WULF News

An Elizabethtown resident on Sportsman Lake Road found a surprise on their security camera Wednesday morning as they saw a young black bear wander through their back porch.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Bear Program Coordinator John Hast says while such a sighting is a surprise, it is not that uncommon.

“Although we’ve not had one out there for a couple years, that seems to be a fairly common place to get them passing through,” Hast said. “I think probably 2018 was kind of our first big year where we had a few between E-Town and Louisville. We’ve had one road killed on 31-W there, kind of between Fort Knox and Louisville. It’s kind of just a point where they seem to converge right there.”

Hast says this is the first year since 2020 that the state has seen increased reports of roaming bears, but it is just part of how the animals go about their lives.

“It’s just kind of the evolutionary plan of bear populations,” Hast said. “They send their young males out. So right now is the start of the breeding season in the bear range in the mountains of Kentucky, and really this is the point where those year and a half old males kind of get the boot, and when that happens they go in search of new habitat and mates and let’s call it one out of every 100 or one out of every 200 just ends up walking out of the mountains.”

Hast says if you happen to spot a bear, use common sense, but enjoy the moment.

“Honestly, I tell people, especially folks in E-Town and outside the typical bear range, consider yourself lucky that you saw one, and just take it for what it is,” Hast said. “Get a quick video on the cell phone or something. Obviously, don’t approach.”

Hast says in nearly all cases the bear returns to the mountains by September or October, but residents can help to make sure the only bear that is taking up residency in the area is Central Hardin’s mascot.

“The biggest thing with keeping these bears wild, and this bear in E-Town we don’t have any record of him getting in any garbage or getting a meal in any way so he’s just truly roaming, which is what we want to see, but if you’re in that area, secure your garbage for a couple weeks, just to be on the safe side,” Hast said.

Hast says the estimated Kentucky bear population is between 1,000 and 1,500. Information on bears and what to do if you spot one can be found at www.bearwise.org.

Registration is open for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College’s annual summer program, Kids College.

“Kids College is an opportunity we have in the summer for kids to come on campus and learn from a few of our instructors in the areas of robotics, baking and food prep, and agriculture,” said ECTC Lead Recruiter and Kids College Coordinator Becca Owsley. “It is for students that have finished the first through eighth grade, and they’re broken up into three different groups. There’s kids first through third grade, fourth through fifth grade, and sixth through eighth grade.”

The camp is sponsored by Abound Credit Union, and kids can sign up for three different classes. “Beginning Robotics” will see students building and programming a robot built from a LEGO Robotics kit. “Baking Fun” will include projects based on food, nutrition, and baking. “Ag is for Everyone” will include live animals, demonstrations, and lab activities.

“Registration is open now, and it will run through June 14” Owsley said. “They can go to the ECTC website and search for Kids College, and they can find where to register there.”

Advanced registration is required and spaces are first come, first serve.

Mandi McKinzie said it was faith and a deep personal connection that led her and her husband Robert to purchase the Alexander Hotel and Alice Theatre in Leitchfield in 2021.

“My husband is from Kansas, but I would tell him about the memories that I had in the building, and it was just a staple in the community when we were young,” McKinzie said. “This is where we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We watched a movie every weekend, and then when my parents got divorced, my dad actually lived in the hotel after that for a while, so this was home, too.”

The buildings opened in 1935, named after the children of the original owners, but the buildings had been vacant since 2013. McKinzie says the last three years have consisted mostly of blood, sweat, and tears, but also joy.

“We went into it with one budget in mind, and that budget doubled,” McKinzie said. “We’ve literally used our retirement money, but we don’t have any regrets because it’s what we know we were supposed to do, and we’ve done it, and we just hope that our community loves it as much as we do.”

The effort that the McKinzies have devoted the time, money, and energy to is coming to fruition. Rooms at the Alexander Hotel are now available for booking on Airbnb, and the first official event at the revived Alice Theatre, a performance by Papa Bear and the Love Den, will take place on May 16.

McKinzie says the efforts were all worth it to be part of a revival in Downtown Leitchfield and to keep the tradition alive for future generations.

“I have two grandbabies, and I want the square, our little historic square, to be as lively as it was when I was a kid growing up, and so that’s my hope, and I think it’s catching fire around here because we have had lots of people investing in our community, especially in the downtown square,” McKinzie said.

The Grayson County Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the downtown development on May 17 with a ribbon cutting ceremony for Elmore’s Big 7 Furniture at 11 a.m. followed by a ribbon cutting for the hotel and theater at 11:30 a.m. Find the Alexander Hotel and Alice Theatre on Facebook for more information.

Kentuckians are being reminded during National Motorcycle and Bike Safety Month to watch out for each other as warmer weather brings more people out on the roadways on two wheels.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Office of Highway Safety says that in 2023 there were just under 2,000 crashes involving motorcycles and about 350 involving bikes in Kentucky. Those crashes resulted in more than 1,700 injuries and 127 deaths.

Motorcycles and bikes have all of the same rights and regulations as any motor vehicle on the highway, but their smaller size makes them harder for other drivers to see. 

The KYTC is reminding drivers to look twice when driving through any intersection or changing lanes. Drivers should also eliminate distractions, maintain a safe following distance, and leave extra time to signal turns and lane changes.

Motorcycle and bike riders should always wear a DOT-approved helmet along with protective gear and reflective elements. Always obey speed limits and other traffic laws, and position yourself in a visible way.

The importance of safety involving motorcycles got a stark reminder this week following the death of Kentucky State Police Post Two Trooper Johnathan Johnson of Bowling Green. Johnson was off-duty and traveling south on Nashville Road on a motorcycle Tuesday when a driver made a left-hand turn into Johnson’s path, resulting in a crash. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene by the Warren County Coroner’s Office. The KSP says the investigation into the crash is ongoing, and funeral arrangements for Trooper Johnson are pending.

The City of Elizabethtown Parks and Recreation Department is still accepting registrations for its annual Summer Day Camp Program.

“The Summer Day Camp Program, this will be our fourth year running that program,” said E-Town Parks and Rec Programs Coordinator Adam Case. “It’s always our most popular out of the lineup each year, so it usually sells out pretty quickly.”

The program is for kids ages 6 to 11, with six individual weeks throughout the summer, starting the first week of June. 

“We do activities with them all week long such as going to the playgrounds, going to the water park, arts and crafts, games,” Case said. “We have guest speakers, we go on field trips, so it’s a whole lot of fun.”

Case said the remaining summer day camp slots are filling quickly, so if you are interested in registering your child the program costs $115 per week, with scholarships available to those who qualify.

Summertime approaching also means it is almost time for swim lessons.

“All of these swim lessons are $75 a child for the week,” Case said. “That gets you five lessons Monday through Friday at the American Legion Water Park, and we have our certified lifeguards teaching those courses. They’re 30 minute classes. We offer different levels for that.”

More information and registration for parks and recreation programs can be found on the City of Elizabethtown’s website.