WQXE News

CASA of the Heartland invites community members interested in learning more about what it takes to be a court-appointed special advocate to attend their second annual Volunteer Recruitment Summit, to be held at American Legion Hardin Post 113 in Elizabethtown on Tuesday, September 22.

“Our goal is for individuals who come to learn everything they can about CASA and for nobody to leave with questions, and by the end of the event, hopefully people will know definitively if being a CASA volunteer is a good fit for them,” said CASA of the Heartland Executive Director Michelle Kail.

The organization says the event will feature Q&A panels featuring Assistant County Attorneys and current CASA volunteers to discuss their experiences and answer questions.

Kail said 143 children are on the organization’s waitlist, and for children navigating the court system, the consistent presence of their CASA is critical.

“They might see a turnover in social workers or therapists or foster homes, whereas their CASA remains a consistent person throughout the life of their case, collecting information to report back to her family judges, and ultimately making sure that the child’s voice is heard and that their best interests are at the forefront of the case,” Kail said.

The event is free, but registration is required as dinner will be served. Visit www.casaheartland.org to register.

Nicholas Houck’s trial on a Class D Felony Perjury charge will now be heard in 2027.

Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III granted the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office motion for a continuance during a hearing in Nelson Circuit Court Wednesday, moving the start of the trial to February 8, 2027. Simms noted that he checked with the court in Owen County to verify that the date is available. 

10th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth’s Attorney Kyle Williamson said he made the motion because it is important for the Commonwealth present their case chronologically, and former Commonwealth’s Attorney Terry Geoghegan needs to be the first called witness, but because of existing travel plans he would not be available until the last day of the previously scheduled dates. Houck’s defense attorney Michael Ferguson objected to the continuance, arguing that since most of the evidence the Commonwealth plans to submit is video recordings he didn’t understand why Geoghegan couldn’t record a deposition. 

Meanwhile, Simms gave the Commonwealth 20 days to respond to Ferguson’s motion to dismiss the indictment, in which Ferguson argued the Commonwealth has failed to establish that Houck made a material false statement in the grand jury testimonies cited by the Commonwealth, and that they failed to establish that Houck’s statement had an impact on the proceedings. Simms also gave the defense time to respond to the Commonwealth’s response. The court will hear arguments on the motion at a pre-trial conference set for October 22.

As part of the department’s strategies for monitoring and preventing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife will be hosting a special antlerless-only season in counties within the established CWD Surveillance Zone.

KFW says the four-day season will run from September 25 through 28 in counties located in Deer Zones 1, 2, and 3, which includes Breckinridge, Hardin, and Meade counties. Firearms, bows, and crossbows may be used but only antlerless deer may be harvested.

Zone bag limits apply, and testing is mandatory for deer harvested during the special season regardless of method of take used. Hunters must drop off the harvested deer’s head at an unstaffed CWD Sample Drop-Off Site or submit a sample using a CWD sample mail-in kit.

Additional strategies, such as restrictions on transporting deer carcasses in and out of the CWD Surveillance Zone and restrictions on the use of certain types of feeders, are also in effect. Find more information on the CWD webpage at fw.ky.gov. Members of the public may also report sick or dead deer or elk by using the online form on the Report Wildlife Disease webpage.