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KSP asks motorists to help keep truck drivers safe during Operation SafeDRIVE enforcement

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The Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division will be targeting unsafe driving behavior that can lead to crashes involving commercial vehicles and passenger cars as they participate in Operation SafeDRIVE this week.

The “DRIVE” in Operation SafeDRIVE stands for “Distracted Reckless Impaired Visibility Enforcement.” The KSP will be participating in the national law enforcement effort Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

KSP commercial vehicle inspectors will open scale facilities to ensure commercial drivers are following safety regulations such as hours of service compliance, medical certifications, and proper licensing and credentialing. Motorists can help truck drivers on the road by:

-Staying out of blind spots

-Passing safely by checking mirrors and using turn signals

-Paying attention to not cut off large vehicles

-Avoiding tailgating.

The KSP says statistics show that 62 percent of fatal large truck accidents involve two or more vehicles.

Operation SafeDRIVE is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Our Roads, Our Safety campaign. Visit the DOT on the web to learn more.

Two juveniles arrested, three juveniles on the run after E-Town vehicle break-ins

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Two juveniles are in custody after attempting to break into vehicles in Elizabethtown.

Hardin County Sheriff John Ward says deputies received a call at around 4:30 a.m. Saturday regarding a group of suspicious individuals attempting to break into parked cars in the Tunnel Hill Road area.

“When they arrived, they noticed two vehicles that matched the description, and when they made contact, the vehicles fled,” Ward said. “At the time they fled, they tried to run over a deputy. One of the vehicles wrecked just up the street. Ran into a ditch.”

After wrecking, two occupants, later identified as juveniles from Jefferson County, attempted to flee on foot but were apprehended by officers with the Elizabethtown Police Department who had also responded to the scene. Ward says the investigation shows the suspects were attempting to flee in stolen vehicles.

“They were all juveniles, apparently,” Ward said. “I know the two that were apprehended were juveniles. Both of them were armed. They were charged with multiple offenses, and both of them were lodged in a juvenile detention facility.”

Ward says the incident is a reminder for area residents to remain vigilant.

“We can’t stress enough: if your vehicle is in your driveway, it doesn’t matter what valuables you have inside of it, lock your car,” Ward said. “It’s important to keep your car locked, even if you’re only going to be there for a short time, lock your vehicle, and also, for sure, lock your home.”

Deputies believe three other juveniles fled the scene in a stolen white Dodge Ram. Anybody with possible information is asked to contact Deputies Daniel Shumate or Andy Short with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office at 270-765-5133.

E-Town bowling alley will live on as Taylor family closes out more than 6 decades of ownership

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David Taylor says he and his wife Tonya were not necessarily interested in running a bowling alley when they took over B & B Lanes three years ago.

“I had a desire to own it, but not to run it, but when my brother stepped down, it was time for me to step up, and it has been a chapter in my life that I couldn’t be more happier to have,” Taylor said.

That chapter concludes Monday as the Taylors transfer ownership of the bowling alley to L & S Entertainment LLC, which will continue the operation as Strike and Spare B & B Lanes.

Taylor said he is proud of his family’s contribution to the community for more than six decades, and while walking away is hard it is easier knowing a family-owned operation is here to carry on the legacy.

“It’s bittersweet, but at the same token, I’m getting ready to turn 65, and I feel that I found someone to take it over, to take it above and beyond what we could do for this community,” Taylor said. “I think they will give back and you’ll have a bowling alley here in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, for as long as the Taylors did for 60-plus years.”

L & S Entertainment will continue the new lanes project the Taylors got started for the bowling alley and have started other renovations, and Taylor said they were committed to retaining B & B employees that wished to stay on.

Taylor said keeping the local bowling alley alive means keeping the community better.

“Our kids need it, our adults need it, and we try to make it a great family fun center to give them something to do, and since COVID we all know that families have become more families today than they have been in years, and that’s the kind of places that you’ve got to have and you need for your community,” Taylor said.

Visit B & B Lanes on Facebook for more information.

Ribbon cuttings celebrate new life for Leitchfield Public Square

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Area business, government, and community members were in Leitchfield Friday to celebrate two efforts to help revive the downtown public square.

The Grayson County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for Elmore’s Big 7 Furniture, located at 32 Public Square in Leitchfield. Shortly after that, the crowd went across the square to the Alice Theatre for a ribbon cutting celebrating the re-opening of the theatre and the Alexander Hotel.

Robin Elmore said the road may not have been easy, but being part of the Leitchfield community is a rewarding experience.

“It’s been a blessing,” Elmore said. “It’s been tiresome, and it’s wonderful. I mean, we have had a year and a half of putting this back together and trying to restore it back to this original status, but also trying to bring it up to date and put a little modern flair to it, but it’s been awesome and the support of the community that we’ve had has been amazing.”

Robert McKinzie and his wife Mandi said their work on the theatre and hotel is an investment in the community’s future.

“What we hoped for was that whatever we did would inspire others to do something even more in the community to bring more life back into it, to allow great things to happen in Grayson County,” McKinzie said.

Grayson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director April Spalding said community partners like the Elmores and McKinzies are critical.

“They put a lot of time and effort and money into it, and they have made big decisions and big, big donations to our community just by rehabbing these buildings,” Spalding said.

Learn more about Elmore’s Big 7 Furniture, the Alice Theatre, and the Alexander Hotel by finding their pages on Facebook.

Special prosecutor responds to defense filings in Crystal Rogers investigation cases

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Special Prosecutor Shane Young responded to the recent filings made by the suspects charged in the Crystal Rogers investigation.

Attorneys for Brooks Houck filed an objection to the special prosecutor’s motion to try Houck, Steven Lawson, and Joseph Lawson in the same trial, with attorneys for the Lawsons joining the objection. Houck’s attorneys stated that Houck could not get a fair trial as trying the three together would take away his ability to cross-examine the Lawsons.

Special Prosecutor Shane Young said in response: “There is no undue prejudice as a result of defendants pointing fingers at each other, rather our courts have favored joinder in such instances.” Young also says it is important to try the three together in order for the jury to see the prosecution’s argument that the three worked together to cover-up the crimes committed.

Young also responded to the motion to dismiss charges against Steven Lawson due to his claim that he was offered immunity. Young says Lawson was charged because of inconsistencies with his story, and it is ultimately up to his defense to prove in court his immunity argument.

All three suspects are expected back in court for a pre-trial conference on June 13. Meanwhile, Nelson Circuit Court Judge Charles Simms III is reviewing a motion filed by the prosecutor and the defenses to move the trial out of Nelson County.