Menu Close

WULF News

Elizabethtown man arrested for Murder and Arson following Wednesday morning fire

94.3 The Wolf

The investigation into an Elizabethtown fire has resulted in an arrest for murder.

The Elizabethtown Police Department says Dustin Caudill of Elizabethtown faces multiple charges including two counts of Murder, First Degree Arson, First Degree Robbery, First Degree Wanton Endangerment, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon following his arrest Wednesday.

According to the EPD, shortly after 5 a.m. on October 30 officers responded to a structure fire at 508 Henon Lane to assist the Elizabethtown Fire Department. Fire personnel that entered the structure discovered two deceased males, 41-year-old Blake France of Greenville and 43-year-old Anthony Garrett of Elizabethtown. The two were determined to have sustained gunshot wounds, and investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set. 

Witnesses reported seeing a gold pickup truck leaving the scene. Officers located that vehicle at a motel on South Dixie Avenue, where video surveillance showed Caudill exiting the vehicle and later discarding a handgun. Further investigation revealed the personal belongings of the victims in Caudill’s motel room, and it was later discovered that Caudill discharged his firearm at a third victim.

The EPD says that during an interview with police, Caudill confessed to shooting the victims and intentionally setting fire to the residence, as well as stealing the wallets of the victims and discarding them in a gas station trash can.

Caudill was taken into custody and was lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center. He is scheduled to appear in a video arraignment hearing in Hardin District Court Thursday morning.

(Photo Credit: Hardin County Detention Center)

UPDATE: Two dead after Elizabethtown fire; person with possible information interviewed by EPD

94.3 The Wolf

The Elizabethtown Police Department continues to investigate a fire that occurred at a residence on the 500 block of Henon Lane.

During a press conference at the Elizabethtown Police Department’s headquarters, EPD Public Information Officer Chris Denham confirmed that two people, believed to be adult males, were killed in the structure fire.

Denham said police work by the EPD, with assistance from the Hardin County Coroner’s Office and the Elizabethtown Fire Department, identified a person with information on the incident.

“They identified this individual within an hour and a half, roughly, of the initial report, so, very efficient,” Denham said. “We’re very proud of them for that. We have made contact with that individual, and we are conducting interviews with him at this time.”

Denham said reports from the scene indicated possible suspicious activity, including an individual who allegedly fled the area at a high rate of speed. Denham said this isn’t an indication of the person with information’s involvement in the fire, but it prompted the involvement of the EPD’s Special Response Team as a precaution.

“They went down to a hotel on East Dixie Avenue to locate the individual whom we believe has information concerning this investigation,” Denham said. “They came out of the hotel room to our officers without incident, but it was obviously a precautionary measure to do. Any time we have a critical incident like this, we’re going to immediately activate our Special Response Team.”

Denham stressed that the individual being questioned by police is not in custody and has not been charged at this time, and said at this time the EPD is not calling this more than a “death investigation with suspicious circumstances.”

The Kentucky Office of the State Medical Examiner will conduct post-mortems on the victims, and the Elizabethtown Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire. The EPD will release more information as it becomes available.

Two dead after fire in Elizabethtown

94.3 The Wolf

Emergency responders are on the scene of a deadly fire in Elizabethtown Wednesday morning.

“Shortly before 5 a.m. this morning, we responded with the Elizabethtown Fire Department to the 500 block of Hennon Lane on the report of a residential structure fire,” said Elizabethtown Police Department Public Information Officer Chris Denham. “Upon entering the residence, fire crews discovered two deceased individuals inside. This tragic incident is actively being investigated, but unfortunately no information regarding the sex or identity of either of the deceased individuals has been determined at this time.”

Hardin County EMS and the Hardin County Coroner’s Office are on the scene and actively assisting with the investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available.

Early voting opportunities still available ahead of Election Day

94.3 The Wolf

Election Day is less than one week away, and the Hardin County Clerk’s Office is anticipating a possible record turnout, so if you want to avoid lines on November 5 don’t forget about early voting opportunities. 

Wednesday is the last day for excused in-person absentee voting.

“That’s available to any voter who may be out of town during the early voting and regular election day voting,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith. “Also, it’s available for folks who due to age, illness, or disability, they have difficulty standing in line or they have other mobility issues, other issues that may take them longer to fill out a ballot, they’re welcome to come.”

Absentee voting is available at the main clerk’s office at the Hardin County Government Building. 

The county will then open up three days of in-person no excuse absentee voting.

“This is available to everyone, no excuse necessary,” Smith said. “It starts on Halloween, October 31, November 1 and 2, 8 a.m. to 4 30 p.m. We have two convenient locations. One is at the Hardin County Clerk’s main office in Elizabethtown. The other is at Colvin Community Center.”

Smith says the clerk’s office has expanded polling locations and has added voting machines at the busier locations for folks looking to cast their ballot from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day.

“As long as you’re in line by 6 p.m. you’ll be allowed to vote,” Smith said. “We have 15 locations available all across Hardin County. Any voter who’s registered in Hardin County can choose any location that’s convenient for them. I encourage folks to visit govote.ky.gov or the Hardin County Clerk’s Facebook page to find the location nearest you.”

Contact your county clerk’s office for election assistance.

Study lays out area public transportation plan

94.3 The Wolf

The Radcliff-Elizabethtown Metropolitan Planning Organization last year commissioned a public transportation study, and representatives from the Lincoln Trail Area Development District and consulting firm Michael Baker International on Monday presented the results and recommendations from the study at the State Theater.

LTADD Executive Director Daniel London said the study does a good job presenting the current needs and capabilities for public transportation in the area, and lays out a clear path forward with a three-phase process. Phase One starts with a partnership expanding TACK Transportation.

“They would start a vanpool service that would be a cost of $40,000 to $50,000 a year, and that gives a real test as to what the demand signal would be,” London said.

Phase One would see an Elizabethtown loop and a Radcliff/Vine Grove connector. Phase Two expands the services out to include inter-connecting services at Hardin County locations, with Phase Three expanding into Meade County/Brandenburg and Glendale.

London said state and federal funds will cover a large part of the needed costs, but local tax dollars will need to be committed to go the rest of the way.

“I would encourage the public to have conversations with their elected officials about their desire for this service and how they feel it should be funded, and give them the space and grace in which to make the best decision possible for their constituents,” London said.

Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory said the presented plan has him optimistic.

“On the front end, it looks like a great opportunity for not only Elizabethtown, but for our whole community, and it really opens up a lot of doors for people,” Gregory said. “When you talk about workforce development and folks being able to get to healthcare, and even younger people that want to continue education at ECTC, all those avenues are available with public transportation.”

The complete presentation, study results, and proposed plan can be found on the LTADD and REMPO websites.

Baptist Health Hardin cuts ribbon on new Medical Pavilion

94.3 The Wolf

Baptist Health capped off a three-year, $225.6 million project as they hosted a ribbon cutting for the Baptist Health Hardin Medical Pavilion Tuesday morning.

“Baptist Health Hardin Medical Pavilion stands as a testament to Baptist Health’s commitment to the people of the region,” said Baptist Health System CEO Gerald Colman. “It was imagined as a new concept for Central Kentucky. The pavilion would offer more services, advanced technology, and better access for all who needed to be served.”

Baptist Health says the 282,000 square-foot pavilion is a celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary as well as the hospital’s 70th anniversary.

Baptist Health Hardin CEO Robert Ramey says the pavilion features cutting-edge facilities to help serve the 400,000 residents in the hospital’s 10-county region.

“It will include a comprehensive cancer care center,” Ramey said. “It will have 12 operating rooms, including the first hybrid OR in our region. Most people traditionally have thought about hybrid operating technology as something that’s at an academic center or in a large urban tertiary center. We’re bringing that right here to Hardin County for Central Kentucky.”

Other facilities include “three new cardiac cath labs, multidisciplinary outpatient clinics, and patient-centered spaces designed to promote emotional and spiritual wellness.”

Ramey said the pavilion puts the hospital in a position to help support area growth.

“Our community and our county continues to grow, and we want to be a part of that, and help to meet the growing needs of our community and really positioning Hardin County and Elizabethtown as an economic and vibrant community for the future,” Ramey said.

Learn more about the medical pavilion on the Baptist Health Hardin website.

Elizabethtown council gets updates on alcohol licenses

94.3 The Wolf

The Elizabethtown City Council met for a special meeting and work session Monday.

An ordinance approving the renewal of Comcast’s non-exclusive franchise agreement with the city for 15 years was approved on its second reading.

City Clerk and Alcohol Beverage Control Administrator Jessica Graham gave an update to the council on the city’s alcohol licenses. Graham says the city has approved 179 licenses this year.

“59 of those this year so far are temporary, special temporary,” Graham said. “I have about four of those pending. I have probably 12, whether it’s inquiries or applications, in process.”

The city has brought in $1.2 million in regulatory fees so far this year. Graham said there are still two quarters to collect for as well as for October, November, and December, so she anticipates the city will clear $2 million by the end of the year, which would be more than the $1.8 million collected last year.

Graham said she would like to see some slight amendments to the city’s ABC ordinance to clean up some language and make some clarifications.

“We want you to use our city forms,” Graham said. “It causes a lot of problems for us if you try to make your own. We want to make sure that everyone understands you cannot have any alcohol out after 1 a.m. That doesn’t mean you just close your door. We had to add the EDC ordinance. We hadn’t added that.”

Elizabethtown Fire Chief Mark Malone said the fire department’s new burn building has been put to good use, including for thermal vision training that saw participation from several area fire departments recently. Repairs and replacements were made at fire stations One and Three, and construction is going well on the city’s newest fire station.

“Station Four is under construction and on schedule and on budget,” Malone said. “We hope to open that station late July of 2025.”

Elizabethtown Director of Engineering Michael Page said street and sidewalk improvements on North Main Street have been going smoothly. The city plans to announce additional road closures in that area as the project wraps up.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet November 4.

Be careful with outdoor burning and check your heating sources ahead of winter

94.3 The Wolf

October is Fire Prevention Month, and fire officials are reminding residents to have safety in mind as they enjoy fall activities.

“If you’re going to do fires, little campfires or bonfires, that kind of thing, make sure you’re always attending the fire,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Make sure that you’re keeping your fire pits and things like that away from residences. You don’t want to put it too close. We tell people at least 15, 20 feet away from your buildings, any overhangs, anything like that.”

Check with your municipality on burning laws, and if you will be doing a large controlled burn alert your area fire department.

Crane says the fall season is a good time to make sure your heating sources are ready to operate properly ahead of winter.

“Maintain your fireplace, your wood stove,” Crane said. “Make sure you’re only burning clean, seasoned wood, not wet wood or green wood. Make sure that you’re checking the chimney and the stove pipes that they’re clean, there’s not a lot of creosote buildup. Get them serviced professionally periodically as well. The furnaces, change your filters. That’s probably the biggest thing on furnace maintenance is change those filters regularly.”

Crane also says with Halloween approaching, be sure your decorations are not a potential fire hazard. Keep entryways clear and decorations such as hay bales away from potential fire sources.

“Make sure in your decorative lighting, just like your Christmas lights, make sure the wiring is in good shape,” Crane said. “Make sure you’re not overloading any of your circuits. When you hook those lights together, how many strands can you hook together? Things like that. Don’t staple them to the side of your house because the staples could damage that wiring.”

Find more fire safety tips on the National Fire Protection Association’s website.

Area schools seek survey responses

94.3 The Wolf

Three area school districts are looking for feedback from school families through active surveys available through their websites and social media.

Breckinridge County Schools is seeking responses for their Parent/Caregiver Experience survey. BCS says feedback from the survey will help the district determine what is working well in their schools and what needs improvement. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and can be found on the Breckinridge County School District Facebook page.

Meanwhile, the Hardin County Schools Calendar Committee has created two options for the 2025-2026 school year. That survey is available on the News and Announcements section of the Hardin County Schools website until midnight this Friday. The HCS School Board has the final decision on the calendar but will consider community input in their decision.

Finally, Tuesday is the last day to provide input on the Elizabethtown Independent Schools 2025-2026 school calendar. A link to the survey options can be found on the Elizabethtown Independent School District Facebook page.

Unemployment rates up in September across Lincoln Trail District

94.3 The Wolf

Unemployment rates across the Lincoln Trail District were up in September from where they were the year prior. 

The Kentucky Center for Labor Statistics says unemployment rates increased in all 120 counties of the commonwealth in September.

The state unemployment average for September 2024 was reported at 4.9 percent. While that is down from the 5.2 percent average from August, it is up from the 4 percent average from September 2023. Four counties in the Lincoln Trail District came in higher than the state average for September while three counties came in below the state average.

Hardin County’s unemployment rate for September 2024 tied the state average at 4.9 percent. That’s a slight decrease from August when the rate was reported at 5.1 percent but it is a jump from September 2023 when the rate came in at 3.8 percent.

Breckinridge County has the highest unemployment rate in the Lincoln Trail District for September with a rate of 5.5 percent. Nelson and Washington counties tied for the lowest rates in the region, and tied for the ninth lowest in the state, at 4.2 percent.

Learn more about how the unemployment rate is calculated and find more labor market information by visiting kystats.ky.gov.