Hardin County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Hardin County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Opioid funding for Drug Court and Sheriff's Office
The county officially joined the latest round of the national opioid settlement, which means additional settlement dollars coming to Hardin County to help with opioid-related costs and services.
Hoover Hollow Road emergency repair
Resolution 2026-179 would enroll the county in the state's Emergency Project (3%) Program to help pay for emergency repairs on Hoover Hollow Road.
General Election Voting Information
Clerk Smith cleared up news confusion about 11 Hardin County-linked voters near the Jefferson County line: they actually live in Jefferson County and were misrouted due to a West Point zip code. He urges everyone to double-check their registration before November 3.
RAVE Alert Mass Notification System
Magistrate Yates flagged that wrong information went out on county email and Facebook twice in a month — including during a Radcliff incident — and wants it fixed before a real emergency makes it dangerous.
Drought Conditions and Potential No-Burn Order
Hardin County is close to enacting a full no-burn ordinance because of drought — neighboring counties already have. Until then, the state burn law applies: no burning before 6 p.m., and stay 150 feet from wood lines.
White Mills Bridge repair contract signed
State inspectors shut down the historic White Mills Bridge over safety issues — a surprise, since it wasn't on the county's repair list. Residents in that area face detours while further testing determines whether repairs are possible.
Temporary moratorium on data center rezonings
The county updated its zoning rules to match state law: neighbors within 1,200 feet will no longer get mailed notice of zone changes — only adjacent owners — though the Planning Commission promises extra notice via its website. An invalid non-listed-use process a judge struck down in 2022 was finally removed.
$848,000 purchase of EMS cardiac monitors
The court is adding about $1.2 million to the budget, with roughly $900,000 replacing EMS cardiac monitors that reach end of life this year. That's frontline equipment paramedics use on every serious call.
Interstate Emergency Responder Safety
A Upton fire truck was hit on I-65 with no injuries, and Emergency Management is pleading with drivers to move over and slow down near emergency scenes — and to sign up for RAVE weather alerts.
Flood damage and reactive road maintenance
Repeated storms and flooding — including a late-June flood on Miller Road — have consumed about a week of the road department's planned maintenance, leaving crews mostly reacting to damage instead of doing routine work.
Sheriff's Special Response Team and Battle Drive Incident Response
The Sheriff's Office formed a ten-member Special Response Team, trained at a premier Indiana tactical facility, and deployed it the very next night in a domestic shooting that ended with the suspect found deceased. No deputies or civilians were hurt.
Blue Oval revenue losses and accountability
Ford is officially taking over the BlueOval SK battery plant operation at Glendale, and the county had to transfer the industrial revenue bonds to match. This locks in the massive industrial investment and jobs promise for the Glendale area under Ford's name.
EMS State Inspection Results
A 2024 independent evaluation found aging apparatus, declining volunteerism, and unsustainable funding — some trucks are 25-40 years old. A citizen urged the court to restore the cut deputy director position and find long-term funding; the state's $6.5 million Glendale offer is far short of total build and staffing costs.
Rise in suicides reported by Coroner
The coroner's office handled 1,193 cases in 2025, with overdoses still the top accidental cause of death and suicides rising. Coroner Elmore warned about a new synthetic opioid derivative, chlorphine, whose effects and Narcan response are still unknown.
Volunteer fire department staffing strain
Half of March's 238 fire calls required mutual or automatic aid as daytime volunteer availability has collapsed. Chiefs are asking residents to consider volunteering.
E-911 Personnel Termination Revisited
Resolution 2026-030 on E-911 staffing was quietly removed from the agenda after a closed session about a personnel matter. Residents relying on 911 service will have to wait for answers on what staffing changes the county is considering.
Death of Sgt. Benjamin Pennington
Hardin County lost one of its own — Sgt. Benjamin Pennington of the Glendale area — killed in the Middle East on March 8, the seventh death from that conflict. The court honored him with flags at half-staff and a moment of silence, and plans to present the memorial flag to his family. Multiple magistrates, several of them veterans, shared deeply personal condolences.