Good morning, Kentucky, Anda, Welcome into the seven o'clock hour, and welcome to July. It is July first, and it's a wet start, so be safe out there. Many accidents throughout the morning. We'll give you the latest. In fact, I lied, we.
Won't one person.
Well, Bobby Ellis will have your update on traffic, and again you're going to need that update if you're commuting throughout the Louisville area because again many accidents that have led to lanes being blocked and some real delays.
So just be prepared, all right.
So obviously the Crystal Rogers murder case, the trial in its second week. Yesterday another day where I think, if you are the defense, not a good day for you, but maybe they disagree. So the latest here is that we I think have what is believed to be the first I mean, I feel like I've kept up with this as best I can, but I also don't want to talk out of turn, because you know, I'm sure there's plenty that I that I'm not up the date on as.
Far as just specific d details, but.
With this being a no body homicide, of there being no crime scene, and it's just all circumstantial evidence, that, of course, is something that the defense should never stop mentioning and emphasizing to the jury. But the hair that was found in a trunk of a vehicle that is similar in color and characteristics to christ Roger's hair through DNA, but the testing was not confirmed. So let me back up. It was similar in color and characteristics, but through DNA
they could not confirm it. So it's one of those things where I'd love to have a lawyer here to tell me if you can't. I mean, I guess you're allowed to bring up the fact that it was it was similar in color and characteristics, but you also then have to make sure that it's known that DNA could not confirm that it was her hair. So to me, that says that it's inconclusive as far as whose hair
it is. But that of all the all the information that that that it's been out there in the last six days, because yesterday was day six of the trial, I feel like that's the first thing we for the first piece of evidence that has been mentioned as far as actual physical evidence, and even that is pretty pretty pretty weak, right, I mean, it's not I mean, it's it's it's not her hair. It's just hair that is
similar in color and characteristics. So trust me, in no way am i trying to make it seem as if I'm defending those that are that are on trial here, because I am someone that just judging what we have learned from those that are in the courtroom covering this trial and sharing what is going on. If I was on the jury, I think I know what I would do as far as my decision, but I guess you
never really know until you're there. So more testimony from witnesses that again I think, put the defense here in an even worse spot. You've got another witness who testified. This is the former girlfriend of Nick how Brooks, Hawk's brother, who did claim that his absence was very unusual on July third, which of course is right around the time
that she disappeared. But the former girlfriend, Amber Bowman, testified that she couldn't reach Nick Hawk despite multiple phone calls, and he reappeared the next day with no explanation, and this aligne with the digital forensics evidence showing Nick's phone was off for nearly twenty four hours during the critical period of Rogers's disappearance, which of course has just been.
Very suspicious to say the least.
Also, a former employee of the Hawk family, Charlie Gerdley, who also had testified in Steve Lawson's trial, he provided some claims. He alleges that Hawk's mother, Rosemary, said that quote, it would be better off if Crystal were gone, suggesting a motive within the Hawk family that of course has been. That was last week where that became a real point of emphasis early on in the trial that the mother was of the belief again according to the prosecution, that
Krystal Rogers was beneath the Hawk family. So Curtly also further testified that Joseph Lawson claimed that he would bury Rogers car with a skid steer and nobody would ever find it. And then another witness, somebody who was raccoon hunting on the Hawk family property on July third, testified seeing a white car later identified as belonging to Anna Whiteside,
who was Hawk's grandmother. Investigators found a hair in the car in the trunk that again was similar in color and characteristics to Rogers hair, but DNA testing was not confirmed in court. Also, surveillance footage showed Nick Hawk and his grandmother and a white side selling the car in May of twenty sixteen, so this isn't a smoking gun. But again I think as this moves along, I would assume that the prosecution's feeling pretty good about their case.
But you really never know. But we'll have the latest because again it rolls along today and we'll see where it goes. All right, we've got trafficking weather coming your way. Also, there's another survey out that I want to take a look at because those of you that are in the position to purchase brand new vehicles, congratulations, you've probably got the means to do so, and again, good for you. But we now have an update on what those who
are purchasing new vehicles are complaining about the most. Some of it won't surprise you, but there's one specific complaint that did surprise me. We'll talk about that next right here our news radiway forty WHS. So we now know that the suspect Wes Rowley, that is the young man's name. He was a twenty year old. He has been identified as the individual who started the fire and then waited for firefighters to arrive in Idaho and ambush them. He's
twenty years old, as mentioned and he's seemingly transient. It sounds as if he's spent time living in California, Arizona, and Idaho, and he aspired to be a forest firefighter. And we don't know and probably will never know for sure a motive. But I wouldn't be shocked if him attempting to get into that business and not being hired for a job he applied for wouldn't be a shocker if that was a factor here. Yeah, he applied for a forestry service job but was not hired by the
local fire department. There, So just a tragic situation to get in. Two firefighters dead and one still fighting for his life.
All right.
So we've got another survey here that tells us those that are purchasing the newer vehicles what their biggest complaints are about these vehicles.
So this is JD.
Powers twenty twenty five initial quality survey from new car buyers. And one of the one of the big complaints is one that I did not I did not see as as I mean, it makes sense, but I wouldn't have thought of it. But touchscreen frustration took the top spot, and I'm not sure what the second one was, but the third biggest complaint from those that buy new vehicles is.
About cup holders.
So cup holder complaints have surged, and it is believed to be a surprising thing for industry executives in the automotive industry because that's not something they typically see people being dissatisfied. But it's now the third most reported problem industry wide, up from it wasn't even in the top ten last year. But buyers re frustrated the cup holders failed to accommodate the diverse shapes and sizes of modern
reusable containers such as Yetti and Stanley mugs. And of course these are larger than just cups, and some of them are. I mean, my wife, she's real big on getting a new, humongous cup every week and she'll tell me how you won't believe how cold the drink stays. And I mean the latest one she has not only does it not fit in the cup holder very well, it might need to be buckled up in a seatbelt.
I mean, it's it's clearly a big thing, meaning a booming industry where I'm sure a lot of money has been made because Yetti, I feel like was maybe that's just the bigger brand, but I remember when like Yetti.
What do you call them?
I feel like there's Ozark trail I remember was, yeah, brand, But what do you.
Mean are they called?
Like these are brands we're discussing, but like these are just really they're not glasses, but I mean they're high level cups that have I mean, they're bulky, like you drop one on your foot, you might break your toe. Like I mean, I'm blanking on just what these are referred to, because when I think of a Yetti or a Stanley or like you with a tumbler, Yeah, yeah,
that's it, thank you, thank you brain fart there. Yeah, so those types of cups, I don't remember those existing like they did like they do now even five six years ago. But you know, it's it's like become an accessory with a lot of people. And look, they're popular. I'm sure you you know you can. You can put a lot of whatever you're drinking in there and it keeps it cold. So I'm not being a hater, but like to me, it's just bold key and in the way.
Like again, I'm not surprised these things aren't fitting in cup holders. But maybe now the automotive industry will try to accommodate, but like they're all different. Not only are they big, but they're all different sizes too. So yeah, will they make adjustments here when they make vehicles moving forward?
I doubt it. But what do I know.
The bigger the cup holder, the worser fuel economy is what it's going to be.
I mean, because it hers doesn't fit well in her vehicle. If she hits a left turn with some speed, it's falling onto the into the in the passengers seat and it lands on the floorboard, and I mean sounds like she ran over a pothole or something. I mean, these things are bulky and in the way, but clearly they get the job done as far as keeping your drink cold. Anyways, if you're if you're listening this morning, honey, just just know it's not you that that that can't find a
cup that'll fit in your cup holder. Everybody else complaining about it too. All right, we've got trappick in weather coming your way. Also another update on sports right here
on news radio eight forty WHS. Thank you very much, John Shannon at seven thirty six here at Kentucky, and it's morning news on news radio eight forty whas so the the last meal that death row inmates receive has always been been been Well, I'm trying to think of the right way to word this because I don't want to get into, you know, people sharing their thoughts on the death penalty. I certainly have mine, but if you were, Let's let's let's put it this way. Let's not act
like we're about to be sentenced to death. John, Let's let's look at it this way. Let's just say, for the rest of your life, you know, you're gonna be eating some kind of like I guess, just prison food. Let's put it that way. Let's not think about death. Let's just think we only have prison food the rest of our lives because that was all that was available. But you get one meal to have before that just
be comes the new norm, nothing but prison food. Do you have to give it any thought or do you know right away?
Right away?
And this may be controversial for some people, at least it is amongst some of my friends. But I really love a good pizza, King Pizza from across the.
River, and the hell's controversial about that. Some people don't like it.
I don't know what I mean it is, but people say it's a nostalgic thing. That's why I like it.
But I love it. This is super popular, right, like thin crust, square pieces. It's very good.
Yeah, So look, you can't go wrong with pizza. You can't go I mean, I think, I mean, this is probably probably an overused saying, and I'm not going to challenge anybody to find me pizza that I wouldn't like. But it's hard to mess up pizza. It is, I mean, it's very difficult to mess up pezza.
But it's also hard to dethrone what everyone thinks is their favorite.
Of course.
Yeah, of course, everybody's got their own preference, their own I mean, if somebody's ordering pizza and it happens to not be the one that I would choose, or even in the top five of what I would choose as is what pizza I would go with, I'm not going to complain because I know I'm gonna still be satisfied because again, I love pizza and I haven't had many bad pieces of pizza in my life. But there is a list here from Delish.
They they have put.
Together a recent study that reveals what people would want as their last meal that they got to choose, and number one is steak. Number two is potatoes. We talk in baked potato, we talk in mashed potatoes.
Will find two steak and potatoes, meal.
Pasta and noodles, some type of pasta dishes number three, and then pizza is number four, and then vegetables come in at number five.
Vegeta mean vegetables.
I'm not the most healthy eater to where I'm eating all the different vegetables, but even as like a.
Kid, I was.
Rare as far as like I really enjoyed broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, corn, carrots. I mean, there's certain vegetables that I that I don't touch, but I like vegetables. But like, if I'm thinking, okay, one meal, I'm not thinking vegetable. I'm thinking, honestly, for me, it would be it would be some kind of pizza. And I got a few that really are up there as far as just my favorites. But if on the spot, I really don't know.
What I would choose.
You got to have a favorite.
Eh, Well, I'll tell y'all air my favorite. Okay, there's a reason why I'll tell y'allf air. But anyhow, this is a breakdown of those that were in fact facing the death penalty, and they got to they got to choose their their last meal, and frequent requests were fried chicken, steak, Hamburger's, cheeseburgers, and of course pizza. And there's there's certain states that have sea In Florida, meals must cost hundred forty dollars
or less and be purchased locally. In Oklahoma it's limited to twenty five dollars and it's often from local restaurants. But Texas they abolished custom last meals in twenty eleven after one of their inmates I guess.
Got of me and didn't eat it.
So now inmates there received the same meal as others in the prison unit as their last meal. And then in Louisiana, the warden traditionally joins the inmate, which I kind of remember hearing that as a thing. But isn't that wild?
It's very weird. I mean, is that still a thing?
I mean, maybe I'm reading research from long ago, but I feel like there's something kind of sick about that. I Mean, maybe I'm wrong, but you're a warden and you are in charge of a prison, and there are people that are there on death row. I'm sure you have some level of rapport with them for one reason or another, maybe because you are compassionate and you are human, or maybe because they give you problems and you have to deal with that as the warden.
But I it's.
Chilling to think about having a final meal with somebody before they they're dead because of the death penalty. But yeah, hopefully I never have to worry about.
A last meal.
And in fact, I don't think I could enjoy a last meal like it would be good, but like I would, I mean.
You're just thinking about what's coming afterwards.
I mean this is not a shock at all, but a lot of these inmates that have their last request. I don't have a breakdown as far as the percentage, but they end up not even having the appetite one because they probably haven't eaten like that in a long time because they've been in prison, or they can't eat because they know they're about to die. I didn't plan on it's the waste of a good meal. I didn't
plan on getting sick and twisted this morning. But I don't know, just the whole warden having a meal with the inmate before he's about to be sentenced to death or not sentence, but actually die is just a wild thing to think about. All right, we've got sports coming up here in about fifteen minutes, but first let's get to traffic and weather right here on news radio waight forty WHS seven forty seven here at Kentuckiana's Morning News with Nick Coffee on news Radio eight forty whas.
Take us with you wherever you go.
Listen live at WHS dot com or listen live on the iHeartRadio app. And remember we've got the talkback feature there. Just click that microphone button and you'll be prompted to share whatever it is you want with us. So we have had a real surge so far in the last couple of months. In fact, it's probably been something going on longer than just a couple of months, but the rise in recent weeks has been very noticeable. And that is violent crime that is involving children, juveniles, rather it
be those as victims or the perpetrator or both. And I think there are a lot of people who get up every day, go to work, try to make a living, take care of their family. They maybe have some effort into keeping up with what's going on in the community. But they're in their own world, just living their life. And I get it. A lot of people are like that.
But if news is just a background noise for you, understandably, So when you hear that a twelve year old girl turned herself in for being involved in one of the recent shootings that took place in Louisville, that is something that will get your attention, because again we're talking about a twelve year old. So you have a twelve year old and a thirteen year old that have been charged in one of the recent shootings here in Louisville that
left two teenage girls injured. And that's one of many situations like that, maybe not to the level of being that young, but the burglaries that took place that there were a string of them, and the suspects that were arrested were all teenagers fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen year olds. You also have a drive by shooting that took place just a little under two weeks ago in the Beutual neighborhood where a fifteen year old girl and a seventeen year old boy were injured, and the person arrested for
that was a seventeen year old male. So I mean, this is scary and one of the LMPD sergeants Joe Keeling, when talking about this recently, he mentioned of course the rise in juvenile crime and did mention that during summer, when school is out, it can climb, and also emphasizing that parents parenting is of course a big firector here, but not only that, even if you have even if you are doing the best you can as a parent, and it's hard sometimes, trust me, especially if you don't
have a good support system yourself, maybe you're doing it on your own. But supervision, I mean that is that is I mean, just assuming your kids are going to be on their best behavior when they're when they're out of school and to themselves. I mean one, maybe you're wrong. Maybe your kids aren't in a position to where they can they can fin for themselves, and they need somebody to supervise them because if not, they're going to get
themselves in trouble. So I don't I don't have the perfect answer as to how you how you fix this, and clearly if anybody did, we wouldn't be in this position.
But it is very.
Noticeable when you when you see any real violent crime that that becomes a common thing, and certainly here in Louisville we've had our share of it. But when it involves children as much as it has recently, I mean, I just think that's something that stands out. I mean, I don't I don't wish that we would ever see violent crime being part of our daily news cycle here in Kentuckyana, And and I mean I wish we weren't numb to it, but we are. It's not a surprise
when you when you in ingand we're not unique. If there's other cities I'm sure that are that it's similar. So I'm not trying to act as if this is the worst place ever and it only happens here.
It happens everywhere.
But I don't know, I'd like to believe that it's rare to see children be in being involved in it as much as we've seen around here lately. But again, the parents, that's what everybody asks, who's raising these kids, Who's responsible for them? And uh, clearly they don't have good role models in their life, some of them, I'm sure. And they don't have a good home to to to to go home to and to be taught right from wrong. But I feel like that's been a thing unfortunately for generations.
I mean, it's not new that you have parents, you have you have children who don't have good parents in their home and good role models. But what is different now compared to previous generations when you didn't have it at this level? Because again, the data will tell you that we have a we've we've seen a real spike in in violent crime involving children. All Right, we got an update of travel and weather coming your way. Also another update on sports right here on news Radiate forty WHS