Tag: kentucky

My coworkers asked about my Christian beliefs. Then I lost my job

I am a sophomore at Boyce College, a Christian university in Louisville, Kentucky. In November 2024, I took a job as a barista at Heine Brothers Coffee to support myself financially and help cover the financial strains that college can bring. It was a great job that fit well with my busy class schedule and assignments. Whether I was putting smiles on customers’ faces or having fun with coworkers, my shifts went by quickly, and I enjoyed the work. I would have never guessed how it would end.

My Christian faith is a core part of who I am. My faith in Christ defines who I am and how I view the world. I am a sinner saved by grace and God has changed my heart. Ever since Christ saved me, I now seek to love others as Christ first loved us. That is my joy in life.

During a shift last October, two coworkers discovered I attend a Christian college and immediately sparked a conversation about my religious beliefs on marriage, sexuality and other sensitive topics. I’ve always been open to answering questions about my faith, so when given this opportunity to share my Christian views, I responded truthfully, respectfully, and only when invited to share.

I believe that everyone is on their own faith journey and I respect people’s right to reach their own conclusions and have their own beliefs. I am always willing to listen to what others believe and share my faith while respecting others’ decisions. I’m always intrigued to learn more about others and get to know people on a deeper level.

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Kentucky Legislature Forces Through Bill Giving Pesticide Makers Immunity After Governor’s Veto

Kentucky lawmakers have approved a bill that grants pesticide manufacturers immunity, overriding a veto from Gov. Andy Beshear.

The Kentucky Senate, in a 24–12 vote on March 31, overrode Beshear’s veto on Senate Bill 199, following an earlier House of Representatives override. All override votes came from Republicans.

The bill says that pesticides approved by federal officials and displaying approved labeling from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) containing health assessments “shall be deemed a sufficient warning label” under state law.

Plaintiffs across the country have been suing Monsanto, which makes the pesticide glyphosate, for failing to warn of cancer risks. Juries have ruled for the plaintiffs in some of the cases.

With backing from the Trump administration, Bayer—Monsanto’s parent company—has asked the Supreme Court to rule that labeling with federally approved language is sufficient.

The Kentucky Medical Freedom Coalition, some other organizations, and certain state lawmakers opposed Senate Bill 199 because of the protection it would grant.

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Louisville pays $800,000 to Christian wedding photographer who challenged pro-LGBT law

The city of Louisville, Kentucky has agreed to a settlement with a Christian wedding photographer who challenged an ordinance forcing her to work at homosexual “wedding” ceremonies, under which the city must pay $800,000 in attorneys’ fees.

Chelsey Nelson, who owns a photography studio in Louisville, sued the city in 2019 over its “Fairness Ordinance,” which stated that businesses cannot deny a customer “full and equal” enjoyment of goods, services, privileges, advantages, or public accommodations on the basis of various attributes, including sexual orientation. It also forbade businesses from publishing communications suggesting such “discrimination.”

According to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which represented her, this meant that Nelson not only had to photograph homosexual “weddings,” but that she could not publicly explain why she wanted to only photograph monogamous male-female unions. The ordinance had not yet been enforced against Nelson, but she filed the preemptive suit to protect herself against future encroachments.

Last October, Western District of Kentucky Judge Benjamin Beaton affirmed past rulings that found the city could not force Nelson to violate her religious beliefs, supported by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in a separate case that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protected a Christian web designer’s right not to produce websites for homosexual “weddings.”

On Tuesday, ADF announced Louisville’s agreement to pay the attorneys’ fees, in a settlement notice that confirmed the injunction against the ordinance will remain in effect. 

“The government cannot force Americans to say things they don’t believe,” ADF Senior Counsel Bryan Neihart said. “For almost six years, Louisville officials tried to do just that by threatening to force Chelsey to promote views about marriage that violated her religious beliefs. Louisville’s threats contradicted bedrock First Amendment principles which leave decisions about what to say with the people, not the government. This settlement should teach Louisville that violating the U.S. Constitution can be expensive.”

“Because marriage is so important to me, I’m careful to photograph and blog about each of these solemn ceremonies in a way that reflects my views of marriage,” Nelson has previously explained. She added that her business is willing to serve anyone but cannot serve every wedding and also refuses heterosexual weddings with trivial themes, such as Halloween or zombies.

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Four Military Drones Stolen from Fort Campbell in Kentucky

Four military drones were stolen from Fort Campbell in Kentucky.

In a post on the U.S. Army Fort Campbell Facebook Page, a spokesperson wrote that four Skydio X10D Drone Systems were stolen from the 326th Division Engineer Battalion building.

The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is offering a reward for information that leads to the conviction of those behind the theft.

The drones were originally stolen in November of last year, but Fort Campbell released information and surveillance photos to the public on March 11.

Per WKNY:

The U.S. Army Fort Campbell is reporting the theft of four drone systems, and it needs your help to locate the suspects.

According to a social media post by the U.S. Army Fort Campbell, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is offering $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft.

Fort Campbell states the theft involved four Skydio X10D drone systems.

The drone systems were last seen on November 21, 2025 at the 326th Division Engineer Battalion at Building 6955 on A Shau Valley Road in Fort Campbell, according to the post.

Between November 21-24, 2025, Fort Campbell states unknown individuals unlawfully accessed the building and took the drones.

The Skydio X10D is an unmanned aerial drone designed with a modular payload capability.

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Thomas Massie, Who Loves to Talk About His ‘Principles,’ Just Made Quite the Admission to Politico

Thomas Massie gave an interview to Politico yesterday, in which the publication said he goes “toe-to-toe” with high-ranking members of the Trump administration including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

There was one passage that stood out among many conservatives, one that dealt a major blow to the claims that Massie is operating on principles. Namely, Massie’s vote was contingent on whether or not Speaker Mike Johnson would publicly praise him for releasing the Epstein files.

“One day, they needed my vote, and I offered to give them my vote if he would issue a press release thanking me for my good work on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. That’s all I required to get my vote. And I think he probably went and gave somebody else a bill to pass instead of doing the public statement,” Massie told Politico.

Wow.

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Outrageous: Woke Judge Slashes Jury’s Recommended Sentence for Violent Sexual Predator by MORE THAN HALF Because of His Skin Color

A judge in Kentucky last week utilized woke “justice” in its most perverse form despite the horrific crime committed by the defendant.

As WHAS 11 reported on Friday, a Louisville jury on February 2 decided to recommend that 24-year-old Christopher Thompson be sentenced to 65 years in prison for several crimes, including robbery, kidnapping, sodomy, and sexual abuse.

The jury also convicted Thompson of additional charges due to his unhinged behavior in the courtroom.

Back in December 2025, the jury found Thompson guilty of a series of violent sexual assaults against innocent women while stealing their money.

Thompson was arrested back in January 2024 after DNA conclusively proved that he committed a horrific sexual crime and robbery against a female in July 2023.

Per WHAS 11, here is what this monster did to this poor woman:

LMPD said Thompson wore a ski mask and kidnapped a woman at gunpoint before forcing her to perform sexual acts in the parking lot of an elementary school.

He then drove the victim to an ATM and forced her to withdraw $220 before returning to the school to assault her again and fleeing on foot.

But Louisville judge Tracy Davis decided that such a sentence was too harsh on this demon and thought he should get a break.

She specifically referenced Thompson’s race while implying that people like him have been treated unjustly in America.

“If you were to come in here, and instead of being hurt and angry, which is what this court hears, right, as a 20-year-old African-American male that has, you know, experienced this in society,” Davis said. “And you would say, yes, this is the situation, this is who I am: I don’t want to be this person anymore. I don’t want to be in jail forever.”

“It is just a shame that you can’t look at all of these things and say, ‘As of today, February the second 2026, I want to be a different person. I want a better outcome. I want to be an asset to society,” she added.

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear Wants All ICE Agents Taken Out of Cities and ‘Fully Retrained’

Kentucky’s Democrat Governor Andy Beshear went on CNN this week and said that he wants ICE agents pulled out of cities and ‘fully retrained.’

According to the governor, ICE agents are ‘operating with aggressive tactics.’ Of course, he says nothing about the mobs of left wing radicals attacking these agents wherever they go.

Democrats only see one side of the equation. They have a total blind spot for the people who are assaulting ICE because those are their voters.

Breitbart News reported:

Beshear: ‘Every Single’ ICE Officer Should Be Taken Out of Cities, Re-Trained

On Monday’s “CNN News Central,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) stated that, when it comes to ICE, we should “demand that they pull these officers out of all of our cities and that they fully retrain every single one of them.”

Co-host Kate Bolduan asked, “Once he leaves there, what are you going to do if and when a massive ICE operation is launched in Kentucky?”

Beshear answered, “Well, the first thing we have to do is demand that they pull these officers out of all of our cities and that they fully retrain every single one of them. They are operating with aggressive tactics that are not appropriate for law enforcement. They are not following our Constitution and giving people their rights.

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Kentucky Launches Mobile ID App Amid Broader Push for Digital Identity and Age Verification Law

Kentucky has introduced a new Mobile ID app that allows residents to carry a state-issued digital ID on their smartphones.

The credential can currently be used at TSA checkpoints in select airports and is described as a voluntary digital version of a driver’s license or state ID for limited verification purposes.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, which is overseeing the rollout, says the program is part of the state’s adoption of mobile driver’s license technology.

The digital ID is stored securely on the user’s phone and relies on encrypted Bluetooth connections for verification, removing the need to hand over a physical card.

At this stage, the credential is accepted only for TSA identity checks. The state has not indicated when or if it will expand to other uses such as traffic stops, public service access, or age-restricted purchases.

Kentucky officials have also stated that the app is not meant to serve as a full digital wallet but as a narrowly defined identification tool.

Governor Andy Beshear described the Mobile ID as “a secure and convenient option” for residents who wish to use it.

Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray noted that the digital version “reduces exposure of personal information” compared with showing a physical license.

The state has published detailed guidance explaining how to enroll, verify, and use the credential during airport screenings.

Kentucky’s Mobile ID app is not an isolated gadget for airport lines. It fits into a broader state effort to rethink how identity and age are confirmed in both physical and online settings.

This comes at a time when Kentucky lawmakers are actively expanding legal frameworks around age verification and digital identity across multiple fronts.

The Mobile ID lets residents carry a secure digital version of their driver’s license or state ID on a smartphone, currently usable at TSA checkpoints in participating airports.

The app’s design stores credentials locally on the device and uses encrypted Bluetooth to transmit only the necessary details for a verification task.

At the same time that the state is embracing mobile identity technology, lawmakers have enacted age verification legislation that applies to online activity.

Under House Bill 278, websites hosting adult content must verify that users are at least 18 years old before allowing access, which in practice has led some major adult sites to block access for Kentucky users rather than collect ID data online.

This law took effect in mid-2024 and reflects a legislative move to enforce age checks on digital platforms.

Kentucky’s digital identity initiative and its age verification law point toward a future where proving age and identity electronically may become more common in many contexts.

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Court orders Kentucky to release records in driver’s license fraud investigation

A court ruled the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet violated the state’s open records laws by withholding documents tied to an investigation into immigrants illegally obtaining Kentucky driver’s licenses in Louisville, ordering more than 2,300 records released to WDRB.

The ruling marks a major development in WDRB’s ongoing investigation into claims that non-citizens were able to buy Kentucky driver’s licenses under the table, often without proper documentation, Homeland Security screening or required driving tests.

For former licensing clerk Melissa Moorman, the court order brings both validation and frustration.

“I would just like this to be resolved and over so this dark cloud can be removed from my head,” Moorman said.

Moorman said she reported what she believed was widespread fraud at the Nia Center driver’s license branch in west Louisville, only to lose her job after sounding the alarm. She worked as a clerk at the branch through Quantum Solutions, a staffing service contracted by the commonwealth to supplement personnel at regional offices.

She said she was training for a supervisor position, which would have made her a state employee.

“It really did destroy my life,” she said.

Moorman told investigators and WDRB fraudulent documents were accepted, required screenings — including the drivers’ tests — were bypassed, and customers paid about $200 in cash per license under the table.

“There were documents that were being provided that weren’t legit,” Moorman said. “There were employees that were using my login as part of this scam.”

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Confessed Child Killer, Freed for Good Behavior After Serving Half His Sentence, Arrested Again

An Indiana man released only 10 years into a 20-year-sentence after confessing to the fatal stabbing of a six-year-old Kentucky boy during a home invasion was released from prison in October only to be arrested weeks later for violating his parole.

More striking, convicted felon Ronald Exantus, 42, is due to be released again in 2026, this time with no parole restrictions, the New York Post reported.

Despite confessing to killing young Logan Tipton in his Versailles home, about 15 miles west of Lexington, Exantus was found not guilty by reason of insanity at trial, according to news reports.

Instead, the jury found him guilty of assaults against other family members during the break-in.

Exantus’s parole in October came after he accumulated credits that allowed him to reduce his prison time. With the heinous homicide of a child involved, the early release even got the attention of the White House.

“Something needs to be changed because it cannot be that easy,” Logan’s sister Kora Tipton told the Post. “You’ve committed a very heinous crime, and it’s just given to you.”

Logan’s family blasted the ordeal as they prepared to commemorate what would have been the slain boy’s 16th birthday over this weekend and expressed shock that his confessed killer might be returned to the streets next year.

“There’s no reason for any of us to have to walk down the street, and possibly see our son’s murderer,” father George Tipton told Lex 18 news.

After his release, Exantus moved to Marion County, Florida, but was arrested eight days later for failing to register as a convicted felon with the local sheriff’s office within 48 hours of arriving, according to the Post.

Exantus was able to reduce his sentence “five years … for following the rules, two years for exceptional meritorious service and 10 months for educational programs he completed,” according to the Post.

Ronnie Bowling, top prosecutor in Whitley and McCreary counties and president of the Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Association, told the Lexington news outlet inmates know how to work the prison good time system.

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