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Beshear says state of the Commonwealth is strong

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During his State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday evening, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the state of the commonwealth is “strong, and it’s growing stronger.”

“Every day, we’re welcoming more businesses, more families, and more visitors to our new Kentucky home,” Beshear said. “We’re making progress like we’ve never seen before, and the rest of the country is noticing. Right now, all eyes are on Kentucky.”

The governor touted successes in economic development, including over $35 billion in private investment and 59,800 new jobs over the last five years, along with new records for exports and tourism.

Beshear said it is time to reintroduce Kentucky to the world, calling back to the “New Kentucky Home” Initiative introduced in November as he highlighted that Kentucky is 11 percent below the national average for cost of living, ranks third for utility affordability, and ranks in the top ten for affordable child care.

“Our new Kentucky home is a place where we’re focused on our people,” Beshear said. “At a time when things cost too much, we’ve lowered the income tax and we’ve lowered property taxes for four years in a row. We froze the gas tax when times were tough and we’ve capped the price of insulin.”

The governor highlighted business projects such as the opening of Whiskey House and the ECTC BlueOval SK training facility in Hardin County, infrastructure projects including new bridges and drinking water developments, and the certification of more Recovery Ready Communities. 

Beshear closed by encouraging Kentuckians to “push out all the toxic noise we hear on TV and social media” and come together.

“So to everyone out there tonight, remember: life’s short, so do good things and be kind to each other,” Beshear said. “Show each other compassion, love, generosity, even patience.”

Beshear’s complete address is available on the governor’s website and YouTube channel.

Fort Knox among federal facilities closed as nation mourns Jimmy Carter

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President Joe Biden has declared January 9 a national day of mourning in memory of Former President Jimmy Carter, and federal facilities including Fort Knox will have closings as a result. 

According to the U.S. Army Fort Knox Facebook page, the installation will treat the day of mourning like any other federal holiday.

The Brandenburg and Wilson gates, along with the Chaffee Avenue on-ramps to U.S. 31W, will be closed Thursday, while the Chaffee Gate at Bullion Boulevard will remain open 24/7.

The Fort Knox Post Office will be closed and delivery suspended, and all DFMRW facilities including those for children will be closed. The Gammon and Otto physical fitness centers will be open for those with pre-registered access, and the Houston Bowling Center will open at 4 p.m. The commissary will be open from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and all AAFES facilities will maintain normal operating hours.

Carter died on December 29 at the age of 100. After lying in state at the U.S. Capitol, the 39th president’s funeral will be held at the Washington National Cathedral. Following a private family service at Maranatha Baptist Church, Carter will be buried next to his wife Rosalynn in front of their home in Plains, Georgia.

Suspect in double homicide and suspect in BHH ER incident make court appearances

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Two suspects in October Hardin County incidents were back in court Tuesday.

Dustin Caudill appeared via Zoom before Hardin Circuit Judge Larry Ashlock for an arraignment hearing following his indictment by a Grand Jury on multiple charges including two counts of Murder and one count of First Degree Arson, among other charges. Caudill is accused of shooting and killing 41-year-old Blake France of Greenville and 43-year-old Anthony Garrett of Elizabethtown and then setting fire to the Henon Lane residence they were in on October 30.

Public defenders assigned to represent Caudill initially asked that the arraignment be delayed in order to allow Caudill to attend in person as he said he had difficulty hearing the proceedings via Zoom. Judge Ashlock declined this and said the Kentucky General Assembly asks the courts to do arraignments via video in order to keep costs down. A plea of not guilty was entered by the defense on Caudill’s behalf and the commonwealth attorney’s office submitted discovery in the case for the defense to review. A pre-trial conference was scheduled for February 11.

Meanwhile, George Lee Jr. appeared via Zoom for a pre-trial conference. Lee faces multiple charges including two counts of Kidnapping and three counts of Wanton Endangerment after he allegedly discharged a firearm in the Baptist Health Hardin emergency room October 19. A jury trial was scheduled for September 8 with a final pre-trial conference scheduled for September 2.

Both Caudill and Lee remain incarcerated in the Hardin County Detention Center.

Attorneys for Steven Lawson ask for trial delay to review case files

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Attorneys for Crystal Rogers investigation suspect Steven Lawson are asking Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III to delay the start of his trial.

Lawson’s jury trial on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence is set to begin on February 10 in Warren County. In a motion dated January 3, however, Lawson’s attorneys motioned to continue the trial to a later date in order to allow the defense more time to review discovery submitted in the case.

Attorneys Darren Wolff and Zach Buckler state in the motion that they expressed concern with having enough time to review the case files when they were assigned to represent Lawson in August 2024 following the dismissal of Lawson’s previous attorney Ted Lavit. They also state that when they first met with Lawson he had only been shown written discovery and none of the two terabytes of data contained on hard drives submitted by the case’s special prosecutor.

The motion states that access to additional discovery in the case, contained in about 10 terabytes of data, was delayed as the special prosecutor reviewed and removed duplicate data. Lawson’s attorney’s say they believe they have a duty to review the entire 10 terabytes, stating “while this effort will necessarily delay the trial for Mr. Lawson, it ensures that he may receive a fair and full defense in anticipation of trial.”

The matter will be discussed in court during a hearing scheduled for January 9.

Brooks Houck and Joseph Lawson, who also face charges in relation to the investigation, are scheduled to go to trial in Warren County on June 24.

USPS asks customers to help keep mail carriers safe in winter weather

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The U.S. Postal Service has a request for area residents as they wait for the thaw after Winter Storm Blair.

The USPS is reminding customers that it is important to keep walkways, sidewalks, and areas around mailboxes clear from snow and ice in order to help letter carriers provide safe and timely deliveries.

The USPS says postal employees make every reasonable effort to deliver mail in many different weather conditions, but snow and patches of ice in front of mailboxes can make it difficult for letter carriers to work safely. Customers that receive curbside delivery should also make sure there is a clear access point to their mailbox for letter carriers who deliver from the street.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is encouraging drivers who have made appointments to visit driver licensing regional offices this week to consider postponing their appointments if possible. Licensing offices across the state are dealing with weather impacts and limited staffing availability. Drivers are also reminded that remote driver’s license renewal options are available online at drive.ky.gov.