​15 WKU STUDENTS INDUCTED INTO PHI ETA SIGMA HONOR SOCIETY
 
The Western Kentucky University chapter of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society inducted 15 at its Spring 2016 Induction Ceremony on March 28 at WKU’s Downing Student Union.

The oldest and largest freshman honor society, Phi Eta Sigma encourages and rewards academic excellence among freshmen in institutions of higher learning. To be eligible for membership, full-time freshmen must earn a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 in at least one semester and rank in the upper 20 percent of their class.

Induction into the Society is an outward recognition of academic accomplishment and serves as an incentive for continued high scholarship. Induction confers lifetime membership.

A local WKU student, Katlyn Cross, was one of the fifteen inductees. She is the daughter of Jeff and Billie Jean Cross of Mammoth Cave.
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Other inductees are Jordan Barbagallo of Mount Washington; James Britton of Nashville, Tennessee; Lindsay Crockett of White House, Tennessee; Haley Elmore of Morgantown; Kaleb Hampton of Glasgow;Tanner Harden of Villa Hills; Brennan Malone of Tell City, Indiana; Kristen Ostendorf of Fort Mitchell; Sadie Peters of Elizabethtown; Emily Pride of Bowling Green; Sally Smith of Hopkinsville; Emily Tyler of Bowling Green; Carissa Waller of Brentwood, Tennessee; and Danielle Walters of Russell Springs.

​Edmonson County Sheriff Shane Doyle has released the activity report for the month of February, 2016.
He reported the following: ​

Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, March 29, 2016. The Honorable Judge John M. McCarty, presiding.

Todd Alan Corzine, No operator's/moped license. Operating on suspended/revoked operator's license. Pleaded not guilty to both charges. Continued 4/26/16.

Joseph D Ryan Sr: Assault, 2nd degree. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial hearing 4/19/16.

Joseph D Ryan II: Assault, 2nd degree. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial hearing 4/19/16.

Nathaniel G Ryan: Assault, 2nd degree. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial hearing 4/19/16.

Cory W Lindsey, Disregarding stop sign. Convicted felon in possession of handgun. Pleaded not guilty to both. Pretrial hearing 4/5/16.

Amy M. Davis, Driving on DUI suspended license-1st offense. Pleaded not guilty. Continued 5/24/16.

Ashley Nicole Doan, One headlight, proof shown, dismissed. Failure to produce insurance card, continued 4/26/16. No/expired KY registration receipt, proof shown, dismissed. Failure to notify address change to dept of transportation, proof shown, dismissed.

Kateline E Metcalfe, Speeding 17mph over limit. Failed to appear, notice sent to dept. of transportation.

John Robert Meredith, Failure of owner to maintain required insurance/security 1st. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference 4/26/16.

Jason L Dague, Fugitive-warrant not required, two counts. Signed waiver of extradition.

Amanda Rosenberger, Theft of services. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial hearing 4/26/16.

Edmonson County High School recently received recognition for increasing the number of students that are college and career ready, as part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky commitment toward increased college and career readiness rates among graduates statewide within five years.

In 2011, superintendents and local board members signed the commitment pledging to increase the college and career readiness rate of high school graduates by 50% by 2015. While all districts statewide have made progress toward their individual goal, others made significant improvement, such as Edmonson County High.

ECHS exceeded their goal for college and career readiness as set forth in the commonwealth Commitment and has steadily increased the number of students that are college and career ready each year. 

A statement from ECHS said "Dedicated efforts by everyone in the district on increased communication about what college and career readiness means for high school graduates and the future has guided the focus on ensuring every high school student has a plan for success in their post-secondary endeavors, in the job market and life."

Assistant Principal Patricia Sharp was humbled by the recognition and gave credit to the ones that she said made things happen. "Our teachers and Mr. Meredith have worked really hard focusing on college and career readiness for all our kids," she said. "Including the testing we have and the focus there, plus, we actually meet with kids and talk about career plans. There are many factors that have helped us earn this recognition. We might be the ones in the picture, but teachers, counselors, parents, and so many others helped us."

Darren Doyle, story and photo
A Chalybeate woman suffered a painful back injury in a single vehicle accident yesterday on Otter Gap Road. Deputies said that Patty Ramsey, 56, was driving west in a 2005 Chrysler van at 3:50pm Monday afternoon when she met another vehicle on the narrow road that was in her lane.

According to reports, Mrs. Ramsey slipped off the very narrow shoulder of the roadway as she tried to avoid the oncoming vehicle, but because of the steep embankment, she lost control of the van as it slammed down to the ground below and crashed into a small group of trees.

"The laws of physics don't explain why her van didn't flip," said Sheriff Shane Doyle. "I've worked literally hundreds of wrecks and it doesn't make sense why she stayed upright unless you factor in Divine Intervention."

She was transported to the Medical Center in Bowling Green by Edmonson EMS where she was diagnosed with a cracked vertebrae. She was treated and released.

Family members said the oncoming vehicle didn't stop and because things happened so quickly, Mrs. Ramsey failed to get a good description of the vehicle. 

"These narrow back roads are barely big enough for two cars," Doyle said. "This accident could've been much worse. Please slow down, pay attention, and stay in your lane."

Darren Doyle
​​Several residents over the past couple of years have voiced concerns and opinions for the need of a traffic signal at the junction of KY HWY 259 N and HWY 70 (Morgantown Rd) at Riverhill near the Dollar Store entrance.

Over a year ago, the Edmonson County Fiscal Court asked the KY Transportation Cabinet to research the possibility of the need for a traffic signal at the location, whether in the form of a three-light signal, or a caution signal. 

Three representatives from the department attended Fiscal Court yesterday and reported on what was found. They said that over the past year, the location has been watched and studied by state officials to see if the number of crashes or mishaps at the location could be helped or prevented by the addition of a safety device of some nature there.

They reported that as a result of their findings, no signal nor device was necessary according to the state's requirements. 

They did note, that during the construction of the northbound left turning lane to HWY 70 from 259, the Dollar Store was in it's original location, several hundred feet above the intersection. It was after construction was completed that the Dollar Store built a new location at the intersection, causing confusion for some drivers headed south. There is no left hand turning lane going into the Dollar Store.

Still think the number of accidents there are too high? According to statistics from 2015, there were a total of 235 reported accidents in Edmonson County. A total of 189 of those were accidents with property damage (75%). There were 44 accidents with injuries (19%) and only 2 accidents had fatalities (.08%).

Out of the total number of 235 county accidents, only 10 of them occurred at the intersection (4%) and only one of those was an accident with an injury. So with only 4% of total county accidents at the location and less than one half of a percent of the total being accidents with injuries, it's not difficult to understand the state's decision.

"Any time you have a concentrated number of vehicles in one location you'll see a higher number of accidents there," said Sheriff Shane Doyle. "Most accidents in these areas have lower number of injuries because the speeds are lower due to the traffic congestion."

Darren Doyle
Kevin Gearals, Blake Williams, and Greg Meredith, representatives from Kentucky Highway Department, Division of Planning, presented their budget to fiscal court yesterday with totals exceeding 1.1 million dollars for improvements to secondary rural state roads for the next fiscal year.

The reps pointed out three major projects that would take up the majority of the funds. The first noted was plans to resurface 1.647 miles of KY 238 (Big Reedy Rd), beginning 2800ft south of the intersection with Huff Ridge Road extending north to the intersection with KY 185 at a cost of $171,350.

The second project will be the resurfacing of 1.684 miles of KY 1352 (Stockholm Rd), beginning at the intersection with Green river Ferry Rd extending north to the intersection with KY 1827 at a cost of $155,271.

The third was resurfacing 3.831 miles of KY 1339 (Fairview Ch Rd) beginning at the intersection with KY 259 extending south to the Barren County line at a cost of $284,017.

The remaining amount budgeted was $351,300 for routing maintenance for 88.9 miles of rural secondary roads, $3,862 from the county, and $142,401 allotted for county road flex funds.

Chris Aswad, assistant editor for the independent publisher Sunbury Press, reached out to the Edmonson Voice and told us that his company had recently published a fascinating book, Hairy Men in Caves: True Stories of America’s Most Colorful Hermits by Marlin Bressi, which is a collection of short biographies of hermits from all over America.

Aswad said that one of the Hermits included in book was from Kentucky, and actually lived in Edmonson County. He was known as “Pig Jack", and his story is quite unique.

He included the following excerpt from the book:

"One of the most peculiar fellows to ever call Edmonson County home was a moonshiner known as Pig Jack, who earned his nickname because he lived in a cave with a herd of swine. Pig Jack’s cave was located several miles from Brownsville in a lonesome and wild part of the county. He had taken up residence inside the cave because, in his own words, he “liked animals better than men.” He occupied his time by raising the swine that furnished his two most pressing needs—companionship and food. Pig Jack had a marked distaste for fresh produce; smoked pork and bacon constituted the entirety of his everyday diet. His long, matted hair and unkempt beard, along with the ragged clothing that appeared to have been made by his own hands, lent him the outward appearance of a veritable wild man.

One day in 1886 the thirty-five-year-old hermit ran afoul of the law. Though Pig Jack was as harmless as a newborn kitten, he was also a moonshiner, and Edmonson was a dry county. The hermit found himself hounded relentlessly by Deputy United States Marshal John Rule, and the beguiled lawman had a devil of a time trying to capture the elusive hermit. Rule tried time and time again to apprehend the notorious moonshiner, but Pig Jack had exceptional hearing and knew every nook and cranny of the woods like he knew the hairs on his favorite pig’s chin. Whenever the deputy marshal managed to get within sight of the hermit, Pig Jack would take off running into the wilderness and remain expertly hidden until the danger passed. It was like trying to catch a greased pig (no pun intended). As a result, the long arm of the law always ended up getting the short end of the stick.

Deputy Marshal Rule was determined to apprehend the moonshiner, however, and it became an all-consuming passion. From behind his desk he gathered his men and planned and plotted his attack, drawing maps and devising traps as if he were a general staging an invasion of a foreign land. The fruitless pursuit dragged on until winter and when the snows came, Deputy Marshal Rule set out once again to bring the wily hermit to justice.

Rule and his men canvassed the area until they discovered the whereabouts of Pig Jack’s well-hidden cave. Rule knew that the winter would be the ideal time to hunt for the cavern since it would no longer be concealed behind lush, thick vegetation. The hermit’s cave was abandoned, but Rule and his officers were able to follow Pig Jack’s footsteps. They mounted their horses and followed the moonshiner’s tracks for quite some distance until they found the man they were looking for. Pig Jack had been out shooting squirrels and, stopping to rest, had dozed off against a tree. Rule raised a finger to his lips to hush his colleagues, and the lawmen slowly and stealthily approached Pig Jack. One of the officers pounced upon the hermit, but the moonshiner wriggled his way out of the lawman’s grasp and took off running. The authorities followed on horseback in hot pursuit, but the nimble hermit outstripped his pursuers since the ground was too rocky and uneven for the horses. The lawmen considered waiting for the moonshiner to return to the cave but soon realized that the hermit, who was far more accustomed to the cold weather than the officers, would be able to outwait them.

Foiled once again, Deputy Marshal Rule went back to the drawing board and, after much brainstorming, the lawmen believed they had finally thought up a way to catch the hermit. Since Deputy Marshal Rule knew that he couldn’t catch Pig Jack on foot, he decided that he would smoke the hermit out of his own hiding place. Rule returned a few days later and directed his men to build a large fire at the mouth of the cave. When the flames had grown to sufficient height, damp leaves and sulphur were thrown onto the blaze, producing a thick cloud of foul, noxious smoke. The officers fanned the smoke into the mouth of the cave. The strategy worked, but perhaps it worked a little too well. A few moments later the hermit darted out of the cave and into the waiting arms of the authorities. Unfortunately, the hermit’s hurried exodus from the cave was followed by a stampede of dozens of frightened razorback pigs. What a sight that must have been; surprised lawmen scrambling for their lives, some of them frantically climbing up trees in order to avoid being trampled by hundreds of pounds of maniacal pork.  
​
Once the mayhem died down, Deputy Marshal Rule breathed a sigh of relief. After months of hard work, he had finally caught his man. On the 18th of December, the notable moonshiner and swine herder arrived at the county jail, in a state of wide-eyed amazement. Pig Jack had never been in a town before, and he marveled at the sight of Brownsville (pop. 1,000), which must’ve seemed like Midtown Manhattan at rush hour. Pig Jack, whose real name was Charles Meredith, was described as being “a genial, comical fellow” by his jailers, who also remarked that the hermit was full of reminiscences, and that, in spite his alleged disdain for humanity, he was a capital favorite among the prisoners at the jail."   

Marlin Bressi is an author from central Pennsylvania who specializes in offbeat and quirky history. In addition to authoring two non-fiction books (most recently Hairy Men in Caves: True Stories of America's Most Colorful Hermits in 2015), he is also the co-creator of the paranormal history website Journal of the Bizarre, and is the creator of the Pennsylvania Oddities blog.  

Book Summary:

Discover the hermit from Ohio who lived in a tree, the hermit from Iowa who shared a cave with a trained pig before becoming an elected judge, the hermit from California whose life was immortalized in a Nat King Cole hit song, the hermit from New York who shot Billy the Kid, the hermit from Massachusetts who went to school with King Edward, the hermit from Michigan who helped capture Jefferson Davis, the hermit from Washington who had an army of trained skunks as bodyguards, the hermit from Tennessee who was raised in the White House, the frog-eating hermit from New Hampshire who captured the emperor of India, the hermit from Kentucky whose name became a famous brand of whiskey, the hermit who was buried at Arlington National Cemetery and more! Hairy Men in Caves: True Stories of America's Most Colorful Hermits profiles the lives of 80 of the most eccentric hermits of the past three centuries. Published by Sunbury Press, it is the largest compendium of American hermits ever assembled.

You can order a copy of the book by clicking here.

​The Kentucky State Police Post 3 Bowling Green is requesting help in identifying a suspect of an Assault and Criminal Mischief investigation that occurred last at approx. 9:19 pm in Hart County.
 
The suspect was described to be a white male, approx. 6’00” tall, 250 pounds, with light brown hair, brown facial hair, and was wearing a blue short sleeve T-shirt with blue jeans.

Edmonson Voice Staff
Law enforcement officers were dispatched to Roundhill around 8:30pm Saturday night in response to a call of an assault that sent one victim to the hospital. The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office said the male victim, who remains unnamed, was intoxicated and had gotten involved in an argument with three men that started at one residence, but ended at the residence of the victim.

Deputies said the victim claimed that three men, Joseph Ryan, and his two sons,  Joseph Ryan II, and Nathaniel Ryan, all assaulted him at once, punching him in the face, holding him down and breaking his ring finger. He also said one of the men threatened to kill him. 

Deputies also said Joseph Ryan, 53, of Roundhill admitted to assaulting the man, as well as breaking his finger. He was arrested and charged with Assault, 2nd degree, a Class C Felony. 

The ECMS academic team made a strong showing in the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition Governor’s Cup State Finals.  The team entered the quick recall portion of the tournament as one of 48 teams from across the state and advanced to the state quarterfinals.  Quick recall competition in the Governor’s Cup State Finals begins with pool play matches and then moves on to a single elimination format. 
​
In round one of pool play, ECMS faced Winburn Middle School of Lexington, Kentucky.  Winburn was the defending state champion in quick recall.  ECMS raced out to an 8 to 1 lead by question 10 of the first half.  Winburn responded with 10 unanswered points to take the lead.  ECMS rebounded after timeout and held a 14 to 13 lead at half time.  ECMS started the second half strongly, but Winburn put together an awesome scoring run in the second half on its way to a 31 to 21 victory.

ECMS faced region 11 champion, Bardstown Middle School, in round 2.  The Wildcats played well throughout the first half and had a 14 to 5 lead at half time.  ECMS put together an 11 to 0 scoring run early in the second half on its way to a 31 to 14 victory.

In round three, ECMS faced Paducah Middle School.  ECMS dominated the game from the outset.  The Wildcats took a 20 to 8 lead into the second half. Many ECMS players saw action in the second half as the team won by a score of 30 to 14. 

​After round three, teams winning two games in pool play advanced to single elimination. Eight of the teams with perfect pool play records gained spots in the Sweet Sixteen.  A computer program generated placements for the remaining teams on the tournament bracket.  The new pairings showed that ECMS would face St. James School of Hardin County.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
Over 500 people came out to the first annual Parks & Rec Community Easter Egg Hunt today as toddlers to kids twelve years old raced across the fields at HWY 70 to fill their bags and baskets.

Program Director Greg Hudson was pleased with the turnout today and gave credit to the many volunteers that helped with the event. "These events are easy when you get the help we've received for this event," he said. "It gives me great pleasure to see so many work together to unite the community even if just for a brief moment."

Enjoy some of the many photos from the event.

Darren Doyle
In an ongoing effort to include more local youth in recreational programs, Edmonson County Parks & Rec is preparing for it's first annual Easter Egg hunt that will be held Saturday, March 26th, 11am, at the HWY 70 Sports Complex. 

Egg hunts are not uncommon this time of the year, but according to program administrator Greg Hudson, the local Parks & Rec in conjunction with several sponsors have worked hard to make this a unique and memorable experience for everyone.

Hudson said over 10,000 eggs will be ready for grabbing on four different ball fields. Fields one, two, and three will have 3,000 eggs each and the T-Ball field will have around 1,500.

Each field will host different age groups: ages 0-4, 5-8, 9-12, and the T-Ball field will host those with disabilities.

The most exciting part for egg-seekers is that many eggs will be filled with goodies such as McDonald's gift certificates for free burgers and fries, $10 and $20 gift cards from Walmart, and others with candy.

"All of this is being made possible through sponsors, volunteers, and donations," Hudson said. "Not one penny is being spent by Parks & Rec. Sponsored events like these allow us to promote our youth, while at the same time, it helps our limited budget to invest in future similar events."

Hudson also said that if the kids will turn in their eggs after the hunt, they will receive a large bag of candy in return. There will also be stuffed animals and other prizes available. 

The event is sponsored in part by Brownsville Missionary Baptist Church, Chalybeate Fire Department, McDonalds, PBI Bank, and Greg and Vicki Hudson.

"I'm really pleased with the support from the community on this," Hudson added. "We're excited and looking for a huge turnout."

The event is scheduled to start at 11am and signs will be posted to direct each age group to the appropriate fields.

(Smiths Grove, KY)-  The Kentucky State Police Post 3 Bowling Green received a request to attempt to locate a subject that was thought to be a murder suspect by the Louisville Metro Police Department in reference to a murder investigation in connection to the shooting of a female victim in the Louisville area this morning.

KSP said at approximately  8:37 am, Troopers Johnathan McChesney and Justin Rountree were observing on Interstate 65 at the 58 mile marker when the vehicle in question, a 2000 Nissan passenger car, came by them traveling southbound.  

It was also reported that Troopers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle where the suspect did not yield and attempted to flee.  KSP said he then led Troopers on a pursuit at a very high rate of speed through four counties until he lost control of his vehicle at the 40 mile marker where he spun out of control and wrecked off the right side of the roadway.

Edmonson District Court was held Tuesday, March 22, 2016. The Honorable Judge Renona Carol Browning, presiding.

Jason L Dague, Fugitive-Warrant not required, (two counts). Continued 3-29-16.

Amanda Belinda Willoughby, Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs 1st offense. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrical conference for 6-14-16. Failure to produce insurance card, dismissed. 

Teresa Cox Bush, No/expired registration plates. No/expired Ky registration receipt. Failure to produce insurance card. Failure of owner to maintain required insurance/security, 2nd or more offense. Failure to notify address change to dept. of transportation. Pleaded not guilty to all charges, pretrial conference for 4-5-16.

Damon Douglas Heltsley, Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs 1st offense. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial conference 4-19-16.

Charles M. Pendelton, Escaping contents, shifting/spilling loads. Court notice sent to defendant to appear. Continued 4-19-16.

Cory D Newton, speeding 15mph over limit. Failure to wear seat belts. Court notice sent for defendant to appear. Continued 4-5-16.

Michelle Ann Davidson, Theft by deception-including cold checks under $500. Pleaded guilty. Sentenced to 30 days in jail, suspended for 2 years on condition of no similar offense. $184 court cost and restitution paid.

Bobby J Ladd, Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs 1st offense. Possession of marijuana. Failure to wear seat belts. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial conference 6-14-16.

Tabitha Michelle Hewgley, Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs 1st offense. Failure to wear seat belts. Controlled substance prescription not in original container. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial conference 6-14-16.

Paul Lewis Bruton II, Burglary, 3rd degree. Pleaded not guilty. Theft by unlawful taking or disposition all others under $500. Pleaded not guilty. Preliminary hearing 4-5-16. Bond modified to $3,000 unsecured.

Most Christians are familiar with the reason Good Friday is celebrated, but for those who'd like a closer look at the religious holiday celebrated on Easter weekend, here are some excerpts from Wikipedia:

Good Friday is a Christian religious holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday, or Easter Friday, though the last term properly refers to the Friday in Easter week.

Good Friday is a widely instituted legal holiday in many national governments around the world, including in most Western countries (especially among Anglican and Catholic nations) as well as in 12 U.S. states. Some countries, such as Germany, have laws prohibiting certain acts, such as dancing and horse racing, that are seen as profaning the solemn nature of the day.

In observance of Good Friday, offices of the Judge Executive, Sheriff, County Clerk, and will be closed on Friday, March 25, 2016. The PVA's office along with the County Attorney, Child Support and Circuit Clerk's will be closing at noon.

The County Clerk's office will be closed on Saturday the 26th as well.

All emergency services will remain on their regular shifts this weekend.

Brownsville City Offices will also be closed on Friday.

Most other county and city businesses will be open, however.

Edmonson Voice Staff
Transportation Director of Edmonson Schools, Lannie Deweese is urging residents to be advised of the law concerning passing school buses. Deweese said there is a specific problem area within the city limits of Brownsville.

Deweese said that there have been four or five violations in the past three days within the three lane portion of HWY 259 (north, south, and turning lanes) from the Minit Mart to the post office.

"What we're seeing is that apparently drivers in the opposite lane don't realize that they have to stop when there are less than four lanes," Deweese said. "We urge everyone to understand that Kentucky law says unless there are four lanes or more, traffic has to stop in all directions for school buses that have activated their stop lights and equipment."

Deweese said the department has recently installed cameras on the outside of four buses that are capable of taking photos of license plates from vehicles of offenders. "As our budget allows, we hope to have these cameras installed on all buses soon." 

Deweese also noted the specific Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) on passing school buses:

Since all Edmonson County school buses run routes that are three lanes or less, when you see a school bus activate it's caution and stoplights, just stop. Sheriff Shane Doyle says the penalty for being caught not stopping for a school bus is steep.

"The first offense is a Class B misdemeanor, which carries up to 90 days in jail and a $250 fine," Doyle said. "The second offense is a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $500 and possibly one year in jail."

Doyle said the ultimate goal is to keep kids safe. "It only takes a few seconds to stop for a school bus," he said. "I know Chief Jewell and the city officers are working hard to enforce this law as well. If you're caught violating these laws, you will be issued a citation."

by Darren Doyle
A Hart County man has been arrested for what seems to be strange ways of acquiring wildlife, ways which are also illegal. 

The Edmonson County Sheriff's office received a complaint on March 8th of a burglary at Salings Taxidermy in Bee Spring, where a mount of a smallmouth bass belonging to Salings had been stolen. 

According to the sheriff's office, Paul Bruton, 40, of Munfordville, had scheduled an appointment with Salings for March 7th about getting one of his mounts reworked, but didn't show. Salings told the sheriff's office that he waited for Bruton, but had to leave to keep an appointment of his own.

Hours later,  Salings said he received a voicemail from Bruton that said he was at Salings' residence waiting for him, but Salings said he was unable to reach him. Salings said on the next day, he noticed that a smallmouth Bass mount was missing from his garage.

The sheriff's office said that after further investigation, they learned that before Bruton contacted Salings, he apparently visited another taxidermy shop in Leitchfield, asking questions about getting the same fish mount repainted. The following day it was discovered that the business had been burglarized and a large set of trophy deer antlers had been stolen.

Stolen fish mounts are one thing, but according to Kentucky State Police, the stolen antlers are in a world of their own.

Police said the antlers came from a farm-raised deer that was shot by a unnamed man who paid $25,000 to go on a guided, out-of-state hunt.

The Kentucky State Police received a call from a man who reported that he bought the antlers from Bruton for an undisclosed amount. According to KSP, the man became suspicious after the purchase. He said he thought they could have been stolen and called police.

Leitchfield Police said more charges could be pending with the antlers.

The sheriff's office also learned that there had been a burglary in the Wax community around the same time, where a walleye mount had been stolen. Suspecting Bruton, the sheriff's office found both the walleye and smallmouth mounts at Bruton's residence in Munfordville. The Kentucky State Police and KY Dept of Fish and Wildlife recovered the deer antlers at a separate undisclosed location. ​

Edmonson Voice Sports
Members of the iconic 1976 State Championship Team were honored in Rupp Arena this past Saturday, March 19, 2016 at this year's KHSAA Sweet Sixteen Boys State Tournament in Lexington.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the "Cinderella Team" that won the hearts of basketball fans around the state of Kentucky.

A true underdog story, the 1976 team coached by Bo Davenport is still talked about today. It's unheard of for a school the size of Edmonson County to win a regional tournament, much less a state title. Edmonson County has not won a boys district title since 1993, which puts even more of an emphasis on the amazing feat accomplished by the 1976 state champs.

Team members and former cheerleaders were recognized during games on Saturday to a warm welcome of fans in attendance.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
Five different fire departments were called out to a house fire on Red Cedar Lane, a small drive off of Otter Gap Road, at the home of Ronnie Jordan. 

The Chalybeate and Brownsville Departments responded first, but more trucks where requested when they began to run out of water. There were no accessible hydrants in the area.

Mr. Jordan, who was delivering newspapers in Bowling Green at the time of the fire, said he was told that a family member had burned some trash earlier that apparently got out of control later on. Jordan said he and his family had lived there for the past 15 years.

Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The Honorable Judge John M. McCarty presiding.

Paul Lewis Bruton II, Burglary, 3rd degree. Theft by unlawful taking or disposition, all others under $500. Continued next week.

Bobby J Ladd, Operating Motor Vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs, 1st offense. Possession of marijuana. Failure to wear seat belts. Bonded out for 3/22/16.

Tabitha Michelle Hewgley, Operating Motor Vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs, 1st offense. Controlled substance prescription not in original container. Failure to wear seat belts. Bonded out for 3/22/16.

John R McCord Jr, Operation of motor vehicle under influence of alcohol or drugs. Speeding 12mph over limit. Continue on 3/29/16.

David Tyrone Norris, Careless driving. Leaving scene of accident/failure to render aid or assistance. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial hearing for 4/26/16.

Gene Leo Duncan, Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs, 1st offense. Continued on 4/26/16.

Charles A Spillman, Failure to or improper signal. Obstructed vision and/or windshield. Failed to appear, notice sent to dept. of transportation.

Edmonson Voice Staff
When snow or other inclement weather causes schools to close, kids jump for joy, at least until they're still in school in or near June because of make up days. The Edmonson County School Board has announced that they will be implementing the NTI Program (Non-Traditional Instruction Program) into the 2016-17 school year, something that can eliminate some of those make up days.

The program will allow students to make up work at home after a total of 10 days missed, instead of adding a make up day to the school calendar. Director of Pupil Personnel Brian Alexander said there has been a growing trend in the program and that it has been successful in other local school systems.

"After missing 10 days, we'll be able to send work home with students and credit them a day of instruction," he said. "We will provide the proper avenues for parents to communicate with teachers during these days, whether it be through phone or email."

He also said that success of the program will rely heavily on cooperation with everyone, as the program requires a minimum of 95% participation within a school district in order to receive credit for the day. 94% or below will result in a wasted day that will have to be made up.

"It's important that everyone works together on this, if not, it won't work," Alexander said. "However, we feel like this will be a success here."

A recent survey held by the board showed 82% of the questionnaires in favor of implementing the program.