WQXE NEWS

Kentuckians seeking to enter the workforce now have free access to an online learning program to help them prepare for jobs in several high-demand industries.

Governor Andy Beshear announced on Monday that a $5 million federal Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy, and Training grant will allow the state to offer free access to the Ready for Industry program.

According to the governor’s office, each Ready for Industry course is “15 to 20 hours of instruction designed to help jobseekers understand what it’s like to work in several high-demand industries like manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, transportation, distribution and logistics, and architecture and construction.” The program teaches participants on topics such as common terminology, career pathways, workplace expectations, and education.

Kentucky is the fifth state in the country that will provide free access to the program as the state aims to enhance its economic landscape by improving the skill sets of employees, job candidates, and students.

Organizations interested in becoming a Ready for Industry partner can visit readyforindustry.com/ky or visit their local Kentucky Career Center. Individuals interested in enrolling in a course can register through a partner organization or through their local Kentucky Career Center.

Attorneys for Brooks Houck maintain that trying him in a joint trial with Steven Lawson and Joseph Lawson would be in violation of Houck’s due process.

Special Prosecutor Shane Young’s motion to join the trials of the three suspects charged in the Crystal Rogers investigation was argued during a hearing in Nelson Circuit Court Monday morning.

Houck’s defense attorney Brian Butler said the argument of the defense is that Houck did not commit the crime he has been charged with and that Steven Lawson has lied in his interviews with police and his grand jury testimony, and trying the three together would remove Houck’s ability to cross-examine Lawson and refute his statements. Butler also said it wouldn’t be possible to redact Lawson’s testimony to remove Houck’s name without implicating Houck, and a jury would not be able to follow directions for one defendant and ignore them for another. Butler said because a joint trial would rob Houck of his due process any convictions would likely fail on appeal.

Special Prosecutor Teresa Young said federal and state courts have shown that they favor joint trials because all of the cases have the same information, and a joint trial promotes consistent testimony. Young also said the joint trial is needed to show the collaboration between the suspects.

Butler showed video of Lawson’s interviews with police to show what he called Lawson’s changing story and the efforts of law enforcement to guide Lawson to making a certain statement. Butler said the video shows Lawson’s testimony is unreliable, but if he is tried with Houck and chooses not to testify then Houck has no way of refuting the prosecution’s telling of events.

Young called Butler’s arguments “clear as mud”, and said the prosecution is not using Lawson’s grand jury testimony.

Judge Charles Simms III said having heard from Houck and Steven Lawson’s defenses on the motion to join and their objections, he still wanted to hear from Joseph Lawson’s defense on the matter. Joseph Lawson is due back in court on July 18, and Judge Simms said he would rule as quickly as possible after that.

The City of Elizabethtown is excited to host its July Lawn Party at the Lake Concert this Wednesday.

“It is held every second Wednesday at the bandstand at Freeman Lake Park off of the Blue Heron Road entrance,” said Elizabethtown Events Manager Beth Pyles. “We are offering multiple concerts with family friendly events throughout the summer.”

This month’s concert will feature Louisville-based Radiotronic, which according to the band’s Facebook page plays the hits of the 70s, 80s, and today. Their show Wednesday will feature the music of the Bee Gees.

Each Lawn Party event offers food vendors, and while outside alcohol is not permitted alcoholic beverages will be on sale.

“The concert series is totally free and family friendly,” Pyles said. “The gates will open at 5.30 p.m. and the acts will take the stage around 6.30, so it gives you a little bit of time to come in and get seated. It is festival style seating, so we ask that people bring lawn chairs, you can bring blankets. We will have picnic tables, but it’s very, very casual.”

Pyles said the first year for the concert series was a successful one, and in 2024 there’s nowhere to go but up.

“We had such a wonderful turnout last year after we got through the rain, but we’re very, very excited,” Pyles said. “The bandstand at Freeman Lake is such a beautiful fixture in our community. If you haven’t been out to see it, it is the perfect place to relax after a hard day, and we’re really excited.”

Follow the Elizabethtown City Events Facebook page for more information and updates.