Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office said they spotted a man working on a car on the side of Sulphur Road in Chalybeate on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 which was known to have had an outstanding warrant​ for a parole violation.

According to deputies, as they stopped at the scene, they identified Austin White (24) of Roundhill, as the man with the warrant along with Eric Sowders, (28) of Park City who was found to have had an outstanding bench warrant out of Edmonson County District Court. 

The Sheriff's office reported that while performing a probable cause search of the vehicle, suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, and Tramadol, (a schedule 4 controlled substance) was found bagged and packaged for sale, in addition to numerous other empty plastic bags and corner bags, along with scales and other drug paraphernalia. 

​Sowders was charged with Trafficking in controlled substance first degree-second offense, Trafficking in controlled substance third degree-second offense, and Trafficking in marijuana less than 8 ounces. He was lodged in the Hart County Jail on the bench warrant and new drug charges. 

White was also lodged in Hart County Jail on his warrant and new charges of Forgery 2nd, Theft of identity without consent, and Theft by unlawful taking over $500. Officials said that these charges were unrelated to the trafficking arrest and stem from a separate investigation. 

The Edmonson County Sheriff's office also reported that this is the sixth drug trafficking arrest in six days, all of which are unrelated.

Edmonson Circuit Court was held on August 7, 2017 where a Grand Jury returned the following indictments:

Jason Salyer, Trafficking in controlled substance, first degree, second or more offense, meth, firearm enhanced. Possession of handgun by convicted felon. Cultivate in marijuana (5plants or more, first offense) firearm enhanced. Trafficking marijuana less than 8oz, second or more offense, firearm enhanced. Persistent felony offender first degree.

David James, Unlawful possession of meth precursor (2 counts), operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs-aggravated circumstance. Intimidating a participant in legal process. Terroristic threatening third degree. Trafficking controlled substance first degree. Persistent felony offender second degree.

​Jeffery Crawford, Flagrant non support. Persistent felony offender second degree.

Ryan Alvey, Possession of controlled substance first degree, first offense meth. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Trafficking controlled substance, first degree, first offense meth. Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs second offense.

Brandon Embry, Burglary second degree. Wanton endangerment first degree (2 counts). Wanton endangerment first degree police officer. Fleeing or evading police first degree on foot. Persistent felony offender, second degree. 

​Cody Cowles, Arson second degree. Burglary second degree. Burglary third degree. Wanton endangerment first degree.

Evan Minor, Flagrant non support.

Matthew Hamilton. Trafficking controlled substances near school building. Trafficking controlled substance first degree. Possession of marijuana. Possession of drug paraphernalia-buy/possess.

​Andrew Hampton, Possession of controlled substance first degree. Prescription for controlled substance not in original container.

Lance Bly, Receiving stolen property over $500. Giving officer false name or address. Operating motor vehicle on suspended or revoked license. Persistent felony offender second degree.

​Cody Haycraft, Fleeing or evading police first degree on foot. Wanton endangerment first degree police officer. Wanton endangerment first degree. Alcohol intoxication in public place. Persistent felony offender second degree.

Chase Groves, Possession of controlled substance first degree, first offense-meth. Theft by unlawful taking or disposition all others over $10,000, but under $1 million. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Operating on suspended or revoked operators license. Assault third degree-police officer. Two counts of burglary third degree. Resisting arrest. Possession of marijuana. Criminal mischief third degree. Persistent felony offender first degree.

Aaron D. Miller, Burglary first degree. Theft by unlawful taking over $500. Forgery second degree.

​Billy Buchanan, Trafficking in controlled substance first degree, second offense. Trafficking in marijuana, less than 8oz. second offense. Trafficking controlled substance second degree, second offense. Prescription controlled substance not in original container. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Persistent felony offender first degree.

Derek Logan, Burglary first degree. Theft by unlawful taking or disposition-firearm. Criminal mischief third degree. Theft by unlawful taking over $500.

Jessie Taylor, Trafficking controlled substance first degree, second offense, meth. Trafficking controlled substance first degree, second offense. Possession of controlled substance first degree, first offense. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Trafficking marijuana less than 8oz, second offense.

Angelia Lindsey, Possession of controlled substance first degree, meth. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Possession of marijuana.

Candi Leeper, Receiving stolen property over $500.

Kelly Yates, Possession of controlled substance first degree, second offense, heroin. Possession of controlled substance, second degree. Prescription controlled substance not in original container.

Johnny Stevens, Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs, fourth or more offense. Wanton endangerment first degree. Failure to use/improper signal. Fleeing or evading police first degree. Persistent felony offender second degree.

David Quiles, Flagrant non support.

​Dereka Martin Rigney, Possession of controlled substance first degree, first offense, heroin. Possession of controlled substance, second degree. Prescription for controlled substance not in original container.

Trevor Vincent, Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs, aggravated circumstance, second offense. Assault third degree police officer or probation officer. Resisting arrest. Criminal mischief second degree. Fleeing or evading police first degree-motor vehicle. Fleeing or evading police first degree-on foot. Three counts of wanton endangerment first degree-police officer. Wanton endangerment first degree. Reckless driving. Intimidating a participant in the legal process.

​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.

The Edmonson County Clerk's Office has released the 2016 Edmonson County delinquent property tax bills. You can stop the slideshow by stopping the screen and navigating either front or back.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Two different drivers walked away with very minor injuries after their vehicles collided this morning around 5:45am at the junction of KY HWY 70 and HWY 187.

According to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Dale Logsdon, (60) of Sunfish was heading west on HWY 70 (Morgantown Rd) in a Ford Ranger pickup when Stacy Dixon (35) of Mammoth Cave attempted to pull out onto HWY 70 from HWY 187. 

The vehicles collided at the junction and Logsdon's pickup landed on its driver side. Logsdon said he was able to stand on his lunch cooler and climb out of the truck on the passenger side. He had minor scrapes.

Dixon also had minor injuries and both drivers refused medical treatment at the scene. Each driver also made statements to their beliefs that the results could have certainly been much worse.

Responding to the scene were the Bear Creek and Brownsville Fire Departments, in addition to the KY State Highway Dept. and the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A Louisville man that had recently moved to the Wingfield community lost his life in a single vehicle accident Monday night, August 28, 2017 around 7:30pm.

The Edmonson County Sheriff's office reported that William L. Holmes, (58) was headed south on Henry Meredith Road in a 1992 Toyota Corolla where Holmes exited the right side of the road and struck a tree. 

According to the Sheriff's office, Holmes was not wearing a seat belt. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Edmonson County Deputy Coroner Richie Jones.

Responding to the accident were the Wingfield, Brownsville, Chalybeate, and Kyrock Fire departments, along with Edmonson County JAWS, Edmonson EMS, and the Sheriff's office.

Darren Doyle, story and photos: 
Today's fiscal court meeting was business as usual, approving reports and the typical bills; however, Sheriff Shane Doyle addressed the court during his regular report in regards to death threats that he and multiple members of his office received during a recent vehicle accident to which his office responded, and the situation in which his office was placed due to bureaucracy and red tape of the court and jail system as a result. 

Doyle said that one of his deputies, Detective Wally Ritter, responded to a recent crash where the crash victim, whose name is being withheld for safety reasons, began threatening emergency workers on scene. In an attempt to help the victim, Doyle said the victim began calling the emergency workers out by name and telling each one that he was going to kill them.

According to Doyle, the crash victim, who had to be extricated from the vehicle by local volunteer emergency workers, told Detective Ritter that he was going to kill him the next opportunity that he had. Furthermore, that if he couldn't find a gun to use, he would take Ritter's gun from him and kill him with his own gun. The crash victim also allegedly told Ritter that he would also kill members of his family.

Doyle said the victim was taken to the hospital for neck and back injuries and was later sent home in a back brace and what is known as a "halo," which is a protective neck brace that is stabilized with supports that rest against the head.

Doyle said his office obtained warrants for the crash victim's arrest for bond revocation (on a previous charge) and found the man at his home, mowing the lawn. He was arrested and taken into custody where according to Doyle, he taunted officers that wouldn't stay in jail. Doyle said the man ended up being right, because within 24hrs, the man was released due to medical issues. 

The Sheriff said he is fully aware that Hart County Jail is not equipped to handle inmates with serious medical conditions like Warren or Grayson County Jails can, but he said he felt like when he asked for local help on what to do with the inmate, no one considered the real severity of the situation.

"Basically, it was, 'I don't know what else to do, we're just going to have to let him go and then have to pick him up later'," Doyle said. "He (crash victim) was supposed to go to the hospital, but we didn't know if he'd do that. He had the option, if he wanted to, to check himself out and go home--go find a firearm, or who knows what he would've done. I think he's just about capable of anything."

​Judge Cannon invited anyone interested in a more in-depth discussion on the matter to stay after the regular fiscal court meeting for an open discussion. After a short recess following the meeting, Judge Cannon, Sheriff Doyle, magistrates, members of the sheriff's office and several of their spouses, along with a handful of citizens stayed to discuss more.

A family member of the man in discussion, whose name was asked to be withheld for safety, spoke during the open meeting and said he was indeed a threat and that twelve other members of the family's lives had been threatened. She said she asked for assistance from the Judge's office but was told there was nothing that could've been done.

Deputy Jordan Jones and Det. Ritter both discussed how difficult it was to see those arrested in drug cases and other serious crimes come home later that day, only to sometimes immediately commit the same or similar crime again. They, along with Sheriff Doyle asked for a panel or a committee to explore the possibilities of other jailing options for when a situation like this reoccurs. 

Hart Co. Jailer Bergenson said that he and Judge Cannon tried to contact the KY State Reformatory but said they were told they had eleven people in line ahead of them. He said he was told there was nowhere else to take the man.

Judge Cannon said he contacted another jail and described the situation to the jailer, which he did not name. Cannon said the jailer told him that they would have likely turned him away as well because of the medical liability. 

"We all wanted him in jail, that's not the question," Cannon said. "I'm glad Michael Meredith was there, I'm glad he was called, but that was outside of the normal procedures of going about doing things. I am guilty of always looking at the rules and going by the rules, that's just the way that I am. I've been taught that my whole life, in the military, and everything else is 'go up the chain of command, stay within the box,' but I told Shane that now on, I have to start looking outside the box."

Cannon also discussed why a building a jail in Edmonson County simply wasn't possible now or in the near future. 

He said that even if a new jail, which would have to be a 200 bed facility, was built for free, the county couldn't even come close to funding the expense, the personnel, and the equipment necessary to operate a jail. He said opening the doors to house federal inmates wouldn't be a viable solution, either because there would be competition from other jails looking to house them, too.

​Magistrate Edd Rich said that the county has explored options of building a jail ever since he was a magistrate. He said that the KY Dept of Corrections told he and others back in June that there were 500 empty beds in KY jails in small counties. He said state prisoners aren't sent to small county jails, but rather larger, regional jails.

"Glasgow built a jail with 150 beds and it cost them $9 million dollars," said Rich. "And that's just what they had to borrow. I wish we could do a jail because that would create probably 125-130 workers." 

Cannon said there were 42 counties in KY without jails, most all of which with populations between 12-13K. Edmonson County has a population of 12,007 according to a 2015 study of the United States Census Bureau.

The discussion went on for around an hour and a half while Cannon discussed the hundreds of thousands of dollars it would take to fund a jail, not including the cost of building, which would be in the millions. He included salaries, utilities, food, employee benefits, retirement, and other costs, all adding up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Dollars which he says the county doesn't have.

"We're just now starting to build things back up," said Cannon. "We've made improvements to our parks, we've done a few things. We're just now finally able to keep all our bills paid. We can't go out here and do something that will bring financial ruin to this county. We need a handicap ramp built out in the front of the courthouse and even if we do most of the work ourselves, it's going to cost somewhere around $20,000. We can't even afford that, much less a jail now."

Judge Cannon read a letter from another member of the man's family which discussed the need for the man's medical care. While the family member said she did not condone illegal activities, she discussed how his medical needs were important, and that the man's medications were not transported with him when the Sheriff's office arrested him on his bond revocation.

Sheriff Doyle said he personally asked the man if he needed to get any medication or anything else from his home before he was transported to jail. Doyle said the man told the officers he didn't want them in his home and asked to just go to jail because he knew he wouldn't be there long. There was no further discussion about the letter.

​The conversation went back to paying for a new jail. Cannon said in order to pay for a jail now, property taxes would virtually have to be doubled in order to come close to funding a jail, which couldn't happen because of the limit in increments in tax rates allowed by law. In addition, he said other county offices would be forced to see huge budget cuts that would severely alter their current operations, including the Sheriff's office and Parks and Rec.

"I think we're getting off point," said Deputy Jones. All we're asking for is just a panel of people to look at this and see what other solutions are out there. If we can't build a jail, then let's see what else we can do and talk about the future. There's no overnight fix."

Cannon said that he didn't see that a panel of people would be able to do any more than what has already been done.

"If we put a panel together and were able to find a bucket of money somewhere, I still don't think it would come close to being what we'd need to get this thing started," he said. ​

Local business owner Josh Casey suggested that a panel of people may not change things, and that the panel could very well be made up of the same people in the room, but that it would keep the dialogue open, which is what he felt was necessary.

Cannon said that if the county spends its money wisely and is able to save over the next few years, then some larger projects could be done in the future. 

"I'm not opposed to anything, especially that's good for Edmonson County," he said. "But I am opposed to something that's going to destroy us up front."

Sheriff Shane Doyle closed by asking the court to keep an open mind.

"Please just don't take anything off the table," he said. "Let's just try to keep working for a short term and a long term solution. And to keep us informed. It sounds like there was a lot of work done here that I didn't know was done. My door is always open at the Sheriff's office. I want you to come check on us. Stop in and see what we're doing. Let me know what you need in your districts, because if we don't have these conversations, we'll be wondering what the other one is doing. I appreciate what's been done in our department but we still need things that we don't have. We're trying to do a good job for you guys to keep this community safe. I appreciate the open discussion we were able to have."

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
A road safety check conducted by local law enforcement at the Nolin Dam on KY HWY 728 on Saturday, August 26 has resulted in three drug trafficking arrests, according to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

Officials said that around 8:30pm William Haney, 55, of Mammoth Cave, who was operating a 2003 Dodge Caravan stopped at the checkpoint, with David J. York, 40, and Joseph Dillard, 27, both of Mammoth Cave, riding as passengers. Deputies reported that drug paraphernalia was in plain view, and began an investigation.

According to deputies, a search of the vehicle resulted in the finding of bags of suspected Hydrocodone and marijuana packaged for sale, in addition to three handguns and over $200 in cash.

York, Dillard and Haney were charged with trafficking in marijuana less than 8oz.- first offense, Trafficking in controlled substance, first degree-first offense, and Drug paraphernalia.

​York and Dillard face an additional charge of carrying a concealed deadly weapon.

Authorities said that all of the drug offenses charged are considered "Enhanced" due to firearms being present during the commission of the alleged crime.

York and Dillard were arrested on scene and lodged in the Hart County Jail. Haney was cited and released due to an alleged medical emergency, he was treated by Edmonson EMS.

The Sheriff's Office was assisted on scene by Edmonson EMS and the Edmonson County Jailer's office.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Kentucky District 2 Congressman Brett Guthrie (R), Bowling Green met the Edmonson Voice in Smiths Grove Thursday afternoon for a cup of coffee and a discussion about the current state of affairs around the county, Commonwealth, and the nation.

Rep. Guthrie said he's still working to support healthcare, tax, and infrastructure reform, trying to help bring prescription drug costs down, and bring more tourism to the Mammoth Cave/Edmonson County area.

He noted that sometimes when the media reports that Congress is on vacation, not in session, or lawmakers are anywhere else other than Washington it angers Americans everywhere.

"What lots of folks don't realize is that we work in our districts," he said. "I recently held meetings in all 21 counties in our district. You can't do that if you're always in Washington." Guthrie said that's where you can speak directly to the people, hear their concerns, and learn what's most important to them.

One of our first topics of discussion was healthcare and the problems that lawmakers have faced in the process of trying repeal and replace the Affordable Healthcare Act, otherwise known as "Obamacare."

"This has been frustrating to so many," he said. "We have people who have seen their health insurance premiums increase, some areas, like in Arizona, they've gone up over 100%. People everywhere are being negatively affected by it. I'm not going to deny that some people got coverage that didn't have it because of the Affordable Care Act, but the vast majority that already had coverage have been negatively affected by it. This bill basically interrupted the entire insurance market so we still have to get this done. The House has passed the bill, but now it's in the Senate. The question is, when does that happen? Until we can successfully get a bill to the President's desk to sign, we're not successful in getting this done."

​The Congressman said if a repeal/replace bill can't be passed, then the question becomes, can lawmakers do something to help the overall insurance market? He said he wasn't optimistic about that because it would take democrats' support, and he said he hasn't seen that yet.

"Democrats have said, 'let's sit down and fix the law,' but when you start getting down to the details of what it will take to fix the law, you have to repeal some of these insurance mandates and regulations, but they seem to like all the mandates and regulations. To get them to do away with some of those might be difficult to do. I base that on a 27 and 1/2 hour hearing I attended when we passed the healthcare bill, and based on the rhetoric in that hearing, I'm not sure where you find any one of them willing to do what I think is necessary to at least repair our insurance markets."

​He then discussed two other topics on which President Trump ran his campaign, tax reform and infrastructure spending. He said there's not a bill yet on tax reform but he expects that soon. The infrastructure issue also is being discussed and worked on. Guthrie said he supported all three of the President's initiatives regarding healthcare, tax reform, and beefed-up infrastructure.

"My view is that the President certainly has the ability and the megaphone to cut through all the media, reach out to people, and sell his products, which are healthcare, tax reform, and infrastructure."

We asked the Congressman about the divisiveness throughout the country today and his thoughts on how that can be changed.

"I attended the KY Farm Bureau Country Ham Breakfast in Louisville this morning," he said.  "For some reason, there were protesters gathered outside because of KY Farm Bureau."

The event is held annually at the state fair and raised over $325,000 this year alone for charities all across Kentucky.

​"I don't even know exactly what they were protesting today. There seems to be a group that will protest anything these days," he said. "I think all of us in Washington need to be working on how we can bring people together. You know, when it comes down to it, you have the majority of people that want the economy to grow, they want healthcare to work, they want fair tax reform, and they'd like to have better access to infrastructure. All of us, in our demeanor, in our contexts, need to try to move people forward, bring them together. I'm not sure there's a simple answer to that, but I know it starts with everyone talking about it."

He also discussed the horrible events that took place in Charlottesville. 

"What happened there was repugnant. It's deplorable. It's not what America's about. America is about that no matter where you are in life that you have the opportunity to move yourself up and I think we need to unite around that and move forward from there."

He said he appreciates the fact that President Trump uses a direct line to the people, most commonly done through social media and that the President doesn't have to have the media to relay his message.

"I think the mainstream media has made a decision from the beginning to be very negative with the President, no matter what, so in order for the President to communicate his agenda, he has to have a direct line. Sometimes his tweets are a different style in what I'd have, but I do think if he didn't have that avenue, it would be much different. I think his speech on Afghan war was the right tone, the right policy on moving forward, and I'm sure H.R. McMaster, the President's National Security Advisor, helped draft the policy, and he was my squad leader at West Point. You know, some of the things the President does is not my particular style, like the big rallies and things. I even said during his campaign that I didn't think he should say this or that, but you know what?--he won," he said.

When asked about holding a huge "Brett Guthrie Rally" in Diddle Arena, his reply was, "we don't have to worry about that...I couldn't come close to filling Diddle Arena," as he laughed.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
One of Brownsville's oldest businesses is currently working on moving from their location on Main Street to just down the road at Park Place, a strip mall located near the southern Brownsville city limit.

Edmonson Drug, which has been in business and at the same location since 1950, has announced their plans for an expansion and a move. Trevor Ray, with Midway Pharmacy, the parent company of Edmonson Drug says that while the nostalgia of the Main St. location will be missed, taking advantage of the opportunity for expansion and to better serve their customers is a priority.

"Our customers have shown us the need for more products and services, they want better parking, and more handicap accessibility," said Ray. "Moving to Park Place is a way to solve these problems."

He said the store will double their current square footage in the move which will allow them to offer more products and expand their drive-thru service. Construction plans for the new drive-thru will add the service to the west end of the building, where the former "Reneva's" boutique was located. Ray said the plan is for customers to be able to use the existing entrance of Park Place, have the ability to drive directly up to the new window, then use a new exit from the parking lot that will connect to Veteran's HWY (259).

"We'll have the same staff with Sam, Nathan, and our same group," said Ray. "Some of these folks have been with us for 17-18 years."

Ray said the timetable for the move is somewhere between 60 to 90 days. Until then, things will continue as usual at the original location.

"We plan on keeping our customers informed of our progress and updates, while ensuring them that everything will continue running the same during this process. We've offered free countywide delivery since 2015 and that will remain the same through, and after this process."

He said the plan will be to close the Main St. store on a particular Saturday at noon, then open at their new location on the next Monday morning at 8am. He also said that the store has even more plans in the future to bring other services and products to Edmonson County, but nothing for discussion at this time.

"We're excited about this move," said Ray. "Our new services and products, the parking availability, and our new drive thru are really going to help our customers. In a small community like ours, you can have one business that's able to make improvements,  then that causes another to make improvements. Before you know it, you have some real progress that helps the entire community."

The store is open Monday - Friday, 8am to 5pm and on Saturdays 8am until noon. You can visit their Facebook page by clicking here or call 270-597-2386.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
South Edmonson Elementary Principal Jamie Woosley has announced that he has accepted a job at a newly built elementary school, Jennings Creek Elementary in Warren County.

In a public statement, he thanked parents for the opportunities he's been given here in Edmonson County over the past five years.

"There have been bumps in the road, but WE have always endured them and have become stronger, as a school and community, because of them. South is one of the best schools in the state. It is filled with superstar teachers and staff that work tirelessly to develop students academically and socially," he said in the statement.

Woosley said that a couple of weeks ago, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented itself. This week, he was offered the position and he accepted.

"This position will allow me to be ten minutes from my family and my growing boys, and I will be able to do something that only a handful of people get the chance to do," he said.

He closed the statement by saying, "I do not know when my last day at South Edmonson will be. I can tell you that I love your kids, I love the teachers and staff, and I love this community. You have never been anything but supportive and caring, always having the best interest of the students in mind. Thank you for allowing me to spend a small portion of my life with your wonderful kids. I will forever cherish my time spent at South Edmonson."

Woosley also told the Edmonson Voice that he has certainly grown to love South Edmonson over the past few years.

"I love this community and Edmonson County, but I couldn't pass this up for my own family," he said. "South Edmonson is a great school and I'm proud to be a Bulldog."

No timetable has been set for finding a replacement for Principal Woosley and it is unknown how much longer he will remain at South Edmonson.

Darren Doyle, story:
​The Kentucky Division of Driver Licensing has implemented a new program that requires CDL drivers to submit their required paperwork via a website, according to Edmonson County Circuit Court Clerk Tanya Hodges.

For many years, Clerk Hodges' office has allowed CDL drivers to use Hodges' office to either fax or email drivers' CDL documents. As of October 1, 2017, those faxes and emails from the Brownsville office will no longer be accepted.

Clerk Hodges said that this statewide implementation is beyond the control of her office.

The state has launched a new website, http://mycdl.ky.gov, that according to the KY Division of Driver Licensing, is intended  "to make it easier for commercial drives to get CDL documents processed."

​Medical Certifications, Self-Certifications, and Commercial Applications must now be submitted through the new  site. According to the KYDDDL, first time users will need to create a Kentucky Business One Stop (KBOS) account if they don't already have one. The account creation is a one-time requirement. The same User ID and Password will be used each time a driver logs into their KBOS account.

A statement from the KY Transportation Cabinet said "We are confident this service will make document submission and processing faster and easier for everyone. Thank you in advance for your cooperation."

Hodges said individuals will still be able to mail their documentation into the office of the Department of Transportation or take them in-person.  

"So many of the drivers have me send it for them and this new process could be frustrating to some," she said. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but again, this is a statewide requirement in which we have no control. We always strive to help each and everyone who needs our services with great care and respect and we will continue to do our best to help in any way we can."

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The sky looked pretty strange for about a minute today as Edmonson County experienced a partial solar eclipse, the first notable eclipse in this area since 2000, and the first total eclipse (viewable only southwest of Edmonson County) since 1979.

Edmonson County schools were in session today but dismissed class for the peak of the eclipse that occurred around 1:30pm. The eclipse began around noon today and lasted until about 3pm.

Hopkinsville was the solar eclipse capital of the world today as thousands made their way there to witness the longest time period of the total eclipse in the USA, experiencing the phenomenon for around 3 minutes.

Bowling Green experienced the total eclipse for under a minute and folks in Edmonson County were only able to view a partial eclipse, meaning that sunlight was still visible here during the time Bowling Green experienced totality. 

Hotel room rates in the Bowling Green/Hopkinsville area were rumored to have been going into the thousands and one farmer was said to have rented out enough tent spaces on his land to pay off a $165K debt. 

While no one traveled to Brownsville to see a partial eclipse, locals enjoyed the oddity here anyway. Students from all local schools were provided proper eye protection so they could safely view the eclipse today at school. 

Muhammad "Chavi" Chaudhry (46), Brownsville, was also arrested and charged with Alcohol intoxication in a public place (first offense) and Unlawful transaction with a minor (third degree).

Jerry Erassarret, (45), Brownsville, was also arrested and charged with Alcohol intoxication in a public place (first offense), Unlawful transaction with a minor (third degree), and Tampering with physical evidence.

​Erin Hudson, (18), Brownsville, was arrested and charged with Alcohol intoxication in a public place (first offense.

All three subjects were transported and lodged in the Hart County Jail. Assisting the Brownsville PD was the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office and Kentucky State Police.

​Mammoth Cave National Park
August 18, 2017
3:25 p.m.

Green River ferry is closed because of low water.

This afternoon, the river measurement at the Green River Crossing read -7 inches.

For current ferry information please call 270-758-2166.

Darren Doyle, story:
Michelle Coleman, CEO of Bank of Edmonson County has informed the VOICE that county residents have received phone calls today from a scammer claiming to sell medical ID bracelets under the bank's name.

"The number on the caller id somehow shows 'Bank of Edmonson County' but it's not us," said Coleman. "The caller identifies themselves as 'Gene' and says they are selling medical ID bracelets for the bank but that's certainly not true."

Coleman says Bank of Edmonson County apologizes for any confusion but they don't and never have sold any such product. Furthermore, she advises that the bank doesn't call customers to try to sell products or services over the phone.

If you receive such a call, your are advised to refrain from giving the caller any personal information and to hang up immediately.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Bank of Edmonson County is encouraging bank customers everywhere to be alert of one of today's most popular but unfortunate schemes, which is financial exploitation against the elderly.

According to a Metlife study, an estimated $2.9 billion is lost annually to scams explicitly targeting seniors.  The American Bankers Association Foundation is urging older Americans and their caregivers to join the fight against financial abuse and take active steps to protect their finances from fraud.
 
“Older Americans currently hold more than two-thirds of all U.S. deposits, making them highly susceptible to scams, exploitation and abuse,” said Corey Carlisle, ABA Foundation executive director. “It’s critical that seniors and their loved ones recognize the signs of financial abuse before it’s too late and get help immediately if they think they’ve been victimized.”
 
To help older Americans and their caregivers protect themselves or their loved ones from financial abuse, the ABA Foundation is offering the following tips:

• Plan ahead to protect your assets and to ensure your wishes are followed. Talk to someone at your financial institution, an attorney, or financial advisor about the best options for you.
• Carefully choose a trustworthy person to act as your agent in all estate-planning matters. Select someone who has your best interest at heart.
• Never give personal information, including your Social Security, account number or other financial information to anyone over the phone unless you initiated the call and the other party is trusted.
• Stay alert to common fraud schemes. Never pay a fee or taxes to collect sweepstakes or lottery “winnings.”
• Never rush into a financial decision.  Ask for details in writing and consult with a financial advisor or attorney before signing any document you don’t understand.
• Check references and credentials before hiring anyone. Don’t allow workers to have access to information about your finances and make sure to lock up your checkbook, account statements and other sensitive information when others will be in your home.
• Pay with checks and credit cards instead of cash to keep a paper trail.
• You have the right not to be threatened or intimidated. If you believe you are a victim of elder financial abuse, contact your local Adult Protective Services, tell someone at your bank or call your local police for help.

Donna Bagshaw,  SVP & Deposit Compliance Officer at Bank of Edmonson County said "If you suspect elder abuse, you are legally required to report it as Kentucky is a mandatory reporting state.  You can report abuse at the 24 hour toll free hotlines at 1-877-597-2331 or 1-800-752-6200."

She noted that calls can be made anonymously.

Darren Doyle, story:
A light agenda was discussed at today's fiscal court meeting where the main item of discussion was the 2017 Edmonson County property tax rate, which remained the same at a 13.9 rate per $100 in value. Also remaining the same were the Health Dept. tax, Extension Office tax, and the Ambulance Service tax rates.

Only a few county offices gave reports at the meeting, including the Road Department Foreman Ray Page. He said that blacktop work is still the department's priority during this time of year and that it has been ongoing throughout county districts along with right-of-way mowing and clearing. He also reported that his department has plans to trim trees and limbs along school bus routes when feasible with their busy blacktop projects on county roads.

Deputy Jailer Todd Vincent reported that the home incarceration program had been saving the county around $3000 per month in housing expenses from Hart County Jail. The program allows non-violent or lesser charged individuals to wear an ankle monitor at home, the fees from which are paid by those wearing the monitor.

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Lions Club has announced the dates, theme, and events of the 2017 Lions Club Fair that will begin with local pageants on Thursday, September 7, 2017 at Edmonson County High School. The Edmonson Voice is proud to work with the Lions Club to be the official media sponsor for this year's fair.

This year's fair theme is "Fall Fun," so the fair and parade board are once again encouraging parade participants to have their rides, floats, and displays all decked out with a fall season-theme.

​This year's Fair Parade Grand Marshal will be longtime Edmonson County Educator Dale Huffman. 

Fairgoers will notice that this year's schedule of events is centered around three consecutive weekends instead of the normal 10-day fair. This is to try to offer better events at the fair that normally can only be booked on weekends and to accommodate a new carnival company that has guaranteed to offer much better attractions than previous years.

"We've not been happy with the carnival provider over the past few years but due to scheduling conflicts we've not had many options," said A.B. Webb, Lions Club Fair Board member. "Smaller fairs like ours are at the mercy of the available carnival companies and by moving this year's schedule around, it allowed us the opportunity to work with a new company that we feel like will offer much bigger and better options."

After the pageants are concluded, fair events will pick back up on Thursday, Sept. 14 for the various Baby Show, sponsored by the Edmonson County Homemakers. Baby Show events will be held at the Fairgrounds.

A Mud Run will be featured the following night (Sept 15) and the popular Demolition Derby will be featured on Saturday, Sept 16, beginning at 7pm which will follow the morning's Poultry Show that begins at 9AM. 

The carnival will be rolling onto the fairgrounds on Wednesday, Sept 20th for Family Carnival Night beginning at 4PM. 

The final weekend of the fair will feature ATV Drag Racing on Thurs, Sept 21st, Parade and School Day on Friday, Sept 22, the Mud Bog Friday night, and the finale of the parade which will feature the Bull Whip Rodeo Saturday Night, Sept 23 at 7PM.

Parade participants can begin lining up at ECHS at 7:30am with the parade starting at 9am. 

Pageant and baby show admission is $5 per person. All other events have a $10 per person entry fee and include all-u-can-ride at the carnival, once carnival arrives on September 20th. 

A slideshow of the Homemakers' Division categories and rules for exhibit entries are listed below.

For pageant info, please contact Lions Club president Jimmie Duvall at 270.597.3734, or email him at [email protected] or you can also email [email protected] for general fair and exhibit questions.

*UPDATE* An earlier version of the schedule listed the demolition derby beginning at 4pm. The coordinators of the derby have announced that the derby will now begin at 7pm.

Demolition Derby Info:

Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, August 8, 2017. The Honorable Judge Joseph B. Hines presiding.

Makayla Sanders, Possession of marijuana. Drug Paraphernalia. Failed to appear, $500 bench warrant issued.

Virgil B. Vertrees IV, Operating motor vehicle under the influence-2nd offense. Careless driving. Bonded for 8/15/17. 

Courtney Gail Wilson, Speeding 15mph over limit. Operating vehicle with expired operator's license. Failure to produce insurance card. Continue 9/15/17.

Lindsey Nicole Carroll, Failure to wear seat belt. Dismissed.

Byron Lee Alfred, Harassment-no physical contact. Pleaded guilty. Courts costs of $154 plus review for payment on 9/5/17.

Andrew Glasscock, Failure to illuminate head lamps. Possession of alcoholic beverage container in motor vehicle. Possession of marijuana. Drug paraphernalia-buy/possess. Recall bench warrant, $50 fine plus court costs-- $193.

Timothy Decker, Operating motor vehicle under influence-2nd offense. Driving DUI on suspended license-2nd offense. No/expired registration plates. No/expired KY registration receipt. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial conference 9/5/17.

Miguela Contreras, Failure to or improper signal. Operating on suspended/revoked license. Failed to appear, $250 bench warrant issued.

Patricia Jane Mills, Theft by deception-including cold checks under $500, (three counts). Failed to appear, $500 bench warrant issued. 

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Firefighters were called to Otter Gap Road around 10:35am Wednesday morning with a report of vehicle fire in the middle of the roadway.

As emergency workers arrived on scene, they began working to extinguish a fully engulfed, 2006 Chevy Colorado owned by Steven Bowles (41) of the Otter Gap community.

Bowles said the truck began experiencing mechanical problems before heading up the steep hill near the county line and the engine died. He said he tried several times to get going again as he was almost home, but he said that's when he began to smell smoke through the air conditioner vents. He said he popped the hood on the truck to have a look and that's when the truck burst into flames.

Bowles was uninjured in the incident. 

"I'm just glad it wasn't any worse than it was," he said. "Things can always be worse."

A section of the road was shut down for over an hour as crews cleared the scene. No injuries were reported. Responding to the fire were the Chalybeate and Brownsville Fire Departments, Sheriff Shane Doyle, and the KY Highway Transportation Department.

​*Comments without a first and last name and an email address are not published. All comments are subject for review and must adhere to the Edmonson Voice commenting policy which is posted on this site.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Local law enforcement is investigating an early Tuesday morning crash where a criminal investigation has been opened. 

According to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, David James, (57), of Mohawk was traveling south on Oak Hill Road when his 2016 Chevy Equinox exited the left side of the road and crashed into a row of trees around 6:20am. 

James reportedly had to be extricated from the vehicle by Edmonson County JAWS. He was transported to Greenview Hospital for unknown injuries and then to Skyline Medical Center in Nashville. 

The Sheriff's Office said criminal charges are pending due to evidence they discovered at the scene; however, no further information was available due to the ongoing investigation. Deputies also reported that James was suspected of being under the influence at the scene.

According to law enforcement, James is currently out on bond on two different felony cases: a 2015 case with multiple felony charges including 'a convicted felon in possession of a firearm,' and a 2017 drug trafficking case. Both cases are still pending in court.

Also on scene were the Brownsville, Kyrock, and Chalybeate Fire Departments, and Edmonson EMS.

Morgan Ray, a recent graduate of Edmonson County High School, has been selected as a recipient of a Georgia-Pacific Foundation Employees’ Children Scholarship. Each year, the company awards 50 scholarships to children of employees across the country.
 
Morgan is the daughter of Jason and Becky Ray of Brownsville. Jason is a process technician for Georgia-Pacific in Bowling Green. At Edmonson County High School, Morgan excelled academically while also volunteering for multiple charities. This fall, Morgan will attend Campbellsville University, where she will study secondary education and teaching.
 
The Georgia-Pacific Foundation Scholarship Program for Employees’ Children awards $2,000 per year for up to four years of full-time college undergraduate study or until baccalaureate degree requirements are completed, whichever occurs first, for a total maximum award of $8,000.

​“Part of Georgia-Pacific’s role as a good corporate citizen is its investment in education,” said Mike Peterson, plant director at Georgia-Pacific’s Dixie Bowling Green facility where Jason Ray works. “We support many great educational causes every year, but this scholarship program is especially important because it helps our families directly.”
 
Since the scholarship program began in 1988, Georgia-Pacific has awarded 1,500 scholarships totaling $12.2 million. The program is administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and is open to children of all active, full-time employees of Georgia-Pacific in the United States. More than 300 applications were received for the 2017 scholarship program.
                           
“Education has long been a cornerstone of our giving philosophy and awarding these scholarships to Georgia-Pacific families is particularly gratifying,” said Curley M. Dossman, Jr., president of the Georgia-Pacific Foundation. “We wish these students and future leaders continued academic success.”
 
Across the country, Georgia-Pacific supports a wide array of community-based educational programs that help transition students from school to the workforce with scholarships, job readiness training and technical programs. Georgia-Pacific believes in helping people with the skills needed to succeed and move forward in today’s workplace.
 
Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. The company employs approximately 35,000 people directly, and creates nearly 92,000 jobs indirectly. Founded in 1958, the Georgia-Pacific Foundation has four key investment areas: education, community enrichment, environment and entrepreneurship. For more information on the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, visit www.gp.com/gpfoundation.