Joseph Lawson appears well enough to attend sentencing next week Shay McAlister September 09, 2025 – 3 min read Share this post Bardstown Cases Brooks Houck moved from Oldham County to Eastern Kentucky jail Brooks Houck was moved from the Oldham County Detention Center to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, according to the Department of Corrections. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. Are you new here? By Shay McAlister • 4 min read Paid Subscriber Content Still waiting for answers: inside Till and Betty Ballard's long history of grief and determination Till and Betty Ballard have buried their son Tommy and their daughter Sherry, but their granddaughter Crystal still has no grave. They visit two cemeteries every Sunday and wait for answers. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism By Shay McAlister • 6 min read Bardstown Cases From silence to sentencing: Sherry Ballard's first interview since Crystal's case was solved In her first interview since 2023, Sherry Ballard opens up about the silence that scared her, the testimony that broke her, and the guilty verdicts that finally brought justice for Crystal. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism By Shay McAlister • 21 min read Photo by Ian Hutchinson / Unsplash National News Hitting Home The government shutdown is ending, but when will things be back to normal? The two biggest impacts in the wake of the shutdown were the lapse in SNAP benefits and massive delays and cancellations for air travel. Now the question is, how fast can they recover? "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to By Shay McAlister • 3 min read Photo by Rachel Reinhardt / Unsplash Covering Kentucky Big tech meets small town Kentucky; data centers want land while communities want answers From outright rejections to development moratoriums, rural communities are saying 'not so fast' to big tech's expansion plans. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. This story is a ' By Shay McAlister • 8 min read Covering Kentucky Judge rules to delay Amber Spradlin murder trial, allow more time for testing The December trial for Michael "M.K." McKinney III, accused of killing Amber Spradlin in 2023, won't be happening as scheduled. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. Are you By Shay McAlister • 3 min read Photo by sydney Rae / Unsplash National News Hitting Home More than just a day off: why we honor our veterans (and where they can find gratitude today) Every November 11, we pause. Schools close, banks shut their doors, and mail doesn't run. But Veterans Day is so much more than a day off work. It's a moment when our entire nation stops to say two simple but powerful words: "Thank you." By Shay McAlister • 4 min read Shay Originals Behind the scenes; a look at my time working with Dateline "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. This story is a 'Shay Original', which is available to paid subscribers only. You can become a member for $4.99/month and gain access By Shay McAlister • 8 min read Covering Kentucky Monday update: Clean up, search continues at site of UPS plane crash Mayor Craig Greenberg and other city leaders provided an update on the plane crash investigation on Monday afternoon. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. Are you new here? Sign up for the free By Shay McAlister • 2 min read
Bardstown Cases Brooks Houck moved from Oldham County to Eastern Kentucky jail Brooks Houck was moved from the Oldham County Detention Center to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, according to the Department of Corrections. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. Are you new here? By Shay McAlister • 4 min read
Paid Subscriber Content Still waiting for answers: inside Till and Betty Ballard's long history of grief and determination Till and Betty Ballard have buried their son Tommy and their daughter Sherry, but their granddaughter Crystal still has no grave. They visit two cemeteries every Sunday and wait for answers. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism By Shay McAlister • 6 min read
Bardstown Cases From silence to sentencing: Sherry Ballard's first interview since Crystal's case was solved In her first interview since 2023, Sherry Ballard opens up about the silence that scared her, the testimony that broke her, and the guilty verdicts that finally brought justice for Crystal. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism By Shay McAlister • 21 min read
Photo by Ian Hutchinson / Unsplash National News Hitting Home The government shutdown is ending, but when will things be back to normal? The two biggest impacts in the wake of the shutdown were the lapse in SNAP benefits and massive delays and cancellations for air travel. Now the question is, how fast can they recover? "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to By Shay McAlister • 3 min read
Photo by Rachel Reinhardt / Unsplash Covering Kentucky Big tech meets small town Kentucky; data centers want land while communities want answers From outright rejections to development moratoriums, rural communities are saying 'not so fast' to big tech's expansion plans. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. This story is a ' By Shay McAlister • 8 min read
Covering Kentucky Judge rules to delay Amber Spradlin murder trial, allow more time for testing The December trial for Michael "M.K." McKinney III, accused of killing Amber Spradlin in 2023, won't be happening as scheduled. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. Are you By Shay McAlister • 3 min read
Photo by sydney Rae / Unsplash National News Hitting Home More than just a day off: why we honor our veterans (and where they can find gratitude today) Every November 11, we pause. Schools close, banks shut their doors, and mail doesn't run. But Veterans Day is so much more than a day off work. It's a moment when our entire nation stops to say two simple but powerful words: "Thank you." By Shay McAlister • 4 min read
Shay Originals Behind the scenes; a look at my time working with Dateline "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. This story is a 'Shay Original', which is available to paid subscribers only. You can become a member for $4.99/month and gain access By Shay McAlister • 8 min read
Covering Kentucky Monday update: Clean up, search continues at site of UPS plane crash Mayor Craig Greenberg and other city leaders provided an update on the plane crash investigation on Monday afternoon. "I'm Shay McAlister, and this is Shay Informed: an independent, ad-free platform dedicated to honest journalism with compassion and clarity. Are you new here? Sign up for the free By Shay McAlister • 2 min read
