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ECTC robotics team performs well at national championship

94.3 The Wolf

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is celebrating the accomplishments of four students that recently competed in a national robotics competition. 

Team NUKE participated in the Vex Robotics World Championship in Dallas, the eighth consecutive year ECTC students have competed at the event.

Vex U provides students with the chance to design, build, and program robots, which helps the students develop technical and soft skills. Teams work on their robots and compete in year-round events which culminate at the world championship.

Team NUKE competed in nine qualifying matches with teams from around the world, placing seventh in their division. The team recorded the highest individual match score of the tournament when they defeated Mississippi State 222 to 70. The team ultimately fell in the division finals to the University of Kentucky, which was led by a former member of Team NUKE.

The members of Team NUKE are students in ECTC’s Engineering and Electronics Technology program. Contact Marty Sutherland at ECTC to learn more.

Team nuke consisted of ECTC students Jeffrey Stewart, David Roche-Meléndez, Tanner Blake, and Joshua Wisniewski, along with five students from Northern Kentucky University.

LaRue County accident leaves one dead, two injured

94.3 The Wolf

The Kentucky State Police is investigating a fatal accident that occurred in LaRue County Sunday evening.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. on May 5, KSP Post Four troopers were requested by LaRue County Dispatch to assist in investigating a single-vehicle collision at the 6000 block of KY 61/Greensburg Road.

The KSP says the preliminary investigation indicates that 59-year-old Bobby D. Sexton of Magnolia was driving south on KY 61 in a pickup truck when for unknown reasons he drove onto the shoulder of the roadway before overcorrecting. The vehicle overturned several times.

Sexton was pronounced dead at the scene by the LaRue County Coroner’s Office. Two passengers in the vehicle, one an adult and one a child, sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. The adult passenger was flown to the University of Louisville Hospital, and the child was flown to Norton Children’s Hospital.

The KSP’s investigation into the crash is ongoing.

One dead, one injured in WKP crash

94.3 The Wolf

One person is dead and another seriously injured following an accident on the Western Kentucky Parkway in Hardin County.

“On Sunday, May 5 at approximately 10:48 p.m. the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 126 mile marker on the WK Parkway for a reported motor vehicle accident.” said Hardin County Sheriff John Ward. 

Upon the arrival of deputies, both of the involved vehicles were engulfed in flames.

“The operator of unit one – Roger B. Wilson, age 38, of Elizabethtown – was pronounced dead at the scene of the Hardin County Coroner,” Ward said. “The operator of unit two was transported by helicopter to the University of Louisville Hospital with life-threatening injuries.”

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office’s Accident Reconstruction Team’s investigation into the accident is ongoing. The Western Kentucky Parkway was closed in both directions for several hours after the accident.

KY From Above offers accessible map views of the commonwealth

94.3 The Wolf

The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet says Kentucky is the first state in the country to capture side and angle view photography of its entire geography from the sky.

Pilots working for contractor NV5 flew 2,600 flight lines over 117,000 miles to capture images of more than 40,000 square miles of Kentucky’s cities, towns, farms, and natural areas to create the KY From Above program.

The program was established in 2010 by the Kentucky Geographic Information Advisory Council with the mission of creating access to geographic information in the state by providing detailed elevation data and aerial photography at no cost to Kentuckians. The accuracy and clarity of the images captured provides context for hundreds of map layers used by state and local government agencies. 

The state also says the program will improve public safety as first responders will be able to use it to help on accident responses and search and rescue missions, and emergency management leaders will be able to use the program when assessing damage after a disaster.

You can access the program by visiting www.kyfromabove.ky.gov.

Highway fatalities up in Kentucky in 2023

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The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says there were 813 highway fatalities on Kentucky roadways in 2023, an increase from the 744 seen in 2022.

The KYTC’s Office of Highway Safety says in those fatal accidents, 51 percent of victims were not wearing a seatbelt. 33 percent of the accidents involved speeding or aggressive driving, 20 percent involved distracted drivers, and 16 percent involved alcohol.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says wearing a seatbelt is the single most effective way of preventing injury or death in a traffic accident. Seatbelt use and the dangers of drunk driving continue to be the primary subjects of most public awareness campaigns.

The KYTC says it continues to focus on infrastructure projects that improve safety for everybody on the roadway, including a pilot project set to begin this summer that will test systems that detect and deter wrong-way crashes along select interstate ramps in Fayette and Jefferson counties. 

Preliminary numbers for 2024 report 170 roadway deaths, which is down more than 13 percent compared to this time last year.

Clean around appliances and check on dryer lent to help reduce fire risk

94.3 The Wolf

Spring is in full swing, and people are sprucing up their houses and yards as they welcome the warmer weather.

Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane says as you go about your spring cleaning, don’t forget about your appliances.

“Just make sure that when you’re cleaning, clean places that you might not normally like behind refrigerators or dryers, a lot of those that have motors where the dust and things like that can build up,” Crane said. “Try to clean those, vacuum around and behind those at least once a year.”

Crane says not only does it reduce the risk for fire, it also helps extend the life of the appliance.

While cleaning your dryer, don’t forget about making sure lent isn’t building up.

“We tell you always make sure you’re cleaning the lint filter during each time you dry, but also during the spring, maybe pull the dryer out, clean the hose or the pipe that goes to the outside of the house to make sure that’s clean and free of lint because that will build up and could cause a fire,” Crane said.

Also check to make sure the dryer exhaust outside the house is clear, as there is potential for it to become clogged due to lent and animals or other pests.

“Just make sure that it’s free and clear, that it’s got good air movement,” Crane said. “If you do live in an area where, say, birds and other pests are a problem, and you put a screen over there, make sure you’re checking the screen because the lint will build up even easier there.”

More fire safety tips can be found on the Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s website.

Bear sighting in Elizabethtown is unique but not uncommon, KFW says

94.3 The Wolf

An Elizabethtown resident on Sportsman Lake Road found a surprise on their security camera Wednesday morning as they saw a young black bear wander through their back porch.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Bear Program Coordinator John Hast says while such a sighting is a surprise, it is not that uncommon.

“Although we’ve not had one out there for a couple years, that seems to be a fairly common place to get them passing through,” Hast said. “I think probably 2018 was kind of our first big year where we had a few between E-Town and Louisville. We’ve had one road killed on 31-W there, kind of between Fort Knox and Louisville. It’s kind of just a point where they seem to converge right there.”

Hast says this is the first year since 2020 that the state has seen increased reports of roaming bears, but it is just part of how the animals go about their lives.

“It’s just kind of the evolutionary plan of bear populations,” Hast said. “They send their young males out. So right now is the start of the breeding season in the bear range in the mountains of Kentucky, and really this is the point where those year and a half old males kind of get the boot, and when that happens they go in search of new habitat and mates and let’s call it one out of every 100 or one out of every 200 just ends up walking out of the mountains.”

Hast says if you happen to spot a bear, use common sense, but enjoy the moment.

“Honestly, I tell people, especially folks in E-Town and outside the typical bear range, consider yourself lucky that you saw one, and just take it for what it is,” Hast said. “Get a quick video on the cell phone or something. Obviously, don’t approach.”

Hast says in nearly all cases the bear returns to the mountains by September or October, but residents can help to make sure the only bear that is taking up residency in the area is Central Hardin’s mascot.

“The biggest thing with keeping these bears wild, and this bear in E-Town we don’t have any record of him getting in any garbage or getting a meal in any way so he’s just truly roaming, which is what we want to see, but if you’re in that area, secure your garbage for a couple weeks, just to be on the safe side,” Hast said.

Hast says the estimated Kentucky bear population is between 1,000 and 1,500. Information on bears and what to do if you spot one can be found at www.bearwise.org.

Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office investigating after human remains found

94.3 The Wolf

The Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after the discovery of human remains.

The sheriff’s office says deputies responded Monday evening to a call about remains that had been found at a property north of the Little Flock Baptist Church on Old Preston Highway North. A person there was bush-hogging near Tanyard Branch Creek when they discovered the remains and contacted law enforcement.

The case is being considered a death investigation. The sheriff’s office is reviewing area missing persons reports while working with the medical examiner’s office to try and identify the individual.
Anybody with possible information that may assist the investigation is asked to call or email the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip Line. (502-543-1262, crimetip@bcky.org)

Registration open for ECTC Kids College

94.3 The Wolf

Registration is open for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College’s annual summer program, Kids College.

“Kids College is an opportunity we have in the summer for kids to come on campus and learn from a few of our instructors in the areas of robotics, baking and food prep, and agriculture,” said ECTC Lead Recruiter and Kids College Coordinator Becca Owsley. “It is for students that have finished the first through eighth grade, and they’re broken up into three different groups. There’s kids first through third grade, fourth through fifth grade, and sixth through eighth grade.”

The camp is sponsored by Abound Credit Union, and kids can sign up for three different classes. “Beginning Robotics” will see students building and programming a robot built from a LEGO Robotics kit. “Baking Fun” will include projects based on food, nutrition, and baking. “Ag is for Everyone” will include live animals, demonstrations, and lab activities.

“Registration is open now, and it will run through June 14” Owsley said. “They can go to the ECTC website and search for Kids College, and they can find where to register there.”

Advanced registration is required and spaces are first come, first serve.

KFW warns of increased tick activity as warmer weather arrives

94.3 The Wolf

Warmer weather means more time outdoors, which also means more potential for exposure to ticks.

The most common ticks in Kentucky are the lone star tick, the blacklegged tick, and the American dog tick. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says that any tick bite should be taken seriously due to the potential for illnesses such as Lyme disease, which is of growing concern in the commonwealth.

Before going outdoors, use EPA-registered insect repellents, treat clothing with products containing permethrin, and take precautions when walking through wooded or brushy area, tall grass, and wood or leaf piles.

After spending time outdoors, perform tick checks, shower, and tumble dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes. If a tick is found attached to the skin, remove it as soon as possible. Use tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and gently pull with steady pressure, then clean the area of the bite and wash your hands. If symptoms of an illness arise within a few weeks, get medical attention and tell them about the tick bite.

Kentuckians can contribute to tick research by looking up the Kentucky Tick Surveillance Project, which is run by the University of Kentucky.