94.3 The Wolf

The Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch succeeded in making an arrest earlier this week. Billy Joe Chesser was charged for his alleged crimes against minors. Chesser was arrested as a result of an undercover online crimes against children investigation, and faces ten counts for use of a minor in a sexual performance. The charges facing Chesser could result in ten to twenty years in prison if he is convicted. He is lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center.

Two Elizabethtown men have been arrested for their roles in a Radcliff shooting. According to arrest citations, Jordan Morgan and one other assailant were allegedly threatening the use of handguns to commit a robbery. However, the other suspect was shot several times by Paris Bell, who later admitted to discharging the firearm. Projectiles from the weapon were also found to have entered a residence located on Hamilton Street. Morgan is charged with robbery, and Bell is being charged with assault and wanton endangerment. The third party was flown to U of L Hospital with critical injuries. The investigation is ongoing.

Kentucky State Police launched a campaign earlier this week that will crack down on aggressive drivers in high crash areas. The Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) campaign began on Tuesday. Targeted corridors for this campaign include US-41 in Henderson County, I-75 in Laurel and Kenton Counties, US-23 in Floyd County, and I-65 in Hardin County.

At a meeting of the Elizabethtown City Council, a municipal order was passed to allow for improvements to the sidewalks of an Elizabethtown street. The council received and accepted a bid from Triumph Landscape Construction for sidewalk improvements in the amount of $178,588. The bid came in under the $200,000 appropriated for the project.

The 48^th Annual Lincoln Days Festival will be taking place in Downtown Hodgenville this weekend. The festivities start on Friday evening with the Lincoln Days Festival Pageant. More information can be found at lincolndays.org.

The Cecilian Bank announced yesterday that they are expanding due to a merger with Citizens Bank of Hartford. The institution will be adding three new locations to their reach, but the exact terms of the merger are not available at this time.

The Elizabethtown Independent School District has reported improvement from previous years in almost every category in the 2018-2019 assessment data released by the Kentucky Department of Education. Superintendent John Ballard says the district will look into and address the categories that can be improved upon.

The West Point Independent School District is looking towards future improvements following the release of the 2018-2019 school assessment data. Interim superintendent Sally Sugg reiterated that the district is aware of the gaps in education, and are taking steps such as purchasing updated reading, math, and social studies curriculum, and hiring new members of the teaching staff.

The Elizabethtown Fire Department responded to a call of an explosion and fire on Waterworks Drive Monday afternoon. Ten firefighters, as well as Hardin County EMS were required in putting out the fire. The cause of the blaze is believed to be ignited mulch from the shredder machine.

There is a full outdoor burn ban in Meade County until further notice. The announcement was made by Judge Executive Gerry Lynn Monday morning. The ban encompasses the burning of leaves, grass, clippings, garbage pits, and bonfires.

Elizabethtown was officially designated a trail town at a ceremony yesterday afternoon. As previously reported, a council consisting of representatives from Greenspace, local businesses, and City Council member Matt Deneen joined together to help put a spotlight on Elizabethtown’s trail system. A full list of Elizabethtown’s trails can be found on the Greenspace website.

The Kentucky Department of Education has release assessment data for the state. This data comes from exams taken near the end of the 2018-2019 school year, and Hardin County Schools showed improvement in their results. Lincoln Trail Elementary ranked as a four-star school in the results, and no schools in the district were placed in the “Support and Improvement” categories.

Kentucky State Police Post Four has released the identity of a man who died as a result of a collision on Interstate 65 last week after an accident earlier in the morning caused a massive traffic backup. Trooper Scotty Sharp reports Michael Williams was operating a pickup truck when he failed to see a stopped FedEx semi-truck in front of him, colliding with the rear of the vehicle. Williams was pronounced dead at the scene by the Hardin County Coroner. I-65 was shut down for nearly twelve hours to allow troopers to reconstruct the collisions. The investigation is ongoing.

The Elizabethtown City Council presented an ordinance relating to alcoholic beverage control at a special meeting of the council on Monday. This ordinance makes clear that alcohol consumption areas must be clearly marked, must not be in a parking area, and must have clear boundaries. The council had previously discussed the specifics of how alcohol would be sold at events and parks, but this was the first reading of this particular ordinance.

An act of kindness was displayed Friday night at the John Hardin High School homecoming game. After being crowned Homecoming King, Yukiah “Yuki” Reyes refused the title, and awarded it to fellow student Matthew Riddle, who Reyes calls “a light at the end of the tunnel”. Matthew is a student with Downs Syndrome, and was very excited to be given the title.

A Nelson County Sheriff’s Lieutenant and his girlfriend were arrested for shoplifting Friday night. The Elizabethtown Police Department launched a theft investigation at Fast Track It in Elizabethtown following a report of Christmas decorations allegedly being stolen. Investigation found Kaelen Matthews, who works for the Nelson County Sheriff’s Department, and Laura Armstrong. Matthews has been suspended without pay pending investigation.

A domestic incident occurred around noon on Friday, September 27^th in the parking lot of North Middle School in Radcliff. This caused the school to go on lockdown for around five minutes. Officials report that one person involved in the altercation fled towards North Hardin High School, which is on the adjacent campus. The “one-call” system was used by both sets of school administrators to alert parents of the situation. Officials say at no time were students ever in danger on either campus.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College held a press conference on Friday in order to sign their first partners for the University Center project, which will serve to provide previously unattainable degrees at the college. These partners for the University Center include Eastern Kentucky University with their criminal justice program, Lindsey Wilson College with their human resources and accounting programs, Spalding University with their nursing program, and Western Kentucky University, who has partnered with the college for many years, and will continue to do so with the center. To donate towards the University Center project, visit ectcforbetterlives.com.

Work to replace the Depot Street Bridge in Bloomfield, which crosses over Simpson Creek in Nelson County, will start this week. Road closure is scheduled to begin tomorrow, and may last up to 75 days. Early notice signs have already been placed and detour signs will be put up to assist motorists. This project is part of Bridging Kentucky, which seeks to increase safety and capacity of bridges throughout the state. For more information about this and other bridge projects, visit bridgingkentucky.com.

70 animals that were once lodged in the Hardin County Animal Shelter found new forever homes over the weekend. The shelter, which was at maximum capacity, held a one time only special that started Thursday and ran through Saturday. The shelter still has pets available and is open Monday through Saturday from noon until 4 PM.

Attorney General Andy Beshear held a press conference yesterday to announce that changes would be made to the Sexual Assault Cold Case Unit that will further aid sexual assault victims. The Attorney General announced yesterday that $1.4 million is being put towards the cold case unit from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Assistance in order to expand the division, and better aid sexual assault victims. The cold case unit was established in 2017 after the Attorney General’s office, in conjunction with the University of Louisville and Kentucky State Police, received $3 million from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Assistance under the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.

Visitation for Chris Hulsey, the Meade County Sheriff’s Deputy killed in the line of duty, will be held today from noon to 8 PM at Hager Funeral Home. Tomorrow, the funeral service itself will be held at 1 PM in the Meade County High School Gymnasium. As previously reported, Hulsey died shortly after a fight with 50-year-old Terry Gonterman while searching a property in Payneville.

The Radcliff Police Department arrested a couple after allegations of criminal child abuse were brought forward. According to arrest records, police were made aware by a 6-year-old girl about injuries she had allegedly sustained due to discipline over school work by Perenise Worden. Additionally, Joshua Wordern, the girl’s father, intentionally struck the girl with a wooden back scratcher, leaving an imprint on girl’s back, along with other bruising and swelling. The suspects neglected to seek medical attention for the juvenile. The two were taken in for criminal abuse of a child 12 or under.

The Rineyville Days Festival will be taking place tonight and tomorrow at Rineyville Community Park. The fun starts at 6 PM with the kickoff, featuring food, inflatables, the baby contest, and fireworks. Then, on Saturday, there will be a pancake breakfast from 7 to 9 AM followed by a parade at 10. Other attractions on Saturday include the car show at the park. More information can be found on the Rineyville Days Facebook page.