Darren Doyle, story:
A concerned local parent with multiple children in Edmonson County Schools emailed Superintendent Brian Alexander and Director of Facilities and Safety Callie Beliles yesterday with questions regarding current school safety protocols and measures.

The emails were also sent to the Edmonson Voice and all school principals, and Cassady, Beliles, and Alexander, all gave permission to share their conversations to help inform the community of the current practices and standards for Edmonson County Schools.

Marty Cassady, a Chalybeate resident, reminded the recipients that he spoke at a school board meeting in 2018 after the school shooting in Marshall County, KY, regarding the same concerns.

"At that meeting nearly 5 years ago, then-superintendent Patrick Waddell referenced 28 safety measures that were in progress of being implemented," Cassady's email stated. "In light of yet another shooting at an unguarded and unarmed elementary school this week, I am writing today to ask about the progress on those safety measures referenced a few years ago."

Cassady asked if ballistic film was present on all exterior doors of local schools, and if not, he asked why.

"I am sure budget will be one reason referenced regarding unimplemented safety measures. However, I see our school system spend many dollars on other items unrelated to enhancing student safety," he continued. "If we say that student safety is our number one priority, our budget spending should reflect that dedication."

He also asked for an update of the 28 safety measures that the former superintendent referenced.

Beliles responded with "last year we received safety funding from the Kentucky Center for Safe Schools and we were able to install a vast amount of that throughout the district, however funding did not allow for us to do all the doors. I have already reached out earlier to get a price on the remaining exterior doors to each campus."

She also added, "As to Mr. Waddell's 28 points that he would not discuss with you, I'm unsure what those points were. However, we are totally transparent as to the improvements we have made to safety over the past two years. The safety of our students and staff is our first priority."

She also included an email that was sent to school staff members across the school district earlier in the week. A portion of it stated the following:

"While we are constantly looking at new ways to improve our security, it is not only up to the administration. Each of us has a duty to put safety first. Please always keep your doors closed and locked during instruction, keep all gates closed and locked, cover your classroom windows during a lockdown, never prop an exterior door open for any reason, know where each child you are supervising is at all times. Take a few minutes, and go over drill procedures with your students frequently (especially the younger ones who are still learning what to do).  Please wear your ID badge at all times, and if you see someone without one in your building, escort them to the front office to get checked in as a visitor. Also remember, every single person in this school district can & should call for a lockdown if you witness an event prompting one. Familiarize yourself with the Emergency Operations Plan for your building, which is located in the front office."

Superintendent Alexander then offered his thoughts in his response email.

"In the summer of 2020, we started a construction project to come into compliance with Senate Bill 1.  Upon completion of this project, we were able to be in compliance with Senate Bill 1.  This construction project included:

• Camera Upgrades (which were in bad shape).  These cameras were also integrated to our dispatch and law enforcement offices for more swift response time if ever needed.
• Card entry readers for enhanced security
• Upgrades in our intercom system.
• Door repairs to several of our schools
• Push button system entry at our foyers so secretaries can buzz in our visitors.
• Call buttons were added in all classroom for emergency situations for enhanced communication for our teachers."

In addition, Alexander's email stated "Aside from the safety project we have mentioned above, we have worked to secure and put together funds to add additional ballistic film to all schools." He then described those additional areas.

"We have made great progress, and I would urge you to read the email sent by Ms. Beliles to our staff. The Office of the State Security Marshall has conducted assessments of each campus this year, and we are in full compliance. I'll be glad to meet with you individually to discuss any other concerns."

Cassady thanked both individuals for their responses and agreed to set up a time to meet in-person later. He continued with his concerns to Ms. Beliles:

"As is often the case, school security gets talked about a lot in the days following a shooting like what occurred in Marshall County and Nashville. Then within a few days, our attention turns to other projects like new football bleachers and lunchroom televisions. I assume there is a certain amount of discretionary spending, and I would request that discretionary spending be directed toward completing the ballistic film initiative in all our schools. Especially in the elementary schools, where we have the most dependent children who are least capable of defending themselves."

He also responded to Mr. Alexander:

"Please let me know how I can help get the ballistic film completed," Cassady continued. "If there is a need to meet with school board members, contacting legislative representatives or fundraising, I want to help ensure that this project gets completed. Someone with a weapon like the mentally ill woman in Nashville could be in the side door at South Edmonson in a matter of seconds. With no armed school personnel to provide resistance, teachers would be lucky to even get their classrooms locked before a shooter entered that hallway."

Ms. Beliles also encouraged Mr. Cassady to write to the Kentucky Center for Safe Schools and to local legislators for more funding. "While we can't solve all the evil of the world, we can buy time with these measures," she stated. "And time is what we need for our law enforcement to come in and act as incident commander in these situations. The Nashville shooting took place in 14 minutes. I do sleep better knowing our front areas have the safety film that they didn't, but I fully agree we need all doors equipped with this. We already had this in mind before the Nashville shooting."

She also noted that the school system sometimes receives funding that is already earmarked for specific projects, which does not permit schools to spend it in other areas.

She also included that a meeting with a contractor has been scheduled to discuss additional ballistic film on exterior areas of schools. She added that she would be glad to share that information when it is received.

Mr. Alexander noted his effort in transparency and thanked Mr. Cassady for sharing his concerns.

"We want schools where kids are safe and excelling academically.  In order to excel, they have to feel safe.  We want parents to feel safe about their children being in our care.  I assure you we were working on safety measures even before the horrific Nashville situation."

"My door is always open and I will always reply.  And your opinion is valued, I assure you," Alexander's email stated in the conclusion.

Mr. Cassady reached out to both State Senator Steve Meredith and Representative Michael Meredith via email to request funding for ballistic film for the exterior doors of all local schools.

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson Voice has obtained video footage from residents from Rocky Hill Road from an officer-involved shooting on Thursday, March 31, 2023. The footage shows a pursuit on Rocky Hill Road from two different angles. Gunshots are heard at the end of the video.

Last night, Trooper Daniel Priddy, Kentucky State Police Post 3 Public Affairs Officer, could only confirm that there was in fact, an officer-involved shooting, however, no other official information has been released at this time.

Scanner traffic indicated a pursuit began during a traffic stop in the Rocky Hill area near the Edmonson/Warren line after shots were fired at a law enforcement cruiser. The pursuit traveled down 31W, KY HWY 101, and the area of Rocky Hill Road.

A law enforcement officer stated on the radio that the subject was "10-7," which is Ten Code for "deceased."

The subject's name or the agency involved in the actual shooting has not yet been released; however, multiple law enforcement units were involved.

A portion of Rocky Hill Road was shut down until the investigation at the scene was completed.

Darren Doyle, story and video:
An officer-involved shooting has resulted in the death of a subject on Rocky Hill Road, according to radio traffic.

Trooper Daniel Priddy, Kentucky State Police Post 3 Public Affairs Officer, could only confirm that there was in fact, an officer-involved shooting, however, no other official information has been released at this time.

Scanner traffic indicated a pursuit began during a traffic stop in the Rocky Hill area near the Edmonson/Warren line after shots were fired at a law enforcement cruiser. The pursuit traveled down 31W, KY HWY 101, and the area of Rocky Hill Road.

A law enforcement officer stated on the radio that the subject was "10-7," which is Ten Code for "deceased."

A portion of Rocky Hill Road has been shut down until the investigation at the scene is completed.

We'll have more as it becomes available.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A structure fire claimed a home today in Bee Spring that started around 2:30PM.

The home, located at 7687 KY HWY 259N, was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. The Kyrock, Lincoln, Bear Creek, and Brownsville Fire Departments responded to the scene. 

Edmonson County Emergency Management Director Moose Massey said that no one was home at the time of the blaze; a neighbor saw smoke coming from the eaves of the home and called 911.

"We don't know what caused the fire but we're looking into it," Massey said.

The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office and Warren Rural Electric also responded.

No injuries were reported. Massey said that a neighbor was able to rescue family dogs from the fire but a pet pig was missing at the time of the blaze. A rekindle occurred around 8PM this evening where firefighters were called back to the scene.

A local family is asking the community for help with their missing daughter.

John and Mandy Evans, administrators of Camp Joy in Brownsville, said their daughter, Zoe Evans, was discovered missing around 6AM on Friday, March 24th. The last known contact with her was around 2AM that same morning at Camp Joy.

Zoe is 5 feet, 1 inches tall and weighs approximately 159lbs. She is 17 years old.

Brownsville Police Chief Jeremy Hodges confirmed that local and state law enforcement agencies along with emergency management officials are investigating the missing persons complaint.

Anyone with any information as to the whereabouts of Zoe Evans is asked to contact the Brownsville Police at 270-597-2729.

Madison Doyle, story and photo:
Edmonson County fiscal court met today, March 27, 2023. Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey called the meeting order and led the court in the pledge of allegiance. Multiple county department heads gave updated reports since the last fiscal court meeting two weeks ago.

Moving into new business, Jon Sanders from the Edmonson County Industrial Authority said he was invited by Judge Lindsey to propose an occupational tax district for both county industrial parks, each located on 31W. He explained that right now, the county has two industrial parks. Industrial park one has approximately 20 acres of land, and industrial park two (which is currently just farm land) has about 50 acres, so the occupational tax district would be only on those 70 total acres.

"We are planning on doing some work to park one right now, hopefully someone will build a building in that location. Industrial park two would require probably a couple year's worth of work with it being farm land right now, but an occupational tax district would allow the fiscal court to adopt a percentage tax- and I would propose the Industrial Authority also get a portion of that tax- to continue economic growth into the future, whatever that is," Sanders said. "It could be buying land, it could be building an industrial park up by Nolin Lake, it could be a lot of things."

He explained that there would be special ordinances that specify what the county would have to do with the funds brought in from the tax, the county would not just get to keep it in their pocket. He also said that all of the counties around Edmonson County, with the exception of Barren County, have a county wide occupational tax district, which are mostly between a 1 and 1.5 percent rate.

Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey asked Sanders if the factories that are already in the industrial authority would have to pay this occupational tax as well. Sanders said no, because the tax would be adapted after these factories have been established, so they are "grandfathered in".

"When I was talking to people prior to the meeting, we were talking about sustainable revenue streams, and we don't have a lot of that right now," said Judge Lindsey. "This would take us in a great direction with the industrial authority to be able to do that."

This was only discussed as a possibility in the near future; there was no vote called.

However, the court did vote to increase the pay rate for all county employees (minus elected officials) by 6%. Judge Lindsey asked each individual magistrate what percentage increase that they would recommend, and all six magistrates said 6%.

District 5 Magistrate Gary Bagshaw said "With everything getting higher and higher everyday I think a 6% pay increase would be the right thing to do."

The court also voted to:

• Acknowledge BGWC February Shelter Directors Report.
• Acknowledge Big Reedy Watershed Conservancy District FY24 Budget.
• Approve PTSD Training for First Responders & Spouse Class (Fire, EMS, Sheriff, Dispatch & Coroner).
• Approve Resolution EC23-10, County Clerk Election Equipment Grant.
• Approve March Cash Transfers.
• Approve Jailer’s Policy Procedure Manual.
• Approve Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department Bid for $792,344 to Scott, Murphy, & Daniel, LLC. (Fire Dept. was awarded $750K grant, will budget an extra $100K of their own money for project)
  

The next fiscal court meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 10th, at 9am.

The Edmonson County Judge/Executive's Office has announced that Willie Webb Road is closed until further notice.

"In the interest of safety, the county is closing Willie Webb Rd for repairs until further notice," said Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey. "Access will be available from the intersection with Mohawk Rd. The closing is in effect for the intersection of Willie Webb Rd and Washington Street near Emo Meredith Park under the bridge in Brownsville. We will update the community with details as we progress with the repairs."

Darren Doyle, story:
A Mammoth Cave man faces multiple felony charges after being served a warrant for failure to appear in court, according to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

Kenton Webb (39), of Mammoth Cave was served a bench warrant for failure to appear in court, according to Sheriff James Vincent, on March 16, 2023. Vincent said that Webb was in possession of 30 fentanyl pills when his bench warrant was issued.

Webb was arrested and charged with Trafficking in controlled substance-first offense (fentanyl), Possession of controlled substance-first degree-first offense, and Persistent felony offender 1.

He was transported and lodged in the Hart County Jail.

Darren Doyle, story:
Two individuals were arrested after a traffic stop on Saturday night in Brownsville and face felony charges, according to the Brownsville Police Department.

A BPD officer reportedly initiated a traffic stop on a black Chevy Impala with only one headlight around 11PM on March 10, 2023, that was headed north on South Main Street.

Police said the driver was identified as Dana York (40), of Wingfield, and the strong odor of marijuana was detected from the vehicle. A bag of meth was found on York's person, along with three bags of marijuana, according to police.

A passenger in the vehicle, identified as Zackery Johnson (22), of Glasgow, was found to have two outstanding warrants from Barren County.

York was charged with:

• Possession of controlled substance, first degree, second offense (meth)
• Possession of marijuana
• Tampering with physical evidence
• One headlight
• Failure to notify dept. of transportation of address change

Johnson's outstanding warrants were for probation violation (felony offense) and failure to appear.

They were both transported and lodged in the Hart County Jail.

Madison Doyle, story and photo:
Edmonson County Fiscal Court met today, March 13, 2023. Judge Executive Scott Lindsey called the meeting by leading the court in the pledge of allegiance. Per usual, county department heads gave updated reports since the last fiscal court meeting. Emergency Management Director Terry Massey reported that there have been several field fires since the last meeting, February 27, 2023, which he stated should not be happening due to a statewide burn ban.

'There has been a statewide burn ban since February 15," Massey said. "On the day of our last fiscal court meeting two weeks ago, there were five field fires in just that one day. There's been several more since then. I want to remind everyone of this ban, because the last thing we want is for a fire to be spread to the woods, or even someone's house. It's my job to keep the people of Edmonson County safe, so please everyone follow this burn ban."

Judge Lindsey stated the burn ban is in effect from 6 am to 6 pm until April 30, 2023. The ban applies to any outdoor burning within 150ft of woodland or brush land.

After the court moved through most of the agenda, the magistrates voted to go into a closed session. Judge Lindsey asked all those in attendance who were not a part of the fiscal court to please step outside for a few moments. Upon leaving, the door was shut and locked. After approximately 20 minutes, District 4 Magistrate Mickey Johnson stepped outside and requested for Joe Joe Montgomery to step back into the courtroom. Around 10 minutes after this, the magistrates voted to end the closed session and re-open to the public.

When the meeting was re-opened, Judge Executive Scott Lindsey stated that the court offered Montgomery a job to be the full time Road Supervisor for the rest of the 2023 year term. Montgomery was appointed the Interim Road Supervisor on January 9, 2023. The magistrates voted to set the pay of this role on a salary based off of $25 per hour.

The court also voted to:

• Acknowledge Edmonson County Conservation District FY24 Budget.
• Acknowledge Edmonson County Conservation District FY24 Plan of Operations.
• Approve Leitchfield Exterminating Termite Service Agreement for Extension Office
• Building.
• Approve Leitchfield Exterminating Termite Service Agreement for Courthouse.
• Approve Finance Officer Bond #2123881.
• Acknowledge County Clerk’s February Clerk Storage Fees Report.
• Approve County Clerk’s 2023 Revenue Supplement Fund Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s February MVAV Collection Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s February Deed Transfer Tax Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s February Excess Fees Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s February Delinquent Tax Collection Report, pending final audit.
• Approve Treasurer’s February Monthly Settlement Report.
• Acknowledge Dog Control’s February CAD Incident Report.
• Approve Sheriff’s February Excess Fees Report, pending final audit.
• Approve Sheriff’s February County Property Tax Report, pending final audit.
• Approve Sheriff’s February Fire Protection Report, pending final audit.
• Approve Sheriff’s February Franchise Tax Report, pending final audit.
• Approve Resolution EC23-07, HB1 County Clerk Election Equipment Grant.
• Approve Resolution EC23-08, Vehicle Purchase Agreement-2022 Dodge Durango.
• Approve Allergen Participation Form-Additional Opioid Settlement Funds.
• Approve TEVA Participation Form-Additional Opioid Settlement Funds.
• Approve Walgreens Participation Form-Additional Opioid Settlement Funds.
• Approve Walmart Participation Form-Additional Opioid Settlement Funds.
• Approve Paver Repairs-Additional $21,000.
• Approve EC23-09, Tri-County Search and Rescue Affiliation Agreement.

The next fiscal court meeting will be March 27, 2023 at 9 am.

Crews Worked Day and Night For Entire Week

Darren Doyle, story:
WRECC has reported that all power outages have been restored as of this afternoon after storms damaged the entire region last Friday, breaking nearly 400 utility poles with hundreds of trees and branches damaging power lines everywhere.

The Nolin Lake area in Edmonson County was without power the longest, with many having to wait until today for restoration.

More than 50 additional crews came to help with the huge undertaking of restoring more than 45,000 addresses with power over the past 7 days. Work has been going day and night since the storm.

"Warren RECC is pleased to report that as of 4:00 p.m., our crews have completed restoration efforts," said WRECC Director of Communications Kim Phelps in a press release. "All known outages that can be restored related to this past weekend’s storm have been restored. If you are still without power at this time, please report it to one of our outage lines: In Warren County call 270-843-9710. Outside Warren County, call 1-888-604-4321."
 
She also said that with storm outages restored, the focus is now on clean-up efforts. According to WRECC, if you have debris from the restoration (such as poles or wires) left on your property, they will be back to clear that area.
 
"We would like to remind all our members that spring is right-of-way clearing time. As we have just seen, trees and power lines are not a good mix. Please be patient in the coming months as right of way crews work in your area."
 
For the most up to date information on Warren RECC including outages, community notifications, and general information, follow WRECC on social media or visit at www.wrecc.com. 

Edmonson Voice Report:
A Brownsville man received a hefty payout after his Pick 4 numbers were drawn during Sunday’s midday drawing, netting him $115,600.  
 
James Payton Jr. said he plays the Kentucky Lottery’s Pick 4 game daily, usually playing the month and day he was born (0-9-1-2) as his numbers.
 
Just minutes after purchasing the ticket from BP Fastrac on Nashville Road in Bowling Green, he found out there’s was a big win coming his way.

Payton Jr. was with his girlfriend when he pulled the Pick 4 numbers up on his phone. 
 
“I saw my numbers and told her, ‘I think I just won $140,000,’” he said. “I had just been saying to her, you have to play to win.”
 
While he may have miscalculated his winnings at first, he still won $115,600. Payton Jr. went on to mention his girlfriend doesn’t play the lottery but decided to purchase a Scratch-off ticket and won $60.  
 
“She was excited about winning and wasn’t too happy with me stealing her thunder,” Payton Jr. said jokingly. 
 
The Edmonson County man drove to lottery headquarters Monday where he received $82,654 after taxes.  He told lottery officials the money will go towards purchasing a van for his general contracting business. 
 
BP Fastrac will receive $1,156 for selling the winning ticket.

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Judge/Executive's Office has announced that disaster relief may be available to residents of Edmonson County.

Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey said there is a possibility that FEMA could help county residents with expenses related to damage as a result of last Friday's storms.

"The county has already met our damage threshold cost for FEMA assistance, so we are trying to assist our community members with any help that we can help them get," he said.

The following information must be submitted to Edmonson County Emergency Management Director Terry "Moose" Massey:

For those with other questions, they can call the Judge/Executive's office at 270-597-2819.

Darren Doyle, story:
Most of the remaining customers without power in the WRECC service area are in Edmonson County, near the Nolin Lake area. Crews restored power to approximately 1,000 customers around the lake yesterday and are working continuously to complete the restoration.

WRECC released the following update at 9:30 this morning:

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Schools will operate on a one-hour delay Tuesday, March 7th, according to Supt. of Schools Brian Alexander.

He said that while there are still some power outages throughout the county, the delay gives those who catch the bus in very early hours a chance for full daylight to be out, allowing better sight for safety.

The school system has a list of roads where buses cannot travel, but Alexander said schools will make every provision possible to accommodate them.

"We know this is inconvenient for some families and we want to try our best to better those inconveniences if at all possible," he said. "If you can't make it to school tomorrow, we're going to be very lenient on our excuse policy tomorrow. We also encourage you to call your school if you have specific needs with which we can help you; we want to utilize our Family Resource and Youth Services Centers to help with anything they can."

Alexander said the current list of roads where buses cannot travel includes:

• Nolin Church Road
• Laurel Ridge Road
• Buzzard Roost Road
• F.D. Meredith Road
• Matt Minton Road

"We feel like going back to school is the best for the majority of students tomorrow, even with a one-hour delay," he said. "Again, we understand there will be some that need assistance or simply can't make it and we will do our best to help you."

As of this afternoon, WRECC reported that there approximately 8,000 customers still without power. According to the outage map, there are still about 2,000 customers in Edmonson County without.

WRECC released the following update at 9:43AM on Monday, March 6th:

Warren RECC staff and crews continue to work alongside visiting crews to fully restore power to our members. As of 9:30 a.m., we have approximately 8,700 members still without power.
 
At this time, our goal is to complete the vast majority of the restoration by the end of the week. In the most severely damaged areas, some restoration efforts may last through the weekend. We have restored transmission outages and the largest distribution outages. We now move to restoring single lines, roads, neighborhoods, and individual houses. This restoration work will be slower, and we ask for your patience. Be assured we are working around the clock to get power restored as soon as possible. We have continued to receive additional crews throughout the weekend. We currently have over 50 additional crews aiding us in our effort.
 
Once again, we would like to remind everyone to avoid work areas and downed power lines. We want to keep everyone as safe as possible during our restoration efforts. 
 
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available. Please remember to stay away from downed power lines. If you see a downed power line, please report it to one of our outage lines: In Warren County call 270-843-9710. Outside Warren County, call 1-888-604-4321.
 
To see current outages, visit www.wrecc.com and click the “Current Outages” icon.

Darren Doyle, story:
The man killed when a tree fell on his residence on Friday has been identified, according to a family member.

Dakota Davis, age 23, was killed Friday when a tree fell on his apartment behind the home of his grandmother on Rocky Hill Road, Penny Mills Huddleston.

Ms. Huddelston gave a statement to the Edmonson Voice with information concerning the incident.

"(Friday), the winds had somewhat calmed down, then out of nowhere a loud roar and a huge boom happened, my mobile home shook my pictures fell off the wall," she said. "I made it to my laundry room and seen the tree was down, I couldn’t open my door because the tree was on my deck and on Dakota's building. We jumped out the front and ran around but the tree was so large we couldn’t do anything."

Officials said the tree crushed the small apartment and Davis was killed inside. The coroner's report on Friday night stated that Davis was 24 years old, however, Ms. Huddleston corrected that and stated he was 23.

She said that while she is his biological grandmother, she had raised him since he was 3 weeks old.

"He would give anyone the shirt off his back," she stated. "Always wanting a hug, and man could he talk, he never met a stranger. He was autistic and an  avid gamer, I was by blood his grandmother but I have had Dakota since he was 3 weeks old. I am going to miss him so much."

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Schools will be closed Monday, March 6, 2023 as a result of power outages and storm damage throughout the county.

"In addition to the many trees down and other damage the county has seen, our latest reports show that more than 3,000 Edmonson County residents are still without power," said Brian Alexander, Superintendent of Edmonson County Schools. "Not only that, there are several low-hanging power lines along our bus routes that we don't feel comfortable for the safety of our students for transportation. There are also several hazards remaining at many bus stop locations."

WRECC has been joined by crews from as far as Florida to help restore power to the region and have been working nonstop since Friday’s storms. Kim Phelps, Senior Communications Director for WRECC, released an update early today.

The statement read as follows:

"Warren RECC staff and crews continue to work alongside visiting crews to fully restore power to our members. As of 3:30 p.m., we have approximately 14,700 members still without power.  

With the assistance of additional crews on the ground today, we have been able to make good progress on our restoration plan. At this point, we have 541 outages. We continue to ask for patience as we restore the remaining areas. We are working around the clock to get power restored as soon as possible.
 
Once again, we would like to remind everyone to avoid work areas. We want to keep everyone as safe as possible during our restoration efforts. 
 
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available. Please remember to stay away from downed power lines. If you see a downed power line, please report it to one of our outage lines: In Warren County call 270-843-9710. Outside Warren County, call 1-888-604-4321."

The day off from school will NOT be an NTI day. Supt. Alexander said without power and internet service, student's ability to do school work tomorrow would be severely hindered.

"Safety is always our main concern and the school board and I believe the safe thing is to close on Monday," said Alexander.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Coroner Brentley Esters has confirmed that an Edmonson County man has died as a result of a fallen tree during severe storms today.

The man's name has not been released pending family notification but Esters said the man was 24* years old. He also said a large tree fell on the man's residence this afternoon and he died from injuries sustained in the incident.

Rocky Hill Road remains closed as a large tree has fallen over the roadway and is entwined in a fallen power line. Rescue crews cannot remove the tree until WRECC is able to deal with the power lines. WRECC is working at full capacity with over 30,000 of their customers currently without power. According to the KY Electric Cooperatives, about 278,000 Kentuckians are without power tonight. Around 2,000 Edmonson County residents are still without power, with the Windyville/Segal and Wingfield Communities having the most outages reported.

"Crews are working to assess damage and will continue to work until all outages are restored," said WRECC Communications Director Kim Phelps. "We have requested additional assistance from contract crews and other electric utilities. Based on our early assessment, we expect this to be a multi-day restoration event."

*CORRECTION: The man killed in the incident was reported as 24 years-old by the Edmonson County Coroner; however, the man's grandmother released his name and correct age to the Edmonson Voice, She stated he was 23 years old.

Roads remain closed all over the county as all county fire departments work to clear trees and debris from roadways.

We have received messages and reports of trees down and other damages in virtually every portion of the county today.

Fire Departments, local law enforcement, EMS, state and county road crews, and volunteers are still working to clear debris all over the county. Officials are asking everyone to stay home if possible as several power and communication lines are down on or near roadways. Local dispatch is also working at full capacity, trying to sort through the tons of emergency calls coming in. 

High winds are expected to continue until about 9PM tonight, according to the latest forecast.

Mammoth Cave National Park and Green River Ferry closed today due to wind damage. The park also announced they will be closed tomorrow. 

The Cabin Fever Bass Tournament on Nolin Lake that was scheduled for tomorrow has also been canceled. The Princess Tea Party event at Edmonson County High School is still scheduled to take place.

Edmonson County Schools will be closed today, March 3, 2023 due to potential severe weather.

“With the predicted winds that are predicted today we do not feel safe putting buses on the road,” said Supt. Alexander.

It be an NTI day.

An Edmonson County Grand Jury recently returned the following indictments.

Tina Jo Firestein-Decker: Theft by unlawful taking of property valued at $1,000 but less than $10,000.

Dustin Joshua Hunt: Fraudulent use of credit/debit card valued at $1,000 or more but less than $10,000.

Christopher James Jarvis JR.: Bail jumping - first degree.

John Christopher Mounce: Failure to comply with sex offender registration- first offense.

Verlon Dale Harder: Strangulation - first degree, Fleeing or evading police - first degree, Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants second offense within 10 years (aggravated), Assault - fourth degree, Reckless driving, Speeding.

Leslie Nicole Keuvelarr: Possession of a controlled substance - first degree, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana.

Keaton Allen Webb: Trafficking of a controlled substance - first degree (fentynal), Possession of a controlled substance - first degree, Persistent felony offender - 1st degree.

Jeremy Thomas Anthony: Possession of a controlled substance - first degree, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana, Operating on a suspended or revoked operator's license, Failure of owner to maintain required insurance first offense, No or expired registration plate.

Rebecca Diana Meredith: Possession of a controlled substance - first degree, Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Michael David Johnson: Criminal mischief - first degree, Operating on a suspended or revoked operator's license, Failure to produce insurance card, No or expired registration plate, No or expired registration receipt, Improper equipment, Failure to wear seatbelt.

Cody William Johnson: Criminal mischief - first degree.

Kristen Lynise Matthews: Criminal mischief - first degree, Resisting arrest.

Note: An indictment is only a formal charge and is not an admission of guilt. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ​