Menu Close

WULF News

E-Town council votes to decline solar farm annexation request

94.3 The Wolf

The Elizabethtown City Council met for their second meeting of the month Monday.

The council voted to decline the annexation request from seven property owners along Hayden Church and Cecilia roads that would be leasing their property to Lightsource BP for a solar farm. 

“The city council emphasizes the administrative staff finding that the large-scale solar farm proposed is not urban in character and is not suitable for development for urban purposes without unreasonable delay,” said City Attorney Ken Howard, reading from the municipal order approved by the council to decline the request. “This finding is further supported by Telesto’s memorandum, indicating the need for minimal municipal services for the project.”

The order “does not express an opinion on the viability or suitability of a large-scale solar farm in the unincorporated areas of Hardin County.”

The council also approved municipal orders that approved a contract with Dirt Works Unlimited for about $214,000 for the Keeneland Drive ditch stormwater design project, and a change order with Triumph Landscape Construction Inc. for about $133,000 for the North Main Street sidewalk project. 

Ordinances approving changes to the city’s zoning ordinance regarding medical cannabis operations and offsite directional signs were passed on their second readings. The first reading was held on two zoning amendments as well as an amendment to the city’s Alcohol Beverage Control ordinance.

“It reestablishes annual licensing fees, reaffirms times of sale, added language for the Entertainment Destination Center License and ordinance, clarified language and enforcement and penalties, and reestablishes procedures for enforcement of the ordinance,” Howard said, reading from the ordinance

The full text of the ordinances and municipal orders can be obtained by contacting the city clerk’s office.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet December 2.

Grayson County receives Kentucky Trail Town designation

94.3 The Wolf

State and local officials were on hand at Logsdon Valley Park Monday as Grayson County was declared the 30th official Kentucky Trail Town.

The Kentucky Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet says the Trail Town program recognizes a community’s commitment to sharing their areas outdoor opportunities, culture, histories, and stories while serving as an official gateway to the state’s outdoor offerings.

Leitchfield Mayor Harold Miller said the designation is a great honor.

“It recognizes our dedication to preserving our natural beauty here in the county and it promotes outdoor recreation for our citizens,” Miller said. “This distinction celebrates our ongoing effort to welcome visitors, to enhance our quality of life, and to showcase our hospitality.”

Miller and Grayson County Judge/Executive Kevin Henderson praised the seven-years-long effort that Grayson County Tourism and the Public Trails Association of Grayson County put into bringing about the designation. 

Kentucky State Parks Director of Interpretation and Engagement Seth Wheat said Grayson County fits well into the Trail Town program’s two-pronged goal of connecting people to outdoor spaces, such as Nolin Lake State Park and Rough River Dam State Resort Park, as well as improving the health of Kentuckians.

“This isn’t a silver bullet,” Wheat said. “It’s not a magic bullet, but what it’ll do is it’ll encourage people to get out and move more, and that doesn’t just help our physical health. It helps our mental health, our social health, more and more studies are showing why these kinds of activities are important, and they’re prescribing certain amounts of time for us to be outdoors. Spend 20 minutes a day, three days a week outdoors in a park, just like this beautiful park we have here, which is located right in town.”

Find more information on the Trail Towns program at kentuckytourism.com.

Radcliff police asking tipster to call them again

94.3 The Wolf

The Radcliff Police Department is requesting more information from a person that called in a tip. 

The RPD is looking for more information regarding a tip submitted to the department through Hardin County Crime Stoppers earlier this year.

According to the RPD, the tipster gave specific information on a possible homicide that occurred in Radcliff in 2005. The caller gave “very specific details/information about encountering a male subject in a parking lot in Owensboro.” The caller also gave identifying characteristics for the male subject along with a vehicle description.

The RPD is asking the person who called in this tip to once again contact Hardin County Crime Stoppers and leave some way for officers to contact them such as a phone number or email address in order to clarify some of the details provided in the tip. The caller may remain anonymous. If the caller wishes to contact the Radcliff Police Department directly, they may ask for Detective Kenneth Mattingly.

The phone number for Hardin County Crime Stoppers is 1-800-597-8123, or you may report a tip online at P3Tips.com.

Community Foundation awards more than $116k to 19 nonprofits

94.3 The Wolf

19 area nonprofit organizations received a total of more than $116,000 from the Central Kentucky Community Foundation through their fourth annual Granted program.

“The Granted program offers nonprofit organizations from throughout our nine-county region the opportunity to tell us what their needs are, what are the opportunities they see to better serve the people and carry out their mission,” said CKCF President and CEO Davette Swiney. 

The nonprofits apply to the foundation for grants awarded for three categories: capacity building, capital improvement, and programming.

This was the second year in a row that the total funds awarded through the Granted program totalled more than $100,000.

“I think that speaks to the generosity of people in our region, but also to the quality work that our nonprofit organizations do,” Swiney said. “People can want to give, but they want to know that it’s being used in a good manner and it’s really making a difference, and our nonprofits really step up to the plate in that regard.”

Area residents looking to support area nonprofits can contribute to the program.

“Most of these grants are funded from individual donors, but we also, as a foundation, supplement that with our MADE Fund, or Make a Difference Everyday Fund, and that’s an opportunity for anyone to give to that collective pool to help fund those grants every year,” Swiney said.

The 19 organizations that received funding through this year’s program are: Animal Rescue Kare – ARK, CASA of the Heartland, Central Kentucky Community Action Council Inc., City of Elizabethtown (Elizabethtown Police Department), Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland, Grayson County, Grayson County Alliance, Helping Hand of Hope, Hope Academy for Kids, Hosparus Inc., Lincoln Heritage Council, Boy Scouts of America, Nazareth Literary & Benevolent Institution Inc. dba Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Project L.E.A.R.N., Inc., Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana, Inc., St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Ministries, ShPIEL Theatre, and The Lincoln Museum, Inc. More information on how to donate can be found on the Central Kentucky Community Foundation’s website.

ECTC announces Nursing program partnership with Kentucky State University

94.3 The Wolf

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is celebrating its latest partnership and the new pathway for students created by that partnership. 

ECTC and Kentucky State University announced a new partnership last week to provide a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which the university says allows graduates of ECTC’s Nursing program to pursue the degree from KSU while receiving in-person support on ECTC’s campus.

The college says students will enroll in the program at KSU, then receive services on ECTC’s campus along with access to the college’s nursing labs and other student services. KSU will be the latest partner at the ECTC Robbins University Center, through which four-year colleges and universities offer high-demand Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs locally.

The college also announced a scholarship for students who apply for the program that will provide a tuition-free opportunity for students eligible for the federal Pell Grant. The ECTC to KSU Pathway Scholarship covers fall and spring tuition to students transfering from ECTC that enroll in at least six credit hours in the BSN program.

ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate said the program provides students with an affordable local option and helps create a critical future workforce for the region.

Spring classes begin January 13 and March 17. Visit kysu.edu for more information on the Nursing program, or contact ECTC’s admissions office for assistance.

Paving crews repairing I-65 spots in Hardin County Sunday and Monday nights

94.3 The Wolf

Paving crews will be making repairs between mile markers 91 and 98 on Interstate 65 in Hardin County Sunday and Monday nights.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says work will begin at 8 p.m. Sunday and continue until 6 a.m. Monday. Work will resume at 8 p.m. Monday and wrap up at 6 a.m. Tuesday.

I-65 northbound will be reduced to one lane Sunday night, and due to proximity to the interchange the northbound on-ramp at Exit 91 from the Western Kentucky Parkway on to I-65 will be closed. The off ramp will remain open. No Exit 91 ramp closures will be required Monday night when work shifts to the southbound lanes.

“This time of year, we’re always subject to weather, so it looks like the forecast is going to cooperate with us real well here Sunday night and Monday night, so we’re trying to get this work squeezed in, need to get these repairs complete here heading into winter and snow and ice, and doing this work at night minimizes the impact to traffic and makes it more safe and efficient for the crew out there too,” said KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie.

Lane closures will be in effect both nights. Drivers should watch for signage, slow down, and use caution when approaching work zones.

Elizabethtown railroad project included in funding award

94.3 The Wolf

A local railway project was included in the awarding of more than $7.5 million in state funding from the Kentucky Short Line Infrastructure Preservation Program announced Thursday.

“These projects will maintain and enhance existing rail lines, make critical upgrades, and create opportunities for industries to thrive in our new Kentucky home,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear during Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update. 

The program prioritizes projects that enhance existing rail lines to help retain existing, and attract new, rail-served industries.

“Rail is a vital part of economic growth as it connects us to markets,” Beshear said. “It helps move goods efficiently and it creates good jobs for our Kentucky families. These investments will make sure our rail systems are up to date, that they’re safe, and that they’re ready to support all these growing industries.”

Among the awarded funding is $1,352,700 to the Paducah and Louisville Railway for their Elizabethtown crosstie rehab project, through which 20,000 crossties will be replaced along about 20 miles of track including the Elizabethtown branch, Cecilia siding, tank siding, and surrounding mainline track. Track surfaces will also be renewed.

Kentucky unemployment still trending above national average

94.3 The Wolf

Unemployment in Kentucky in October came in just above the state average for September.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says the state unemployment average for October was 5 percent. That is a slight increase from the 4.9 percent average reported in September as well as from October 2023 when the average was reported at 4.3 percent.

Kentucky’s unemployment average also came in higher in October than the national unemployment rate, which the U.S Department of Labor reported at 4.1 percent for the second straight month.

The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet says the state’s civilian labor force, which includes people currently employed and people actively searching for work, saw an increase of about 6,000 people from September into October, bringing the civilian labor force to about 2,075,000. It is the eighth month in a row the state labor force has seen an increase.

The manufacturing, educational and health services, and construction sectors saw increases, while the leisure and hospitality sector, the trade, transportation, and utilities sector, and the professional and business services sectors saw decreases.

Visit the Kentucky Center for Statistics to learn more about labor market information.

Tour of BlueOval SK facilities has Beshear excited for Kentucky’s future

94.3 The Wolf

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he has been at announcements, groundbreakings, and ribbon cuttings for the BlueOval SK Battery Park as well as the ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center, so getting to see those facilities starting operations is a testament to the commonwealth’s commitment to the future.

“It is really exciting to know that the batteries of the future are going to be produced right here in Kentucky and, as I got to tour the training facility today, to see people whose lives are being changed, to see how excited they are to be a part of this industry, and knowing that this is going to be an industry in operation for decades to come,” Beshear said.

The governor toured the training facility and the battery park during a visit to the site Wednesday with company officials. Beshear said BlueOval remains the catalyst for Kentucky’s bid to be a leader in the EV industry, and the facilities are evidence of what collaboration between industry, government, and education can look like.

“The training is technical, it’s new, it takes a lot of work, so it’s exciting to see both the teachers that are helping to provide the training as well as everybody working to pick it up so they can do their jobs safely and, we hope, better than anywhere else in the United States,” Beshear said.

BlueOval SK CEO Michael Adams said the governor’s visit comes on the heels of an important milestone as employees began moving into the Kentucky One plant on Tuesday.

“We were able to do it successfully, bring our employees in, and now we’re just getting ready to start building those samples in our plant and then validate those samples so that we can be prepared for that launch and the start of production in 2025,” Adams said.

About 750 of the expected 5,000 employees that will call the battery park home are now on the job.

Law enforcement warns of increase in break-in attempts

94.3 The Wolf

Area law enforcement is warning residents to take precautions as they see an uptick in break-in attempts.

The Radcliff Police Department says they responded to multiple car break-ins and one theft Tuesday morning among reports from other jurisdictions of similar crimes.

“We would like to remind everyone to lock your vehicles, make sure that you don’t leave valuables in the vehicle, including but not limited to firearms or gifts or anything like that,” said Captain Willie Wells with the Radcliff Police Department. “This is a crime that doesn’t have to happen. You don’t have to be a victim. This is something that you can do, precautions that you could take to make sure that you are not a victim of a theft simply by locking your vehicle and not leaving valuables in it.”

Contact area law enforcement if you see suspicious activity.

Meanwhile, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest following a Monday morning home robbery. 

The sheriff’s office says a woman living on Shrewsbury Road in Caneyville told 911 dispatchers a male subject entered her home, threatened her with a gun, and demanded money before fleeing the scene with her purse.

Tips received led to the development of Richard L. Price of Caneyville as a suspect. Multiple law enforcement agencies coordinated to take Price into custody at a Grayson County apartment complex.

In addition to first degree charges of Robbery, Wanton Endangerment, and Identity Theft, Price was found to have active warrants out of Marion County for Assault, Robbery, and failure to pay child support. Price was lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center.