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

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

10 Primary Interviews, Jon's 75 Hard Story, German Night in Muldraugh | Hardin Local S2026E18

Hardin Local Weekly S2026E18 — recorded live April 28, 2026. Rachel Brantingham leads with the full crew back: Phil Taul, Scott Lucas, Jon O'Brien, Nate Bryan, and Britten & Michele McDowell of The Experienced Eater. No outside guest this week. Instead — Rachel sits down with Phil for a Hardin Local Election Spotlight on the Primary Interview series. Ten interviews already aired in five days; Wednesday's marathon adds thirteen more. The series is fully sponsored by Omni Design Group and The Plumbing Doctor — both stepped up to make sure every contested-primary candidate gets a free, fair, non-partisan seat on the show before the May 19 primary. Rachel also pulls Jon aside before the events block for an inspirational beat on something he just finished: 75 Hard. Two daily 45-minute workouts (one outdoors no matter the weather), no alcohol, no cheats, daily progress photo, 10 pages of nonfiction a day, a gallon of water — 75 straight days. Miss any of it and you start over from day one. Plus: Jon's full events lineup heading into Derby Saturday. Rachel's housing update. Nate Bryan's Business Buzz with the Domino's-at-Publix paper trail, Donato's first anniversary, Nothing Bundt Cakes opening, and Big Sandy officially confirmed for the Movie Palace location. And Britten & Michele do a live reaction — narrating in real time over a raw video Britten shot at Backstreet Cafe in Muldraugh on German night. ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro + Icebreaker14:17 - 75 Hard Inspirational Interview - Rachel x Jon20:20 - Events with Jon O'Brien29:35 - Business Buzz with Nate Bryan40:14 - Hardin Local Election Spotlight - Rachel x Phil47:52 - Housing Market Update54:33 - The Experienced Eater - Backstreet Cafe (Muldraugh)1:03:44 - Closing & Final CTAs 🗳️ ELECTION INTERVIEW SERIES SPONSORS: • The Plumbing Doctor — 24/7 Hardin County plumbing — call 765-PLUM (765-7586)• Omni Design Group — new construction + remodeling — call/text Cory at 270-769-8339 📅 PRIMARY ELECTION COVERAGE STATUS:• 10 interviews aired so far (Friday 4/24 + Monday 4/27)• Wednesday 4/29 — full-day marathon, 13 more candidates• Booking through May 12• Primary Election: Tuesday May 19• Watch all interviews: HardinLocal.com → Election Interviews 📅 SMALL BUSINESS WEEK HEADS-UP (May 4–10): • Coffee and Cards — Friday May 1, 8–9 AM, Apostoli Coffee, 158 W. Vine St., Radcliff• Hosted by the Radcliff Small Business Alliance — connection event, not a pitch room 🏇 DERBY WEEK (Kentucky Derby = Saturday May 2):• Kentucky Oaks — Friday May 1, NBC primetime 8:00–9:00 PM ET, post ~8:40 PM ET• Kentucky Derby — Saturday May 2, post ~6:57 PM ET, NBC + Peacock from 2:30 PM ET• Local Derby parties: Artie Ray's Sundown Lounge (best hat contest), Phillips Grove after-Derby concert with Cole Chaney + Brady Turner, the chess open at Family Buffet, and more 🏠 HOUSING MARKET SNAPSHOT (Week of April 21–28): • 35 new listings · 29 under contract · 26 closed• Avg days on market: 77 (falling)• 356 active homes · 113 sold last 30 days · 3.1 months inventory (tightest of 2026)• Avg list $359,143 · Avg sold $309,095 · Median sold $294,700 • Rates: VA/FHA/USDA ~5.75% · Conventional ~5.99% 🏪 BUSINESS BUZZ HEADLINES: • Domino's "Elizabethtown, KY" project listed on PlanHub at 1311 Pear Orchard Rd. Suite 122 — The Shops at Pear Orchard (Publix plaza). 1,416 sq ft, ~$350K build-out. Not officially announced yet. • Donato's celebrates 1 year in Elizabethtown • Nothing Bundt Cakes opened Friday morning to crowds • Big Sandy officially confirmed for the former Movie Palace location 🍽️ THE EXPERIENCED EATER: • Backstreet Cafe — Muldraugh, KY • German night Saturday (and Thursday) • Live reaction format — Britten & Michele narrate raw on-location video in real time 🔗 THIS WEEK'S LINKS: • This week's events calendar: https://philtaul.github.io/hardin-local-this-week/ [https://philtaul.github.io/hardin-local-this-week/] • Full episode + past shows: https://hardinlocal.com [https://hardinlocal.com] • Election Interviews: https://hardinlocal.com [https://hardinlocal.com]