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Magnolia man arrested after sting operation

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A joint law enforcement effort led to a LaRue County man’s arrest Monday.

“On Monday evening, we were contacted by a group of private citizens from out of state who are part of an organization who creates fake social media accounts and portrays themselves as a juvenile to identify child predators,” said Elizabethtown Police Department Public Information Officer Chris Denham. “They had been conducting an independent investigation and had contact with 54-year-old Brian Warren of Magnolia. Warren agreed to meet with what he thought was a juvenile female at the Elizabethtown Nature Park. Once at the nature park, Warren was greeted by members of this organization and shortly thereafter our officers, instead of the juvenile female he desired.”

Denham says the investigation found that Warren had images of a “very young juvenile female” on his phone.

“He was arrested and charged with Distribution of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance by a Minor Under 12 Years of Age,” Denham said. “He was lodged in the Hardin County Detention Center.”

The investigation is ongoing.

Two in Meade County arrested after fleeing police; Oklahoma man killed in BGP accident

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Two wanted fugitives were arrested in Meade County Wednesday.

According to the Meade County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 10 a.m. on May 22 detectives attempted to stop the vehicle of Anthony Stout, who immediately fled from the detectives on Flaherty Road. Stout and his passenger Tabitha Scrogham both had outstanding arrest warrants out of Meade County Court.

The suspects drove to a mobile home park near Sandy Lane. After driving around the park several times as they attempted to evade detectives, the suspects traveled down Sandridge Road and parked behind a radio tower site where they attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended. A search of the vehicle revealed a 9 mm handgun along with “numerous suspected drugs and paraphernalia.”

Stout and Scrogham face multiple charges including first degree Fleeing and Evading Motor Vehicle, enhanced first degree Possession of a Controlled Substance, and three counts of first degree Wanton Endangerment, among other charges. Both were lodged in the Meade County Detention Center.

Meanwhile, the Kentucky State Police is investigating a motorcycle crash on the Bluegrass Parkway that resulted in the death of an Oklahoma man.

The KSP says shortly after 2 p.m. on May 21 Post Four troopers were advised of a single-vehicle collision near the 34 mile marker on the Bluegrass Parkway in Nelson County. The preliminary investigation indicates that 58-year-old Kevin Long of Norman, Oklahoma, was traveling east on the parkway when for unknown reasons he exited the shoulder of the roadway and was ejected.

Long was pronounced dead at the scene by the Nelson County Coroner’s Office. The crash investigation remains ongoing.

Drivers reminded to use seatbelts and car seats during Click It or Ticket enforcement

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Area law enforcement agencies are reminding area residents to buckle up this Memorial Day weekend.

Several area agencies are participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration‘s annual Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort, which runs now through June 4. The campaign aims to increase seatbelt use with traffic safety checkpoints and saturation patrols.

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety says of the 512 vehicle occupants that were killed in roadway deaths across the commonwealth last year, 268 were either not wearing a seatbelt or were not properly restrained in a car seat or a booster seat. Seven of the 512 killed were children aged nine or younger.

The NHTSA says that when worn correctly seatbelts reduce the risk of death for front seat vehicle passengers by 45 percent, and for pickup truck, SUV, and minivan occupants by 60 percent. Properly-secured child or booster seats reduce the risk of death for infants by 71 percent and for toddlers by 54 percent.

More information can be found at nhtsa.gov.

Registration open for ECTC STEM summer programs for high school students and graduates

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There’s still time to register for Elizabethtown Community and Technical College’s Upward Bound Math and Science Summer Bridge and Summer Academy programs.

“Our students are usually interested in STEM careers and college programs, and they come from five different regions,” said UBMS Director Rebecca Maddox. “So the five high schools are LaRue County High School, Nelson County High School, North Hardin High School, Thomas Nelson High School, and Washington County High School.”

The Summer Bridge program is for graduating seniors interested in earning a degree in a STEM field and allows students to take two free college courses as part of ECTC’s summer calendar June 3rd through July 28th.

The Summer Academy is a non-residential program that simulates a college experience for high school students to allow them to polish their skills in math, science, English, and Spanish from June 3rd through July 3rd.

Because the program is grant-funded, all participating students must meet federal guidelines.

“Our students have to be what we call first generation students, so they’re going to be students that will be the first ones in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree,” Maddox said. “They must meet federal low income guidelines and be a US citizen or permanent resident, and they need to attend those five different schools.”

Learn more or register for the programs by contacting the UBMS office at 270-706-8578 or by searching for the programs on the ECTC website.

Voter turnout down for 2024 primary election

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Voters across the commonwealth headed to the polls Tuesday for the 2024 Kentucky Primary Election.

Joe Biden won the Democratic presidential primary with 131,439 votes, getting 71 percent. Donald Trump won the Republican presidential primary with 214,932 votes, getting 85 percent.

In contested races in the area, Hank Linderman (12,508) beat William Compton (9,303) in the Kentucky House District 2 Democratic primary with 57 percent. Stephen Meredith (5,973) won the Kentucky State Senate 5th District Republican primary against Thomas Ballinger (2,344) with 72 percent. Josh Calloway (2,773) beat Julie Cantwell (738) in the State Representative 10th District Republican primary with 79 percent. Ryan Bivens (2,636) defeated Asa Waggoner (878) in the State Representative 24th District Republican primary with 75 percent. Thomas Huff (1,955) won the State Representative 49tyh District Republican primary against William Harned (647) with 75 percent. Amanda Troutman (2,998) won the Commonwealth’s Attorney 55th Judicial Circuit Republican primary in Bullitt County over Nathan Batey (1,379) with 68 percent.

The state voter turnout was reported at 12.7 percent, down significantly from the 31.1 percent turnout seen in the 2020 primary. Turnout percentages for the area were:

-Nelson County: 15.7 percent

-Breckinridge County: 15.4 percent

-Hart County: 13.8 percent

-Grayson County: 13.5 percent

-LaRue County: 13.2 percent

-Meade County: 11.3 percent

-Bullitt County: 9.9 percent

-Hardin County: 9 percent

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith said he would have liked to have seen a larger turnout, but he was pleased with operations.

“Everything ran smoothly,” Smith said. “Our poll workers, I’m extremely proud of them. They have been working since well before sunup. Our local board of elections has as well, and I can say everything went as smooth as you could expect for an election.”

Breckinridge County Clerk Jared Butler was also pleased with his team’s efforts after a relatively quiet day.

“It’s been a pretty slow day, which was expected, but it’s been a very good day,” Butler said. “We’ve had very few issues and it’s been smooth so far.”

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Monday, October 7. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Voter registration information is available at your county clerk’s office or by visiting govote.ky.gov.