WQXE News

An order was issued concerning pretrial activities for the case of one of the Crystal Rogers investigation suspects.

Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III issued an agreed order Wednesday in the case of Commonwealth of Kentucky versus Steven Lawson, under which all pleadings prior to trial will be filed with the Nelson Circuit Court and all pretrial proceedings will be held in Nelson County.

According to the order, a change of venue was approved in October of 2024 to move the trial from Nelson County to Warren County. Per Kentucky law, when a case is transferred the case record is transferred with it and any case filings have to be made in the new venue. The order notes that the prosecution and defense agreed to the order based upon convenience to all parties involved.

Lawson’s trial is scheduled to begin on May 27. During a pretrial conference in February, Lawson’s attorneys said they were still concerned with having enough time to process all of the discovery in the case, and noted that Lawson first got access to the discovery himself when the attorneys were appointed to him in August. Simms said he would permit any requested accommodations to get Lawson to the courthouse in order to review the discovery as needed.

Lawson is next scheduled to appear at a pretrial conference on April 3.

Area law enforcement agencies are reminding Kentuckians to celebrate responsibly as they don their green and head out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

The Kentucky State Police is participating in Operation CARE now through March 17. Short for Crash Awareness Reduction Effort, this national enforcement initiative from the International Association of Chiefs will feature increased patrols and a focus on traffic violations such as impaired or distracted driving, speeding, and failure to wear a seatbelt.

The most important thing drivers can do if alcohol is involved is plan ahead.

“If you’re planning to drink, also have a plan to get home safely,” said Elizabethtown Police Department Public Information Officer Chris Denham. “Never get behind the wheel of a car after you’ve been drinking. It’s not just about getting arrested, getting a DUI, or spending the night in jail. It could cost you or someone else their lives. Please make responsible choices and get home safely.”

Drivers should also remember to buckle up, drive distraction free, and watch for pedestrians. If you see someone driving recklessly or appearing impaired, report it to local law enforcement or the KSP.

The City of Elizabethtown is inviting members of the public to a public engagement session regarding historic preservation and the downtown area, to be held at the WesBanco Gallery at the Historic State Theater on Wednesday, March 19 at 6 p.m.

“We started this discussion last month and I had mentioned at that time that the council had directed us to look into potentially expanding the Historic Preservation District downtown due to a zoning change request that was over on College Street, and there was a discussion by citizens over there about historic preservation in general, not necessarily about the preservation district,” said City of Elizabethtown Director of Planning Joe Reverman during a meeting of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. 

Reverman said it is a good time to have these discussions as they line up with work on implementing goals and objectives in the city’s comprehensive plan, and the first step in the process is engaging public discussion.

“This is something that would affect property owners, and so we want to make sure that we’re engaging property owners, providing an educational component to this, getting feedback from property owners, things like that,” Reverman said.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday with a short presentation at 6:15, with time for questions and informal discussion after.

“There are some benefits to property owners, but definitely to the community as a whole to having preservation in our community and expanding the districts and expanding the role that preservation plays with development of our community, so we really want to have that discussion first and make sure that people understand what preservation is and how that can benefit the development of the city and the community,” Reverman said.

Direct comments and questions may be made to Reverman’s office at 270-982-2238 or joe.reverman@elizabethtownky.gov.