WQXE News

Nolin RECC is accepting applications for the next round of grants from its Operation Round Up program.

The co-op says the program is a non-profit run by a local board of directors that accepts and reviews applications to determine which programs and organizations receive funding. Local dollars in the past have gone to organizations such as Family Scholar House, Helping Hand of Hope, and Shepherd’s Pie Food Pantry.

Nolin RECC Communications Manager Sarah Fellows says co-op members that participate in the program volunteer to round up their monthly electric bill to the nearest dollar.

“All those nickels and dimes and quarters for an average Nolin member only adds up to about $6 a year, but it makes such a big difference because thousands of Nolin members are choosing to do that, and since 2006 that money has turned around over $300,000 in grants to programs and organizations that are right here locally in our community,” Fellows said.

The application deadline is May 1. Applications may be picked up at the Nolin RECC office or can be found online at nolinrecc.com.

The Hardin County Schools Board of Education announced a change to the school calendar and approved dates for the district’s high school graduation ceremonies during their board meeting last week.

Friday, May 24 will be the final day of school for K-12 students. The district says ending the year on the 24th allows the school year to finish on a Friday and before Memorial Day. The board is excusing three days of school that were missed due to inclement weather. The district says they traditionally schedule more school days than required by state law.

Graduation for John Hardin High School will be held at 7 p.m. on May 24 at Bulldog Stadium.

Central Hardin High School will hold graduation at 11 a.m. on May 25 at Bruin Gym.

North Hardin High School will hold graduation at 6 p.m. on May 25 at the North Hardin football field, Ray Story Stadium.

Hardin County High School families have appointments for graduates to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas beginning at 9 a.m. on May 18.

Contact Hardin County Schools for more information.

The suspects charged in the Crystal Rogers investigation all appeared in the Nelson Circuit Court for a pre-trial conference Thursday.

Brooks Houck and Steven Lawson appeared in person and Joseph Lawson appeared via Zoom from the Kentucky State Reformatory before Judge Charles Simms III to discuss the status of several motions that have been filed in the case.

Special Prosecutor Shane Young said discovery in the case has been completed, with the final round of data consisting of about 265 gigabytes being transferred to the defense counsels. When asked by Simms about the change of venue motion filed by attorneys for Houck and joined by the attorneys for the Lawsons, Young said he agreed with the motion and said he would discuss possible venues with the counsels. The motion filed by Houck’s attorneys asks for the trial to be moved to either Boyd County or Daviess County. Simms requested that the chosen venue be large enough to accommodate members of the public and have a separate entrance for jurors.

Young told Simms the prosecution needs eight weeks to respond to the defenses’ objections to his motion to consolidate the three cases into one trial, and the defense attorneys asked for two weeks after that to respond to the prosecution’s response. Young asked for the same time frame to respond to Steven Lawson’s attorney Ted Lavit’s motion to dismiss based on immunity claims, with Lavit saying the judge may need to hear sworn testimony for his response. 

The case will reconvene for a status conference regarding the change of venue motion on May 1. The other motions will be reviewed in a pre-trial conference scheduled for June 13.