94.3 The Wolf

The Elizabethtown Fire Department responded to a home fire early Christmas morning at 3 Chevalier Court in Elizabethtown. First responders were told that a candle started the fire on the mantle, and the residents of the home tried to extinguish the fire before vacating. The Elizabethtown Police Department quickly extinguished the fire, and ventilated the smoke from the home. No one was harmed in the incident, and the Elizabethtown Fire Department credits that to a working smoke detector. Even the Christmas tree and gifts were spared from damage.

The Women’s Empowerment Conference will be taking place at the Hardin County Extension office next week. The all day conference on January 4th will feature women-owned vendors, and talks about mental health, financials, and other ways to uplift women. There will also be several speakers in attendance at the conference, which will serve to create a space to build up women of all ethnicities, ages, etc.

The longtime pastor of Severns Valley Baptist Church, Dr. Bill Langley, has resigned from his position. Langley will be says the next step for him is a possible position helping pastors and churches west of the Mississippi River. He also notes that he is honored to have had the chance to meet and interact with so many people in the community. The Southern Baptist Convention will soon begin searching for a new pastor to serve at Severns Valley.

After some misinformation and misunderstanding, the Meade County Board of Education issued a release last Friday regarding the impending arrival of a Nucor Steel plate mill in the county, and how it would affect the school district going forward. In the release, the Board of Education notes that the mill will create high-paying jobs for students and families, and revenues of the school district are not expected to be negatively impacted by the project. Additionally, the school district will receive a three percent tax on the mill’s electric usage monthly, with an estimated monthly check between $40,000 and $90,000. The Board of Education wrapped up by noting that there will be growing pains, but the community pulling together will undoubtedly improve quality of life. The full document can be found on the Meade County Schools Facebook page.

Elizabethtown- Fort Knox has ranked as the number three Best Place to Work in Manufacturing from New York based personal finance technology company SmartAsset. The company reports that manufacturing jobs increased by over 27% from 2014 to 2017, which makes Elizabethtown the 9^th-highest increase of the over 300 metro areas surveyed. Elizabethtown- Fort Knox was the only location in Kentucky to rank in the top ten.

The American Red Cross is asking for donations to ensure patients don’t have to worry about availability of blood this winter. There is a need for all blood types, but especially for type-O. There will be blood drives at Pritchard Community Center on December 30^th, Bluegrass Cellular on December 31^st, and Towne Mall on January 3^rd. More information on future blood drives can be found at redcrossblood.org.

A staple of publice service in Hardin County, Woodrow “Woody” Will, passed away last Thursday at the age of 73. Will worked with the Elizabethtown Fire Department and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office in his life, later becoming the chaplain to all emergency responders.

The Elizabethtown Police Department is looking to collaborate with the community on a new way to fight against crime and increase public safety. The department has introduced the idea of the Virtual Eyes on Crime initiative. Anyone with a camera on the interior or exterior of their home is asked to fill out a form available on the Elizabethtown Police Department’s Facebook page, which will allow the department to reach out and ask for potential assistance in the event a crime occurs in the resident’s area. This will not give EPD access to surveillance systems without permission. More information can be found by contacting the Elizabethtown Police Department.

The Elizabethtown Fire Department responded to a fire in a medical office last Friday morning. Pumpers responded to Cool Springs Center around 8:15 AM. According to reports, a fire started in an electrical outlet, and was quickly extinguished by an employee with a fire extinguisher. Once it was confirmed the fire had not spread into the walls, the building was ventilated, and the fire department cleared the scene. The department stresses having a fire extinguisher available at all times, such as in this case.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College will be introducing the first coding academy at a public institution in the Commonwealth this upcoming February. The program will be seventeen weeks, and will be Monday through Friday. Applicants for the program will be required to take an aptitude test, pass a background check, and participate in an interview to be considered for the Academy. For more information or to apply, visit elizabethtown.kctcs.edu/codingacademy.

Funeral arrangements have been made for the victims of a deadly car collision that took place earlier this week. Visitation for John “JT” Wiglesworth will be today from 4 PM to 8 PM at Franklin Crossroads Baptist Church. The funeral will take place on Saturday at 11 AM at the same location. Visitation for Louise Pullen took place yesterday at Manakee Funeral Home, but her funeral will take place today at 11 AM at the funeral home. As previously reported, the two were declared deceased at the scene of their collision that took place on Leitchfield Road Monday morning.

A rest stop along I-65 South has been shut down until next year for repairs. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says there will be several different types of renovations done to the inside of the building. The closure is expected to send traffic further down the road, and City of Elizabethtown Spokesperson Amy Inman says the city is prepared for the extra traffic, and will welcome all new visitors to the town. The rest stop has been there for about thirty years.

United Way of Central Kentucky is still seeking volunteers for their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program, which provides tax preparation services for low income families. There is no prior experience required, as there will be training provided. Assistance through VITA is available for individuals who made under $32,000 last year, or families who brought in under $54,000. Cut off for applications is January 9^th. More information can be found at unitedwayck.org.

The American Legion Post 113 will be hosting a special event for veterans on the 27^th of December. There will be a luncheon held for WWII and Korean War veterans at 11 at the post. The post is counting on word of mouth to spread the word, and ask that people RSVP. Anyone wishing to volunteer for the event should call the American Legion Post 113.

Yesterday morning marked the 14^th anniversary of the disappearance of Vicky Deluarier, and the Vine Grove Police Department is not giving up hope in looking for her. Delaurier was last seen leaving her place of employment, a Sav-A-Lot grocery store, on December 17, 2005. Her car was found the following day, abandoned with her personal property still in the vehicle. Vine Grove Chief of Police Kenneth Mattingly reminds the public to relay any information obtained regarding the case to the Vine Grove Police Department.

A fatal collision in Bullitt County had I-65 shut down for two hours early this morning.  According to preliminary information from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the collision took place at Mile Marker 110 and involved two vehicles, one of which was a semi-truck. The incident is still under investigation.

An Illinois man was arrested after threatening passengers on a bus with a screwdriver. The incident took place at the Pilot Gas Station in Sonora. According to arrest citations from Kentucky State Police Post 4, Justin Steele was threatening passengers with the weapon before walking inside the Pilot. When Steele was told he could no longer travel on the bus, he pushed the driver out of the way and entered back on. He was told multiple times to leave, but refused. Steele was charged with disorderly conduct and menacing. He is lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center.

College Signing Day was yesterday for athletes, and a press conference was held at North Hardin High School for Octavius Oxendine to make his announcement. The defensive end that helped lead North Hardin to a 13-1 record this past season announced he had committed to the University of Kentucky.