Hardin County United unveils logo, website

Site will serve as web portal, directly link users through social networks

Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 10:00 pm (Updated: January 31, 4:32 pm)

The organization formed out of the Hardin County Vision Project announced its expansion into the online world Friday with the launch of its official Web site, which will directly link users to the latest news and happening surrounding the groups aimed at fleshing out the 24 strategic goals identified through the visioning process.

The site, located at www.hcu.lbschmidt.com, provides a modern look with subtle color flourishes and an easily accessible format. It was designed by Heartland Communications Consultants of Elizabethtown, which also created the One Knox website.

A number of dropdown boxes gives users the option of learning about Hardin County United and the Hardin County Vision project in detail, while another area provides more in-depth information on the subcommittees — community development, education and governance — and the primary steering committee chaired by Hardin County Judge-Executive Harry Berry.

“HCU is delighted to provide the community with this opportunity to follow our progress,” Berry said in a news release. “Each of our three subcommittees (is) actively engaged in projects related to the strategic goals which were established by the Hardin County Vision Project last year. Our three subcommittee chairpersons will periodically provide updates and/or solicit feedback from the general public regarding these projects through this website.”

Luke B. Schmidt, a consultant for HCU, said the site will be an interactive portal for residents of Hardin County to use to follow projects as they proceed, with a blog and news function built into the site to provide those updates.

Schmidt in an interview also said HCU will use the site to publish reports from the committees and attempt to capitalize on the successes of Twitter and Facebook by linking the website with those social networking functions. On Facebook alone, it is projected there are around 60,000 users in Hardin County, Schmidt said.

To stay informed, website users also can sign up for electronic updates.

The site, too, provides a touchstone to the county through a community profile option, giving visitors a synopsis of the Hardin County area.

And a links function has been designed to bring other local agencies and organizations together through the site.

“Even though HCU is a young organization, the site already contains a robust amount of content,” Schmidt said in the news release. “The site is intended to be a work in progress.”

A major report from the education subcommittee is expected to be released this week and will be published on the site shortly thereafter, Schmidt added.

HCU on Friday also unveiled its new logo, designed by Heartland Communications Consultants. It includes the organization’s name and a “stylized map” of the county surrounded by a circular arrow.

Berry said the arrow represents the unity the county is working toward with the project and the uniform-sized dots on the map further that notion.

Also, the touches of green within the logo, Berry added, are a nod to the county’s link with the military and Fort Knox.

Marty Finley can be reached at (270) 505-1762              (270) 505-1762      or mfinley@thenewsenterprise.com.