#WolfCountry

The window for Hardin County Schools families to update student information through the Infinite Campus parent portal system is open.

HCS Community Relations Specialist John Wright says the district has used the portal system for the last several years.

“This is a great way to cut down on the amount of paperwork that we ask parents to complete near the beginning of the school year,” Wright said. “It streamlines the process. It makes it a whole lot easier. There’s some paperwork that our parents will still have to complete on paper, but this online process makes it a whole lot simpler for everyone.”

The parent portal can be found on the Hardin County Schools website. Getting the portal information updated now will help get the new school year off to a smooth start.

“This is really important because the school needs to have the correct information for each student,” Wright said. “For example, the correct emergency contact information, the correct phone number, or work phone number, or cell phone number for a parent, or maybe a grandparent who may also be able to pick up that child or to serve as an emergency contact for the students.”

Parents who do not have a parent portal log in already set up will need to contact their child’s school to get an initial log in number. Videos with step-by-step instructions on using the portal are available on HCS social media.

“The window closes for that on August 2, so on August 3 be expecting to fill out a lot of paperwork for the beginning of the 24-25 school year,” Wright said.

The first day of class at Hardin County Schools is Wednesday, August 7.

Fort Knox Garrison Commander Colonel Christopher Ricci says Fort Knox may have changed shape since the armor days, but the installation remains a “strategic, critical, and high functioning Army base.”

“In fact, we’re currently right in the middle of Cadet Summer Training right now,” Ricci said. “That is the largest annual training event for the Army, so we’ve got over 10,000 cadets from colleges and universities across the country descending on Fort Knox for training across this span of 100 days of summer. Additionally, over 5,000 cadre from across the Army are on post to assist in the training of these cadets.”

Ricci was the featured speaker during the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce’s June Business at Breakfast event, held Thursday at the Colvin Community Center in Radcliff.

Ricci discussed the command operations that are located at Fort Knox and their relationship to other operations in the Army. The colonel also said Fort Knox’s importance to the Army is evidenced by the construction of the Digital Air-Ground Integration Range, or DAGIR, at Fort Knox’s Yano Range, making it one of only three such ranges in the Army and the only one located east of the Mississippi River.

“DAGIR allows for all manner of tank, gravity fighting vehicle, aviation, mounted, and dismounted training and allows for integration of air and ground unit training simultaneously,” Ricci said “It’s a huge deal for the Department of Defense, the Army, and the greater Fort Knox community. It was a $56 million investment to make this range possible, but it’s been made to ensure our troops are the best trained in the world.”

Ricci said Fort Knox tries its best to alert the surrounding area of training activity and to limit the noise when they can in order to be good neighbors. He closed by recognizing Fort Knox’s gratitude for the support offered by area communities.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to have the relationships that we do with all of the leaders in this community, and all the folks that are in this room right now,” Ricci said. “It’s something we don’t take for granted and we look forward to advancing in the years to come. Again, thanks for your time. We hope you know that your positive support to the soldiers, families, and civilians who live, work, and play on Fort Knox is without a doubt appreciated and absolutely contributes to the success of Fort Knox.”

Ricci encouraged anybody interested to visit Fort Knox. Information on the necessary passes can be found on the installation’s website.

Unemployment rates across the Lincoln Trail District saw slight increases in May 2024.

The Kentucky Center for Labor Statistics says unemployment rates in May 2024 increased in 109 counties, decreased in six counties, and stayed the same in five counties.

The state average for unemployment for May was reported at 4.5 percent, up slightly from the 4.4 percent rate reported in April and from the 4.1 percent reported in May 2023. Four counties in the Lincoln Trail District had rates higher than the state average and three counties had rates lower than the state average.

Hardin County tied the state average in May 2024 with an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent. Hardin’s rate had the same slight increases as the state average, going from 4.4 percent in April and 4.1 percent in May 2023.

Breckinridge County had the highest unemployment rate in the district for May at 5.1 percent, while Washington County had the lowest at 3.4 percent.

More information on how the unemployment rate is calculated and more data is available at kystats.ky.gov.