Darren Doyle, story:
A Brownsville man was transported to the hospital earlier today after a single vehicle accident just outside the Brownsville City limits.

According to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Kristopher Cochran, (27) of Brownsville was headed north on KY HWY 259 near the junction of Indian Creek Road in a Toyota RAV 4 SUV. Another unidentified driver who was headed south told law enforcement that the SUV veered left across traffic and exited the roadway. The vehicle then traveled down the bank and collided with a tree, the Sheriff's Office stated.

The Sheriff's Office said Cochran was transported to T.J. Samson Hospital with non life-threatening injuries and added that his sugar levels were very low, a contributing factor in the accident.

Others responding to the scene were the Brownsville Fire Department and Edmonson EMS.

Darren Doyle, story:
Four different fires had nearly all local fire departments running around the county at the same time on Wednesday, January 29th.

​The first call went out around 2PM to a report of a vehicle and food trailer fire at a residence at 4049 KY HWY 259 N.

According to local law enforcement, a resident was burning boxes at home when the fire got out and caused a nearby van to catch fire. The fire then moved to a food truck parked next to it. Both were fully involved when multiple north side fire departments arrived.

While at that call, the Bear Creek and Kyrock fire departments were called away to a woods fire near Bear Creek. Firefighters battled that blaze for over an hour.

In the midst of those two calls, Rocky Hill and Chalybeate Fire Departments were then called out to a residence on Brownsville Road where a tractor’s engine had blown and was fully engulfed.

Firefighters worked to keep the blaze from spreading to the nearby house, where siding was melted. The tractor was completely lost.

Soon after, a grass fire was reported on Denham Road in Chalybeate where a resident was burning trash on his property. The blaze was contained by the Chalybeate Fire Department.

​No injuries were reported at any of the fires.

Darren Doyle, story:
American Airlines flight 5432, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, a U.S. military helicopter, while on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9 p.m. local time, on Wednesday, January 30th, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said that the jet departed from Wichita, Kansas.

Multiple reports have indicated there were 64 souls aboard the jet and three aboard the helicopter. No survivors have been found at this time. The initial rescue operation has now moved to a recovery mission, according to multiple news outlets.

There is currently a major emergency response underway with multiple local fire departments and emergency personnel on scene. Over two dozen bodies have been recovered.

​The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation.

Legal Notice:
Edmonson County Property Value Administrator (PVA) Kyle White has released the following legal notice to all Edmonson County property owners. White said all owners greatly benefit from staying informed about his office's services and the different options available to them.

"The most common question we have is about the Homestead and Disability Exemptions," said White.  "The amount has increased from last year, which is $49,100.  This can give taxpayers who qualify an estimated savings of $440.00 from a few years ago.  For homestead, you have to be age 65 anytime in 2025, own, and occupy the home. For disability, you have to be 100% disabled and currently receive benefits for the entire year of 2025, while owning and occupying the home."
​

• January 1 Through February 28, 2025 is the period for listing your real estate assessment of State, County, Ambulance, Library, Special District, and School taxes for the year of 2025. The assessment date for real property is January 1 as required by KRS 132.220.
  
• The Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) does not have authority in setting property tax rates. With the exception of the state rate, all property tax rates are set by local citizens that are on the governing bodies of local taxing jurisdictions.
• Real Estate: Farms, homes, houses, and lots, mobile homes, vacant land and commercial buildings. Anyone who has built a new structure or made an addition, deletion, or improvement to an existing structure on their property during the preceding year should list or report to the PVA office.
• Homestead Exemption: Persons who will be eligible for the Homestead Exemption for 2025 should make applications during January and February. Persons eligible for the exemptions must be at least 65 years of age during the 2025 tax year, or be totally disabled. Disability requirements: A person must be classified as totally (100%) disabled under any types of public or private retirement system. In addition, the following provisions must be met. the applicant must have maintained the disability classification for the entire year. The applicant must have received disability payments under this classification. Verification documents should be submitted to the PVA before December 31st of each year to show continuing eligibility. All applicants must own and occupy their dwelling. Please bring proof of age (birth certificate, Medicare card, etc.).
• Don't Wait Until Your Birthday: If you will be 65 anytime during 2025, come in now for this benefit. Any changes of status for persons already receiving exemption should be reported during January and February. 
• All Motor Vehicles and Watercraft are assessed by the Revenue Cabinet, in Frankfort, KY form motor vehicle registration. Year 2025 vehicles and boat taxes will be paid to the County Clerk When the vehicle is re-licensed for 2025. The assessment shall be due if not protested in writing, along with supporting documentation to the Revenue Cabinet within 45 days from the date of notice. Should your vehicle have high mileage, it may qualify for a reduction in assessed value, you may inquire at the Edmonson County PVA office with your odometer reading as of January 1, 2024 and within 45 days from the date of your registration renewal notice to see if you qualify for a reduced assessment on your motor vehicle.
• Tangible Personal Property: Merchant inventories, shop tools, construction equipment, and airplanes. This filing date is also January 1 through May 15. Taxpayers whose total sum of their fair cash value is $1,000 or less do NOT need to file a form 62A500.  Please note that records must be kept.
• The Mission of the PVA Office is to provide accurate assessments and efficient services to property owners or anyone utilizing the PVA office records and to administer the statutes of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in a fair and impartial manner.

Brought to you by:
Edmonson County PVA Office of Kyle White, Edmonson County Courthouse, PO BOX 37, Brownsville, KY, 42210. 270-597-2381.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A woman has died as a result of a house fire in the Mammoth Cave community.

Emergency personnel were called out to 1505 Brier Creek Road around 1AM on Saturday, January 25, 2025 to the report of a structure fire at the home of Charles and Martha Smith. When firefighters arrived, they were informed that one of the four residents was still inside.

The missing individual inside was later found deceased and identified as Vanessa Thompson, age 72, according to the Edmonson County Coroner's Office.

The state fire marshal's office will be in charge of the investigation as part of a standard process.

Firefighters were on scene in just a few minutes but the home was already engulfed.

"The house was fully engulfed when we got here," said Lincoln VFD Fire Chief Steve Sanders. "It was already falling in." He said that a recovery effort was then the focus.

Nathan Smith, a son of the residents, expressed the family's gratitude to the emergency workers that were on scene. He is a former Edmonson County teacher and head football coach for ECHS.

Responding to the scene were the Lincoln, Kyrock, Brownsville, and Bear Creek Fire Departments, the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Edmonson EMS, Warren RECC, District 5 Constable, and the Edmonson County Coroner's Office.

The other three residents were not injured in the fire, according to emergency personnel on scene.

Story and photos by Joseph Barkoff:
​​It looks good from the dark for the future of the “greatest cave explorer ever known,” looking out from the Floyd Collins Crystal Cave located in Mammoth Cave National Park, Mammoth Park, Kentucky.
 
“Greatest cave explorer ever known,” is what it says on Collins’ tombstone, after finally being buried for the fifth time March 24, 1989, in the cemetery located at the Mammoth Cave Baptist Church in Mammoth Cave. 
 
Greatest ever known? 
 
“I would like to think so,” Mammoth Cave National Park guide Jackie Wheet said standing in front of the Collins’ family plots. “Especially that you’ve got museums and displays dedicated to him, and books written about him. Hopefully they won’t go away.”
 
There is a Broadway musical coming out soon too. A preview is set for March with opening day in April.
 
As the world prepares to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Floyd Collins, the keepers of his history and meaning prepare to share some of their enthusiasm and a view on a tour not seen by the public for almost 65 years.
 
“The publicizing of his plight helped lead to the Mammoth Cave National Park,” Mammoth Cave National Park cave specialist Rick Toomey said. “And having Mammoth Cave National Park include Floyd Collins as one of the central stories that we tell here at the park helped keep his story alive.”
 
He helped create the National Park and the National Park helps preserve his legacy, Toomey said.
 
His legacy is about to get an infusion of enthusiasts, but only around 300 to start.
 
There was a lottery for tickets to be able to join the tour beginning December 5 last year closing 13 days later on the 18th and all of the spots are filled for the tour to take place.
 
The lottery was to ensure that anyone and everyone had a fair chance at winning a ticket, Mammoth Cave National Park Public Information Officer Molly Schroer explained to the small group of media about to take the tour that the public will experience next month in February.

​The tour was pleasant despite the weather being below freezing outside. The staff who accompanied and led the tour could have packed lunches and the group of media may have been content to listen for longer. At one point we had to be reminded there was such a thing as time.
 
It is hard to judge time deep inside a cave system.
 
First on the tour was a quick bus ride to the trail leading to the cave called the Sand Cave where Collins was trapped and a debacle erupted in trying to extricate him, where he ultimately perished. Then a quick hike down the trail to an overlook of the direct entrance and a place to imagine the situation, guides Wheets and Toomey elaborated beyond the signpost along the trail.  
 
Facing the entrance, the cave has an “L” shape, maybe it’s a half-moon. It is hard to judge exactly because it is covered across the top in icicles like a gaping maw of teeth all pointing down in a toothy frown.
 
In the distance loud cracks and bangs are heard sounding like snow or ice melting and having its way with the environment.
 
The Sand Cave is closed. It is too dangerous to go down unaccompanied without proper safety equipment and this tour is rated as “beginner.”
 
In the future there will be a new walkway leading down the trail to the overlook as well as a trail built to accommodate the more adventurous who want to peer into the mouth of the cave.
 
Standing high above the entrance, looking down, where the trail leads from is high ground, everywhere forward from the cave entrance is high ground, imagining standing in the same snow is over 1,000 people without access to Gore-Tex. That equals a lot of fires, which melts snow, and water usually loses the gravity war, so down it went atop a stuck Collins, kind of debacle, called “Carnival Sunday” on day 10 of the attempted rescue in 1925.
 
The trail down will follow the trail formed by the public walking down over time even though it is technically closed to the public and not supposed to happen.
 
It’s one of the goals the Park has for long term, Toomey said painting a picture of a new paved path from the street instead of the more difficult to maintain plank style walkway.
 
Next on the tour was another short bus ride to the front of Collins’ house. 
 
From there, the trail down to his other cave, his money-making cave, the Great Crystal Cave, where Collins body was displayed for most of the first half of the past century.
 
It was even stolen once and the grave robbers attempted to throw it over a bridge into a river, but Collins’ body was hung up on a tree and he was eventually put back in the cave.
 
The steps down into the doorway Collin’s might have had to have ducked a bit is treacherous without ice, snow and the threat of melt from both warm air escaping the now open cave and the sun continuing its daily almost futile assault on the cold.
 
The cave is warm. In through a second door, even warmer.
 
With headlamps attached to provided spelunking helmets, the cave tunnel ahead is illuminated and winds towards an opening named “Grand Canyon,” as it seems to expand beyond the reach of headlamp light and covered in a glittering crust of gypsum.

​Along the path, scattered in some cases, placed in others, lay what looks like trash. The oddly shaped cave detritus, like a crumpled pack of Lucky Strikes laying on a rock just off the trail or small pile of ticket stubs and cards, all from a time past, now all could be artifacts. 
 
It is better to leave them untouched, all of the Park guides said at different points on the tour.
 
There are light bulbs, some with and some without glass attached. Lying about and poking out of piles of rocks. 
 
Did they fall once broken in a time past? Did someone leave it there on purpose? Was someone making a joke? The questions are as endless as the imagination has possible answers in some cases.
 
The railings are polished smooth from thousands of hands from across decades sliding across them during the precarious decent are now for show. They once worked but have since been left in place to preserve the Great Cave for how it was.
 
The cave is beautiful. It is warm on this cool day in January nearly 100 years after Collins was trapped. It will be cool on warm days, if February has a warm one in store for the future tours.
 
It would take an exuberant amount of funding to be able to create a completely safe, probably still arduous, but safe way to ascend and descend the cave using the techniques and styles of Collins’ time to keep it authentic to the history and period.
 
It is important to keep everything intact, the way it was, Schroer, Wheets and Toomey all said.
 
Seeing it is believing. Seeing it intact, there is no other way to imagine it.
 
There is one thing the guides did not mention until the cemetery. There is a custom of asking Floyd to come along when the cave is visited. They all asked him to come along at different places and points along the way before the adventure and at the beginning, they all said.
 
Understandable why they might not say something, it is awful dark in those caves, but regardless at no time was it creepy. Even after the tradition was explained.
 
It seems the tradition is to ask Floyd Collins to come along for the people who are going in their first trip, so they can ask the next time by themselves, if that day comes.
 
In the meantime, the maw of an icicle frown will melt and the longest known cave system in the world, at 426 miles of passage could grow longer with the continued professional and amateur exploration throughout the Mammoth Cave National Park Cave’s tunnels. Time will tell.
 
Time may not have been exactly on Floyd Collins’ side, but everything he touched seems to have held up pretty well.

January 21, 2025 (Bowling Green, Ky):
At the request of their power supplier, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Warren RECC is asking members to voluntarily reduce the use of all non-essential electricity tonight through tomorrow afternoon. This will help power providers across the Tennessee Valley to continue delivering reliable service during this period of exceptionally cold temperatures across the region.
 
“This is a precautionary measure,” said Butch Massey, Vice President of Engineering and Operations at Warren RECC. “Anytime we experience a period of extreme cold, it significantly increases the demand for electricity. Together with TVA, we are proactively taking steps to reduce energy consumption by asking our members to take small practical steps that can have a big impact on our ability to meet the demand for electricity.”
 
Here are some quick and easy ways to make an impact and save you money:

• Lower your thermostat to 68°F degrees or a temperature that is both comfortable and safe.
• Set your ceiling fan to spin clockwise, which pushes warm air down.
• Wear additional layers and bundle up to stay warm.
• Turn off everything when you leave a room.
• Open window coverings on the sunny side of your home. Close them overnight to retain that heat.
• Delay using washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and other large appliances until the warmest part of the day when overall heating demand is lower.

 
During temperature extremes, don’t forget to check on relatives, friends and neighbors to ensure their safety. Pets and livestock will also need a helping hand to remain safe.
 
To report power outages In Warren County, call 270-843-9710; outside Warren County, call 1-888-604-4321. Outages may also be reported through the SmartHub app or by texting #out to 85700 if you are signed up for WRECC texting.
 
To see current outages, visit www.wrecc.com and click the “View Current Outages” icon. 

Darren Doyle, story:
The Rocky Hill Volunteer Fire Department is in danger of actually shutting down unless more community members join the organization, according to Chairman of the Board Joe Carl Daugherty.

"We're in a real need here," he said. "We've got spots on our board that have to be filled, but on top of that, we need firefighters."

Daugherty said the department has had trouble retaining board members and firefighters over the last several years. He said because of the nonprofit status, the board is required to maintain a board in order to stay operational.

"We have to keep our board going, otherwise we'll shut down. And that's something that will hurt this community. Not only will it take longer for a different fire department to get here if we need somebody, but insurance rates are going to double," he said.

He is asking the local community to help by attending their next board meeting, which will be Monday, January 27th at the fire house located at 1485 Rocky Hill Road at 7PM. Board elections will be held that night.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A devastating fire claimed the home of a Wingfield family early this morning.

Local fire departments received the first call of a fire on Pin Oak Lane, a private drive near 1633 Wingfield Church Road, just before 5AM on Tuesday, January 21st. According to emergency radio traffic, the caller lost connection to dispatch due to poor cell service in the area. The call was first described as a structure fire in the home's chimney.

The home was fully engulfed by the time fire units arrived shortly after.

The structure, which was built in the late 1920s or 30s according to family members on scene, was a total lost. The home belonged to Eddie and Amy Hackworth with their teen daughter, who lost everything in the fire. They escaped with the clothes they were wearing.

Pin Oak Lane is a narrow, private gravel drive approximately a mile off Wingfield Church Road. Its size and proximity prevented multiple firetrucks from being on scene at the same time. Firetrucks from multiple departments had to remain stationed at Wingfield Fire Department, just a short distance down the road, while two trucks at a time squeezed their way back to the house.

The Wingfield, Chalybeate, Brownsville, Richardsville, Kyrock, Bear Creek, and Lincoln Fire Departments all responded, in addition to Warren RECC.

The first call page from Edmonson County Dispatch went out to Wingfield and all the south side fire units, which eventually led to all county fire departments being paged.

Everything was lost in the fire and relief efforts are underway. To find out how you can help with the family's needs, call or text Haley Ashley at 270-392-8550.

No injuries were reported.

Edmonson Voice Report:
Edmonson County schools will be on time and in session on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 according to Superintendent of Schools Brian Alexander.

He released the following statement to the Edmonson Voice:

"Edmonson County Schools will be in session at regular time on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Roads are safe to drive.  

We have made sure all buses are operational today. In addition, we will have spare buses throughout the county in case a bus would be needed that can be there in a matter of minutes. We will use this practice as long as temperatures are low.   

Heat in all schools has been running 24/7 and will continue to do so to ensure our schools are safe.  

We have a limited number of NTI days remaining and not a lot of flexibility beyond that in hopes of ending the school year at a time that we hope to and the school community expects.  

Please note the extra steps we are taking to ensure safety and still have school.  Thank you for your trust and understanding."

Brian Alexander,
Superintendent

Darren Doyle, story:
Donald J. Trump took the oath of office as 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025 at the United States Capitol.

The ceremony was moved indoors as a result of the bitter cold and wind chill temperatures in Washington D.C.

It is the first Presidential Inauguration held indoors since Ronald Reagan's second term ceremony in 1985.

Darren Doyle, story:
James David Vance was sworn in today as the 50th Vice President of the United States in the 60th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony held at the U.S. Capitol Building.

Vance represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate from 2023 until he was nominated as the United States Vice President under the 47th President Donald Trump.

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Fiscal Court recognized the county's 200th anniversary at the Monday, January 13th fiscal court meeting.

A special cake was served and a proclamation was read by Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey celebrating the bicentennial of Edmonson County for January 12, 2025.

The county was founded on January 12, 1825 with land from parts of Hart, Grayson, and Warren Counties.

It was named for Captain John "Jack" Edmonson (1764–1813), who was killed at the Battle of Frenchtown during the War of 1812. 

Edmonson County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey said multiple activities are scheduled throughout the year with various organizations to celebrate the 200 year milestone.

Judge Lindsey said activities will occur each month with a full list available soon.

Edmonson County Schools will be in session and on time on Tuesday, January 14th, according to Supt. of Schools Brian Alexander.

Students have been out of school for more than one school week due to wintry weather and hazardous road conditions throughout the county.

The school system has only four more NTI days remaining for this year's school calendar, which do not have to be made up. One day of last week's cancellation was deemed a "snow day," which will be made up on President's Day, Monday, February 17th.

The last day of school for students as of today is May 23, 2025.

Darren Doyle, story:
A benefit raffle has been organized by C&C Firearms & Outdoors for Mr. Oval Lindsey, who lost his home in a structure fire on Sunday, January 5th on Arthur Lindsey Road in the Mohawk community.

Lindsey was injured in the fire, suffering smoke inhalation along with several cuts. He was rescued by friends nearby that were able to break out a back window and pull him through.

According to his daughter Tina Williams, Mr. Lindsey was placed in intensive care. He was placed on oxygen, received breathing treatments and antibiotics, and was sedated so he could rest.

Mrs. Williams said her father was discharged from the hospital this past Friday where he was staying with his other daughter.

"He is still coughing but is still taking antibiotics," she told the Edmonson Voice in a private message. "His dementia is about the same. Worse at night. He will do better by being in surroundings he is familiar with. He was so happy to get to go home yesterday (Friday). We are so thankful for all the prayers."

All proceeds of the raffle will go to benefit Mr. Lindsey in a recovery effort. First prize is a Henry Golden Boy Large Loop .22LR rifle ($700 value) and second place is a Benchmade Bugout pocket knife ($200 value). The prizes are provided from both C&C and an anonymous donor.

Chances are $10 each and can be purchased in-person at C&C Firearms and Outdoors on South Main Street in Brownsville.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Schools will be closed on Monday, January 13th due to several icy roads that remain in the county.

"We still have several roads that are completely covered, despite warming temperatures today," said Supt. of Schools Brian Alexander. "We can't have our school buses on these roads yet."

It will be NTI Day number 6 for students.

Darren Doyle, story:
The forecast looks pretty good for snow lovers all across the state, including Edmonson County for Friday, January 9th.

According to Edmonson Voice meteorologist Landon Hampton of WeatherOrNotBG, snowfall should begin anywhere from around 6AM to 9AM Friday.

"Still anticipating 4-6” of snowfall, with the opportunity to climb up to 6-8”+ in some locations. Snow rates are expected to be highest on Friday during the late morning, lasting thru late afternoon," Hampton published to his social media on his latest forecast update.

He also noted that the National Weather Service in Louisville is predicting one inch per hour at times.

Edmonson County is included among dozens of counties in a Winter Weather Warning. Local schools have already been dismissed for Friday. The Edmonson County Courthouse is also closed on Friday, including county offices, and Mammoth Cave National Park has announced their closing for Friday as well.

Check out Landon on the Edmonson Voice Weather Page for his full forecast and a live view from our Brownsville weather sky cam.

The Edmonson County Courthouse will be closed on Friday, January 9, 2025 due to the forecast of winter weather, according to Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey.

This will include the offices of the Judge/Executive, County Clerk, Circuit Clerk, and the PVA. The Sheriff's Office will also be closed to the public with officers on duty.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
The official bicentennial of Edmonson County, Kentucky will be this Sunday, January 12th. It was formed in 1825 and named for Captain John "Jack" Edmonson (1764–1813), who was killed at the Battle of Frenchtown during the War of 1812. 

Edmonson County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey said multiple activities are scheduled throughout the year with various organizations to celebrate the 200 year milestone.

Judge Lindsey said activities will occur each month with a full list available soon.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Schools will be closed Thursday, January 9, 2025 due to icy road conditions in the northern portion of the county, according to Superintendent Brian Alexander.

It will be a traditional snow day, not an NTI day. As a result, school will now be in session for a makeup day on February 17th, which is Presidents Day.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Several frustrated parents have shared concerns on the choice to dismiss in-person school in Edmonson County this week. On one hand, those frustrations are very valid since most households with school children have to make last-minute childcare plans or other scheduling changes. When most all the roads are clear, many ask "why can't they have school today?"

On the other hand, there are a plethora of factors that go into the decision to cancel school, with several school officials involved. One of the biggest factors in Edmonson County is the stark contrast of driving quality from one side of the county to the other, which is not necessarily the fault of road crews, nor anyone else. The fact is, the northern part of the county normally sees more winter precipitation than the south, and many roads in that area are smaller county roads with little traffic and little sunshine.

Salting and plowing the roadways are essential to getting them back in safe driving condition, but without sunshine, many roads don't become completely clear until the temperature gets above freezing for a day or two.

Sunday's winter storm has had different effects on various parts of the county. Today, you can travel virtually every county and state road south of Brownsville and there are little to no slick spots. However, when you travel north, those conditions began to vary for the reasons listed above.

Some areas of Bee Spring and around the lake reported up to 3" of snow this week in spots, with at least one quarter inch of ice. On the south side, barely an inch of snow was reported with about one tenth of an inch of ice. Salting and plowing pretty much took care of the south side, but the north side still has roads that are covered at the time of this article.

We sat down with Edmonson County Superintendent of Schools Brian Alexander and asked him to explain the process, which is more complex than what appears on the surface.

"First, we want everyone to know we don't take these decisions lightly," he said. "We understand everyone has routines, childcare, and so many other factors in our lives today. We know that sometimes this puts families at extreme inconveniences, but our priority is the safety and well being of our students."

Mr. Alexander said the work begins with the weather forecast, which is much more reliable in today's times. Director of Transportation, Lannie Deweese frequently sits in on conference calls with weather and emergency officials. Planning is key for ensured safety of students.

He said it has been his and the school board's decision to follow the practice of closing schools prior to a weather impact rather than taking the chance and experiencing one in the middle of the school day.

"The last thing we want is to be in a hurry to get kids home if it starts snowing while school is in session. That presents safety issues that we want to completely avoid. I've always believed it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to our students."

After a weather system has impacted the county, other factors are now included, the main one being the roads themselves, but also power outages in areas of the county. He said if the main roadways are covered, which include KY HWYs 101, 259, 185, 728, and 31W, the choice to close school is clear, as all other roads will be hazardous as well.

When those roads are clear, another process then begins, which includes school personnel all across the district physically getting out, usually before daylight, and traveling the roads throughout the county themselves. Not just roads are included, but also bus turnarounds.

"Most people don't realize, but road crews push snow sometimes into our bus turnarounds, and they can't help it," said Alexander. "Our buses obviously have to have safe turnarounds, and this is a factor as well."

He also spoke to the varying conditions across the county, such as is the case today, January 8th.

"There is a great deal of difference in the weather and roads from the northern part of the county to the southern part.  Secondary roads may be fine in one part of the county, but bad in another.  However, a decision must be made for the entire school district. We can't have school at South Edmonson when that area is clear but Kyrock is experiencing issues," he said. "Right now, we can't get our parking lot cleared at Kyrock, which had more snow than the other schools. There has been zero sunshine for four days. It makes a difference."

Lastly, he discussed the decisions to have NTI days (non-traditional instruction) which do not have to be made up, and old fashioned 'snow days,' which must be added back to the calendar somewhere.

"We want the kids to have the longest summer breaks as possible. We start school later than almost any other school around, so the NTI days allow us to be off from school without making them up. School districts are awarded 10 per year and the districts choose how they are used. We try our best to be out of school before Memorial Day and before June if at all possible. These factors limit our flexibility in the school calendar."

Alexander said he knows parents and guardians are frustrated at times.

"We apologize for the disruption that these issues bring on families, but we have to make decisions based on safety first, and for all students in the district at once. We will never take theses decisions lightly and will always put forth our very best effort for all students, faculty, and staff," he said. "Our best effort will always be our standard."

Darren Doyle, story:
Due to continued icy road conditions in the northern part of the county, as well as many secondary roads throughout, Edmonson County Schools will not be in session on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, according to Superintendent Brian Alexander.

He said multiple roads remain icy throughout the northern part of the county which prohibits safe bus travel. It will be NTI day #5 for students.

Tuesday's ECHS boys and girls basketball games at Logan County are rescheduled for Monday, January 27th.

The City of Brownsville has released the following statement:

"The City of Brownsville has issued a boil water advisory for all businesses and residents from City Hall and North to the bridge due to a main water line break.   Samples have been taken and as soon as the lab returns the results the city will inform the public that the boiled water has been lifted."

Darren Doyle, story:
Most, if not all City of Brownsville water customers will experience a delay in water service today, Monday, January 6th due to a main line break near the Courthouse square, according to Mayor Ricky Simon.

"We've discovered a leak somewhere in the area of the square, but we haven't located the exact spot," Simon told the Edmonson Voice. "We hope to have the issue fixed within a couple of hours but we're not sure at this point."

Simon also said he was unsure how many customers this would affect but wanted all city customers to be aware.

"This is something that just happened and we apologize for the short notice and inconvenience, but we'll have it fixed as soon as possible."