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Defense and prosecution in Crystal Rogers investigation cases send change of venue proposal to judge

Attorneys for Crystal Rogers investigation suspects Brooks Houck, Steven Lawson, and Joseph Lawson and Special Prosecutor Shane Young are in agreement on a new venue for the case. The decision is now up to Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III.

Orders filed in the case Thursday state that the involved parties have met and agreed on a venue for the trial. Prior to approving the agreement, the court will review the proposed facility and will provide additional proceedings if the venue is found to not be suitable.

In a pre-trial conference on March 21 at which Young said he agreed with the change of venue motion, Judge Simms requested that the chosen venue be large enough to accommodate members of the public and have a separate entrance for jurors.

The change of venue was to be discussed at a hearing scheduled for May 1 that has now been remanded. The parties are next scheduled to convene for a pre-trial conference on June 13.

State representatives provide updates at Vine Grove Legislative Breakfast

Federal, state, and local government officials were on hand Thursday for the City of Vine Grove’s second annual legislative breakfast.

The event provided an opportunity for members of the Kentucky General Assembly from local districts to provide an update on their work during the most recent session and to connect with local officials.

House District 25 Representative Steve Bratcher said of the more than 1,100 house and senate bills that went before the general assembly, about 200 passed. Bratcher said the Hardin County area is an area in transition with recent and future growth and efforts to reduce the strain are necessary, but the area is in a good place.

“We should really, really consider ourselves very fortunate and take some of the things that we’re given and the opportunities that we have and utilize that to move our area and our community forward,” Bratcher said. “There’s some organizations or some communities that are really suffering right now, and so we are in the trajectory of growth, so that’s a great place to be.”

House District 27 Representative Nancy Tate discussed her work on several legislative caucuses, including efforts on the Aerospace and Aviation Caucus. Tate said more than 600,000 pilots and more than 650,000 airplane mechanics will be needed in the next ten years, and she said she wants to make sure Kentucky can be a critical part of the industry.

“Did you know that in 2019 and actually today, our number one export in Kentucky is aerospace and aviation materials?” said Tate. “This is obviously near and dear to my heart. In 2019, we exported $11 billion worth of materials for aviation and aerospace.”

Kentucky Second District Congressman Brett Guthrie was unable to attend but was represented by District Manager Mark Lord, who discussed some of Guthrie’s legislative priorities. Lord also said Guthrie has been able to send $25 million to $30 million back to the Second District each of the last several years through congressionally-directed spending.

“We can have opportunity for members of Congress to redirect money that would otherwise be spent by the administration to be directed by their members of Congress rather than the administration,” Lord said. “That’s a good thing, especially when it doesn’t have one additional dollar to the federal spending.”

Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory, Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall, Vine Grove Mayor Pam Ogden, and West Point Mayor Richard Ciresi each expressed their appreciation for the availability of area representatives.

Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland celebrates growth with new headquarters

Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland celebrated the growth of the organization as they cut the ribbon Thursday on their new headquarters, located at 1105 Julianna Court (Suite 2) in Elizabethtown.

The association, which supports individuals with Down syndrome and their families “by fostering celebration, education, advocacy, and service,” says it will be able to streamline operations by offering a centralized hub for services and events along with administrative offices and meeting spaces.

Down Syndrome Association of the Heartland Executive Director Tonya House said the opening is a celebration of how far the association has come.

“Six years ago, right at six years ago, this organization started and then COVID really derailed us, so we are just so thrilled that we finally are to this point that we have a home and all of this stuff is out of my basement and my garage, but we’re just thrilled for the opportunity that this is going to give our families,” House said.

Association board president Jon Anderson said lots of hard work went into reaching this point, and House is at the center of those efforts.

“Tonya has worked tirelessly in promoting our organization and connecting families and connecting so many people in the community, and that has allowed us to continue to take those steps from when we started the organization back in July of 2018,” Anderson said.

Visit www.dsheartland.org for more information.

Unemployment rates up for March across Lincoln Trail District

Unemployment numbers in March are up across the Lincoln Trail District compared to last year.

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says from March 2023 to March 2024, unemployment rates increased in 116 counties, decreased in three, and remained the same in one. The state unemployment average for March 2024 is 5.1 percent, up from the March 2023 average of 4.3 percent.

March unemployment for Hardin County was reported at 5 percent. While that is down a tick from the 5.1 percent rate reported in February, it is up from March 2023 when the rate came in at 4.2 percent.

Washington County reported the lowest March unemployment rate in the Lincoln Trail District, and the second-lowest in the commonwealth, at 3.8 percent. Breckinridge County reported the highest rate for March at 5.7 percent.

Learn more about how unemployment rates are formed and other labor market information by visiting the Kentucky Center for Statistics online.