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Attorneys for Brooks Houck object to consolidating cases

Lawyers for Crystal Rogers investigation suspect Brooks Houck are objecting to the special prosecutor’s motion to consolidate the cases against Houck and suspects Steven Lawson and Joseph Lawson into one trial, and allege that prosecutors targeted the Lawsons in order to target Houck.

The motion filed with the Nelson Circuit Court Friday states that Houck needs to be tried separately from the Lawsons due to the “exposure of a myopic and biased investigation”, Houck’s entitlement to impeach Joseph Lawson and/or Steven Lawson with all of their statements, and the fact that redactions to records would not protect Houck’s Sixth Amendment rights. The filing’s conclusion states that: “there is no way for the Commonwealth to introduce evidence against all three defendants at a joint trial without violating the Kentucky Rules of Evidence, violating Brook’s Sixth Amendment rights, or both”.

The filing alleges that prosecutors lack proof that Crystal Rogers is deceased and “there is no crime scene, murder weapon, or realistic motive for the alleged crime.”, and the prosecution has relied on pressure put on the Lawsons in order to get information needed to indict and detain Houck.

March 21 will be a busy day in the Nelson Circuit Court as the court will consider the prosecution’s motion to consolidate, motions by Houck and the Lawsons for a change of venue, a motion by Steven Lawson’s attorney to dismiss the charges against him, and a motion by Joseph Lawson’s attorney asking for the identity of expert witnesses in the case to be disclosed.

Hardin County Teen Job Fair this Wednesday

Area teens ages 14 to 19 are invited to attend the second annual Hardin County Teen Job Fair, to be held this Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the North Hardin High School gym.

Family Fun Ice Cream Parlor owner and Radcliff City Council Member Michelle Mitchell organized the job fair after seeing a need from area teens applying for jobs at the ice cream parlor and from area businesses saying they need manpower.

“We’ve got young people who want to work, maybe do some job shadowing, community service, internship, different things like that in our community, especially for the summertime to keep them busy, as well as businesses needing good workers,” Mitchell said.

The event is free to attend, and teens that pre-register via a link available on the Facebook event page for the job fair will be registered to win door prizes provided by participating businesses and organizations. Teens should come ready to make connections.

“If they have a resume, they can bring that,” Mitchell said. “If not, that’s fine too. We’ll also have different organizations there such as the Kentucky Career Center that offer how to prepare a resume, even if they’ve only volunteered, such as babysitting or dog sitting, those type of things.”

There’s still time for businesses to sign up to participate at the job fair or support it in another way.

“Of course, there’s no fee to set up a table or a booth, but we are asking that a business brings one giveaway item,” Mitchell said. “If there’s a business out there that wants to sponsor this with some pizzas, because it is going to be after school for a lot of the kids, I would love to feed them as well.”

Contact information for Mitchell and the Facebook event page can be found on the Michelle Mitchell Radcliff Councilwoman Facebook page.

Lane closures for concrete repairs on I-65 South in effect Monday and Tuesday

The next round of lane closures for work on Interstate 65 in Bullitt County starts Monday.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the right two lanes of I-65 South from mile marker 113 near the Bullitt County welcome center to mile marker 112 near the Clermont/Bardstown exit will be closed from 7 a.m. Monday until noon on Tuesday. Ramps to and from Kentucky Route 245 will remain open.

Crews will be repairing concrete slabs, with the lane closures necessary to allow the concrete time to cure. Due to ongoing I-65 construction between mile markers 104 and 111, motorists are advised to plan for increased travel times and seek alternate routes.

Motorists should obey restrictions and use caution when traveling through work zones. Visit the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet online for more information on the I-65 Roadway Rehabilitation Project.

EPD determines ‘no credible threat’ after active shooter report at Hardin County Justice Center

Law enforcement has confirmed there is no threat at the Hardin County Justice Center after a report of an active shooter Friday morning.

“Shortly after 9 a.m. this (Friday) morning, we were contacted by a sworn member of the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office concerning an ‘all call’ page that had been disseminated throughout the Hardin County Justice Center phone system with the report of an active shooter within the building,” said Elizabethtown Police Department Public Information Officer Chris Denham. 

EPD officers arrived on scene within one minute of the initial call and began searching the building in conjunction with court security deputies.

“Approximately 10 minutes after our arrival, we learned the page had been inadvertently disseminated by the Administrative Office of the Courts,” Denham said. “Despite this, and out of an abundance of caution, we cleared the remainder of the justice center.”

Denham said there was never a credible threat, and “at no time were any occupants of the building or the public in any danger.”

Meade County sees unemployment decrease while rest of Lincoln Trail District sees slight increase

Unemployment rates across the Lincoln Trail District saw another slight uptick in January compared to the year prior.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says unemployment rates rose in 115 counties from January 2023 to January 2024, with the state unemployment average for January 2024 reported at 4.8 percent.

Six counties in the Lincoln Trail District saw unemployment rates in January that were higher than both December 2023 and January 2023. Nelson County’s unemployment rate for January 2024 came in at 4.1 percent, which is even with January 2023. Meade County was one of only three counties in the commonwealth where unemployment fell, going from 5.1 percent last January to 4.9 percent this January.

The unemployment rate for Hardin County in January 2024 was reported at 4.7 percent. That’s an increase from the 4.3 percent rate reported in January 2023 as well as the 3.9 percent rate from December 2023.

Washington County posted the lowest unemployment rate in the district at 3.6 percent, while Grayson County posted the highest rate in the district at 5.7 percent.

Visit the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet online for more information.

Remember to drink responsibly this Saint Patrick’s Day

As folks get ready to put on their green and celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day this weekend, officials are reminding Kentuckians: buzzed driving is drunk driving.

“In the wake of the upcoming Saint Patrick’s Day holiday, I want to remind those who choose to consume alcohol to please do so responsibly, and have a sober driver in place prior to taking the first sip of their green beverage of choice,” said Elizabethtown Police Department Public Information Officer Chris Denham.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says alcohol consumption at Saint Patrick’s Day is higher than average, which means the risk of dangerous situations on roadways is increased. The KYTC says over the past three years 43 crashes due to a drunk driver have been reported across the commonwealth on Saint Patrick’s Day, resulting in 24 injuries and six deaths.

If you are planning on consuming alcohol, always designate a driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely. If you have friends that are drinking, take away their keys and help them make arrangements to get home safely. If you think you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Visit the KYTC on the web for more tips and information.

Hardin County Extension Homemakers hosting Spring Bazaar Saturday

The Hardin County Extension Homemakers invite you to their Spring Bazaar, which will be held this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hardin County Extension Office, located at 111 Opportunity Way in Elizabethtown.

More than 40 vendors will be on hand with crafts, gifts, and unique homemade items for sale. Stop in for lunch with soups, sandwiches, and baked goods available. Admission is free, and all proceeds benefit local students.

For more information, contact the extension office at 270-765-4121.

Federal, state, and local officials on hand for ANP ribbon cutting

Several high-profile guests were on hand for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Advanced Nano Products Enertech facility in Elizabethtown Wednesday.

“We’re here to see Advanced Nano Products’s nearly $50 million investment for a facility that will produce parts for EV batteries,” said United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen. “It’s part of a boom in EV-related investments in Kentucky, and those are part of the massive investments in manufacturing and clean energy being made across the country.”

The secretary credited state incentives along with incentives created by the Inflation Reduction Act with helping to bring the facility to Elizabethtown.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear was also on hand for the ceremony. Beshear called Wednesday a banner day, and credited the hard work of local officials.

“When we made the announcements, we were excited,” Beshear said. “We knew it changed everything, but the reality is coming. And Mayor (Jeff Gregory), this right here, this city, this county, is becoming the center of our EV universe. Thank you for all of your work, and everybody, no matter what you did, you played a role.”

Korean Ambassador to the United States Hyundong Cho said the work of local officials to create partnerships with Korean companies makes developments like ANP no surprise.

“It’s not a coincidence that ANP chose to build their plant in Hardin County,” Cho said. “Governor Beshear and your local officials have sought out foreign investment and taken the necessary measures to bring factories and good jobs right here.”

The ANP facility is due to open in May.

Give 270 matching donations to Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland

Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland is looking to raise $21,000 by World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, and local nonprofit Give 270 is looking to help in that effort again. 

Between now and March 21, Give 270 will watch all fundraising donations up to $2,100.

Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland Executive Director Tonya House says the donation match allows generosity to stretch further.

“It means a lot for them actually to do this for the second year in a row, to be able to provide so many resources for our families with that money that we bring in, and we can offer extra programming and things like that, so it’s a really big boost for us to try to meet our goal for the $21,000 that we’re trying to raise,” said House.

The association supports area individuals with Down syndrome and their families, and the fundraiser directly supports those efforts.

“It’ll go towards some activities, social events, programming, things like that,” House said. “Resources for our families and things that we can do, outreach in the community just to advocate for our families and in the community.”

The fundraising deadline is World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, which is celebrated in part by participants rocking their brightly colored mismatched socks. House says the local community has been great at showing support for the association and its efforts.

“World Down Syndrome Day is always well supported with our area schools and businesses rocking their socks and tagging us on social media, so it’s always a busy and fun week to see everybody,” House said.

Learn more about Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland and learn how to donate to the fundraising campaign by finding them on the web or on Facebook and Instagram.

Breckinridge County Schools pleased with feedback from recent survey

More than 200 parents and caregivers of Breckinridge County Schools students submitted responses to a survey sent out by the district in February, and Superintendent Dr. Nick Carter says that feedback is a gift.

“The goal of the survey was to receive feedback and input about how our parents and caregivers in our school district feel about the educational experiences of their children,” Carter said.

Respondents were asked to score statements on the district on a one to five scale. Carter said the statements that scored best reflect efforts made across the district.

“We strive for our schools to be a place of respect and stability and positivity, and so to hear that positive feedback, there’s been so much emphasis on that,” Carter said. “Also, ‘I feel comfortable approaching school administration’ was another high area, and that’s terrific. I know that our school principals work really hard to build relationships, and that’s wonderful.”

The lowest scoring statements involved parents and caregivers receiving feedback on how their children are doing in school, but Carter said he was pleased that even the lowest scoring categories still scored in positive ranges. He said the feedback is already guiding district plans.

“Our district and school leaders have reviewed the data and had conversations about next steps,” Carter said. “They are also working to share this information with all of our teachers and staff, and then what we do is we use the feedback to continue to improve, to highlight the great things that are taking place in our district, and then look at the areas that maybe scored lower and think about what can we do to help with that.”

Carter said more opportunities for feedback from district families will be coming, and encouraged anybody with questions to reach out.