Edmonson Voice Report:
Two individuals were arrested on meth and other charges after a traffic stop in Chalybeate yesterday, according to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office stated that at approximately 5:30 pm on Thursday, July 29, 2021, a deputy initiated a traffic stop on a Toyota Corolla at the Dollar General Store in Chalybeate, after following the vehicle for several miles and observing the driver swerve over the yellow line several times. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Nicholas Towe (43), who was reported to be homeless, who was discovered to have multiple warrants and suspended driver’s license, the Sheriff's Office said.

The passenger of the vehicle was identified as Megan Sowders (33) of Bowling Green, Kentucky. According to the Sheriff's Office, the deputy saw drug paraphernalia laying in plain view when Towe was removed from the vehicle, which resulted in a search of the vehicle. Suspected methamphetamine and additional drug paraphernalia were reportedly discovered inside the vehicle, and upon a search of Sowders, law enforcement reportedly discovered suspected marijuana on her person.

Sowders (no photo available)was arrested and charged with:

• Possession Controlled Substance, 1st Degree, 1st Offense (methamphetamine)
• Drug Paraphernalia—Buy/Possess
• Possession of Marijuana

​Towe was arrested for two outstanding Warren County warrants for probations violations on felony offenses and he was subsequently charged by Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office for:

• Possession of Controlled Substance, 1st Degree, 1st Offense (methamphetamine)
• Operating on Suspended or Revoked Operator’s License
• Failure of Non-Owner Operator to Maintain Required Insurance, 1st Offense
• Obstructed Vison and/or Windshield
• Drug Paraphernalia—Buy/Possess
• Careless Driving
• Possession of Marijuana

​Both were transported and lodged in Hart County Jail. Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Brownsville City Police.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The developers of a new 120-acre, 190-home subdivision that will be constructed in the Chalybeate community spoke to about three dozen community members last night at the Edmonson County Community Center at a meeting organized by area residents.

Darrell Oliver, an owner of Kelltrace, LLC., and Merritt Blevins, an owner of Blevins and Blevins, are partnering to develop the Middlebrook Subdivision, which will be built in three phases and will have two different accesses; one off of HWY 101 and the other off Mallory Lane, a gravel road off of Miranda Drive (another gravel road), which is off of Denham Road.

Beth Roeder, a citizen in the area of the new development, organized the meeting and acted as moderator for the evening. After welcoming the audience and discussing the rules of decorum, she invited Mr. Oliver to the podium, who then described the proposed subdivision.

"I'm not here to make any enemies. This is our job. It's what we do for a living," Oliver said. "And we're going to try to do it the best we can do."

Oliver provided preliminary plans for the subdivision and said they were hiring a civil engineer to plan for drainage throughout the development. He discussed the restrictions that will be required in the subdivision that includes the size of homes, required maintenance, and the overall look and feel of the homes.

"We're going to try to make this really nice. We don't want wrecked cars sitting around and all that stuff. All the fencing and what we put in here, the owners will have to have that approved by the developer."

Oliver said they plan on knowing which house goes on what lot in the first phase, meaning that the outside of the homes will be predetermined. Customers can change the layout of the interior of these homes, but not the outside, in order to achieve the desired look.

Oliver said the plan is for the developers to be the general contractors of the entire subdivision and there were no plans to simply sell the lots individually. He also noted that the streets within the development would be paved and built to the county's specs so they could be added into the county road system after they were constructed.

​Oliver answered several other questions as he addressed the issues. One question was asked about fire hydrants and he said those would be available and would cover the area to be developed. Another question was asked about the need for traffic lights. Oliver stated that wasn't part of their job, but a traffic study could be done and state and county officials would determine that. 

Rumors around a strip mall in the development were squashed, as that is not part of this plan. Oliver said the first phase average home price would fall into the $225,000 to $265,000 range and would be 1300-1500 square feet. The other phases would include larger homes that would sell for approximately $325,000 all the way up $700,000 and lots could be combined by a customer if they want to purchase additional space. He said these would be planned to be custom homes.

Someone asked about low income homes and Oliver quickly shot that down. 

"I want to get one thing clear that's bothered me the whole time," he said. "I've heard people say 'we don't want immigrants, we don't want HUD housing,' we're not building HUD houses," he said. "We can't control who moves in here, but I can tell you one thing, I'm not in a habit of building HUD houses. I don't think I've ever built one HUD house in my career. That's not what we're fixing to do here."

Area resident Anthony Simon said his concern was the sheer number of homes going into the area. The 120-acres currently serves as barriers between many homes throughout a couple different developments. Simon said currently, he didn't worry about who was in the area and that he had no issues with his daughters playing outside in the neighborhood. With this many homes going up, he was concerned that he'd no longer know his neighbors.

"I understand your concern, but, the very person you're talking about may be the one that saves your kid's life," Oliver said.

Oliver's wife, Tracy, asked those in attendance to encourage their own community members to live there, not to just expect the newcomers would come from other counties and places.

"Guys, I know y'all don't know me, but I want to be the proudest of this subdivision of anybody here," Oliver said. "When we're done, I want you to say 'those guys did more than they had to do.' We want it to look good, we want it to be full of people living in it, children living in it. We don't want it to fail, we're the biggest investors in it. We've put up the most money and we want it to work. The only way we feel like we can make it work is to make it nice. I believe there's a need in this county for somebody to live somewhere nice. If you drive over there (in the current area) y'all's places are beautiful. It looks really nice, beautiful land. We don't want to change that and we want it to be pretty when you drive through it five to six years from now."

Questions were also asked about the increased number of students possibly entering the school system and Superintendent of Schools Brian Alexander discussed the current situation.

He also spoke in favor in Mr. Oliver, personally, who attends church in the county and has already had children in the Edmonson County school system.

"Of all the people that could do this, I feel like the county is fortunate that it's him," Alexander said. "My job is to make sure that I'm doing everything I can to market our school district. I don't market houses and all this, but I'm trying to get people to come into our school system that respect the values of our county. I want to attract the right kind of people. I understand your concerns, I really do, but we can provide adequate staff and adequate space."

He then discussed how the current ratio of students to teachers is anywhere from 24 to 1, to 28 to 1, depending on the school and he said the school system is currently set up for growth, and that the Board of Education is always working proactively to accommodate new students and planning for expansion in the school facilities. 

Callie Beliles, Director of Facilities and Safety of Edmonson County Schools discussed possible funding options for new expansions in the future; some of which could come from bonds, other from government funding.  Alexander also noted that the increased revenue from new homes would likely offset the need for increased school taxes.

Other questions regarding increased need for law enforcement, firefighters, road services, etc., were asked and Judge Executive Wil Cannon discussed the current situation. He similarly stated that newly generated tax revenue from incoming residents would help fund any services needing to be increased. However, Oliver also stated that the pace of construction for this subdivision would be around 20 houses per year. At that rate, it would take 8-10 years to fill the entire development. That pace would not likely put any strain on emergency services or the school system, according to data discussed at the meeting. 

Jeff Eaton, General Manager for SCRTC, spoke to the audience and discussed plans for high speed internet to come to the area of the new development. He stated that the area would include anyone residing from Noah Bledsoe Road, to Otter Gap, then to Sulphur Road out to 101 near Beaver Dam Chapel Road. This would cover dozens of homes in the Chalybeate area. While SCRTC services the area up 101 to Brownsville, and Mediacom offers service just outside of that area, most of the county is plagued with poor service from only one other provider, Windstream.

As the meeting concluded, Oliver invited attendees to view the plans and discuss the layout of the subdivision. He and Mr. Blevins then addressed individual questions for a short period.

The issue of growth vs. tradition has always been a difficult one in Edmonson County. Some residents argue that the county needs more growth, which includes population, industry, and commerce. They want to work, shop, and live in the same place. Others say the biggest asset to the county is the lack of those things, giving it a "Mayberry" feel. Those are the ones that don't mind to work or shop elsewhere. Others would agree that a healthy balance would be the best solution.

Several residents were heard discussing zoning before and after the meeting. Zoning does not currently exist in Edmonson County. The discussion of zoning resurfaced in 2015 when multiple companies looked at purchasing the former Atmos gas plant. Judge Wil Cannon stated then that he was not against zoning; however, six years later, there has been little to no discussion of implementing zoning. 

Oliver said he plans on starting construction as soon as possible.​

Darren Doyle, story:
Three individuals have been arrested and face multiple drug charges and other violations after their pit stop at a local baptizing facility, according to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies reportedly observed a Hyundai Sonata parked at the Rhoda Creek Baptizing Facility on Old Chalybeate Road around 11:30PM on Wednesday evening and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Jason W. Abney (39) of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.

Law enforcement said the strong odor of marijuana was immediately detected upon contact. There were also two other passengers in the vehicle, both a male and female; however, both refused to identify themselves to law enforcement, the Sheriff's Office stated. All three individuals in the vehicle were detained while a probable cause search was administered, which resulted in the discovery of suspected methamphetamine, suspected marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.

All three individuals were placed under arrest, and it was at that time, the male and female passengers identified themselves; Ariel D. Meeks (22) of Brownsville, and Justin D. Smith (24) of Bowling Green. Both were discovered to have active warrants.
​
Abney was charged with:

• Possession Controlled Substance, 1st Degree, 3rd or > Offense (methamphetamine)
• Drug Paraphernalia—Buy/Possess
• Possession of Marijuana

Ariel D. Meeks (22) of Brownsville, Kentucky, and Justin D. Smith (24) of Bowling Green, Kentucky were each charged with:

• Possession Controlled Substance, 1st Degree, 1st Offense (methamphetamine)
• Drug Paraphernalia—Buy/Possess
• Possession of Marijuana

Meeks was also served an Edmonson County Warrant for Failure to Appear on charges stemming from numerous vehicle operator violations.

Smith was also served a Complaint Warrant out of Allen County for Receiving Stolen Property, as well as a Parole Violation Warrant out of Warren County.

All three subjects were transported and lodged in Hart County Jail.
​
Edmonson County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted on scene by Brownsville City Police.

Darren Doyle, story:
County Attorney Greg Vincent made several points at tonight's fiscal court meeting as to why he would not recommend the current proposed affiliation agreement with the Edmonson County Rescue Squad.

Vincent said the proposed agreement contained language that was either unclear or not favorable with the county, such as chain of command issues and no budget or auditing requirements for the squad. He pointed out several other areas of the proposed agreement and advised the fiscal court that the rescue squad would need to make necessary changes in order to recommend an agreement.

"That doesn't mean I'm against the rescue squad," he said. "What that means is that I recommend a committee composed of Emergency Management, the Sheriff, possibly the Judge, maybe a magistrate, and I'll help as well. I would invite rescue squad members to meet and we can work out the details on how we want some of this stuff to go."

Rescue Squad member Tim Skees was in attendance and asked to speak and said the proposed agreement was basically copied verbatim from Hart County Rescue Squad. He said the squad would be interested in making changes in order to work with the county and also told the court that Emergency Management Director Terry Massey and Edmonson County Treasurer Tammi Willhite were made honorary members of the squad for transparency purposes.

"We've bent over backwards to be compliant with what fiscal court wants," he said.

Judge Executive Cannon responded to him and said no one was disputing that. Skees then said that the squad needs an affiliation agreement in order to allow personnel to undergo proper training.

County Attorney Vincent also recommended that the affiliation agreement with the Tri-County Mounted Search and Rescue Team be rescinded as soon as possible for similar reasons.

"This was not adopted by fiscal court, to my knowledge," he said "This was signed as an executive order by the Judge. This needs to be repealed. You need to issue a new order that cancels this, rescinds this, and sends them back to the drawing board. That order of affiliation gives them powers and authorities that I don't think you meant for them to have."

Judge Cannon appointed the committee, made of EM Director Terry Massey, Sheriff Shane Doyle, County Attorney Greg Vincent, and himself. Cannon said the committee would meet and discuss the item on the next meeting's agenda.

County Tax Rates For 2021
The fiscal court voted to lower the county property tax rate from 13.9 cents per $100 of assessed value to 13.8 cents. The vote came as a recommendation from Judge Cannon, who said the compensating rate had dropped to 13.4 and lowering to 13.8 would be a slight break, but would not hinder the county budget from dealing with inflation.

Courthouse Sidewalks
The fiscal court voted to accept a proposal from Martin Excavation and Contracting for $16,150 for the construction of new sidewalks at the courthouse.

The project will provide new sidewalks from the Jackson Street side, around the front of the Community Center across from Bank of Edmonson County, to the steps at the Community Center facing East Main Cross Street.

The court also voted to

• Approve to hire Kim Carroll, part-time custodian (Parks) at $11.00 per hour, date of hire 7/5/2021.
• Approve to hire Robert Coomer, part-time Dog Control at $10.00 per hour, date of hire 7/14/2021.

The next fiscal court meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 9th at 9AM in the upstairs courtroom of the courthouse.

Darren Doyle, story:
The classic "extra blacktop" or "blacktop sealer" scam has apparently made it's way back to Edmonson County again, according to some callers.

The Edmonson Voice has received multiple calls about a scam attempt that's recently occurred in the county where a man attempts to sell you his blacktop sealing service. He apparently asks for some or all money up front, where someone then sprays a minimal coat of a substance that is worthless--or-- he simply leaves with your money and doesn't come back.

Other tips from callers say they were approached by someone offering blacktop that was supposedly leftover from another big job down the road at a cheap price. The scammer gets your money and doesn't do the work, and there was no pavement leftover from any job, period.

One caller claimed the man was part of a larger group that attempts a number of different scams, including roofing, septic tank service, and a host of other contractor-type jobs. He said the man used one of his neighbors as a reference, but the caller knew who did the neighbor's job, and it wasn't this man.

"They go by a house that's recently had their driveway sealed, look up the address of that house on the internet, and tell you they did it," the caller said. "When you call up the neighbor and ask 'were you satisfied with the company that sealed your driveway?' they'll tell you they were, but they're talking about a completely different company. I knew it was a scam and told him to hit the road."

Sheriff Shane Doyle said this type of scam is all too common and that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

"Most reputable companies rarely go door-to-door anymore, but if they do, look for some identification," he said. "Ask for documentation proving they're licensed and insured, ask for several references, and look up their company on the internet, whether that be a website, social media page, or something. If you're still unsure, you're better off to decline their services, or call a neighbor or family member to help you."

Sheriff Doyle encouraged the community to call authorities when something like this happens with a description of the individual and what vehicle in which they are traveling.

"Unfortunately, these scammers try to prey on our elderly, so it's important for us to talk to our older family members and educate them on these types of things," he said.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Schools will not require masks at school for the 2021-22 school year, as of now, according to a statement released from Superintendent of Schools; however, they will be required on buses, according to state mandates. The entire statement is published below:

Edmonson Voice News Update:
A Sweeden woman was arrested and faces multiple drug charges after a traffic stop on Saturday.

According to a press release from the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, on Saturday, July 17th, a deputy observed a white Honda Accord cross the center line five times while traveling north on KY HWY 259. The deputy initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and identified the driver as Samantha Ann Welsh (42) of Sweeden, Kentucky. A standardized field sobriety test was performed and consent to search Welsh’s vehicle produced an open alcohol container, suspected Hydrocodone, suspected marijuana, suspected methamphetamine, and various forms of drug paraphernalia, the Sheriff's Office reported. Welsh was placed under arrest and charged with:

• Possession Controlled Substance, 1st Degree, 1st Offense (Methamphetamine)
• Possession Controlled Substance, 1st Degree, 1st Offense (Drug Unspecified)
• Drug Paraphernalia—Buy/Possess
• Possession of Marijuana
• Possession of Open Alcoholic Beverage Container in Motor Vehicle-Prohibited
• Failure to Produce Insurance Card
• Careless Driving
• Prescription Controlled Substance Not in Proper Container—1st Offense

Welsh was lodged in Hart County Jail.

Edmonson Voice Update:
Campbellsville University’s 35th annual Excellence in Teaching Award Program honored 205 teachers throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 72 districts and/or private schools, three of which are Edmonson County educators.

The teachers are selected by their school districts in each grade level (preschool/elementary, middle and high school), and this year's winners were Julie Harp, Kyrock Elementary School, Sarah Justis, Edmonson County Middle School, and Kori Skaggs, Edmonson County High School.

Harp, of Sweeden, Ky., teaches first grade at Kyrock Elementary School. She has 24 years of teaching experience. She is married to Wayne Harp.

Justis, of Morgantown, Ky., has been teaching at Edmonson County Middle School for nine years. She is married to Chase Justis and they have two children: Avery and Noah Justis.

Skaggs, of the Chalybeate community, has seven years of experience teaching at Edmonson County High School and will be a counselor for the upcoming school year. She is married to Daniel Skaggs.

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 13,500 students offering over 100 programs of study including Ph.D., master, baccalaureate, associate, pre-professional and certification programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
A Grayson County man was killed today after a two-county police pursuit ended in a motorcycle crash.

According to Kentucky State Police, troopers were called to investigate a fatal collision involving a motorcycle near the 2500 block of Sunfish Bee Spring Road in Edmonson County around 1PM. 

KSP reported that the Grayson County Sheriff's Office initiated a pursuit of a stolen motorcycle being operated by 34 year-old Kristopher M. Burden of Leitchfield.  The Grayson County Sheriff's Deputy lost sight of the motorcycle as it entered Edmonson County, a KSP press release said.  An Edmonson County Deputy Sheriff observed the motorcycle southbound on Highway 259 North in the Kyrock area of Edmonson County and KSP said the operator of the vehicle made an unlawful turn in the middle of the roadway, nearly striking another vehicle that was traveling on Highway 259 North. The Edmonson County Sheriff's Deputy then initiated a pursuit of the motorcycle. 

The motorcycle turned west onto Sunfish Bee Spring Road where Burden failed to negotiate a curve and exited the roadway.  Kristopher Burden was ejected from the motorcycle after striking a roadway sign and guardrail.  Kristopher Burden was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Edmonson County Coroner.  Burden was reportedly not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision. 

The investigation continues and is being led by Detective Michael Waggener.  He was assisted on the scene by Brownsville Police Department, Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Edmonson County EMS, Kyrock Fire Department, Bear Creek Fire Department, Edmonson County District 5 Constable, and Edmonson County Coroner.  

Sheriff Shane Doyle discussed the incident with the Edmonson Voice.

“Because this is an active KSP investigation, there’s not a whole lot that I can comment at on at this time," he said. "I can say, however, that while this is a tragic event, I’m proud of our officers for the way they conducted themselves. The deputy that responded administered life-saving measures until relieved by EMS, and he always puts the greater safety of the community above himself. We rely on the Kentucky State Police to conduct these kinds of investigations, because we know that the independence of KSP and transparency they provide will allow for a proper and complete examination of the facts and evidence surrounding this terrible situation. We cannot comment further at this time.”

Darren Doyle, story:
It's now the time where school systems everywhere start preparing for the upcoming year, and that usually involves working hard to stock up on much needed school supplies for incoming students.

Edmonson County will host their very own Cram The Cruiser 2021, the 15th annual event which will be held at two locations on Friday, July 16th.

Local school personnel from the Family Resource-Youth Services Centers, Community Education, and plenty of volunteers will be set up at both the Family Dollar in Brownsville and Dollar General in Chalybeate to accept school supply donations; 100% of which will stay in Edmonson County for local students.

"Our annual Cram the Cruiser helps our FRYS Centers help meet every kid's needs and keeps them on a level playing ground," said Lisa Whobrey, Community Education Director. "It helps to break those barriers that may hold a child back. We want each and every child to be successful. Every item and every dollar spent for this event stays right here in Edmonson County.  This event supports our children 100%."

The most common items needed are crayons, coloring pencils, notebook paper, two-pocket, three-prong folders, composition notebooks, pencils, pens, backpacks, and pencil boxes or pouches. Hand sanitizer and personal hygiene items are also welcome. Monetary donations will be accepted by either cash or check.

Local law enforcement will be set up to help cram their cruisers, which will include the Kentucky State Police, the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Brownsville Police, as well as Edmonson EMS.

"If someone isn't able to come out on Friday the 16th, they are more than welcome to reach out the schools Youth Services Center or Family Resource Center Office to make a donation," said Whobrey. "All our schools and the Board of Education office will be happy to accept donations."

The event will begin at 9AM at both the Brownsville and Chalybeate locations and will last until 3PM.

Edmonson Voice News Update:
On July 11, 2021 at approximately 4:00 p.m., Kentucky State Police Post 3, Bowling Green was contacted in reference to possible skeletal remains being found in a cave in Barren County.  A KSP press release stated that detectives arrived at 1691 Hiseville Bear Wallow Road in Cave City where skeletal remains were located in a cave on the property and taken as evidence for the investigation.  The remains were transported to the Medical Examiners Office in Louisville for identification purposes, according to KSP.

The investigation is being led by KSP detectives.  KSP was assisted on the scene by Barren County Sheriff's Office, Barren County Emergency Management and Barren County Coroner's Office.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
A short meeting was held today for Edmonson County's Fiscal Court in the Edmonson County Community Center. The location of the meeting was changed due to HVAC problems in the upstairs courtroom in the courthouse.

Magistrates today voted to approve the county's upcoming surplus sale, which isnormally held annually but was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. The Edmonson Voice obtained the full list of items approved by the court today, which is published below.

The following county offices gave reports to the court:

Road Report: County Road Supervisor Greg Carroll reported a number of tile installations across the county and Railroad Street in Rocky Hill is ready for new paving. He also said that mowing was continuing throughout the districts and that approximately 60% of the work on Brooks Road has been completed. The county road collapsed into water on June 8th, and at that time, the road was expected to be closed for approximately 10 days: however, much more damage occurred than what was initially thought.

Carroll said that over 1,500 tons of rock have already been delivered to Brooks Road. He told the Edmonson Voice after the meeting that even more is going to be required to finish the job. He also said that other parts of the road will need repaving due to the high volume of heavy trucks and equipment that have been traveling in the area during the repair of the project. The project has been submitted to FEMA for federal flood funding.

Emergency Management Report: Edmonson County Emergency Management Director Terry "Moose" Massey reported a total of 19 emergency runs made in the county since the last fiscal court meeting, six of which were fires, including one on a farm of District 3 Magistrate Charlie Tarter, who lost several bales of hay. Massey also asked the fiscal court to consider signing a new agreement with the Edmonson County Rescue Squad, which has been reorganized since the county cut ties with the organization a few months ago.

The county did not renew their annual agreement with the Edmonson County Rescue Squad in April of this year, which ended the squad's affiliation with anything related to county government, fire departments, or local dispatch. The squad failed to submit the proper documentation required by the Judge Executive's Office for insurance and auditing purposes. At that time, Massey recommend cutting ties with the group, due to lack of training, equipment, and oversight. The squad's commander at that time, Dakota Yates of Roundhill, was arrested in May on meth and other drug charges. Yates was removed from his position after his arrest.

Since that time, Massey said that the squad has undergone an overhaul, has met the training requirements for local emergency personnel, has submitted the proper documentation for their finances, and has a new commander. Judge Cannon said the original plan was to reassess the situation at the end of the year and that the new organization needed to be observed by the county to ensure they are following the proper county protocols. Cannon said he was open to doing it sooner than the end of the year but the county would need time to examine the request.

County Clerk Report: County Clerk Kevin Alexander updated the court on a number of problems his office had faced over the last week due to updates performed by the state that wreaked havoc on systems all across Kentucky. The issues became so bad that Alexander was forced to close his office on Saturday. He said one of their current systems is a DOS-based system, first implemented 40 years ago. He said that several clerk offices around the region had to close during the week because of the problems. His office is open, but some services are still down. For more information, call the office at 270-597-2624.

Judge Cannon also announced that the annual Freedom Fest, which returned to the county last weekend, was successful, providing free fireworks to the community and raising over $3600 in concessions for Parks and Rec.

He also said that regulations for spending over $2 million in funds that the county recently received are beginning to loosen, although he felt like it was still too early to earmark the money.

"We can't spend this money where it's still questionable because the county has no reserve," he said. "If there's an audit sometime down the road and the government decides the money wasn't properly spent, then we'll have to pay it back and unless there's some sort of an economic boom, we don't have the means to do that."

He said the current regulations are still unclear and he wants to be sure the funds are spent where it will do the most good for the most county residents.

The court also voted to:

• Approve American Auction and Realty to handle the upcoming county surplus auction
• Approve the application process for the 2021 Spay/Neuter Grant
• Approve to hire Amanda Heaverin, part time Dog Control Officer at $10/hr, date of hire: 7/06/21

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday evening, July 26, 2021 at 6PM in the upstairs court room at the courthouse.

Edmonson Voice News Report:
The Edmonson County Fiscal Court has announced the annual county surplus auction will be held on Saturday, July 17th, 2021 at the county property located at 3020 Veterans Memorial Highway, in Brownsville beginning at 9:00 a.m. 

Items expected to sell include multiple vehicles, office furniture, road equipment, and miscellaneous items from the parks department. Payment in full is required at the time of the auction, including a 7% buyers premium. 

The sale will be conducted by Americana Real Estate and Auctions.

A full list of surplus of items to be sold will be released next week.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A large barn and all of its contents were lost this morning in a fire on Knob Road.

Firefighters were paged today at around 5:30AM to the report of a fully involved barn fire in the 1200 block of Knob Road, off of KY HWY 422 (Pig Road).

According to radio traffic, the barn was already on the ground when firefighters first arrived. Emergency personnel worked to keep the blaze from spreading further.

The barn was owned by Mr. Royce Houchin, who said he saw the fire and reported it immediately. According to Mr. Houchin, there was no electric to the structure, which contained some machinery, including a hay baler, and around 60 round bales of hay.

Mr. Houchin said the original portion of the barn was likely 100 years old or more; however, he'd built other sections onto the structure over the years.

All the contents, including the hay, were lost in the fire. No cause of the fire was given and no injuries were reported.

Responding to the scene were the Rocky Hill, Brownsville, Wingfield, and Park City fire departments, as well as Warren Rural Electric.

Edmonson Voice News Update:
Mammoth Cave National Park will temporarily close the Turnhole Bend Nature Trail and parking lot from Wednesday, July 7 to Tuesday, September 7.

The two-month closure is required to complete the final stages of a road paving project taking place in the park along KY-70, Brownsville Road.

The road project, which involves roadway resurfacing, the hardening of road shoulders, and expansion or replacement of existing guard rails, is being coordinated by the United States Federal Highway Administration and National Park Service.  

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Family Resource-Youth Services Center programs (FRYSC) have been awarded a $100,000 grant for the purpose of constructing a custom bus, known as "The Community Cruiser," according to Director of Federal and State Programs for Edmonson County Schools, Jamie Carnes.

The grant is part of a $15 million dollar project from the second round of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund 2 (GEER II). According to Governor Andy Beshear's office, the statewide grants will fund educational support services needed due to COVID-19’s impact on schools, youth, and families, with a focus on early childhood education and child care, as well as family crisis and mental health counseling.

According to Mr. Carnes, Edmonson FRYSC, along with other local community agencies, found barriers that not only limited their local programs during the pandemic, but also prevented students from traveling to Brownsville to participate in these programs when they were available. This led to the development of ideas revolving around ways to bring school needs and FRYSC programs to families in small group settings. 

Some of the programs provided by the FRYSC are the Back-To-School Bash, 16th Birthday Bash, Holiday Assistance, Future Blackhawks, Future Bulldogs, and help with Cram The Cruiser.

The Community Cruiser will be an Edmonson County school bus no longer used for daily passenger transportation that will be completely customized on both the inside and out.  The end result will be more like a tour bus or RV.  Carnes said while the planning for the customization is still in its early stages, some ideas include seating and rugs for early childhood programs, tables and chairs for office space, partitions for healthcare programs, an awning for outdoor programs, an onboard generator, public-address speaker system, and other setups meant to help bring their programs to the community.

"We want this to be a versatile vehicle that will meet many community needs," Carnes said. "This is basically going to create opportunities for us to bring many programs we currently provide out to the community."

Carnes said the FRYSC will also be working alongside other community organizations that include but are not limited to: A Plus Family Healthcare, The Edmonson County Cooperative Extension Office, other EC Schools programs, LifeSkills, and Brownsville Missionary Baptist Church, which is the school's partner for the Affordable Christmas and the Backpack Programs.

"We will also be working with Lannie Deweese, our Director of Transportation and the Transportation Department, said Carnes. "We also appreciate Superintendent Brian Alexander who guaranteed full support with a donation of a bus and a partnership with our Bus Garage.  The arrangement will provide insurance, bus maintenance, storage, fuel, and a system of support throughout the renovation and implementation process."

Carnes said that they're consulting with an automotive repair company for the custom work required for the vehicle but a time frame is unknown for when the vehicle will be on the road in Edmonson County.

"We hope this will add a better way of serving our community with our programs," he said. "It would not be possible without this grant and all the folks collaborating to make it happen."