Expanded Alcohol Sales Pass in Hardin County Cities

Ballot measures to legalize or expand alcohol sales in Elizabethtown, Radcliff and Vine Grove have passed.In three separate votes, residents of the Hardin County cities approved the changes by a roughly 3-2 margin.Vine Grove and Elizabethtown are fourth-class cities and will not be able to establish bars. Radcliff is a second-class city and could offer all types of alcoholic-beverage establishments permissible under state law. Radcliff and Elizabethtown already permitted alcohol sales in restaurants with 100 or more seats.Proponents of the measures say expanded sales will boost economic development. Opponents cited moral objections or were concerned expanded sales would lead to an increase in the number of alcohol-related accidents.Alcohol sales were also being considered in Guthrie in western Kentucky and in Junction City in central Kentucky.Additional information from the Associated Press