Hardin Local S2026E20: Primary One Week Out, Sabor Cubano

What We Covered This Week

This was a civic episode wrapped around a brand-new local business. Rachel Brantingham opened it the way the week called for: "Big show today, and a big week. The primary is one week from today, Tuesday, May 19, and today is the last day of our pre-primary Election Interview series. We're going to wrap that up at the top of the show and tell you exactly where to find every interview before you vote."

That wrap was the spine of the episode. Over the past few weeks, Hardin Local sat down with 27 candidates — "every contested primary race in Hardin County: county offices, city offices, State Representative seats, and the US Senate field — all on the record, all non-partisan, all in the candidates' own words," Rachel said. That includes the April 29 Election Marathon, a seven-hour, five-minute live broadcast — the longest in Hardin Local history — which Phil ran end to end. Every interview is up at HardinLocal.com under Election Interviews, organized by race, alongside a new tool Phil shipped this week: "I put 'Find Your Ballot,' and you can pick your district — there's a map if you need help finding it — and it pulls up the videos you need to watch, the ones that are going to be on your primary ballot, as opposed to the ones that aren't, so you don't waste time." Phil's pitch on it: informed voters, no spin — "if you do get on that site and see any issues, please let me know so I can fix them."

Then the voting mechanics, which Phil walked through carefully. You don't have to wait for May 19. No-excuse in-person early voting is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week — May 14, 15, 16, 8 AM to 4:30 PM — at the Hardin County Clerk's Office in Elizabethtown (150 N. Provident Way) and the Colvin Community Center in Radcliff (230 Freedoms Way). Excused in-person absentee (for a qualifying reason — work, military, medical) runs through Wednesday, May 13, at the Clerk's Elizabethtown office only. And the one thing people get wrong: "a postmark does not count. Your ballot has to be physically received by the Clerk's office by 6 PM on Election Day, May 19 — not mailed by then, received by then. So at this point, don't trust the mail." Drop a mail ballot in a secure drop box at either entrance of the Clerk's Office in the Hardin County Government Building or at the Radcliff branch on Lincoln Trail Boulevard — "check the envelope, sign where it tells you to, and get it in early." Election Day: Tuesday, May 19, polls 6 AM to 6 PM, 15 vote centers (any registered voter can use any of them), photo ID, questions to 270-765-6762. And the thank-you Rachel and Phil both gave: the entire interview series was made possible by Omni Design Group (new construction and remodeling — call or text Cory at 270-769-8339) and The Plumbing Doctor (24/7 Hardin County plumbing — 765-PLUMB / 765-7586). "They sponsored weeks of free, non-partisan election coverage," Phil said. "Go give them your business."

The episode's lighter through-line was the food-truck-to-storefront story — set up by a food-truck icebreaker ("the best thing you've ever eaten off a food truck"), echoed in Nate Bryan's Business Buzz, and paid off in The Experienced Eater. The hosts' picks ran from Bussin Bites' corn dog and BLT to Ladora Sweet Treats, Sweet and Salty Company, Jay's Burgers in Louisville (Phil's "Kentucky's version of In-N-Out"), and Grind Burger's B&B burger. The tie-in: Sabor Cubano — the Cuban and Puerto Rican spot in Radcliff that made exactly that jump — opened its brick-and-mortar this morning.

And the sponsor: this week's episode is brought to you by Tektel, with founder Phil Taul disclosing on air that he's a partner there — "full disclosure, I'm a partner at Tektel; it's my day job when I'm not doing this." He kept it scoped to two things: managed cybersecurity for local businesses (MFA, email and inbox protection, backups, monitoring — "managed, monitored, and explained in plain English; no in-house IT department required") and AI-enhanced Cloud Voice — a cloud phone system with an AI that picks up when nobody's at the desk. "tektel.net, or call or text me — 270-505-8002. I do work there and I'm a partner there, and I'd put my name on it either way." Hosting a Hardin County business that wants the sponsor slot some Tuesday: the form is at HardinLocal.com under sponsorship opportunities.

Watch the full episode: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1292842119668042 | https://youtube.com/watch?v=wcwPXUsyRR8

In This Episode

Hardin County This Week: SpringFest Glendale, the Ride for Veterans, and a Stacked Friday Night

Hardin County This Week — with Jon O'Brien

Jon O'Brien walked one of the fullest weekends of the spring — SpringFest in downtown Glendale Saturday (200-plus vendors, the classic car show, the pancake breakfast), the 24th Annual Spring Fling and Ride for Veterans at American Legion Post 113, a Friday-night double-bill (A1A's Jimmy Buffett tribute at the Historic State Theater vs. Brent Terhune at Fort Knox), three Saturday live-music options including Rachel's nephew Judah Brantingham at Heartland Mini Golf, plus a Larrikin Bourbon tasting, a Radcliff flash-sale tattoo event for the Broadbent Animal Sanctuary, and an All-Poetry Open Mic to close out the week.

Read the full article → 02 - S2026E20 Events Article Watch this segment → https://www.facebook.com/reel/1014936797738138

Sabor Cubano Opens Day-Of, Papa John's #3 Goes Live, Fuel Fortress Gets a Sign

Nate's Business Buzz

Nate Bryan led with the rarest local-business story there is — Sabor Cubano opened its first brick-and-mortar this morning at 359 South Wilson Road in Radcliff, in the old Fed Up Barbecue building, after about two years on a food truck. Plus: Papa John's #3 is now open near Central Hardin (covering West Hardin Middle School, BlueOval, and 222); Fuel Fortress, a serious gym, has its sign up at the former JoAnn Fabrics box and is hiring a GM; a Green Releaf medical marijuana dispensary is targeting Mulberry Square this month (card and verification required — not a walk-up store); and there's a big consignment auction Saturday in Upton.

Read the full article → 03 - S2026E20 Business Buzz Article Watch this segment → https://www.facebook.com/reel/1274870528192675

Hardin County Housing Market: 74 Days on Market, 3.3 Months Inventory, Luxury Finally Moving

Hardin County Housing Market — with Rachel Brantingham

Rachel Brantingham's weekly read from the Heart of Kentucky MLS: days on market down again to 74 (from about 100 in January), 371 active homes, 112 sold in the last 30 days — about 3.3 months of inventory, a strong seller-leaning market. Average sold $325,593, median $310,000. Rates stable (high-5% government, low-6% conventional). The luxury tier ($800k+) is the one to watch as higher-end homes that sat for months start moving — and Ford BlueOval contractor activity in Glendale keeps the rental market extremely tight.

Read the full article → 04 - S2026E20 Housing Market Article Watch this segment → https://www.facebook.com/reel/2038862030377428

Sabor Cubano in Radcliff: A Brick-Size Cuban Sandwich, Reviewed the Day It Opened

The Experienced Eater — Britten & Michele McDowell

Britten McDowell (Michele was tied up on a project) reviewed Sabor Cubano on its opening day — a brick-size grilled Cuban sandwich with pork that stays "super juicy, super moist," the Congrí plate (black beans and rice, yuca, roasted pork — his "coup de grâce"), ham and cheese croquettes with an allspice-leaning cilantro-lime sauce, and hand-filled, homemade-dough empanadas in beef and chicken. Verdict: the food's "on point" — go support a brand-new local business on day one (just like the yellow mustard).

Read the full article → 05 - S2026E20 Experienced Eater Article Watch this segment → https://youtube.com/watch?v=dUTjJhxLkSc

Episode Highlights

"We sat down with 27 candidates — every contested primary race in Hardin County. That includes a seven-hour, five-minute live broadcast on April 29, the longest in Hardin Local history. Every one of those interviews is at HardinLocal.com, organized by race. Pull up your ballot, find your races, watch the candidates side by side. That's the whole point — informed voters, no spin." — Rachel Brantingham, on the Election Interview series wrap

"A postmark does not count. Your ballot has to be physically received by the Clerk's office by 6 PM on Election Day — not mailed by then, received by then. Drop it in a secure drop box. One week. Make the plan." — Phil Taul, on returning a mail ballot before the May 19 primary

"We were at about 100 days on market back in January. We're all the way down to 74 days now. What that's telling us is the market is increasing in speed — things are selling fast." — Rachel Brantingham, on the housing market

"A lot of times the pork ends up being dry — but this is not. Super juicy, super moist. I'm pretty impressed." — Britten McDowell, on the Cuban sandwich at Sabor Cubano

"Don't treat this like Cheech and Chong. You're not showing up with 50 bucks and saying 'I want some weed.' You have to get a card, you have to be looked at. This is not a walk-up store." — Nate Bryan, on the Green Releaf medical marijuana dispensary

Watch + Listen

📺 Full episode video — https://www.facebook.com/reel/1292842119668042 | https://youtube.com/watch?v=wcwPXUsyRR8 🎙️ Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/episode/59nDcU1FtiYej8RwAE3UuX 🍎 Apple Podcasts · 📻 iHeartRadio · 🛒 Amazon Music — Hardin Local Weekly 🗳️ Election Interviews (organized by race) + "Find Your Ballot" — HardinLocal.com 📅 This week's events calendar — https://philtaul.github.io/hardin-local-this-week/ 🌐 All episodes + show notes — HardinLocal.com