A tax cut proposal is heading to Governor Beshear’s desk. On Wednesday evening, House Bill 1, sponsored by Representative Brandon Reed of Hodgenville, was approved by the Senate by a 30-5 vote. The state’s individual income tax was lowered to 4.5% in January 2023 and this bill would lower it to 4% in January 2024. House Bill 1 is the next step in the Kentucky General Assembly’s efforts to eliminate the individual income tax entirely. During the 2022 General Assembly, House Bill 8 was passed which laid out steps to get rid of the individual income tax entirely but had milestones to be met before decreasing the tax in a half of a percentage increments.
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Kentucky’s First Lady Britainy Beshear and the Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence are hosting an event to benefit survivors of domestic violence. The 14th Annual Shop & Share event will take place at participating grocery stores across the state on Saturday in hopes that people stocking up on game day snacks will purchase items for their local domestic violence program. In-store shoppers can visit the volunteer table at their store or scan a QR code at the store entrance to get a list of items needed at their local shelter program. The statewide goods drive helps families in programs throughout the Commonwealth.
An Elizabethtown man was arrested for having sexual relations with a juvenile. According to documents, in November 2022, a warrant for Jonathan Scales, age 24 at the time, was issued after it was reported he had been carrying on a relationship with a minor. The girl, who was 15 at the time, exchanged messages with Scales over SnapChat, including pornographic material. Scales and the minor planned for him to sneak into her basement at her house to have sex in April 2022. Scales currently resides in Mississippi but was back in the Hardin County area over the weekend when he was arrested. Scales is currently lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center.
Grayson County Deputies serving a warrant found the subject of the warrant with drugs, cash and trafficking paraphernalia. According to documents, Deputies received information on the location of Matthew S. Willis, age 47 of Caneyville, Sunday evening and went to serve an indictment warrant from an incident in December. Once Deputies arrived at the house and located Willis, a sweep of the immediate area revealed drug related items, prompting Deputies to request a search warrant. Once the search warrant was served, all witnesses on scene stated that the room with the items in question belonged to Willis. The new charges include trafficking in a controlled substance, trafficking in marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Willis is currently lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center.
The Bardstown Police Department executed two search warrants related to a human trafficking investigation on Wednesday. The search warrants were for Mi Ya Ko Spa and Sunrise Massage and Body Work. Victims were located at both locations and three individuals have been arrested and charged with human trafficking and permitting prostitution. The victims have been connected with Catholic Charities to address their immediate needs. The investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information on the investigation is encouraged to contact Bardstown Police Department.