Madison Doyle, story and photos:
Edmonson County High School was completely packed today, May 25, 2024, as hundreds came together to watch the ECHS Class of 2024 Graduation ceremony.

Twenty-five students graduated with a 4.0 GPA or higher, and 30 students graduated with at least a 3.4 GPA and also took an honors curriculum.

The ceremony began with ECHS Principal Jonathan Williams greeting the large crowd. Following this, Senior Evelyn Bolton introduced the National Anthem which was performed by the ECHS Band. The band also performed a mashup of Disney Blockbusters.

Senior Austin McCombs introduced the platform guests in attendance, and then guidance counselors Kevan Alford and Kori Skaggs recognized students with special achievements. Vice Principal Nikki Culbreth then recognized students with special cords, and Dean of Students Ben Grey recognized student Dathan Janes, who has decided to enlist in the Army National Guard.

Senior Chaney Browning then gave a special introduction to her classmate Julissa Calix-Jiminez, who performed a version of Miley Cyrus's "The Climb,” receiving a standing ovation.

Senior Avary Vertrees introduced Class President Ryann Davis to the stage to give the Presidential Address. Following this, Mr. Alford presented the graduated class, and Superintendent Brian Alexander presented the diplomas. Senior Chandler Browning gave a heartfelt prayer in closing, and then Mr. Williams dismissed the ECHS Class of 2024.

Darren Doyle, story:
A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on May 15, 2024, charging two men with methamphetamine trafficking, one of which is a former magistrate of Edmonson County.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Erek Davodwich, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Sheriff Brandon Ford of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.

According to the indictment, on March 22, 2024, John E. Marks, 61, of Scottsville, Kentucky, and Samuel Corey VanMeter, 34, of Brownsville, Kentucky, possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Allen County, Kentucky.

Marks made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on May 20, 2024. VanMeter made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on May 21, 2024.

VanMeter served as an Edmonson County Magistrate in District 2 from 2019 to 2022.

Both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

There is no parole in the federal system.

The DEA Bowling Green Resident Agency and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case with the assistance of the Kentucky State Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case.
 
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.

The Edmonson County Water District has lifted the boil water advisory issued on Monday, May 20th for all customers south of Brownsville, including the Oak View trailer park within the city limits, businesses south of the trailer park, and Tarter apartments.

The KY Division of Water deemed samples from the advisory area safe to drink.

Darren Doyle, story, photos, and video:
A vehicle fire shut down travel on Veterans Memorial Highway (259/101) today for about a half hour as firefighters took care of the issue.

Emergency personnel were requested in the 4300 block of Veterans Memorial where a Dodge Ram pickup was on fire in the emergency lane.

The male driver, who was from out of town and spoke to the Edmonson Voice only on the condition of anonymity, said he thought he ran over some sort of mattress or mattress pad, which got stuck underneath the vehicle.

"I was behind a pickup truck, coming through town, and it looked like, I don't know if it was a mattress, it looked like a mattress or a blanket or something. It was a pretty decent size," the driver said. "I looked in the mirror, I seen it, it looked like it had come out, but I guess it got hung up in there."

He said there were no issues until he started up a hill and the truck started missing along with all the dash lights going out.

"When I pulled off the shoulder of the road, I didn't have any brakes. All the brakes went out. It's got the air ride suspension and everything just went..." and he pointed down at the ground. "I went to jerk the hood up, but you could feel the heat coming out from under the hood. It started underneath the hood."

That's when he called 911 and within moments the truck was engulfed in flames.

The man said he had just recently purchased the truck.

The Kyrock, Brownsville, and Chalybeate Fire Departments responded to the scene, along with Edmonson County Emergency Management, Brownsville Police, and the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office.

The scene was cleared with no injuries reported and the roadway was opened up shortly afterward.

Darren Doyle, story:
Lincoln voters said NO in a big way for a wet precinct in today's Primary Election.

For the question, "Are you in favor of the sale of alcoholic beverages of the Lincoln Precinct of Edmonson County, Kentucky?" 68% of the vote was "NO," (287) compared to 32% (135 votes) for "YES."

Recently, County Attorney Adam Turner announced a ruling by the state Alcohol Beverage Control that no licenses would be granted to sell alcohol, due to the fact that the option did not qualify to be on the ballot in this election.

Either way, voters spoke and no alcohol will be sold in the area at present.

Darren Doyle, story:
Local election results in Edmonson County are in for the 2024 Primary and for the Republicans, Donald Trump and Michael Meredith won big, each gathering a huge majority of votes.

Trump gathered 89.62% of the votes for the Republican nominee for President, and State representative Michael Lee Meredith defeated opponent Kelsey Rock handily, with 84% of the vote.

Democrats in Edmonson County voted for Joe Biden above the rest of the candidates, as Biden took 67% of the votes with Hank Linderman getting 56% of the votes for U.S. Congress.

Voter turnout in Edmonson County was 22.27% with 2199 ballots cast out of 9,873 registered voters.

District-wide, Meredith received 76% of the votes, defeating Kelsey Rock 3,334 to 1,059.

Statewide, Linderman also defeated Compton, 12,508 votes to 9,303 for 57% of the votes.

Original article on May 20, 2024:
The Edmonson County Water District has issued a boil water advisory for all customers south of Brownsville, not including those on Brownsville City Water.

According to the City of Brownsville, the advisory also includes: the Oak View trailer park within the city limits, businesses south of the trailer park, and Tarter apartments.

The advisory was issued due to a main line break.

The advisory recommends you boil your water for three minutes before consuming.

For more information, contact the Edmonson County Water District, 270-597-2165.

*editor's note: We were informed of the additions to the advisory within the city limits on May 21st at 12:16PM and edited this article immediately.

The 2024 Edmonson County of Commerce Big Brownsville Bash is set to kick off on Thursday, May 30th with the Big Bash Baby Show, presented by the Edmonson County Homemakers.

The Bash is sponsored by Rafferty's, Patton Funeral Home, Alford's Pharmacy, Bank of Edmonson County, A Plus Family Healthcare, and the Edmonson County Tourism Commission.

Click the ads to visit the BBB event page with a complete listing and breakdown of the entire festival.

Darren Doyle, story: photo courtesy of U.S. Congressman Brett Guthrie's Office:
On January 30th, U.S. Congressman Brett Guthrie questioned Assistant Secretary Michael L. Connor, the head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Division about the dam removal process in Edmonson County. During Guthrie's questioning, he invited AS Secretary Connor to visit Edmonson County and the Green River to take a look at the current situation.

On April 30th AS Connor took Guthrie up on his offer and visited Lock & Dam 5 alongside the Commander of the Louisville Army Corps of Engineers, Congressman Guthrie’s staff, as well as local and state officials.

According to Guthrie's office, the Assistant Secretary acknowledged the importance of prioritizing the project during the meeting.  

Rep. Guthrie said he was pleased that AS Connor recently visited to see the current situation at Lock and Dam No. 5.

"It is crucial that he sees firsthand the impact dam removal has had on water levels on the Green River and the unintended consequences that have resulted from the dam removal," Guthrie said in a statement submitted to the Edmonson Voice. "Following his visit, I am pleased to hear this project has become a central priority for the Army Corps,  and they will continue to work with federal, state, and local officials to address low water levels and the lack of reliable water supply these low water levels can cause. I will continue to work with Assistant Secretary Connor to continue finding long and short-term solutions to the water intake issue in Edmonson County,” said Congressman Guthrie.

Also in attendance was State Representative Michael Meredith, Edmonson County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey, David Phemister, State Director of the Nature Conservancy and Lee Andrews, Field Office Supervisor for KY Fish & Wildlife.

Darren Doyle, story:
Officials from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 3 attended the Edmonson County Fiscal Court meeting on Monday, May 13th to discuss funding allotments for state roads within the county for improvements.

A total of $1,224,338.00 are available for local projects that include:

• $408,600.00 for routine maintenance and traffic on 89.410 miles of rural secondary roads within the county
• $507,451.00 for asphalt resurfacing on 4.063 miles of KY-238 Sunfish-Bee Spring Road beginning at the intersection of HWY 187
• $87,433.00 for asphalt resurfacing on .532 miles of KY-3611 beginning at the intersection of Chalybeate School Road and extending to KY HWY 101
• $220,854.00 for flex funds to be distributed amongst districts

Work is expected to be completed sometime before winter.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Several residents from the Lincoln community attended yesterday's Edmonson County Fiscal Court meeting in opposition to an event that's regularly held at Blue Holler ATV Park, called Redneck Rave. The hugely popular event brings thousands of people to the small community of Lincoln, and while event attendees have plenty of fun, the residents there say it isn't the same for the rest of the community.

One of residents, Thomas Bratcher, spoke to the court last night about the problems he says the event brings to the county, and even said he is bringing a class action lawsuit against the park as a result of the issues Lincoln faces.

County Attorney Adam Turner first spoke during the meeting and presented a Kentucky Revised Statute, (KRS) specifically 231, which provides all the guidelines for places of entertainment. The section of KY law outlines the instructions that counties must take in order to legally allow places of entertainment, something that Turner said the county has never done, mainly because no one was aware of the law.

Turner said local officials met after the event at Blue Holler, which took place on the weekend of May 4th to discuss the "destruction and problems" the county saw from the event.

A post from the Edmonson County Sheriff Facebook Page on May 9th regarding the Redneck Rave at Blue Holler stated the following occurred at the event:
"1-Assault 3rd Police Officer/EMS Arrest
2-DUI Arrests
1-Public Intoxication Arrest
A total of 10 side by sides, trucks and other all terrain vehicles were towed during the event.
As far as the mayhem that followed, the condition the roadway was left in was unacceptable and shameful.
We stayed until the last person was towed from the park to assure no property was damaged.
There are many issues that must be addressed prior to ever allowing this type of event of happening again. We support the community and will not condone the lack of respect for our county."

"We were just trying to proactively go forward and prevent that from happening again, because I think in the past, several promises have been made from the people who run the rave about cleanup and stuff like that, that haven't been met," Turner said. He turned to Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey and asked, "Is that fair?" to which Lindsey replied "Yes."

Turner said the county does not want to target specific businesses, so they wanted to find a way to solve the issues while being fair to every similar type of business in the county. During his research, he said he discovered KRS 231, which focuses solely on places of entertainment.

"In my legal opinion, we should have been requiring not only Blue Holler, but all other campgrounds, horse parks, and everything else to have a permit. Because if you're a place of entertainment, which includes a tourist camp or a place where you go for amusement, you're supposed to have a permit. (Actually) not supposed to, the statute says you 'shall' have a permit."

He then summarized the statute that states:
(.010) As used in this chapter, "place of entertainment" means a roadhouse, place offering intoxicating or nonintoxicating drinks for sale, tourist camp or place of public entertainment at which people assemble to eat, drink, dance, bathe, or engage in any game or amusement...

He also then discussed the process that a place of entertainment must follow in order to obtain a permit from the county, which includes requesting an application from the County Clerk, it then being reviewed by the County Attorney, then the Judge/Executive would make the decision as to whether or not the business would be granted the permit.

In addition, Turner also read from KRS 231.110, pertaining to required conduct that included the following:
No person who has been granted a permit shall allow: (1) Drunken, disorderly, or boisterous persons, or persons of lewd or lascivious reputation to congregate in or about the premises;

Turner also said the county could also revoke a permit if required conduct is not enforced, law enforcement would be allowed to visit to premises in the event of a violation within the permit, and that persons objecting a business to obtain a permit could oppose their request, if they could provide proof that the business or type of entertainment was unsuitable for operation as pertaining to the specific KRS.

Other residents spoke of the noise, the mess, the traffic, and those who had property damaged as a result of the event, which took place in the midst of heavy rainfall, causing more issues than normal.

Another resident said she felt like Blue Holler would be singled out specifically because of the issues that people don't like, but Turner said that wasn't the case, as the KRS requires the same for any place of entertainment.

"If we're going to do this, we have to do it countywide, and we haven't been doing it so far," Turner said.

The female resident spoke again and said, "I wasn't saying that you all wouldn't be neutral, it's the community that won't be neutral. People that nit-pick, and nit-pick, and nit-pick at one place, and that makes it unfair. That's where that comes in, because they're going to be sitting, and watching, and picking."

Turner replied with "Ok, I understand that, but part of the application process for getting a permit, is you have to listen to the people that are affected by that venue. So, if everyone in Lincoln except the business owner says they're destroying our property or something, you have to listen to them. I'm not the one who makes the decision. I have to file a report, but I don't make the decision."

During the meeting, Sheriff James Vincent announced that he had just received a text message from Blue Holler owner Kevin Nelson, who said the Redneck Rave would not return to Blue Holler.

Mr. Bratcher spoke later in the meeting about the issues faced by residents when the event comes to the community, like big trucks and trailers running people off the road, driving through or parking in other private properties, and he referenced the arrests, indictments, and medical emergencies as a result of the events at the park.

"To be honest, the safety hazards our community faces is not just during the rave for our community," Bratcher said. "I don't see how, well there's an argument that there's a financial benefit, but how do we measure, how do we quantify that? We can certainly quantify the damage done by Blue Holler Off Road Park, but I see no benefit, no financial benefit. We have two small business that potentially benefit from it, but I'd be willing to bet their annual revenue is not equal to the amount of damage that's done every year."

Mr. Bratcher then told the audience that he was planning a class action lawsuit on behalf of the people of the community and invited anyone who wished to be part of it to contact him and he would provide the proper documentation. We spoke with Mr. Bratcher today and asked him about the planned lawsuit.

"Nothing has been filed yet, but I feel there has been significant damages from Blue Holler Off Road Park in order to proceed." Bratcher said he is in talks with his attorneys but did not discuss much other than the damages he and the community have experienced as a result of the park.

"People at the meeting reached out to me and said they want to be part of it, so we're in the process of defining the class and going from there."

Resident Nelson Sanders also spoke of the mess and trespassing on his property that he said resulted in the forced removal of a truck and trailer by the Sheriff's Office, but he also said there was a way for both the park and residents to come to an agreement.

"If that owner down there, Mr. Nelson, if he'll do and work with the community and things, there's not a reason that things couldn't survive and everybody be happy," he said. "But right now, it's all in his favor and the heck with the community."

Turner said the Fiscal Court would continue exploring the proper process to ensure they were compliant with the KRS he referenced.

Darren Doyle, story:
Edmonson County Attorney Adam Turner reported at this evening's Edmonson County Fiscal Court meeting that the Kentucky Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) has just informed him that no licenses will be granted to sell alcohol in the Lincoln District, even if the measure to make the precinct wet is passed in next week's upcoming vote.

Turner said when an earlier attempt by some residents to petition for a countywide wet/dry vote failed, another attempt by local business owner Tony Mello to push for a precinct vote was then discussed.

"I think I advised then, to the Fiscal Court that there were two different interpretations of the law, where you could do a straight up-down ballot measure for a precinct/territory, and the other interpretation was that you couldn't, unless it was for a golf course, a small farm winery, or distillery, or, like any other small, local option. At that point, we didn't get a whole lot of feedback, just repeating interpretations of the law, and so I advised just to put it on the ballot, so it got on the ballot."

After signatures were gathered by those in favor of the measure in the precinct, the County Clerk's Office was tasked to verify the petition signatures. Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey's Office then presented it to County Attorney Adam Turner's Office, who also reviewed and determined it was legally acceptable. Following, Judge Lindsey's office then sent an order to the Clerk's Office for the option to be officially added to the ballot for the upcoming election, which states, "Are you in favor of the sale of alcoholic beverages in the Lincoln Precinct (E101) of Edmonson County, Kentucky?"

Turner then said after it appeared on the ballot, the ABC contacted his office, which was last week, along with the Judge/Executive's Office and advised them that even if the vote passed, no licenses or permits would be issued to sell alcohol in the district.

After the meeting, we spoke with County Attorney Turner and asked him for more details as to why the ABC made their decision.

"These are passed by local options, not precincts," he told the Edmonson Voice. "After the countywide measure failed, Tony Mello wanted to just do one for Lincoln and that's when I started looking into whether or not we could just pass a flat one for a precinct."

Turner said he spoke with an official from the Kentucky Association of Counties whose interpretation was for a precinct measure, but Turner's own interpretation was in alignment with the current ABC decision, which was specific to a local territory, such as a golf course, distillery, or winery. Other options also include an incorporated city within a dry county.

​He said he received no further guidance from any other state officials and decided to move forward with other local officials to allow the vote on the ballot.

"When ABC found out it was on the ballot, they called me and said we can't do that and they would essentially not give anyone a permit or license to sell alcohol," he said.

When asked what measures could local vendors take to obtain a permit in the event that the vote still goes wet, Turner said he was told ABC would send him information on the "process to do what we want to accomplish" under the correct circumstances, however, he said he had not currently received any further info.

County Clerk Kevin Alexander told the audience tonight that it was important to understand that the measure will still be on the ballot and that Lincoln will still either remain dry or will turn wet, despite the fact no licenses will currently be issued, insinuating to the notion that something could come of it later, in the event the precinct becomes wet.

"Whether you support it or oppose it, it will still be on the ballot, and you should still get out and vote your choice," Alexander said.

The following indictments have been returned by and Edmonson County Grand Jury. 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.

Coty Joe Patton, Theft by failure to make required disposition of property valued a t $10K or more. Persistent felony offender, first degree.

Alexander Lee Church, Fleeing or evading police, first degree, Trafficking marijuana, less than 8oz, first offense. Operating motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants, first offense within 10 years. Possession of drug paraphernalia, Reckless driving, Speeding.

Douglas Bennie Sanders, Possession of controlled substance, first degree. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Possession of marijuana. License to be in possession. Improper turning.

Ronald Gussie Smith, Trafficking controlled substance first degree, first offense, >= 2 grams meth. Trafficking marijuana, less that 8oz, first offense. Trafficking controlled substance first degree, first offense (Fentanyl). Trafficking in legend drug. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Operating on suspended or revoked operator's license.

Jessica Lauren Daugherty, Trafficking controlled substance first degree, first offense, >= 2 grams meth. Trafficking marijuana, less that 8oz, first offense. Trafficking controlled substance first degree, first offense (Fentanyl). Trafficking in legend drug. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Persistent felony offender, first degree.

Richard Lee Russell III, Trafficking controlled substance first degree, first offense, >= 2 grams meth. Possession of drug paraphernalia. Persistent felony offender, first degree.

Ponda Michelle Bennett, (2 counts) Trafficking controlled substance first degree, first offense, >= 2 grams meth. (2 counts) Tampering with physical evidence,  (2 counts) Possession of drug paraphernalia. (2 counts), Possession of Marijuana. Persistent felony offender. Fleeing or evading police. Wanton endangerment. Resisting arrest.

Leila Marie McCrady, Persistent felony offender, second degree.

David Charles Euin, Burglary second degree. Persistent felony offender first degree.

Ronald Dean Holland, Criminal attempt of assault first degree police officer, two counts. Assault third degree, two counts. Wanton endangerment first degree. Disarming a peace officer. Resisting arrest. Terroristic threatening, third degree. Harassing communications. Persistent felony offender first degree.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Good Lord's handiwork was visible in a majestic way on Friday night, May 10, 2024 as the northern lights were visible in Edmonson County and parts of the U.S. where they are not normally seen, due to a solar phenomenon.

According to the National and Oceanic Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the lights are visible in much of the country due to a geomagnetic storm caused by solar flares, and the largest one since October of 2003.

The above photos were taken in southern Edmonson County around 10PM on May 10th with an iPhone, which gives a better view than the naked eye. The best views were taken straight north.

A geomagnetic storm also means aurora borealis, which is the official term for the northern lights. They are said to be visible as far south as Alabama and stretch to Northern California. 

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Water District held a town hall meeting on Thursday, May 9th at 5:30PM in the Edmonson County Community Center to address public concerns over the ongoing dam removal project on the Green River at Lock No. 5, along with current water supply and quality matters. Edmonson County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey welcomed the crowd of about 30 people to the meeting as he introduced a panel of guests that included state representatives, state senators, local water officials, regional government officials, and reps from federal legislators Brett Guthrie and Mitch McConnell.

District 19 State Representative Michael Meredith was the first to speak on the evening and gave a basic recap of the beginning of some of Edmonson County's water problem origins, that began in 2014 when the U.S. Corps of Engineers began discussing the possibilities of removing dams at Lock No. 6 in Brownsville and No. 5 in Roundhill.

"At the time, I wrote a public comment letter on behalf of the citizens of Edmonson County asking that it not happen," Rep. Meredith told the audience. "I was concerned that there would be issues with our water system at the time. The Corps came back with estimates stating, expert engineers saying, that would not be the case. We saw during low water conditions after the dam removal was started, that those estimations were wrong. Barry Rich was instrumental at pooling a group together at that time to go down and meet with the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, the Water District, local officials, and our federal officials to start trying to find a remedy, or what we could do."

Those estimations from the Corp were the basis of why Congress gave them the funding and authority to remove the dams, but despite the fact that they were wrong, the dam removal process is still ongoing for multiple reasons. One, they were no longer safe to be on the river due to their age and deterioration, and two, Congress passed a law that requires their removal. Undoing all of it is virtually impossible at this point, and the side effects affect all sides.

Last night's meeting was to not only answer any questions from the public, but so local, state, and federal officials could speak to the plan to mitigate the effects, find solutions, and work together to see them through.

Newly hired General Manager of the Edmonson County Water District Kevin Shaw was very optimistic and assured the audience that District would in fact, be able to provide clean drinking water to their customers, despite these challenges.

On March 28th, Rep. Meredith announced $6.5M in funding available to Edmonson County for  water improvement projects, thanks to the KY General Assembly, and gave an explanation of that process.

Meredith broke down the funding into three areas: one, is $1M for the capability for northern Edmonson County to be able to connect to Grayson County's system when the system is under strain, two is a $3.5M round of funding that can be used as a portion of matching funds for a new intake system in Brownsville as a result of lower water levels.

"Congressman Guthrie's Office went to work on that, from the time we got clarity on that from the Corps of Engineers to pursue federal funding for that project, but like almost any other kind of federal funding today, federal funding requires some sort of a local match requirement. That is a $14M intake structure on the Green River that would replace the current intake structure. Congressman Guthrie's Office is pursuing those funds, currently, through their process..." Meredith said.

He added that he continues the work to ensure that any funds required to build the new intake system will not be placed on the Edmonson County Water District or local government.

The final portion of the funding was a $2M round that will go to Edmonson County Fiscal Court, with the help of KY Senator David Givens, that can cover emergency infrastructure upgrades that are needed during this process.

Kevin Shaw then addressed the crowd and said he felt like the most important route to take was to not talk too much about what has happened in the past, but look to where the entire community has to go for the future. He credited the staff of the Water District for their work and effort in the midst of adversity.

"The elephant in the room is the Green River project and the things that are going on with the Corps of Engineers project," he said. "What I'm going to tell you is, don't worry about it. We're gonna be alright."

Shaw didn't have exact details to present on where every penny will be spent or a precise scope of all the work to be done, and he also said he couldn't speak on matters of the Corps, who were invited to the meeting. They did not attend because the meeting wasn't specific to Corps-only project, and local officials determined that it wouldn't benefit them much to attend, since the project is already in stone and will be moving forward sometime toward the end of July, Shaw said.

Shaw continued to explain that based on his 40 years of experience in utilities, he was confident that all the resources and tools are available to keep Edmonson County and other Water District customers supplied with safe water, period.

A current worst case scenario would be after the dam is removed, that water levels are too low for the intake to bring water to the treatment plant. The Nature Conservancy has funded a $100K commercial grade, diesel pump that can pump the water anywhere along the river to the treatment facility. Shaw said it's enough to take care of the district needs for all their customers in the event a long term solution is not yet in place.

Kylie Foushee, Economic Development Director from the office Congressman Guthrie, also discussed the timeline of how Guthrie's office has been involved in the process from the beginning, including temporarily halting the dam removal at Lock No. 5 until other solutions could be put in place.

"When we started hearing (Lock No.) 6 failed, and started hearing 'our water level is impacted,' Congressman Guthrie immediately said 'stop the removal, please stop the removal,' and the Corps of Engineers immediately did so and he strongly encouraged all partners not to move forward with any removal of dams until a solution has been identified, and we have been reassured that this interim solution that's continued to be mentioned, the diesel pump, will be a good interim solution," Foushee said.

Several other questions were asked from the crowd pertaining to Green River Ferry, other Corps-related topics, and some that pertained to Fish and Wildlife, but local officials could not answer any of those, as the meeting was focused on Edmonson County Water District and their customers.

Edmonson County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey said he felt like the meeting went very well and he was glad to see all the state and federal legislators in attendance.

"We've got a lot of support at the table right now that wants this to be successful," he said. "We're thankful that so many people are working together to find solutions. We're also glad for everyone else that attended. Those are the people we serve and that's why we're in office, to serve the communities of Edmonson County."

General Manager Kevin Shaw agreed that the meeting was successful.

"I thought it went really well," he said. "Glad for the questions that were asked and hopefully we provided the information that folks need. Like I said, in my heart of hearts, I believe we're gonna be alright."

Darren Doyle, story: videos submitted:
Flash flooding and high winds have been the story for last few days, especially yesterday afternoon and last night, but the majority of the county escaped serious storm damage after thunderstorms came through the area off and on all day and night.

Local schools, county government, and businesses, and churches were either canceled or closed early yesterday, due to the forecast of severe weather with timing coming during heavy school, rush hour, or church times. However, the forecast changed repeatedly throughout the day. While one area of the county may have had no activity, other parts were getting plastered with heavy wind and rains that included hail.

Corey Simmons, a Wingfield resident, submitted this video from a bedroom window in his home on Wingfield Church Road overlooking the Green River. This shelf cloud rolled in and brought plenty of wind and rain behind.

Brandon Summers submitted the video below from Bee Spring, which shows the force of the thunderstorm in that area from around 3PM. You can see a large portion of a tree downed on a building.

Several roads in the county are closed due to flooding, which include Grassland, Black Gold, and Cedar Grove Church Roads.

Local fire departments made several runs last night for downed limbs and trees across roadways. No injuries have been reported as of yet.

A milder forecast is expected for the next few days.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Today, Edmonson County Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey announced that the courthouse and all local government offices will close today at 1PM, due to the threat of severe weather.

The following order was issued just a moment ago:

"By Executive Order 24-19, the Edmonson County Courthouse and all Local Government Offices associated with the Courthouse will be closing at 1:00 p.m. CDT on May 8, 2024 due to the increased possibility of severe weather moving into our area. We apologize for any inconvenience, but feel it is in the best safety interest for our staff and the community."

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Edmonson County School Superintendent Brian Alexander has announced that all local schools will dismiss class at 12:00 today, due to severe weather in the forecast.

"We've been watching weather forecasts since about 3AM this morning and we feel this is the safest route for us to take," he said. "Our students' health and safety is our first concern and according to the current weather models, this should have all our bus routes completed by the time any potential severe weather comes to our area."

According to WXorNotBG and Edmonson Voice meteorologist Landon Hampton, multiple rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms are expected today across the region, with a time period ranging from after lunch until predawn of Thursday.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
A building that has served multiple purposes over the years went up in flames during the overnight hours on Louisville Road on Tuesday, May 7th.

Emergency personnel were paged to the 1600 block of Louisville Road, south of the HWY 259/31W crossroads around midnight, to the call of a storage building that was fully involved.

Firefighters from all south side departments arrived to tackle the blaze of the metal building that was reportedly being used for storage-only, which was in the Rocky Hill VFD district. The fire seemed to be contained and personnel left the scene around 2:30AM, however, a rekindle occurred and firefighters were called back out at around 4AM, where the Chalybeate and Brownsville Fire Departments returned.

During the second round of firefighting, an explosion occurred in the building that shook the property and had firefighters running for cover for a short time before returning to the building to continue their work.

No injuries were reported during the incident and the building was a total loss.

The annual Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce Big Brownsville Bash is returning to downtown in 2024 with nine different events scheduled over a three-day period.

With all the events taking place on or near the historic Brownsville Court Square, Chamber Vice President Josh Casey says this year's Bash has something for everyone.

"We are bringing back the popular events that our community has enjoyed over the past two years, plus a new event that we really haven't seen here recently, which is our Truck Cruise," Casey said.

The new event is a type of car show but as the name states, this features trucks of all sorts.

Casey said the Chamber has been planning and organizing the three-day festival since last year's event and they have assembled a new BBB Committee, consisting of Casey, Mark Wardlow, Daniel Bolton, Corey Culbreth, and Valerie Warnell.

"Our committee members have worked great together and of course, none of this would be possible without our sponsors that have returned for another year."

Those sponsors include Rafferty's, Patton Funeral Home, Alford's Pharmacy, the Edmonson County Tourism Commission, Bank of Edmonson County, and A Plus Family Healthcare. Their sponsorships also allow the Chamber to give back to several nonprofit Chamber members that are assisting with BBB events that include The EC Homemakers, The EC Arts Guild, and Edmonson County 4-H. 

The event will kick off on Thursday, May 30th with the Big Bash Baby Show, sponsored by Bank of Edmonson County at 6PM with registration beginning at 4:30PM. The event will be held at the Edmonson County Community Center and presented by the Edmonson County Homemakers.

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During all three days, (May 30th - June 1st) The Edmonson County Arts Guild exhibits will be available for viewing at the Heritage Centre on Washington Street, alongside Edmonson County 4-H with impressive displays from local kids that are participating in the annual 4-H Rally Days that also feature a kids' baking challenge called "Cupcake Wars" on Saturday.

"We added the Arts Guild and 4-H events last year and they were a huge hit," said Casey. "Plus, it's a great spot to cool off and see what amazing local talent our community has to offer."

Events on the square will begin on Friday, June 1st from 4PM - 8PM at the Truck Cruise on the square, sponsored by Alford's Pharmacy, and a sneak peek at the annual Arts, Crafts, and Vendor Fair that will highlight local vendors, creators, and boutiques inside the Community Center, sponsored by Patton Funeral Home. There is no charge to attend either event and a limited number of food trucks will be available.

Inflatables for kids will be available Friday evening and all day Saturday on the square and are free.

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The biggest day of the event will be on Saturday, June 1st that will feature multiple events in different locations.

The annual Big Bash 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk will take place downtown with registration beginning at 6:30AM and race starting at 7:30AM. Prepaid entry fee includes a t-shirt and the event is sponsored by the Edmonson County Tourism Commission.

"We appreciate A.B. Webb and Paula Madison for their help in organizing this event," said Casey.

The Saturday session of the Arts, Crafts, and Vendor Fair will resume at the Community Center at 9AM and will concluded at 5PM.

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Saturday will also feature a growing event, sponsored by A Plus Family Healthcare, which is the annual Canoe and Kayak Challenge on the Green River, beginning at Houchins Ferry and ending at the Brownsville Bridge Boat Ramp. Registration begins at 10:30AM with the challenge beginning at 11AM.

"We'd also like to thank our friends at Kayaks & More with their help with this event," Casey said.

The third annual Big Bash Car Show on the Square, sponsored by Rafferty's is sure to bring out a large crowd, Casey added. The event helped bring out the largest crowd ever seen on the square in 2022 with cars of all kinds parked in every available spot that was possible.

Show registration will begin at 9AM with winners being announced at 2PM.

Food trucks and inflatables will be available throughout the area on Saturday.

The festival will come to a close on Saturday night at around 9PM as the annual fireworks show will be on display at ECHS. There is no fee for the event and parking is available at ECHS, however, the event can be seen from just about anywhere in the area near the school.

"The fireworks show is one of the best ones you'll see in our area, and it's free," said Casey. "The Chamber continues to find new ways to use our resources that not only benefit our members, but also our community. This is a great way for us to highlight so many different Chamber members and bring revenue to our area, all while having a lot of fun in the process."

For information on specific events, please note the contact information for each event flyer or call/text the Edmonson County Chamber Office at 270-597-4715, or visit edmonsonchamber.com and look for the "Big Brownsville Bash" tab.

Edmonson Voice Report:
On Friday, April 26th, South Edmonson Elementary School was presented with the Kentucky Purple Star Award, a recognition given to schools for their dedication and commitment to military-connected students and their families. In attendance at the ceremony were students and staff, active service members and their families, and Lifeskills Prevention Specialist Alli Turner, who presented the award. 

Family Resource Center Coordinator, Natalie Stice, said this award goes hand in hand with the mission of FRYSC. “It is our mission to help remove non-academic barriers in education so that every student can be successful. If these military-connected students feel like they have staff members dedicated to meeting their needs, then they will have all of the tools necessary to thrive.”

South Edmonson is the first school in the Edmonson County School District to receive the honor. 

The boil water advisories that were announced on Friday by the City of Brownsville and the Edmonson County Water District have been lifted as of Monday morning, according to the City and the District.

Edmonson Voice Report:
The City of Brownsville has issued a boil water advisory for parts of the city limits on the south side.

"Please be advised that Leitchfield Utilities hit a water line while working on a construction project causing customers to be without water," The City of Brownsville Office said in a statement.

"Once service is restored it is necessary that we issue a boil water advisory for residences and businesses located on the south side of the system located from Casey’s to the city limits on HWY 259 and Hwy 70.   Samples have been taken and as soon as the lab returns the results the city will inform the public that the boiled water has been lifted."