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 Emergency personnel work at the scene of a two-vehicle wreck on Penner Road on 12/29/16. Edmonson Voice Staff, story and photo The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office says they have responded to seven different collisions over the course of the last seven days, including a two vehicle crash last night that involved two juveniles in car seats. Officials responded to the Penner Road crash in Chalybeate around 10:30pm on December 29, 2016. The Sheriff's Office said Theresa Mills, (29) of Brownsville was headed south in a 2003 Lincoln Aviator on the county road when according to officials, she topped a hill into the path of a 2011 Ford Mustang, driven by Christopher Phelps, (20) also of Brownsville, who was headed north. According to officials, Mr. Phelps attempted to avoid the Lincoln, but the narrow road allowed him no more room to manuever and the two vehicles collided in the roadway. The Sheriff's Office reported that there were two juveniles in Mills' vehicle, both of which were properly restrained in child safety seats. They were uninjured, along with the drivers of each vehicle who were both reportedly wearing their seat belts. Officials said the proper use of safety belts and child seats greatly reduced the risk of injury in the collision, especially considering the damage that was sustained to both vehicles. Also responding to the scene were both the Chalybeate and Brownsville Fire Departments along with Edmonson EMS and the Dist. 2 Constable. 
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 The Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce will be mailing membership renewals for chamber members the first week of January. The Chamber welcomes returning members and new members to join. Memberships begin at $30 for non-profits and individual family pricing. Business memberships begin at $50. The Chamber plans to continue activities such as Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cuttings, Chamber Breakfast, Chamber Luncheon, Annual Dinner, Chamber Cookout, Chamber Golf Scramble and the new Shop EC gift certificate program. The Chamber also plans to implement a new Welcome to Edmonson Packet that will feature the new Edmonson County map. The Chamber also plans to reinstate the quarterly county beautification award to promote pride in our county. The Chamber continues to listen to members for new ideas to help our members. We welcome the support of our community to continue these efforts. You can request a membership form by calling 270-597-2222, by emailing: edmonsonchambertourism@windstream.net or you can visit our web site at www.edmonsonchamber.com. You can print a form after downloading below or complete one online. There is also the convenience of paying securely online through the website by clicking here. 
  EdmonsonVoice.com had over 2.4 million visits in 2016, which was a record year for our two-year old news network. Oddly, the majority of those top stories came within the last couple of months, but here's a recap of the top 10 news stories of 2016 on EdmonsonVoice.com, along with the amount of website views on that day. All articles in 2016's most viewed were arrest, accident, or fire related. Click on any of the links to read.
Although the following stories weren't the most viewed, they were some of our favorites over the past year. Here is our very own top list (in no particular order) of some that we enjoyed working on the most. We hope you enjoyed them, too!
 Local Tire Dealer Arrested, Tazed, Now Faces Felony Burglary & Drug Charges After Pursuit12/29/2016
 Darren Doyle, story A Morgantown Road Tire dealer is back in jail on multiple charges that include two felonies after a short police chase resulting in the man being tazed, all which began from an alleged harassment complaint. The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office responded to Sunfish/Bee Spring Road around 1:30 on Thursday where a woman claimed that Charlie R. Hayes, (55) of Huff burglarized her home and harassed her. Deputies reported that while in route to the residence, they met Hayes in his 2012 Chevrolet Colorado and immediately attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle; however, they reported Hayes did not immediately stop. Officials said Hayes led them in a short pursuit and eventually stopped at an abandoned house nearby. The Sheriff's Office reported that during the stop, Hayes refused to follow orders during the stop and allegedly reached into his waistband, where he was tazed.  Charlie R. Hayes, (55) Huff. (Hart Co. Jail) Authorities also reported that Hayes then attempted to flee from the deputies and he was tazed a second time, and after multiple cycles from the tazer, he eventually complied and was taken into custody.
During a search, deputies reported that they discovered several dozen hydrocodone pills in an unmarked bottle, along with $680 that was seized as evidence as well as Hayes' vehicle. Hayes was charged with:
Hayes was also served with a bench warrant for not appearing at Hart County Jail last Friday as ordered to serve time for 2015 charges on Possession of Controlled Substance 1st degree and Assault 3rd degree - Police officer. Hayes was transported and lodged in Hart County Jail.   Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, December 27, 2016. The Honorable Judge John M. McCarty presiding. Faith L. Martin, Illegal possession of legend drug. Possession of marijuana. Drug paraphernalia-buy/possess. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial conference on 1/17/16. Elvis Lindsey, Violation of Kentucky EPO/DVO. Continued in two weeks. District court report for January 3, 2017: Andrew Nicholas Gibson, Manufacturing meth-2nd or more offense. Unlawful possession of meth precursor-first offense. Pleaded not guilty to both. Drug Paraphernalia-buy/possess: waived to Grand Jury. Lentta Clopton, Alcohol intoxication in a public place: first and second offense. Deferred for two years. Rodney Wayne McNutt, Possession of controlled substance-first degree-2nd offense-drug unspecified. Possession of controlled substance-third degree-drug unspecified. Fleeing or evading police-second degree on foot. Resisting arrest. Controlled substance prescription not in original container-first. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial hearing 1/10/17. Terry D Finn, Wanton endangerment-first degree. Assault-first degree. Convicted felon in possession of a handgun. Tampering with physical evidence. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial hearing 1/10/17. Brandy Watt, Assault-first degree. Pleaded not guilty. Pretrial hearing 1/17/17. Charles Ray Hayes, Burglary 2nd degree. Harassment-no physical contact. Trafficking in controlled substance-first offense (>=10 D.U. Drug unspecified). Controlled substance prescription not in original container-first. Resisting arrest. Fleeing or evading police-second degree (motor vehicle). Criminal mischief-third degree. Pleaded not guilty to all charges. Pretrial hearing 1/10/17. Renea Stevenson, Operating on suspended/revoked operator's license. Failure of non-owner operator to maintain required insurance-first. Continued in one week. Willie Whittaker, Failure of non-owner operator to maintain required insurance-first. Failure to wear seat belts. Pleaded not guilty to both. Pretrial conference on 2/14/17. Andrew Michael Hampton, Theft by deception-including cold checks under $500 (seven counts). Pleaded not guilty to all counts. Pretrial conference 1/31/17.   A Ford Ranger driven by Mitch Saltsman (39) Bee Spring, rests on its side after a rollover crash on December 26, 2016. (courtesy Dist. 2 Constable) Darren Doyle, story A Bee Spring man is in critical but stable condition after a single vehicle rollover crash yesterday on Nolin Dam Road. According to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Mitch Saltsman (39) of Bee Spring was headed east on KY HWY 728 in a Ford Ranger pickup when he lost control of the vehicle, which left the roadway. According to official reports, the truck overturned and Saltsman was ejected from the vehicle. Saltsman was air lifted to University of Louisville Hospital via Air Methods where he remains in critical condition with a serious head injury and several major broken bones. Also responding at the scene were the Kyrock and Brownsville Fire Departments, Edmonson EMS, and the District 2 Constable. Officials said this is the fourth accident on Highway 728 during the 2016 Holiday season and the sixth accident in Edmonson County in four days. The sheriff's office also stated that they have asked the state highway department to research any possiblities of making the roadway safer in the area of the accident, located west of Nolin Dam which is a combination of S-curves and a steep incline leading down to an area of bottoms.   We've had another great year here at the Edmonson Voice and another spike in readers over the last three months. For that, we thank all of you for your wonderful support. Let us all take a moment and reflect on the important things this Christmas season.
From everyone here at the Edmonson Voice, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  A 1989 GMC Sierra rests on its top after a rollover crash in Lindseyville. Edmonson Voice Staff Report
Authorities say that heavy rainfall and slippery roads were the contributing factors in a single vehicle rollover crash that occurred Friday, December 23, 2016. Emergency personnel responded to KY HWY 259 N just south of Midway Baptist Church in Lindseyville last night around 10:30pm. Officials said that Dustin Hunt, (24) of Bee Spring, was north bound in a 1989 GMC Sierra when he lost control of the vehicle. According to official reports, the truck crossed the center line of the road and struck the guardrail which allowed the truck to travel on top of the rail for a short distance. Authorities said the vehicle continued in this manner until it struck a guardrail post and flipped end-over-end, coming to a final rest on its top facing south. Officials also reported that Mr. Hunt was wearing his seat belt, which they say greatly lowered his risk of injury. The Sheriff's Office said that considering the severity of the collision, Hunt suffered only minor injuries and was transported for medical treatment in a personal vehicle. Responding to scene was Edmonson Co. Sheriff's Office, Edmonson EMS, and Kyrock Fire Department.  The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office will be closed today, December 23, 2016 until Tuesday, December 27, 2016 for the Christmas Holiday.
The department will still continue normal patrols as usual. If you need to contact law enforcement, please call the Edmonson County dispatch center at 270-597-2729.  Community members fellowship together at the first annual Parks and Rec appreciation dinner held at Bee Spring Park December 22, 2016. Darren Doyle, story and photo Edmonson County Parks and Rec held it's very first appreciation dinner tonight at the Bee Spring Park. Program Administrator Greg Hudson said the purpose of the event was to give thanks to businesses, organizations, and individuals who have helped make the parks and rec program a success over the past year. "We couldn't have done what we've done without all of you," he said to the crowd. "This is just our way of saying thanks for all we've been able to accomplish and we hope to do more next year." Those in attendance enjoyed a delicious catered turkey and dressing dinner complete with all the sides and wonderful homemade desserts. In 2016, Edmonson County Parks and Rec served the community with the following: Easter Egg Hunt, Pitch-Hit-and-Run Competition, the Babe Ruth Baseball and Softball Program, Concerts in the Park, Youth Soccer, Freedom Fest Fireworks Celebration, Parking Lot painting (thanks to Boy Scout Troop 597), Little League Basketball, Special Olympics, Halloween Fest, Disc Golf Expansion and Tournaments, Chalybeate Springs Park trail repair, and a new Parks and Rec website. Even though Boy Scout Troop 597 and their leaders were invited as those being thanked, they did what they always do, served others as they helped clear tables and remove waste at the dinner. For more information on how you can help your local Parks and Rec by donating your time, money, or finding other ways to volunteer, visit ECparksandrec.com   Darren Doyle, story
The Edmonson County Fiscal Court voted to renew their contract with the Bowling Green/Warren County Humane Society Animal Shelter today through December, 2017. Judge Executive Wil Cannon said the initial contract is set to expire at the end of the month and was signed as a one-year deal in order for both the county and the shelter to have the ability to re-evaluate the first-time agreement without a long-term commitment if necessary. The county is still paying the same amount each month for animal control and housing as they were with the previous agreement with the Carrolls, which is a total of $2500 each month; however, the cost is split between the animal shelter, which receives $1250 per month, and the Sheriff's Office who provides the animal control officer for also $1250 per month. Cannon said the BG/WC shelter had not broken down the number of animals from Edmonson County they had housed over the past year so didn't see a need in a re-evaluation of the contract. Sheriff Shane Doyle said that his office had received more calls for animal control than ever. “As a result of our current Animal Control Officer Eric Roscoe doing his job and doing it well, the public sees that something is finally being done with animal control and more calls are coming in," he said. "When people don’t think that anything will be done, they don't see any use in calling. Officer Roscoe is a highly trained individual that has adapted to this position very well and he's doing a fantastic job." Cannon has said the long-term goal for Edmonson County's animal shelter issue is for the county to have it's own shelter, run by a local humane society. He has said that he supports the local organization, Edmonson County PAWS, which is also working toward that same goal. He has also said that a feasible time table for a county-run shelter would be somewhere between 5 and 10 years. In the meantime, Cannon said the county will continue working with the Bowling Green/Warren County Animal Shelter, which he says has been very cooperative with Edmonson County government.  Darren Doyle, story : The Edmonson County fiscal court met on Thursday, December 22, 2016 instead of the regular fourth Monday of the month, which falls on the Christmas holiday. Road Report: County Road Forman Ray Page reported that heavy rain last week caused two bridges to be underwater, on Blackgold Rd. and Cedar Grove Church Rd. He said the bridges were temporarily shut down but are now cleared and open. Jailer Report: There are currently thirteen inmates, including two on home incarceration, and the jailer's office reported that there was currently no inmate in the hospital. Parks and Rec Report: Program Administrator Greg Hudson presented a 10-year plan to the court for the parks program. Although he said not all items in the extensive plan would be easy or possible, they still needed to be part of the plan and incorporated in the long term strategy. South Central KY Film Commission Contribution: Judge Cannon discussed the contributions from four county organizations which include the fiscal court, tourism, industrial authority, and chamber of commerce that would cover the fee to join the South Central Kentucky Film Commission. Cannon said all four had agreed to pay a portion of the $5000 fee. "I don't know what kind of economic impact this will have on Edmonson County, but it's a great opportunity that we need to take advantage of," he said. "If there are no positive results after a couple of years, then we can choose to do something else." The original plan was for the four organizations to split the cost, each contributing $1250. The Chamber of Commerce said the amount was a little larger than they had available in their budget, but the Tourism office has said they could possibly make up the difference. Sheriff's Report: Sheriff Shane Doyle said that the new police cruisers, including two new Dodge Ram trucks and two Dodge Chargers have been ordered and will be delivered soon. He also said that the new security camera system had been installed at the Sheriff's Office and new backup firearms had been purchased, all funded with seized drug money. He also commended Deputy Amanda Coniglio on her effort to head up a relief fund for a local family that lost everything in a fire earlier in the week. He said thanks to her efforts, the family had received an outpouring of clothes, supplies, and Christmas presents. Deputy Coniglio led the relief efforts on her personal time. The next fiscal court meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 9, 2017 at 9am. The following meeting will be one of the two yearly meetings held at night and is scheduled for January 23, at 6pm.  Edmonson Voice Staff Report: A local constable has been arrested for a violation of an EPO, or an "Emergency Protective Order," according to the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office. Edmonson County District 4 Constable Elvis Lindsey was arrested yesterday when according to the Sheriff's office, they located him at his residence, which was a violation of the order issued on behalf of his wife. District 4 covers a northern portion of the county in the Bee Spring area.  Elvis Lindsey, Bee Spring (Hart Co. Jail) According to the Edmonson County Circuit Clerk's Office, the order was requested by Lindsey's spouse on December 14, 2016 who claimed that Lindsey had threatened her with abuse, as listed in public record court documents. Sheriff Shane Doyle said that although the violation is a misdemeanor, it is still an arrestable offense and a very serious matter. "An EPO is a court order designed to protect the petitioner from the threat of domestic violence," he said. "It provides penalties against things from a range of no contact or communication, destruction of property, and coming within a restricted area." A constable in the state of Kentucky has authority to enforce both the Traffic Code and the Criminal Code of Kentucky. They may execute warrants, summonses, subpoenas, attachments, notes, rules and orders of the court in all criminal, penal and civil cases, according to the Kentucky Constitution.   Mechanical problems have caused the temporary closure of Green River Ferry in Mammoth Cave National Park, according to a statement released from the the park. Mammoth Cave staff reported that the ferry could be out of service for as long as 10-14 days. “Ferry service is important to park operations and many local residents,” said Superintendent Sarah Craighead. “We apologize for this inconvenience, but the 35-year old paddlewheel motor needs to be replaced. It is difficult to find replacement parts and delivery, especially during the holidays, takes time.” The ferry closed on December 15 when the paddlewheel, which propels the ferry, stopped working.   Top row, L-R: Janell Camarillo, Shasta Smith, Abby Alexander, Caitlin Simon, Mikayla Lindsey, Sierra Kenney. 2nd row: Maddie Cline, Lauren Booth, Sommer Lawrence, Cleo Woodson. 3rd row: Macy Wrye, Chanley Logsdon, Keely Doyle, Mollie Cassady, Emilee Blanton. Front row: Lauren Ballance, Emma Vincent, Alex Shae Horn, Mia Goad. The 2017 ECHS Basketball Homecoming is scheduled to take place on January 6th, during the Edmonson County vs. Trinity basketball game in a girl/boy doubleheader beginning at 6pm. The following young ladies have been chosen as this year's homecoming candidates:
9th grade: Lauren Ballance, Alexis Cook, Mia Goad, Alex-Shae Horn, Emma Rose Vincent, 10th: Emilee Blanton, Mollie Cassady, Keely Doyle, Chanley Logsdon, Macy Wrye 11th: Abby Alexander, Janell Camarillo, Seirra Kenney, Mikayla Lindsey, Caitlin Simon, Shasta Smith 12th: Lauren Booth, Maddie Cline, Emery Hunt, Sommer Lawrence, Cleo Woodson  Edmonson District Court was held on Tuesday, December 20, 2016. The Honorable Judge John M. McCarty presiding.
Renea Stevenson, Operating on suspended/revoked operator's license. Failure of non-owner-operator to maintain required insurance. Continue on 1-3-17. Jimmy Paul Bratcher, Assault 4th degree, domestic violence minor injury. Pleaded not guilty, pretrial conference 3-28-17. Zachary T Moore, Speeding 16MPH over limit. Failed to appear, notice sent to department of transportation. Zachary T Coulter, Speeding 25MPH over limit. Will attend County Attorney traffic school. Anthony Shane Nugent, Speeding 16MPH over limit. Pleaded guilty. Sentenced to state traffic school. Court costs $143. Jeremiah Paul Johnson, Speeding 20 MPH over limit. Will attend County Attorney traffic school.  Local firefighters try to control a fire on Beaver Dam Church Road earlier today. Darren Doyle, story and photos Several fire departments responded to a structure fire at 1364 Beaver Dam Church Road today around 12:40pm that resulted in the total loss of a home and it's contents. Residents of the home said they thought the likely cause of the fire was an electric heater in a back bedroom. They also said it was too late to gather any belongings once they realized there was a fire. County records showed listed the owner as Randall Thomas of Brownsville. The Brownsville, Chalybeate, Wingfield, and Smiths Grove Fire Departments responded to the scene where they remained for about three hours. A portion of Beaver Dam Church Road was closed while firefighters battled the blaze. No injuries were reported. **UPDATE: A RELIEF EFFORT FOR THIS FAMILY HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE BY THE EDMONSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE CHALYBEATE FIRE DEPARTMENT. PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.  Darren Doyle, story Once again, Edmonson County High School will host the Rafferty’s/Double Dogs Caveland Classic, a popular Christmas basketball event that has been around for over a decade. The classic will begin on Monday, December 26th and finish on December 29th. As title sponsor, Rafferty’s & Double Dogs restaurants play the key role in putting on the classic each year thanks to Edmonson County’s own Scott Lindsey, who serves as vice president. As vice president of the successful and well-known casual restaurant chain, Lindsey, who graduated from ECHS in 1985, has not forgotten his roots and says he is proud to continue to represent Edmonson County. "Besides my Dad and Mom, Carl and Elsie Lindsey, I have many lifelong friends and relatives still in EC." Lindsey said. "I travel a lot with work, but usually when working in the area I stay with my parents. My church, Brownsville General Baptist is also there." The Caveland Classic first came to Edmonson County in 1990 but because of location, logistics, and lack of interest, the tournament lost it's appeal and fizzled out. A conversation between Lindsey and former EC Athletic Director and football coach Rick Wood in 2005 helped rekindle the flame. Lindsey said the conversation started from an idea of how to honor the 1976 State Championship team the following year, which led to a how there could be a way to honor EC boys and Girls basketball every year. That way would be to revive the Caveland Classic with Lindsey at the helm to secure sponsorship from Rafferty's and Double Dog's. Even with the legwork and effort put forth by Lindsey, he doesn't take credit for the reboot of the classic, nor it's success. "After that first year I became so impressed with our kids, parent involvement, and the coaches that I knew this tourney partnership needed to continue," he said. "And it will as long as the school will have us, if it's always my decision." ECHS Athletic Director Kyle Pierce credited Lindsey for his pivotal role in bringing the tournament back to Edmonson County. “Without Scott, there would not be a Caveland Classic. He not only helps us financially, but he's provided meals for all the teams and that’s a lot of food," Pierce said. "Our girls and boys boosters have also stepped up and will help feed the teams as well." Pierce said that each game should be close and competitive as the featured teams will share similar styles, sizes, and talent.    This year, there will be four girls' teams and four boys' teams which include: Edmonson County, Russellville, Barren County, and Bardstown for the girls, and Edmonson County, Clinton County, Barren County, and Ohio County on the boys' side. There will be four games each day with all games being played at ECHS. You can buy a three-day tournament pass for $20 or single day tickets are $8.00 for the entire day. There is no cost to ECHS season tickets holders as their cards will be honored throughout the tournament. "The teams and coaches that come here are always impressed," added Pierce. "The officials are always excited to come here also because they know we treat them well, too. This three-day event helps our high school teams, parents, and our fans to stay close and not have to travel far away to watch us play. We are very fortunate to have Scott Lindsey and the people at Rafferty’s & Double Dogs to help us put on this great event, so come early and watch some great basketball.” Lindsey said the impact from the tournament is positive in so many ways and Rafferty's is proud to be involved. "I've had many former players students thank me over the years for Rafferty's sponsorship and the work we've done with all EC athletics. I've also gained employees that either attended or played in the classic. Currently, I think we have six EC grads working for Rafferty's, three of which are long-term managers." Lindsey said that just recently at the Rafferty's Bowling Green location, he counted forty guests from EC eating there. "Those were just the ones that I knew. I see many others in my travels at our other concepts, Double Dogs, Montana Grille, and Corner Bakery. Our intent is to keep this partnership growing and hopefully it will increase. My hope is for it to become the premiere small school tourney in the area." If you can't attend in person, you can listen to all EC girls and boys action on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com   The Butler County Grand Jury issued Indictments for four subjects in connection to the double murder that occurred on November 9, 2016 on Region-Reedyville Road in rural Butler County where two bodies were discovered in a burnt vehicle.
Charles W. “Cotton” Lindsey (33) of Roundhill was indicted and remains in the Butler County Jail where he is charged with:
An indictment is only a formal charge and is not an admission of guilt. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Edmonson Voice Staff Report Over the past several years, the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office has been recognized for making many improvements to their department, but according to Sheriff Shane Doyle, the one thing their budget has not allowed was the ability to purchase quality police vehicles, until now. Doyle said that through a special lease agreement with Enterprise and some creative ways to work with their strapped budget, his office will be acquiring four brand new police vehicles that include two 2017 Dodge Ram Police trucks and two 2017 Dodge Charger police cruisers.
"It's not like the county suddenly has all this additional funding," Doyle said. "This took some creative thinking, cooperation from the fiscal court, and a great opportunity from Enterprise." According to the sheriff's budget, in just five years, the office has spent over $105,000 for worn-out vehicles, their repairs, and maintenance. "We've spent this money on vehicles that were basically worn-out when we got them and now, we have nothing to show for it." The most recent vehicle purchase came a couple months ago when the department bought a 2001 police cruiser with 82K miles. After driving it for five days, the brakes caught fire. "We started looking through the maintenance and repair logs and these cars had faced transmission failure, electrical fires, brake failure, and faced problems much worse than minor repairs. The cost of repairs was exceeding what the cars were worth," Doyle said. "So instead of continuing this pointless cycle of buying inadequate vehicles and spending all our money and time on keeping them patched together, I felt it was a much better investment to lease brand new ones that are covered under warranty." The fiscal court made the funds available for the sheriff to increase his vehicle budget from $12K per year to $34K in order to lease the new vehicles that will come with a price tag of around $7K per vehicle, per year to lease. The two Dodge Ram trucks will be fully outfitted with all necessary police equipment, including a back-seat cage and lights. The quad cab trucks will also have four-wheel drive. The Dodge Chargers will be standard, high performance police cruisers fully equipped and ready to go. In order to beef up the vehicle budget, Doyle has made some changes in other places to try to make up the difference, but he said his office has seen a $90K net gain over the past 5 years, which is from a combination of bringing in additional revenue and underspending when possible. The new budget also allows the sheriff to offer a slight pay increase to all deputies and office staff that he says is way overdue. "We've been very frugal with our budget money and it was time to ask the county to help us by allowing us to spend a little more." The new vehicles are scheduled to be added to the department in early 2017.  Yesterday, Edmonson County suffered a tragic accident that took the life of a Brownsville woman. We arrived at the scene to cover the incident just like the many accidents we've reported on dozens of times. Upon arrival, we began to document the situation with notes and photos, as per our regular policy.
Seven minutes after the call came in, there were reports of Facebook posts that had already begun to circulate, discussing a fatal accident, none of which came from us. We don't know how anyone knew there was a fatality because at that point, not all the officials had arrived on scene, and we certainly were not aware. Later, we were asked by officials on scene to advise the public on the situation, and since multiple rumors had been passed around on Facebook and other social media that contained incorrect information, we were asked to confirm there had been a fatality and the road would be closed for a long period of time. We did not release any names nor the makes of the vehicles involved. Out of the dozens of photos we took at the scene, we published a wide-angle shot of the scene to go with the short update. We felt like the photo was obscure enough that vehicles couldn't be identified but we made a mistake in doing so because apparently one or more of the vehicles were recognized, even though the photo did not show any victims, and the caption didn't list any names. After a few readers contacted us and suggested that the vehicles could possibly be identified, we agreed and removed the photo. Since Facebook users can easily and oft times eagerly share material, the photo circulated for a few minutes before it was removed and many people were offended. Oddly enough, several of those same offended people shared the photo for some reason, but neverless, we take responsibility for publishing it in the first place. We never released any names until the Kentucky State Police confirmed that families were notified of the tragedy, but with the photo and the spreading of information by the public, we were informed that some family members were able to put two and two together to discover the tragic news. This cannot happen and we must do our part in the future to keep it from happening again. As of today, we are implementing a new policy in which we will not publish photos of any serious accidents until we have been informed by law enforcement that the families of those involved have been contacted. We also would like to make a public apology to family members, friends, our readers, our county, and everyone that was negatively affected by the way we handled this tragedy. One of the reasons we report information so quickly is because of the instantaneous society we live in. People will like and share just about anything on social media, whether it can be verified or not. We want to get verified information out to the public immediately in order to curb misinformation or slow down rumors, but there's a right and a wrong way to do that, and that's what we promise to improve on in the future. We hope you accept our apology and we send our deepest condolences to those affected by this horrible event. -Darren Doyle, Owner, Publisher, and Editor of Edmonson Voice LLC.  Emergency workers prepare an empty stretcher for an injured man in a wreck today. Darren Doyle, story and photos The Kentucky State Police Post 3 Bowling Green received a call from the Edmonson County Sheriff’s Department today asking for assistance with an investigation of a two vehicle fatal collision that occurred at approx. on KY 101 near Beaver Dam Church Road in Edmonson County. KSP said that Margaret Wingfield (68) of Brownsville was operating a 2008 Ford SUV and traveling northbound on KY 101 when she attempted to make a left turn into her driveway. According to authorities, in the process of making the turn, she pulled into the pathway of a southbound 2002 Oldsmobile passenger car being operated by Richard Davis (31) of Bowling Green, where the vehicles collided.  Two vehicles involved in a fatal wreck near Beaver Dam Church Road today.  Richard Davis was transported to the Medical Center in Bowling Green by Edmonson County EMS for non-life threatening injuries. His passenger, Brandy Vaughn (36) of Brownsville, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Edmonson County Coroner. KSP said neither occupant was wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision. Margaret Wingfield was also transported to the Medical Center in Bowling Green by Edmonson County EMS for non-life threatening injuries.  Emergency workers at one of the vehicles in today's fatal accident. The investigation is still ongoing and being led by Trooper First Class Chris Newkirk. Responding to the scene were the Chalybeate and Brownsville Fire Departments, Edmonson EMS, Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, Edmonson County JAWS, and Dist. 2 Constable.   Darren Doyle, story: The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that one person was killed in a two vehicle accident today that occurred around 12:30PM, just north of Beaver Dam Church Road. The Kentucky State Police are working the scene along with the Sheriff's Office and local rescue workers. A portion of 101 could be shut down for as long as four hours while the investigation continues. Sheriff Shane Doyle said that an accident reconstructionist has been requested from the KSP. A KSP trooper on scene told us that no names are being released at this time and that there was no more information currently available.  |
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