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Road rage incident lands man in jail

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An incident outside of Central Hardin High School Thursday prompted a soft lockdown of the school campus and resulted in an arrest.

Elizabethtown Police Department Public Information Officer John Thomas said the incident began on Ring Road and ended on Leitchfield Road, where officers responded at around 2:22 p.m.

“An investigation revealed that a suspect, identified as Jeremy Yates, age 50 of Eastview, engaged in a confrontation with two adult victims in a Ford Maverick after allegedly cutting them off,” Thomas said.

Thomas said a verbal altercation resulted in Yates brandishing a baseball bat and deploying bear spray on the victims.

“Yates pursued the victims further on the Leitchfield Road, again confronting them and ultimately discharging a firearm twice, striking their vehicle,” Thomas said. “Fortunately, no injuries were reported.”

Following the police’s investigation, Yates was placed under arrest and charged with two counts of first degree Wanton Endangerment.

Hardin County Schools Community Relations Specialist John Wright said nobody at Central Hardin was injured in the incident.

Law enforcement investigating thefts from area cemeteries

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The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging anybody with possible information to come forward following reports of vandalism and theft at several area cemeteries.

“We received information about a theft at Elizabethtown Memorial Gardens off one of the memorials: a large-size bronze plaque with the images of two children that were killed within 11 days apart,” said Hardin County Sheriff John Ward. 

That report was followed by others.

“Radcliff Police also have an investigation ongoing,” Ward said. “They’ve recovered quite a bit of bronze that’s been busted up to try to sell. We also have another investigation from Saint Clare Cemetery.”

Ward says the sheriff’s office is actively investigating. Local metal recyclers have also been notified.

“I mean, how much lower can you go, to desecrate a grave like that?” Ward said. “And what people don’t realize is that’s a class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison.”

Anybody who notices theft or vandalism at any cemeteries in the county is asked to file a report with the sheriff’s office by calling 270-765-5133.

KSP reminds Kentuckians to never race a train and be safe at crossings

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The Kentucky State Police is reminding residents to use caution around rail lines.

“See Tracks? Think Train Week”, formerly known as Rail Safety week, is being observed now through September 21. According to rail safety education nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, every three hours in the United States a vehicle or person is struck by a train. More than 2,300 people are injured or killed in railroad crossing and trespassing incidents across North America, with more than 60 percent of incidents occurring at crossings equipped with lights and/or gates.

The Kentucky State Police says you should never try to beat a train, as they can take a mile or more to completely stop. Cross tracks at designated crossings only, and obey all warning signs, signals, and gates. Never cross train tracks when the safety lights are on or the gate is engaged. If you see suspicious activity near the tracks, contact your local KSP post.

The KSP this week participated in Operation Clear Track, “the single largest rail safety initiative in the United States.” Learn more by visiting the KSP’s website.

Radcliff Cultural Festival highlights diversity of local community

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The City of Radcliff will celebrate the rich diversity of the local community with the seventh annual Radcliff Cultural Festival, to be held at Radcliff City Hall this Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m.

Festival organizer Pete Countryman told the Radcliff City Council Tuesday the festival will feature a unique blend of food, entertainment, and vendors.

“We have an extraordinary selection of vendors this year with things you’ve never seen before,” Countryman said. “We have boutiques, we have high-end fashion, we have handcrafted jewelry and such. The emphasis is not so much for sales. We’d like to offer the community what’s available in our small business community, which is the backbone of our economy.”

One of the highlights of the festival is the “Taste of the World Food Court”.

“This year we’re proud to introduce the flavors of Belize, Cuba, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, and All-American classics,” Countryman said.

In addition to live performances from several entertainers, the Radcliff City Parade will begin at 5 p.m.

“You can line up on State Street at the Methodist Church,” said Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall. “It comes down Deepwood and it comes all the way down to Freedom’s Way. It’s a shorter parade, but it does its job. It gets everybody in there, and kids get candy. We do throw candy and we still are accepting entries.”

Call the Colvin Community Center at 270-351-4079 to sign up for the parade and visit the city’s Facebook page for updates.

Houck sentenced to life in prison for murder of Crystal Rogers

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The man convicted of Crystal Rogers’s murder will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

During a sentencing hearing at the Nelson County Justice Center Wednesday, Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III sentenced Brooks Houck to a term of life in prison for the charge of Murder – Principal or Accomplice, and five years for the charge of Tampering with Physical Evidence, with the terms to be served concurrently.

Simms also sentenced Joseph Lawson to a term of 20 years in prison for the charge of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and five years for the charge of Tampering with Physical Evidence, with the terms to be served consecutively.

Those sentences are in line with the recommendations of the Warren County jury that convicted Houck and Lawson on July 8, with the exception of Houck’s concurrent terms. Simms noted that Kentucky law does not permit consecutive sentences when a life sentence is issued. Simms also noted that while several people who spoke during the hearing requested a life sentence without the possibility of parole, that is also not permitted under Kentucky law.

Several members of the Ballard family spoke during the hearing. Among the speakers was Rogers’s daughter Kyleigh Fenwick. She addressed Houck directly, stating “You never cared about anybody but yourself. You say you love Eli so much, but if you really loved him you wouldn’t have murdered his mother. You wouldn’t have took him from his siblings. I babysat him all the time, even when you were home. I watched him, and you just ripped him away from us, just like you did our mom.”

Rogers’s mother Sherry Ballard said Houck underestimated the love she and her husband had for their daughter. Ballard said: “For 10 years, I have suffered the pain of losing my daughter. Never once have I seen you shed one tear. Never once have I heard you say you worried about where she was or what might have happened to her. You sat there worried more about your family’s name than the woman you shared a child with, that you supposedly cared about.”

Prior to sentencing, Simms reminded Houck and Lawson of their rights to an appeal. Simms also granted Lawson’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis, which allows Lawson to continue to be represented by a public defender.