Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.
 
Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible.
 
Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
 
The following are facts about tornadoes:

•       They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
•       They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
•       The average tornado moves southwest to northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
•       The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
•       Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
•       Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
•       Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months.
•       Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
•       Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.

 
What to do Before a Tornado
 
Be alert to changing weather conditions.

•        Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information.
•        Look for approaching storms
•        Look for the following danger signs:
•         Dark, often greenish sky
•         Large hail
•         A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
•         Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

 
If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

What to Do During a Tornado
 
If you are under a tornado WARNING, seek shelter immediately!

Edmonson County will be participating in the Cave Area Celebration to be held on April 13 at the Cave City Convention Center from 10 am to 6 PM. At the event we will be sharing information about things to do in Edmonson County, and others will be sharing information on things to do in Hart Co. and Barren Co.

“Some area stables and hotels will also have booths, and many other attractions will be represented,” said Rhonda Clemmons, Edmonson Tourism Director. The event is a function of the Caveland Marketing Association which is composed of Edmonson, Hart & Barren Chambers of Commerce, Tourism Commissions, and tourism related businesses.

Clemmons said the event is to educate area front line workers on things to do in the tri-county area, “ If a tourist stops at a business and asks for information, we want them to have the answers”, said Clemmons. She also added that front line workers are admitted for free.

Over $200 in cash door prizes will be given away. She said that all you have to do is sign in at front desk and tell them where you work and they will give you the event information.

According to Clemmons, each participant visits each booth to get their entry form signed. At the end, the form is to be turned in for a chance at the prize money. She said that you will also get a free area pass to go to many of the area attractions to experience them free of charge. Coupons will also be distributed. Concessions will be available. "We welcome anyone who works with the public to come join in the Cave Area Celebration," said Clemmons.

story and photos courtesy of Derek Curtis
On March 25 and 26, 2016, Edmonson County Boy Scout Troop 597 and Webelos Scouts from Edmonson County Pack 597 enjoyed a night of camping at the KOA in Horse Cave, Kentucky.  The scouts then enjoyed a morning at Hidden River Cave in Horse Cave, Kentucky zip lining and repelling into the mouth of Hidden River Cave. 

The Edmonson County Lion’s Club sponsors both Boy Scout Troop 597 and Cub Scout Pack 597.  For information pertaining to the Boy Scout Troop you can email the troop at [email protected] or message them on Facebook at Edmonson County Boy Scouts Troop 597.

The Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce has announced a Spring Luncheon to be held on Tuesday, April 12, 2016.

The event will be held at the Edmonson County Library on Ferguson Street from 11:30 am to 1 pm. “We picked this time period to give many a chance to stop by during their lunch break," said Chamber and Tourism Director Rhonda Clemmons.

The luncheon is free of charge and will feature chicken salad on croissant with fresh fruit.
 
The luncheon will also be a reception to visit with Bill and Cathy Canty and to thank them for their years of service to the Edmonson News and the people of Edmonson County. There will be a memory book that can be signed as a keepsake to the Canty’s as well as Edmonson News memorabilia on display.  
 
The Chamber will also recognize Lorama Davis for her years of volunteer service to the Edmonson County Chamber in maintaining the Chamber of Commerce web site. Lorama has passed the torch as webmaster to Darren Doyle, owner of Studio DD Media and EdmonsonVoice.com,  who will be revealing the new Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce web site that will offer the capability to purchase memberships directly online.
 
“We encourage everyone to stop by," said Director Clemmons.

Several local churches are celebrating the Easter Holiday this weekend with various services and activities.

Christian Home General Baptist Church will hold Easter sunrise service at 6:00 AM. Pastor is Rev. James Lindsey. Breakfast will follow the service, with Sunday school and the Easter egg hunt beginning at 9:30.

Otter Gap Missionary Baptist Church with have sunrise service at 6am with an egg hunt immediately after Sunday School starting at 10am. Bro. Steve Gipson is pastor.

South Union General Baptist will begin service at 10:30am, followed by an egg hunt and Easter dinner. Bro. Jonathan Hodges, Pastor.

Chalybeate United Baptist will hold sunrise service at 6am, Sunday School at 10am with an egg hunt immediately following. Bro. Richard Minton, pastor.

Community Church at Cedar Springs is having an Easter egg hunt and potluck Easter picnic at the Chalybeate Sports Complex on Saturday, March 26, Noon-2 pm. Everyone welcome. Hamburgers and hotdogs provided by the church. 

• There is an early morning Easter Service at Mammoth Cave Amphitheater at 7:00 am. Everyone is invited to this long standing tradition at Mammoth Cave. This service is sponsored by Community Church at Cedar Springs and Cave City Baptist Church. 
• Easter service at Community Church at Cedar Springs will feature the women's choir performing the Easter cantata "Worthy is the Lamb." Sunday School begins at 9:30 Church service begins at 10:30. Everyone invited.

Pleasant Union United Baptist Church will have sunrise service at 6am with plans of Bro. Kenny Decker to preach. Regular worship service at 10am (no Sunday School) Prayer Meeting has been cancelled for Sunday night. Brother JC Ramsey is pastor.

Bee Spring Missionary Baptist Church will have Easter Sunday Service at 11am. Everyone welcome.

by Michael Lee Meredith
As we close in on the final week of the 2016 Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, the Legislature is working day and night to finish conducting the people’s business, which includes passing a timely and fiscally responsible budget.
 
While the budget is clearly at the forefront of the legislative conversation at the moment, there is still other policy action going on within the halls of the Capitol. We are working hard to get some more good bills through the legislative process, which we hope will ultimately end with the Governor’s signature of approval. One bill that is especially of interest to our caucus focuses on two of the most important issues facing the Commonwealth: Our broken pension systems, and transparency in government.

Senate Bill 45 would be a good first start to confront both of these issues. This legislation would open up the pensions of legislators to public disclosure, giving taxpayers a look into the retirement benefits that members of the General Assembly receive. This bill has already passed the Senate unanimously, with complete bipartisan support, and just passed through the House State Government Committee this past week. While multiple members of the majority party cast nay votes on this common sense bill, it was still able to go through with bipartisan support. We are still holding out hope that House Leadership will allow a full vote on this bill, which represents the principles of transparency and accountability.
 
One bill that passed the House this week on a bipartisan basis is the “DUI lookback” bill. SB 56, which is now headed to the Governor’s desk, expands the look-back window for prior drunk driving offenses from 5 years to 10 years, for sentencing purposes. This bill would put into place additional deterrents to prevent those who drive recklessly from harming our children and families - a principle that rises above partisan politics.
While the executive branch and judicial branch budget passed the House last week, this week a road plan made it through the chamber. HB 305, and House Joint Resolution 91—which includes projects for the last four “out” years of the state’s 2016-2022 six year highway plan. The project funding, found in the House’s proposed Transportation Cabinet budget, or HB 304, would only be appropriated for road and bridge projects marked for funding between fiscal years 2016 and 2018. Those projects, which total $4.8 billion in road improvements across the Commonwealth, are detailed in HB 305.
 
Following House passage of the state’s operating budget of the next two years, the Senate passed their own budget this week, which strongly concurs in many ways with Governor Bevin’s proposal. While there are some differences, their budget commits to the conservative principles of fiscal responsibility, long-term budgeting, and protecting the most vulnerable among us while cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in government. Since there are such serious disagreements among the House and Senate, leadership of both bodies are meeting daily in Conference Committee, in order to hammer out a compromise budget to send to the Governor.
 
The remaining legislative days, which includes time to override any potential vetoes from Governor Bevin, will be spent working on required legislation, like the budget, and passing other priority bills.
 
As always, I welcome your comments and concerns on any issues facing our Commonwealth during the 2016 Regular Session. I can be reached through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181, or you can contact me via email at [email protected]. You can keep track of committee meetings and potential legislation through the Kentucky Legislature Home Page at www.lrc.ky.gov.
​

by Beth Cook, Mammoth Cave Transplants
Spring is finally here!  We have all been busy getting our gardens ready for new plantings like flowers, vegetables, and trees. But what about the plants we already have?  Most just need a good cleaning up and they are good to go but fruit trees need a little more TLC than most. Especially if you want to have a good harvest!

Fruit tree maintenance needs to start early in the Spring to help prevent pests and disease. Two rules for spraying fruit trees is to be consistent and persistent!

In early Spring before buds swell, fruit trees need to be sprayed with a dormant oil spray. This helps to prevent scale insects and other problems.The first regular spray of the year is applied when the green tissue is ½ inch out of the bud. This spray for homeowners usually consists of a multipurpose fruit spray. These have both a pesticide and fungicide.

A second application should be made just before buds open. This application should take place 10-14 days after the first application. The next application should take place after the petals of the blooms fall off. You should NOT spray the the trees when they are in bloom.The spray will harm and kill bees and other insects that are pollinating the flowers, which reduces the tree’s yield. In about a week to 10 days apply a “cover” spray. This is when all of the leaves are out and you need to cover both sides of the leaves as well as the leaves in the center of the canopy. 

​Continue to apply cover sprays every 10 -14 days through the summer. Stop applying chemicals two weeks before harvest begins. After harvest be sure to wash all fruit that have been treated.

Keeping a regular spraying schedule for your fruit trees should help in having a bountiful harvest! We carry a variety of sprays and chemicals to aid you in the care for your trees. But be sure to always follow the instructions that come with the spray you select.

“The tree that are slow to grow, bear the best fruit” ~ Molire ​

brought to you by Mammoth Cave Transplants, 270-597-2533

The Edmonson County Board of Education met March 14, 2016.  Edmonson County Middle School Principal Mr. Brandon Prunty recognized the following with Certificates of Appreciation: Left to Right: Marilyn Hopkins, Krissie Booker, Dalton Webb, Houston Vincent, Elijah Pedigo, Brandon Prunty, Macie Glass, Jada Burris, McKayla Bradford, Larry Bean

by State Rep. Michael Lee Meredith
​The focal point of the 2016 Legislative Session is the Executive Branch budget, which took one more step this week in the legislative process as it passed the Kentucky House of Representatives on a strict party line vote. Due to the fact that copies of the over 200 page bill were not given to members until the morning of the vote, giving only a few short hours to study the proposal, and the fact that majority leadership shut down the consideration of all but one amendment, 47 of the 100 House members abstained from voting on the bill. 
 
Early this week I was part of a group that introduced a budget plan for the next two years. We worked tirelessly to present a budget which will address our pension liability, while living within our means. Our budget plan, and other adjustments, enabled us to present a plan that would restore funding to many important programs in the Commonwealth, without increasing debt or filling holes in the budget with one time money.
 
The budget group I was a part of included the restoration of cuts to several important areas, including education, coal severance, local jails, public protection, and veteran’s services, to name a few.  Specifically the proposal included language increasing state aid funding for volunteer fire departments from $8250 a year to $11,000 a year and language which commits to funding the state’s cost share for a new veteran’s nursing home in Bowling Green.  This project is on a national priority funding list, but Kentucky must commit to its cost share before the project can move forward.
 
Prior to announcing our full budget plan, our budget group also introduced a plan to pay down the unfunded liabilities of public pensions and provide long-term stability to current and future retirees. The funding source will in no way borrow any additional money, but will be provided from current and future revenue projections, and without using any funds from the Permanent Fund the Governor proposed to address future pension and employee healthcare issues.
 
The new pension plan model will follow strict guidelines and must be established in law to be permanent and effective. Pension plans must provide stability to the systems and their members, they must be elastic, and not be a set percentage of payroll. The plan we proposed will be less expensive and less risky than an approach that relies on bonding. 
 
Despite our budget and pension plans, House Majority Leadership chose to pass a different proposal. The $21 billion budget plan in House Bill 303, approved in the chamber by a vote of 53-0, retains the budget stabilization cuts for most state agencies as proposed by Governor Matt Bevin. The plan does not include the “Kentucky Permanent Fund” proposed by the Governor to fund pensions and employee healthcare in the future. That fund would have received a transfer of $500 million over the biennium, however this one time money is used to pay recurring expenses in the version of HB 303 that was passed this week.
 
This is a broad overview of the House budget proposal, which is now in the Senate’s hands and will be amended before the session ends. As is the usual practice, the budget proposal will go to a conference committee where House and Senate will attempt to negotiate their differences.
 
Only three House bills had made it to the Governor’s desk for his signature as of Thursday morning. They are:
 
-          HB 204, which would allow graduation from a nonaccredited or noncertified school meeting standards set by the Department of Education, a GED, or graduation from the external diploma program to cover the high school graduation requirement for law enforcement personnel.
-          HB 175, signed by the Governor on March 7, which was sponsored by me and provides updated references to federal agencies regarding federal peace officers who are granted concurrent state authority.
-          HB 237, signed by the Governor on March 14, which clarifies local property tax exemptions for data centers.
 
The next five legislative days will be spent working on required legislation, like the budget, and passing other bills that lawmakers see as priorities. The following week will look quite different: March 28 and 29 are marked on the legislative calendar as “concurrence” days, which means they are intended only for floor passage of bills from the opposite chamber—the House would only consider Senate bills, and vice versa. The Governor’s veto recess is scheduled to follow for 10 days, excluding Sundays, beginning on March 30, with the final two days of session still scheduled for April 11 and 12.
 
As always, I welcome your comments and concerns on any issues facing our Commonwealth during the 2016 Regular Session. I can be reached through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181, or you can contact me via email at [email protected]. You can keep track of committee meetings and potential legislation through the Kentucky Legislature Home Page at www.lrc.ky.gov.

Edmonson Voice Staff
Over a dozen volunteers braved the damp, chilly air on Saturday as they first met at Chalybeate Park, then HWY  70 for a total clean up effort, sponsored by Edmonson County Parks and Rec.

Program Administrator Greg Hudson was pleased with the turnout and expressed his gratitude to all the volunteers.

"When the community helps, it truly makes a big difference," he said. "This allows the Parks & Rec staff to work on ohter areas of maintenance and devote more time to events like the Easter Egg Hunt next weekend and youth sports."

Hudson said that the organization has worked hard at creating and implementing new programs this year, and there's already quite a buzz built for the March 26 Community Easter Egg Hunt. Parks & Rec is expecting a huge turnout for the first-year event.

After a very enjoyable, entertaining, and rewarding learning year, not only for the players, parents, and coaches, but also the first year board, we all realized that the wins and losses meant nothing. They are only bragging rights. What we're trying to accomplish in our small way is aiding our children, along with Edmonson County, be better prepared when it comes time to compete with other schools. 

I would like to thank the parents, coaches, and children who made this such a successful year by your hard work and dedication. I would also like to thank the people who worked at the practices and games for always being there, willing to do whatever was asked of them. 

A special thank you goes to the Edmonson County school system for the use of their facilities! Thank you to the board members who stepped up when and where they were needed. Without your help, I could not have handled it all.

A very special thank you to Greg Hudson who worked with us in an advisory position, letting us learn from our mistakes along the way, but always willing to help. 

We will have board elections for next fall on April 12th at 6pm at the Edmonson County Community Center. We encourage all coaches, parents, and concerned citizens to attend this meeting ad help elect your basketball board. Please make plans to attend!

Thanks for everything!
Benny Decker,
Board President

by Fallon Willoughby, 
AmeriCorps Kentucky College Coach, ECHS
When I first began working as a tutor at the Alice Rowe Learning Assistance Center (LAC) at WKU, many of the people I helped were nontraditional students.  While “Nontraditional Students” is a broad term that covers things such as a student who is married, or has children, often for us it referred to adults who were returning to college to earn their degree.
 
I heard many powerful stories tutoring folks, and they became my favorite students to help. One man, who was a successful realtor, came back in his 60s simply because he had never had the chance before.  He had been drafted into the Vietnam War, and when he came back he was not able to. Coming to us for help with his math class, he was a great student and graduated with his degree. Another lady was coming back, and going to classes even though she was battling cancer. I helped veterans, and women who were coming to get a degree after a divorce so they could have a better job. 
 
I heard many various stories. But they all had one thing in common. These were people who had made the decision to do something they wanted, if not needed. They worked towards their goal. They had already overcome so many obstacles in their life, they had wonderful and heartbreaking stories. Working hard was something that was not new to them. When faced with a challenge or having difficulty in class, they came to those who could help them.  They did not try to do it alone.
 
It is never too late to try and reach your dreams.  I learned this very important lesson from so many.  It was a wonderful feeling to have them come back and tell me that because of their help they got an A on that math test. Or because of the LAC, they passed the final class they had to graduate.  We worked hard to help them.  There are many people out there who will help you along your own path to your dream.
 
If that dream involves going back to school, you should attend our Adult Education night at the Edmonson County Public Library. It will be on March 24th at 6 pm.  Audrey Price, an outreach counselor for Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) will be presenting about returning to school. John Roberts from Glasgow WKU, and Penny Poteet from the Education Outreach Center at WKU will both be there as well.  It will be a great night to come learn about the opportunities available to you, as well as learning about the process. 
 
Attend our Adult Education Night!
Guest Speaker: Audrey Price, Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) Outreach Counselor
Guests:  John Roberts, Glasgow WKU; Penny Poteet, Educational Outreach Counselor
Location: Edmonson County Public Library, 503 Washington St, Brownsville, KY 42210
Date: March 24th 2016          Time: 6:00 pm

Luke Jaggers, a seventh grade student  at ECMS, will star as Robin Hood in the upcoming play "Robin Hood," by Greg Banks at VanMeter Auditorium. He is the son of Kenya Jaggers and Tony Jaggers, both of Brownsville. 

Sponsored by BG OnStage, school performances will show on March 16 at 9:30 am, and March 18 at 9:15 am.

Public Performances: March 17 & 18 at 6:30 pm. Recommended for All Ages (4 and up), Run Time is 60 Minutes. 

“Robin Hood” by Greg Banks
Be sure to attend this hilarious audience-interactive adaptation of the classic tale, “Robin Hood!” High-powered and action-packed, this is not your yeomanly tale of yore, but a lean, mean swordfight-fueled story of good vs. evil. Blink, and you’ll miss something: a sharp joke, a sly jab, or a treacherous attack!

“Robin Hood” By Greg Banks Produced by special arrangement with Plays For Young Audiences
Reserve Your Seat Today!

courtesy of EC Academic Team
The Edmonson County 5/6 Center academic team won the KAAC Governor’s Cup Region 10 elementary championship.  Cub Run Elementary School hosted the competition among schools from the Barren County, Edmonson County, Glasgow Independent, Hart County, and Monroe County school districts on Saturday, March 12, 2016. 
​
The 5/6 Center team earned 25 team points from testing events and quick recall.  Brody Johnson placed first in language arts testing, as well as placing first in arts and humanities testing.  Jonas Miller earned second place in social studies testing.  Ethan Edwards finished third in social studies testing. The testing placements accounted for 17 of the team’s 25 points with the remaining points coming from a first place finish in quick recall.

In round one, the 5/6 Center team faced Temple Hill Elementary from Barren County.  Temple Hill held a 9 to 3 lead at the mid point of the first half.  Following a timeout by the Edmonson County coaches, the 5/6 Center Wildcats went on a 14 to 0 scoring run and held a 17 to 9 lead at half time.  In the second half, the 5/6 Center team continued to play well and won by a final score of 36 to 18.

The Edmonson County team faced South Green Elementary School from Glasgow in round two of the quick recall competition.   The 5/6 Center never trailed in the game and held a 19 to 0 lead at half time.  The 5/6 Center finished the game with a 32 to 7 victory. 

After having a bye, the 5/6 Center team faced Cub Run Elementary in round four.  The Edmonson County team raced to a 10 to 0 lead before Cub Run scored.  At half time, the 5/6 Center team held a 21 to 5 lead.  The pace slowed somewhat in the second half, but the Wildcats ended the game with a 31 to 13 victory.  The victory guaranteed the 5/6 Center team a spot in the regional quick recall championship game.

The 5/6 Center team faced Temple Hill again in the championship game.  Unlike the earlier game between the two schools, the 5/6 Center team dominated the contest.  Our Wildcats correctly answered the first 18 questions of the game to take an 18 to 0 lead.  At half time, the 5/6 Center team had a 25 to 3 lead.  The game concluded with a 35 to 10 victory for the 5/6 Center. 

Coach Greg Grey made the following statement:

by Michael Lee Meredith
The men and women who served in World War II are our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. They are also our heroes—members of “The Greatest Generation” that grew out of the Great Depression and went on to win the world’s freedom in battle and on the home front.

On Monday, six distinguished WWII veterans came before the Kentucky House to be recognized for their service. The five men and one woman who we had the honor to recognize are among 8,892 Kentucky WWII veterans. They are also among the 16 million Americans who served in the war, many of whom have passed on in the 70 years since the war ended. It was truly our honor to be able to recognize these veterans and to pay tribute to all of Kentucky’s brave WWII veterans through the adoption of Legislative Citation 74.
 
Several modern-day military heroes, who were killed in service to their country, were also recognized by the House on Monday. Families of some of these heroes were present as the House conducted a somber ceremony honoring the lives of the soldiers and their loved ones. It was a time of both reflection and respect.
 
Though we are already three-fourths of the way through this session, members just began voting on budget bills in the Appropriations and Revenue Committee this past week. Since we don’t expect House Leadership to unveil their budget proposal until next week, members were only able to vote on Governor Matt Bevin’s original budget proposal.
 
The Kentucky Constitution requires us to pass a balanced budget. We owe it to you, the hardworking taxpayer, to get this done, and to do it in a way that respects the precious dollars you send to us. We have a $20 billion biennial budget, and we must reign in our spending, prioritizing what is most important. Among other things, we must pass a budget that addresses the unfunded liabilities in our pension systems.

While we are willing to work in a bipartisan manner to potentially restore some of the cuts to education proposed by Governor Bevin, those would have to be offset by responsible savings in other areas. We will not accept a budget that borrows money from our children and grandchildren to deal with today’s problems.  Doing so would be irresponsible.

In other news, a critical, bipartisan bill sailed through the House this week, 96-0. House Bill 217, also called the Concussion Bill, clarifies the circumstances in which a high school athlete suspected of having a concussion can return to play. This bill allows officials to remove a student athlete from a game if they have already been removed once, and the official believes that further evaluation is needed.

House Bill 314 also overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives this week. This bill allows off-duty and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms at any location where on-duty officers can. Allowing firearms to be in the hands of law enforcement officers at all times is an easy way to protect against violent criminals.

On Friday, the House also passed House Bill 458, a bill I cosponsored, on a vote of 91-1.  HB 458 allows local pharmacies to be able to compete and keep the business of many of their patients who were being forced, by their health plans, to use mail order pharmacies to fill needed prescriptions.  The bill would also allow local pharmacies to compete with mail order on specialty drugs that they have the capability to dispense.  Our local pharmacies play a pivotal role in Kentucky, providing employment and valuable counseling and information to customers on their medical conditions.  They also give back to our communities through sponsorships and volunteer work.  I am proud to support HB 458 to keep healthcare dollars spent by Kentuckians here in the Commonwealth.

As this session continues, I am committed to working with members of both parties to produce a budget that is responsible, conservative, and balanced.  I pledge to work as hard as I can to produce a timely budget. This, along with the moving of some final pieces of legislation, will take up the rest of our time in the 2016 session.

As always, I welcome your comments and concerns on any issues facing our Commonwealth during the 2016 Regular Session. I can be reached through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181, or you can contact me via email at Michael.[email protected].  You can keep track of committee meetings and potential legislation through the Kentucky Legislature Home Page at www.lrc.ky.gov.

by Beth Cook, Mammoth Cave Transplants
Spring is soon to be here! There are lots to be done in preparation for the new growing season! In early spring there are a few sure things to do, like cleanup tasks and plant maintenance. Use these tips and pay a visit to your garden, tend to what’s already there, and of course, plant a few things, too! So let's get started!

Spring Tip #1: Prune those roses!
Roses need to be pruned now before they start to leaf out.
Spring Tip #2: Cut back Ornamental Grasses
Now is also the time to cut back ornamental grasses to 2–3 inches to allow new growth. If new growth has already started, cut back to where the new growth has begun.
Spring Tip #3: Cut back and clean Perennials
Cut back and clean up perennial skeletons from last year.
Spring Tip #4:Divide Summer Perennials
Dig up and divide perennials such as hostas, daylilies, Shasta daisies , ornamental grasses, and other summer blooming perennials.
Spring Tip #5: Prune Dead and Diseased branches
Prune away dead, disease, weak, and crossed branches on trees and shrubs. Also remove suckers from trees.
Spring Tip #6: Apply Dormant Oil Spray
Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees, magnolias, crabapples and shrubs such as euonymus to control scale insects and other overwintering pests. Use this organic pest control method when the buds are swelling but the leaves haven't opened yet. Apply when temperatures are between 40 and 70 degrees F.
Spring Tip #7:Re-seed and Repair your lawn.
Re-seed and repair bare and damaged patches in your lawn.
Spring Tip #8: Plant your Cole crops
Vegetables such as Cabbage, Onions, Peas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and potatoes can been planted now as well as sowing radish, lettuce seeds and other greens.
Spring Tip #9: Plant cool weather Annuals
Plants that can handle the cooler temps like Pansies, Viola’s, Dianthus, and Snapdragons can be planted now to give you some color and curb appeal.
Spring Tip #10: Plan and dream!
Spend the first days of spring in your yard making plans for the coming year. Enjoy the sunshine and fresh air and savor in the excitement that only spring can bring.

While we are all antsy to get our hands dirty and to start the planting season, it is still too early here in Kentucky to plant some of our many beloved flowers and vegetables. We need to wait until the chance for frost is gone. March is notoriously unpredictable. There may still be chilly nights to come, so don’t get ahead of yourself. Happy Gardening from Mammoth Cave Transplants!

"Spring is the time of plan and projects" Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Oft times, bets are placed on this game, not in terms of money, but of pride. This was the case as two local men, Jason Cline, a Louisville fan, and Derrick Vincent, a UK fan placed a friendly wager where the fan of the losing team would be forced to wear a cheerleader's skirt from the opponent in a public place.

Cline held up his end of the deal after the Louisville loss and dressed the part. He also stood in front of the Bowling Green Best Buy store, facing Campbell Lane on Friday, February 13th for an hour holding a sign that read, "This is what happens when UK beats UL."

Needless to say, Cline was a good sport and a great laugh was had by all. ​Will the stakes be higher next year? Maybe a bikini instead of a cheerleading uniform? Actually, on second thought...

photos courtesy of Ashlee Jaggers

Make plans to attend "Girls Day Out"
March 12, 2016, 10am-4pm
Sloan Convention Center
1021 Wilkinson Trace
Bowling Green, KY
FREE ADMISSION!
Join us for a fun-filled day of fashion, free gifts and fabulous products. 
www.facebook.com/GirlsDayOutBG