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Man who fled police on I-65 and hid in cornfield back in court

94.3 The Wolf

The Alabama man who fled police in Hart County then hid in a cornfield near Glendale was back in court Tuesday. 

Jecore M. King of Eight Mile, Alabama, appeared in Hardin Circuit Court for an arraignment hearing. King appeared via Zoom from the Hardin County Detention Center.

Judge John David Simcoe said King was indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges including Wanton Endangerment, Fleeing or Evading Police, and Reckless Driving, among other charges. King requested a public defender be assigned to his case, and a not guilty plea was entered on King’s behalf. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for December 17.

Following his arrest on October 24, the Kentucky State Police said King fled from a trooper that pulled King over near the 61-mile marker on Interstate 65 in Hart County after he was asked to step out of the vehicle for the possible presence of marijuana. After a pursuit that reached speeds of over 130 miles per hour, King crashed near the 85-mile marker and fled on foot into a nearby cornfield, where he was later apprehended after a search involving several law enforcement agencies.

One dead, three injured in Hart County crash

94.3 The Wolf

One person was killed and three juveniles were injured in an accident in Hart County Saturday. 

The Kentucky State Police says at just before 7 p.m. on November 9 troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on the 3,700 block of Priceville Road in Hart County.

The KSP says the preliminary investigation indicates that a vehicle driven by 24-year-old Mikhaela Kostas of Versailles was traveling east on Priceville Road when Kostas attempted to pass other eastbound vehicles. Her car then collided with a westbound truck driven by a juvenile driver.

Kostas was pronounced dead at the scene by the Hart County Coroner’s Office. The juvenile driver and two juvenile passengers were transported to Baptist Health Hardin for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The KSP’s investigation of the crash is ongoing.

Volunteers needed for annual Thanksgiving dinner for those in need

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Several area churches and Helping Hand of Hope are partnering to offer families in need a Thanksgiving dinner.

“It is provided to individuals and families who are unable to have a meal on their own,” said event coordinator Cheri Ellis-Reeves. “It’s at no cost to them, and if they’re in Hardin County we will deliver except to West Point. They do have to make a reservation through Helping Hand of Hope. The cutoff date is Friday the 22nd.”

The dinner will be hosted on Thanksgiving Day at Saint James Catholic School.

“If they want to come to Saint James School on Robinbrooke Boulevard, they’re able to pick it up there and carry it out, or they can dine in there,” Ellis-Reeves said. “If they dine in, it is from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.”

Food donations for the dinner are being accepted, or you can volunteer your time.

“We can’t do it without a lot of volunteers,” Ellis-Reeves said. “We do need volunteers to help deliver meals, help serve meals. At this point, we still need some volunteers.”

Contact Ellis-Reeves at Clark Jewelers or contact Helping Hand of Hope for more information.

HCS seeking help from alumni to plan reunion event

94.3 The Wolf

Hardin County Schools is looking to hear from all district alumni from the Class of 1990 and earlier as the district plans a possible reunion event.

“As one can imagine, that could turn into somewhat of a monumental task, but this is something that has never happened before, so we are asking for help from alumni for this event to be successful,” said Hardin County Schools Community Relations Specialist John Wright. “We are planning this by working with those who already coordinate their individual class reunions. We’re seeking individuals who coordinate individual class reunions for their graduating class, or maybe who coordinate multi-year reunions for a high school that maybe no longer exists.”

A contact form for alumni willing to participate in planning the reunion event is available on the HCS website under the Alumni tab. Contact wright for more information.

Property tax collection under way for Kentucky residents

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2024 property tax bills in Kentucky are now due and payable.

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office says there are several options available for residents to pay their property taxes.  Bills were sent out in postcard format, but you can find copies of your tax bill on the sheriff’s office’s website.

“We started collecting taxes on November 1, and have been really busy because taxpayers can receive the 2 percent discount during the month of November,” said Hardin County Sheriff John Ward. 

Taxes paid in December are paid at face value. Taxes paid in January have a five percent penalty, and the penalty goes to 21 percent after January 31st.

In addition to paying taxes online, by mail, in person at the sheriff’s office, or via the secure drop box at the sheriff’s office, the sheriff’s office began mobile tax collection this past Saturday and continues it Monday.

“We’ll also be collecting taxes on November 11 at the Radcliff Fire Department from 9 to 11 a.m., the Vine Grove Fire Department from 11:30 to 1 p.m., and at West Point City Hall from 1:30 to 3 p.m.,” Ward said.

Contact the sheriff’s office for assistance or more information.

FOHCAS distributing outdoor cat shelters this Saturday

94.3 The Wolf

Friends of Hardin County Animal Shelter will once again be offering free shelters to area residents looking to take care of outdoor cats this winter.

“We are doing that in conjunction with Eurotrol,” said FOHCAS Board Member Sarah Fellows. “It’s a local company that has the styrofoam shipping containers, and they offer those to us once they’re done. They’re clean, and they’re just the perfect outdoor shelter for those community or feral cats that you may be feeding, but they don’t have any kind of good shelter for the winter, especially during harsh weather.”

FOHCAS board members will be distributing the shelters on a first come, first served basis this Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. Behind the Hardin County Animal Shelter, located at 220 Peterson Drive.

“That’s the cul-de-sac behind the Hardin County Animal Shelter, so if you pull into Headquarters Drive that runs right beside the animal shelter, you’ll pass their parking lot,” Fellows said. “You will not go into their parking lot. It’s a very short street. It leads to a cul-de-sac, and we’ll be down at the end of that cul-de-sac passing those out until they’re gone.”

The limit is two shelters per car. The shelters are free but donations will be accepted.

Latest round of state training funds includes two local factories

94.3 The Wolf

Two area factories will receive skills training through the latest approvals from the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation.

According to a release from the governor’s office, the BSSC oversees Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development programs that “help private sector businesses establish industry-specific training initiatives.” The BSSC board in 2024 has approved about $19 million in funds and credits for 104 facilities, resulting in training for more than 42,000 workers.

More than 8,500 workers will receive training through the latest approved funds and credits. Included in the latest approval are more than 2,000 trainees at Metalsa Structural Products in Elizabethtown and 60 trainees at Nationwide Uniform Corporation in Hodgenville.

“Equipping our workforce with the tools they need to thrive is a huge part of our mission to build a better Kentucky, and we’re making great progress thanks to this important support through the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear during Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update. “I can attest how important this program is as it’s one of the talking points we have with companies that are looking at Kentucky when we’re talking about not just how to bring them workforce, but ultimately how to train them. This is one of the most popular programs. We’re really proud of it, and it’s certainly benefiting the people of Kentucky.”

More information on the BSSC program can be found on the Cabinet for Economic Development’s website.

Enforcement date for REAL IDs less than six months away

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With the enforcement date now less than six months away, Kentucky officials are reminding all Kentuckians 18 and older to make sure they have upgraded to a REAL ID.

Beginning May 7, 2025, all Kentuckians 18 and older will need a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to travel domestically and access certain federal facilities such as military bases.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says in order to apply for a REAL ID, residents must visit a driver licensing regional office and present one proof of identity, one proof of Social Security, and two proofs of residency. The KYTC website has a checklist of documents that qualify for each requirement. REAL ID licenses are available for four-year or eight-year credentials.

After the enforcement date, standard licenses will still be valid for driving and as proof of identity, age, and residence for voting and age-restricted purchases. The standard license will also allow access to federal facilities such as VA hospitals.

Visit REALIDKY.com for more information.

One dead, one hospitalized following KY 86 accident

94.3 The Wolf

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Thursday accident that resulted in the death of a Grayson County man.

“At 1:17 p.m. yesterday afternoon, we received a report of a serious accident on KY 86, also known as Hardinsburg Road, in the 15,000 block,” said Hardin County Sheriff John Ward. “A vehicle had run off the roadway just a little bit and overcorrected, losing control and striking a vehicle which was going in the opposite direction head on.”

Ward said the driver of the vehicle that lost control was identified as 20-year-old Andrew Miller of Leitchfield. He was declared dead at the scene. Ward said it appears Miller was not wearing a seat belt. The driver of the opposite vehicle was transported to Baptist Health Hardin with serious injuries.

The investigation into the crash by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office’s Accident Reconstruction Unit is ongoing.

Judge denies JCPenney’s injunction request for Towne Mall work

94.3 The Wolf

Attorneys for Penney Property Subholdings LLC, which owns the Elizabethtown JCPenney, and Linnick Investments LLC, which owns the Towne Mall, were back in court Thursday morning to continue a hearing on JCPenney’s request for a preliminary injunction to halt renovations at the mall.

Zachary VanVactor with Stites and Harbison PLLC, representing JCPenney, argued that Linnick Investments owner Tim Aulbach testified that he had not read the store’s lease with the mall but still moved forward with renovation construction, thus breaching the store’s right to review proposed changes to the property. VanVactor asked the court to issue the injunction and require Linnick to send full plans to JCPenney for approval.

Corky Coryell with Wyatt, Tarrant, and Combs LLP argued that JCPenney has no ability to prove irreparable harm in the case, and said witnesses called in the case have shown that the renovations are good for the property. Coryell said the injunction would just be the store’s way of blackmailing Linnick into renegotiating their rent agreement.

Hardin Circuit Judge Larry Ashlock denied the motion for an injunction, with Ashlock saying that case law in Kentucky shows injunctions are not issued in breach of contract cases without damages being proven, and in this case damages were not proven.