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Area residents are reminded to stay diligent as several scams have been reported.

Elizabethtown Police Department Public Information Officer Chris Denham says one such scam in which the perpetrator says they are the child of the intended victim and they have been in an accident has been around for some time.

“It used to be a phone call, and then it became text or sometimes even email, and it appears that the child has been in some type of an accident, like this most recent one was a car accident, and they were needing assistance so they request that the parent call a certain number,” Denham said. “These scammers put on a really good act, and they’re very convincing and oftentimes people fall victim to their scheme.”

Denham says if your child was legitimately in an accident, the call would most likely come from a hospital or from law enforcement rather than a random cell number.

The EPD also recently put out a warning about a scam in which the victim receives a number from a scammer posing as technical support for Microsoft.

“The victim calls the number, and the scammer acts as though they represent Microsoft, and it’s financial extortion and this happens all too commonly,” Denham said. “They convince you that your bank accounts have been compromised, any information on your computer has been compromised, and they want you to send them resources and they claim that they’re going to secure them in a Federal Reserve Bank.”

Residents should remember to never give out personal or financial information unless you can confirm the source. If you receive a suspicious phone call, hang up, and if you receive a suspicious text or email, never click a link or open an attachment.

Denham also said reports were made to the EPD about scammers posing as FEMA going door to door, but as part of damage assessments FEMA does have staff surveying the area. FEMA representatives wear clearly marked FEMA clothing and carry identification. If a person comes to your door saying they are with FEMA and you have suspicions, you can contact FEMA to confirm who the agency has on the ground in your area.

As Crystal Rogers investigation suspect Steven Lawson is set to go to trial in Warren County on May 27, Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III is setting some of the ground rules ahead of the trial.

Simms issued an order Friday for Lawson’s case file to remain in Nelson County during the trial. The circuit court staff “will be responsible for videotaping the proceeding and returning the recordings, as well as any trial exhibits, back to the Nelson Circuit Court Clerk.”

In a previous hearing, Simms said normally once a case file is transferred it is not transferred back, so he wanted to keep the file in Nelson County for as long as possible for convenience of the defense, prosecution, and court staff.

Simms on Tuesday issued an order that bans recording the trial proceeding by anybody except court personnel. The order bans all electronic and recording devices from the courtroom. Simms said in the order: “This case has generated tremendous interest amongst the news media and the general public which has resulted in a ‘circuslike atmosphere.’” Simms also said people sitting in the media area during previous hearings have been observed recording on iPhones or iPads, with complaints that proceedings have been live-streamed and posted to social media.

Lawson is charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence and Conspiracy to Commit Murder. His son Joseph Lawson, along with Brooks Houck, is scheduled to go to trial on June 24.

The City of Elizabethtown is now accepting applications for the 2025 Heartland Homecoming Parade.

“It is Saturday, August 23,” said Elizabethtown Events Coordinator Beth Pyles. “Applications are being accepted for participants at www.etownevents.com. The theme for this year’s parade will be “A Walk Through Time: Remembering Our Past and Planning for Our Future,” and we’re encouraging all entries to decorate and theme their floats to match that theme.”

All are welcome to sign up to participate.

“There is no fee to enter as a participant, but spots are limited, so get those in,” Pyles said. It will step off at 10 a.m. as normal from Public Square and run north on West Dixie Avenue all the way to Saint John Road.”

Pyles says the Heartland Homecoming Parade is a tradition that extends beyond Elizabethtown.

“It’s a great time,” Pyles said. “It’s not just Elizabethtown. We get representatives from all over the county, from all the communities – Radcliff, Vine Grove, West Point – to come together and celebrate Hardin County, so we definitely call it the Heartland Homecoming Parade.”

Visit www.etownevents.com for more information or to register.