WULF News

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is updating drivers on two projects in Hardin County.

KYTC District Four says a chip sealing project is beginning on Kentucky Route 1646/North Logsdon Parkway, with the speed limit reduced to 25 miles per hour from the railroad crossing to Patriot Parkway as crews prepare for resurfacing. Drivers will be passing over loose gravel and will see several lane closures this week, then a final pavement surface will be applied next week.

Meanwhile, work is set to begin on the resurfacing of Kentucky Route 361/Patriot Parkway between Kentucky Routes 220 and 313. The roadway will be milled this week and paved next week, with several lane closures set up to accommodate the work.

Drivers should slow down, pay attention, and use caution in all work zones. Work on both projects is scheduled to be completed before September 30.

The Elizabethtown City Council met for a special meeting Monday evening.

The council approved, on their second readings, the ordinances that set city taxes for the 2024-2024 fiscal year. The franchise tax rate for all eligible bank deposits is set at .025 percent, the tax rate for real and personal property is set at 11 cents per $100 assessed value, and the tax rate for all motor vehicles and watercraft is set at 11.6 cents per $100 assessed value. Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory said the tax rates have been consistent.

“Just so we’re clear, we have not raised these percentages, at least in my tenure, and I think quite some time before that,” Gregory said. “I didn’t look up the exact date when they were adjusted last, but it’s been quite some time, so these were made the same as they did last year, in the year before, and so on.”

The council also approved a municipal order approving the application for up to $975,000 in grant submissions on behalf of the Elizabethtown Airport Board. The applications are for several grants through the Kentucky Department of Aviation for the terminal building renovation and expansion at Addington Field.

In other meeting news, SpringHaven Inc. CEO Georgia Hensley gave a report of the domestic violence shelter’s activities. Hensley said policy changes and work to increase reporting led to a jump in domestic violence survivors seeking support from SpringHaven from 379 in 2023 to 1,541 in 2024. Hensley highlighted some of SpingHaven’s initiatives including a court escort program that has rolled out in response to the shooting outside the Hardin County Justice Center and the establishment of a domestic violence intake center.

Elizabethtown Director of Planning Joe Reverman reported on the Planning and Development Department’s activities to this point in 2024. Reverman said 329 building, 501 electrical, and 156 sign permits have been approved, with 598 housing units approved for construction. Reverman said even without anticipated growth related to BlueOval SK, the rate of growth is outpacing the city’s infrastructure investment business model, so the city is exploring goals and initiatives laid out in the city’s comprehensive plan and other strategies.

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet in a joint meeting with the Elizabethtown Tourism and Convention Bureau on September 23.

Voter registration in Kentucky continues to see big increases ahead of this November’s presidential election.

The Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office says Kentucky added 15,239 new voter registrations and removed 3,793 voters from the rolls in the month of August.

Of the registrations removed from the rolls, 2,792 were for deceased voters, 349 were for convicted felons, and 480 were for voters that moved to another state.

The secretary of state’s office says Republican registration increased by 7,345 voters in August, Democratic registrations increased by 1,128 voters, and independent or other registrations increased by 2,973 voters. Republican registrations currently make up about 46 percent of the electorate while Democratic registrations make up about 43 percent and independent or other makes up about 11 percent.

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith says getting registered is a simple process.

““Registering to vote has never been easier,” Smith said. “The quick and easy way for most folks would be to visit govote.ky.gov. They can do that on the computer or their phone, and they can register to vote that way. They can also call or visit the county clerk’s office. The deadline to register to vote, to participate in the November election is October 7. Don’t wait until the deadline. Go ahead and get it done early.”

Visit the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website for more information on voter registration stats.

Hardin County residents can take advantage of Saturday’s Free Dump Day event at the Pearl Hollow Landfill.

From 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents can bring all waste materials that are not regulated or defined by applicable federal, state, or local laws as hazardous, infectious, biomedical, explosive, toxic, radioactive, volatile, and/or flammable. All loads must be tarped and secured.

The event is for Hardin County residents only. No contractors or commercial businesses are allowed. Regulations apply.

Hardin County government is also reminding residents that trash pick up will be delayed one day from Tuesday through Saturday due to the Labor Day holiday.

The landfill is located at 1620 Audubon Trace in Elizabethtown. Contact the Hardin County Public Works Department at 270-360-9207 for more information.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System says it expects to welcome more than 85,000 students to its campuses this fall, which the system says is an 8.4 percent increase from last year and will set a 10-year record.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate says ECTC has also seen substantial growth.

“The college has really had a record period of growth since 2017,” Pate said. “Our graduation rate has gone from 31 percent to a little over 57 percent.”

KCTCS says the system has seen growth across all student classifications. New student enrollment is up 11 percent, credential-seeking enrollment is up 11.9 percent, and high school students taking dual credit courses is up 11.6 percent.

Pate says more and more people are recognizing that a community college education can be more than just a cost-saving measure.

“The real value is the quality of the education, and the people who chose to teach at a community college because they wanted to teach,” Pate said. “They didn’t want to do research. They didn’t want to publish papers. They want to be with students. That, to me, is what’s reflected when you start looking at the way ECTC has increased its student success. We’ve got to where now the number of students who are passing all of their classes in the first semester is, I think it’s almost like 80 percent. That’s unheard of.”

KCTCS expects to enroll about 112,000 students by the end of the 2024-2025 school year in either an associate program designed to transfer to a four-year university or one of 104 technical programs.

In addition to expanding programming, KCTCS campuses have focused on assisting students with barriers to education, such as ECTC’s work with Family Scholar House.

“I think all of these things have just really led us to meet students where they are, help them overcome the barriers they’re facing, and getting them the skills and the education, the training they need to go out and get that career that’s going to change their lives and their families’ lives,” Pate said.

Visit the KCTCS website for more information on enrollment numbers, and visit ECTC’s website for more information on classes and program offerings.