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Sec. of State’s office hosting ‘I Voted’ sticker contest

94.3 The Wolf

2024 is a major election year in Kentucky, and Secretary of State Michael Adams is asking students for help creating the state’s next “I voted” stickers. 

The contest is open to all Kentucky students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Participating students are asked to create their best sticker design, and the winner will see their design distributed to Kentucky voters during the 2024 general election.

Students have until May 17 to send in their design, which must be original works and include the words “I voted”. Students should send an email with their name, school, address, and phone number along with their design in a JPEG or PNG file to sos.secretary@ky.gov.

Finalists will be chosen by the Secretary of State’s office, and will be voted on during the 2024 Kentucky State Fair.

The deadline to register to vote in the 2024 primary election, which will be held on May 21, is Monday, April 22. Visit govote.ky.gov for more election information.

EF-1 tornado touches down in Nelson County; more storms possible Tuesday evening

94.3 The Wolf

A storm system this morning brought high winds and thunderstorms across the area, with thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings declared in Breckinridge, Grayson, Meade, Hardin, Nelson, and LaRue counties between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

That storm system resulted in a tornado touching down around Chaplin in Nelson County.

“We sent out a team, they went out and did a survey on it,” said Meteorologist Kevin Farina with the National Weather Service in Louisville. “Looks like they’re going to rate it as an EF-1, 95 miles per hour on the wind speeds there. EF-1 is almost 100 mile per hour winds. You can see trees down, of course damage to housing, but typically on your lower end of tornado damage.”

The chance for severe weather this afternoon has prompted closings across the commonwealth. Governor Andy Beshear has closed all state office buildings, the LaRue County Courthouse is closed, and classes have been canceled this afternoon at the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.

Farina says a smaller system is working its way through the area now, but the chance for storms continues through the evening.

“There’s some stuff just east of Bowling Green now that’s moving to the northeast that had some warnings on it,” Farina said. “Back behind that though there’s not much going on at the moment. The cold front is not expected to come through until this evening so we could still see some thunderstorms develop before evening.”

The city of Radcliff is advising residents of malfunctioning weather sirens located near Dawley Park ,the Walmart Neighborhood Market, and Hill Street. Residents should keep an eye on forecasts and stay alert.

Keep it tuned to Quicksie and The Wolf for more weather updates.

KYTC advises drivers to get ready for eclipse traffic on April 8

94.3 The Wolf

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is advising anybody planning on traveling to view the April 8 solar eclipse to expect congested highways and limited parking at rest stops the closer you are to the path of totality.

The KYTC is lifting restrictions in select work zones and informing commercial drivers of expected traffic increases in order to help the flow of traffic. Sections of Interstate 65 in Bullitt and Hardin counties are among the select work zones.

KYTC District Four Public Information Officer Chris Jessie says while the area is not expected to be as congested as other areas of the commonwealth, the District Four team is still getting ready.

“Heavier congestion for eclipse traffic is expected over in western Kentucky and southern Indiana, but if we have any issues here, we’ll have people on call that Monday to go out and man any signals that need to be flushed through,” said Jessie. “Anything like that where we have any spotted backups, and those would only likely happen on routes like I-65 interchanges or maybe one of the parkway interchanges, but again, we are prepared to man some of those sites if need be.”

The KYTC recommends packing essentials to ensure a safe and comfortable ride, and recommends delaying travel home after the eclipse for a few hours to avoid the initial traffic swell.

Officials are projecting more than 1 million travelers will pass through Kentucky on their way to viewing locations.

Visit the KYTC’s eclipse page on the web for more information and tips.

Vine Grove excited for events in April and beyond

94.3 The Wolf

Vine Grove Mayor Pam Ogden says the city has several events getting under way in April, the start of a busy calendar that continues through the rest of the year.

Odgen says Food Truck Thursday has gotten more and more popular, with 10 trucks at Optimist Park last Thursday.

“Cars were everywhere, so that has been a very liked event that we’ve had,” said Ogden. “It will go through the entire month of April and then it won’t come back until October.”

The Vine Grove Farmers Market kicks off this week and will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday.

“We’re gonna have a lot of different stuff this year,” Ogden said. “Watch our Facebook page because we will update in the morning who is out there when we do the update, but there could be more people that come, so come out and enjoy our farmers market. I think it’s gonna be great this year.”

April is also the time for Spring Clean Up, which the city does with the assistance of Borders Disposal.

“They’ve handled our garbage in Vine Grove for years,” Ogden said. “They’re amazing. We have worked out a deal with them that the entire month of April, if you have anything that you need to get rid of, put it out there because they will not charge anything extra.”

Contact Borders for more information on item disposal, and follow Vine Grove City Hall on Facebook to stay up to date on happenings in the city.

Hardin County Schools hosting Spring Break scavenger hunt this week

94.3 The Wolf

Family Resource and Youth Service Centers at Hardin County Schools have organized a Spring Break scavenger hunt for district students. 

The scavenger hunt features a space and science theme in honor of the upcoming solar eclipse. Participating schools include Meadow View, North Park, Radcliff, Rineyville, Vine Grove, and Woodland elementary schools, JT Alton and North middle schools, and North Hardin High School.

Children can find clues at one or all of the participating schools between now and April 8 during daylight hours. A QR code and directions will be posted at the main entrance of each school, with paper copies available if you do not have a smartphone.

Each school will give hints on where words and containers are located, and children should enter the words on their scavenger hunt sheets as they find them. Participants should leave containers and messages in their hiding spots after finding them so others can participate.

Prizes will be awarded to participants. Children should return their paper copies or submit online by April 10 to be eligible for prizes.

Find more information on the Hardin County Schools website or the Hardin County Schools – Kentucky Facebook page.

Historic State Theater taking donations for Hardin County Animal Shelter during films this week

94.3 The Wolf

The Historic State Theater invites you and your family to enjoy two family favorites during the Spring Break Furry Film Fest this week.

“On Tuesday, April 2nd during Spring Break, we are showing the Aristocats,” said Elizabethtown Events Manager Beth Pyles. “Our showtimes are noon and 7 p.m. Then, on Thursday, we are showing Lady and the Tramp.”

With the movies being about cats and dogs, the folks at the state are looking to use the movies as an opportunity to support area cats and dogs.

“We are encouraging folks to bring in adult dog food, cat food, and kitty litter that we are going to give to our friends at the Hardin County Animal Shelter,” said Pyles.

Tickets to each show are $2 and can be purchased at the door or online at thestate270.org.

Meade County Sheriff’s Office investigating counterfeit money

94.3 The Wolf

Suspects have been identified in the Meade County Sheriff’s Office’s ongoing investigation into the use of counterfeit money in the area.

According to the sheriff’s office, area law enforcement received calls on March 25 regarding individuals attempting to pass or passing counterfeit $100 bills. The perpetrators attempted to pass the bills at several different stores in Meade, Breckinridge, and Hardin counties, and the bills used were able to pass the typical marker test for money.

The sheriff’s office on Thursday reported that two suspects from Illinois, Latrell Doss and Alize Christian, were identified in the investigation and warrants were issued for their arrests. The sheriff’s office is searching for two more suspects as part of the ongoing investigation, and more information will be released as it becomes available. Area residents and businesses that receive large bills are advised to closely examine them, and if you believe you received a counterfeit contact law enforcement.

Breckinridge County receives funding for site development at commerce park

94.3 The Wolf

Breckinridge County is receiving support from the latest round of funding from the Kentucky Product Development Initiative.

“The Breckinridge County Fiscal Court and the City of Hardinsburg will be extending sewer and water lines in the Breckinridge County Commerce Park,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear during his Team Kentucky update Thursday. “The project was approved for nearly $332,000 in state support.”

The KPDI provides funding for local communities to invest in site and building upgrades to support job expansion and economic growth. The state says the infrastructure project in Breckinridge County will provide the county “with new business opportunities that encourage significant job creation and capital investment.”

Beshear said establishing build-ready sites allows Kentucky to get an advantage over other states in attracting projects and new business.

“When I was at Advanced Nano Products in Elizabethtown and our Secretary of the Treasury, the U.S. Treasury, came in, that company told her that we got that facility up and running faster than anyone in their industry had ever seen,” Beshear said. “That’s how we make sure that we can compete with anyone.”

The KPDI is overseen by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, and Beshear said more projects from Round 2 will be announced soon.

Unemployment sees slight increase in Lincoln Trail District for February

94.3 The Wolf

Slight increases were once again seen in unemployment rates for counties in the Lincoln Trail District for February. 

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says unemployment rates rose in 112 counties from February 2023 to February 2024, with the state unemployment average for February 2024 reported at 5.1 percent.

Six counties in the Lincoln Trail District saw February unemployment rates increase from the year prior. Meade County, with a rate of 5.4 percent, and Washington County, with a rate of 3.8 percent, were among the four counties in the commonwealth where unemployment rates in February 2024 remained the same as February 2023.

The unemployment rate for Hardin County in February 2024 was reported at 5.1 percent. That’s an increase from the rates reported in January 2024 as well as February 2023, both of which came in at 4.7 percent.

Washington County’s 3.8 percent rate was the lowest in the district, while Breckinridge County posted the highest rate in the district at 5.9 percent.

Visit the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet online for more information.

Hosparus Health opens Care Guide Partners PACE center in Elizabethtown

94.3 The Wolf

Hosparus Health affiliate Care Guide Partners held a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday celebrating the opening of the William B. and Janet B. Schmidt PACE Center, which is designed to provide easily accessible care for area seniors and their families.

Hosparus Health President and CEO David Cook said Wednesday’s opening was a long time coming.

“At two years, we’ve been working from the idea to getting the facility up and running, working through different pieces with the state, with Medicare, and to get that approval, to finally be ready to start helping people, it’s just phenomenal, so we’re thrilled today to be open and ready for business,” Cook said.

The PACE center is designed to support up to 250 individuals living in Bullitt, Grayson, Hardin, Hart, LaRue, and Nelson counties daily.

“On any given day as many as 120 of those individuals could be here at the center, whether it’s socialization, bingo, fun, or whether it’s actually health care, or therapy, or different support,” Cook said.

The PACE center is up and running, but Cook says Care Guide Partners is still seeking support to further expand.

“We had a goal of $3 million, and so we’ve got about $500,000 more that we want to raise to help support what we’re doing here, but we’re getting really close,” Cook said. “So we’re still looking for some final gifts to make this fully successful, but we’re thrilled at where we stand today.”

More information on the PACE center is available on the Hosparus Health website.