Hardin County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Hardin County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Countywide ban on pet sales in parking lots and flea markets
The county is joining a small club — reportedly one of only two Kentucky counties — moving to require pets be sold only by reputable breeders and to steer residents toward shelter adoptions. First reading passed; a second reading and hearing come before it's final.
Surplus ambulance transfer to Sonora Fire Department
An old county ambulance is heading to the Sonora Fire Department, boosting emergency medical response in the southern part of the county at no acquisition cost to the department.
Animal Shelter Programs and No-Kill Status
The shelter is back at a 90% live release rate — no-kill territory — with a booming volunteer program, a new dog day-out program, and about $15,000 in Best Friends donations.
EMS training grant award
Hardin County EMS landed almost $55,000 in grant money — no local match — to buy new CPR mannequins, airway training dummies, and upgraded cameras, mics, and speakers for the training room. That means better-trained medics responding to your 911 calls.
EMS Crisis to Care Grant Application
The county will apply for a fully reimbursed ~$60,000 grant to buy EMS training equipment, beating a June 12 deadline.
New Type 1 ambulance purchase
The court approved a $318,500 bid for a new Type 1 ambulance through the consent agenda — the going price for an ambulance these days, as Judge Taul put it.
BRIC Grant for Community Storm Shelters
The county got approval to apply for a federal BRIC grant to build two above-ground community safe rooms at $355,000, with the county's share capped at $89,000 if no other grants offset it.
Statewide Blood Shortage and March 3 Blood Drive
The Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage in Kentucky, especially platelets and O, A-negative, and B-negative types. Hardin County EMS and Air Methods Kentucky Six are hosting a blood drive March 3 in the EMS training room.
EMS earns Mission: Lifeline Gold achievement
Hardin County EMS earned the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline Gold Achievement Award for rapid, research-based care for the most severe heart attacks and strokes — an upgrade from silver in 2024. It means faster, better-coordinated care when someone calls 911 in this county.
Radcliffe animal cruelty case recognized with statewide awards
Humane World for Animals gave 2025 Humane Law Enforcement Awards to Radcliffe Police, county animal control, and prosecutor Eric Carr for the Radcliffe animal torture case. The county shelter housed 14 dogs for two and a half years at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Humane World chipped in $2,000 for necropsies.
EMS Response and Funding Performance
EMS handled 109 calls during the storm peak and is running about $266,000 ahead of last year in collections. A new squad in West Hardin has slashed response times from 40-45 minutes to about 16 minutes.