WQXE NEWS

Nicholas Houck’s trial on a Class D Felony Perjury charge will now be heard in 2027.

Nelson Circuit Judge Charles Simms III granted the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office motion for a continuance during a hearing in Nelson Circuit Court Wednesday, moving the start of the trial to February 8, 2027. Simms noted that he checked with the court in Owen County to verify that the date is available. 

10th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth’s Attorney Kyle Williamson said he made the motion because it is important for the Commonwealth present their case chronologically, and former Commonwealth’s Attorney Terry Geoghegan needs to be the first called witness, but because of existing travel plans he would not be available until the last day of the previously scheduled dates. Houck’s defense attorney Michael Ferguson objected to the continuance, arguing that since most of the evidence the Commonwealth plans to submit is video recordings he didn’t understand why Geoghegan couldn’t record a deposition. 

Meanwhile, Simms gave the Commonwealth 20 days to respond to Ferguson’s motion to dismiss the indictment, in which Ferguson argued the Commonwealth has failed to establish that Houck made a material false statement in the grand jury testimonies cited by the Commonwealth, and that they failed to establish that Houck’s statement had an impact on the proceedings. Simms also gave the defense time to respond to the Commonwealth’s response. The court will hear arguments on the motion at a pre-trial conference set for October 22.

A Hardin County man and a LaRue County woman were included in six indictments secured by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office as part of a crackdown on Medicaid fraud.

The AG’s Office says on September 10 a Hardin County Grand Jury indicted Ricky Simpson of Elizabethtown and Shawna Smith of Hodgenville. Both were indicted on a count of Class C Felony Knowing Abuse or Neglect of an Adult and a count of Class D Felony Devising or Engaging in a Scheme to Defraud the Kentucky Medical Assistance Program of $1,000 or More.

According to the AG’s Office, the case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control. The indictments are part of the office’s participation in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which the AG’s Office says has secured 21 indictments on state and federal charges and uncovered nearly $11 million in health care fraud. 

You can file a Medicaid fraud or abuse complaint at ag.ky.gov/MedicaidFraud or by calling 1-877-228-7384.

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is celebrating growth in student success.

ECTC says students at the college posted a graduation rate of 61.4 percent for the 2025-2026 school year, the highest in school history and nearly double the rate from 10 years ago.

ECTC Chancellor Dr. Juston Pate said with the graduation well above the national average of 42.7 percent, it is something the whole community can take pride in.

“It really does speak to the quality of the college, to the quality of the community that supports that college, and to the workforce in general that supports our graduates and motivates them to get the degrees that lead to those jobs,” Pate said.

The graduation rate measures “the percentage of full-time college students who earn a credential within three years of first enrolling at the college.” ECTC says success has been seen in other metrics as well, including an 80.1 percent course success rate in the Fall 2025 semester, which is up nearly 14 points from Fall 2018.

Pate said the hard work of the faculty and staff is critical to the college moving forward.

“I think what makes me most proud is the work that our faculty and our staff have done for ten years to continually get better, and to continually put our students in a better position to achieve their goals,” Pate said.

Pate also credited community partners for their work in reducing barriers to success, such as Family Scholar House. Learn more about similar initiatives on the ECTC website.