Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The crowd was not hindered despite the current pandemic as hundreds packed the Chalybeate Sports Complex this evening for the annual Parks and Rec Halloween event. Normally Halloween on the Square, county officials moved the event to the park for more room.

Hand sanitizer was made available at all booths.

Parks and Rec Program Administrator John Kiernan said the crowd moved steadily throughout the event.

"We didn't know what to expect as far as the crowd goes, but it's similar to about any other year we've had," he said. "We felt like moving the event to Chalybeate Sports Complex would be a safer location, give people more parking options, and have the ability to spread out more than the square this year. We want to thank all our local businesses and organizations for participating this year. We had to cancel our Easter event earlier in the spring so it was good to see everyone come out tonight."

We put together a slideshow below of many of the kids in their costumes. 

Darren Doyle, story:
Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour tonight before you go to bed as Daylight Saving Time 2020 ends at 2AM on November 1st. 

Often mispronounced as the plural form "savings," Daylight Saving Time has been around since WWI. Its purpose was to take an hour of daylight away from the morning so it could be utilized in the evening for more working time and energy efficiency, both of which have been argued over the years.

A bill request was pre-filed by some KY lawmakers in July of 2019 to make Daylight Saving Time permanent in KY, but ran into some federal hurdles and is currently on hold.

What do you think about Daylight Saving Time? We'd love to hear your take. Comment on this article with your opinion, either on the comment section below, our Facebook Page, or send us an email at [email protected].

Darren Doyle, story:
While it's only a slight reduction, Edmonson County active COVID cases declined from last week's 31 to 29 known cases as of today, according to a press release from the Barren River District Health District. 

With 209 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, Edmonson County now has the lowest number of cases in the entire Barren River Health District. The death count in the county has remained at 12 since July; 10 of which were reported from Edmonson Center nursing home.

The week has been up and down for several KY counties according to Governor Beshear's reports on "red zone" areas. According to the KY Dept. of Health, counties are ranked in one of four categories to determine the severity of coronavirus in a particular county. This is called the 7-Day incidence rate, and is calculated by taking the total number of unique cases in each county over the past 7 days, divided by 7 to get a daily average, divided by the U.S. census bureau county population, and multiplied by 100,000 to get the incidence per 100,000 people.

They are ranked as follows from least to greatest of severity: 

• Green: "on track" less than one case per 100,000 people
• Yellow: "community spread" 1-10 cases per 100,000 people
• Orange: "accelerated" 10-25 cases per 100,000 people
• Red: "critical" 25 or more cases per 100,000 people

​Edmonson County was listed in the red zone during the first part of week, despite having 2/10ths of one percent of the county's population with a known positive COVID case. The active case numbers have remained nearly the same all week long; however, today's incident rate for Edmonson County is listed at 8.2 per 100,000 people (yellow zone).

The numbers also showed 68 KY counties in the red zone with no counties shown in the green.

The BRDHD reported 12 recoveries since last Friday with 10 new cases in Edmonson County.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Dozens came out to the Chalybeate Sports Complex today to show their support for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who made a last-minute campaign stop in Edmonson County. 

Originally scheduled to be Warren County, the stop was re-routed to Chalybeate after organizers felt the location would be safer in Edmonson County, which has a much lower coronavirus rate. 

McConnell fired up supporters under the horseshoe pavilion by talking about shutting down coronavirus, keeping the economy moving, and making sure Kentucky keeps a seat at the table in Washington.

Local State Representative Michael Meredith welcomed everyone and said this election is the most important in modern times. 

"I think we've heard over and over again, throughout our lifetime, 'this is the most important election of our lifetimes,' but I think more so than ever, it's true this time," he said. "We've got important races all the way up from the state house to the Presidency of the United States and this is truly a year where we are fighting for the United States of America, folks." 

He then introduced U.S. Congressman Brett Guthrie, who talked about the bouncing back of the economy, getting America back on track, and other current affairs that affect those in southcentral Kentucky.

"Leader McConnell started the CARES package in his office that put billions of dollars into research," said Guthrie. "It's amazing that within a year of a pandemic, probably within weeks, we're going to have a vaccine. We're talking about rebuilding our economy--and we're already moving in that direction with what we did with the CARES Act, led by Leader McConnell, we saw yesterday a 33% increase in gross domestic product--we're coming back. But most important, we're fighting for the heart and soul of our country and we need to renew the American dream."

Rep. Guthrie introduced U.S. Senator Rand Paul, who also discussed getting America back on track while touting McConnell's leadership during the recent appointment of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. He discussed the importance of virtue in America.

"Knowing right and wrong--that's the backbone of our country, it's the backbone of rural America," he said. "There's probably no one more responsible for getting these picks to the Supreme Court--three Supreme Court Justices, over 200 federal judges, no one person in getting that done than our senior Senator, who I'm very happy to introduce, Senator Mitch McConnell," as McConnell took the mic to the chant of "we want Mitch."

McConnell began by echoing some of the sentiments from Rep. Meredith when he told the crowd he needed to make a confession about saying past elections were the most important in our lifetimes.

"I was wrong," he said. "These democrats we're up against today are not even like they were under Obama, and you can't find any moderate democrats like there were under Clinton. They're all gone and so this is our biggest election ever, because our view of what America ought to be is dramatically different."

McConnell said if his opponent were to be elected, her first vote would be to place Senator Chuck Schumer as the majority leader of the senate.

"Transferring power from Kentucky to New York? We're not letting that happen."

"We have a mission to save this country. The greatest country in the world from these people who want to redefine what America is. They want to turn it into a socialist country. They want to transfer all the power to Washington. And no one has done a better job of pointing out the advantages of individual liberties like Rand Paul. And we don't have a better member of the U.S. House than your Congressman, Brett Guthrie. And while we're handing out compliments, Michael Meredith, we're awfully proud of you as well."

McConnell then discussed the virus pandemic.

​"This coronavirus is not going away until we kill it," he said. He then discussed the CARES Act, which he said was enacted to prop up the economy in the midst of the shutdown. "By the way, we're not going to do that again, that didn't work very well. We've got to keep the economy open, we've got to work through this coronavirus until we get a vaccine."

McConnell said he was speaking to a CEO of a major pharmaceutical company on the way to Chalybeate about a vaccine and said they were close to achieving that goal. 

"We think we're going to get more than one, actually. Get them in record time, and get the doses out all over America, all over the world, and it'll be America's great pharmaceutical industry that does that. Look, we will not be defeated by this virus, but we will also not shut the economy down again."

"We still have significant economic problems, no question about it, (but) it never got as bad as the doomsday predicters said it would, and it's interesting to note, that the national unemployment rate right now is about what it was during several years of Obama's first term--so not good--but not catastrophic."

He then reminded the crowd that 50,000 Kentucky businesses were able to stay afloat during the shutdown with PPP loans as part of the CARES Act. 

"We'll rise to the occasion, we'll defeat the virus, we'll move on with our lives and get back to normal and throw away the masks." 

Every person in the crowd was masked and speakers only took masks off when they spoke at the mic.

"We'll live our lives the way we want to live them, not like some nanny-state where democrats run the government and tell us how to live."

He finished by saying that out of the four congressional leaders, he was the only one not from New York or California.

"I figure my job is to look out for middle America, to help Kentucky punch above it's weight," he said, as the crowd cheered.

He then encouraged everyone to vote between now and Election Day, which is November 3rd.

​According to the U.S. Elections Project, more than 86 million Americans have already cast their vote. That is 67% of the total number of votes cast for both Trump and Clinton in 2016. 

Darren Doyle, story:
Another series of scam calls are making their way through the Edmonson County area from those claiming there are problems with your social security number. We have recently received multiple reports of these ​calls and we have also received the calls in our own office.

The numbers appear to be coming from a local prefix with area 270 and common local cell prefixes, but the calls are anything but local. 

We received our latest report from local resident Donna Bagshaw, who did her due diligence with the phone calls.

"In the last two days, I’ve received calls, both with 270-246 prefixes, stating that they are with the Social Security Administration," Mrs. Bagshaw said. "The call begins with a pre-recorded message telling you they’ve received notice that there’s suspicious information regarding your social security number."

Mrs. Bagshaw and others reported that the call asks you to select “1” to speak with a person. This is the same call we received as well.

"Both times I was connected to someone with a very strong accent," she added. "Each caller stated their name and their ID # which begins with “SSA”. They asked if I was given a case number and when I said no, they asked for my date of birth. At that point, I asked for their contact information and then ended the call. I know most elderly people are terrified of any implied interruption in their social security benefits and the inability to hear and understand what the caller is saying just adds to the insecurity."

Mrs. Bagshaw said she asked for their contact info and she was given 10160 Technology Blvd E, Dallas, Texas and phone number 214-366-6900. She said when she tried to verify the info, she found the contact belongs to the DEA office in Dallas.

"I called and spoke to an agent that confirmed these scam calls are going out all across the country."

Sheriff Shane Doyle said if you receive a phone call like this to automatically assume it's a scam call and hang up.

"You can always look up the official phone number on an organization or agency's website, look on a statement you may have at home and call them," said the Sheriff. Verify if they need something from you because that's relatively safe. These organizations don't call citizens at home and ask for personal information. It's also important to check on the elderly and discuss these scenarios with them, as they're sometimes the most susceptible to these types of scams."

Edmonson Voice Report:
A Mammoth Cave man is facing multiple felonies after an attempt to sell a stolen vehicle was intercepted by law enforcement.

According to a press release from the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Shane Doyle was contacted earlier this evening regarding a possible stolen vehicle offered for sale in Edmonson County.  A check of the VIN provided by the caller showed that the vehicle, a 2004 GMC Sierra pickup truck, was reported stolen from Bowling Green on October 17th, Sheriff Doyle said. 

The seller, identified as Keith Lockard, 26 of Mammoth Cave, reportedly sent text messages offering the truck for sale to a former neighbor, and stated he would meet him at Taco Bell in Leitchfield, according to the Sheriff's Office.  Law enforcement said as deputies secured the stolen truck at Mr. Lockard's home, Sheriff Doyle made contact with the Grayson County Sheriff's Office and requested that they detain him in Leitchfield.  The Grayson County sheriff and his deputies located Lockard at the Taco Bell, and found that he appeared intoxicated, the sheriff's press release stated. 

The Sheriff's Office also said that a search incident to arrest also yielded a significant amount of illegal drugs and a handgun. The Sheriff's Office said that  Lockard is a convicted felon. 

Lockard faces the following charges in Grayson County:

• Giving officer false identifying information
• No registration receipt
• No registration plates
• Driving on DUI suspended license-first offense
• Drug paraphernalia-buy/possess
• Possession of handgun by convicted felon
• Possession of controlled substance, third degree, drug unspecified (enhancement)
• Trafficking in marijuana (less than 8 oz. (enhancement)
• Possession of controlled substance, first degree, second offense (meth) (enhancement)

He is now facing felony charges of Receiving Stolen Property under $10,000 in Edmonson County.

​Lockard was lodged in the Grayson County Jail.

Darren Doyle, story:
Superintendent of Edmonson County Schools Brian Alexander has announced that local schools will continue holding in-person classes, despite a grim report from Governor Andy Beshear on KY's coronavirus numbers in his daily press conference today.

According to the state's coronavirus website, kycovid19.ky.gov, Edmonson County is listed in what is considered the "red zone," or the "critical" current 7-day incident rate, which is listed at 27. The sometimes confusing number is calculated by taking the total number of unique cases in each county over the past 7 days, divided by 7 to get a daily average, divided by the U.S. census bureau county population, and multiplied by 100,000 to get the incidence per 100,000 people. According to state guidelines, the "green" zone, which is less than one case per 100,000, is considered "on track." None of the 120 counties in KY are green.

According to Friday's numbers for Edmonson County provided by the Barren River District Health Department, there were 31 known active COVID-19 cases in Edmonson County, or two-tenths of one percent, (.02%) of the county's total population.

We received a statement from Superintendent Alexander shortly after Governor Beshear's press conference today. The entire statement is published below: 

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
A United States Postal Service employee has been charged for willfully obstructing the passage of mail, announced U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman.

“Especially in these times, Americans depend on the reliability and integrity of those that deliver the U.S. Mail,” said United States Attorney Russell Coleman. “Conduct by Postal employees that violates that duty will result in swift federal prosecution.”  

DeShawn Bojgere, 30, of, Louisville, Kentucky, has been charged with the delay or destruction of mail, a federal crime under 18 United States Code 1703.

According to the criminal complaint, sometime between October 5 and October 15, 2020, Bojgere discarded a large quantity of mail. The mail, found in a construction dumpster on Galene Drive in Louisville, included approximately 111 general election absentee ballots from the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office being mailed to voters to be filled out. The dumped mail also included approximately 69 mixed class pieces of flat rate mail, 320 second class pieces of mail, and two national election campaign flyers from a political party in Florida. An analysis of the mail revealed it was from a single route for one scheduled delivery day.

Bojgere admitted to special agents with the U.S. Postal Service that he was responsible for discarding the mail in the construction dumpster. Bojgere is no longer employed by the postal service.

Copies of the mail were made to retain as evidence, while all of the recovered mail was placed back in the mail stream for delivery to its intended recipients.

If convicted at trial, he faces no more than 5 years in prison a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release after serving the sentence.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Fiscal Court voted to approve final payments for the proposed animal shelter property at today's fiscal court meeting. The closing is scheduled for later today, where the county will pay a total balance of $71,449.38. The reduced balance is a result of $15,000 in penalties that were accrued by the seller Rollin Rountree, by failing to vacate the premises by the required date. Each week that Rountree went past the deadline reduced the county's balance--originally $85K--by one thousand dollars. 

On September 23, 2019, magistrates voted to purchase the 12-acre property for a price of $105,000. The terms of the deal were as follows: the county paid $20,000 down with the balance of $85K being paid once the seller moves completely from the property, which was supposed to be June 1, 2020, then extended to July 1, 2020, penalty-free by the fiscal court. Rountree was also required in the agreement to provide a clear title to the county upon completion of purchase.

During the last fiscal court meeting, Judge Executive Wil Cannon said the lien against the property was around $80K, which was higher than the balance owed. While Cannon said the county always knew the property had a lien; however, the reduced balance due to the seller's accrued penalties would not be enough to release the lien.  The seller and the bank were working together at the time of the last fiscal court meeting to reduce the amount of the current lien so that the county's final payment would allow them to obtain the property free and clear.

Since that time, the seller and the lien holder have worked together to provide a solution for the county that will allow the county to obtain the property with a clear title at today's closing.

Once completed, the 12-acre property, located on Veterans Memorial HWY (KY HWY 259), will be purchased for $91,449.38, (closing costs included) instead of the original $105,000 agreed-upon price. County Treasurer Tammi Willhite said the documents would be filed at the County Clerk's Office on Tuesday, where the county will take possession of the property.

"We had a final inspection at the property last Wednesday to make sure all the stuff was gone and everything was okay," said Judge Cannon. "At this time, we have no projected date on when improvements to the property will begin, but we're working on a layout of the property now. We'll be coordinating where the animal shelter will sit, and we want to make sure that's going to be what's in the best interest of the neighbors for noise and things of that nature, and then where the road department will use it, along with the sheriff," he said. "The animal shelter use will be the priority for the property."

Cannon also said that a gate at the entrance of the property will be installed.

​

Road Report: County Road Supervisor Greg Carroll said crews have been busy with tile, ditch, patching, and paving work in all districts along with finishing of mowing right-of-ways. He also noted that the department had recently been plagued with several thousand dollars in truck and equipment repairs.

County Clerk Kevin Alexander reported that early in-person voting was underway and with mail-in ballots and in-person voting, approximately 1600 votes had already been cast in Edmonson County. "I believe we’ll get to election day and have 35% of the county's voters already casting their vote," he said. He reminded the court that all county precincts will be open on election day.

Parks and Rec: A.B. Webb, Parks and Rec Director said this year's soccer league wrapped up last week and youth league basketball was near it's season start. He announced the upcoming Halloween in the Park at Chalybeate Sport Complex on Saturday, October 31st, and announced more vandalism at local parks. He said bathrooms, signage, and other areas of Chalybeate Park had been vandalized extensively and that the county was still looking into camera and security system options.

County Wide Cleanup Update: Mike Clubb, who helps organize the annual event, reported that 27 dumpsters were filled during last week's event and over 5 tons of materials were recycled, which will provide revenue for the county's general fund. He said that the agreement with the county and Scott Waste is for Scott to provide 12 dumpsters; however, they have consistently provided the amount needed for the event. Clubb said the event has helped to eliminate most roadside dumping spots and allows county residents to dispose of large items that won't fit in a standard trash bin.

The court also voted to:

• Acknowledge Edmonson County Ambulance District 2020 tax rates.
• Approve Treasurer’s September monthly settlement.
• Approve quarterly financial statement for 1st quarter, FY 2021.
• Acknowledge Treasurer’s appropriations quarterly report.
• Acknowledge Treasurer’s cash receipts quarterly report.
• Approve Treasurer to close E911 checking account at Limestone Bank; and to open E911 checking account at Bank of Edmonson County.
• Approve County Attorney to prepare a release with Carlton Alexander on sign work located on Denham Road.

The next Edmonson County fiscal court meeting is scheduled for November 9th at 9AM.

Darren Doyle, story:
Kentucky State Police are trying to identify a pedestrian killed on I-65 on Saturday, October 24th, 2020 around 7PM.​

KSP responded to a possible fatal collision in Warren County near the 23-mile marker of Interstate 65 in Bowling Green.

According to police, the initial investigation indicated that 22 year-old Brandi Willis, of Champaign, IL,  was operating a 2020 Kia passenger vehicle in the left lane of travel near the 23 mile marker of interstate 65 southbound.  A pedestrian entered the roadway into the travel path of Willis' vehicle and was struck, police said. 

​The pedestrian was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Warren County Coroners Office.  KSP reported that the pedestrian has not been identified at this time and is described as a 5'6", 130 lb male with short black hair and brown eyes.

The investigation is ongoing and being led by Trooper Brent Davis.  Trooper Davis was assisted on scene by the Alvaton Department, Warren County Coroner's Office, Medical Center EMS and other KSP personnel.

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County High School graduation ceremony for the class of 2020 was finally held today after months of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

March 13, 2020 was the last day ECHS seniors would have class inside the walls of Edmonson County High School but school officials immediately began working on a plan for a graduation ceremony that would happen, although much later. Public gathering restrictions kept the ceremony from happening in May and again in September, but a limited crowd, social distancing, and masks helped to make today's ceremony possible for the class of 121 students and their friends and families. 

Emma Rose Vincent, class valedictorian, and Lauren Ballance, class salutatorian, each gave their commencement speeches; both of which were encouraging in the face of difficult times.

School counselors (now retired) Michael Meredith and Corentha Cole recognized dozens of students for their special achievements, scholarships, and opportunities received over school careers, and Assistant Principal Chad Johnston recognized all students that participated in special programs, organizations, and clubs.

Seniors Steven Graves and Devin Smith were recognized for having perfect attendance in grade 12 and Dillon Webb was recognized for perfect attendance during grades 3 through 12. 

Senior Zach Holt received a standing ovation when he was recognized for enlisting in the U.S. Army.

Luke Meredith, also a senior, led the closing, which was first a moment of silence for lost classmate Brayden Combs, who was killed in an automobile accident last year, and then by a heartfelt prayer.

Superintendent Brian Alexander (principal last year) then dismissed the class as they tossed their caps up into the air.

The ceremony looked much different than those in years past. Each student was allowed only 4 tickets to the ceremony, which was strictly enforced due to attendance restrictions. Graduates were spaced 6 feet apart, attendees were also spaced out throughout the gym, and everyone in attendance was required to wear a face covering. Students and staff were allowed to remove or pull down their mask when taking photos.

​Twenty-seven graduates completed their course of study with a 4.0 GPA or higher, and 34 graduates were recognized as honor students. The class received a total of over $1.8 million dollars of potential scholarship funding, which is the highest in the history of ECHS.

The entire ceremony was streamed by the Edmonson Voice and can be viewed by clicking here.

Darren Doyle, story:
The number of active known COVID cases rose from 14 last week to 31 this week in Edmonson County, (+17) according to data released today from the Barren River District Health Department. It's the largest jump in a single week that the county has seen during the pandemic; however, it is still the county with the lowest total of active cases in the entire 8-county district. 

Edmonson County High School temporarily postponed football for the next three weeks due to a positive case from a player. While it is only one confirmed positive player at this time, players that were exposed have to undergo the quarantine process. 

Recoveries rose by 10 this week to 156, while deaths remain at 12. 

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County High School Principal Jonathan Williams told the Edmonson Voice today that the school has made the decision to suspend football games for the next three weeks due to one positive COVID case on the team.

"We want to be totally transparent with the community," Williams said. "This is a school decision and the safety of our students is our number one priority."

Williams said this isn't an outbreak across the team as of now, but only one case that will force several players to quarantine and shutting down the program for now is the best decision for health reasons.

"We've only had three positive confirmed cases in our school since in-person sessions began," he said. "Other schools have not been so fortunate."

Williams said that one additional positive case outside of football was also confirmed and those affected have been contacted through contact tracing.

"If you haven't been contacted then you are not affected at this time," he said. 

The Wildcats will not play their next three games during this period, which is Clinton County at home tomorrow night, Barren County at home on October 30th, and the final regular season game of the season on the road at Butler County on November 6th. The next scheduled game will be the first round of the playoffs on November 13th.

Through social media outlets, ECHS Athletic Director Kyle Pierce said that the team is hopeful to be back in action as soon as possible.

"This is not a total program suspension, but it appears to be more of a varsity postponement of games & hopefully as few varsity players on quarantine," he said. "But until the contact tracers do their work, we will have to wait."

Williams also discussed a case involving a football player a couple weeks ago.

"We had a JV football player test positive earlier in the season but it only forced a few varsity players to quarantine," he said. "In this case, too many varsity players are affected and we're not going to put our JV players in positions were they suddenly have to play at the varsity level with little or no experience."

Darren Doyle, story:
A Park City man that was air lifted to the hospital after being involved in a motorcycle crash last week has died, according to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Shane Doyle said that he was contacted by the Nashville Medical Examiner's Office, who confirmed Larry Bellamy (70) of Park City, succumbed to his injuries sustained in the crash and died Monday, October 19, 2020.

Edmonson Voice Report:
The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office has announced to the Edmonson Voice that the 2020 tax bills will be mailed during the last week of October. They issued the following statement:

Darren Doyle, story:
While the headline seems more along the lines of a Halloween-themed movie, deputies say the incident was very real, and a man was arrested on multiple felony charges.

According to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to the 20000 block of Louisville Road on Saturday, October 17th around 3pm to the report of a male subject that was waving a machete at passing traffic. As deputies arrived, they reported observing a male at the back end of a gravel drive in a corn field and as the male saw law enforcement, he raised the machete over his head in what was described as "an aggressive manner."

According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies announced themselves as law enforcement and gave a verbal command for the male subject to drop the machete; instead, the subject allegedly threw the machete at the deputy’s vehicle and fled into the cornfield on foot.

We spoke to one of the deputies involved in the incident who said they drove their patrol truck closer to the suspect where the suspect then threw a bible at their vehicle.

"We drove closer to him after he'd thrown the machete at us, and after we'd told him multiple times over our truck PA to stop," said the deputy. "That's when he threw a bible at us and screamed "do you have a problem with Jesus?""

The Sheriff's Office said that multiple verbal commands were given to the male subject to get on the ground, but when a deputy attempted to place the subject in handcuffs, the subject reportedly rolled over and grabbed the deputy’s duty belt and protective vest in multiple attempts to pull him down to the ground.  The subject allegedly refused to adhere to verbal commands given by law enforcement, grabbed the deputy’s protective vest a second time, and the deputy deployed his taser twice before the subject was finally subdued.

After being placed in handcuffs, Sheriff’s Deputies identified the subject as William Thomas Smith (39) of Cave City (Edmonson County), who was wanted on three outstanding warrants, stemming from charges out of Barren and Warren Counties. Deputies also said Smith was under the influence of an unknown substance. 

He was ​arrested on the outstanding warrants as well as new charges that included:

• Fleeing or Evading Police—2nd Degree (on foot)
• Assault 3rd Degree—Police Office or Probation Officer
• Resisting Arrest

Smith was lodged in Hart County Jail.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County's known positive COVID cases rose from 13 to 17 this week, according to a press release from the Barren River District Health Department.

The BRDHD reported a total case number of 175 (going back to March) with a total of 146 recoveries and 12 deaths reported from COVID. Edmonson County ranks next to last in total number of cases in the district, with only Metcalfe County having fewer cases (169). 

Deaths have remained the same (12) for months; ten of which were reported from Edmonson Center. No new cases have been reported from residents at the facility since June.

Edmonson Voice Report:
A Mammoth Cave man is facing multiple felony charges after he was arrested on Thursday night after a drug complaint.

The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office reported that they received a drug complaint call and responded to the 200 block of Ridgeway Drive in Mammoth Cave around 8:30PM on October 15th. According to a press release, deputies saw someone run around a building on site where deputies found Patrick Roby (33) who lived at the residence, along with a large bag of suspected meth.

Deputies also reported the odor of marijuana emitting from the garage where Roby allegedly stated there was marijuana inside, while admitting to having drug paraphernalia on his person, according to Sheriff's Office. Deputies also said they located two large bundles of cash, totaling over $7000, along with various forms of drug paraphernalia, suspected marijuana, and suspected methamphetamine.

​Roby was arrested and charged with:

• Trafficking in Controlled Substance, 1st Degree, 1st Offense (> or = 2 GMS methamphetamine)
• Trafficking in Marijuana (less than 8 oz), 1st Offense
• Tampering with Physical Evidence
• Drug Paraphernalia—Buy/Possess

​Roby was lodged in Hart County Jail.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Judge Executive Wil Cannon's Office has announced some last-minute changes to the ongoing County Wide Cleanup Program that has been running since Monday, October 12th.

This year's event featured county employees supervising work release inmates that were available to unload unwanted items for county residents at the dumpster site near Kyrock Fire Department. Cannon's office reported that the program has run smoothly all week with residents pulling into the site and staying in their vehicles while the county's litter abatement workers (work release inmates) unloaded trucks and trailers under the supervision of county employees. 

Cannon's office announced today to the Edmonson Voice that Governor Andy Beshear's Office has temporarily suspended workers available for the county's litter abatement program due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which means the cleanup program will have no one available to unload trucks or trailers through the end of the program, which is this Saturday, October 17th. 

The program will still continue through Saturday; however, participants must be able to dispose of their unwanted items into the dumpsters provided at the site. No dumping on the grounds is allowed at any time, no exceptions. There is no charge for this service but you must provide proof of Edmonson County residency. No hazardous materials or tires are allowed. For more info, please call the EC Judge Executive's Office at 270-597-2819.

Edmonson Voice Report:
The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Kentucky State Director Hilda Legg announced today the Trump administration is investing $50,000 to help improve physical security at the Brownsville City Hall.

“From municipal airports to libraries, we have helped rural communities across the Commonwealth improve essential community facilities and services,” said Legg. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA Rural Development continues to be a valuable partner in helping rural businesses and rural communities.”

The city of Brownsville will use $50,000 in grant funds to install physical security equipment in the Brownsville City Hall, which is co-located with the police department. These security measures include steel doors, door releases with ID badges for controlled access, bulletproof glass enclosures, and security software with cameras and data protection.

This grant was made through the Community Facilities Program with funding included in the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act that President Trump signed into law on June 6, 2019. Since first announcing this additional funding source, Rural Development Kentucky has awarded over 35 grants totaling over $2.2 million.

​USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

Edmonson Voice Report:
A team of paleontologists, cave specialists, and park rangers at Mammoth Cave National Park have discovered a trove of fossil treasures that has yielded one of the most diverse Mississippian shark faunas in North America. At least 40 different species of sharks and their relatives have been identified, including six new species. Rare preservation of three-dimensional skeletal cartilage documented in Mammoth Cave allows us to understand the anatomy and relationships of these ancient sharks.   
 
The discoveries in remote cave locations within the park were made during an ongoing paleontological resources inventory that began in November 2019. Mammoth Cave is known for a variety of ice age mammal fossils as well as ancient marine organisms. 

The 325 million-year-old fossil-rich limestones of the Mammoth Cave System were formed during the Late Paleozoic, during a time period known to geologists as the Mississippian Period. The park staff reported a few fossil shark teeth exposed in the cave walls of Ste. Genevieve Limestone in several locations. Fossil shark specialist John-Paul (JP) Hodnett of the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission was recruited to help identify the shark fossils, which were primarily teeth and fin spines. Since most of the skeleton of sharks is composed of cartilage, rather than bone, the skeletons of sharks are rarely preserved as fossils.  

Hodnett and park staff, quickly discovered and identified many different species of primitive sharks from specimens in the rocks lining the cave passages in Mammoth Cave. Hodnett said, “I am absolutely amazed at the diversity of sharks we see while exploring the passages that make up Mammoth Cave. We can hardly move more than a couple of feet as another tooth or spine is spotted in the cave ceiling or wall. We are seeing a range of different species of chondrichthyans [cartilaginous fish] that fill a variety of ecological niches, from large predators to tiny little sharks that lived amongst the crinoid [sea lily] forest on the seafloor that was their habitat.”  ​

More than 40 different species of fossil sharks and relatives have been identified from Mammoth Cave specimens in the past 10 months and the fossil survey continues.  Among this fossil shark assemblage, there appears to be at least six fossil shark species that are new to science. Those species will be described and named in a forthcoming scientific publication.  

Most of the shark fossils have been discovered in areas inaccessible to visitors on cave tours, but park staff are preparing photographs, artists’ renditions, and three-dimensional models for the visitors to view and explore in park exhibits. A new painting showing some of the Mississippian shark and invertebrate fauna from Mammoth Cave has been completed by paleoartist Julius Csotonyi and is being premiered to the public on October 14 to celebrate National Fossil Day 2020: 

In addition to this rich diversity of primitive sharks at Mammoth Cave, two partial cartilaginous skeletons of different species of sharks were also found within Mammoth Cave. One specimen was discovered by a caver with the Cave Research Foundation and the other has been known by the park guides for years. The preservation of cartilage in layers of Paleozoic rock is a very rare occurrence and moved the team to thoroughly document these specimens. National Park Service geologist Jack Wood lugged equipment through narrow cave passages to capture photogrammetric images of the two rare specimens. Wood produced 3-D models of the cartilaginous shark remains which are posted on the National Park Service website.  

Rick Toomey, Cave Resource Management Specialist and Research Coordinator at Mammoth Cave National Park is also a vertebrate paleontologist. Toomey said, “We are very excited to find such an important set of fossils at the park.  Although we have known that we had a few shark teeth in the limestone exposed in the cave, we never imagined that we would have the abundance and diversity of sharks that JP Hodnett has identified.” 

Paleontological resource inventories, similar to the one underway at Mammoth Cave National Park, have helped to document fossils in at least 277 different national parks throughout the United States. National Park Service Senior Paleontologist Vincent Santucci said, “Paleontological resource inventories are fundamental to the management of non-renewable fossils. These inventories enable us to establish baseline fossil data capturing the scope, significance, distribution, and management issues related to park fossils. Many new and important fossil discoveries are tied to field inventories, as demonstrated at Mammoth Cave National Park, expanding our understanding of the fossil record in the national parks.” ​

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
A three-vehicle crash involving two motorcycles resulted in one man being air lifted to the hospital Tuesday afternoon, October 13, 2020.

Emergency personnel were dispatched to Veterans Memorial HWY (101/259) at the Arthur Road intersection around 3:20PM to a multi-vehicle crash with injuries.

According to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Howard Lucas (41) of Brownsville, was stopped in the northbound lane of Veterans waiting to turn left onto Arthur Road in a Ford pickup. Law enforcement and witnesses on scene said a group of motorcycles passed Lucas' truck on the right hand side. One motorbike, a 2015 Can Am operated by Christopher DeVore (61) of Horse Cave, began to slow down behind the pickup when it was struck in the rear by a Harley Davidson, operated by Larry Bellamy (70) of Park City, according to the Sheriff Shane Doyle.

Doyle said that Bellamy's bike forced DeVore's Can Am into the rear of Lucas' pickup while Bellamy was ejected from his bike. Bellamy was not wearing a helmet and sustained multiple injuries in the crash, according to the Sheriff. Mr. Bellamy was air lifted to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville and is listed in critical condition. Mr. DeVore was transported to the Medical Center in Bowling Green for unknown injuries. All other parties refused medical attention at the scene, including two minor children that were passengers in the pickup. The Sheriff said both children were evaluated by EMS on scene and were listed as non-injured.

Sheriff Doyle also reported that according to evidence at the scene, Bellamy was allegedly under the influence of intoxicants and that criminal charges are pending.

The case is currently under investigation by the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office. Also responding to the scene was the Chalybeate Fire Department, along with Edmonson EMS and Air Methods Air Medical Transport.

Darren Doyle, story:
As has been the same for many weeks, Edmonson County remains consistent with active known positive COVID cases. This week's numbers provided by the Barren River District Health Department showed 13 active known positives in the county with 166 total, 141 recoveries, and 12 deaths reported as a result of COVID-19. 

Despite in-person school back in session and local sporting events occurring in the county, no significant increases in virus numbers have been seen. 

This week, Governor Andy Beshear renewed his executive order requiring face coverings in most public places. The Kentucky Dept. of Health also issued recommendations for celebrating Halloween. 

Some of the recommendations shared from the state for trick-or-treating are:

• Place individually wrapped candy outside on the porch, driveway or table
• Maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from anyone not within your household.
• Always wear a face covering. Halloween masks DO NOT count as a face covering.
• Clean hands before and after touching the wrapped candy.
• Trick-or-treat in family groups and don’t congregate in large groups.
• Trick-or-treat in your own neighborhood. Do not travel to other neighborhoods.
• Use hand sanitizer often, especially after contacting frequently-touched surfaces and before eating anything.

There are currently no county mandates on other Halloween activities, such as trick-or-treating, haunted houses, hayrides, etc. Individuals may participate in these activities according to their own choosing. Having outdoor or porch lights on during trick-or-treating is an indication that the residence is participating in trick-or-treating. One that does not wish to participate is asked to keep porch lights off. 

Edmonson County's annual Halloween on the Square has been moved to Chalybeate Park and is scheduled to be held on October 31st from 3:30 to 7PM. All businesses and organizations are invited to set up a table to distribute treats.