D​on’t miss the upcoming ECHS Youth Cheer Camp! Print and fill out the form below

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
​As the new executive director of the Friends of Mammoth Cave National Park (FOMC), Rick DuBose is already friend-raising and fund-raising, meeting with area businesses and encouraging new members.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Friends of Mammoth Cave as its executive director,” said DuBose. “Mammoth Cave National Park is both a local and national treasure. I look forward to working with Park staff to help protect Park resources and draw people to experience its wonder.”

​DuBose comes to the Friends as a recent WKU retiree, where he worked in fundraising and alumni affairs for nearly 19 years.

“Rick’s work experience and networking abilities are a perfect match for his new job with the Friends,” said Friends Board Chairman Tom Carney. “At present, our primary initiative is called Ticket-to-Ride, bringing students to the Park for hands-on outdoor learning. We would like to enlist area businesses to serve as county sponsors.”

The mission of the FOMC, a 501-c3 organization, is to foster educational programs and research, support multi-generational visitor experiences, and promote fitness and recreational opportunities available at the Park. Last year, the Friends raised $66,000.

“I have been impressed with the work of the Friends' group under the leadership of Helen Siewers,” added DuBose. “I hope to continue to build on what she and the board have put in place." Siewers served as executive director for four years and recently accepted a position with Metro Parks Nashville as Greenways project manager.

​“The Friends of Mammoth Cave have become a steadfast partner,” said Park Superintendent Barclay Trimble. “They help with planned operations, but are also responsive to Park needs. During the shutdown, the Friends set up an information table in front of the visitor center and staffed it on the weekends. They reached more than 600 visitors. The Friends are Mammoth Cave heroes.”

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:​
For customers planning international trips, the Brownsville Post Office, located at 535 S. Main St., is hosting a Passport Fair on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019.  The office will extend passport processing hours from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the day of the Passport Fair. 
 
Fairs serve customers on a first come, first served basis.  No appointments are needed.  (There is a limited capacity for acceptance.) 
 
For appointments during regular passport processing hours, the U.S. Postal Service has made scheduling easier with the launch of the USPS Retail Customer Appointment Scheduler™ tool (RCAS) athttp://www.usps.com/scheduler.  The RCAS™ tool provides customers with an easy, convenient way to schedule appointments to apply for a passport.
 
Customers have the option of applying for a passport book (good for all international travel) or the passport card (good only for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda).
 
Passport Fees

Adults (Age 16 Years and Older)
Minors (Under Age 16)

Passport Card
$30
$15

Passport Book
$110
$80

Passport Card and Book
$140
$95

The fees listed above must be paid with a personal check or money order. There is a $35 processing/acceptance fee and a $15 fee for photos, which can be paid for by cash, personal check, debit and credit cards or money order.  The Brownsville Post Office offers passport photo services.
 
Travelers are encouraged to apply for a passport several months before they are scheduled to travel overseas. The average time for passport applications and renewals is six weeks. However, for an additional fee, the State Department will expedite the application and process it within three weeks.
 
To apply for a passport, travelers need to complete Passport Application Form DS-11 (unsigned) and provide one of the following: a U.S. birth certificate from the Department of Vital Statistics (not a certificate of birth) or naturalization papers. Applicants must also show either a valid driver’s license, a previous or current U.S. passport book or card, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, military I.D. or a federal, state or municipal government employee I.D. card. Applicants 15 & under must be present with both parents unless consent is given; ages 16 & 17 require only one parent be present.
 
​For more information about passport application requirements and to download forms, visit the State Department’s travel website at www.travel.state.gov.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
​On November 13th 2018 during a Veterans Day ceremony at Edmonson County Middle School, Makaylee Thompson was awarded 1st Place in the Brownsville VFW Post 6937 Patriots Pen Essay Competition. The Post was recently informed that Makaylee’s essay won the local District 5 VFW Competition and placed 2nd in the state-wide Department of Kentucky Competition.

At a Brownsville ceremony on December 6th 2018, Stan Tillman of the Brownsville Fire Department was awarded Fire Fighter of the Year.  Stan was nominated by his fellow firefighters.  The Post was informed that Stan was also selected as both the VFW District 5 and the Department of Kentucky Fire Fighter of the Year.

​Also in December, the EMT of the Year Award was presented to Mr. Hank Vincent, who is also the Edmonson County Jailer. Hank was nominated for the award through the VFW Post for his 32 years of loyal and dedicated service. Hank also was selected as both the VFW District 5 and the VFW Department of Kentucky EMT of the Year.

​“While our local VFW Post 6937 is proud of all our community awardees from last year, it says a lot about the citizens of Edmonson County that these three placed so well in District and State level competitions,” said VFW Commander Floyd Houston. “When the presentations are made later this year we will proudly make announcements.”

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
The Glasgow location of Gerald Printing was named a 2018 Office of the Year Finalist at the annual Davis Printing awards ceremony held on Dec 21, 2018. The award is presented annually to the Davis Printing office which consistently demonstrates excellence in customer service, sales growth, teamwork, and profitability. The manager of the office is characterized by leadership in those four key areas. In addition, strong feedback from customer surveys, an increase in sales in the current calendar year, a team that communicates effectively, and a reasonable bottom line profit are attributes of the winning office.

The Glasgow office is led by Sales Manager Chris Houchens who is assisted by Production Supervisor Sarah Wyatt. The team is rounded out with salesperson/CSR Rebecca Pennington; graphic specialists David Jones & Serena Peters; production specialists Chuck Roberts, Stephen Gonzales, and Ashley Logsdon; and CSR Melinda Cornwell. Poduction Specialist Stephen Gonzales also picked up the 'Going the Extra Mile' award at the ceremony for going above and beyond in helping screen-print jobs run more efficiently and with better quality. 

Gerald Printing in Glasgow is located at 404 Rogers Road and serves businesses, industries, schools and other corporate customers in Glasgow and Barren County along with clients in Metcalfe, Hart, Edmonson, Green, Adair, Monroe, Cumberland, and Taylor counties.

The Glasgow office offers commercial printing (large run offset & short run digital) of business items such as brochures, flyers, business cards, catalogs, invoices, envelope, letterhead, postcards, labels/stickers, multi-part carbonless forms, and other printed collateral. They also offer direct mailing services.  In addition to ink on paper, Gerald can screen-print t-shirts and other apparel. They offer corporate logo embroidered apparel for businesses and schools. They print banners, posters, and other signage.  And they can source promotional products and ad specialties. 

Gerald Printing has been in business since 1971 and operates 7 locations in Kentucky and Tennessee. For more information, visit geraldprinting.com or find the Glasgow office on Facebook at facebook.com/GPGlasgow

Gerald Printing is the preferred print provider for the Edmonson Voice, Edmonson Chamber and Tourism, the Edmonson County Fair, and is a sponsor of ECHS sports.

The following letter was submitted to the Edmonson Voice from the family of Christian Goodroe seeking sponsorships for an upcoming event. We've published the full unedited letter below.

New construction, two bedroom four-plex apartments for rent. Appliances provided (refrigerator, stove, microwave & dishwasher). Two units are handicap accessible. Units include community picnic area with fire pit and creek surroundings.

Located in Chalybeate on Veterans Memorial Highway.

Ceiling fans in bedrooms, tray ceiling in main bedroom, tile bathroom floors. 

Absolutely no pets, no smoking inside residence. Units are available now. $750 per month with a $750 deposit. Call or text 270-792-5257 for application, or email [email protected].

​​Three students placed in the top five in their individual events: Danyale Atwell placed 5th in 9th grade Agriscience, Ava Kate Lich placed 1st in Division 1 Creative Writing, and Isabella Stewart placed 4th in 11th grade Language Arts. These students' performances qualify them for the National Beta Convention held in Oklahoma City June 19-22.

paid advertisement:

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service will offer a series of free webinars, Getting to Know Your Woodlands: A Primer for Beginners, on five successive Thursday evenings in February and March. The goal of the web-based series is to empower woodland owners to promote environmental and forest health through increased awareness, experience and access to resources.

Part of Woodland Stewards, a regional extension program for landowners, the series is made possible through a partnership of UK Forestry and Natural Resources Extension with a number of forestry extension units in surrounding states. While this first series is focused on those who are new to forest management, organizers have plans to continue this series over the next few years with the subject matter advancing as clients’ knowledge increases.

UK FNR extension will supply the series to participating county extension offices, with local agents hosting the gatherings. Each session will last from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET or 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CT. The technology allows participants at each site to ask questions of the experts. North Carolina State University will host the first four sessions, while the final session will have a Kentucky-specific focus and offer several presenters from Kentucky agencies and organizations that work with woodland owners.

“This is an excellent opportunity for people to receive a significant amount of information in a relatively short time, without having to drive great distances to attend,” said Billy Thomas, UK extension forester and one of the coordinators of the series. “With more than 30 county extension agents and offices hosting the series, it will be widely available. Given the numerous high-quality presenters, I know the series will be beneficial to those who own and enjoy woodlands across Kentucky.”

Sessions include:
Feb. 21—Getting to Know Your Woodlands. Southern forests are among the most diverse and productive in the world. Landowners will learn how natural and human forces have shaped the woodlands and the importance of developing management plans and practices on their forests. These county offices are participating: Barren, Breckinridge, Carroll, Casey, Clay, Edmonson, Elliott, Fayette, Grant, Harlan, Johnson, Lee, Letcher, Lewis, Lyon, Madison, Morgan, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Perry, Russell, Scott, Spencer, Taylor, Trimble and Wolfe.

Feb. 28—Managing Your Woodlands. Landowners attending this session will learn the basics on pine and hardwood management. Topics covered include growing and managing pines, from site selection to final harvest; basic characteristics of existing hardwood stands, evaluation methods potential, and basic decisions on future management; how to identify degraded hardwood stands, determine acceptable growing stock, and assess options available to make degraded hardwood stands more desirable, profitable and sustainable. Host extension offices include Allen, Barren, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Carroll, Casey, Clay, Edmonson, Elliott, Grant, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Lee, Letcher, Lewis, Lyon, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Perry, Russell, Scott, Spencer, Taylor and Trimble.

March 7 — Identifying and Managing Woodland Threats. Disease, insects and invasive plants all pose threats to woodlands. In this session, a team of experts will introduce participants to a few basic pest principles, present a model example of each threat, and offer some simple practices to help ensure woodlands remain healthy and productive. Host extension offices include Allen, Barren, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Carroll, Casey, Edmonson, Elliott, Grant, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Lee, Letcher, Lewis, Lyon, Madison, Menifee, Monroe, Morgan, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Perry, Russell, Scott, Spencer, Taylor and Trimble

March 14 — Wildlife and Woodlands. Managing wildlife is commonly ranked as a primary objective among landowners. This session will introduce participants to basic wildlife management principles and concepts and provide information on habitat requirements of various wildlife. These county offices are participating in the webinar: Allen, Barren, Boone, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Carroll, Clay, Edmonson, Elliott, Fayette, Grant, Hancock, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Lee, Letcher, Lewis, Lyon, Madison, Menifee, Monroe, Morgan, Nelson, Oldham, Perry, Russell, Scott, Taylor and Trimble.

March 21 —Forestry and Wildlife Assistance in Kentucky. An overview of the forestry and wildlife assistance available in Kentucky that will help landowners care for and get the most from your woodlands. Host county offices include Barren, Breckinridge, Carroll, Casey, Clay, Edmonson, Elliott, Fayette, Grant, Hancock, Harlan, Johnson, Lee, Letcher, Lewis, Lyon, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Nelson, Oldham, Pendleton, Perry, Russell, Scott, Spencer, Taylor, Trimble, and Wolfe.

Kentucky Master Loggers can also receive two continuing education credits for each session they attend at a hosting county extension office.

Interested participants may register through participating county extension offices. More information is available online at https://forestry.ca.uky.edu/webinars_upcoming or by contacting Billy Thomas at 859-257-9153 or [email protected] or the local county extension office.

UK Forestry and Natural Resources Extension is part of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Jointly with its land-grant partner, Kentucky State University, UK Cooperative Extension brings the university to the people in their local communities, addressing issues of importance to all Kentuckians.

We've had several calls and emails with those concerned about possible closings today, Saturday January 19, 2019 and for the extended weekend with the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.

Several local churches are monitoring the weather forecast for tonight and have yet to make a decision for Saturday night services; however, one church has already cancelled service for tonight:

• Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church (Miller Hill) has cancelled Saturday night services for January 19th due to the potential for severe winter weather. A decision for Sunday will be made later.
• South Union General Baptist: Saturday night and Sunday services cancelled for impending weather.
• County Clerk Kevin Alexander's Office is closed Saturday and will remain closed throughout the weekend due to the holiday. They have scheduled to reopen on Tuesday, January 22nd.
• Edmonson County Schools will be closed on Monday for the holiday; however, a makeup girl/boy basketball game at Whitesville against Trinity is still scheduled to be played. Tip off for the girls game is at 6pm.

While our office is closed today, you can still contact us via Facebook or email if you'd like to add any information on church or other event closings. 

In addition, each player took individual written tests in different subject areas and the following honors were taken home: 
Brody Johnson: 1st in state Language Arts
Jonas Miller: 2nd in state Social Studies
Emma Sackett: 5th in state Poetry

ECMS Principal Brandon Prunty said it was the school's first trip to the Junior Beta Convention in a number of years and the Quiz Bowl competition was an excellent way to get ECMS back into the event.

"First of all, I want to extend a big congratulations to these students for winning Junior Beta Quiz Bowl at the state level," he said. "It was a dominating performance from start to finish. We're looking forward to getting other students involved in the future and making this event an annual trip for ECMS." ​

by Senator Steve Meredith:​
The first week of the Kentucky General Assembly’s 2019 Regular Session is in the books. We had a productive few days in Frankfort and leave in good spirits about what is to come this session.
 
This week, the Senate’s activity involved some procedural measures. We welcomed everyone back to Frankfort to swear in members and confirm the Senate Leadership.  Senator Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) will remain the Senate President and Senator David Givens (R-Greensburg) will serve as the new Senate President Pro Tempore. We were also thrilled to officially welcome Senator Matt Castlen (R-Owensboro) and Senator Robby Mills (R-Henderson) as our newest members. Other tasks included confirming new committee appointments and adopting the Senate rules for the 2019 session.
 
Additionally, the Senate introduced legislation regarding electronic campaign filing, a constitutional amendment moving the statewide election date, and school safety.
 
Bills must be presented at a public committee meeting and passed with a majority vote before heading back to the Senate to be voted on by the entire Senate body. Once the Senate approves a Senate bill, it heads to the Kentucky House of Representatives where the same process occurs. The Senate has to agree to any changes the House makes to the bill before it is submitted to the Governor for his approval and is finally signed into law.
 
We have listened to the feedback of our constituents and the Senate majority has several priority bills that we would like to see ratified during the 2019 Regular Session.  Following the tragic 2018 shooting at Marshall County High School, legislators formed the bipartisan School Safety Working Group for the purpose of developing a solution to better ensure the safety of our schools in Kentucky. Senate Bill 1, the School Safety and Resiliency Act, sponsored by Senator Max Wise (R-Campbellsville), was drafted as a result of the findings of the working group. The Senate Majority is encouraged by the overwhelming support of this proposed legislation and we look forward to continuing discussion with the House on how to address this critical issue.
 
The Senate was able to pass five bills out of chamber in the initial week of session. By the third day, Senate Bill 5, sponsored by Senator Chris McDaniel (R-Taylor Mill) was passed out of the chamber by a 31-4 vote. This bill is a proposed amendment to the Kentucky Constitution to move the elections of statewide constitutional offices to even-numbered years. Several bills were voted on Friday morning. Senate Bill 4, sponsored by Senator Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) requires candidates to file all campaign finance reports electronically. Senate Bill 50, sponsored by Senator Robby Mills (R-Henderson), relates to the reporting of prescriptions designed to induce an abortion. Senate Bill 8, sponsored by Senator Steve West (R-Paris), relates to the quality of teacher tribunal hearings by requiring the chair to be a trained attorney in teacher employment law. Lastly, we passed Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Senator John Schickel (R-Union). This measure, also known as School Board Decision Making (SBDM) reform, redefines the minimum parent teacher representation on school councils and grants superintendents the ability to hire principals.
 
Due to a constitutional requirement, the General Assembly will adjourn for 3 weeks following the conclusion of the first part of session. The Senate will return to session on February 5th. In the meantime, we will continue to discuss legislative issues in committee meetings.
 
Bill summaries, amendments and resolutions, in addition to the next day’s committee-meeting schedule and agendas, are updated daily on the Kentucky Legislature’s home page at www.lrc.ky.gov throughout the session, with final adjournment scheduled for March 29.
  
If you have any questions or comments about the issues or any other public policy issue, please call me toll-free at 1-800-372-7181 or email me at [email protected].  You can also review the Legislature’s work online at www.lrc.ky.gov.

Moriah Peterson, story and photos:
Local 5th grader Hollie Key has been named the school and district winner of the AARP Kentucky Grandparent of the Year contest. This essay must be 300-500 words, handwritten, and explain why their grandparent deserves to be awarded Grandparent of the Year.  

The Kentucky Retired Teachers Association along with AARP will select winners from across the state. An overall winner will be named at the Kentucky Retired Teachers Association convention in April 2019.  The overall winner will read their essay at the Louisville convention and be awarded a certificate, plaque, and a $100 saving bond.

“My grandfather wakes me up and gets me ready for school every morning,” said Hollie Key. “He helps us with everything that he can.”  ​