WQXE NEWS

The Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office is highlighting the success of expanding the state’s Safe at Home Program.

Secretary of State Michael Adams says since the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation at his request to expand the commonwealth’s Address Confidentiality Program, use in the program increased by 460 percent in the first year.

“We know that government is supposed to be transparent, and it should be, but we can’t allow abusers to use the transparency of government to stalk and harass and further abuse their victims,” said Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith. 

Smith said the program is an added layer of protection for victims of abuse.

“It provides them an opportunity to hide their residency from public view on documents up to and including their voting record, and so someone would be able to register to vote here in Hardin County but we would obscure their address from any potential abuser who would use Kentucky’s open record laws to try and track that person down,” Smith said.

The expansion of the program also allowed for expanded interstate reciprocity, meaning neighboring states also help to mask records.

“I certainly agree with Secretary Adams that protecting abuse victims is worthwhile,” Smith said. “It’s worth the effort. His staff has put a lot of time and effort into this. He put a lot of passion behind it, and I applaud him for that.”

Victims can apply for the Safe at Home Program on the Secretary of State’s website.

Feeding America says the latest data from their Map the Meal Gap study shows that more than 176,000 people in Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland’s 42-county service area are struggling with food insecurity, an increase of more than 35,000 people from last year.

“In Hardin County alone, we have over 15,000 individuals, including children, that are food insecure,” said FAKH Marketing and Communications Manager Kaitlyn Jackson. “For the number of individuals, Hardin County ranks among the top five in the state of Kentucky for food insecure individuals, both as overall numbers but also for kids specifically.”

The USDA defines food insecurity as “the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.” Food insecurity is a struggle that is not always visible, and Jackson says 30 percent of food insecure individuals in Hardin County make more money than is permitted for SNAP or other government assistance.

“They’re working,” Jackson said. “They’re trying to better their families, and yet there is a problem putting food on the table, whether that’s having to choose to pay for utilities, having to choose to pay for transportation, the roof over your head, all of these other issues that then leave food the last thing you put your paycheck towards. It is an ongoing issue.”

The impact of food insecurity goes beyond hunger.

“It is a barrier to living an active and healthy life for so many people, and it can be related to a lot of critical public health issues such as depression, high blood pressure, and cardiac issues,” Jackson said. “As individuals, especially children, grow up in food insecure environments, they can deal with a lot of consequences from those environments as they get older.”

Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland and their partner organizations continue to focus on addressing issues with food insecurity despite reduced funding and resources. Visit their website to learn more about volunteer and donation opportunities, and visit Feeding America’s website for more information on the Map the Meal Gap study.

A hearing in Nelson Circuit Court Thursday that was supposed to involve Crystal Rogers investigation suspect Steven Lawson giving an answer on whether or not he was waving evidentiary protection ended with Lawson dismissing his attorney.

Judge Charles Simms III called the hearing to order and was calling on defense attorney Ted Lavit to discuss his motion filed Wednesday not to waive the protection, which would mean the prosecution could not use footage of Lawson’s interviews with police. Lawson then raised his hand and asked to speak to the judge, and after Simms cautioned that anything he said was being recorded into record Lawson said he did not believe Lavit was properly representing him and wanted a new attorney.

Special Prosecutor Teresa Young said she supported Lawson’s request because the prosecution had “serious concerns about whether Mr. Lawson has had conflict-free counsel in his representation.” Young said on August 4 Lawson said in a call from jail that he had fired Lavit because he said the attorney had a meeting with attorneys for Brooks Houck “behind his back,” so the prosecution was surprised Lavit made another motion in the case when they were expecting him to withdraw. Young also said the prosecution has noticed peculiarities dating back to March in the similarities of Lawson and Houck’s filings with the court including quotes, misquotes, and paraphrasing. Young said “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I know that it’s something that I think the court needs to inquire about. It’s disturbing.”

Lavit said he was never personally told that he had been dismissed, and said “I have done my best at this point in time without any conflict whatsoever concerning my client, and I believe Mr. Lawson has been aware of what I’ve been doing on his behalf since he engaged.”

Lawson said he could not afford an attorney at this time, and Simms ordered for a public defender to be appointed within the next two weeks. Lavit said he would turn over his file to the new attorney.