Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Brownsville VFW Post 6937 will be available to help parents of toddlers and older children to prepare identification documentation at the upcoming Spring Fling, which will take place outside the Brownsville Public Library on Saturday, April 27th.

"In the event of a child becoming missing, one of the most important tools for parents to help law enforcement with is to have an identification kit," said the VFW in a statement. 

​To assist in this, the VFW will provide pamphlets and help with fingerprints (and clean up) upon parental request.  Parents will provide their own photo and no private information will be retained by the VFW.  A parent must be present with their child to obtain this service.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
The Green River Ferry closed Sunday, April 21, at approximately 5:45 pm due to issues with the ferry boat’s hydraulic fan motor. Ferry service will resume operations once the needed repairs are complete.   

​To check the status of the Green River Ferry operation, please call the Ferry Hotline at 270-758-2166 or follow Mammoth Cave National Park on Twitter or Facebook. 

The following local churches have provided their Easter services and activities for 2019:

Easter Sunrise Service at Mammoth Cave Amphitheater, April 20, 7:00 am. Sponsored by Mammoth Cave Area Churches 

Bee Spring Missionary Baptist Church Easter egg hunt will start at 10:00 AM with church services at 11:00 AM. on April 21st.  Bro. Bo Vincent preaching, Bro. Malcolm Doyle pastor, everyone welcome.

Fairview United Baptist Church will have Sunday School at 10am and an egg hunt. Worship service at 11am. 

Chalybeate United Baptist Church will have sunrise service at 6am with Bro. Cecil Williams preaching. Sunday School at 10am with an egg hunt to follow. Bro. Richard Minton pastor, everyone is welcome.

Otter Gap Missionary Baptist Church will have sunrise service at 6am. Sunday School at 10am with an egg hunt to follow.. Bro. Steve Gipson pastor, everyone is welcome.

Pleasant Union United Baptist (Steep Hollow) will have sunrise service at 6am. Sunday School at 10am with an egg hunt to follow. Bro. J.C. Ramsey pastor, everyone is welcome.

The Community Easter Egg Hunt that was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 20th from 2pm-4pm at The Chalybeate Sports Complex has been moved to Sunday, April 21st at 9am due to the inclement weather. The new location will be at The Community Church at Cedar Springs.

Edmonson County Parks and Rec has rescheduled their annual community egg hunt to Saturday, April 27th at 11am at HWY 70 Ballpark. 

Moriah Peterson, story:  
​The Edmonson County High School after prom party will take place at the high school this year on Saturday April 27th. The after prom party is coordinated by the Youth Services Center with the help of the Kentucky Agency Against Substance Abuse, the Family Resource Center, and several community sponsors.  

This program is for all Edmonson County juniors and seniors and their prom dates. “Our goal is to give students a safe place to celebrate their prom night in a drug and alcohol free environment,” said Youth Services Center Coordinator Morgan Esters.  “We have a night planned that is full of prizes, games, food and fun.”

Activities this year include inflatable courses, a Nerf gun war zone, and several mini games. The Board of Education gave a donation for food this year which will include all you can eat pizza, subs and candy. Every junior and senior student is guaranteed to get cash just for attending. This year prizes include an iPad, Apple Watch, and many gift cards, tickets, and games.

According to the Youth Services Center, students will need to check in at the high school by 12 a.m. Parents and guardians of students that do not arrive by 12 a.m. will be contacted to ensure those students are where they need to be and safe. All students will be released at 3 a.m. and the Youth Services Center encourages carpooling and parent pick up for safety.

If parents or students have any questions about the prom after party they can contact Morgan Esters or any of the Youth Services Center staff at 270-597-3878 or on Facebook. Forms for the event are at the Youth Services Center and the main office at the high school. Forms are due back by April 25th. 

Click the flyer to see the detailed listing. 

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
This article features two things most Edmonson Countians know little or nothing about: "The Bridge To Recovery," which is a top-notch rehabilitation facility in the county, and a newly-constructed labyrinth, featured on their 113-acre property.

The private rehab facility, located in the southern part of the Wingfield community, is its own little paradise with beautiful landscapes, a peaceful creek, and acres of gorgeous views. Local resident Anthony Cobb, who is head of maintenance at the facility, shared with the Edmonson Voice details of their newest addition: their very own labyrinth.

While the definition of a labyrinth is a "complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze," the one featured at the The Bridge is actually not complicated at all. A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness that combines a maze-like circle into a purposeful pathway. The Labyrinth represents a journey to one's own center and then back again out into the world.

"Most people might think it's silly or that it's some sort of magic or something, but that's not what it is at all," said Cobb. "It's a spiritual experience that can help clear one's heart and mind. In my case, I would use it for prayer to God, but others use it in different ways. Whomever you pray to or whatever helps you to meditate, that's what this is used for."

Cobb led a brief "tour" of sorts to explain the proper usage for the structure, which was quite impressive, having a 60ft radius. The entire symbol featured an approximate 50ft sidewalk-type path which led to the circle that was filled with an intricate pathway lined with large brick-sized stones on top of a bed of decorative river gravel. 

"One would step onto the path and look for a rock that speaks to you," he said. "Just pick one that you feel represents something you want to clear from your life. That could be anything: addiction, depression, or any sort of trouble or burden, whether small or large. Then you carry that rock while you pray or meditate about that burden as you walk the pathway. There's only one way in to the center and one way out. Once you have prayed or meditated that trouble away, you then leave the rock and exit the labyrinth without it, which represents leaving your burden or troubles."

Cobb said the staff had help with the design and layout from a Native American man from Mississippi, who was also a licensed therapist. A local heavy equipment operator leveled the ground used for the labyrinth and staff workers provided the labor to place the rocks.

He also described the nature of the facility, a privately-owned, non-profit organization that is run by licensed therapists of all sorts. The Bridge treats adults of all ages for anything from drug and alcohol addiction to depression, anxiety, abuse victims, or other trauma.

Treatment times can be anywhere from a few days to up to three months. Once a patient checks in, they are separated from the rest of the world, which means no cell phones, television, internet, or vehicles. Men stay in one set of cabins and women stay in another part. The Bridge has a limit of up to 26 patients at a time. Insurance does not cover the therapy but is privately funded.

Cobb also described how the natural beauty in and around the facility is therapy in its own rights.

"Just listen," he said.

​We heard nothing but the sound of the creek, the wind, and a few birds chirping in the distance. He described a group of evergreens in one part of the facility where fog sometimes gathers around at sunrise. 

"When the sun comes over that ridge and those sunbeams shine through those trees, it's almost just like you can see God's hand right there. God is all over this place," he said as the hair on my arm stood up.

The Bridge To Recovery is not a new addition to Edmonson County. Unbeknownst to most, it was first built over 40 years ago by a single family that wanted to create a quiet place where people with problems could escape the rest of a cruel world and find therapy and healing. Cobb invited me to take a walk for my own benefit as we shook hands and he left me alone. It took about 10 minutes for me to enter, find my stone, take the walk inside the labyrinth, and thankfully, leave my stone inside.

I left a little lighter than I was when I arrived just about an hour before and with a new appreciation for special people like Cobb and the others at the facility that have a passion for helping others. As I drove away, I reflected on the newfound respect I'd gathered for this extraordinary place as I read the sign at the facility's exit: "Go With God."

​The Edmonson County Clerk’s office will be closed on Friday April 19, 2019 and Saturday April 20, 2019 in observance of Good Friday and the Easter Holiday. 

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Applications for the 2019 Warren RECC Scholarship are now available. Warren RECC will award up to seven $1,500 scholarships to high school seniors and non-traditional students pursuing post-secondary training at an accredited degree-granting institution. 
 
"Warren RECC was created in 1938 by members of the local community and we are proudly still locally owned and operated," said a Warren Recc representative. "We are pleased to support our students and their educational pursuits as part of our commitment to the communities we serve."
 
Applications can be found at wrecc.com or can be picked up at any Warren RECC office. Applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2019 to be considered. 

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
​Girl Scout Troop #313 delivered several boxes of Girl Scout cookies to Edmonson County Senior Food Pantry Coordinator Vicky Walker, to provide to the elderly residents of Edmonson County. 

The troop has chosen the Senior Food Pantry as their designated donation site for their cookie booths for several years.

​by Rep. Michael Meredith:
​​During the recently-concluded 2019 session of the Kentucky General Assembly, the General Assembly took action to begin addressing some major issues facing the Commonwealth, like school safety, protecting the life of the unborn, and ensuring our farmers are competing on a level playing field.
 
Without a doubt, protecting the lives of our unborn children was once again a top priority for us this session. We passed SB 9, which bans abortion after a heartbeat can be detected, HB 5, which bans abortion on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin or disability, and HB 148, which aligns our laws to prohibit abortion should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.
 
We also took action to combat increasing school violence, an effort driven by the tragic shooting at Marshall County High School last year. The School Safety and Resiliency Act lays the groundwork for securing our schools and strengthening our students by setting state goals to provide more trained law enforcement officers and counselors in our schools. SB 1 also focuses on oversight and accountability by appointing a statewide school safety marshal, and increases suicide prevention and active shooter training for personnel, among numerous other steps meant to reduce the risk of violence in our schools. The next step in the effort to secure our schools will come in the 2020 budget, as legislative leaders have already committed to increasing funding to support these new initiatives.
 
On a personal level, one major issue I focused on this session was protecting a significant part of our agriculture community by ensuring appropriate labeling requirements are in place for “fake meat.” HB 311 was legislation I sponsored which makes consumers aware of how the meat they eat is raised. My bill would prohibit cultured animal meat, which is produced in a lab, from being labeled like regular meat. Instead, it would bear the appropriate label informing consumers how it was created.

Companies are already beginning to experiment with lab-grown meat, which takes stem cells from animal muscle tissue to create fake meat. While not available in stores, this measure will ensure that we are prepared for that coming reality, and that our cattle farmers are protected from misleading labeling on products they did not produce. Our cattle farmers play a critical role in rural economies like ours, and it is important that we look out for them.
 
I was also pleased to see two measures I sponsored to help our first responders become law. HB 132 enacts stiffer penalties for killing or attempting to kill an EMS worker, in the same manner we have enhanced penalties for those who take the life of a police officer or firefighter.
 
Meanwhile, HB 273 is another piece of legislation I sponsored to support our firefighters. This legislation creates the Alan “Chip” Terry Professional Development and Wellness Program, aimed specifically at helping these community servants deal with mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder that are specifically associated with job-related experiences. This program will be primarily funded out of the Firefighters Foundation Program Fund, and will offer peer support and counseling to both professional and volunteer firefighters.
 
While these were some of the major issues I worked on this session, I passed a total of eight bills that will soon become law. Other bills of mine included legislation to ensure that safety is prioritized on amusement parks, as well as a bill which gives the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions the ability to better regulate consumer loan companies.
 
Each of these bills have been signed into law by the Governor and will be in affect by the end of June. It was an honor for me to go to Frankfort this session and work hard to produce results for the 19th House District. I look forward to building on these accomplishments in future years.
 
Rep. Michael Lee Meredith represents the 19th House District, which includes Edmonson and part of Warren Counties. Contact him with any questions, concerns, or advice. He can be reached through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181, or via e-mail at Michael.Meredith@lrc.ky.gov

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Bank of Edmonson County employees wore blue on Friday April 12, 2019 in support of April being child abuse prevention month. 

By wearing blue, employees showed their commitment to preventing child abuse and supporting strong families and healthy children in all of Edmonson County and Kentucky. 

submitted flyer:

Moriah Peterson, story and photos:
Nearly 100 kids and their families attended Kindergarten Express on Thursday evening April 11, 2019. 

School staff walked around the high school gym with prospective students and did learning activities and pre- kindergarten screenings.  

​"We are so excited for the fantastic turnout we had at our first district wide kindergarten registration, said Carol Stice, Instructional Supervisor of Edmonson County Schools.  "We look forward to making this event bigger and better every year. I also want to thank the Family Resource Center for their help in planning this event."