Is it my Generation or is Something in the Water in Middle America?
Or both.
While researching the current piece I’m writing, I took a stroll down memory lane to see how people from my hometown are doing, I came running back screaming! I went to the waters edge, dipped my toes in, and the acid completely melted my skin! DO NOT SWIM! IT’S NOT SAFE! The kids are not alright! I did some searching through the local Larue County Herald News website, btw their wbsite sucks! I see a familiar name, I click. Let me just say, we were wild, we were silly, but we were happy, this kid, who is now an adult, I remember him being, one of the most sane of my friend group, read this:
Joshua Wolford was previously arrested on June 29, 2019, and charged with one count of Violating Graves (a Class D felony punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison) after digging his late wife’s ashes up from what was intended to be her final resting place at Victory Baptist Church Cemetery.
At the time of his arrest in 2019, Wolford had been living out of his car. The urn containing the ashes was found inside a bag in the back of Wolford’s vehicle. According to the police citation, Wolford admitted to taking the urn.
The LaRue County Grand Jury indicted Joshua Wolford, 36 of Buffalo, with murder-domestic violence, arson (first degree), fetal homicide (first degree), abuse of corpse and tampering with physical evidence on Monday, December 19.
According to the grand jury, on or about June 12, 2019, Wolford killed his wife, Chasidy Wolford, thereby also killing her unborn child. He then started a fire with the “intent to destroy or damage the residence of Chasidy Wolford,” located at 618 South Otter Creek Rd., Buffalo, in an effort to prevent the evidence and manner of her death from being discovered and used. By doing so, Wolford intentionally treated the corpse “in a manner that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities by burning the deceased body of Chasidy Wolford in the residence.”
Sometimes I’ll talk to old friends and they’ll ask, “What are you doing up there in Louisville? Why don’t you come back home?” I always say, and do what? Sleep on your couch? There’s NO WORK in these small towns. Everyone is on drugs. Trying to figure out how to survive, which ends up being, this illegal thing or that illegal thing. Middle America is hurting, you think the cities are bad? The small towns of the side counties are fucked up. They are being eaten alive by overpriced poison, i.e. fentanyl, meth, etc. Shits gone crazy, and it’s not looking to get better. You might think, well everyone has that one in their friend group growing up, that takes a turn. Well….
How about this one, not quite as morbid but, fucked up, nevertheless,
A former LaRue County man was charged Monday in Bullitt County with taking money intended for a sick child.
Kyle T. Nunn, 30, of Louisville, is accused of pocketing $9,000 from a restaurant and a foundation set up to assist with Addilyn Roberts’ medical bills. The formal charge is theft by deception.
According to an arrest warrant, Nunn contacted the manager of Baxter’s 942 Bar & Grill, requesting $6,000 to organize a concert with country singer Jason Aldean. The proceeds would go toward the 3-year-old’s medical care.
Later, Nunn allegedly called the toddler’s parents and managed to obtain an additional $3,000 for the concert. They wrote the check out to “Davis Cooper,” who was allegedly affiliated with Aldean.
A preliminary hearing was held Nov. 12 in LaRue District Court for Jason R. Davis, 37, who, according to police, failed to obtain medical help for a woman, who later died. He allegedly drove around for several hours with her body in the passenger seat.
KSP Detective Anthony Hardin said he was dispatched about 1:37 p.m. Nov. 1 from Post 4 in Elizabethtown to Lebanon Junction.
Terry Phillips, a Lebanon Junction officer, had made a traffic stop and the driver, identified as Davis, told him about the body.
Detective Hardin said Shalayna Skaggs, 32, of Buffalo, was in the passenger seat, facing the driver’s seat, covered with a tan fleece blanket and articles of clothing. Skaggs, who Davis said was his friend, was pronounced dead by the Bullitt County coroner. Her vehicle was taken to Post 4 as part of the investigation.
Here was one of my closest friends growing up
An Elizabethtown man who led multiple police agencies on a lengthy chase in February that ended in a field in Sonora was indicted Thursday by a Hardin County grand jury on four felony charges.
Joshua Logsdon, 34, remains hospitalized at a Louisville hospital. He was shot multiple times after eight police officers fired at him about 30 minutes after a high-speed pursuit began Feb. 26, according to investigators.
This is the first time Logsdon has been publicly identified as the person leading the pursuit and being shot. Commonwealth’s Attorney Shane Young, who is prosecuting the case, confirmed the identity.
Logsdon was indicted on criminal attempt to commit murder against Elizabethtown Police Department Sgt. Pete Chytla, a Class B felony punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison, if convicted. Chytla was one of the law-enforcement officers identified among the shooters by Kentucky State Police.
Logsdon also was indicted on charges of first-degree robbery, a Class B felony; possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, a Class C felony punishable by five to 10 years in prison, if convicted, and first-degree fleeing or evading police in a motor vehicle, a Class D felony punishable by one to five years in prison, if convicted.
He was shot, according to a KSP news release, after displaying a firearm at which time state police troopers, EPD officers and a Hardin County deputy sheriff fired their weapons.
The chase began around 5:45 p.m. Feb. 26 after Logsdon reportedly fled a vehicle on foot during a traffic stop by EPD as the Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force and police conducted a investigation near a shopping center off Sycamore Street, according to a KSP Post 4 news release.
A second person, Alison Campbell, 39, of Elizabethtown, is listed as a co-defendant in the case and was indicted on charges of first-degree trafficking in methamphetamine; tampering with physical evidence and possession of drug paraphernalia
An anonymous tip about an active meth lab led officers to an Oak Hill Road residence, according to Constable Tim Ford. He and the LaRue County Sheriff’s Department conducted a joint investigation.
Donald M. Goatley, 37; Angela Irene Montgomery, 35; and Joshua Jason Logsdon, 26, all of Sonora; and Naomi L. Latham, 29, of Elizabethtown, were each charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a meth precursor, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Logsdon was charged also with prescription not in proper container and possession of controlled substance, unspecified. He allegedly had an unlabeled bottle containing pills on his person, Ford said.
Goatley, the homeowner, gave officers permission to search the residence, according to Ford.
Ford said a duffle bag containing “all ingredients to make meth was found in plain view” in the bathroom of the mobile home.
A Hodgenville man was charged with first-degree assault and fleeing or evading police Sunday afternoon after he allegedly assaulted his wife.
According to court documents, a woman called 911 and claimed Joseph E. Hendricks, 28, had stabbed her with a pocketknife. The woman said he also hit her in the head with the “dull side” of the knife and she sustained scratches during the ordeal.
LaRue County Deputy Robby Brownfield responded to the scene and apprehended Hendricks who had ran from the home, according to documents.
The woman allegedly sustained a knife wound in the thigh.
Derek J. Meredith, 23, of Glendale, first-degree possession of controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence, possession of drug paraphernalia, public intoxication. On or about Feb. 5, Meredith possessed methamphetamine, concealed drugs and a syringe, possessed drug paraphernalia and was intoxicated in public. Bail was set at $5,000 cash, plus conditions.
A year-long investigation into the growing problem of methamphetamine has resulted in the Sept. 15 arrest of 10 people in Green County. Troopers from Post 15 along with units from the Greensburg and Campbellsville City Police and Green County Constable Brad Hall executed the indictment warrants – and more arrests may be pending.
All 10 were charged with engaging in organized crime – criminal syndicate.
Other charges are:
• Barry Dobson, 48, of Summersville, was charged with enhancement, manufacturing methamphetamine, first degree; enhancement, possession controlled substance (meth), enhancement, use or possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.
• Tina M. Allen, 28, of Summersville, was charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, first degree; possession of controlled substance, first degree; unlawful distribution of methamphetamine precursor; possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of marijuana.
• Terry S. Johnson, 18, and Sandra Miller Rowe, 37, both of Magnolia; Derek J. Meredith, 20, of Hodgenville; and Billy G. Wallace, 41, of Greensburg, were each charged with unlawful distribution of methamphetamine precursor.
• Christopher T. Gray, 33, of Summersville, was charged with enhancement, manufacturing methamphetamine, first; enhancement, possession of controlled substance, first degree; and enhancement, use or possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Susan W. Rhodes, 44, of Magnolia, was charged with unlawful distribution of a methamphetamine precursor; possession of marijuana; and two counts of persistent felony offender.
• Jack Nunn Jr., 44, of Magnolia, and Timothy J. McCorkle, 50, of Canmer, were each charged with unlawful distribution of a methamphetamine precursor, first degree; and two counts of persistent felony offender.
All but Gray were lodged in the Taylor County Jail.
Gray has been lodged in the LaRue County Detention Center since July when he was charged with possession of controlled substance (meth) and use or possession of drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop.
When Constable Tim Ford made the arrest, he discovered a Green County warrant on Gray for theft of services and served that as well.
There’s so much talk of how bad our cities are doing, but our towns aren’t doing better. It’s just less concentrated. This was one friend group, by the way, a lot of them are dead, I mean a lot: Kentucky:
In 2023, there were 1,984 overdose deaths. This was a decrease of 9.8% from 2022.
In 2022, there were 2,200 overdose deaths. This was a decrease of 2.5% from 2021 and was the first year Kentucky saw a decrease in overdose deaths since 2018.
In 2021, there were 2,257 overdose deaths. This was a 14.5% increase from 2020 and was the highest number of overdose deaths ever reported in Kentucky.
In 2020, there were 1,964 overdose deaths. This was a 49% increase from 2019.
There’s a downward trend, true. It’s because it already killed them. We used to not have any friends who had overdosed, it wasn’t a real worry, now everyone who used back then have stopped or they’re already dead. The only ones left are those who are very lucky and it’s coming for them too.
Everywhere, in America, the kids aren’t alright.
Jordan Lee, Editor-in-Chief, Declaration of WarLiberty