It's at five here at News Radio eight forty whas it is Kentucky Anda's morning news, and as John Shannon said, my name is Nick Coffee. First day on the job, not in radio, that would be wild right. Yeah, you're hired. You've never done this before, Go ahead and take the seat that only four have had in what one hundred plus years, seemingly. So I'm grateful to be here. Three hours have gone by, what my really really fast, and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully you guys have as well.
I'm well aware that Tony Cruz was somebody that you you get. I mean, I can't speak highly about Tony more than I already have, but like he became a part of your day, felt like he was your He was somebody that was included in your morning routine for many, many years. So it is sad that he's retired. But I'm gonna be myself and not be Tony, because we would all be Tony Cruz if we could, but we can. It's it's not realistic. So I'm gonna try my best to give you guys what you can, what you have
continued to get for decades generations. That's news traffic weather, conversations with people that you've heard, influential people of course, that you know have an impact on our community. Those kind of things are still going to be here, and I'm going to put my own flavor on it and have some fun. But as I've mentioned throughout the morning, and I've certainly said this more so when we start each hour, that I just I'm so happy that this has worked out and that I'm joining such a great team.
And I think you always have in radio if it's something that you're interested in, even maybe not even working in it, like like we do. I mean, you know what eight forty whas is, because how could you not. It's been around for so long. There's such great history and in working even in this market for our heart media. I was well aware of what eight forty Whas is, but now that this has come together in the last few weeks, it really has set in just kind of
what this opportunity is. So I'm appreciative of it. I'm going to make the most of it. I know there's many that are still here and many that have worked here long before I was around. Maybe they've retired, maybe they've moved on doing something else, whatever it may be a lot of people I've worked with that no longer are here, but everybody that has been a part of making this what it is, I'm going to try my best to not screw that up, and I mean that sincerely.
Because there's a brand, there's a standard with news Radio eight forty whas that's just different than anything, and to be able to be a part of it is something I'm really appreciative of. And I'm joining a great team as it is here in the morning with Scott Fitzgerald, John Olden and John Shannon, and of course are our lineup people that you know, you're well aware of. You may be listening, who the hell's this guy? Well, I'm sure you know who Tony Bennetti is, and you know
who Dwight Whitten, you know who that is. You know Terry Miners is. So I'm really happy to be here and just can't can't thank everybody enough who's reached out to share that they're happy for me. And even if you're somebody that's like, yeah, I don't know, man, and nobody's been mean or anything, but I just want to let people know I'm aware that this is going to be a different thing than what we've had here in
the mornings for more than twenty years. And that may take a little bit of a little bit of time for people to get to get used to it. I said this earlier, and it's just a poor attempted humor on my part. But give it a chance. If you don't like it, come back tomorrow. We'll try again. And if you give it a few weeks and you still don't like it, it's probably a you thing, right, I mean, is that the good way to look at it?
That is?
I mean, you nailed it, Nick.
I mean, you look at a city and a community that has enjoyed I think the boss through the statatus three morning show hosts in the last fifty five years. That's a pretty outstanding number. And you look at that and look at the shoes that you've stepped into. It's just fine, man. I mean, you're no stranger of this business. You know what you're doing, and you're right.
I think it's.
Important in life that we all run our own race. You know, like you said, if we were all the same, where would the growth be in life? And you know, people and events happen in our lives for a reason and bring us together with people we never saw coming. This doesn't just apply to hear, but it applies to life in general. There's people going to work today, They're going to meet new people at work this week, the next two weeks, next month that will have an impact
on their lives. And just like Nick, it brought you, John and I together through a worse of series events. You at seven ninety John working his way in me doing my thing. It happens, and Vinetti will tell you he and Dwight didn't exactly know each other when they got together, but courses throughout life brought them together and now they're enjoying success in the mid days here as Terry,
I'll tell you the same thing happened with him. And as we learned last week that all the people who came in to say goodbye to Tony all had a connectivity with him in one way or another. So this happens in life in general. And what you bring to the table is great. We love I mean it's We've heard from folks that Kentucky Truck Pett loves you. This morning they're out listening to you. We've heard from folks that love what you do.
And you, guys will you guys will learn. I'm I'm not against compliments. I mean, I know I'm not. I'm not an anti compliment guy.
So as long as you released the video again your vibe check. You did it Louder than Life this year.
I was worried about love it. I was kind of worried that if they saw, but then maybe they wouldn't have put me in this position. I mean, it was fun, but you know it was it was something.
Did you ever get scared doing that?
No, John can tell you. We were only there like twenty minutes and it was early in the days too. Yeah. So for those who don't know, I used to do a social media video series called Bob Check, where I would go to mostly sporting events, but then we started doing some other other you know, at the State Fair and at the Louder than Life music festival, and the one that got the most attention just because of what it was was the Louder than Life and the doors
had just opened. It was the first day of the event. It really wasn't that crowded compared to what it became later on that day and of course the next two days to come. But it was also there were people you know, dressed up in cosplay. I mean, there was a lot to see there and if you haven't checked it out, I'll retweet it if you want to follow me on x at the card Connect. But I mean
it was the easiest day of getting content. It took the least amount of time because everybody was just like you know, when you dress up and cosplay to come to an event, you might expect somebody to say, hey, can you talk to me about I mean, it's almost like you you're wanting to kind of, you know, express yourself in a way. But yes, it's good. The vib check was a lot of fun. But yeah, it was. It was something. It's good. Thank you, Thank you for
the convert Scot. I really to appreciate it. All Right, We've got news and traffic coming your way, and stick around right here. It's eight eleven right here on a Monday morning on News Radio eight forty whas. It is eight sixteen here at Kentucky and it's morning News News Radio eight forty whas Nick Coffee with you. In a couple of stories that you've heard this morning from John Shannon.
One is the recent ban of selling THHC beverages and I was aware that these were a thing, but I hadn't thought much about those being ordered at restaurants and bars.
But again, it doesn't necessarily surprise me, but the decision to no longer allow those to be sold has been one that obviously those who are in that industry are not real happy with, and I understand that certainly, But what I you know, when you think of a product that you're it's still it's new, right, It's not something that you typically would think about, Hey, I'm going to go to the bar and instead of ordering a pitcher of beer for me and the fellas or maybe you know,
around a round of cocktails, I'm gonna get a a THHC beverage. I mean, it's just new, so so out
of sight, kind of out of mind thing. But I will say the music festivals, like, I can see those being really popular there and apparently that there's folks that that really they enjoy those kind of drinks where they can purchase them at a place, But it's not when they go and sit down at dinner, right, It's not when they're you know, they're not replacing three beers with three THHC beverages, which again as I talked about earlier.
You really don't know how you would how you would would It's a different intoxican, right, like drinking a few beers and drinking if you drink those drinks, is if you're drinking a standard alcoholic beverage that you know your limit, you know what it does to you. I mean, it would be a little bit alarming. So I certainly see both sides of it. But this past weekend was essentially the last call for a lot of those places that
had probably seen a real surge. More than anything, just because it's new, people are giving it a shot, like, hey, these are let's see what let's let's see if we like these And it seems as if clearly they were. They were pretty pretty popular, I was gonna say.
And from my talking with folks in the bourbon industry, they had addressed concerns. They haven't publicly gone on the record, but I can tell you from those that I've talked to that they just simply wanted fair regulation when it came to the THHC industry and the taxation, et cetera.
So I wonder if this had something to do with it as well, because they clearly saw something with the THHC folks, You're not gonna worry about it unless you I want to say they I don't want to say they saw it as a threat, but they certainly had it on their radar and wanted the playing field levels at very least.
Oh, it's competitive, just like any industry that's very boot I mean, it's competitive as can be, so make it makes total sense. Another another story that's been discussed this morning is what took place in the Highlands on Bargtown Road over the weekend. I suppose this is now back to back weekends where you've had that type of situation, people in the street, jumping on cars, holding up traffic.
And the coverage has had comments from some folks that are in the community, whether they're just maybe they're they're councilmen, or maybe they're just neighbors that live there and are commenting on sort of what what has happened. And I don't want to act as if one of the people that lives near the area where this took place speaks
for anybody but themselves. But I don't know if people realize that in Louisville, bars stay open a lot later here than I want to say, a lot of places, but that would be me, I would be I don't know if that's the case. I just know that there's certain cities that are Nashville, for example, unless it's changed. I mean, Nashville nightlife is one of the most popular things in the world right now. I mean it's huge. Broadway is not now what it was even five six
years ago. And I remember when we would go to Nashville back when I was much younger, in my twenties, and we mentioned we were from Louisville, they would act as if they were envious that we had the ability to stay out really, really late. And I guess every situation is different. But if you have an extended hours life, you can stay open until four am and serve drinks, and you know, at other cities it's one o'clock or
two thirty. And I'm sure that does lead to needing to be more prepared for people being out that late. And if they're out that late, there's a good chance they've probably had a few drinks or maybe a lot more than that. So yeah, but the last two weeks, I know, not something that you typically see in the Highlands.
So yeah, i'd say, and that area seems to be prone. Whether we remember we had the shootings outside of Chaise there then of course you had Baxters.
It's that one stretch of Bardstown.
Road that seems to be prone to all the controversies. So hopefully they get that's squared away.
Yep, there's no doubt about it. All right, we've got another updated trafficking weather coming your way right here on news radio eight forty whas. It is eight thirty five here at Kentucky, and it's morning news news radio waight forty whas Nick coffee with you and look with the cat drug in it is mister Tony Venetti. I don't know.
Kiss goodbye for Tony Cruz is finally over the long kiss.
We love you.
Tony good Way put it. It was a long kiss goodbye.
I said this earlier. I don't know if you were listening. If he just peeked his head right there around the window and was right there as we speak, you wouldn't be shocked, right, No, I don't know.
I you know, County Calhoun left and when I talked to him, he was like, I don't I haven't turned the radio on.
I never thought about you again. No, you had to reintroduce yourself, didn't you Exactly, Yeah, it's Katie Calhoun. He meets a lot of people's so I don't want to be accused of being the guy that is trying to turn this into just a big sports choke. So don't consider this sports relative. But Scotty Scheffler, he's a very successful golfer, but he's also a family man. He's a father, and I feel like he never seemed more relatable than yesterday.
His job is different than most of ours, but his job is to play golf and he's very good at it. One yesterday made a lot of money. And as soon as he gets off work, there's his wife. As soon as he clocks out, she hands him the baby bingo who had a blowout. And if you don't know what a blowout is up the back, poopy diaper, up the back,
and he is onto the ones. He's celebrating like his third tournament win in the last couple of months, it seems, and and he's got you know, it made me feel like so even the successful golfers, even in that moment when they get done with work, it's time.
That's tell that's an appropriate conversation. Because Father's Day is coming up, and no matter what you're doing it, when it's baby duty, you get it. And duty is the perfect word for that one, because the baby had duty. And sometimes it's not solid.
I remember the first time. I remember the first times it happened to me. I was thinking, Okay, well, this is just another wet diaper, it's fine, and then I realized what a second, that's not That's not what I thought it was. And then yeah, and then the first one's a real well to get too graphic, but the first time you change a poopy diaper as a parent, I mean, it's an experience. But then you realize, okay, this,
this is this is now my responsibility. I helped bring this human into the world, and now you know it's part of it.
And sometimes you question, how can a fifteen or fifteen pounds baby produce so much? Yeah, I'm not producing that much healthy think somebody's like tricking you. There's no way this came from from an infant. With Scotty Scheffler, he is so likable and as mentioned, seemingly relatable. That has to people want to see this guy succeed. They like him, and he's got he's got a little bit of charmed to him to where you're like, well, who who wouldn't like this guy? Oh?
Yeah, those jerks at LMPD, so like, I think it's going to be a while before we can live that down right. They love Scotty and they're like, who would like him? And then they just don't think about us.
Yeah. No, Nationally reputation wise, the vision of LMPD is not very good. And that didn't add to it for sure. But I was going to ask you in the break about whether I should see because you come from the seven ninety and you would know this because you covered him. To me, an important story today is a lot of people were questioning whether Dan McDonald is worth the money he has been being paid and his batting coach getting
paid more than some SEC coaches. And I don't know what the total salary of the baseball team is, but I think it's well over two three million dollars.
It's been that way since time was so well. I don't mean the exact number, I just mean there's been an investment as far as Dan's salary. It's his pitching coach that has been here a long time pitching this was a weird year. They were one of the coldest teams in baseball going into the postseason, and just because of how spoiled we were early, the standard that was set, they had dropped quite a bit in recent years. For them to now be two wins away from getting back
to the College World Series, it's huge. Is big for da McDonald's redemption. Yes, and they needed it. Yes, you're talking about I mean really since COVID. I mean they went to the College Wood Series in nineteen and then after that they had one season that was solid, but
it ended in losing in the Super Regionals. So I mean it's unheard of to see I mean, to start to his career was phenomenal and you would know better than I. Oh, there were baseball coaches here before and there was some level of success, but him in his first year making the College World Series, and that was unbelievable.
Il because he had his best And again it is a redemption tour. And again, sorry the sports guy and me is going to point.
Towards it's a questions the question for the sports.
Guy, the sports guy that says, hey, is he worth the salary? I mean, that's where that's the take that's where you go to. And I've been asking that question and has he because you're gonna have great coaches, and by the way, not all good things happen to great people. Like he's a he's like, he's a phenomenal human being.
But we're talking baseball, So can he can he translate, you know, translate to the nil, which is what's probably hurt him the last three or four years because I don't know how much U of L is going to spend on baseball versus basketball and football, and we don't have that endless paycheck here would be, you know, with.
Dan McDonald and I'm not speaking for him at all, I'm just looking. He has turned down jobs in the SEC before, and that's a great, great job. I mean, most of those jobs are really good jobs. It's the SEC and baseball. And he's turned him down because clearly, I think he realizes I've already got a program. That's just I mean, they've been right there in the college world, serve as many times. If you can get there consistently,
you think, well, why would I need another job? But now money that places like Mississippi State and Ole miss that they have money that could help you with nil that may not be quite.
As packed and they talk about you.
Yeah, I just wondered again, it wouldn't shock me if if maybe one day he thought that he didn't get out when he could not because he hated it here, but because you know, he'd done a lot. But now he's here and this was neat. Did you mentioned redemption? That's what it is. And to know that they're two wins away from getting back to Omaha after a really rough finish to the season is it's good to see.
So tonight it'll be Miami and Southern Miss playing and the winner of that will move on if it's Miami, if Miami comes here. If that's the case that it's Southern Miss, then they'll be heading to Hattiesburg. Huh have you ever been there? Didn't think? So, what's there? I might have? I don't know.
The nineties were kind of a blurb.
You've probably been a lot of places you didn't remember, right, Oh, exactly, Yeah, I missed that. ERA missed out on that. I missed out on that version of Tony Venetti. We got another updated trafficking weather coming your way right here on news Radio eight forty US. It's a forty five this morning at Kentucky Anda's morning news news Radio eight forty whas got a few more minutes left with you before we hand it off to mister Tony Venetti and Dwight Whitten.
He's a mister too. I'll give him a proper greeting as well. But Tony, Dwight coming your way here shortly. And I think people here locally realize how big of a story the whole Crystal Rogers murder is disappearance slash murder, and it's been such a big story around here for such a long time that maybe it just has become something you're used to. But I don't know if people realize how big this thing has been followed nationally. Yeah, I mean, true crime is the most popular genre in
anything right now, podcast documentary coverage of it. And this man, this entire thing has so many layers to it, and I feel like it again. Maybe it's because it's not the actual boyfriend who has allegedly been, you know, been accused of having a huge role in the whole thing. But there was somebody that was found guilty on all charges in connection. That was Steve Lawson, and over weekend he was charged with it looks like, yeah, a conspiracy
to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence. Recommended sentencing is seventeen years for that type of offense. But this is going to I mean this, we will have eyeballs on this area Bargetown, Kentucky specifically. I know the trial here took place in Warren County, but this, I feel like down the line, this will go down as one of the most one of the coverage of one of the biggest crime murders whatever you want to call it
in Kentucky history. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but for ten years now this has been a national story.
Especially because there's no body, and there's been like, there's no dead body dies, right, She's obviously say obviously she's dead, right, I mean there's no body though, so that adds to the what happened to her? And when you add to the what happened to her, that's the whole sort of hook for people.
And it has been when everybody thinks they know what happened to her, but they But it's going to be tougher in Core because again, as you mentioned, there's no body, and and.
They and look and they should follow every lead and get to the bottom of it. But it has cost a lot of money also, from the local to the state to the federal level. There's been a lot of money spent here. I'm glad that we're getting some sort of somewhere and getting some convictions and getting this cleared
up of this poor girl. Again, nobody in this poor girl's family trying to get answers and they don't still have any, which is horrible to go to bed at night thinking, because a lot of times people with missing family members they just want to know what happened to them so they can just have some peace that they're not going to be walking up the driveway or whatever. But answers are good.
I can't relate it all, and I would never want to have to, but I would just the not knowing would be the worst part. But Steve Lawson is the one who was he police officer, no, he was making He made a phone call with Brooks Howk by phone the night after she disappeared, and he was indicted on those charges of criminal conspiracies, commit murder and tampering physical evidence. And again he was just found he was found guilty
of that. But I mean, if you if you really look mean, I think that this story is there's so many more people that will end up being charged and go through their trial, and I just think the coverage is going to be even bigger when it comes down to others because this person, I mean, that's just the name you throw out there. A lot of people probably don't even know who it is, meaning Steve loss In, the person that just got just got just put it,
just was charged and it's going to be sentenced. But man, I mean, Bargtown's such a nice small town and always been viewed as like one of the best beautiful and one of the best small towns in America. And now this along with the officer who was the officer who was killed.
I mean, Jonny fer News have something what you got?
Yeah? The the Crystal Rogers thing is is part of a whole group of mysterious deaths.
Older podcast one of the Wave three. They did like a whole podcast series and they and I mean that thing had a ton of listen.
There are three different networks as far as television that have done different either an episode or they've done in their own little mini series on this, and I mean Oxygen did something, uh, I think it's the investing Discovery channel has done something. I mean, this is again true crime is such a monster when it comes to just reach an interest in this case has so many layers.
So they got ambushed. Jason Ellen's not a lleged ambush. It wasn't ambus.
He was ambushed on his way home from his shift as he got off on an exit. Somebody had put some branches across the road. He got out to move them, got out of his cruiser to move them, and was shot from a perch above with a shotgun. In fact, the Bargetown exit. What that happened is marked. Now then you've got the oldest trick in the book.
Is that not like you? Right?
Well?
I mean the.
Officer you were talking about that's gotten in trouble with all this too, is Brooks how Christal Rodgbrook's boyfriend, his brother.
Nick, who he's the longer law enforcement right, No.
He's not, in fact, friend of the show and longtime listener to all to you guys sitting in here. Rick McCubbin, the former chief of PLASE, fired him because he was interfering in the interrogation with his brother.
I watched the Oxygen coverage of it, and they show the conversations that they were having with House's brother and it I mean.
Their their their grandmother, Their grandmother is involved too, and their mother. Their mother was busted during grand jury hearings before it is recording.
This is just a boyfriend alleged boyfriend thing. I mean, yeah, that's it.
Really, she was going to leave him and take their son. They have a son together that Sherry Ballard's tried her Crystal's mother has tried to get forever custody and visitation of She was going to leave him, and it happened over Fourth of July weekend. They'd gotten an argument and then she just disappeared off the face of the earth and they found her car on the Bluegrass Parkway.
Well, the wildest component that I don't think gets mentioned a whole lot, at least I haven't heard, is that her father, Christa Roger's father, Tommy Ballard, was out shooting a fifty four years old This was many years ago. This is back in twenty sixteen. He'd been hunting on his own property with his twelve year old grandson, and I mean he was he was shot and killed almost seemingly by a sniper. Yeah, and there's no shit. This is hard for people to assume that that's not related
as he was really at that point. That could be wrong. He was the person who was the movie. I'm surprised they haven't made one already.
He was the driving force behind looking for Her and what. I don't know if you heard about it or not, but Nick Hawk is in trouble because he got busted selling the rifle that they have traced back till that shooting to an undercover FBI agent.
I'm telling you, there's layers to this that I can see why when it comes to people who love true crime, they can't get enough of this thing.
Oh I bet no, it's crazy.
No, all sure, thank you fellas. We've got the first day, but thank you. I appreciate it.
I listened all morning, every minute.
Do you think I'm gonna be able to come back tomorrow? I think so. Tony and Dwight coming up next right here on news Rady to eight forty w h A s