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CASA of the Heartland hosting Light The Night Superheroes 5K

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CASA of the Heartland will celebrate local heroes and raise funds and awareness for vulnerable children in the community at their Light the Night Superhero 5K, to be held at the Elizabethtown Sports Park on Friday, May 9.

“We feel like our CASA volunteers are heroes within our community, and we’re also going to have some fire trucks and some police cars out there helping us light the night because they are our local heroes as well and we want to celebrate everybody who helps keep the kiddos in our community safe,” said CASA of the Heartland Executive Director Michelle Kail. 

The family-friendly fun walk and run is for people of all ages and abilities. Pre-race festivities begin at 7 p.m.

“The race itself will start at 8:42 p.m.,” Kail said. “That probably seems like a weird time, but that is, as I’ve been told, what time it’s supposed to get dark, so that way we can put on all of our light up gear and truly light the night this year.”

Court-appointed special advocates are volunteers that advocate for the best interests of abused or neglected children in family court and the foster system. The organization serves Hardin, LaRue, Breckinridge, Meade, and Grayson counties, and is looking for volunteers.

“We are really looking for community members who are just really interested in helping children, and maybe just want to sit down and have a conversation about what does it look like to volunteer, because our judges typically appoint us to the most egregious cases to be that extra set of eyes and ears in the homes and for the courts,” Kail said.

Learn more about the organization and find the Light the Night Superhero 5K registration link on the CASA of the Heartland website or Facebook page.

Stephen Foster Drama Association hosting youth academy this summer

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The Stephen Foster Story is opening its stage to young thespians this summer. 

The Stephen Foster Drama Association is inviting young performers from around the area to come out this summer to the Stephen Foster Story Youth Performing Arts Academy. The academy offers students the opportunity to explore live theatre under the guidance of experienced professionals at the J. Dan Talbott Amphitheatre.

The academy will offer three week-long sessions, each with a different focus and age range. Both new performers and those with previous experience are invited to attend.

The first session runs May 19 through 24 and will focus on vocal performance, character development, and stage presence. The week ends with a showcase performance of Disney’s Dare to Dream Junior.

The second session is “Tech Week with The Stephen Foster Story,” which runs July 22 through 26. Students will learn the ins and outs of theatrical production while shadowing the Stephen Foster Story crew.

The third session runs August 18 through 23 and will focus on acting fundamentals, storytelling, and stage movement. This after-school session wraps up with a performance of Disney’s Finding Nemo Kids.

Visit stephenfoster.com/academy for more information and to register.

Seven arrested in Elizabethtown as part of ATM theft investigation

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An investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies looking into several thefts from ATMs has resulted in several arrests.

“Early Wednesday morning, we arrested seven suspects in connection with the unlawful entry into an ATM machine,” said Elizabethtown Police Department Public Information Officer Chris Denham. “All suspects have been charged with Engaging in Organized Crime for their roles in the coordinated criminal syndicate.”

The arrested individuals are: Argenis Balmaceda Aldana, Christian Fereira Balmaceda, Jose Duque Fuentes, Elidiuska Parra Gomez, Jaider Ruiz Jimenez, Wimary Riovo Paul, and Luis Flores Rincon.

“This group is also responsible for similar crimes across multiple surrounding jurisdictions, and the investigation remains ongoing in collaboration with regional law enforcement partners,” Denham said.

The uniform citations for the suspects from the Hardin County Detention Center state: “The syndicate involves at least four vehicles, three of which were located in Brandenburg, Kentucky; the fourth was located by Louisville Metro PD in Jefferson County.” The citations state that each vehicle contained evidence linking the group to multiple crimes.

Each of the suspects are being held in the detention center on $150,000 cash bonds, and are due to make court appearances Thursday through Monday.

Prosecution questions Houck’s expert disclosures

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Crystal Rogers investigation suspect Brooks Houck is scheduled to make another court appearance next week.

The commonwealth’s attorney’s office will be presenting a motion in the case before the Nelson Circuit Court on Thursday, May 8.

According to a notice filed by Special Prosecutor Shane Young on Wednesday, the prosecution is requesting a hearing on the defendant’s expert disclosures. The notice states that the Commonwealth contends that three of the four disclosures do not comply with the requirements set in Kentucky Rules of Criminal Procedure “in that they fail to provide the bases and reasons for the expert’s opinions provided in the written summary by defense counsel.”

Houck’s defense filed a response Wednesday in which they objected to the motion. The response states “Each expert in question has reviewed the underlying facts and data supplied by the Commonwealth and has formed delineated opinions by analyzing the applicable information based upon their training, knowledge, and experience in their respective fields.”

Houck, who is charged with Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence, is scheduled to go to trial in Warren County on June 24. He will be tried alongside Joseph Lawson, who is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence. Steven Lawson, who faces the same charges as his son, is scheduled to go to trial on May 27.