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Elizabethtown man accepting donations at Ace Hardware Friday for Hurricane Helene supply drive

94.3 The Wolf

Elizabethtown resident Patrick Mattingly saw the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and decided to help one of the smaller communities impacted by the storm.

“I partnered up with United Way of North Carolina and we’re doing a supply drive, taking any types of donations to take to Jefferson, North Carolina,” Mattingly said. “It’s a little farm town in Ashe County that’s been severely affected by the flood from Hurricane Helene.”

Mattingly is planning on driving a box truck provided to him by Penske to the area on Saturday, so people who would like to contribute can bring items to two locations Friday.

“One is at the E-Town Ace Hardware, and I believe that’s 408 West Dixie Avenue, and another drop-off point is going to be in Louisville for people that may be in Louisville,” Mattingly said. “It’s going to be at 10515 Fischer Park Drive in Louisville, and that is at the KCREA office.”

Mattingly says he has secured donations of water and food, but he is looking for a wider range of needed items.

“Hygiene, baby food, propane bottles,” Mattingly said. “They’re asking for fencing supplies, if anybody could help with that, because these farmers have cattle and livestock that they’re not able to corral, they’re just running wild, and people are already bringing water and food. It’s small things like trash bags and buckets and cleaning materials.”

Ace Hardware in Elizabethtown is open Friday until 8 p.m.

Red Cross calls for support, organizations organizing donation drives for Hurricane Helene victims

94.3 The Wolf

Organizations across the community and across the state are working to assist those impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The American Red Cross says this past weekend more than 2,600 people were staying in 69 emergency shelters supported by the Red Cross and other community organizations. Officials say shelter operations will likely need to last for several weeks as disaster assessments are completed. Red Cross volunteers are assisting about 100 people from Kentucky who had homes impacted by the storm.

The Red Cross has issued an appeal for financial donations, blood donations, and donations of time. Visit redcross.org or text HELENE to 90999 to make a monetary donation. You can also find information on the Red Cross website about training requirements to volunteer with the organization.

The Red Cross says more than 1,500 scheduled blood donations in areas impacted by the storm went uncollected, and at a time where the national blood supply is already facing a shortage additional donations are needed to sustain patients and hospitals. Schedule an appointment today at redcrossblood.org.

On the local level, several organizations are running collection drives to send needed items to those impacted. Ride Wright Tire is accepting materials at 2400 Leitchfield Road through October 4 for delivery the next day. The Grayson County Chamber of Commerce is collecting items at their office through October 7. Wills Transport is accepting items at 314 Kitty Hawk Drive through October 11. Items requested include cases of water, socks, gloves, non-perishable food items, pet food, baby care products, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. Contact the respective locations for more information.

Lane closures in place on I-65 south in Bullitt County this weekend

94.3 The Wolf

Drivers are being alerted to lane closures on Interstate 65 South in Bullitt County this weekend.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Five says two lanes of I-65 South from north of mile marker 117 to mile marker 113 near the Bullitt County Welcome Center will be closed from Friday at 7 p.m. to Sunday at 7 p.m.

The KYTC says the ramps to and from KY 44 will remain open during the lane closures, as will the off ramp from I-65 South to KY 480. The on ramp from KY 480 to I-65 South will be closed.

Crews will be repairing concrete slabs on the interstate at multiple locations, with the lane closures in place to allow time for the concrete to cure.

Drivers should expect traffic shifts, obey lane restrictions, and use caution when traveling through the work zone. This work is weather permitting. Follow KYTC District Five on Facebook for project updates.

Voter registration deadline is Monday

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This weekend is your last weekend to register to vote ahead of the November 5 general election.

“The deadline to register to vote is 4 p.m. on October 7,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith. “You can do that by coming by our office or visiting govote.ky.gov. The absentee request portal is open at that same website, govote.ky.gov, or you can come by our office or you can call our election staff at 270-765-6762.”

GoVote.KY.gov also allows you to check on your absentee ballot status, find polling locations, look up sample ballots, and find more election information. 

Smith says voters should also be wary of the potential for scams as they go online for election information.

“There are a lot of third-party websites that look very official,” Smith said. “They’re run by private organizations or purported non-profit organizations. They cannot request your absentee ballot. You cannot request an absentee ballot through them. They’re collecting your name, your address, your Social Security number, and your birth date, and we don’t know what they’re doing with them.”

Smith says official election information would never come from a .com or a .org website. Contact your county clerk’s office for more election information.

Grayson County Chamber of Commerce collecting items for hurricane victims

94.3 The Wolf

The Grayson County Chamber of Commerce is still collecting relief items for victims of Hurricane Helene in Tennessee and North Carolina.

“We really started seeing everything online, and myself and Tiffany Decker, who is the tourism director, were up late one night talking and she said we need to do something and so we did,” said Grayson County Chamber Executive Director April Spalding. “We’ve been absolutely blessed, with already one load leaving and our front lobby is completely full again.”

A full list of items the chamber is looking to collect can be found on their Facebook page.

“We need sanitary wipes,” Spaliding said. “We’re looking for baby formula, wipes, diapers, trash bags. We really need some storage containers because ours are already full of items. Pet food, any non-perishable items, things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, hygiene, batteries, Gatorade packs, anything you can think of that you would need, that’s what we’re in need of.”

Items for the next delivery need to be collected by October 7.

“They can take it to the Center on Main, which is at 425 South Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then anything after hours can be dropped to our neighbors next door at the Leitchfield Police Department,” Spalding said.

Spalding said the chamber has drivers volunteering to make additional runs, so items will still be collected to be delivered after the October 7 delivery.

State Theater hosting Spooky Season Movie Series

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October means it is spooky season, and the Historic State Theater hopes you’ll celebrate by coming out to their Spooky Season Movie Series this month.

The series kicks off on October 11 with The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, followed by the original Night of the Living Dead on October 12, Casper on October 18, Pet Sematery on October 19, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride on October 25, and Child’s Play on October 26.

Each movie will get started at 7 p.m., with the theater and box office opening an hour prior. Tickets are $3 and concessions will be available.

For more information on the Spooky Season Movie Series and a full list of events happening at The State, visit www.thestate270.org.

Lincoln birthplace hosting night sky viewing event

94.3 The Wolf

The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park invites you to join them for a look at the stars.

The park will host their Fall Night Sky Program at the Boyhood Home Unit at Knob Creek on Friday, October 11, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The tour will be conducted by Eastern Kentucky University Department of Physics, Geosciences, and Astronomy Professor Dr. Mark Pitts. Topics will include stars, planets, light pollution, and dark skies, and Pitts will demonstrate the workings of a telescope.

Admission to the event is free. Visitors are encouraged to bring a flashlight, bug spray, and a blanket or chair, and visitors should wear closed-toe shoes and weather-appropriate clothing.

Contact the historic park for more information, and stay tuned to the park’s social media sites for weather-related updates.

Hodgenville gearing up for Lincoln Days this weekend

94.3 The Wolf

Area residents are invited this weekend to visit what has been named by Kentucky Living as the best festival in Kentucky for four straight years.

The 53rd annual Lincoln Days Celebration will be held in the sixteenth president’s hometown of Hodgenville October 5 and 6.

Celebrating the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Days has experiences for young and old alike including food, vendors, live music, unique exhibits and displays, nationally-recognized contests, and one of the oldest continually held art shows in the state.

The festivities get started at 7:30 a.m. on October 5 with the Women’s Club of Hodgenville’s traditional country breakfast. Opening ceremonies will then be held on the main stage at Lincoln Square at 8 a.m.

Other events scheduled for Saturday include the cookie baking contest, the antique tractor show, the quilt show, pioneer games, the Lil’ Abe and Sarah family costume contest, the Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln look alike contests, the ice cream eating contest, the 5k and 10k, the Lincoln Days Parade, and live music including The Perfect Fit Band and The Monarchs.

Events for Sunday include the car show, the community worship service, and gospel music.

Visit www.lincolndays.org for more information and a complete schedule of events.

Red Cross calls for blood donations amid shortage and hurricane response

94.3 The Wolf

The American Red Cross continues to urge eligible members of the public to donate blood products as the U.S. continues to deal with a national blood shortage.

According to the Red Cross, the organization experienced a significant shortfall in blood and platelet donations in August, which followed a July that saw a near 25 percent drop in the blood supply. The Red Cross says it must collect 10,000 additional blood products each week over the next month In order to meet the needs of hospitals and patients.

Further strain on the blood supply comes from natural disasters including Hurricane Helene, ahead of which the Red Cross sent hundreds of blood products from around the country to areas that were expected to be the most impacted by the storm. This can create additional strain on areas impacted by the blood shortage.

Donors of all blood types are encouraged to schedule donations, especially Type O blood donors and donors giving platelets. As a thank you, all who donate from October 1 through 20 will receive a $15 Amazon.com gift card.

Learn more and schedule a donation appointment by visiting redcrossblood.org, by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor app, or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Work on KY 228 in Brandenburg delayed to this weekend

94.3 The Wolf

The remnants of Hurricane Helene delayed road work in Meade County.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Four says the closure of KY 228/Battletown Road at the intersection with KY 313 in Brandenburg will now begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 4. The road is due to reopen at 6 a.m. Monday, October 7.

The KYTC says crews will begin replacing eastbound lane asphalt with a concrete inlay Friday evening. This work is designed to withstand torque and twisting produced by heavy vehicles that pull up to and out of the intersection. The inlay provides a long-term solution as maintenance crews have regularly used temporary measures to fill wheel ruttings.

The work has been planned for the weekend to minimize traffic impact. KY 228 will only be closed on the west side of KY 313. The Brandenburg side of the intersection will not be impacted.

Detour signs are in place to assist drivers. Use caution when approaching all work zones. Work is weather permitting. Follow KYTC District Four on social media for updates.