​Edmonson County Clerk Kevin M. Alexander said that beginning with the upcoming General Election, the polling place at Wingfield Volunteer Fire Department will be re-opened. 
 
“The precinct boundary separating the Wingfield voters and South Edmonson Elementary voters is Alexander Creek Road, on the north and south side,” Alexander said.  “Anyone on the west side of North Alexander Creek Road or South Alexander Creek Road will now vote in Wingfield, while residents on the east side of those roads will remain in Chalybeate at South Edmonson Elementary.” 
 
A Precinct Establishment Order submitted to the State Board of Elections was approved that split District One, and voters in that district are now registered at the appropriate locations.  Clerk Alexander said that anyone who had a question regarding where their polling place is can the Clerk’s Office at 270/597-2624.
 
Alexander went on to note that where a person lives is where they vote.
 
“Wherever you reside 51% of the time is where you will vote,” he said.
 
Alexander said he is glad the polling place has been re-opened.
 
“South Edmonson Elementary School has a great facility, but it was nowhere near centrally located within the precinct.  Wingfield Volunteer Fire Department has a great building in a location that helps many people in that part of the county,” the clerk said.  “We (the Election Board) felt this was something that would benefit the community and encourage voting.”

If you're still unsure of whether you'll vote at South Edmonson or Wingfield, check out the maps below.

Edmonson County Clerk Kevin M. Alexander announced that beginning on Tuesday morning, October 11th, early voting will be made available at the Edmonson County Clerk’s Office.  All machines used for the General Election will have setup completion done on Friday afternoon October 7th.  Those wishing to vote early may be eligible in the event they will be out of the county on Election Day, and therefore unable to vote at their regular polling place.  Requests for ballots by mail have already begun at the office. 
 
“There has been a bit of confusion in the past over absentee voting” said Clerk Alexander.  “If someone is physically able to come in or not already out of the county, they must come in to vote early.”
 
Alexander went on to say that the process is a two-part one for absentee mail-in requests, and encourages anyone wishing to vote by this method to contact his office as early as possible.  Early indication is that voter turnout will be strong.
 
“We’ve had quite a few requests already.  I would expect the turn-out to be good on Election Day” Alexander said.
 
Alexander went on to say that in addition to the federal races, with a City Commission contest and new School Board districts on several ballots, this election will not be an easy one for the poll workers. 
 
“We have new lines for the Edmonson County Board of Education’s school board seats, and their boundary lines are obviously different that the magisterial precincts” Alexander noted.  “With five school board members and six magistrates, it can be a bit confusing on who represents who as far as school board positions go.  We just ask voters to be understanding with these poll workers as we deal with these changes.  They do a great job for us.”
 
All polling places remain the same, with the exception of the re-opening of the polling place at Wingfield Volunteer Fire Department in District One.
 
Pursuant to KRS 424.290 under “Matters Required to Be Published,” an attached list of races will appear on the voting machines and paper ballots in the precincts listed in Edmonson County for the General Election on November 8, 2016.
​

Darren Doyle, story and photos
The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office has added a brand new deputy this week, as Tango, a two-year old German Shepherd has finally arrived.

An already highly trained K9 Unit, Tango and his handler, Deputy Jordan Jones are currently undergoing training together for the next 5 weeks. This is so the unit can function as a pair and to ensure Tango and Jones establish the proper relationship. Tango is scheduled to be on the road with Jones in the county in two weeks.

"Things are going great with Tango so far," said Deputy Jones. "He's trained to recognize marijuana, meth, heroin, cocaine, and other narcotics."

Jones said Tango not only specializes in narcotics detection, but also criminal apprehension and tracking. "Tango is a full service K9 Unit," he said.

Sheriff Shane Doyle also noted that while Tango is friendly animal, he is not a pet and the public should use caution when in his presence.

"We have Deputy Jones' cruiser now labeled CAUTION, K9-TANGO, on the window," he said. "Tango has a special seat in the back of the car. We are urging the public not to try to look into the car window or tap on the glass. This can put unnecessary stress on Tango and we certainly don't want that. We have no reason to believe that Tango would hurt anyone unless given specific commands, but he is a very strong and highly trained animal."

Doyle said that every penny of the $10,000 it took to purchase Tango and his equipment was donated through fundraisers and private donations. Doyle has given Jones much praise since the project began.

"We welcome Tango to our office and feel really good about him," he said. "Deputy Jones has been nothing short of outstanding in this process. We know they'll make a great pair that will continue the fight on drugs here in Edmonson County."

The sheriff placed a bag that contained confiscated marijuana in the gas tank door of Deputy Jeff Brooks' cruiser. Deputy Jones commanded Tango to "find dope," which Tango did in about 30 seconds, as you can see in the video below.

Edmonson Voice Staff
Firefighters responded to a barn fire at 2175 Mohawk Road around 4am on Thursday, September 29, 2016. Authorities said the structure was already on the ground when emergency personnel arrived on scene.

Officials said the property was owned by Roger James of Mohawk. It was reported that two explosions were heard before firefighters arrived.

​The Sheriff's Office said that they responded to the same property just hours before in an unrelated call involving some sort of altercation. No other information about the incident was released.

The barn was a total loss. No injuries were reported and the cause of the blaze is not yet known.

Responding to the scene were the Chalybeate, Brownsville, Wingfield, and Rocky Hill Fire Departments, along with the Dist. 2 Constable and the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report
The Kentucky Department of Education has just released the 2016 K-PREP assessment scores.  Overall, the Edmonson County School District improved more than five points from 2015 to 2016 and was labeled as a Distinguished School District for the first time ever.

“It is so exciting to see our test scores reflect the great things that are happening in our district," said Carol Stice, Supervisor of Instruction/District Assessment Coordinator.  "Every school is filled with administrators, teachers, and staff that work incredibly hard day in and day out.  These scores reflect the progress we are making by focusing on what will help our students achieve, not only in the classroom, but in life."

The overall categories for local schools are: Edmonson County High School – Distinguished, Edmonson County Middle School – Proficient, Edmonson County 5/6 Center - Distinguished/Progressing/School of Distinction/High Progress School, Kyrock Elementary – Distinguished, South Edmonson Elementary - Needs Improvement.  

Superintendent of Edmonson County Schools, Patrick Waddell, shared his pride for all the schools in the district. "They’ve worked hard to provide a quality education for our students and these scores validate that effort," he said. "We’re also very excited that our district as a whole has received a Distinguished classification.  This isn’t easy to achieve, and it’s definitely been a district-wide goal.  It’s always encouraging to see hard work pay off and I believe Edmonson County is blessed to have the hardest working teachers and staff around.” 

For more information, see the complete school report card data at: ​http://applications.education.ky.gov/SRC/

The Edmonson County Cattleman’s Association was approved for the 2016 County Agricultural Investment Program.  Program sponsored in part by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund (KADF). 

Sign up for the program will begin on Wednesday, September 28 and end on Wednesday, October 19, 2016.  Location for sign up will be at the UK Cooperative Extension Service Edmonson County Office, 116 Mohawk Street, Brownsville, Kentucky.  Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
 
The following investments area will be offered:  (1) Agricultural Diversification (2) Large Animals – Beef, Dairy & Equine (3) Small Animals – Goats, Sheep, Swine, Bees, Rabbits (4) Farm Infrastructure (5) Fencing & On-Farm Water (6) Forage & Grain Improvement (7) On-Farm Energy (8) Poultry & Other Fowl (9) Technology & Leadership Development (10) Value-Added & Marketing.

All applications will be reviews and scored. Applications are scored, based on the scoring criteria set by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board.  Money will be divided equally by the number of applications received and approved. 

For more information contact the Edmonson County Extension Office at (270) 597-3628.

The Edmonson County Sheriff's office is now working with the ATF in regard to Tuesday's drug bust on Louisville Road where Bruce Wilson, 35, of Smiths Grove was arrested on multiple drug and firearm charges.

Sheriff Shane Doyle said he received a call from an ATF agent that had more information regarding Wilson. The agent said that an Assistant U.S. Attorney is now considering federal prosecution against Wilson. 

Sheriff Doyle said it's been discovered that one of the firearms seized in the arrest was reported stolen out of Barren County just a month ago.

The sheriff said federal charges have harsher penalties and if convicted on more than one charge, jail sentences must run consecutively, not concurrently.

Wilson is already a convicted felon out of Florida for theft and cocaine possession charges. Doyle said any of the state charges that are not prosecuted at the federal level will still be prosecuted at the state level.

"Sometimes cases just get started after the arrest is made, like this one," Sheriff Doyle said. "We take every case seriously, but this one is certainly severe and we're looking forward to working with the ATF to see that justice is served."

Edmonson Voice Staff
Edmonson County Emergency Management has reported a main water line break in the Wingfield community that as of 6pm, has interrupted water service in the area.

Edmonson County Water District crews are currently on scene and are working as fast as possible to have water services restored. 

It is likely, however not confirmed that there will a boil water advisory in the area once water service is restored. No other information is available at this time.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report, Darren Doyle, photos
Officials say Warren Rural Electric responded to a residence on Louisville Road Monday, September 26, 2016 where an employee saw items pertaining to drug activity and called the sheriff. The utility company had responded to a theft of services complaint where the company had cut power to the residence due to non-payment but the occupant had managed to reconnect the power without paying.

The Edmonson County Sheriff's office responded to the scene around 2:30 yesterday and spoke with the occupant, Bruce Wilson, 35. Authorities said after probable cause was found, a search warrant was obtained and executed at the property.

Law enforcement officials reported that once inside, they discovered 1.5oz of crystal meth with a street value of $1800, individually bagged hydrocodone, gabapentin, and xanax pills, around $900 in cash, four long guns, and nine handguns, several with serial numbers that had been defaced or removed. All items and cash were seized by the sheriff's office.

Also found were numerous cell phones, hundreds of dollars in security and surveillance equipment, scales, and various items officials said are commonly used in drug trafficking. 

After further investigation, it was discovered that Wilson was a convicted felon out of Florida, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm. Officials said they also found drugs inside a 2002 Chevy Tahoe at the property, which was also seized.

Wilson was arrested and charged with:  

• Possession of handgun by convicted felon
• Trafficking controlled substance first degree, first offense (two counts)
• Possession of defaced firearm

Wilson was lodged in the Hart County Jail. Officials said more drug and theft of service charges are pending. Assisting the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office was the 38th District Commonwealth Attorney's Office.

"We are fortunate that this WRECC employee could tell that something wasn't right," said Sheriff Shane Doyle. "He did the right thing by contacting us. By doing so, we were able to get some drugs and illegal guns out of our county."

Edmonson Voice Staff Report
The fiscal court acknowledged changes to the 2016 Property Tax Rates adopted by the Edmonson County Ambulance Taxing District in a written report at yesterday's fiscal court meeting. The rates are as follows:

• Real Estate  .079
• Personal Property  .099
• Documented Watercraft  .099
• Aircraft  .099
• Inventory in Transit  .099
• Motor Vehicle  .100
• Watercraft .100

The report also said that the motor vehicle and watercraft rates were unchanged from last year but that real estate rates were increased 2.6%. Personal property, documented watercraft, aircraft, and inventory in transit rates were decreased a full 1.0% from last year's rates.

​Keith Sanders, director of Edmonson EMS said that the ambulance service is increasing some shift times in order to better serve the county. This will allow better service but also will require an increase of about $95,000 in revenue. Sanders said the slight rate increase will bring in an additional $15K-$20K to EMS per year, which is necessary to  help offset the cost. 

​Darren Doyle, story and photo
A closed executive session was held in the middle of Monday's fiscal court meeting, something not normally done. 

Closed sessions are not uncommon but they are usually held at the end of fiscal court meetings. According to a printed copy of the fiscal court agenda, which is available to the public, item (i) was listed as "Executive Session-Personnel hearing-KRS 61.810F."

The KRS listed specifically says "Discussions or hearings which might lead to the appointment, discipline, or dismissal of an individual employee, member, or student without restricting that employee's, member's, or student's right to a public hearing if requested. This exception shall not be interpreted to permit discussion of general personnel matters in secret."

The public and media were asked to step out while the court went into Executive Session. Over an hour and a half later, the meeting was again opened to the public. 

Item (j) was listed as "Personnel Decision" and item (k) was listed as "Appoint Ann Bullock-County Treasurer.

After the meeting was reopened, the court opened up the floor for the court to vote on the privately discussed personnel issue, to which the court made a motion and voted to take no action at this time.

By simply reading the court agenda, one can see that the position of the current county treasurer, Margret Skaggs was at least one of the subjects of the closed meeting. Judge Wil Cannon said very little about the matter.

"I obviously can't say too much about the closed session because the discussion was private," he said. "My official opinion is this: I can't talk about the meeting but I can say that I believe because of it, I feel that things will work out and the county will be better for it."

He also briefly addressed the possibility of appointing a new county treasurer today.

"You can read the agenda and see what the subject was. Ann Bullock had nothing to do with the cause of this meeting. She has always said she'd be ready to help the county in any way that she could, and she's always done that. We knew Ann would be ready to help the county again in the event she was needed, and that's the only reason her name was on today's agenda."

Ann Bullock is a former county treasurer who retired in 2014.

Usually, specific and private questions are asked during closed sessions. According to Cannon, all discussions of the said subject take place in the closed session, and the findings and decisions based on those discussions are then open to the public.

​In other fiscal court news, ​Sheriff Shane Doyle reported his office had been working on several cases that are fighting ongoing drug problems. He also said there were no major issues at the recent county fair. He gave an update on a recent theft of a backhoe belonging to the state highway department. He said it had been recovered thanks to help from the Butler County Sheriff’s office, although no arrests have been made at this time. 

He added that the sheriff’s office now has purchased the K9 unit but it won't be a working officer until all the training is completed, which is estimated at another five weeks. He ended his report by discussing the possibility of leasing cars instead of continuing to buy worn out vehicles and having to spend an estimated $15K per year in repairs and maintenance.

Parks and Rec Program Director Greg Hudson is recovering from recent health issues and has plans to be back at full capacity soon, according to Magistrate Mark Woosley who gave the Parks and Rec report. He said little league soccer season will be starting soon, and the basketball signup deadline has been extended to October 15th. He said the plan was to start the season sooner in order to play more games.
​
Hellervik Oil representative Jim Brown reported that their operation is progressing and the new plant location property is being surveyed. He said they want to have the plant completed sometime this month. He assured the court that this was not a residential area and it's surrounded by 110 acres of woods. He said the plant was a much smaller scale than the failed Rocky Hill Plant.

He said he couldn't disclose the exact location of the plant until all the paperwork was complete on the purchase. Magistrate Clark Wood then asked, "Is it going to be in Rocky Hill?" as the court chuckled.

Brown laughed as he responded, “When I left Rocky Hill, I never wanted to go back. Those folks tarred and feathered me there."

The next fiscal court meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 9am in the upstairs courtroom of the Edmonson County Courthouse. Normally held on the second and fourth Mondays of the month, Monday October 10 is Columbus Day.

Darren Doyle, story
The fiscal court took issue with a bill from a local contractor that they say they shouldn't owe. Judge Cannon said the bill was for work that he understood to be included in a previous job that was completed last fall.

Magistrate Clark Wood raised a question about the excavation bill presented to fiscal court for recent drainage work done at the Highway 70 Ball Park. The bill was in the amount of $2,326.04 from Starnes Construction, a local contracting company.

Judge Cannon said it was his understanding that when the county hired the company to repair severe drainage issues on two of the ball fields, the project was guaranteed to work. He said, and has said in multiple meetings, that in the event the drainage project needed additional work, the company said they would return and provide additional work at no charge.

Cannon said that when he asked the company about the bill, the owner said the company never intended any additional work to be at no charge. Judge Cannon said that not only he, but also Parks and Rec Director A.B. Webb and Program Director Greg Hudson understood any additional work would be at no cost.

"When looking at the agreement we made with Mr. Starnes last year, it appears that nothing was in writing, it was all verbal," Cannon said. "It's a mistake that I won't let happen again. From now on, any work that the county contracts out, there will be a written contract."

We spoke with Mr. Starnes regarding the additional work that was done at the park. Starnes said the original work that was done included a curtain drain system to pull water away from low-lying, wet areas. He said that that particular work was completed and is properly working. He said the problems that the park is now experiencing is due to a leaking pond on property above the park and is a separate issue from what he was originally hired to do.

According to Starnes, he had worked out a deal with Judge Cannon to return to the park and cut a new ditch under the dam underneath the pond to divert the leak away from the ball field, which would be at no cost. However, he says that when a Starnes sub-contractor showed up to begin the work, Program Director Hudson decided to change the scope of work and that Hudson requested a new curtain drain system to be installed.

Starnes said he tried to reach Judge Cannon to see if that would be approved by the county but had no luck. Instead of halting the job, Starnes said he gave approval to the sub-contractor to complete the work that Hudson had requested.

Program Director Hudson said that's not how it happened. He said he met the sub-contractor at the field to make sure everyone was on the same page in regards to the additional work.

"The sub-contractor attempted to dig the ditch around the dam but it was far too wet," Hudson said. "The backhoe kept getting hung up and no matter what he did, it wasn't working. It wasn't the sub-contractor's fault, it was just too wet to dig a ditch there."

Hudson said it was a mutual decision between he and the sub-contractor to try something else in order to fix the drainage issue, which according to Hudson, was to move the outfield fence in a few feet and dig and install a new drain in a different location other than the bottom of the pond dam.

"The work was never properly done to begin with," said Hudson. "We hired the company to fix a drainage problem, no matter where the water came from, whether it's from a leaking pond or wherever. Mr. Starnes knew this before any work was done. We still don't even know if it's going work."

Mr. Starnes said no county officials have contacted him so far regarding today's meeting. ​

​Magistrates voted to put payment of the bill on hold until Mr. Starnes could either be reached with regards of clarifying the agreement or he could appear at the next fiscal court meeting to address the court.

Edmonson Voice Staff, photos Jamie Meredith
Brownsville Mayor Jerry Meredith celebrated his 40th year in the fire service on September 1, 2016. Friends, family, and colleagues held a reception in his honor today at the Main Street Activity Center in Brownsville.

Mayor Meredith is also chief of the Brownsville Fire Department, where he has been chief for the past 15 years.

Meredith's family has followed in his footsteps in community service as his son, Michael currently serves as District 19 State Representative, and youngest son Justin along with his wife, serve on multiple local fire departments.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
Firefighters from both Edmonson and Butler Counties responded to a fire at Dunaway Timber Company at the crossroads in Roundhill Thursday evening around 8:30PM.

Darrell Glenn, a Dunaway employee said the fire started in an area where band saw blades were sharpened inside the sawmill. "I was down here putting logs up (just outside the mill) and when I turned around the corner it was already blazing," he said. 

The owner, Harry Christ (pronounced Krist) was at the scene along with several employees as they tried to help in any way they could.

"The problem is, this is the lead-in to the sawmill, so the entire sawmill is gone," Christ said. "It's been destroyed. The fire department got here in time to save the support equipment, but it was a Wood-Mizer sawmill and that's gone."

After the blaze was extinguished, Bear Creek Fire Chief J.T. Carroll said that steel beams inside the structure had gotten hot and had sagged, which means the entire structure could be compromised, although it was difficult to tell in the dark.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

"Fortunately, it was after hours and the loader driver was here putting some logs up. He found it and we were very fortunate that it happened that way," Christ said. "If it hadn't been for that, we probably would've lost the entire structure."

Christ said they would have to wait until daylight to see the extent of the damage and would assess the situation Friday morning. The company still has a mill in operation next door and is in the process of building a new one, according to Christ.

In addition to Bear Creek FD, members of the Brownsville FD were one scene as well as Morgantown Fire Department. Warren Rural Electric responded in order to cut power to the facility and handle power lines on scene. 

Chief Carroll said that Bear Creek FD was able to utilize their firefighting foam suppression system to help snuff out the blaze quickly. Employees also used the facility's own water hoses to help control small areas as needed.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report
The Edmonson Voice has received several calls and messages this week asking if we have any information on the reports of people dressed as creepy clowns around Brownsville and the rest of the county.

In other parts of the U.S., there have been reports of the bad Bozos trying to lure children into remote areas or exhibiting other malicious behaviors. Most reports are simply accounts of clowns just standing on sidewalks walking slowly near public places as a scary prank.

Apparently some county residents have heard rumors and seen social media posts regarding the characters that have been reported around town. Local law enforcement officers say the reports are completely false. 

"We have no reports of anyone dressed as clowns in our county," said Sheriff Shane Doyle. "This is a well established prank that involves scaring unsuspecting people and videotaping it for humor and posting in online forums. There is no reason to believe that this has occurred here, and in the event there is someone dressed as a clown in public, there is no reason to believe that any criminal intent exists with these pranksters."

Sgt. Nathan Dennis with the Brownsville Police Department also said there have been no such reports. "We haven't heard anything about it," he said.

Doyle also said that students have been returning home from school and telling their parents of these reports that are supposedly spreading around local schools.

"We have no reason to believe any of this. We advise people to ignore these rumors and tell your children that there is no reason to be afraid of any of this. In the event you see someone dressed as a clown and they're causing a disturbance, call dispatch at 270-597-2729 and it will be investigated, but at this time, reports of this already happening are completely untrue."

We get asked all the time, "How do you guys cover so much news and information for free?" Simple. It's all because of our wonderful sponsors and advertisers.

It's important to us to include our local businesses within our network because there wouldn't be an Edmonson Voice without them. We rarely publish information pertaining to things outside our county and the majority of our ads are purchased by businesses, people, and organizations right here in Edmonson County. 

We also thank our individuals, organizations, county and city offices, and charities that place ads with us, too. They help keep us connected to our local events and happenings. 

Below is an alphabetical list of businesses that have committed to supporting the Edmonson Voice long term. We appreciate them and encourage you to support them as they support us. Thanks to all these guys, and to all of you, our 11,000 weekly readers (a number that keeps growing!) for reading EdmonsonVoice.com, Edmonson County's number one local source for news, sports, and information. We've got big things in the works...stay connected!
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click on any of the names below to visit their website, Facebook page, or email

• Alford's Pharmacy and Drive Thru
• Bank of Edmonson County
• Cee Bee Food Store
• Edmonson County High School (WildcatsLive Sports Broadcasts)
• Edmonson Drug Company, INC.
• Gravil Funeral Home
• Hayes Insurance Agency
• Hunt Auctions, Alan Kepple Realtor/Auctioneer
• Jacob's Home Furnishings
• Park Place Salon
• Patton Funeral Home
• State Farm Insurance
• Walden's Barbeque
• Wall To Wall Design Center
• ​YDoc Mowing and Landscaping

Darren Doyle, story and photos
Several Edmonson County Middle School students were put in jail today while others were forced to hire attorneys, some stood before the judge, and several were sent to the principal. Although it was only in simulation, the real life experiences of making poor choices hit home with several students during the annual STOP (Students Targeting Outside Pressures) Program at ECMS.

The program, hosted by the Edmonson County Youth Service Centers, is designed to randomly assign various crimes and violations to 7th graders and show them the process that takes place for each incident. Teachers and volunteers accompanied each of the "accused" students as they were taken through the process and most importantly, the consequences of their violation.

"The STOP program was originally created by Leadership Edmonson County some years ago in an attempt to help students better understand the consequences of their actions," said Jamie Carnes, Supervisor of State and Federal Programs of Edmonson County Schools. "We get community volunteers to come in and act as parents to the students while community officials and law enforcement officers serve in their capacities and help the students understand what actually happens if they get in trouble at school or in trouble with the law."

Carnes said several students had quite the reaction as they experienced simulations of consequences for certain violations.

"Students see that we're taking this seriously, and we've seen some students even get emotional. We've had some kids upset and even cry in reaction to what they've heard.

High school members of the ECHS S.A.D.D. club (Students Against Destructive Decisions) also attended, sharing their own experiences with the 7th graders and discussing how the program affected them when they were in the middle school.
​
The kids were presented scenarios that ranged anywhere from missing too many days of school to serious felony drug charges or bringing a weapon to school. 

"Because many students are unaware of the serious consequences that they can face in these types of situations, they can get emotional. We hope that they'll use what they've seen through this program to maybe deter some negative experiences down the road."

Repairs to the Green River ferry will necessitate closure of the upstream section of Green River within Mammoth Cave National Park September 27-29, 2016.  No floodplain permits for overnight camping on the river will be issued September 26-29. The closure is for the safety of park visitors and park workers.
 
Park staff plan to install a new engine on the ferryboat and new cables.  The ferry is tethered to cables that span the river, both upstream and downstream of the ferryboat.  There will be periods when the cables may be underwater or just above the water’s surface as the old cables are removed and the new cables are installed.
 
“To ensure the safety of visitors and park staff, we will not allow any traffic on the river at or upstream of the Green River Crossing during this period,” said Acting Superintendent Lizzie Watts.  “The gate at Dennison Ferry Road will be closed, and we will not allow any put-ins or take-outs at Green River ferry.  Houchin Ferry boat ramp will remain open for river use below Green River Crossing.”
 
The ferry will reopen as soon as the work is complete.  For current information of ferry operation, please telephone 270-758-2166.

Hundreds of kids and their friends and families took advantage of their day off from school and came out to the Edmonson County Fairgrounds for School Fair Day 2016. Enjoy this slideshow from Friday, September 16, 2016!

Edmonson Voice Staff
Two local law enforcement officers were honored with the "Medal of Valor" award at last week's 2016 Kentucky Sheriff Association Conference, held at the Owensboro Convention Center.

The award was presented as a result of actions taken by both officers in a home invasion in Edmonson County at the home of Harlin Tarter in March of 2015. 

Detective Ritter was presented the National Sheriff's Assc. Medal of Valor in April of this year for the same incident and was nominated by Sheriff Shane Doyle.

Ritter was also nominated by Doyle for the same award at the state level. Doyle was nominated for the state award by Edmonson County Judge Executive Wil Cannon, a retired Kentucky State Trooper and former Edmonson County Sheriff.

"The medal was certainly unexpected," said Sheriff Doyle. "We don't go to work everyday looking for medals or awards, so needless to say, this was a very humbling experience. It was an honor to receive this award with Detective Ritter."

​Both Doyle and Ritter were involved in a fight with a home intruder who was in the process of taking possession of a loaded rifle from Mr. Tarter. Both officers kept the rifle from the man during the fight, but in the process, the man attempted to grab Doyle's gun. Ritter intervened and was able to strike the man in the face, and he was immediately placed in handcuffs. 

"I can also say that any of our local officers would've reacted the exact same way," Doyle added. "Our community is truly blessed to have such qualified and trained officers in Edmonson County."

Ritter echoed much of the same.

"Out of 120 counties, there were only a few of these awards given," Ritter said. "Most of those were given to officers in our area. It's a real honor to be in the same category with these other respected officers."

Other officers in the region receiving awards included Warren County Captain Tim Robinson with a Medal of Honor, Simpson County Detective Eddie Lawson with a Medal of Honor, and Grayson County Sheriff Norman Chaffins and Grayson County Chief Deputy Corey Knochel, both receiving the Medal of Valor.

"It also goes to show that some of the finest officers on the road are right here in south central Kentucky," Ritter added. "The ones that I work with are certainly some of the best."

Enjoy the carnage, smoke, fire, and mud in these photos from the 2016 Edmonson County Lions Club Fair Demolition Derby from Saturday, September 17, 2016. 

Edmonson Voice Staff
​Brandon Vincent photos
A two-vehicle accident involving an Edmonson County EMS Emergency Response Vehicle sent two to the hospital on Sunday morning around 9:30am near the Blue Holler Cafe on KY HWY 728.

According to Kentucky State Police, Brian Keith Sanders (50) of Mammoth Cave was operating a 2010 Ford Emergency Response Vehicle (Ford Expedition) and was traveling west on KY 728 where he was responding to an emergency call for service with the emergency equipment activated.  While traveling west, he approached another westbound vehicle, a 2013 Ford Escape being operated by Danny Holland (61) of Louisville.  As Sanders came upon Holland’s vehicle, which was slowing, he proceeded to go around him when Holland made a left hand turn attempting to pull into the Blue Holler Café.  At this point the front of the vehicle collided with the driver’s side of Holland’s vehicle.

​Mr. Holland was transported by Edmonson County EMS to the Twin Lakes Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. According to emergency personnel on scene, two people were extricated via Edmonson JAWS of Life, and the passenger of the Escape was also transported to the hospital, but no information was released on the second individual.

Also responding to the scene were the Lincoln, Kyrock, and Brownsville Fire Departments, as well as the U.S. Park Service.
 
The investigation is still ongoing and being led by Trooper Ashcon Karbasi.  

*earlier reports said an Edmonson County ambulance was involved in the accident, however, Kentucky State Police has retracted that information to show that the vehicle was an EMS Emergency Response vehicle, not an ambulance. We have also corrected our article and we apologize for the mix up.

Edmonson Voice Staff
​A call of a stray dog roaming around the fairgrounds today resulted in a happy reunion with his owner, thanks to quick response time from Edmonson County Animal Control Offier Eric Roscoe and the use of his microchip scanner.

"I started looking for information with my scanner and a phone number popped up," said Officer Roscoe. "I sent the information back to dispatch and had them to try to contact the dog's owner. Within three minutes, they responded and said they had contacted the owner, who had been looking for the dog for two days."

Roscoe said the owner was able to pick up the dog in a matter of minutes and safely return him home. Roscoe said the microchip allowed the county to retrieve the proper info and contact the owner.

"It really helps when owners like this one do the right thing and have their animals chipped. In this case, you have a dog and it's owner safely back together again," he said.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
Edmonson County Judge Executive Wil Cannon declared September "Edmonson County PAWS Month," today during the PAWS Meet and Greet Fundraiser Event with new Animal Control Officer Eric Roscoe.

PAWS President Kitty Houchin said she was pleased with today's turnout in spite of rainy weather. 

"We've had such great support so far," she said. "It's the people like the ones that are here today that will help carry us all the way through to see our goals and our dreams."

She said new Animal Control Officer Roscoe has been "a dream" to work with. "We couldn't have chosen anybody any better." She was also quick to thank Judge Cannon.

"Wil Cannon is one of our staunchest supporters, he and the fiscal court. We invited him to one of our board meetings once we got rolling. He said he couldn't believe the amount of work we've accomplished. He said 'you guys are for real.' We said, 'yes we are.'"

Cannon said he had been impressed with the way PAWS has handled their business from day one.

"It was their willingness to try to do what, in my opinion, was the right thing, he said. "Their communication was great and they proved right away that they wanted to help the situation. I think that a local government-humane society agreement will work here. It already works in Warren County."

Cannon said although things are on the right track, accomplishing the goals of the animal shelter situation is still a few years away.

"I think a realistic figure is five to ten years in having a fully-functioning, county-run animal shelter. I'm shooting for five, and I think we can do it, but it's going to take everyone working together. When you have people branching off, doing their own thing, it's hinders the main goal. We need one humane society, one animal shelter, and put them together. It'll work."

Officer Roscoe said any thanks given to him needed to be directed to members of PAWS who are working tirelessly to make a difference in Edmonson County.

"When PAWS gets a call of a found or missing dog, they contact me and let me know what's going on," he said. They do so much of the leg work. They can post things to their site and page and tag me in it. They have dispatch contact me and can get on it."

PAWS said they are planning more fundraisers and activities as well as official PAWS merchandise that will be available for purchase. For more info, visit edmonsoncountypaws.org or their Facebook page by clicking here.