Darren Doyle, story and photos:
It might be ugly, but the water supply for Edmonson County is safe for now, according to an update from Edmonson County Water District General Manager Kevin Shaw.

The dam removal of Lock number 5 in Roundhill resumed in July after being halted for two years, after the water supply for Edmonson County became endangered. The Water District pleaded with lawmakers to do something to stop or slow down the dam removal until emergency measures were put in place. 

According to local lawmakers, Congress approved the dam removal, along with Lock no. 6 in Brownsville, based on engineers' estimations that turned out to be grossly incorrect.

The experts bragged about the dam removals bringing the river back to its natural flow and better conservation to wildlife and plant life, while keeping the water supply safe for the Edmonson County Water District. That flow caused sediment build up on the bottom of the river, and as the level of the river has dropped, the sediment is caused the bottom of the river to come up, for a double danger of water depth for the Water District.

In July of this year, the Water District installed an industrial pump near the water treatment plant in Brownsville which would be used to pump water from a much shallower depth than the current intake system in to the plant.

Shaw said the pump has not been used yet, despite the shallowing waters in the Green.

"So far we are getting by just fine," Shaw told the Edmonson Voice. "The pump is ready if we need it.  Right now I feel like we may make it through this year without big troubles."

The boat ramp in Brownsville is currently useless as water trickles near the Brownsville Bridge where it was at a deep, comfortable depth just a few years ago. However, Edmonson County Tourism Director Vanessa Ulm said one local business owner had an interesting take on the current situation.

Ulm said that according to Joel Davis, owner of Green River Canoeing and Kayaking,  there are two small rapids between the old Lock no. 6 location and the Brownsville boat ramp.

"They are a lot of fun, if they could just fix a path through the old Lock 6 because we're still hitting rocks there. If we could get that fixed then we would be on the map," Davis said.

Ulm also said she had seen several social media posts regarding the current state of the river.

"I've seen the pictures circulating social media of the debris and how unattractive it makes the Green River look if you're padding through," she said. "My hope is that the Corp of Engineers has a plan to remove debris now that the water is low enough to expose it."

Darren Doyle, story:
​A Wingfield man found dead in connection with a shooting incident early this morning, according to Kentucky State Police.

​Troopers were requested to respond to 656 The Bridge Road by the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office to the report of a deceased elderly man at approximately 12:30AM.

Ernest Cline, (83) was found dead at his residence, KSP stated. Limited details were available by police in the incident, which is still under investigation. KSP did confirm to the Edmonson Voice that a shooting had taken place.

Damien Worrell (18) of Bowling Green was arrested in connection with the incident. According to the Hart County Jail, he was charged with Murder, and Robbery-first degree. He is being held without bond.

No further details were available.

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Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A structure fire caused considerable damage on a Brownsville mobile home on Thursday afternoon, August 15, 2024.

Emergency personnel responded to the scene of the fire on B Street in Brownsville, located just off Vincent Street, near the ECHS baseball field around 3:30PM.

While no flames were showing outside of the structure, the fire seemed to have started somewhere in the crawlspace and caused heavy smoke damage throughout the home.

One man at the scene said no one lived in the structure at the time but he had been interested in purchasing the property.

It was unclear whether the structure would be salvageable or not.

Responding to the scene were the Brownsville, Chalybeate, Kyrock, and Wingfield Fire Departments, Edmonson County Emergency Management, and the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Buses were out, drop off lines were steady, and many students were all smiles this morning as Edmonson County Schools resumed class today, marking the first day of school for the 2024-25 school year.

Both Kyrock Elementary and Edmonson County Middle School have new principals this year, Mrs. Brandy Meredith and Mr. Ben Gray, respectively.

Other principals include Jonathan Williams at Edmonson County High, Charla Caudill at the Edmonson County 5/6 Center, and Josh Long at South Edmonson Elementary.

Superintendent of Schools Brian Alexander said that the first day of school is always exciting for both the school system and students.

“Our schools have worked hard throughout the summer to provide a great experience for our students," he said. "We are striving for improvement in every area. If your child hasn’t joined us yet, please give us the opportunity to work with your family for a great educational experience.”

Click here for the full Edmonson County School calendar.

Darren Doyle, story:
Tax rates are going down in Edmonson County after magistrates voted to drop the current rate of 13.2 cents per $100K in assessed value down to 12.6 cents.

The vote came during Monday's regular Fiscal Court meeting.

For Edmonson County taxpayers, this rate is only one of eight categories on Edmonson property tax bills, which also include taxes for State, School, Library, Ambulance, the Extension Office, Health Dept., and the Conservation District, with some also having Big Reedy Watershed Conservancy. Property tax bills also contain local fire dues by default, which a taxpayer can choose to have removed.

All tax rates are set by their respective offices, and acknowledged by the Fiscal Court. For 2024, the only rate that changed was the county rate, with all other rates staying the same.

A public comment hearing was held prior to the start of yesterday's regular meeting, however, no one from the public attended.

County tax rates have either dropped or remained the same in Edmonson County for the past several years. The rate was 13.9 from 2016 - 2020, then dropped to 13.8 in 2021, dropped again in 2022 to 13.7, then again to 13.2 last year.

The only other item on the agenda with discussion was county ordinance EC 19-27, which lists the guidelines for a private road being adopted into the county road system. District 2 Magistrate T.J. Massey said the residents of Fairview Court, located off Brownsville Road near Fairview United Baptist Church, have inquired about their road, which is currently privately owned.

In addition, the original owner is deceased and the owner's spouse does not want ownership anymore. Massey said there are about 15 residents on the road now and he felt it was worthy to re-examine the ordinance, as the way it is currently written, the road does not qualify to be adopted into the county system.

A committee was formed to address the issue, which included Massey, District 3 Magistrate Anthony Hennion, District 4 Magistrate Mickey Johnson, County Attorney Adam Turner, and possibly a member of the Edmonson County Planning Commission.

Besides a few family members of meeting participants, no one attended last night's meeting besides the court itself, county employees, and media.

Darren Doyle, story:
A Morgantown man was killed in a two-vehicle collision last night in Butler County.

According to Kentucky State Police, troopers responded to Russellville Road in Butler County around 9PM on Monday, August 12th. KSP stated that a red 1995 Jeep Wrangler operated by Johnathon Williams, 37, of Morgantown was traveling southbound on Russellville Road. Williams was attempting to make a left turn on to Eric Young Road when his vehicle was struck by a black 2001 Harley Davidson motorcycle operated by Lincoln Schweizer, 49, of Morgatown, police said. Schweizer was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Butler County Coroner's Office. 

The investigation is being led by Detective Bo Hubbard.  He was assisted at the scene by Butler County Sheriff's Office, Butler County EMS, Butler County Coroner's Office and other KSP personnel. 

Darren Doyle, story:
Superintendent of Edmonson County Schools Brian Alexander has released information regarding the start of the 2024-25 school year.

"We're looking forward to having your children in our schools for the 2024-25 school year," he stated. "We are working hard in all facets of education to make your child's experience with our schools a positive one."

He provided the following page with central office and individual school information, as well as special programs and services offered throughout the district.

Bus Routes
Alexander said if parents have any questions concerning their child's bus route, please call the Bus Garage at (270) 597-2172. He also said that bus routes change with new stops from one school year to the next, but times in the morning will be approximately 5 minutes later than last year.

"This is an exciting time for Edmonson County Schools.  The next few years will have changes and improvements unlike any time in the history of our school district. We're looking forward to seeing our school district grow. Please come be a part of us and grow with us," he said.

Darren Doyle, story: Photo courtesy of VFW Post 6937
Brownsville Police Officer Austin Meredith was awarded VFW Kentucky Police Officer of the Year last night at a reception at Tayvin Gardens in Chalybeate.

The plaque was presented by Brownsville Police Chief Jeremy Hodges and the certificate was presented by recent past State VFW Commander Edwin Vincent. 

According to a press release from VFW Chapter 6937, Officer Meredith was involved with a criminal pursuit that ranged far and wide across the county on March 30, 2023. During the incident, he was directly engaged for 35 minutes where he was almost run over, shot at to the point of his cruiser becoming inoperable as a result of direct gunfire damage, with several bullets narrowly missing him.

Instead of giving up, he radioed a nearby county deputy to pick him up and together they continued the pursuit, under fire, until its conclusion.  Officer Meredith was noted for his bravery and tenacity in the face of sustained fire, the VFW stated. 

Officer Meredith said he first learned in April that he would be the recipient of the award and that he felt undeserving of the honor. 

"I just want to thank the VFW for their consideration," Meredith told the Edmonson Voice. "Those men have done more for our country and community than we could ever repay them for. I also want to thank Chief Jeremy Hodges and Officer Clay Deweese. During the event that occurred on March 30, 2023, those men were doing everything they could to get to me. It makes the job a lot easier knowing you have men you trust on their way to help you.  I want to thank my wife Hilary for the sacrifice she makes being a law enforcement officer's wife, a title that doesn’t get the credit it deserves. I also want to thank God for watching over all of us that night.”

Brownsville VFW Chapter 6937 said Meredith was originally nominated by Chief Hodges to receive the award at the local level, but notoriety of Meredith's work soon spread across the state. 

"It continued up to state headquarters where his package was chosen from among the other 120 VFW Post nominations, and from among the 5,000 law enforcement officers in Kentucky," the VFW said in a released statement. 

"Austin is credited with over 70 narcotics arrests, and is highly visible throughout his shifts, whether providing additional security for high school ball games or participating in traffic enforcement.  He is well known in the community and well respected, treating others the way he would like to be treated."

In 2021, then Deputy Meredith was decorated with the Medal Of Valor in a separate deadly force encounter."

Darren Doyle, story:
If you're an Edmonson County resident and haven't renewed your driver's license or attempted to get a Real ID since November 29, 2021, prepare for a possible long and frustrating day, according to nearly all the 20 different folks that shared their bad experiences with us.

The good ol' days of strolling into our Edmonson County Circuit Court Clerk's Office in the Brownsville Courthouse to renew driver's licenses are a thing of the past, thanks to the folks in Frankfort that decided regional offices were better suited to complete these tasks.

This decision was completely made at the state level with a majority of circuit court clerks agreeing, although our local clerk at the time said she was not in favor. The state claimed that this was so local court offices could focus strictly on court matters, not driver testing or licenses.

I have yet to have the privilege of renewing my license but will tackle the mission sometime next year, however, my wife Debbie was the first to share her experience with me when she had to attempt a walk-in session last Saturday. The reason she had to choose a walk-in was because she didn't realize her license was expiring in two days. She mistakenly thought she had another month.

Even if she'd had another month, she wouldn't have been able to make an appointment, as they are booked two months in advance. That's what happens when you have one office with about the same amount of staff as a local circuit clerk's office, except instead of serving a population of 12,000 in Edmonson County, now you are looking at catering to a population of nearly 250,000, as the Warren County Office now serves Allen, Barren Butler, Edmonson, Simpson, and Warren counties.

Her experience was this: she arrived on a Saturday morning right around 8AM (when the office opens) to see that the office is actually on the 7th Avenue side of Stadium Park Plaza, not 8th Avenue as the address is listed. She could see a line of people out the door. Most of them arriving nearly 30 minutes or more before opening, according to those in line.

She said there was no one to guide people in line, direct them where they needed to go, or answer any questions, and that there wasn't really a line, it was just a jumbled mess of confused people from all six counties.

She also said she witnessed several rude interactions between the office staff and patrons with one staff member yelling at an older lady to "step back please!" when she leaned over to hear her more clearly. While it's likely the staff member was frustrated with her situation, I've never heard of anyone getting yelled at, at the Edmonson County Circuit Court's Office. In fact, it has always been the opposite, with some sweet lady greeting me with "Hi, hun, how can we help today? How's your mom?"

Ah, the good ol' days.

It took Debbie 3.5 hours to get her Real ID and renewal. She said everyone there was either rude or very short with her and others, and she was part of the last five patrons who were accepted that day. All the others after her were turned away. While she was not happy with the entire experience, she assumed it was because she waited until the last minute, along with about 300 other folks.

She said one staff member was actually sitting behind the counter making paper clip necklaces.

Her ordeal is what prompted me to reach out to the public and ask for other experiences. We posted a request on our Facebook Page last week for anyone that wanted to share their experiences to please message us so we could conduct interviews. We did not indicate we were looking for neither bad nor good experiences, just for the public to share their thoughts on the new system.

Boy, did we quickly get responses. We had to disable comments on our FB Page because instead of direct messages, everyone was simply commenting on the post and several of them were profanity-laced. Karen King from Wingfield was one of the first to message us.

"I had to make an appointment online and had to make sure I went through the lists of all things necessary to get the ID and take with me," she said. "I get there, there’s a line of people that stretches out of the building and into the parking structure. Once I’m called, the woman working with me did not speak good English, so it was hard to understand what she was saying. Was not a great experience, but I thought about the many elderly that don’t have computer accessibility or know how to make an appointment, plus the drive into BG, plus the lines…just seems it has complicated things for many people."

When asked how it compared to being able to do it locally in Brownsville, her reply was simply "It was a disaster."

Kim Ray, from Segal, said it took three hours for her, despite the fact she actually had an appointment.

"I made an appointment 3 weeks before time for my license to expire, arrived 30 mins before with all the required documents, arrived to a line, they had a very nice man asking what each person was their for, he showed us where the appointment line was, we waited in that line for approximately 45 mins just to have your paper work verified, then you were put in a que to see an actual person that processed your license, 3 hours later even having an appointment!"

Elizabeth Miller, who lived in Brownsville at the time of her renewal, also said her appointment was not honored.

"My license expired in November. I made my appointment in October, and it was for the first week in November," she said. "When I arrived, there was already a line and when I tried to explain I had made an appointment in advance, I was still told to join the line anyway. I received a piece of paper that was essentially a receipt of my payment for the new ID. I thankfully was never pulled over. When I went to update Information at my child's school and my own doctors appointments, they said they couldn't accept the receipt. I ended up receiving my ID right after New Years."

She said she was not given a temporary license like others said they received, including Debbie, and her license expired before her new one arrived in the mail.

The worst experience we heard was from John Lindsey of Smiths Grove. He said he lost an entire Bahamas cruise as a result of an error with office.

"My wife, son and I had the real IDs made. Firstly the people aren’t friendly, secondly they messed up on the expiration date on my wife’s and prevented her/us from boarding a ship to the Bahamas, resulting in a complete loss of our money," John said.

He explained that the office printed the wrong expiration date on their new IDs, one that had already passed and they didn't catch it at the time. Upon BOARDING THE SHIP is when it was discovered, and the cruiseline simply would not allow her to board the ship!

While the office did not print the wrong date on purpose, there was nothing the family could do at that moment, despite calling the office and the local sheriff.

"They transferred the expiration date from her driver's license to her Real ID instead of a renewal date. My son's and mine were correct," he said. Lindsey said the office did not offer to help in any way, other than to fix the date on the ID, which would have to be done in person.

We called the Bowling Green office in an attempt to ask about these negative experiences and the botched vacation, but as you might expect, there was no one to answer the call. We received a recorded message that listed the website and email address to make appointments or ask questions, which was not easy to follow, even for a tech savvy person, or we could leave a voicemail and someone would return our call within two business days. Yes, two days.

We then emailed the address given and I listed most all the major complaints from those that shared with us and asked for their responses to those complaints. I also asked about the lost vacation. I received a response from Mrs. Naitore Djigbenou, who was listed as the Executive Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the KY Transportation Cabinet, who said she would be unable to meet the deadline I gave her, which was just shy of 48hrs. I told her I could possibly push the deadline back (noon today) and so she sent her comments late.

"Our goal is to efficiently serve Kentuckians' licensing needs while being committed to continuous improvement to offer all guests a quality experience at our offices," she said in an email. "While walk-in customers are always welcome, Kentuckians are encouraged to schedule appointments online or renew online or by mail whenever possible to save time.  Our staff does their best to honor appointments, but there are cases where the length of time may be extended to ensure we serve every customer's unique needs. Kentuckians may visit any of our 33 regional offices, and in some cases, they can skip a trip to an office altogether by choosing to renew online or by mail. We recently added additional seating at the Bowling Green location and are in the process of filling a vacant supervisor position."

She continued with some additional background.

"Kentucky's HB 453 passed in 2020, transferring licensing responsibilities to the Transportation Cabinet. This shift of licensing services from Circuit Court Clerks to the Transportation Cabinet allows the process to be modernized by offering online appointment scheduling, online and mail-in driver licensing renewal, and the option between a REAL ID or standard card version. For counties that don't have a regional office, pop-up driver licensing is offered periodically throughout the year for citizens to request a credential within their home county. Additionally, we've doubled the lifespan of cards so Kentuckians can now choose a card valid for four or eight years- reducing the number of visits needed to a regional office."

All that is of course, 100% true, but issues like those not able to travel during the work week outside of the county, those that have trouble using technology (elderly), and not having enough staff to regularly handle the number of people overshadow the positives that the Commonwealth is attempting to achieve.

She also clarified the issue with John Lindsey's cruise, but she gave information about John's specific license, not his wife's, who John said had the error on it. Full disclosure, I did not give her Mr. Lindsey's wife's name when I first asked, only John's.

Her email stated the following: "Kentuckians may upgrade their standard license to a REAL ID version anytime for $15 but if they are not within six months of their expiration date, the new card will maintain their expiration date. Regarding Mr. Lindsey who went on the cruise, he was not within his renewal window when he requested a REAL ID in 2022 which is why his new REAL ID license maintained its original expiration date of April 9, 2024. He did not renew his license until July 2024."

We provided this statement to Mr. Lindsey who disagreed. He replied to us with: "That’s incorrect, my wife, son and I all got the Real ID at the same time. Mine and my son were correct, the only expiration date that transferred was my wife’s."

There were two residents that shared comments with us about positive experiences they had. Both Amanda Eicher, from Brownsville, and Nikki McGrew from Rocky Hill said everything went well for them.

"Our family has been twice. Once for an ID and another for a Real Id. We took the needed papers listed on the site and made an appointment," said McGrew. "We were in and out within 20 minutes. I will say that the line for those that do not have an appointment has always been on the longer side but they seemed to move rather quickly while we were there."

Amanda Eicher said while she would prefer a different design of the license, and would rather have it done in Brownsville, she had no issues.

"I had a great experience when I went to get my new license they was all very nice and helpful," she said. "I didn't have an appointment and I didn't have to wait very long but I got there when they opened."

Everyone else we spoke with described their times as "chaos," "a pain," "a bad decision," and "super frustrating."

You will need very specific documentation if you attempt to obtain a Real ID, which is a federal ID. Those requirements include:

• one (1) valid proof of identity
• one (1) valid proof of social security number and
• two (2) valid proofs of residency (dated less than 61 days for most documents).
• Additional documentation may be required if an applicant’s name or gender doesn’t match on the four proof documents (like a marriage certificate or divorce decree if your names don’t match due to marriage or divorce). Applicants may need to reorder documents if they do not display legal names (like a nickname printed on a social security card). A detailed list of acceptable documents is available on the Confident Kentucky website. The online IDocument Guide quiz provides a customized list of documents an applicant will need to present. Some acceptable documents have strict requirements (i.e., no photocopies of birth certificates, unexpired documents, non-laminated social security cards).

Anytime you see the DMV on TV shows and movies, you see terrible long lines of frustrated customers, rude, insensitive, and even incompetent staff workers. I never understood that because growing up in EC, it was never like that in Brownsville. Today, since the forced changes have taken place all over Kentucky, the DMV on screen has now become real life for many rural counties, including several residents of Edmonson County.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Workers at Mammoth Cave National Park had a scare today when a tree fell on a power line and onto a 500 gallon propane tank that ignited when a valve was breached and ignited from the live wire.

The Park City Fire Department was requested to respond to the scene on Maintenance Road off of Mammoth Cave Parkway this morning around 6AM. Firefighters said when they arrived they saw where a large maple tree had fallen onto a power line. Both the tree and the live wire had landed on a 500 gallon propane tank that was 70% full at the time. Firefighters said the temperature of the tank had already reached over 600 degrees when they arrived.

Edmonson County Emergency Management Director Terry Massey, who responded soon after, said the breaching point for these types of tanks can be as low as 300 degrees, which could explode and level an area of 500 feet in all directions.

"You're talking about a possible mass explosion," Massey said. "Thankfully that didn't happen as Park City got here and started putting water on it to keep the temp down."

While the flames were not very large, it was temperature of the tank that was the issue. Massey said there was no way to shut off the gas because of the damage to the top of the tank.

The operation was very touch-and-go as the scene first unfolded. The tree was also on fire just outside a patch of woods, which was a hazard by itself. In addition, the broken power line was still live. Anyone working in the nearby office space was evacuated, according to those on scene.

According to Park City firefighters, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company were the ones in charge of power at the MCNP location. The nearest personnel came from Elizabethtown and shut off the power but water had to be put on the tank as soon as possible to get the temperature of the tank down.

Once power was cut, firefighters then had to cut the tree off of the tank.

At around 5:30PM, Anthony Huff, Assistant Fire Chief at Park City said they had already put 15,000 to 20,000 gallons of water on the tank, which had been going on for nearly 12 hours. Two fire trucks were on scene, one belonging to MCNP, which is housed at Park City and in their care. That truck holds only 1000 gallons of water. 

"Luckily, there was hydrant right over there or we don't know what we'd do," said Massey.

Firefighters said Park City Mayor Larry Poteet brought breakfast for everyone this morning nd Massey's wife was bringing supper this evening.

Firefighters were still on scene as this article was being written. When asked how long they would have to stay, Massey replied:

"Until the gas runs out. That might be soon, it might not. Back several hours ago, the flow stopped a time or two and we all got excited but it shot right back up and here we are."

A request for a statement from park officials has not yet been returned.

No injuries were reported.

Edmonson Voice Report:
A Bowling Green man has died as a result of being struck on I-65 while outside of his vehicle, according to Kentucky State Police.

KSP stated that they received a call of of a collision on I-65 at Exit 38 in Smiths Grove around 9PM on Tuesday, July 30th.

According to police, a red Kia Forte operated by Anthony Hodge, 36, of Bowling Green was traveling northbound on Interstate 65, when due to rainy weather conditions, Hodge's vehicle began to hydroplane, which caused the vehicle to exit the roadway left and collide with the median wall.

Hodge exited the vehicle in the center lane, where his vehicle came to a stop, and he was then struck by a red 2025 Freightliner operated by Alexander Kipnis, 64, of Techumseh, OK who was traveling north, police said.

Hodge was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Warren County Coroner's Office. 

The investigation will be led by Trooper Grant Robertson. He was assisted at the scene by Medical Center EMS, Warren County Coroner's Office, and other KSP personnel.

Darren Doyle, story:
A teenager was the victim of a drowning at Nolin Lake on Wednesday, according to Edmonson County Emergency Management.

According to Terry "Moose" Massey, Director of Edmonson County Emergency Management, emergency personnel responded to the area of a private dock on Nolin Lake at 310 Twin Oaks Drive, off Dickey's Mill Road on Wednesday, July 24th around 2PM to the report of a missing person.

Director Massey said a group of high school students from the Louisville area had gathered at the area for a birthday party for one of the students. One student with the group could not be located after it was discovered no one had seen him for about two hours.

Massey said Hart County Dive and Rescue were called in with sonar equipment to help locate the missing teen but multiple boats were unable to pick up any signal.

Additionally, drones and other boats were used to help locate the missing student along with multiple divers, agencies, and volunteers, searching both in the water and land.

A body was discovered under the dock, which was identified as the missing teen. The student was identified as Isaac Mwungura, (18) of Kenya, who was a student in Louisville. He was pronounced dead by the Edmonson County Coroner's Office.

Massey also reported that the victim's belongings were located on the dock and that it was likely he fell in. It is unclear what exactly happened but witnesses at the scene said the victim was not a strong swimmer, Massey said.

No foul play is suspected and an autopsy will be performed.

Also responding to the scene was the Lincoln VFD, along with KY Fish and Wildlife, Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hart County Dog Rescue, Edmonson County District 5 Constable, Hart County Emergency Management, Barren County Dive and Rescue, Edmonson County EMS, and other volunteers.

Darren Doyle, story:
A South Carolina woman was killed in a crash last night in Edmonson County, according to Kentucky State Police.

In a press release from Kentucky State Police, KSP said Post 3 in Bowling Green received a call from the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office on Thursday night regarding a single vehicle fatal collision on Louisville Road.

At approximately 9:00PM on July 25th, troopers responded to the scene in Smiths Grove on Louisville Road. The accident occurred near Icy Sink Church, according to Edmonson County Assistant Coroner Richie Jones.

KSP stated that a white 2017 Lexus operated by Melissa Sargent, 38, of Charleston, SC, was traveling south on Louisville Road when the vehicle crossed the northbound lane and left the roadway, causing the vehicle to overturn. Sargent was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Edmonson County Coroner's Office.
 
The investigation is being led by Trooper Landon Key. He was assisted on scene by Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, The Edmonson County Coroner's Office, multiple Edmonson fire and rescue units, and other KSP personnel.

Madison Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Fiscal Court met Monday, July 22, 2024 and the meeting was rather short, consisting of little to no discussion and a very light crowd.

The court voted to schedule the annual tax hearing for August 12th at 3:45 PM, 15 minutes before the next scheduled fiscal court meeting. Magistrates agreed to suggest a tax rate drop, from 13.2 cents per $100 of property in 2023 to 12.6 cents per $100 for 2024.

County tax rates have either dropped or remained the same in Edmonson County for the past several years. The rate was 13.9 from 2016 - 2020, then dropped to 13.8 in 2021, dropped again in 2022 to 13.7, then again to 13.2 last year.

The court also voted to approve Resolution EC24-26, "Medical Cannabis Business Operations." Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey explained "all this resolution is, is a professional way of saying that we as a court will not vote to move forward with any medical marijuana business until it is voted on in November by the people of Edmonson County.

Another resolution, EC24-27, Attorney General Department of Criminal Investigations Grant was also approved tonight. Judge Lindsey said this grant will be used to gather funding for body cameras for the Sheriff's department.

There were no other major discussions at tonight's meeting. The court voted to:

• Acknowledge County Clerk’s June Document Storage Fee Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s June MVAV Collection Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s June Excess Fees Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s June Deed Transfer Tax Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s June Occupational Tax Report, pending final audit.
• Approve County Clerk’s June Delinquent Tax Collection Report, pending final audit.
• Acknowledge BGWC June Shelter Directors Report.
• Approve R&R Service Estimate for Community Center HVAC Replacement.
• Approve Resolution EC24-25, Help America Vote Act-Election Security.
• Acknowledge Edmonson County Conservation District Annual Report.
• Acknowledge Edmonson County Conservation District FY24 Financial Report.

The next fiscal court meeting is scheduled for August 12, 2024 at 4 PM.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (R) made a stop today at Mammoth Cave National Park to discuss several topics with members of the media.

Mammoth Cave was Dr. Paul's third stop of the day while also visiting Falls of Rough and Brandenburg.

He first took questions alongside MCNP Superintendent Barclay Trimble about recent improvements to the park. He joked that Supt. Trimble tried to get him to do the "8-hour crawl through the fat man's squeeze and all that," but they chose to walk around the grounds near the visitor center and new and improved lodge.

Tremble spoke of the new lodge remodel, improvements to trails through the park, and told how he enjoyed showing the Senator around the park.

Dr. Paul discussed how important Mammoth Cave NP is important to tourism in Kentucky, but the conversation quickly turned to the current events surrounding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden dropping out of the Presidential race, and the current situation with the U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle.

Dr. Paul was asked his thoughts if Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic Presidential nominee.

He responded by saying there were questions looming whether or not President Biden was getting to old to both serve as President and continue with the race.

"The average taxpayer is about $2,000 less rich after the Biden administration because their money's not going as far," he said. "Inflation if stealing from people's paychecks; she has the same responsibility that he will have from that responsibility. The same sort of questions will be asked about that, so I think in some ways, it removes an obstacle for them (democrats), but she's also brand-new and in some opinion polls, (she) isn't necessarily polling much better. But in the end, it will probably move back to a more even race now. I think Trump is definitely trending ahead of Biden and this may even it out some."

Dr. Paul was then asked about Biden dropping out of the race after the debate and the possibilities of KY Governor Andy Beshear's name being thrown into the mix of possible VP picks.

"You know, I don't think it was planned in any way. I think his performance was so bad that they had to consider it," he replied. "This didn't just spring up at the debate. I think there has been some appearance of him being somewhat befuddled and lost on stage when he leaves, things like that. But I think as far as the process of it, let's just see how it unfolds, but I think it's pretty much becoming decided...she'll be the nominee."

"Some have pointed toward some hypocrisy and say well, you know, they're talking about the other side--the Republicans are going to destroy democracy, and yet, there's not going to be a vote for their side and they excluded all the other candidates..." 

He said it didn't look like a great demonstration of democracy and that many people feel like they didn't get a choice.

His thoughts on Beshear's name being discussed:

"We'd be happy to see him doing something other than being governor. You know, try again and see who is replacement would be."

Dr. Paul spoke highly of J.D. Vance, Trump's Vice Presidential pick, and said he'd worked with him positively in different ways.

We asked him his thoughts on the current situation of the U.S. Secret Service with Director Kim Cheatle comments about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

"I think there are certain jobs where if you make a mistake, you get a second chance. I think when you're protecting someone's life and you make a mistake, an egregious mistake, you gotta go. For example, the building that's only 130 yards away, where the shooter was, apparently they identified him on the roof at 5:50(PM). The former President began speaking at 6(PM). Why was the President allowed to come out? He speaks for 10 more minutes, so for 20 minutes the snipers are looking at a guy with a gun and nothing happens. Now, we don't yet know why. Maybe they thought he could've been local police and they didn't want to shoot a local policeman. If that's true, we got a serious amount of confusion--we don't know who's the police and who's the shooter. That question is going to have to be answered. But if you are the agent in charge of setting this up and you left the roof unattended, it doesn't mean you're a bad person, if you're a human you make mistakes, but you don't get a second chance. It may even be you're allowed to retire, you go to a desk job, but that person, man or woman, can't be in charge again."

He said it was a big problem and he would say the same whether it's Democrat or Republican.

"We have to be able to guard against something like this. Nothing's perfect. There are ways people can come up in a crowd and things, but we're talking about a planned event with a stage that a roof can be direct to the stage and nobody was on the roof. And the head of the Secret Service's first comment was, 'well, the roof was slanted and we thought it would be dangerous. REALLY? Dangerous for the Secret Service?? Then they showed them on a barn and the barn is sloped like this, and this roof is like this, and the whole explanation didn't make sense. But we're going to get to the bottom of it. The Homeland Security Committee I'm on is going to have an investigation on this as well. I go back to Washington tomorrow, we hope to meet with them this week and we hope to have public hearings the following week."

Darren Doyle, story:
President Joe Biden announced today that he is dropping out of the 2024 Presidential race. In a later statement, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the democratic nominee.

Here is his full statement:

“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

Darren Doyle, story:
A Brandenburg, KY woman was arrested and faces a felony drug charge after a traffic stop in Brownsville yesterday, according to Brownsville Police.

Police said that on Thursday, July 18th around 3PM, Brownsville PD saw a red Ford Taurus heading north on HWY 259 crossing the center and outward lines multiple times in a short distance.

A traffic stop was made and the officer identified the operator as Jennifer McCombs, (49) of Brandenburg, who stated she was trying to enter an address into her phone which caused her to swerve, police said. While speaking with McCombs, the officer detected the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle, according to police.

Police said that McCombs exited the vehicle and stated to police that she had a methamphetamine pipe and methamphetamine in her purse. A search of her purse resulted a glass methamphetamine pipe containing suspected methamphetamine, a plastic bag of a white crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine, and a plastic bag of suspected marijuana, according to police

McCombs was placed under arrest and transported to the Hart County Jail.

She was charged with:

• Careless driving
• Drug paraphernalia - buy/possess
• Possession of marijuana
• Possession of controlled substance, first degree, first offense, meth

Mrs. Brandy spoke about her background and what this opportunity means to her.

'I grew up in a single parent household where my mother worked so hard at a factory. I am the first person in my extended family to graduate from college. I started my career in education about 22 years ago, and never dreamed I would be a principal. I taught at South Edmonson for 15 years, and my daughter and I moved to Kyrock school district seven years ago when I became the counselor," she paused and became emotional. "I knew very quickly this was where I belonged. I just felt at home here. I love Edmonson County, I love this school. This is the honor of a lifetime and I am so thankful. I am thankful for each and every one of you, and most importantly I want to thank God for making this possible."

Mr. Alexander also thanked the Kyrock PTO for putting together and paying for the lunch today, and he also gave a special thank you to Kyrock SBDM for sitting through all of the interviews, and helping him "make the best choice".

Darren Doyle, story:
Superintendent Brian Alexander announced today that Kyrock Elementary School has named Mrs. Brandy (Kinser) Meredith their newest principal.

The new hiring comes after the departure of Shaun Stice, who was recently hired as the new principal at Oakland Elementary.

"With the departure of Mr. Stice, there are obviously some big shoes to fill, as Mr. Stice was very popular and we wish him the best," said Mr. Alexander.

"Mrs. Brandy has been a fixture at Kyrock for many years as a counselor and has always been known for her outstanding work. I believe that she will be a natural fit for her new role at Kyrock.  I fully expect Kyrock to go forward and excel under her leadership.  Kyrock Elementary is in excellent hands."

Mrs. Brandy has been with the school system for more than two decades. She taught kindergarten, second, and fourth grades at South Edmonson Elementary for 15 years. She has served as counselor at Kyrock Elementary for the past 7 years.

Mrs. Brandy told the Edmonson Voice that she was the first one in her extended family to graduate from college, which gave her the opportunity to work in the school system.

"I've always known I wanted to work with kids," she said. "It is truly my passion. I love watching the growth they make throughout the school year. Through education, I've built lifelong friendships and I am thrilled that I have been able to spend my career in Edmonson County, it is truly a special place."

Mr. Alexander said the vacant counseling position now at Kyrock will be posted and that a replacement to fill the job will begin immediately after the posting period has ended.

Madison Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Fair pageants took place yesterday, July 13, 2024 at the ECHS auditorium. There were many categories this year. The event was sponsored by the Edmonson County Lions Club, and was directed by Alison Patton Holland and Amanda Lich. Katie Dukes was named Miss Edmonson County. Katie is the  20-year-old daughter of Josh and Michelle Dukes of Greenville. The other winners are:

Tiny Mister:
Winner Colson Reynolds, 4-year-old son Caleb Reynolds and Rachael Duncan of Bee Spring.

Tiny Miss Edmonson County:
Winner Brooks Corinne Brandon, 5-year-old daughter of Josh and Nolly Brandon of Scottsville.
1st Runner Up Ryatt Dennis, 4-year-old daughter of Krystal Dennis and Jordan Alvey of Leitchfield.
2nd Runner Up Remi Kaye Carroll, 4-year-old daughter of Chad and Taylor Carroll of Glasgow.

Little Mister (individual):
Winner Brantley Porter McCoy, 7-year-old son of Shannon and Ben McCoy.

Little Miss Edmonson County (individual):
Winner: Ellie Jade Hampton, 6-year-old daughter of Kristen and Willie Hampton of Big Clifty.
1st Runner Up Abigail Basham: 6-year-old daughter of Jody and Renee Basham of Richardsville.
2nd Runner Up Violet Oneal Wood, 7-year-old daughter of Jonathan and Carla Wood of Bowling Green.

Little Miss and Mister Edmonson County (couple):
Winners: Cora Elizabeth Decker, 6-year-old daughter of Adam and Kelly Ann Decker of Caneyville, and Case Coy, 6-year-old son of Justin and Nora Coy of Brownsville.
1st Runner Up: Lawsyn Lamar, 7-year-old daughter of Ethan and Kayla Lamar of Cloverport, and Paxton Taylor, 7-year-old son of Ethan and Kayla Lamar of Cloverport.
2nd Runner Up Olivia Ferguson: 7-year-old daughter of Ethan Ferguson of Bee Spring, and Rafe Sanders, 7-year-old son of Sylvia and Sean Sanders of Mammoth Cave.

Miss Preteen:
Winner Avery Elisabeth Koesters, 10-year-old daughter of Ryan and Stephanie Koesters of Bowling Green.
1st Runner Up Harper Grace Gaffney, 10-year-old daughter of Bobby and Bethany Gaffney of Glasgow
2nd Runner Up Jakelyn Hernandez, 9-year-old daughter of Juan and Ana Hernandez of Morgantown.

Miss Teen:
Winner Audrey Elisabeth Belcher, 15-year-old daughter of Am and Dustin Belcher of Morgantown.
1st Runner Up Kyra Lynn Webster, 14-year-old daughter of Jeff and Krista Webster of Morgantown.
2nd Runner Up Aubree Marie Davis, 15-year-old daughter of Natalie and Eli Ellis, and Brad and Hannah Davis of Calhoun.

Miss Edmonson County:
Winner: Katie Dukes, 20-year-old daughter of Josh and Michelle Dukes of Greenville
1st Runner Up Ava McCormick, 18-year-old daughter of Haley Powell and Brett Powell of Calhoun.
2nd Runner Up Shaylee Leonard, 15-year-old daughter of Brad and Laura Leonard of Owensboro.

Ms./Mrs. Edmonson County Fair
Winner: Lauren-Paige Probus, wife of Ben Probus of Smiths Grove.
1st Runner Up: Jennifer Briggs, wife of George Briggs of Cave City.
2nd Runner Up: Kyla Tucker, wife of Andrew Tucker of Horse Cave.

Modern Miss Edmonson County:
Winner: Selina Evelyn Linder of Caneyville.
1st Runner Up Sierra Ashley of Bee Spring.
2nd Runner Up Amy Clubb of Sweeden.

Mother and Daughter of Edmonson County:
Winner: Selina Evelyn Linder and Kinleigh Grace Hampton of Caneyville.
1st Runner Up: Amy Clubb and Abigail Basham of Sweeden.

Mother and Daughter winners from L-R: 1st Runner Up: Amy Clubb and Abigail Basham, and Winners Selina Evelyn Linder and Kinleigh Grace Hampton.

Madison Doyle, story and photos:
The annual Edmonson County Fair Baby Show was yesterday, July 13, 2024 at the ECHS Auditorium. The event was sponsored by the Edmonson County Lions Cub, and was directed by Alison Patton Holland Amanda Lich. The overall girls winner was Elaine Hardin Williams, 2-year-old daughter of Colton and Bailey Williams of Leitchfield. The overall boys winner was Ty Zachary Ellis, 11-month-old son of Jordan and Erica Ellis of Smiths Grove. The rest of the winners are as follows:

0-6 Month Boys:
Dayton Lay, son of Joey and Madison Lay of Cub Run.

0-6 Month Girls:
Winner: Aurora Yvonne Rivas, 4-month-old daughter of Christy andAlex Rivas of Scottsville.
1st Runner Up: Magnolia James Arnold, 3-month-old daughter of Kaitlin and Timothy Arnold of Smiths Grove.
2nd Runner Up: Wrenley Teegan Skipworth, 5-month-old daughter of Tyler and Destiny Skipworth of Brownsville.

7-12 Month Boys:
Winner: Ty Zachary Ellis, 11-month-old son of Jordan and Erica Ellis of Smiths Grove.
1st: Runner Up Layne Reynolds, 11-month-old son of Caleb Reynolds and Rachael Duncan of Bee Spring.

7-12 Month Girls:
Winner: Bristol Grace Kerr, 9-month-old daughter of Jacob and Kristen Kerr of Westview
1st Runner Up Lena Ivy Mendez, 9-month-old daughter of Henry and Kelsie Mendez of Chalybeate.

13-18 Month Boys:
Winner: Kelan Renfro, 14-month-old son of Blake and Kailey Renfro of Smiths Grove.

13-18 Month Girls:
Winner: Ellis Rayne Powell, 15-month-old daughter of Devin and Bailey Powell of Leitchfield.
1st Runner Up: London Layne Williams, 16-month-old daughter of Braxton and Kacie Williams of Clarkson.
2nd Runner Up: Riley Marie Wilson, 18-month-old daughter of Brandon and Keisha Wilson of Cave City.
People’s Choice: Dixie Lay
Prettiest Eyes: Reagan Fisher
Prettiest Hair: Dixie Lay
Prettiest Smile: Ellis Rayne Powell
Best Dressed: Cali Rae Brown

19-23 Month Girls:
Winner: Harper James Renick, 23-month-old daughter of David andJordan Renick of Bowling Green.

1st Runner Up: Rae Lynn LaMastus, 22-month-old daughter of Jacob and Heather LaMastus of Brownsville.

2 Year Boys:
Winner Asher Brent Lay, 2-year-old son of Joey and Madison Lay of Cub Run.

2 Year Girls:
Winner: Elaine Hardin Williams, 2-year-old daughter of Colton and Bailey Williams of Leitchfield.
1st Runner Up: Emma Sue Meredith, 2-year-old daughter of Drew and Brianna Meredith of Wingfield.
2nd Runner Up: Willow Rose Wood, 2-year-old daughter of Jonathan and Carla Wood of Bowling Green.

3 Year Boys:
Winner: Owen Michael Young, 3-year-old son of Clayton and Tabitha Young of Cub Run.

3 Year Girls:
Winner: Paislee Ellie-Jo Probus, 3-year-old daughter of Ben and Paige Probus of Smiths Grove
1st Runner Up: Addison Simone Higdon, 3-year-old daughter of Cody and Ciara Higdon of Leitchfield
2nd Runner Up: Remi Lynn Ellis, 3-year-old daughter of Jordan and Erica Ellis of Smiths Grove.
People’s Choice: Scarlett Coy
Prettiest Eyes: Avie-Lynn Williams
Prettiest Hair: Remi Lynn Ellis
Prettiest Smile: Scarlett Coy
Best Dressed: Addison Simone Higdon

Darren Doyle, story:
Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt yesterday while speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Trump was shot in the ear from a gunman who had climbed on the rooftop of a building approximately 150 yards away. The gunman, who was killed within seconds of shots fired, was identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, age 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

According to reports, Crook was a registered Republican who had made donations to the Democrat party. No motive is known at this time.

Trump released a statement saying "Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday, as it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening."

Both Republicans and Democrats released statements denouncing political violence and the attempt on Trump's life, including President Joe Biden.

The Biden campaign said they are currently pausing ads against Trump in the wake of the shooting.

The U.S. Secret Service has been scrutinized for not having the rooftop area away from the venue secured prior to the event. Multiple reports of individuals alerting law enforcement that a man with a rifle was spotted near the event were apparently ignored.

In addition to the shooter, one male was killed with two others being critically wounded. Trump was seen arriving last night at his golf club in New Jersey, walking down the stairs of his plane with no assistance after receiving medical treatment.

The shooting is the first assassination attempt of a United States President or major political candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

Trump is expected to accept the Republican nomination for President at the Republican National Convention next week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.