Thanks for over 91K visits to our site this week! Did you miss any of the top stories since last weekend? It's all here in our Edmonson Voice Weekly Recap. Click on any of the links below, and thanks for making us Edmonson County's number one source for local news and info.

Madison Doyle, photos:
Senior Maddie Cline, who is also a Lady Cat basketball team member, was crowned as the 2017 Basketball Homecoming Queen during last night's ceremony at ECHS. Maddie is the daughter of Scott and Kim Wrye of Chalybeate and Jason Cline of Bowling Green. She was escorted by senior Brady McCoy, son of Grant and Michelle McCoy of Rhoda.

The rest of the queen's court was made up by junior princess Janell Camarillo, sophomore princess Emilee Blanton, and freshman princess Mia Goad. Attendants were Colton Lyons, Savannah Lyons, Brantley Woodcock, and Marian Doyle. Last year's junior princess, Cierra Woodcock crowned this year's winners.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
The Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association (BTGCA) is prhas announced that the 2017 BTGCA Scholarship applications are now being accepted.
 
The Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative will award ten $2,000 scholarships to students for the 2017-2018 school years. The BTGCA says this is a great way for our organization to help farm families as they work to provide educational opportunities to their children.
 
The BTGCA scholarship is awarded on the basis of the student's overall grade point average, writing ability, and leadership potential. All applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 from their current educational institution. The BTGCA will show preference to those applicants who have a tobacco farming background.
 
The BTGCA scholarship is awarded for one academic year, in two equal amounts for the fall and spring semesters. Students may re-apply each year. The scholarships are available to individuals from the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, and West Virginia.
 
The 2017 BTGCA Scholarship application is available on the BTGCA website, or by calling the office at (859) 252-3561. Applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2017 and mailed to the BTGCA office.
 
Each application will be reviewed by the Burley Co-op Scholarship Committee, and recipients will be notified of the award offer by the April 25, 2017. The first installment of the scholarship will be directly paid to the individual upon proper proof of enrollment from the registrar's office by August 15th. The winners will be requested to attend our Annual Meeting and Tobacco Expo for recognition.
 
"The BTGCA is proud to be part of the rich tradition of Kentucky's independent, resourceful tobacco farmers that are the foundation of our rural communities," the group said in a statement. "BTGCA is dedicated to providing opportunities to allow its members and their families to continue the tradition, quality and excellence that is the foundation of U.S. Burley, the gold standard of burley tobacco."
 
To learn more about the BTGCA visit the website, www.burleytobacco.com.

Darren Doyle, story:
Two Bowling Green residents wanted for fleeing from law enforcement last night after crashing on Shadyland Church road now face burglary and theft charges in Edmonson County.

Matthew Whittaker (29) and Leslie Matlock (35) are both wanted after they fled from Warren County deputies and crashed in Edmonson County late Thursday night. New developments have surfaced and now the couple is also wanted in Edmonson County.

The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office said they received a call from the owner of an abandoned house in Chalybeate this morning that said his property was broken into last night. Authorities said evidence at the scene pointed to the wanted couple and that they likely hid out there while on the run from deputies.

​An EC sheriff's deputy said he received another call this morning from the owner of a stolen Honda Pioneer UTV in the same area that went missing last night. According to the sheriff's office, the owner found the UTV at a nearby trailer park just over the Warren County line this morning near the home of one of the wanted person's grandmother. It was reported that the UTV had been severely crashed and was heavily damaged.

Edmonson County officials said that in addition to the fleeing charges from last night in Warren County, the couple will also face multiple burglary, theft, and criminal mischief charges, and they are currently on the run.

Anyone with any information as to their location is asked to call the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office as 270-597-2157 or the Warren County Sheriff's Office at 270-842-1633.

Darren Doyle, story:
According to Kentucky State Police, thirty-one year old Dustin Ray Russell was located last night at a residence in Edmonson County in the Pine Grove community where he was arrested and lodged in the Hart County Jail.

Officials said he was served with the Edmonson County Grand Jury Indictment warrant charging him with Rape 1st Degree (2 counts), Sodomy 1stDegree (6 counts), and Sexual Abuse 1st Degree (5 counts) in reference to an investigation that was conducted by the Kentucky State Police.

According to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, KSP received a tip that Russell was in a trailer somewhere on Alexander Creek Road. KSP, the Sheriff's Office, and U.S. Marshals arrived at the particular residence where Russell was located and arrested without incident.
 
In a statement, KSP thanked everyone that worked diligently in assisting and providing information that lead to the arrest of Mr. Russell.  The investigation is still ongoing and being led by Detective Jeremy Hodges.

The U.S. Postal Inspection service is offering up to a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) who robbed the Bee Spring Post Office on January 21, 2017. All information is in the flyer below.

We often hear from our readers things like "I saw it on Facebook," or "I love getting my news on Facebook." And although we post links to all our published articles on our very popular Facebook page, (around 6,800 followers) The Edmonson Voice network is much more than a simple Facebook page.

The Edmonson Voice is a complete internet-based news network, patterned after a standard newspaper format, but in a much more modern and convenient fashion.

So many people see a link to one of our articles in their Facebook feed, click, and read the one particular article only. Yes, technically they "saw it on Facebook," but the article was still read on edmonsonVoice.com. If that's the only article you read while being directed to our site, you're missing out!

Our website traffic is still phenomenal and we realize we are reaching thousands of people each week (around 15,000 regular readers each week), but we want to remind you that once you get to our site, we encourage you to browse around and check out one of our 18 different pages with tons of features, all relating to Edmonson County.

Here are some of most popular pages:

So even though our network is still the number one source for local news and info in Edmonson County no matter how you get here, we encourage you to check out all that our site has to offer. 

Edmonson Voice Staff Report
The Edmonson County Grand Jury returned an Indictment for multiple counts of Rape, Sodomy, and Sexual Abuse on a male subject in reference to an investigation that has been conducted in Edmonson County by the Kentucky State Police.
 
An Indictment warrant was issued for 31 year old Dustin Ray Russell of Smiths Grove for charges that stemmed from an investigation of allegations involving a female juvenile, not directly related to the suspect, but an acquaintance where Russell was placed in a position of trust.  The Edmonson County Grand Jury Indictment has charged him with:
​

• Rape 1st Degree, Victim Under 12 YOA (2 counts)
• Sodomy 1st Degree, Victim Under 12 YOA (6 counts)
• Sexual Abuse 1st Degree, Victim Under 12 YOA (5 counts)

 
Russell is white male described as being 6’0” tall, 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes (see attached photo).
 
Anyone with information to the whereabouts of Dustin Russell is asked to call KSP Post 3 Bowling Green at(270)782-2010.  The investigation is still ongoing and being led by Detective Jeremy Hodges.  

The ECMS future problem solving team also rose to new heights as the team won the district championship. FPS (future problem solving) is a six-step process that requires students to identify challenges, create solutions, and make an action plan to address a possible scenario in the future. The district topic, “It’s All in the Genes” dealt with the long-term impact of genetic modification of plants and animals.

FPS coach, Nick Skaggs, prepared team members for the competition by researching the topic and refining FPS process skills. All of the district judges placed the ECMS booklet first overall.

“I am very proud of the progress out FPS team has made," said FPS Coach Nick Skaggs. "We are now looking forward to the regional competition.”

ECMS students placed in thirteen individual events at the district competition. Jonas Miller placed first in social studies testing. Sarah Stewart placed second in arts and humanities and third in language arts testing, Meredith Hennion finished second in language arts testing, Arey Durbin placed third in arts and humanities and fifth in science testing, Jon Smith placed third in mathematics testing, Brody Johnson placed third in arts and humanities and fifth in language arts, Gavin Rose placed fourth in social studies and fifth in mathematics testing, Ava Lich finished fifth in English composition, and Daniel Woosley placed fifth in social studies testing.

Bowling Green Junior High School won the overall district championship by amassing 55 points in the complete standings. ECMS placed a strong second with 47 overall points.

When asked to recap the performance, Coach Grey said one word could cover it all, "awesome."

"It sums up our team’s performance in the Governor’s Cup district tournament," he said. " The players earned 13 of a possible 18 spots in testing and composition. Our FPS competitors, (Danyale Atwell, Meredith Hennion, Ava Lich, and Taylor Dooley) scored a huge win in the competition. All of the coaches are extremely proud of the FPS team’s work and accomplishments. Our quick recall team cruised to the district championship like a finely tuned machine. When our subs entered the game, they never missed a beat."

He also said that every ECMS quick recall player scored multiple points in the competition and that players at all grade levels made outstanding contributions to the quick recall performance.

"Now, we've changed our focus to the regional competition. We're looking to maintain and even improve our overall standing," he said.

Darren Doyle, story and photo
Several citizens attended the first night fiscal court meeting of 2017 last night in the upstairs courtroom of the Edmonson County Courthouse.

Among various standard reports and business, several county offices gave year-end reports and updates. 

​Road Report: County Road Foreman Ray Page said that some minor issues with the new county truck were repaired and he updated the court on the bridges that were recently underwater: Willie Webb Road, Black Gold Road, and Cedar Grove Church Road, but all were reopened this past weekend. 

​Parks & Rec: Program Director discussed and attributed last year's success to the community, which provided much help to Parks and Rec. He thanked the road dept. for repairs on walking trail at Chalybeate, and discussed the expansion of the disc golf course from 18 to 27 holes thanks to disc golf club. He said Chalybeate park now can hold more tournaments in 2017 and said that over 500 people from 14 different states attended one tournament alone in 2016. He also said the park was planning on adding projection movies to the park this year instead of the concerts in the park.

Coroner Report: County Coroner Brently Esters  said that his office reviewed fewer deaths in 2016 than the year before, for a total of 23 coroner’s cases.

Tourism: Director Rhonda Clemmons announced that a new festival was being put in place that will be held somewhere in the county on May 20th, 2017. A name for the festival hadn't yet been decided, or theme, but that details would be announced soon. She also reminded of the upcoming Trail Town Meeting this Thursday, January 26, at 6pm at the EC Public Library.

South Central KY Movie Industry Contribution: The Fiscal Court, Industrial Authority, and Tourism Board are each paying $1500 as their portion of the $5000 annual due to join the SCKY Movie Industry. The EC Chamber of Commerce is paying $500 due to what they said was a limited budget. Tourism Director Clemmons Rhonda Clemmons said that the purpose was that EC residents and businesses will be hired to help with movie production in the region and services from the county can be utilized. Hart County has reportedly seen over half a million dollars in economic growth as a result of the SCKY Movie Industry group.

Clemmons also announced that the film commission is in search of photos of farmhouses and homesteads that might spark interest in film companies that are looking for that type of scenery in making movies. She anyone with photos or ideas could call her office at 270-597-2222.

The next fiscal court meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday, February 13, 2017 at 9am in the upstairs courtroom at the Edmonson County Courthouse.

Darren Doyle, story:
Sheriff Shane Doyle gave an annual activity report at last night's fiscal court meeting and compared them with the activity from 2015. He reported the following:

Sheriff Doyle spoke about specific categories that had unique increases or decreases in numbers. The first was a 46% drop in traffic citations.

"We received grant money to pay overtime to our officers in 2015 that allowed us to spend much more time patrolling and making traffic stops," he said. "We weren't awarded those grants in 2016 and it caused a decrease in citations."

He said a 21% increase in traffic accidents was also a direct result of less patrolling. "When we're not out covering as much ground, people tend to drive a bit more carelessly."

The Sheriff's office responded to 11% more calls in 2016 than the year before and Doyle says he feels like that's due to more of the public feeling like something will be done when the Sheriff's Office is called. "We're working hard to make sure that calls are not only answered as efficiently as possible, but that things get done."

He said a 38% increase in civil summons was due to having a fully staffed office which allowed the office to run more smoothly and efficiently.

Finally, he said his opinion on the sharp 37% increase in vehicle inspections was due to a better economy and that people were simply buying more vehicles.

In summary, he credited his entire office for working so well as a team and discussed the progress that the department was making as a whole.

"We became fully staffed, added a court security officer, a new animal control officer who's doing a fantastic job, a new K9 Unit, and we've been able to invest seized drug money back into our office to help with the fight against drugs here and to continue keeping Edmonson County safe for everyone."

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Clerk Kevin Alexander outlined the county election board's plan to improve voting districts throughout the county at last night's fiscal court meeting with hopes of making all polling places within schools and fire departments only.

In addition to the polling place changes, Alexander said districts should be adjusted to ensure that people living in the same household vote at the same place. While this should be obvious, he said variations with the way voter addresses have been recorded with the clerk's office in the past are the main cause of this issue.

"Our objective in this at the end of the day is to simply encourage people to get out and vote," he said. "We've tried to identify the problem areas for voters in various parts of the county and there are four main issues." 

He first discussed that the polling place in Wingfield was closed several years ago, which caused people to have to drive several miles out of their way to vote in Chalybeate, which discouraged many citizens from voting. The second concern was that people in the Pig community were being forced to vote in a church, something many residents refuse to do. Alexander said he estimated up to 200 voters who stopped exercising their right to vote as a result.

He also discussed the third issue being that some voters in the Poplar Spring, Indian Creek, and Sweeden communities were being required to vote in Lincoln, which made no sense, logistically. The final issue was that some citizens currently residing within the city limits of Brownsville were being required to drive to Bear Creek Fire Department, which is several miles out of the way and farther than the Brownsville polling place.

​As far as the issues in Poplar Springs, Indian Creek, etc., he feels that a solution would be to place another precinct inside Kyrock Elementary School. Current residents that vote there would remain there, but another set of poll workers would be added to the gym. That would allow voters currently required to travel to Lincoln a shorter drive to Kyrock's gym. 

"I think we can make that happen at our level, but the hard part is getting the state board of elections to go along with it," he said.

Alexander addressed the final precinct issue of city residents traveling to Bear Creek. While it doesn't make sense for someone driving from the city limits several miles northwest to vote in another magisterial district when a much closer facility is available, the solution is not as simple.

"Here, you're talking about a much smaller number of people, so we haven't decided what a feasible solution would be," he said. 

If you or someone you know is voting in a different place than someone else in the same household, you're encouraged contact the clerk's office and make sure your address is updated. Alexander has said his office can't solve problems of which it isn't aware. 

There are no local elections scheduled for 2017 so Alexander said now is a good time to act on these possible solutions. 

He suggested that the fiscal court consider moving magisterial lines in some districts to better fit the voting precincts after the next census, which is 2020, but the election board can go ahead and work towards the other improvements now. 

"At the end of the day, we want to be consistent," said Alexander. "I think the most consistent thing to do is to have voting in schools and fire departments going forward."

Darren Doyle, story
A former Edmonson County man who lived on Louisville Road that was arrested by the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office on September 27, 2016 on multiple felony drug and weapons charges has been arrested again on more drug charges.

According to the Bowling Green/Warren County Drug Task Force with assistance from the Bowling Green Police and Kentucky State Police, Bruce D. Wilson of Glasgow (36) was arrested and charged with Trafficking a Controlled Substance, Class C Felony, Methamphetamine (2 counts).
 
Officials said that the charges resulted from an investigation of the accused drug trafficking activities over the past month in Bowling Green. Detectives said they made two controlled purchases of crystal methamphetamine from the accused one earlier this month and last night. Official reports said that a traffic stop was conducted following an undercover drug buy as Wilson was driving away from a parking lot on Interstate Drive. He was taken into custody without incident at 8:40 PM last night.
 
During the course of the investigation, detectives became aware of an outstanding indictment warrant from Edmonson Circuit Court for Wilson with charges including:  

1. Possession of a Handgun by a convicted Felon
2. Trafficking a Controlled Substance (3 counts)
3. Possession of a Defaced Firearm (4 counts)
4. Trafficking in a Legend Drug
5. Receiving Stolen Property (Firearm)
6. Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Felony)
7. Theft of Services

​Authorities also reported that during last night's incident, 15 grams of crystal methamphetamine and $647 in cash were seized from Wilson.

Sheriff Shane Doyle shared his frustration with the system that he said allowed Wilson to be out and selling more drugs.

"Legislators across the country have lessened the penalties for drug charges over the last few years," Doyle said. "So many serious drug charges are being categorized as non-violent, or not serious. Our office arrested this man in September not only on serious drug charges, but also illegal weapons charges, some that were even stolen. How can this not be considered a violent crime?"

Doyle also pointed out that the new charges on Wilson weren't just simple possession charges.

"Someone who is caught selling meth is an entirely different situation than someone simply in possession of an illegal substance. It's frustrating when we're out here trying to make a difference, making arrests, but the system lets these guys right back out there to do it again; however, it's good to hear this guy was caught in a great coordinated effort by these agencies. These offenses are serious and harsher penalties are needed."
 
This investigation will be presented to the Warren County Grand Jury. Wilson was lodged in the Warren County Regional Jail.

Ryan is the son of W. Mitchell Smith and C. Kaye Smith of Bee Spring. "We are extremely proud of Ryan's accomplishments," said his mother, Kaye.

Ryan also has an 8-month old son named Keaton Mitchell Smith.

Edmonson County Emergency Management Director Pat Prunty has announced that the county's 911 emergency system is now working as phone service to the local dispatch center has been restored.

It is unknown if problems still exist elsewhere in the county but the local 911 system is currently working as well as the non-emergency dispatch line at 270-597-2729.

Click here for the original story:
Main Windstream Phone Line Down, 911 System Temporarily Out Of Order

Edmonson Voice Staff Report
Edmonson County Emergency Management has announced that the county's entire 911 emergency system is temporarily down as a result of a main Windstream fiber-optic line problem, as of 7:30am Monday, January 23, 2017.

According to Director Pat Prunty, it is unclear at this time if the main line is cut or damaged, but Windstream crews are said to be working on the matter.

"If you have an emergency, please don't dial 911 or call our dispatch center, as you'll only get a busy signal," Prunty said. "You can call the Kentucky State Police Post in Bowling Green at 270-782-2010 in case of emergency and they will be in contact with Edmonson County emergency services."

Prunty said it is unclear how long the system will be down. It appears that most or all of Brownsville is without service at this time.

Darren Doyle, story:
Thanks to a tip from a local resident, the burgundy van that was wanted for questioning was located today and the driver was questioned concerning the Bee Spring Post Office robbery that took place earlier this morning, according to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office. Unfortunately for officials, they're now back to square one as they continue the search for the man accused of the armed robbery.

The Sheriff's Office said they the man driving the van was the owner of a shuttle service who had recently transported construction workers to job sites in the area. After dropping off the workers, he'd drive up to post office in order to get cell phone service to use his smartphone during the day.

Officials said the man was completely cooperative during the investigation and has been cleared of any suspicion to the incident.

"Some people may find this funny, but this is why we ask for the public's help," said Det. Wally Ritter. "Local citizens recognized a burgundy van in the area that wasn't normally seen. People in small communities are usually very aware of their neighbors and surroundings. We were able to check out this situation and clear the driver of this van."

Authorities are still requesting help with any information regarding any vehicles seen near the post office around 9:20-9:30am. No one saw the suspect exit the premises. 

The Sheriff's Office is looking for a white male with brown hair around 6'0 tall and 200lbs, who was wearing a black ball cap pulled over his ears and a dark colored shirt, zipped up to the neck. He was wearing dark sunglasses and black gloves.

Click here for the original story.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Bee Spring Post Office was robbed at gunpoint around 9:20am today by a man that is now on the run and wanted by law enforcement officials, according to authorities.

The Edmonson County Sheriff's office said that a post office employee was exiting a side door of the post office with a mail cart when she was met by a man who forced her back into the building at gunpoint and demanded money. The robber made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, change, money orders, and stamps.

Kathy Miller, a Rocky Hill resident who is a two-year employee of the post office said she greatly feared for her life. 

"I'm alive, and that's the main thing," she said, visibly shaken. "I'm glad I'm ok. I didn't think I'd live to see tomorrow."

The Sheriff's Office is looking for a white male with brown hair around 6'0 tall and 200lbs, who was wearing a black ball cap pulled over his ears and a dark colored shirt, zipped up to the neck. He was wearing dark sunglasses and black gloves.

Officials reported that Ms. Miller said the robber held the semi-automatic pistol in his right hand, indicating that he would be right-handed.

Law enforcement officials are looking for a burgundy, full size, late 90's to early 2000's Ford cargo-style van that had been seen in the area for the last three days. Although the van was not directly seen during the robbery, the driver, who was described as a heavy set man with a white beard, is wanted for questioning. Postal employees said it appeared the man sat in the van in the parking lot on more than one occasion as he used a smartphone, either to talk on speakerphone or to film video of the area.

"If any of the surrounding neighbors have security systems that may have video footage or photos of the area during the last few days we urge you to contact dispatch at 270-597-2729," said Detective Wally Ritter.

Officials also encourage people in the area with any information regarding the van or it's owner to let them know immediately.

Postmaster Sheri Stockdale said that while she couldn't give an official statement without authority of U.S. Postal Service Media Relations, she did say that no mail was stolen and no personal information was compromised. The post office will also be closed until further notice.

"This was a quick and coordinated event," said Det. Ritter. "This wasn't a random robbery that someone decided to do today."

The investigation is still ongoing by the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office. The U.S. Postal Inspector had been contacted and was reported to be en route to the scene.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report
Portions of three county roads are closed until further notice due to water over small bridges as a result of the recent heavy rains. 

​Willie Webb Road on the Brownsville Bridge boat ramp side, Cedar Grove Church Road (Bee Spring side of bridge) and a portion of Black Gold Road are all currently closed.

Edmonson County Director of Emergency Management Pat Prunty said that unfortunately, there's really not a viable solution to prevent this from happening in the future.

"These are the same areas that flood each time we have heavy rainfall like we've recently experienced," he said. "This has been going on for years and the people that live in these areas have grown accustomed to it and they know they have to find an alternate route."

Prunty said the only solution would be to reconstruct the bridges at higher elevations which would cost the county hundreds of thousands, even more, which is simply not possible with the county's budget.

"All counties have this problem in some capacity," he said. "As a county, our roads are actually in better shape than most of the surrounding counties," he added. "There are some surrounding counties that still have miles and miles of gravel roads, and their blacktopped roads are in bad shape, so we still feel like we're fortunate to be in the position we're in as far as our roads are concerned."

The bridges will reopen once the water levels recede, but the timeframe is uncertain with more rain in the forecast this weekend.

Darren Doyle, story
The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office selected random vehicles in the parking lot of ECHS today as their K9 unit, Tango searched for illegal substances. 

"K9 Units are allowed by law to perform walk-arounds on vehicles in public places," said Sheriff Shane Doyle. "We worked in conjunction with school resource officer Jeff Brooks in a coordinated effort to check out the high school today."

Doyle said they chose nine random vehicles and instructed Tango to attempt to sniff out illegal substances. He said Tango indicated illegal materials in four out of the nine vehicles chosen. Three out of those four contained illegal substances resulting in criminal charges for three ECHS students, according to Sheriff Doyle.

Doyle said that while the students now face charges, the purpose of the random sniff-searches aren't to get all the kids in trouble.

"We do this for two reasons," he said. "First, we want students to know that we have a right to use a K9 unit in this situation and that this is a serious issue. Second, we want to use this method as a preventive measure to keep kids off drugs."

No names or vehicles were released regarding today's incident.

Doyle said that the Sheriff's Office is aware of the fact that young people sometimes make mistakes, but it's better to address those mistakes now, rather than wait until they turn into bigger issues as adults.

"If we can get students to realize that there are consequences for these issues now, they'll have a far better chance of not making them down the road. It's better to face a misdemeanor charge now than something much more serious in the future." 

Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, January 17, 2017. The Honorable Judge John M. McCarty presiding.

Jerry D. Gibson, Theft by unlawful taking or disposition all others under $500. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference 1/31/17.

Courtney L. Willis, Drug paraphernalia-buy/possess. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference 1/31/17.

Dustin T. Gipson, No/expired registration plates. Amend to all others. Failed to appear, notice sent to dept. of transportation.

Krit Hae, Possess open alcohol beverage container in a motor vehicle. Failed to appear, notice sent to dept. of transportation.

Perry Suttle, Theft by deception-including cold checks under $500. Pleaded guilty. Sentenced to 30 days in jail, probated for two years with no new or similar charges. Total fines and costs, $184.

Zachary Kinser, One headlight. License to be in possession. Failure to produce insurance card. Proof shown on all counts, all counts dismissed.

Hunter L. Miller, Speeding 19mph over limit. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference 1/31/17.

Christine R. McKinley, No/expired Ky registration receipt. No/expired registration plates. Improper display of registration plates. Failure of owner/operator to maintain required insurance-1st. Operating vehicle with expired operator's license. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial hearing 2/14/17.

Corby Isenberg, Burglary-third degree. Theft by unlawful taking or by disposition from building $10,000 or more, but under $1 million. Arson, 2nd degree. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial hearing 1/24/17.

Samuel Harrison, Setting fire on own land without taking precautions. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference 7/18/17.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report
A Bee Spring man is on the road to recovery after he was critically injured in a rollover crash that occurred on December 26, 2016. Mitch Saltsman was ejected from his pickup truck in the accident and his life was in question.

According to his wife Becky, who is a teacher at South Edmonson Elementary, Mitch came home from the hospital on January 13 and is making progress as he fights to recover.

"The therapists are amazed at the progress that he has made in such a short time," Becky said. "SKY (Rehap Center) wants to do a success story about him."

Mitch's life threatening injuries included a traumatic brain injury and several fractures in his neck, spine, leg, and hand. Medical professionals estimate that he will be unable to work for an entire year; maybe longer.

​"He is temporarily in a wheelchair and will have to continue outpatient therapy," said Becky. "We have several upcoming doctor appointments and are hoping that he won't need any surgeries.  

Friends and family have organized a benefit auction event on their behalf to help with immediate medical expenses and to help provide aid in the absence of Mitch's income.

"I'm sure health insurance will cover most of the expenses, but now that its 2017 we have to meet our deductible and pay a percentage until a certain amount is met," Becky added. "That, in addition to regular monthly bills, minus one income have placed a financial burden on us."

The benefit is scheduled to take place on February 5, 2017 beginning at 3 PM at the EC Community Center.  Anyone wishing to make a donation can contact event organizer April Hennion via email at [email protected] or 270-597-7161.

Monetary donations, as well as donations for the auction, cake walk, or concession stand would be much appreciated. If you'd like to volunteer on the day of the event, simply attend in person and you'll be welcomed. Modern Woodmen of America will also be on hand to match the funds raised during the benefit up to $2500.
Auction items include overnight stays, vacation rental in the Smoky Mountains, quilts, bulldozer work, and various other goods and services provided by local merchants. 

Several local gospel singers and churches will be on hand to provide good entertainment, including Bee Spring, Jock, Anetta, and Oak Grove choirs.

Becky said that it was twenty years ago when Mitch was in University of Louisville Hospital with an electrical burn of 7200 volts suffered in a work related accident and last December a dump truck bed came down on him, where he narrowly escaped.  

"People say he has nine lives.  I believe it's the grace of God."

Here are the top stories on the Edmonson Voice since last weekend. You can click on any of the headlines below to catch up on the latest news and info from this week.

Darren Doyle, story
A Louisville man arrested for DUI charges is on his way home today after a judge dismissed his case in Edmonson District Court.

Michael Vanegas was arrested by the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office on July 4, 2015 at a road safety checkpoint at Nolin Dam and charged with "Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs, 1st offense" and "License to be in possession," both of which Mr. Vanegas pleaded not guilty.

​Attorney Greg Vincent, who represented Mr. Vanegas, said that his client was accused of being impaired at the checkpoint, arrested, and taken to the hospital for a blood test; however, the results of the test were suppressed by the court. 

Judge John McCarty declared that there was a lack of evidence against Vanegas and ordered the case to be dismissed.

"The judge did the right thing," said Vincent. "All court cases come down to evidence and proof, and there wasn't enough here to convict Mr. Vanegas in this case."

Sheriff Shane Doyle said in a statement that the sheriff's office stands behind the decision to make the arrest 100%; however, he also acknowledged that people are still innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Darren Doyle, story
Laura Webb-Thomas, who serves as Center Manager, Family Service Worker, and Special Services Instructor for Edmonson County Head Start and the Edmonson County OWL Program, has been accepted into the Kentucky Super Star Leadership Academy (KSSLA).

The Super Stars Leadership Academy is a six-month program including personal mentoring, two regional training sessions, a statewide convening, and networking with fellow Early Childhood professionals. 

Mrs. Thomas will attend two regional forums and a Kentucky convening as she will further her education by learning to create the best learning environment for students, implement instructional strategies proven to increase school readiness, and engage parents.

"I am very excited to have been accepted into the KY Super Stars Leadership Academy," Thomas said. "I'm confident that the experience will enhance my current knowledge and skills as well as provide me with some new tools to create the best possible early childhood education program for the children and families of Edmonson County that we here at the Head Start center serve."

Thomas has been a part of Edmonson County Head Start for nearly 15 years. 

She is one of the 118 educators and administrators across the state named to the program.