though they will still have to follow social distancing guidelines. Then, on June 15^th, the state is hoping to reopen childcare at a reduced capacity, and with many guidelines in place. The Governor noted that phase three will hopefully be coming by July 1^st.

Just days after announcing their first death, Hardin County has seen another death due to COVID-19. Officials with the Lincoln Trail District Health Department announced yesterday that, in addition to five new cases, Hardin County had registered their second death. In total, the district announced eight new cases, including the five in Hardin as well as cases in Nelson and Meade. The department says that of the 132 total cases, 88 individuals have recovered.

Hardin County Schools have announced that they will host a virtual field day for students on May 11^th and 12^th. On the flipgrid app using the code HCS2020, or on the Hardin County Schools website, students will video themselves performing the tasks in the activities list and upload the videos. Videos of other students performing the same tasks can also be viewed.

A Hardin County middle school has selected a new principal. Bluegrass Middle School Assistant Principal Tanya Jury was chosen as the next principal of the middle school by the school’s site-based decision making council. Jury had previously worked at Bluegrass Middle before from 2013 to 2015, at which time she left for Nelson County High School in the same capacity. Jury takes over for outgoing Principal Michael Elmore, who is retiring in June.

Friends of Hardin County Animal Shelter are reminding the public of a voucher service for pet food that is available at this time. To apply for a voucher, email the organization at fohcas.ky@gmail.com.

The location for Saturday’s Hardin County High School and GED graduation has been changed. The event for was previously scheduled to take place at Central Hardin High School in an outside ceremony, but due to inclement weather that is expected, the location has been changed to College View Education Center. This is the former GC Burkhead Elementary School building, located at 521 Charlemagne Boulevard in Elizabethtown. The time and date of the graduation will remain the same, taking place tomorrow at 9 AM.

In his evening press conference last night, Governor Andy Beshear announced that there are now 5,934 cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. Of these cases, 159 were newly confirmed. It is believed that 2,125 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus, however there were eight new deaths reported on Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 283. Governor Beshear announced that the state’s partnership with Kroger will bring more testing next week in several locations. Louisville, Lexington, Elizabethtown, and Corbin will see testing locations. The Elizabethtown location will be John Hardin High School. Information on how to register for the sites throughout the Commonwealth can be found at kycovid19.gov. In addition, the Governor issued a new executive order editing Kentucky’s travel ban to be more like Ohio’s, meaning those with a positive case or presumptive positive case of COVID-19 are banned from entering Kentucky, except as ordered for medical treatment.

While many regional events have been cancelled, one has decided to continue on, albeit in a different way. Elizabethtown’s annual Founder’s Day event will not take place, however the fireworks will still take place, just in a different location. The new location for the fireworks show will take place in proximity to EC3 and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. The hill will make for easier viewing, and the number of parking lots around the college will help accommodate a large crowd while at the same time enforcing social distancing. More information about the change can be found at etownevents.com.

Local numbers of COVID-19 cases continue to increase. The Lincoln Trail District Health Department reported 125 total cases of the virus yesterday with additional cases being confirmed in Hardin, Larue, and Nelson counties. 113 of those cases are in home isolation, or have been released. Officials with the Breckinridge County Health Department confirmed two cases locally, bringing their total number of cases to 13.

As Kentucky begins to reopen its economy, places of business are establishing how procedures will be different going forward. Governor Beshear’s ten rules for reopening have given guidelines for these businesses, and an industry requiring significant change is the barbershop industry. Patrons will be required to wear facemasks and sanitize hands on the way in the door, and barbers and stylists will also be required to wear facemasks.

In his evening press conference last night, Governor Andy Beshear announced that there are now 5,822 cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. Yesterday saw the biggest spike in cases thus far, with 625 new cases confirmed. More than 300 of these positive cases were a result of testing at Green River Correctional Complex. It is believed that 2,058 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus, however there were 14 new deaths reported on Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 275. Many of the announced deaths on Tuesday were related to long-term care facilities, and Dr. Steven Stack addressed this in the press conference, noting that they are about to “embark on a very aggressive program to test the long-term care facilities over the weeks ahead at a very brisk pace.” The Governor announced that a new testing location in Pikeville would be opening today at Pikeville medical center, and information for signing up at that testing location is available at kycovid19.gov.

Cases continue to be confirmed within the Lincoln Trail District Health Department. In their latest release, the Department confirmed the presence of 119 cases of COVID-19, with new cases being announced in both Hardin and Meade counties. Elsewhere around the area, Breckinridge County officials announced there are 11 cases in the county, and the Grayson County Health Department confirmed three new cases in the county, bringing their total to 91.

Tourism has been halted in many places due to COVID-19, and Elizabethtown is no exception. Executive Director of Elizabethtown Tourism Janna Clark discussed the difference in tourism numbers compared to this time last year. Clark said that March and April were “devastating” for tourism, as hotel occupancies were around 15-20%. In addition, restaurants who have seen the need to convert to delivery or take-out services are also struggling, as the business model is not seen as sustainable at this time.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is the latest college to make operational changes due to COVID-19. The college announced yesterday that test scores would not be required for enrollment for the upcoming school year. The college made the decision after determining that the school’s Assessment Center would be operational due to the Center not being able to adhere to social distancing guidelines. As a result, the college will be accepting test scores, even those past the 4-year requirement. More information can be found on ECTC’s website.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is offering free online classes to interested individuals looking for a pathway to a new career, needing a learning outlet, or testing their interest in online learning. The only requirements for the courses are internet access and being 18 years of age. These classes include Electrical Principles, Change Management, Managing Workplace Anxiety, Income Tax, Every “Body” is Beautiful, Stress Management, and a CDL Permit Test Prep. Registration for the courses is open, and can be done on the Workforce Solutions page on ECTC’s website. The classes will start May 13^th and continue to June 15^th.

In his evening press conference last night, Governor Andy Beshear announced that there are now at least 5,245 cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. Of these cases, 163 were newly confirmed. It is believed that 1,921 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus, however there were eight new deaths reported on Monday, bringing the state’s total to 261. As the first phase of Healthy at Work begins to roll out next week, this Wednesday will see the beginning of Phase Two of healthcare reopening in the state. This next phase will include outpatient and ambulatory surgery and invasive procedures. However, these procedures must still follow new rules and guidelines set by the state and the Kentucky Department for Public Health, including required personal protective equipment, closed common areas, and specific procedure guidance. Also, the Governor announced a partnership with Saint Elizabethtown Healthcare to bring expanded testing to Erlanger and other locations in Northern Kentucky.

A Hardin County patient within the Lincoln Trail District Health Department has died as a result of COVID-19. In a press release yesterday, the health department confirmed the second COVID-19 related fatality, as well as the presence of new cases within Hardin and Nelson counties. In his most recent press conference, Governor Beshear announced that the patient in question was a 66-year-old female. Officials say that while the numbers are not as high as in recent weeks, residents should still adhere to health and safety guidelines. 115 total cases have been confirmed in the department’s region, with 106 of those cases either in home isolation or having been released.

The Grayson County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Trenton man Monday morning after a traffic stop for speeding. Upon contact with the driver, 35-year-old Jonathan Perdue, officers noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Investigation revealed that Perdue did not have a valid driver’s license, and was in fact suspended for driving on his third DUI. Perdue failed field sobriety tests, and his vehicle was searched, revealing the presence of synthetic marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and over ten grams of methamphetamine. Perdue was charged with several traffic and drug related offences including possession and trafficking. His two passengers, Ashley Pratt of Lexington and Jonathan McCoy of Cadiz were also charged with drug-related offences. All three were lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center.

Even with NTI days still taking place, schools from around the area are already beginning their unique graduation ceremonies for the class of 2020. Yesterday, students from Central Hardin and Elizabethtown High Schools took part in ceremonies designed to promote social distancing. Central Hardin students drove through the athletic complex, where friends and family could see their student walk across a stage to receive their diploma. Elizabethtown High School seniors participated in a ceremony yesterday, allowing one student at a time to enter the gym to walk across the stage. Graduations for North and John Hardin, as well as Hardin County High School, will take place later this week and next.

United Way of Central Kentucky and the Central Kentucky Community Foundation have combined their disaster relief efforts in the face of COVID-19. The two found similar goals in helping people getting the help they needed, CKCF has reportedly seen a record number of requests seeking assistance with rent, food, and utilities in the last month. Donations to the fund can be made at ckcf4people.org/central-kentucky-cares.