Etown is Kentucky's #1 Best Place to Live, Malibu Jack's Glow Night & a Soggy Summer Kickoff

What's Bugging You, Hardin County? — Lead Pest Control, the Publix Tenant Reveal & Contreras Eatz | Hardin Local Weekly S2026E23

This week on Hardin Local Weekly, the whole show asks one question: what's bugging you, Hardin County? Our episode sponsor is Lead Pest Control — local owner-operator Josh Frenette joins live and walks through his "ask first, spray second" approach. Nate Bryan reveals the full tenant lineup coming to the Shops at Parrott Orchard alongside Publix, Rachel Brantingham breaks down a rebounding seller's market, Jon O'Brien runs a packed week of events (including Malibu Jack's first-ever Family Glow Night), and The Experienced Eater tries Contreras Eatz's new Mexibachi Bowl. Chapters 0:00 Introduction & Icebreaker12:08 Lead Pest Control Spotlight Pt 119:01 Events with Jon O'Brien26:43 Lead Pest Control Spotlight Pt 233:51 Business Buzz with Nate Bryan48:16 Lead Pest Control Spotlight Pt 353:51 Housing Market Update1:05:43 The Experienced Eater1:20:25 Closing & Final CTAs This week • Icebreaker: the team trades worst-bug stories — a thermostat lost to an ant, ticks lint-rolled off a McDowell in the store, a six-foot snake, and an office-wide mouse panic. • Lead Pest Control Spotlight: meet owner Josh Frenette — local, Christian-owned, owner-operated, licensed, insured, BBB A-rated. What he handles (and what he doesn't), his retreatment guarantee, and same-day service. • Events with Jon O'Brien: Malibu Jack's first-ever Family Glow Night (Thu June 11), plus a full week — Bean Cove ribbon cutting, the Historic Walking Tour, a ladybug release, Cousins Maine Lobster, and "The Sandlot" on the lawn. • Business Buzz with Nate Bryan: Green Releaf is open on North Mulberry, Publix is eyeing a July–September opening, the Shops at Parrott Orchard tenant lineup is revealed (HOTWORX, Everbowl, Kilwins, Crumbl Cookies and more), and the Hardin County Playhouse buys the front of the old Cinema 3. • Housing Market Update with Rachel Brantingham: pending activity rebounds hard — 38 new listings, 36 under contract, 39 closed; 2.7 months of inventory; median sold $299,990. Still a seller's market. • The Experienced Eater: Hardin County's go-to foodie review team, Britten & Michele McDowell, react to Contreras Eatz's new Mexibachi Bowl, El Elote and Jerk Chicken Tacos at Vine Grove's Food Truck Fridays. Today's episode sponsor — Lead Pest Control Local, owner-operated, licensed and insured. Whatever's bugging you, Hardin County — ants, termites, spiders, you name it. Call or text Josh at 270-600-8801, visit lead-pest.com [https://lead-pest.com], and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Mention you saw them on Hardin Local for a free inspection and $50 off annual service. Subscribe free at HardinLocal.com [https://hardinlocal.com] — it's how we reach you directly, no matter what the algorithms do. Click Subscribe, enter your name and email, then confirm the link in your inbox. Hosts: Rachel Brantingham, Phil Taul, Scott Lucas, Jon O'Brien, Nate Bryan, and Britten & Michele McDowell (The Experienced Eater). More: HardinLocal.com [https://hardinlocal.com] · This week's events: hardinlocal.com/this-week [https://hardinlocal.com/this-week/] · YouTube: youtube.com/@HardinLocal

Etown is Kentucky's #1 Best Place to Live, Malibu Jack's Glow Night & a Soggy Summer Kickoff

School's out, summer's officially on, and Hardin County had a big week — even in the rain. This week on Hardin Local Weekly: Elizabethtown is named Kentucky's #1 best place to live for the second year in a row, Malibu Jack's joins us live to announce its first-ever Family Glow Night, The Experienced Eater tries the brand-new Bussin Pizza wood-fired truck, plus the housing market, a stacked (and soggy) week of events, and the full Hardin County Summer Camp Guide. Hosted by Rachel Brantingham with Phil Taul, Scott Lucas, Jon O'Brien, Nate Bryan, and Britten & Michele McDowell (The Experienced Eater). CHAPTERS:0:00 - Intro + Icebreaker13:11 - Malibu Jack's Glow Night Spotlight26:34 - Events with Jon O'Brien35:36 - Business Buzz with Nate Bryan51:07 - Housing Market Update1:00:29 - The Experienced Eater - Bussin Pizza1:18:32 - Closing + Final CTAs IN THIS EPISODE: * Etown named Kentucky's #1 best place to live (U.S. News & World Report) — second year running, top 127 nationally, #71 best place to retire. * Malibu Jack's Etown announces its first-ever Family Glow Night — Thursday, June 11, 6–9 PM. GA $25 / VIP $35 / 4-and-under $12. Tickets at malibujacksetown.com. * The Experienced Eater tries Bussin Pizza — the new wood-fired Neapolitan truck from the Bussin Bites team — at the Phillips Grove rally. * A slower, seasonal week in the Hardin County housing market (still a seller's market). * A full week of community events from Jon O'Brien, and the complete Hardin County Summer Camp Guide. This episode is brought to you by Tektel — managed cybersecurity for local business and AI-enhanced Cloud Voice. tektel.net, or call or text Phil at 270-505-8002. Disclosure: Hardin Local founder Phil Taul is a partner at Tektel. 🎁 Win a $50 Malibu Jack's gift card — comment "Malibu Jacks" on our Facebook streams to enter. Winner drawn live June 9. Everything from today's show — the summer camp guide, every segment, the events calendar, and our weekly email newsletter — is at HardinLocal.com. Follow Hardin Local: Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / TikTok @HardinLocal · Spotify / Apple Podcasts / iHeartRadio / Amazon Music — "Hardin Local Weekly" New episodes every Tuesday.

S2026E21 — HardinLocal.com is LIVE, Primary Day & Memorial Day Weekend

Two big stories topped Hardin Local Weekly this week — and the second one means you don't need Facebook to follow us anymore. HardinLocal.com is officially LIVE. Phil and Rachel did a live screenshare walking through the brand-new website: every Election Interview organized by race with a Find Your Ballot tool, weekly articles for every segment, a searchable archive of every past episode, and a direct email newsletter that bypasses the social-media algorithm entirely. It's the first real Hardin Local website since 2018. It was also primary election day in Hardin County, and we head into Memorial Day weekend with a full slate — the Gold Star Tribute Wall Traveling Memorial, plus Nate's Business Buzz, Rachel's housing market read, and The Experienced Eater's revisit to Little Charlie's Pizza. Chapters 0:00 Introduction & Roll Call 5:09 Tektel Sponsor Spotlight (Open) 7:36 HardinLocal.com Website Reveal 16:48 Primary Election GOTV + Memorial Day Tribute Wall 21:23 Memorial Day Icebreaker 26:06 Events with Jon O'Brien 35:08 Business Buzz with Nate Bryan 45:35 Housing Market Update 55:46 The Experienced Eater — Little Charlie's 1:08:26 Closing & Final CTAs 1:12:32 Tektel Sponsor Spotlight (Close) 1:13:52 Shoutouts & Sign-off In this episode HardinLocal.com goes live — the first real website since 2018: articles for every segment, an Election Interview library by race, a searchable episode archive, a weekly events calendar, and a direct email newsletter. Built in-house on self-hosted Ghost. Bookmark it: https://hardinlocal.com [https://hardinlocal.com] Primary day & Memorial Day weekend — strict GOTV coverage as polls closed at 6 PM, and the Gold Star Tribute Wall Traveling Memorial opens Friday 4 PM through Monday 11 AM at the Elizabethtown Nature and Veterans Park (free, hosted by Cameron Ponder VFW Post 12237). Events with Jon O'Brien — Shakespeare in the Park at Freeman Lake, Ben Palmer comedy at Fort Knox Saber & Quill, The Reckless Strings at Social Food Hall, Super Saturday at the F.A.B. Lab, the Biker Bluegrass Bash, the Memorial Day ceremony at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central in Radcliff, and Landon Bagley's annual hot dog throwdown at Flywheel on Monday. Nate's Business Buzz — the new Kroger Marketplace at Ring Road and Patriot Parkway has a name: Patriot Center at Cox Farm, opening July 9 (hiring event May 30 at the Dolphin Drive Kroger). Publix opening earlier than expected, ANU Face·Mind·Body opens May 26 on Buford Lane, and Bluegrass Meats moves downtown the second week of June. Housing Market Update with Rachel Brantingham — a strong seller's week: 40 new listings, 34 under contract, 21 closed. Days on market down to 72 (off 23 days year-to-date), ~3.4 months of inventory, rates back to ~6.75%, and luxury homes that had been sitting are finally going pending. The Experienced Eater — Britten and Michele McDowell revisit Little Charlie's Pizza in Elizabethtown to make the case for the sandwich menu: the Buffalo Chicken Calzone, the Chicken Parm Garlic Knot, and the Reno Sub with a Diablo sauce Britten called "legit." Episode sponsor: Tektel — managed cybersecurity for local business and AI-Enhanced Cloud Voice. Visit tektel.net [https://tektel.net] or call/text Phil at 270-505-8002. Hardin Local founder Phil Taul is a partner at Tektel. Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=bLUZL3xv0A8 [https://youtube.com/watch?v=bLUZL3xv0A8]

Primary One Week Out, Election Series Wrap & Sabor Cubano Opening Day (S2026E20)

The primary is one week away — and this episode is your full pre-vote rundown. Rachel Brantingham hosts with Phil Taul, Scott Lucas, Jon O'Brien, Nate Bryan, and Britten & Michele McDowell of The Experienced Eater. Brought to you by Tektel — managed cybersecurity for local business and AI-enhanced Cloud Voice (full sponsor note below). CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction & Roll Call4:30 Tektel Sponsor Spotlight (Open)6:30 Election Series Wrap & 1-Week-Out Voting Guide13:02 Food-Truck Icebreaker17:58 Events with Jon O'Brien25:38 Housing Market Update36:03 Tektel Sponsor Spotlight (Mid)36:50 Business Buzz with Nate Bryan47:28 The Experienced Eater — Sabor Cubano1:03:10 Closing, Comments & Shoutouts1:04:34 Final CTAs & Connect With Us1:06:40 Tektel Sponsor Spotlight (Close)1:07:20 Sign-off THIS WEEK: the pre-primary Election Interview series wrap — all 27 candidate interviews (every contested race in Hardin County, non-partisan, on the record — including the April 29 Election Marathon, the longest live broadcast in Hardin Local history) are now at HardinLocal.com, organized by race, plus the new Find Your Ballot tool. Rachel's weekly housing update. Nate Bryan's Business Buzz — Sabor Cubano opened in Radcliff this morning, Papa John's #3 is now open, the Fuel Fortress build-out is underway, the Green Releaf medical-marijuana dispensary is targeting Mulberry Square this month (card required), and there's a big consignment auction Saturday in Upton. The Experienced Eater — Britten and Michele McDowell were at Sabor Cubano's grand opening: Cuban sandwiches, hand-filled empanadas, ham-and-cheese croquettes with cilantro-lime sauce, roasted pork, and Congrí (Cuban-style black beans and rice). 359 S. Wilson Rd, Radcliff · (270) 723-8822 · @SaborCubanoKY. And a stacked weekend from Jon O'Brien — the 23rd Annual SpringFest in Glendale, the Spring Fling & Ride for Veterans at American Legion Post 113, the A1A Jimmy Buffett tribute at the Historic State Theater (Friday 7 PM), Brent Terhune at Fort Knox, and live music all over town. VOTE — PRIMARY IS TUESDAY, MAY 19 * Watch all 27 candidate interviews + the Find Your Ballot tool at HardinLocal.com (Election Interviews). * In-person no-excuse early voting: Thursday–Saturday, May 14–16, 8 AM–4:30 PM — Hardin County Clerk's Office (150 N. Provident Way, Elizabethtown) and Colvin Community Center (230 Freedoms Way, Radcliff). No reason needed. * Excused in-person absentee (work / military / medical): through Wednesday, May 13, 8 AM–4:30 PM — the Clerk's Elizabethtown office only. * Have a mail ballot? It must be RECEIVED by the Clerk's Office by 6 PM on Election Day, May 19 — a postmark does NOT count. Drop it (don't mail it) in a secure drop box: either entrance of the Clerk's Office (150 N. Provident Way, Elizabethtown) or the Radcliff Branch Clerk's Office (101 W. Lincoln Trail Blvd). Sign the envelope, return early. * Election Day: Tuesday, May 19, polls 6 AM–6 PM, any of the 15 vote centers, photo ID. Questions: 270-765-6762. Register / check registration: elect.ky.gov TODAY'S SPONSOR — TEKTEL (Elizabethtown business tech): managed cybersecurity for local business — MFA, email/inbox protection, backups, monitoring, no in-house IT needed — and AI-enhanced Cloud Voice, a cloud phone system with an AI receptionist so you never miss a call. tektel.net · call or text Phil at 270-505-8002. (Disclosure: Hardin Local founder Phil Taul is a partner at Tektel.) Want this sponsor slot some Tuesday? HardinLocal.com → sponsorship opportunity. LINKS: * HardinLocal.com * Events calendar: https://philtaul.github.io/hardin-local-this-week * @HardinLocal on Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / TikTok Hosts: Rachel Brantingham, Phil Taul, Scott Lucas, Jon O'Brien, Nate Bryan, Britten & Michele McDowell (The Experienced Eater) #HardinLocal #HardinCounty #ElizabethtownKY #PrimaryElection2026

S2026E19 - Small Business Week, Donato's One-Year & Mother's Day Weekend

This week on Hardin Local Weekly: National Small Business Week meets Donato's Pizza Elizabethtown's one-year anniversary with owner Phillip Justice, plus a no-stress Mother's Day weekend game plan, fresh Hardin County housing numbers, and five Business Buzz stories — Towne Mall's 8-figure renovation, JD Sports replacing Finish Line, Visionworks relocating, Cubano in Radcliff, and a new German-American cafe coming to N. Mulberry. Chapters:0:00 - Introduction & Icebreaker12:46 - Events with Jon O'Brien23:18 - Housing Market Update32:18 - Business Buzz with Nate Bryan48:30 - The Experienced Eater - Donato's Pizza One-Year Anniversary1:05:36 - Closing & Final CTAs Hosted by Rachel Brantingham, Phil Taul, and Scott Lucas, with Jon O'Brien (Events), Nate Bryan (Business Buzz), and Britten & Michele McDowell (The Experienced Eater). 24 of our 28 Hardin County 2026 Primary Election interviews are live — sorted by race at HardinLocal.com. Primary is Tuesday, May 19. Visit HardinLocal.com for show notes, links, and more. #HardinLocal #HardinCounty #Elizabethtown #LocalPodcast #SmallBusinessWeek #KentuckyPodcast