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KSP investigation leads to arrest in 1990 rape case

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A decades-old sexual assault investigation has led to an arrest following the work of Kentucky State Police detectives and advancements in forensic technology.

KSP Post Four has announced the arrest of 66-year-old Alberto Campirano of Texas, in connection with a 36-year-old sexual assault cold case in Hardin County that occurred in 1990 involving a woman who was home alone with her children when Campirano allegedly entered her home and raped her.

The KSP says KSP Post Four and the Sexual Assault Initiative Investigative Team began evaluating cases for potential retesting in 2022. Campirano was charged with a sex crime in Texas in 2012 and convicted in 2014, and the KSP was able to retest DNA obtained from that arrest.

In May of this year, a match in the Combined DNA Index System was made from the DNA analysis the KSP was retesting, identifying Campirano as a suspect in the open sexual assault case from 1990. On June 11, the Hardin County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office presented the case to a grand jury, which indicted Campirano on charges of First Degree Rape, First Degree Sodomy and First Degree Burglary.

Detectives with KSP Post Four and SAKI on Wednesday traveled to Crystal City, Texas, where they were assisted by the Texas Rangers Division Company D and the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office in apprehending Campirano. He is currently incarcerated and awaiting extradition to Kentucky.

Nolin RECC sees impact from rising costs but remains committed to members

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Nolin RECC President and CEO Greg Lee told those in attendance at the co-op’s annual meeting Thursday that in their 88th year the organization is proud of the role it plays in the community, and the co-op holds its employees to a high standard.

“We place tremendous value on our community connections and the goodwill we establish with our members,” Lee said. “We strive to achieve this by keeping your reliability high and your costs low. We hope to earn your respect through the qualities we exhibit: fairness, perpetual effort, attention to detail, and an emphasis that you, our members, come first.”

Members of the co-op board during the meeting shared on activities such as recipients of Operation Round Up grants, the work of energy provider East Kentucky Power, and the results of the board election which saw Mark Cochran win in District One and David Brown win in District Two.

During the financial report, Board Member Rick Thomas said “inflation, tariffs, and the general state of affairs” has caught up with the electric business.

“The 2025 revenue is at about $93 million, with a cost of about $94 million,” Thomas said. “It doesn’t take long to figure out we’re about $1 million short there on the cash side of things. We show some capital credits primarily from East Kentucky Power that brings us above the line on paper to $2.6 million, and then if you look on down the report, you will see costs and reserves of $9.8 million.”

The annual report shows the co-op ended 2025 with 39,315 active accounts, and manages just over 3,000 miles combined of overhead and underground lines. Find more information at www.nolinrecc.com.

Scam targeting immigrant families fraudulently using name of Catholic Charities of Louisville

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Catholic Charities of Louisville is warning residents of a scam targeting immigrant families.

The organization issued a press release this week on what they described as “a sophisticated and escalating immigration-related fraud scheme” that is affecting the organization’s clients and others in the immigrant community.

According to the release, scammers harvest attorney names and bar numbers from publicly-available state Bar websites and use the information to impersonate real, licensed immigration law practitioners to take advantage of families looking for representation. Many of the scammers use the name of Catholic Charities USA or Catholic Charities of Louisville in their posts. The scammers are primarily using WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, and other social media platforms, and some use fake letterhead and fraudulent agreements to appear official.

Catholic Charities says if someone is contacted through social media and asked to pay for immigration legal services, it is a scam. Furthermore, Catholic Charities does not solicit clients through social media, does not offer loans, and does not request up-front payments through digital platforms.

Research a potential attorney or law firm by checking the Department of Justice’s list of accredited individuals and recognized organizations. Learn more about trusted immigration services and fraud protections by visiting consumer.ftc.gov.

Nicholas Houck appears for arraignment without attorney

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Nicholas Houck, the brother of the man convicted for the murder of Crystal Rogers, appeared in Nelson Circuit Court Thursday for arraignment on a Class D Felony Perjury charge.

When Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III initially called Houck’s case, Houck said his attorney was Patrick Renn, who was not present but Houck said was supposed to be there. Simms gave Houck time to contact Renn, but when he called the case again Renn was still not present. 

Houck said Renn had told him to “proceed on without him.” Prosecutors told the judge they contacted Renn and he said he has not been retained, and the prosecutors said he has not entered an appearance in the case. When Simms asked Houck how long it would take him to get an attorney, Houck said Renn is going to be his attorney “but this is something I can deal with.” Simms said the commonwealth said Renn has not been retained. 

 “He wants to know what you guys are getting at before he kind of makes a decision,” Houck said.

“He wants to know what you guys are- doing what now?” asked Simms.

“Yeah, I’m being charged with perjury, and I have no idea why you guys have charged me with that,” Houck said

“First of all, I don’t charge people with perjury,” Simms said.

Houck said he has had several conversations with Renn, but the attorney wanted information on the case before he made a decision. Simms appointed a public defender to stand in for Houck in order to proceed with the arraignment.

The public defender waived formal indictment and entered a plea of not guilty. Simms scheduled a hearing for July 2 to set the case for trial and pre-trial. Simms told Houck to have an attorney present at that time, and said he would review the commonwealth’s motion to correct the record on the indictment at that time.

SpringHaven Inc. to close domestic violence shelter at end of June

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An area organization dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence and their children will be closing at the end of the month.

SpringHaven Inc. published a statement Wednesday that states that they will be closing their domestic violence shelter effective June 30, 2026. The statement cites “the loss of funding and inability to secure sufficient resources to sustain shelter and outreach operations” as the reason for the closure.

The statement reads: “Our immediate priority is ensuring that every resident survivor and their children are transitioned safely and thoughtfully to appropriate housing, services, and support systems. We are working closely with community partners to facilitate individualized transition plans and warm hand-offs to receiving agencies and programs.”

The statement states that Barren River Area Safe Space in Bowling Green, the Center for Women and Families in Louisville, Bethany House in Somerset, and Greenhouse 17 in Lexington are among the partner organizations that are prepared to assist. ZeroV, the state domestic violence coalition, stated in a Facebook post they are working with SpringHaven during the transition and are seeking community partners. A full transitional service plan should be available at www.zerov.org by July 1.

Victims of domestic violence can call 1-800-799-7233 for assistance.