Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
​The traffic signal at the Interstate 65 interchange at exit 22 with U.S. 231 Scottsville Road in Bowling Green will be taken offline for several hours overnight while crews perform maintenance work. Beginning at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning crews will shut down the traffic signal until approximately 5 a.m.
 
Flaggers will be present to control traffic movements. Motorists need to slowdown and use caution in this area. Flaggers and crews will be on the roadway working. 

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
​On July 8, 2019 at  5:43 am, the Kentucky State Police Post in Bowling Green received a call in reference to a person lying on the southbound shoulder of Interstate 65 under the Scottsville Road (US231) overpass located at the 22 mile marker.  Warren County Sheriff’s Department along with Kentucky State Police Troopers arrived on scene and located an unresponsive male under the overpass, according to a press release.
 
KSP reported that an unidentified male was located with his belongings under the Scottsville Road overpass. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Warren County Coroner’s Office.   Cause of death is unknown and an autopsy is pending at the Medical Examiner’s Office.
 
The Kentucky State Police has opened a death investigation and it is being led by Detective Mike May.  Detective May was assisted on scene by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, Medical Center EMS, and the Warren County Coroner’s Office.

Darren Doyle, story:
The 13th Annual Cram The Cruiser, which is part of the regional Stuff The Bus initiative, is coming back to Edmonson County and is scheduled for Friday, July 12, 2019.

This year's event will last a little longer than usual with the addition of donation tabs that will be available for purchase at the checkout lines at local retailers beginning sometime next week and will continue through the end of July. For only $1, you can purchase your Cram the Cruiser donation tabs that will be displayed at each store with your name included. 100% of all money raised will stay with Edmonson County Schools.

Volunteers from Edmonson County Schools will be set up at the Family Dollar on Main Street on July 12th from 10am - 3pm, other volunteers will set up at Dollar General in Chalybeate from 10am-3pm, and will be accepting monetary donations, school supplies, clothing, and non-perishable food items for Edmonson County students. At 3pm, the crew will move over to Ace Hardware, which is part of the Houchens Industries 2019 Stuff the Bus drive, and will stay there until 5pm. All donations will go to Edmonson County schools.

Kentucky State Police, the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, and Brownsville Police will have cruisers set up and Pelican's Snoballs will be offering their ice cold treats while they will be giving 20% of their sales that day to EC schools. The Edmonson Voice is proud to be the media sponsor once again for the event, which has consistently grown over the years.

Remember, all donations, whether monetary, school supplies, donation tab sales at local stores, food, or clothing will stay in Edmonson County. ​

Edmonson Voice Staff Report: Moriah Peterson, photo:
​Family, fun, food and fireworks. It’s that time of year when many will be celebrating the Fourth of July holiday. All too often, however, celebrations can end with a trip to the hospital if fireworks are mishandled. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants to make sure consumers know the risks, so that they can prevent the tragedies. At a fireworks safety press conference and demonstration on the National Mall on June 26th, CPSC announced that at least five fireworks-related deaths were reported in 2018—all associated with reloadable aerial devices.

“CPSC works year-round to help prevent deaths and injuries from fireworks, by verifying fireworks meet safety regulations in our ports, marketplace and on the road,” said Ann Marie Buerkle, CPSC acting chairman. “Beyond CPSC’s efforts, we want to make sure everyone takes simple safety steps to celebrate safely with their family and friends.”
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Injuries:
There were an estimated 9,100 fireworks-related, emergency department-treated injuries in 2018, with 62 percent of them occurring during the month surrounding the Fourth of July (June 22-July 22). During that period, firecrackers were the number one cause of injuries, accounting for 19 percent of the estimated injuries.  For children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for more than half of the total estimated injuries.
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Deaths:
Since 2018 reporting is not yet complete, the five fireworks-related deaths should be considered a minimum. The victims range in age from 16 to 49. In one of the reported cases, an 18-year-old launched a mortar shell from a tube on the top of his head. The ignited shell did not launch and exploded. The victim died in the hospital the next day.
CPSC staff has reports of 121 fireworks-related deaths between 2003 and 2018.

Tips to Celebrate Safely:
Also attending CPSC’s fireworks press conference, Dr. Sarah Combs, an emergency room doctor from Children’s National Medical Center. Dr. Combs said, “Each year, too many emergency room doctors see too many fireworks-related injuries. Don’t make the emergency room part of your holiday; don’t let children play with fireworks,” she said.  
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Remember, even if your consumer fireworks are legal, they still come with risk.  If you light fireworks, keep safety in mind for you, your family and those around you.

•  Make sure consumer fireworks are legal in your area, before buying or using them. (View Fact Sheet)
• Never use or make professional-grade fireworks
• Do not buy or use fireworks that are packaged in brown paper; this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and are not for consumer use.
• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks, including sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is hot enough to melt some metals.
• Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person or occupied area.
• Light fireworks one at a time, then move away from them quickly.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy, in case of fire or other mishap.
• Never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks. Soak them with water and throw them away.
• After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding the device, to prevent a trash fire.

For more information, visit the fireworks safety education center and check for fireworks recalls at CPSC.gov.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County native Army Ret. MSgt. Larry Hawks, originally from Wingfield, was recently presented the Distinguished Service Cross Award, the second highest military honor that is awarded by the U.S. Army.

Hawks received the award in a ceremony on June 21st at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Auditorium in Fort Bragg, North Carolina for gallantry under fire as a member of 3rd Special Forces Group on July 24 and July 25, 2005, in Afghanistan.

“Sgt. 1st Class Hawks, while conducting armed reconnaissance of a town, came under intense enemy small arms, rocket propelled grenade, and mortar fire," the citation reads, according to a U.S. Army release. “While moving to interdict enemy combatants attempting to reposition themselves on the high ground west of the village, he discovered one of his comrades was pinned down by enemy fire. Sgt. 1st Class Hawks, without regard for his own safety dismounted from his vehicle and charged toward the enemy position on the high ground. Under continuous fire, he engaged and neutralized the enemy position.”

We spoke with Hawks earlier today about the incident that took place nearly 14 years ago. 

​"Right off the bat, we knew the bad guys were moving to the high ground and our thought process was, if we don't get these guys before they get there, and we're trying to clear this town, we're going to have guys up above us, shooting at us all day," he said.

"This town wasn't really a town in a traditional sense. They didn't have roads. It was more like mud huts in a village on the other side of a river. It was kinda back into the mountains, and we're coming in on four-wheelers, not big armored vehicles. We're riding through rocks on top of rocks, it's jagged and we can't go very fast. We found this ditch, or it's called a 'waddi' for cover, and we came up out of it, a guy behind me came up and all hell broke loose--the whole town exploded in gunfire."

It was gunfire that he said lasted 14 straight hours, from about 80 enemies that were only about 20 yards away.

​"They were close enough you could've hit 'em with a football and they were giving us everything they had."

When asked how does one keep from getting shot to pieces by 80 bad guys at only 20 yards, Hawks replied with a chuckle, "I guess God's got a sense of humor."

Hawks said he was able to get his ATV out of immediate fire when he heard a fellow soldier call for help. 

"I heard him say 'man, they got me, I'm pinned down,' I just jumped on the radio and said 'hey, I'm coming brother.' So I grabbed my machine gun and an extra 600 rounds of ammo."

Hawks was still under fire at this point but he said he knew he had to try to provide aid for his friend.

"When I get there, I see my buddy and he's off his four-wheeler and crawled up in a ditch where he could get out of immediate fire and return some fire, but he's just one guy. I could see the ones firing, they were just basically trying to hold his attention and I could see they were laughing about it. I was able to get some high ground and I could see down the entire ambush line. I took my machine gun and went to work. That changed their mind right there. They didn't know where the fire was coming from, but they knew it was bad."

Hawks said for about the first 20 minutes, it was just three good guys against everybody, but a soon after, a couple of gun trucks arrived, then Apache helicopters, then more help finally came, with Hawks serving as the makeshift air controller in the 114 degree temperatures.

U.S. forces eventually took care of the "bad guys," which were a mixture of Taliban fighters and other assorted enemies of the USA, Hawks said. 

When asked about receiving the award and participating in the ceremony, Hawks was relatively quiet.

"I didn't think it was a big deal," he said with a laugh. " I mean, I know it's a big deal, but you know, I didn't expect to get anything. I had one of my guys that needed some help so I gave him a hand."  

Which is true; however, it was a 'hand' that resulted in 90 enemy kills, 17 surrenders, and the life saved of Hawks' friend.

In addition to the DSC Award, Hawks has also been awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with 2 stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait), Special Forces tab, Ranger tab, Combat Infantry Badge, HALO Jumpmaster Badge, Static Line Jumpmaster and the Excellence in Combat Marksmanship Badge Bronze.

He is a 1988 graduate of Edmonson County High School and enlisted in the Army immediately after graduating at age 17. His first duty station was with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he served four years and deployed to Panama, the Sinai, Egypt, and Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm all with 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 

In 1992, Hawks was assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps Long Range Surveillance Company where he served in every position from scout, up to platoon sergeant.
​
He then attended Army Special Forces Qualification Course and subsequently became an 18C, or engineer sergeant.

He currently resides in Salemburg, North Carolina with his family. He is the son of Tonie and Patsey Hawks of Wingfield.
​

​Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
On Tuesday July 2nd, United Way of Southern Kentucky announced that it's investing a total of $14,400 in Education, Income, Health, and Safety Net programs and services for its July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 funding period in Edmonson County. Ten local programs provided through seven different service providers will receive the allocated campaign dollars and donor designations.

To receive funding from United Way of Southern Kentucky, programs had to align with the four areas deemed most important by a community research project conducted by United Way that began in 2012 which included nearly 5,000 surveys, 55 Community Conversations, and large amounts of secondary data. 

In September of 2018, organizations with programs impacting UWSK’s strategic imperatives in each of the defined Community Impact issue areas (Education, Income, Health, and Safety Net) were asked to submit a Letter of Intent indicating their desire to complete a full application request for funding. Across the region, 83 total Letters of Intent were submitted requesting $1,596,096 in funding. Upon review by the Letter of Intent Committee, 72 of those that were submitted were invited to complete the full application across the 10 county BRADD region.

In March 2019, specific Edmonson County programs who had the opportunity to complete the full application moved forward to a full review and visit with the Allocations Committee. With the full review by the Allocations Committee and recommendation to and approval by the UWSK Board of Directors complete, funding will now be awarded to the programs selected.

In total, $1,036,831 will be invested across the 10 county BRADD region as part of the 2019/20 funding cycle to 58 total programs through 37 services providers.

 
In Edmonson County, $14,400 were allocated by volunteers led by Edmonson County Chair Craig Browning as follows:
EDUCATION: $6,850
Kindergarten Readiness:

• Barren River District Health Department HANDS (Health Access Nurturing Development Services) $350
• Edmonson County FRYSC Camp Kindergarten $5,000

College & Career Readiness:

• Junior Achievement: Essential Skills = Workforce Ready: The Expanded UW/JA Initiative $1500

INCOME: $2,725
Workforce Development:

• Edmonson County Adult Education Skills U $2,725

HEALTH: $3,075
Access to Affordable Health Care:

• Kentucky Legal Aid Barren River Long Term Care Ombudsman $1,500
• Kentucky Legal Aid Benefits Counseling $375

Safe Home & Community:

• Hope Harbor Community Violence Education & Prevention $600
• Kentucky Legal Aid Emergency Shelter & Crisis Aid to Protect & Empower (ESCAPE): $600

SAFETY NET: $1,750
Access to Basic Needs:

• Feeding America Kentucky’s Heartland BackPack Program $1,000
• Kentucky Legal Aid Emergency Legal Assistance $750

 “As we finish the fourth year of investments in our new Community Impact platform of work, we are thrilled that new partners continue to join forces with us along with the tremendous impact being achieved by current partners,” said Debbie Hills, President & CEO of United Way of Southern Kentucky. “We are now beginning to see the true impact of our efforts with the significant outcomes.  These outcomes, along with our other efforts in the community such as the kindergarten readiness public relations campaign and the MyChildIsReady.com microsite, will continue to impact the positive movement forward in our community’s Kindergarten Readiness and College & Career Readiness.  We look forward to continuing the movement forward through our collaborative efforts.”

Darren Doyle, story:
Three brand new school buses have been added to the fleet of Edmonson County Schools and will be incorporated into bus routes for the 2019-20 school year.

"We try to take buses off routes after ten to twelve years," said Lannie Deweese, Director of Transportation & Maintenance of EC Schools. 

Two of the buses will be used for standard routes while the other is a customized special needs bus that can also accommodate a wheel chair.

​Deweese also said the buses cost around $92,000 each.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Mammoth Cave National Park’s planned closure of the Green River Ferry Crossing and Green River Ferry Road for a vehicle ramp extension project has been delayed until at least Monday, July 15 due to contractual delays. The delay will not affect the constructions project’s end date which remains Friday, November 15.
 
The Green River Ferry ramp extension project will extend the current vehicle access ramps into the Green River by 30 feet which should allow the ferry boat to operate during periods of low water levels. The latest construction start date was Monday, July 8, but the contractor will not be in place in time to warrant a closure of the ferry operation. The project is being coordinated by the Federal Highway Administration Eastern Lands Highway Division. 
 
To check the current status of the Green River Ferry Crossing improvement projects and the Green River Ferry and road closure, please visit the park’s website www.nps.gov/maca/green-river-ferry-improvement-projects.htm or call the Green River Ferry Hotline at 270-758-2166. Updates on the construction start date will also be provided on the park’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

​REPS. BART ROWLAND, BRANDON REED PRE-FILE LEGISLATION MAKING DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME PERMANENT

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
“Springing Forward” and “Falling Backward” could be one step closer to history under legislation pre-filed today by Representative Bart Rowland of Tompkinsville and Representative Brandon Reed of Hodgenville. The measure, BR 181, would make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent throughout the commonwealth, but only if Congress first passes a federal law allowing states to observe daylight saving time year-round.
 
By putting an end to the practice of changing clocks every March and November and giving Kentuckians more evening daylight hours during winter months, Rowland and other supporters believe that Kentuckians will reap immediate benefits.
 
“Studies show that adding more light at the end of the day improves everything from traffic safety to crime and the use of electricity. I think it’s time for Kentucky to join the conversation on whether or not we’re willing to do away with the antiquated practice of changing clocks,” Rowland said.
 
According to research from the Brookings Institute, there is a 19 percent drop in the probability of any robbery occurring in the weeks after DST begins, and a 27 percent decrease in the robbery rate during sunset hours. In addition to the proven public safety benefits, medical research also shows an increased risk of heart attacks following time changes. Data collected over three years from hospitals in Michigan found that on the Monday immediately after Daylight Saving Time began, there was an average of 25 percent more heart attack patients.
 
The measure is cosponsored by Representative Brandon Reed of Hodgenville, who resides in and represents two counties in the Eastern Time Zone. Most of Rowland’s district falls in the Central Time Zone
 
“After discussing this issue at length with my constituents and seeing our neighbor to the south pass this legislation, I am convinced that it’s time for Kentucky to strongly make our voice heard,” Reed said. “Kentucky should be the next state to lead on this issue and pass this legislation, which will also pressure Congress to act.”
 
If BR 181 is approved during the 2020 General Assembly, Kentucky will join more than a dozen other states in the movement to make DST permanent. While Tennessee recently enacted a bill to do so, Florida was the first state in the nation to vote to make Daylight Saving Time permanent in 2018, with their action being followed by passage of similar measures in states including Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has introduced bipartisan legislation on the federal level making DST permanent throughout the nation, and President Trump has endorsed the idea.
 
“With support from President Trump, red and blue states across America and many of my constituents, the time has come to make Daylight Saving Time permanent,” Rowland added. “My constituents overwhelmingly support this proposal, and passing it will show the federal government exactly where Kentuckians stand on this issue.”
 
BR 181 will be considered by the General Assembly during the 2020 legislative session. Specific details of the measure can be viewed here.

UPDATE 7/02/19: An earlier version of this article had the headline as "KY Lawmakers Look To Eliminate Daylight Savings Time," which some perceived as inaccurate. While Daylight Saving Time is the process of advancing clocks forward, and the proposed bill would eliminate the advancing of clocks-- which is why we ran the above headline, Daylight Saving Time would be actually be year-round. We have adjusted the headline and graphic to represent the latter.  We apologize for any confusion.
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