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E-Town council approves bonds for projects, contracts for music venue

94.3 The Wolf

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

The council approved on second reading an ordinance that approves general obligation bonds for city projects.

“This ordinance authorizes the issuance of, not to exceed, $11 million of the city’s general obligation bonds,” said City Attorney Ken Howard, reading from the ordinance. “This will be series 2024, to be issued for the purpose of financing the acquisition, construction, and equipment of a new fire station, a police station expansion, and other public projects.”

The term of the bond repayment is not to exceed 25 years.

The council approved a contract with Congleton-Hacker company of Lexington for construction management services on the outdoor music venue the city is constructing on Commerce Drive in partnership with the Elizabethtown Tourism and Convention Bureau. City Administrator Ed Poppe said this contract concerns pre-construction services only.

“We will use this construction management firm to work with the design firm and evaluate their design and say ‘Wait a minute, if you used a concrete wall instead of a block wall, you could save this kind of money. You could do these kinds of things.’ And then they will work through the design,” Poppe said.

The council also approved a contract with engineering firm Kimley-Horn for development of a sewer design plan for the Commerce Drive extension in the area of the outdoor music venue. Poppe said the plan is for the project’s design team to give an update to the council sometime in September.

In other meeting news, the council approved a resolution that supports renaming an area highway in memory of former Elizabethtown police officer Billy Edwards and his wife Kathy, who were killed in a motorcycle collision on July 14. 

E-Town Fire Chief Mark Malone, Mayor Jeff Gregory, and Human Resources Manager Barbara Jones were each presented with the Kentucky National Guard’s Service Member Patriot Award, which recognizes an employer’s support of an employee that is serving in the Guard. Elizabethtown firefighter and Sergeant Major Seth Carter nominated the three as a way of showing his appreciation.

“The firefighters took care of my wife, the Army took care of my wife, made sure my kids were okay, all that good stuff, and I felt like it was something that needs to be bestowed upon our great city,” Carter said. “Just like the mayor said, I believe that this is the greatest city, and I believe that the Kentucky Army National Guard and the fire department, they’re two parts of my fabric. They are weaved inside of me and make me who I am.”

The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet August 12.

Breckinridge County Schools excited for 2024-2025 school year

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Breckinridge County Schools Superintendent Dr. Nick Carter says it is good to be back.

“We just finished up a terrific opening day in the school district for all staff,” Carter said. “We started the morning out, the entire district, we had breakfast at Breckinridge County High School and had some welcoming activities, and it’s been a great day.”

The district has a professional development day on the calendar Tuesday, then will welcome students back to school on Wednesday. Carter says as the school year gets under way be sure to look out for kids coming to and from school.

“Those yellow buses will be moving throughout Breckinridge County on Wednesday, so I just want to call that to everyone’s attention,” Carter said. “Through the summer months, as drivers we get a little bit used to those buses not being on the roads as much, and starting on Wednesday those buses will be on the roads every morning and every afternoon, Monday through Friday, so I just want to caution everyone to be patient and use some caution whenever they’re around them.”

Carter says he is excited to see BCS families continue to progress from the setbacks in education that were seen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was really hard on students and families, and teachers and staff in our districts and our schools, and so every year past the pandemic is another great year as we’re continuing to address learning loss and address social and emotional needs, and so I’m just really excited about starting another year post-pandemic and continuing that great work,” Carter said.

For more information on the new school year, visit Breckinridge County Schools on the web or via their Facebook page.

EPD accepting applications for Citizens Police Academy

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The Elizabethtown Police Department is inviting area residents to get a behind the scenes look at law enforcement with their Citizens Police Academy.

“Our next session of the Citizens Police Academy will begin on September 3,” said EPD Public Information Officer Chris Denham. “This is an eight week program that will meet on Tuesday evenings beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the police department.”

The academy covers multiple topics.

“Attendees will have an opportunity to get an inside look at all of our specialized units such as narcotics, canines, and collision reconstruction, plus hear presentations from our criminal justice partners like judges and prosecutors,” Denham said.

Participants must be 18 years of age or older

“To sign up, contact me, Chris Denham, by calling 270-765-4125 or by email at chris.denham@elizabethtownky.gov,” Denham said.

The application for the Citizens Police Academy can also be found on the EPD’s website.

KSP cracking down on commercial vehicle enforcement during Operation SafeDRIVE

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The Kentucky State Police will be participating in a federal enforcement effort over the next few days. 

The KSP’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement division will be participating in Operation SafeDRIVE Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enforcement campaign targets unsafe driving behavior that often leads to passenger and commercial vehicle crashes.

Operation SafeDRIVE focuses on dangerous driving practices such as aggressive driving, speeding, tailgating, failing to wear a seatbelt, distracted driving, and driving under the influence. Scale facilities will be open on Kentucky interstates to ensure commercial drivers are in compliance with federal and state regulations.

The KSP encourages drivers to maintain good driving habits on the roadway to assist commercial vehicle drivers. Stay out of the blind spots of large trucks, pass safely, don’t cut off large vehicles, and avoid tailgating.

Operation SafeDRIVE is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Our Roads, Our Safety” campaign. Learn more at the USDOT website.

Voter registration in Kentucky sees largest jump in two years

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Voter registration in Kentucky last month saw the largest jump in new voters since 2022.

The Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office says Kentucky added 14,502 new voter registrations and removed 5,675 voters from the rolls in the month of July.

Of the voters removed from the rolls, 3,659 were for deceased voters, 817 were for convicted felons, and 494 moved to another state.

The Secretary of State’s Office says Republican registration increased by 6,221 voters in July, and independent or other registrations increased by 3,784 voters, while Democratic registrations decreased by 579 voters. Republican registrations currently make up about 46 percent of the electorate while Democratic registrations make up about 43 percent, with independent or other making 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 get it done early.”

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

ECTC selected for Metallica Scholars Initiative for fifth straight year

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Support for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College comes from many places, including one of rock music’s most legendary acts.

ECTC has once again been named to the Metallica Scholars Initiative, which was created through the band’s All Within My Hands nonprofit to support education efforts. ECTC will use the $75,000 grant to support scholarships for students in their Advanced Manufacturing Program.

“This is year five for ECTC, and we’re the only college in Kentucky to be included in the Metallica Scholars Initiative, which is grant funding that is provided for career and technical education to really make a difference for our students,” said ECTC Director of Marketing and Public Relations Sarah Berkshire. 

Berkshire said the college has applied the funds to a number of programs over the last five years.

“This funding has paid for things like scholarships especially, but also it helped us develop the Wherever I May Roam Truck Driving Academy,” Berkshire said. “It’s been used to enhance what we were doing with our Army Career Skills program, and then, again, this year we’re focusing on the scholarships for Advanced Manufacturing programs.”

Berkshire says the show of support from Metallica goes beyond funding.

“It really is amazing to see a name as great as Metallica take action to support career and technical education, and to see the pride that that’s bringing our students,” Berkshire said. “Of course the scholarship funds are important, but this past year when we used these funds for scholarships, being named a Metallica Scholar it was so awesome to see that affirmation that those students can be successful.”

There’s still time to enroll in classes for the fall 2024 semester. Visit ECTC’s website or contact the admissions office for more information.

EPD warns of social media sales scam

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The Elizabethtown Police Department is warning residents to be wary of an ongoing social media scam.

“There’s a new scam circulating on Facebook where scammers post about free items available for pickup, enticing potential victims with attractive offers,” said EPD Public Information Officer Chris Denham. 

When the victim expresses interest, the scammer claims they moved, and offers to transport the item for a small fee. 

“They request the conversation continue on different apps like WhatsApp, making the transaction seem more personal and trustworthy,” Denham said. “After the victim pays for the supposed courier fee, the scammer disappears and the money and the promised items never arrive.”

Denham said the EPD strongly advises anyone who is completing transactions on social media to use extreme caution, never send money to strangers, or share any of your personal information. 

“If you encounter any suspicious posts or offers, report them immediately to Facebook or whatever social media platform you’re using,” Denham said.

As with other scam attempts, never disclose personal or financial information.

State partnership will allow for free document digitization

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A new state partnership will help with preserving important documents and records for Kentuckians. 

The Commonwealth is partnering with FamilySearch in order to digitize “tens of thousands of primary records such as birth, death, and marriage certificates that are currently on microfilm reels.”

The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives along with volunteers with the Kentucky Genealogical Society will be reaching out to county clerks to notify them of the opportunity to have records digitized free of charge by FamilySearch. The county clerk offices will receive copies of the digitized records and FamilySearch will post copies to their free online database.

The KDLA says local records such as marriage licenses and land ownership records date back to each county’s establishment, resulting in some of the most continuous sources for families researching their histories. The KDLA also says the partnership with FamilySearch increases public access to the documents, which they hope will increase interest and awareness in the historic nature of these records.

Visit the KDLA on the web for more information.

SOS office launches poll worker registration portal

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The Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office is making it easier for people looking to help with the state’s elections to get involved.

Secretary of State Michael Adams announced this week the launch of a new Poll Worker Recruitment Portal, which allows volunteers to sign up and get connected with their local county clerk.

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith says working the polls is a great show of civic duty, and the county needs a strong team come Election Day.

“We’re going to need a little over 200 poll workers,” Smith said. “We need Republicans, Democrats, and independents. The easiest way for folks to sign up is govote.ky.gov or they can call our office at 270-765-6762.”

Smith says getting started on being a poll worker is an easy process.

“Any registered voter in Hardin County qualifies to serve as a poll worker,” Smith said. “If you’ve never served before, don’t worry, we train you, and we’d love to have you. We always have, every year, a few poll workers who sort of age out. They tell us they can’t keep up with the long, long day, so we’re looking to recruit not only poll workers for this election, but for the next generation of elections.”

Poll workers must be available to attend training and work all day on Election Day. Contact your county clerk’s office for more information. The deadline to register to vote is October 7.