(Bowling Green, KY)-   On Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at approx 3:50 pm the Kentucky State Police Bowling Green received a call of a single vehicle injury collision in the 6000 block of Morgantown Road.
 
The preliminary investigation indicated that Travis Cline (28) of Bowling Green was operating a 2002 Chevrolet SUV and traveling south on Morgantown Road when he went off the edge of the roadway and lost control, where the vehicle overturned several times before striking a tree.
 
Mr. Cline and a juvenile passenger were transported by Medcom to the Bowling Green Medical Center where they will be treated and released.  Elizabeth Howell (23), also a passenger, was transported by Medcom to the Bowling Green Medical Center where she was then flow by Air Evac to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.
 
The investigation is still ongoing and being led by Trooper Harrison Wells.  All occupants were restrained in the vehicle and alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the collision.

Edmonson Voice Staff 
via KSP Press Release

Ashley was arrested and charged with careless driving and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs with a blood-alcohol level at .08 or above, 2nd offense. Ashley was transported and lodged in the Hart County Jail. Officer Avery was assisted in the investigation by District 2 Constable Tim Skees.

Edmonson Voice Staff

The South Edmonson Elementary Leadership Team visited Potter Children's Home on Tuesday evening, March 24th for the team's annual service-learning project. A few weeks back, SEES students reached out to a number of children from the home, writing them letters and extending a hand of friendship. 

The students met up with the children they'd been corresponding with for a fun play date at one of the home's partnering facilities. After a lengthy session of dodgeball, jumprope, basketball, cartwheels, and more, the team presented the kids with grab bags filled with candy, toys, and stickers. 

Mrs. Penny Tuttle, Guidance Counselor and group sponsor, pointed out the mission of the leadership team. "The main goal of having a school leadership team is to promote self-directed service learning and for students to become lifelong servant leaders," she said. " Through our activities and events, we hope that students will realize that leadership is not about us as an individual, but about those whom we are serving.  We want them, and all of the students at South Edmonson, to give unselfishly, put others first, and believe the whole is better than the sum of its parts."

Tuttle said South Edmonson’s Student Leadership Team was positively and deeply impacted by last night’s trip to Potter Children’s Home.  She noted that several students were talking with their “adopted” child about further communication and play dates. She also added that the project increased the self-confidence of the students and promoted teamwork, initiative, creativity, and communication skills of the future leaders.  She said that it also allowed them to connect with a culturally diverse peer group and to see through the eyes of those who are a little less fortunate than themselves.

She discussed how special the event was for both the students and the Potter's children. "I feel that our Student Leadership Team made a difference for the children of Potter’s tonight.  The children were very receptive and eager to play with our students, and when it came time for us to present them with their goody bags, Potter’s children could not believe that they got to keep everything in their bag.  There were lots of smiles, hugs, and fist-bumps.  South’s students didn’t want to leave and Potter’s children wanted us to stay.  It was a special event that I think our students, and hopefully their’s, will always remember."

Tuttle gave credit to the students that make up SEES Leadership Team. "The students on this year’s team are an amazing group of giggly, big-hearted girls that want others to feel special, and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.  They always go above and beyond of what is asked on them, and they continually amaze me with their many accomplishments."

Darren Doyle,
Story and Photos

Judge Executive Wil Cannon addressed the fiscal court yesterday with a recommendation to hire Mr. Greg Hudson, 56, as the county's very first Parks and Rec Little League Program Director. Cannon said his office received five quality applicants and granted interviews to three of the five. Hudson, who was present at the meeting, addressed the court and spoke as to why he wanted the job. 

He retired from the Marine Corp. in 2003 and not only has lived in Edmonson County since that time, but has also served as a volunteer for the Baseball/Softball Program as either a coach, umpire, or board member, sometimes serving as more than one. He is currently finishing his Recreation Administration degree at Western Kentucky University. 

The court agreed to hire Hudson for the position and his duties began immediately. 

Many residents with children in little league have asked questions as to how the new position will benefit the program. Many are hesitant to the change, but an overwhelming majority has been in favor of the added position. 

We asked Director Hudson why he wanted the job, one that would certainly be a full-time position with part time pay. "When I moved to Edmonson County 12 years ago after retiring from the Marine Corp., I immediately got involved with the program," he said. "My desire for this job was based on the fact that I saw a need and I have experience. I've been involved in these types of programs for 90% of my life." 

Hudson said that as his new role will revolve around the Little League Baseball, Softball, and Basketball programs, his main goal is to see that those programs are enjoyable for the youth. "That comes first and foremost," he said. "Then I want to make sure those programs are enjoyable for the parents and coaches as well, but that's secondary to our county's youth." He said not only was the goal for kids to enjoy the programs, but to properly learn the sport(s) as well. 

As with all aspects of change, especially in a small town, things can be difficult as those changes begin taking place. "With a little bit of time we can make all our programs better by providing more opportunities for more people to participate in recreation within the county," he said. 

Hudson also said that he wanted to add a summer concert series to the program with artists and bands from the area in addition to the annual fireworks festival. In conjunction with the concert series, he wants to add disc golf tournaments, 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, and do them in different age brackets. He wants to add volleyball and corn hole tournaments as well. The goal of these additions is not only to benefit the county's youth, but adults as well. 

Hudson will also be in charge of the concessions this year, something that has been contracted out to third parties in the past. Now, the proceeds from concessions will be invested back into Parks and Rec. 

Baseball and Softball teams began practices this past Saturday as they prepare for the season kickoff at the all-day Jamboree on Saturday, April 11th. Parks and Rec Director A.B. Webb will now focus on field maintenance and the overall operation of the park facilities as Director Hudson will focus specifically on little league. 

Edmonson Voice Staff

The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office received a complaint of a reckless driver that appeared to be intoxicated in the Sunfish community on Sunday, March 22nd.  After deputies arrived in the area, they saw a Chevy pickup driving abnormally, which matched the description of the vehicle in the complaint. 

Police say the truck driven by Gregory Duvall, 44, of Sunfish,  quickly pulled into a driveway and as deputies approached the vehicle they discovered a very strong odor of alcohol. Duvall was then reportedly given a number of field sobriety tests which were all failed. 

Duvall was then arrested and charged with DUI, careless driving, and having an open alcohol container in a motor vehicle. Police also said that his blood-alcohol level was over 3 times the legal limit, so high in fact, that instead of Duvall being transported to jail, he was taken to Caverna Hospital for further observation, as Hart County Jail will not accept prisoners with that high of blood-alcohol level. 

Sheriff Shane Doyle said the reasoning behind that is a simple matter of safety. "Once a suspect reaches a certain blood-alcohol level, it becomes such a health risk that they need to be medically evaluated," he said. "People's safety will always come first. If they need to go to jail afterwards, then we'll act accordingly."

Edmonson Voice Staff

A fire on Monday destroyed a parked camper/trailer from the property of Barbara Lindsey on Blackgold Road in Sweeden. Firefighters said that apparently Lindsey had been burning trash and that the fire got out of hand. A storage building near the trash pile then caught fire which caused the camper parked close by to also ignite. The camper and storage building were both total losses.

Both Kyrock and Brownsville Fire Departments responded to the blaze. There were no reported injuries.

Edmonson Voice Staff
Pat Prunty, Photos

On Friday, March 20, 2015 at approx. 11:39 pm the Kentucky State Police Post 3 Bowling Green received a call of a non-injury collision on KY 185 in Edmonson County near the Butler County line.
 
The preliminary investigation indicates that Willie Durbin (43) of Bowling Green was operating a 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier heading southbound on KY 185 when he crossed over the center line and side-swiped a 2001 Ford Crown Vic of the Edmonson County Sheriff Department being operated by Deputy Walter Ritter, who was traveling northbound.  Deputy Ritter initiated his emergency equipment and attempted to stop Mr. Durbin, who failed to yield.  Durbin continued south for a short distance, where he did a u-turn and continued for a short distance further before stopping for Deputy Ritter.  The Kentucky State Police was notified and requested to work the collision.

Deputy Ritter said when Durbin finally stopped, he asked Durbin if everything was ok. According to Deputy Ritter, Durbin replied, "I need some help, I think I just hit somebody." Deputy Ritter then informed Mr. Durbin that he was the one that had been hit.

There was only minor damage to the county police cruiser and there were no reported injuries.
 
Durbin was arrested and lodged in the Butler County Jail.  He was charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs 1st Offense, Fleeing or Evading Police 1st Degree, Careless Driving, One Headlight, Failure to Render Aid, and Failure to Notify Address Change to DOT.
 
The investigation is still ongoing and being led by Trooper Michael Wathen.

Edmonson Voice Staff

A large crowd was on hand at today's fiscal court meeting as representatives from the Hellervik Oil Field Services in North Dakota addressed the court with the intentions of purchasing the Rocky Hill Natural Gas Processing Plant, currently owned by Atmos Energy.  Residents from Rocky Hill also attended to voice their concerns and ask questions.

Mr. Gary Mennard, spokesman, presented the group's notions of the purchase with hopes of securing $3-4 million in bonds from the county. The bonding would come at no county risk, and the company wants the benefit of the many gas wells in Rocky Hill to remain in the county. The group said that natural gas is 50-60% cheaper than propane and electric heat. 

Some Rocky Hill residents weren't too receptive with the presentation at first. There was a previous lawsuit between some land owners and Atmos Energy, with an original judgement in favor of the land owners in the amount of $30 million dollars, however, that decision was overturned on appeal which left landowners with nothing. There were several questions and concerns. 

One resident stated, "I can't even sit on my front porch because of the noise of this plant when it's running." Magistrate Joe Durbin asked Mennard would county residents be hired or would the company look elsewhere? Mennard said that there would be some specialized jobs that would require experience and extensive training that would probably come from somewhere else, but that 20-25 quality paying jobs would be offered first to county residents. 

Mennard also addressed the noise issue. He said there were already acoustic engineers looking at sound barriers to be constructed around the plant by way of trees, shrubbery, and even sound-deadening rock. Other representatives of the company suggested having community meetings to address other concerns, as they wanted residents to know that they feel there will be great benefit to the county once they purchase the plant.

Mennard also noted that running a main gas line to the Edmonson Industrial Park would attract businesses and other industry as natural gas is a much more effective way to heat industrial buildings than electricity. Judge Cannon noted that he was in the process of researching bonding procedure and the issue would be discussed at the next fiscal court meeting.

Back Payments of Unemployment Update:
Judge Cannon also updated the court on the ongoing issue with the county's back payments of unemployment insurance. As for now, it appears as though the county may have dodged a huge bullet. According to Cannon, the county's current insurance agency has requested documentation on how the payments are currently being made, and being that the documentation suffices, the county wouldn't have to pay the back payments, originally estimated at $8,000 to $12,000. This supposedly would allow a former county employee who has filed for unemployment as she wasn't re-hired in 2015, to draw her pay. 

The court also read a statement from Lannie Deweese, School Transportation Director in regards to school bus access to Lauren Way, a private road that has requested to be adopted into the county road system. Deweese's statement said that there needed to be adjustments made to the entrance in order to secure bus safety. Magistrate Joe Durbin said he would discuss with the property owner and report later to the court.

County Road Foreman Ray Page reported that his department was glad to see that the snow was gone and that there had been many repairs and upkeep to county equipment since the brutal snowstorm. He requested authority to hire one full time seasonal employee and 2 part time employees for the upcoming mowing season. The court granted his request and the job description would be posted later.

County Extension Agent David Embry presented his office's budget proposal for the fiscal year which was increased $6800 from last year. The increase was due to office employees benefit expenses being higher this year. Embry said, "We'll work with however the court can work with us," as he thanked the court for hearing his proposal. The court needed more information on the benefit packages and wanted to discuss further after some research.

Little League Program Director:

Judge Cannon reported that there had been 5 good applicants for the new Little League Program Director, 3 of which were granted interviews. Upon the judge's recommendation, the court agreed to hire Greg Hudson, a current Baseball/Softball Board Member. We spoke with Director Hudson and will have a full story on this issue later.

Jailer Hank Vincent also presented his new budget, one that was over $32,000 higher than the previous year. Vincent said that the increase was due to a larger number of inmates as well as inmates' medical expenses, which the county is liable for while in custody. A resident asked Deputy Wally Ritter, "What are you guys doing to cause all these people to go to jail? He quickly responded, "Our job." The budget passed.

The County also renewed the contract with Leitchfield Exterminating for county offices and also agreed to begin the hiring process for 2-5 part time parks and rec concession workers at minimum wage and one overseer at $9/hr.

Darren Doyle,
Story and Photo

(Roundhill, KY)-  On Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at approx. 4:44 pm the Kentucky State Police Post 3 Bowling Green received a report of a single vehicle injury collision on KY 185 in Butler County.
 
The preliminary investigation indicates that Angela Sowders (54), of Roundhill, KY was operating a red 2007 Chrysler van and was traveling northbound on Reedyville Road when she crossed the centerline and veered off onto the south shoulder of the roadway where she then collided with a tree.
 
Mrs. Sowders was pronounced dead at the scene by the Butler County Coroner Marty Jones.  Mrs. Sowders was wearing her seat belt at the time of the collision and alcohol is not believed to be a factor.
 
The investigation is still ongoing and is being led by Trooper Kevin Mayfield.

Edmonson Voice Staff

Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, March 17, 2015. The Honorable Judge John M. McCarty, presiding.

Denton J Roberson, Speeding 12 mph over limit. Pleaded guilty, deferred for one year. License to be in possession, pleaded guilty. Fined $50. Operating on suspended/revoked operator's license, dismissed without prejudice. Total fines and cost, $193.

Charles Christoper Vibbert, Assault, 2nd degree. Failed to appear. Bench warrant issued, $1000 cash.

Timothy Doyle McGrew, Menacing, pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference for 7/7/15.

Deborah Ann Cowles, Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs, 1st offense. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference for 6/23/15. Careless driving, pleaded not guilty. Failure to produce insurance card, pleaded guilty. Fined $50.

Dillard M Meredith, One headlight, No tail lamps, Obstructed vision and/or windshield, pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial conference for 3/31/15.

Melissa Carmen Cole, Disregarding traffic control device, traffic light. Signed order for dismissal. 

Lisa Jo Hardin, Speeding 15mph over limit, deferred for 1 year, review in 60 days. No/expired KY registration receipt. Proof shown, dismissed without prejudice. No/expired registration plates. Proof shown, dismissed without prejudice. 

Timothy J Hampton, Reckless driving, sentenced to traffic school. Speeding 26mph or greater over limit, merge into charge one. Failure to wear seatbelt, pleaded guilty. Total fines and cost $168.

Megan C Mattingly, Reckless driving, sentenced to traffic school. Speeding 26 mph or greater over limit, merge into charge 1. Failure to produce insurance card, proof shown, dismissed without prejudice. Court cost $143.

Gregory Doan, Theft by unlawful taking or disposition of all others under $500. Pleaded guilty. Criminal mischief, 3rd degree, pleaded guilty. Possession of burglary tools, pleaded guilty.  12 months in jail, ordered to serve 90 days with credit of time already served. Remaining days probated for 2yrs with no additional theft-related offense. Pay reasonable restitution as ordered to do so. Court costs $184.

Shannon Faye Ravencraft,  Theft by deception including cold checks under $500. Paid, dismissed without prejudice as per county attorney.

The Edmonson County Board of Education met March 9, 2015 at the Edmonson County Middle School.
Principal Brandon Prunty presented students and staff with Certificates of Appreciation for outstanding work.

Front Left to right:  Staff:  Robert "Hoppy" Decker, Students; Madison McCombs, Spencer Bass, Morgan Clubb, Chanley Logsdon, Lauren Ballance, Elijah Merryman. Samantha Massey. Back:  Principal Brandon Prunty, (Parent Chris Lindsey, not present) photo by ECBOE

Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, March 10, 2015. The Honorable Judge Renona Carol Browning presiding.

Denton J Roberson, Theft of services. Pleaded guilty. 90 days in jail, all but 15 days suspended for 2 years on no similar offense. Restitution of $300 due by 5/15/15. Credit for 5 days served, 10 more to serve plus 40hrs of community service to be completed by 7/28/15. Court costs $154. 

Alloy A Logan, Speeding 26mph over limit. Pleaded guilty, amended to 20mph over limit, sentenced to traffic school. Reckless driving, merged into count one. Court costs of $143.

Erica A Meredith, License to be in possession. Dismissed without prejudice. Failure to produce insurance card, pleaded guilty, fined $50. No/expired registration plates, pleaded guilty, fined $25. Total fines and costs $218. 

Aaron J Martin, Rear license not illuminated, pleaded guilty, fined $25. No operator's/moped license, pleaded guilty, fined $50. Total costs and fines $218. 

Phillip Ray Seaton, No/expired registration plates. No/expired KY registration receipt. Both dismissed without prejudice.

Peggy Farris, Theft by deception-including cold checks under $500. Continued to 3/24/15.

Zachery D Hogan, Custodial interference, pleaded not guilty. Preliminary hearing for 3/24/15 at 10am.

Steven W Embry, Wanton endangerment 1st degree. Pleaded not guilty, bond modified to $10,000 personal surety. Preliminary hearing for 3/24/15 10am, public attorney appointed.

Sheriff Shane Doyle gave the February activity report at the fiscal court meeting on Monday. He reported the following:

You can visit the Sheriff's Department Facebook Page by CLICKING HERE.

The Fiscal Court meeting was loaded with a full plate yesterday as several items on the agenda created discussion in addition to the unemployment payment issue we reported earlier. 

The court heard from County Road Foreman Ray Page with an update of his department's busy week with the winter weather.  Page reported that the road department not only worked a regular shift last Wednesday, they returned back to work at 8pm that night and worked 24 hours straight, doing their best to keep the roads clean. 

He reported that crews worked through several equipment breakdowns and at one time, only two out of five trucks were capable of being on the road. Page noted that there may have been some roads that didn't get all the needed attention but said the department did their very best, even through the mechanical troubles. "We don't want the public to think we were just setting at the shop not doing anything...we were busting our rumps," he said. Several members of the court commended him and his department on a tireless effort. 

Judge Cannon updated the court on the status of hiring a new Little League Director. He said the county would be accepting applications through Weds, March 11th, and expected to have 5-6 qualified applicants to choose from. 

Emergency Management Director Pat Prunty reported that the county had requested financial assistance from FEMA during the recent snow/ice storm in the amount of around $45,000. With the most recent storm also causing flooding in the county, the chances of the county recouping some expense during the hazardous conditions increased. He said that although the full amount would be doubtful, anything will help. He also reported on the recent rescue and recovery effort with the submerged vehicle at Green River Ferry. Prunty praised the effort of all emergency personnel involved during the accident.

EMS Director Keith Sanders reported that the Ambulance Service's request for help from the National Guard during the winter storm was somehow dropped. The National Guard gave no explanation, but luckily there were no ambulance runs where EMS couldn't gain access, Sanders said. 

The court also heard from Kevin Gearlds, Branch Manager for KY Highway Maintenance and Construction. He informed the court of the state's upcoming plans to repave selected secondary state highways within the county for 2015-16. Plans are to provide resurfacing and drainage work on Union Light - Dog Creek Road (KY 1015) at the intersection of KY 728, extending North to the Hart Co line, as well as the same work for Big Reedy Road (KY 238) from KY 185 to Huff Ridge Road. The projects are state funded and are expected to cost over 1.2 million dollars.

Gearlds was also asked by District 4 magistrate Edd Rich about the possibilities of a traffic or caution light at the junction of KY 259 and KY 70 at the new Dollar General Store. Gearlds said there was very specific and detailed criteria in order for the state to install lights, but he would begin a request for research for the intersection.

The court also:

• Heard from Dist 2 magistrate Joe Durbin on the adoption of Lauren Way (Hidden Springs Subdivision) on New Grove Road into the county road system. Durbin said there were still a couple issues to discuss with the developer, but most everything seemed to be in place so far.
  
• Discussed lowering the rent of the Community Center from $50 to $25 for events not needing use of the kitchen
• Approved KACTFO Conference for the Judge and Treasurer to attend. It is a training conference for treasurers and financial officers.
• Approved county treasurer report for February
• Approved magistrates training at the KMCA Conference in Louisville.

Edmonson Voice Staff

Yesterday, Judge Cannon informed the fiscal court of an almost 30 year-old unemployment payment error that has just now surfaced. The error could end up costing the county as much as $12,000 or more. 

What Happened?
According the county's insurance provider, state records show that no unemployment insurance payments have been made for any County Clerk employee since at least 1979. This was discovered when Amy Thornhill, former employee of the County Clerk's office, recently filed for unemployment soon after she was not re-hired for 2015. She worked in the office from 2006 until December of 2014. According to Judge Cannon, the state cannot pay Thornhill her unemployment since none has been paid on her behalf, nor any other County Clerk employee.

Whose Fault Is This?
Cannon said that sometime prior to 1979, the Clerk's office turned portions of their payroll duties to the fiscal court. Somewhere in that transfer, the unemployment insurance payments for Clerk's Office employees somehow got lost in transition. The first question that comes to mind, is who's fault is this?

"If we dug around enough, I'm sure we'll find where the ball was dropped," said Cannon. "I think we'd find that it was in the neighborhood of 1979 or so, but nobody ever caught it simply because no one has filed for unemployment since then." 

Cannon also noted that at this point, the focus doesn't need to be on blame, it's simply fixing the problem. "Blame is not going to accomplish what we need to do. We need to do whatever it takes to fix it. I'm not interested in pointing a finger at an administration from all those years ago, or the one from last year. It's just as much my fault as it is any administration's fault, because I don't think I would have caught it, either."

How Did It Go Unnoticed? 
With all the scrutiny that county government offices often face from state auditors, how did something like this go undetected? Cannon says that more than likely, the auditors are looking for very specific things, most of which are a far cry from failing to make unemployment payments. "I'm sure auditors would never dream of a county government not paying in something like this," he said. "The county writes a huge check every year for unemployment insurance, however, the amount that should be paid on Clerk's Office employees isn't that large compared with the total amount. It's just something that got overlooked a long time ago."

Cannon said that changes have already been made to the county system. He said that each payroll record of all county employees will be examined quarterly to prevent future mistakes of this kind. 

What's The Total Bill?
Cannon says that's hard to say. Depending on what the state requires the county to do will determine the final amount. If the county is required to back-pay the insurance from the start of Thornhill's employment, it could be as much as $12,000. There are several variables that could increase that amount as well as decrease it. "In some instances, the state only goes back five years." said the Judge. "If that's the case, we're looking at maybe $8,000 or so, but no matter what it is, we've just got to grit our teeth and do it because we have to fix our problems."

He said everything from this point hinges on what the state decides to do. No one currently knows what the outcome of Thornhill's attempt to draw unemployment will be, or how long the holdup will continue. "The wheels turn slow in Frankfort, and they haven't even contacted us directly, yet. We know what we know right now because of our insurance company, who's working with us."

Darren Doyle, story and photo

Edmonson District Court was held on March 3, 2015. The Honorable Judge Renona Carol Browning, presiding.

Amanda D Rosenberger, Failure to wear seat belts. Pleaded guilty, fined $25. Failure to produce insurance card, dismissed without prejudice. Show cause hearing for 3/17/15.

Michael A Brown, Improper start from parked position, Failure to wear seat belts. Prepayable, paid on 3/2/15.

Brandon Embry, License to be in possession. No operator's/moped license. Failure to produce insurance card. No/expired KY registration receipt. No/expired registration plates. Failure to wear seat belts. Continued to 3/17/15.

Sarah A Webb, Operating on suspended/revoked operator's license, pleaded guilty. Pretrial conference for 5/12/15. No/expired registration plates, dismissed without prejudice. No/expired KY registration receipt, dismissed without prejudice. Failure to produce insurance card, dismissed without prejudice. License to be in possession, dismissed without prejudice. 

Amanda R Webb, No/expired registration plates, No/expired KY registration receipt, Failure to wear seat belts. All dismissed without prejudice. 

Burt A Houchin, No/expired KY registration receipt, No expired registration plates. Both dismissed without prejudice. Failure to produce insurance card, pleaded guilty, fined $50. Total fines and court cost, $193. Show cause hearing for 3/17/15.

Jessica L Detwiler, Failure to produce insurance card. No/expired KY registration receipt. No/expired registration plates, Failure to notify address change to dept of transportation. Pleaded not guilty to all. Pretrial conference for 3/17/15.

Michael W Glass, No/expired registration plates, No expired KY registration receipt. Both dismissed without prejudice. 

Hershel E Beck III, No/expired registration plates, No expired KY registration receipt. Both dismissed without prejudice. 

Karen M Turner, No/expired registration plates, No/expired KY registration receipt, failure to notify address change to dept of transportation, failure to register transfer of motor vehicle. Pleaded not guilty to all. Pretrial conference for 4/28/15.

Ricky A Smith, No/expired registration plates, no/expired KY registration receipt, failure to produce insurance card. Proof shown on all counts, all dismissed without prejudice. 

Ninna N Self, No/expired registration plates, no/expired KY registration receipt. Failed to appear, notice sent to dept. of transportation.

Rye A. Davis, No/expired registration plates, no/expired KY registration receipt. Both dismissed without prejudice.

Thomas M Minton, Operating on suspended/revoked operator's license. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference for 3/31/15.

Michael Scott Finn, Speeding 15mph over limit, plead guilty. Fined $30. Operating on suspended/revoked operator's license, proof shown, dismissed without prejudice. Total fines and costs, $173. Show cause hearing for 3/17/15.

Cody Allen Browning, One headlight, dismissed without prejudice. No/expired KY registration receipt, dismissed without prejudice. Failure of owner to maintain required insurance/security 1st. Pleaded guilty. Fined $500, suspended $450 of amount for 2yrs on no similar offense. Failure to register transfer of motor vehicle, dismissed without prejudice. Total fines and costs, $193. Show cause hearing for 3/31/15.

Richard D Kline, Sr, Speeding 26mph over limit, plead guilty. Fined $52. Reckless Driving, dismissed without prejudice. Total costs and fines, $195, paid.

Tonya L Tibbs, No/expired KY registration receipt, no/expired registration plates, failure to produce insurance card. All dismissed without prejudice. 

Clinton L Phelps,  No/expired KY registration receipt, no/expired registration plates, both dismissed without prejudice. Failure to produce insurance card, pleaded guilty. Fined $50. Total fines and costs, $193, paid.

Troy Gravil, No/expired KY registration receipt, no/expired registration plates, failure to produce insurance card. All dismissed without prejudice. 

Gregory Doan, Theft by unlawful taking or disposition all others under $500, criminal mischief 3rd degree, possession of burglary tools. Continued to 3/17/15. Defendant currently lodged in Laurel County Detention Center, London, KY, transportation order filed.

Michael Scott Finn, Speeding 21mph over limit, pleaded guilty, sentenced to traffic school. Failure to produce insurance card, dismissed without prejudice. One headlight, no/expired KY registration receipt, both dismissed without prejudice. Court costs $143, show cause hearing for 3/31/15.

April I Mistelske, speeding 10mph over limit, dismissed without prejudice.

Glenda Lou Barger, No/expired registration plates. Failed to appear, notice sent to dept of transportation. 

Travis Paul Wayne Pike, Rear license not illuminated, operating on suspended/revoked license, failure to produce insurance card. Failed to appear, Bench warrant issued, $1000 cash.

Shauna F McStoots, Failure of owner to maintain required insurance/security 1st, proof shown, dismissed without prejudice. 

Andy Ray Detmeiler, Booster seat violations, dismissed without prejudice. Failure to wear seatbelt, pleaded guilty, fined $25, paid. 

Ricky N Mulliken, Harassing communications, pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference for 3/17/15.

Cody D Brady, Operating Motor vehicle under influence of alcohol under 21 years of age. Pleaded not guilty. No operator's license, pleaded not guilty. Public attorney appointed. 

Richard Wayne Reddish, alcohol intoxication in a public place, 1st and 2nd offense. Pleaded guilty, fined $25. Total costs and fines, $209. Show cause hearing for 5/12/15.

Corby Isenberg, 1st degree possession of controlled substance/drug unspecified, 1st offense. Pleaded not guilty. Possession of marijuana, pleaded not guilty. Use/possess drug paraphernalia, pleaded not guilty. Preliminary hearing for 3/17/15.

Troy Reed Dennison, Criminal trespassing, 3rd degree. Pleaded not guilty, pretrial conference for 3/17/15.

Dolly M Dennison, Criminal trespassing, 3rd degree. Pleaded not guilty, pretrial conference for 3/17/15.

Gabrielle M Vincent, Alcohol intoxication in a public place, 1st and 2nd offense. Pleaded guilty, fined $25. Total fines and costs, $209. Show cause hearing for 5/12/15.

Suprena Marie Vincent, Alcohol intoxication in a public place, 1st and 2nd offense. Pleaded guilty, fined $25. Total fines and costs, $209, paid. 

Kyle Andrew Lawrence, Operating a motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs, 1st offense, pleaded not guilty. Possess open alcohol beverage container in a motor vehicle, pleaded not guilty. Careless driving, pleaded not guilty. Disregarding stop sign, pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference for 3/17/15.

Harder was detained first after attempting to escape, and then after a very brief standoff, the SRT deployed flash-bang grenades and tear gas into the residence, forcing Patton to surrender.  After obtaining consent to search the residence, a gun, some drugs, and methamphetamine precursor was found.  Officers had to use personal respirators due to the tear gas in the home.  

Sheriff Shane Doyle, who coordinated the bust gave credit to a complete team effort. "We're very proud to be able to work with all these other agencies. Any time local, state, and federal officers can work together, the county benefits." 

The DESI division is carrying all new charges due to the location of the residence being partly in Edmonson County and partly in Grayson County.  Both Patton and Harder were indicted by a Grand Jury in February, and due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, the indictment was sealed.  The Sheriff's Department's case involved methamphetamine trafficking via undercover drug buys.  The US Dept. of Homeland Security is also considering Federal prosecution on the firearm charge, because of the previous felonies that are on Patton's record.

Since the Sheriff's Office withdrew from the Drug Task Force last fall, some county residents have voiced concerns about the ability to fight drug activity. "We are committed to fighting against the drug problems that face our county," Doyle said. "Methamphetamine is a plague on our nation and we are trying to do our part to fight it."

Edmonson Voice Staff

Daylight Savings time officially begins at 2:00am on Sunday morning, but it's easier to set your clocks forward before you go to bed. Don't forget!

Issued by The National Weather Service In Louisville, KY Sat, Mar 7, 8:56 am CST

The Flood Warning continues for the Green River at Brownsville until Sunday Morning, March 8th.   At 8:45am this morning (Saturday) the stage was 22.8ft. Flood stage is 18ft. Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is being forecast.

Green River will continue to fall to below flood stage by tonight, impact at 21ft. Mammoth Cave/Green River Ferries remain closed. This crest compares to a previous crest of 23ft on February 18th, 2003. 

Above: As most are happy to see the snow begin to melt, all the water eventually makes it's way into the river, which in addition to the previous rain, has caused flooding. 

Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 40's with sunny skies today with a low around 30. Even warmer weather is in the forecast tomorrow with highs in the mid 50's. 

The melting snow should make for good snowman material over the next couple of days, so let's see those snowman pics! Send to: [email protected].

D.Doyle, story and photos

We were out and about today, checking on a very quiet county as anywhere from 7-12 inches fell in Brownsville and southward, and 12-16 inches north of town. Areas that received more snowfall actually have better road conditions because there was no major ice on the roadways, which allowed snow plows to be more effective there. Did you get out in the snow today? Send us your pics, you might make the news today!

When a vehicle drove off the end of Green River Ferry on Tuesday and immediately became submerged in the icy waters, emergency personnel started working together, literally within minutes.  Mammoth Cave Officials reported that the call for help came in at 2:14 pm, and almost immediately, Park Rangers were on the scene. They were the first of what would be a huge number of emergency responders working together to recover the vehicle and any passengers.

Pat Prunty, director of Edmonson County Emergency Management was on scene, helping to coordinate the rescue effort. "Everyone there was ready to work the second they arrived. All the manpower and equipment was ready to go from the start," Prunty said of all the agencies present. 

At the scene, a large team immediately formed, made up of Edmonson County's Rescue Squad, EMS, and members from several county fire departments. In addition to US Park Rangers, The Warren County Rescue Squad and Dive Team were also present, along with the Barren County Dive Team, the Austin Tracy VFD (equipped with a rescue boat), Barren County Emergency Management, KY Regional Emergency Management, and Walker Wrecker Service.

"Whatever needed to be done, was done," Prunty said. "The current was so swift, it was simply too dangerous for the divers to go down and hook to the vehicle." Prunty said that divers would go under with a tow cable in hand, only to be washed downstream, far away from the vehicle. Prunty said that the vehicle was finally removed when a drag was created with the tow cable, hooking to the vehicle, which allowed the wrecker to pull it out. Rescuers worked 7 hours straight in the effort.

Two victims were found inside the vehicle, both deceased. "Even though the end result was tragic, at least the family members can have closure during this difficult time," said Prunty. "We did everything that could be done, thankfully we were able to recover the vehicle before the winter storm hit. It would have been nearly impossible to find the vehicle in those conditions."

One source said that the vehicle was a late 90's minivan and that the victims were from Hart County, but Mammoth Cave Officials did not confirm that. The names of the victims are being withheld until proper family has been notified. 

It's round two of severe winter weather, as yesterday's rain gradually turned to freezing rain, sleet, then snow. As of 7am this morning, total accumulations for Edmonson County have ranged anywhere from 7 to 10 inches of snow on top of 1/2 to 1 inch of ice. 

All County offices are closed today as well as:
Bank of Edmonson County
Jones and Gravil Tax Service
Edmonson County Conservation District Office

Edmonson County Sheriff Shane Doyle advises everyone to stay home today. "We'll be checking on various parts of the county as always, but road conditions are obviously extremely dangerous today. Unless it's an absolute emergency, please stay inside until these conditions improve."

Mammoth Cave National Park Public Information Officer Vickie Carson told the Edmonson Voice that at 2:14 pm today, a Green River Ferry Operator radioed Park Law Enforcement when a vehicle became submerged in the river.

According to the ferry operator, the vehicle stopped at the edge of the water and waited for the operator to drop the ferry apron onto the pavement. The operator then motioned the vehicle forward onto the ferry, but the vehicle did not stop nor appear to slow down, exiting the back of the ferry, plunging into the ice cold water. The water level was approximately 11 feet deep at the ferry's operating route.

Rescue personnel from Edmonson and Barren Counties were still on scene at press time, and dive teams were searching for the driver and possible passengers. The make and model of the vehicle was not released, and it was not known if there were any passengers other than the driver.  One source said the vehicle was possibly a van, but Park Officials did not confirm that. 

UPDATE: The vehicle was located at 4:42 p.m., about 50' downstream from the ferry, submerged in 16 feet of water. Divers attached a tow truck cable to the vehicle to pull it to shore.  The vehicle was pulled from the river at 7:45 p.m.  Two adult occupants were deceased. Release of further information is pending notification of next of kin.

Green River Ferry will open on a delayed schedule on Wednesday morning.

Edmonson Voice Staff