Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
The Edmonson County Water District has announced that county water will be temporarily shut down for a short time this morning for a portion of Chalybeate residents. The announcement was made to our office at 8:50am this morning. The areas affected are:
0 Comments
Darren Doyle, story:
A single vehicle collision has resulted in a fatality this evening on I-65, according to KY State Police. KSP reported that they responded to Interstate 65 near the 26 mile marker in Warren County on Friday evening around 5:30 pm. KSP said that Gerald W. Andres (69) of Floyds Knob, KY was operating a 1955 Chevrolet passenger car traveling southbound on Interstate 65 near the 26 mile marker. According to witnesses, Andres lost control of his vehicle and exited off the right shoulder of the southbound lane of travel. Upon exiting the roadway, the vehicle struck an earth embankment causing it to overturn. Andres, who was unrestrained at the time of the collision, was ejected from the vehicle. Gerald Andres was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Warren County Coroner’s Office. Traffic was rerouted to Louisville Road which caused major traffic delays on the north side of Bowling Green. The Annual Tri-Five Nationals event is currently being held at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, an event that highlights 1955-56-57 Chevrolets; cars, trucks, and Corvettes. The investigation continues and is currently being led by Trooper Aaron Harris. He was assisted on scene by other KSP personnel, Alvaton Fire Department, and Warren County Coroner’s Office. Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, August 7, 2019. The Honorable Judge Joseph B. Hines presiding. Johnny L. Sowders, Assault fourth degree domestic violence minor injury. Unlawful imprisonment- second degree. Fleeing or evading police, second degree (on foot). Pleaded not guilty to all. Pretrial conference 8/13/19. $500 bond.
Mark Allan Blackburn, fleeing or evading police, first degree- motor vehicle. Driving DUI suspended license, third offense, aggravator. Operating motor vehicle under influence of alcohol/drugs- aggravator, third. Resisting arrest. Failed to appear. $5000 bench warrant issued. Tammy L. Matthews, Receiving stolen property $10,000 or more. Possession of burglary tools. Pleaded not guilty to all. Pretrial hearing 8/13/19. $4000 bond. William Ray Harmon, Receiving stolen property $10,000 or more. Possession of burglary tools. Pleaded not guilty to all. Pretrial hearing 8/13/19. $4000 bond. Bailey Nathaniel Cornell, Operating on suspended/revoked operator’s license. Theft by unlawful taking or disposition under $500. Trafficking in controlled substance, first degree- methamphetamine. Pleaded not guilty to all. Pretrial hearing 8/13/19. Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A Mammoth Cave woman has died as a result of injuries sustained in a single vehicle accident that occurred in the 1800 block of Nolin Dam Road this morning around 9:45am, according to Kentucky State Police. Charlotte A. Newton (58) of Leitchfield, was pronounced dead by the Edmonson County Coroner's office around 10am this morning. One passenger, identified as Charlie McStoots, (17) was air lifted to University of Louisville Hospital. KSP reported that Newton was operating a 1996 Buick passenger car traveling westbound on Nolin Dam Road when her vehicle briefly exited the edge of the roadway. Newton reentered the roadway over-correcting, causing her vehicle to exit completely off the right shoulder of the westbound lane. Upon exiting the roadway, the vehicle overturned, ejecting Newton before coming to final rest, according to KSP. Both occupants were unrestrained at the time of the collision, according to KSP. A family member contacted the Edmonson Voice around 1:30pm today and reported that McStoots was listed in critical condition with a fractured back. He was also being checked for internal bleeding, according to family. Responding to the scene was the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Brownsville JAWS, Lincoln and Kyrock Fire Departments, the KY HWY Dept., Edmonson EMS, Edmonson County Coroner, EC Emergency Management, and Kentucky State Police. The accident is still under investigation by Kentucky State Police and is currently being led by Trooper Ronnie Reynolds. Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Kentucky State Police has confirmed that an accident occurred on Nolin Dam Road earlier today that has resulted in one fatality. One other person involved has been air lifted to the hospital. Names and other information are being withheld at this time. The roadway was closed for a short period of time with at least one lane being closed for about three hours. KSP are still investigating and we'll have more info as it becomes available. School Officials Discuss Additions, Expectations, More: Sheriff's Office Implements Additional School Resource Officer Darren Doyle, story and photos: It's back to school in Edmonson County as another school year began this morning on Wednesday, August 7, 2019. Superintendent Patrick Waddell was greeting students at both the Middle and High School this morning. He said while many emotions come into play when a new school year begins, he feels like those are led with excitement. "Our staff has done a wonderful job throughout the summer preparing our schools in preparation for this first day," he said. "We had a great start with all bus routes but we do need everyone to be mindful that buses are rolling throughout the county and everyone needs to be paying attention due to bus stops occurring frequently." Lannie Deweese, Director of Transportation for Edmonson County Schools also spoke about a smooth first day for buses and encouraged drivers to be aware of not only school buses in route, but also students standing by the roadside waiting for bus pickup. "Please watch for students that may have to cross the road," he added. "I will be going around to the schools again this year to teach bus safety to all students. I want to do everything in my power to teach bus drivers and students bus safety, our students safety is our priority." South Edmonson Elementary: SEES Principal Josh Long also discussed the excitement of the first day of school. "The best part of August is seeing our big family come back together," he said. "There's nothing better than seeing over 400 smiling faces running into school and that excitement stays year round in an elementary school. I hope that we are able to meet each parent's expectations of what they want their school to be and always so glad and thankful that we have such a great community supporting us. This year will be great because of the faculty, staff, students, and parents that make up our school. The first few days our teachers are always working diligently on establishing and practicing our procedures and expectations but the real excitement starts when you walk down the hall and into classrooms and you can see kids reading and packing books around. It's a great time of year and a great day to be a Bulldog." Kyrock Elementary: Shaun Stice, Principal of Kyrock, said the Blackhawks are proud to be known as a great academic school, but they are striving for even more improvements this year. "We are implementing more and more technology instruction each year and will continue to make the necessary adjustments to make sure that all of our students are prepared for the next level and success in the future," he added. Edmonson County Middle School: "The faculty and staff at ECMS have worked hard these last few weeks in preparation for a new school year and will continue to work hard for our students throughout the year," said ECMS Principal Brandon Prunty. He also emphasized the importance of parents and guardians becoming more involved in their children's school work and activities. "If students see that education is important to their parents, it increases the likelihood that it will be important to the child. The support we receive from parents is greatly appreciated and a crucial part of educational success. Parents, ask your children daily about their day and help ensure they practice what they've learned by doing their homework." Edmonson County 5/6 Center: Principal Alan Talley said the 5/6 got off to a great start this morning. "Our faculty and staff was excited to begin working with their students," he said. "While we had to spend some amount of time today on classroom expectations, it was great to hear numerous laughs as teachers, staff, and students were getting to know each other. Many kids told us they expect to have a great school year." Edmonson County High School: New ECHS Principal Brian Alexander said that in his returning as principal, he was extremely excited to see students and staff this morning. "I hope that I can be an asset and a help to all those in the school community to make this a great year," he said. "We're working hard to cultivate a climate where students want to be at school and we hope that parents will work with us on punctual attendance so that we can make this a reality. My hope is that our students really look forward to coming to our school." Online Registration Requirements: Supt. Waddell said as a district, the most notable change is the online registration process that has been implemented. "This should speed the process up for parents and hopefully eliminate multiple papers that need to be signed," he said. According to Brent Norris, Network Administration for EC Schools, said a checklist sheet for online registration that was available at the open houses and will be coming home with students simply cannot be signed and returned; but rather the steps listed online must be completed in order for the registration to be finalized. "Parents will need to go to the link and complete all of the questions in the form before checking off the boxes on the sheet and returning it," he said. "We have had some who have simply signed and returned without completing the steps online. We have also had others leaving it all blank and signing at the bottom. It's very important to know that they need to go through the form and answer the questions. While we have nearly 50% of students registered, we've only had 75 families actually fill out the Google Form. Added School Resource Officer and Safety: Sheriff Shane Doyle said that school safety has never been more important than it is now. The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office has partnered with Edmonson County Schools to provide another part time school resource officer that will rove among all other county schools. "In addition to our full time SR Officer at the high school, which is Chief Deputy Jeff Brooks, our partnership with our local school system has allowed us to provide another officer in our schools, " he said. "We were also out in school zones this morning as a reminder that school is back in session. While our limited manpower doesn't always allow us to monitor all zones during the entire time, we're asking the public to please be aware of the 25mph speed limit during school rush hours. There is no place worth rushing to that's more important than the safety of our students. In addition to another officer at schools, we're also glad that bus drivers are receiving more training this year that we feel will also increase local safety for students." Lannie Deweese mentioned the additional training set for this year. "The drivers will be going through an evaluation this year, they will be performing bus safety inspections and going through a driving course to improve on their loading and unload skills along with other safety measures," he said. "I do feel we have a great group of men and women transporting our children to and from school daily." System Available To Many Cell Customers In County Darren Doyle, story and photos: The Edmonson County Dispatch Center now has the capability of receiving text messages for 911 emergencies thanks to new technology in the county's radio and communication systems. While the feature is brand new and is still a work in progress, Edmonson is now one of only a handful of counties in Kentucky with 911 texting capability. Edmonson Dispatch Director Pat Prunty said upgrades made to the county's emergency communication system two years ago included the technology needed in order to use the service; however, the availability of such a service recently became available. "You simply type 911 into the line that says 'To:' and then your message," said Prunty. "The text message comes through the internet here and we're able to respond to you through our computers." Although Prunty said he didn't expect a large number of 911 texts to local dispatch, the feature could provide emergency assistance in various circumstances. "We'd obviously encourage calling 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency when one can talk because we'd rather speak directly with a person to better understand the situation, but this can be used by those with speech or hearing disabilities, or other types of emergencies where talking isn't an option." He said some of those situations could be if someone is being held against their will or where someone in danger is hiding and doesn't want to be heard. "God forbid we ever have a school shooting emergency here, but if that's the case, a student or teacher could send a text without making a sound. Plus, most kids can send text messages without even looking at their phones," he added. Prunty said the system is still undergoing testing and there are still some issues that need to be addressed. During recent tests, AT&T cell phones were the ones that worked with the least amount of problems. Bluegrass Cellular phones only worked with the phone's wi-fi turned off.
In our office, where we have Bluegrass service, we tested the service with two phones: an older iPhone 6 that worked well (with wifi off); however, a new iPhone XR did not work at all. Prunty said engineers say newer iPhones are having trouble working because of the newer technology in the devices themselves, not the communication systems at dispatch; however, carriers are reportedly working to solve these issues as soon as possible. In the event a text will not work, one will receive the following text reply: "Please call 911 in case of emergency. Text to 911 service is not available. Your message has been discarded." The feature is text only--no videos or photos can be sent and the signal must be bounced from an Edmonson County cell tower. Those trying the feature near a county line where the cell signal may hit a tower in another county will not be able to reach local dispatch with a text. "The system is not perfect and not fully functional yet as we need it," Prunty said, "but we're working with engineers to get everything working properly. Many can use it right now and that's what it's about--providing more ways that can help Edmonson County residents in times of emergency." Edmonson County's Dispatch Center has four dispatchers and receives a total of 10,000 calls per year, according to Prunty. Out of those calls, 5,000 are to 9-1-1. The center also handles over 10,000 radio transmission per year, Prunty said. Second Local Felony Drug Arrest Since Friday Edmonson Voice Staff Report: A Smiths Grove man has been arrested and is facing a felony drug charge after a traffic stop yesterday around 2:30pm in Brownsville. According to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, a deputy stopped a 2001 Buick Regal traveling on the wrong side of the roadway on Sandy Flat Road. The driver, who was later identified as Bailey Nathaniel Cornell (21), Smiths Grove, reportedly admitted to not having a valid driver's license. The Sheriff's Office said Cornell initially gave a false name and date of birth which was later corrected. Through investigation, the Sheriff's Office discovered an active felony arrest warrant from Warren County on Cornell on charges of Fraudulent Use of Credit Card ($500<$10,000) and Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition Auto ($500 or more, but u/$10,000). During a search of the vehicle, the Sheriff's Office said a deputy discovered a crystal white substance believed to be methamphetamine was found concealed in two separate $1.00 bills. Cornell was arrested and charged with:
He was also served with a Warren County Bench Warrant. He was transported and lodged in Hart County Jail. The Sheriff's Office also said that the investigation is ongoing and there are further charges pending. Edmonson Voice Staff Report: Two men were arrested in Brownsville Friday night after a traffic stop, according to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office. Authorities reported that deputies initiated a traffic stop on a 2005 Pontiac Aztec after observing the vehicle drop off the roadway when making a right turn into Park View Trailer Park, located behind the Edmonson County 5/6 Center. According to a press release from the Sheriff's Office, the driver of the vehicle, Christopher L. Russell (48) of Brownsville showed visible signs of intoxication, which prompted a series of field sobriety tests that Russell allegedly failed. Deputies also found four Codeine pills in a bottle marked for Penicillin in the console of the vehicle, the release stated. The Sheriff's Office also said that the passenger, identified as James H. Constant, (55) of Bowling Green, had marijuana edibles in one of his pockets and drug paraphernalia hidden on his person. Constant was arrested for a 2015 warrant out of Metcalfe County for a probation violation. He was lodged in Hart County Jail awaiting transport to Metcalfe County.
Christopher L. Russell was charged with Operating on Suspended/Revoked License, Operating Motor Vehicle Under Influence of Alcohol/Drugs (2nd Offense), Careless Driving, Possession of Controlled Substance (2nd Degree—Codeine), Prescription Controlled Substance Not in Original Container (1st Offense), Failure to Produce Insurance Card, and Possession of Open Alcoholic Beverage Container in Motor Vehicle Prohibited. He was arrested and lodged in Hart County Jail. |
Archives
April 2024
|