You Can Text County For Assistance With "Text My Gov"

New Feature Offers Host of Helpful Options

Edmonson Co. Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey demonstrates "Text My Gov" in his office on June 7, 2024.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Contacting someone from the Edmonson County Government now just got a little simpler, thanks to a new program called "Text My Gov."

The platform allows anyone with texting capabilities to send quick messages to the Judge/Executive's Office for assistance, as well as options for receiving important notifications or emergency messages.

"This is a brand new program that we feel will give better communication options for our residents," Judge/Executive Scott Lindsey said. "We've been trying to communicate through Facebook but not everyone has that. Most everyone has a phone where they can text.

Judge Lindsey showed different examples of how the new program worked. He first simply texted "Hi" to 270-975-2775 to opt in to the program. From there, the user has several options.

One can sign up for any and all alerts that may come from the Judge's Office, or the user can sign up for alerts only in their specific county district.

He also demonstrated how to make a report using one-word messages. In one example, he simply texted "TREE." The response asked him if he was experiencing a downed tree or limb and to provide his address. That information goes directly to the Judge's Office where help is sent to solve the issue.

The program also provides assistance for just about anything the county offers.

"Of course, if you have an emergency situation, it's always best to call 911 or contact our county dispatch at 270-597-2729, but this is great if you need to report non-emergency situations like reporting help with an animal, water over the road, missed trash pickup, or other needs," Lindsey said. "In some instances, the program will provide you a direct number to call if the issue is outside our office, like the Sheriff or County Clerk, for example. Sometimes, the user will be provided a link from our county website, edmonsoncounty.org, for other specific needs."

He said it will be very useful when the need arises for emergency notifications.

"Sometimes we have trees down over the road, or flooding where some roads are closed. If you're signed up for our notifications, you'll get a text message with the information as soon as we can send it. We will also utilize the program in the event of other emergency situations."

The program is officially set to launch on Monday, June 10th but it is accessible now to anyone wishing to use it.

"We do ask that folks give us some time to fine tune the program so it best fits our needs," he said. "We are still learning about the program and all it offers, because it's a great deal of information, but we are really excited about how it can help our residents."

Lindsey also said the county will also occasionally use the program for weather alerts.

"It's a very versatile program that we feel can reach the most amount of people in the shortest amount of time. Of course, you can call our office at 270-597-2819 if you'd like, but sometimes a text message is quicker and easier."