By: Holly Wiemers

Eastern tent caterpillars have begun to hatch, with the first detections in Southern Kentucky last week.  According to entomologists in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, the caterpillars, which can cause foal losses, are expected in Central Kentucky by this or next week and Northern Kentucky a few days to a week after that. 
 
After spending about nine months as eggs in masses on twigs of wild cherry and related trees, the first tiny eastern tent caterpillars of the season are now leaving their eggs said Jonathan Larson, UK extension entomologist. The egg hatch normally occurs at 50% bloom of forsythia, the interval between first and full bloom of the common spring-blooming plant.

The larvae are among spring’s first active insects and are well-equipped to cope with Kentucky’s erratic temperature swings. Egg hatch occurs over several weeks in early spring. This increases the chance for survival in case of late freezes. The caterpillars grow and develop when the temperature is above 37 degrees F. Their preferred food plants are wild cherry, apple and crabapple, but they may appear on hawthorn, maple, cherry, peach, pear and plum as well. 

When mature, the 2- to 2.5-inch long, hairy caterpillars have a habit of wandering from their host trees to seek protected areas to spin their cocoons, or to seek additional food if their natal tree becomes defoliated. At such times, they may crawl along fence lines and into pastures. 

Consumption of large numbers of caterpillars by pregnant mares caused staggering foal losses in the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome outbreak of 1999-2001. MRLS can cause early- and late-term foal losses or weak foals. UK researchers conducted studies that revealed horses will inadvertently eat the caterpillars when present in pastures and feedstuffs. It is the caterpillar hairs, specifically the cuticles of those hairs, that embed into the lining of the horse’s alimentary tract. Once that protective barrier is breached, normal alimentary tract bacteria may gain access to and reproduce in sites with reduced immunity, such as the fetus and placenta. 

If practical, farm managers should move pregnant mares from areas where wild cherry trees are abundant to minimize the chance of caterpillar exposure. The threat is greatest when the mature caterpillars leave trees and wander to find places to pupate and transform to the moth stage. 

Eastern tent caterpillars are also a nuisance to people living near heavily infested trees. The nests and defoliation are unsightly, and the caterpillars may wander hundreds of yards in search of protected sites to spin cocoons and pupate. 

“Managing ETC in small ornamental trees, such as flowering crabapples, is easy,” said Daniel Potter, UK entomology professor “Just wear a pair of grocery store plastic bags like mittens, climb a stepladder, pull out the tents, turn the bags inside out to ‘bag’ the caterpillars and stomp them. Pruning out nests in ornamental trees sounds great, but in reality, by the time they are noticed, they’re often in branch crotches where pruning will compromise the symmetry of the tree. 

“Spraying the flowering fruit and decorative trees preferred by the caterpillars can be a bee hazard – and with some products, a label violation – because the trees are in bloom with bees visiting them at the same time eastern tent caterpillars are active,” he said. 

According to Potter, caterpillar management around horse farm paddocks comes down to keeping pregnant mares away from infested trees and either removing or not planting preferred host trees near paddocks. Additionally, controlling the caterpillars with insecticides may be warranted in some settings. That may require treating tall trees that are difficult to spray. 

For the latter scenario, professional arborists treat via trunk injection. Products labeled for eastern tent caterpillar control include Tree-äge and TreeMec (emamectin benzoate), Inject-A-Cide B (Bidrin), Abacide 2 (abamectin) and Lepitect (acephate). Applicators should read and follow all label instructions. All of the aforementioned injectable products are labeled for use on horse farms. 

For farms that are interested in prevention over the winter months, Larson recommended farms search for and destroy egg masses before they hatch.  

“Egg masses can be seen over the winter, they look like sparkly, pyrite gum wrapped around twigs and branches,” he said.  

For more information about how to assess trees for egg masses, the UK Entomology publication, Checking Eastern Tent Caterpillar Egg Masses, is available at https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef449. 

Contact: 
Jonathan Larson, [email protected]; Holly Wiemers, [email protected]
 
Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability. UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND KENTUCKY COUNTIES, COOPERATING.

The Edmonson County Sheriff's Office has announced that the deadline to pay 2021 Property Taxes is Monday, April 18, 2022.

Please plan ahead: The front office will be CLOSED April 1st (mandatory vehicle inspection staff training) and April 15th (in observance of Good Friday).

Mailed payments must be postmarked by the USPS if received after April 18th. Access our website: www.edmonsonsheriff.com to pay online with a credit card or E-check.

Those with any questions can call the Sheriff's Office at 270-597-2157.

Edmonson Voice Report:
Two local brothers continue to keep the bar raised high as their success is making several proud.

Junior Brody Johnson and 8th Grader Brayden Johnson, both brothers, have recently added more accolades to their growing resumes.

The Kentucky Association for Academic Competition (KAAC) developed a general knowledge test for all academic team students across the Commonwealth. This test covers content from every KAAC subject area (math, science, social studies, language arts, and humanities). There are more than 20,000 students that participate in academic competitions in the state of Kentucky and each of them were presented with the opportunity to compete in this event on Thursday, March 24th. KAAC said that they had a record number of participants this season for the general knowledge competition. After the scores were tallied, two students from Edmonson County placed in the top 10 of their respective divisions.

Brayden Johnson placed 10th in the state with a score of 41 out of 50 on the test and 7 out of 10 on the tiebreaker questions.

Brody Johnson won the general knowledge state championship for the high school division with a score of 46 out of 50 and 7 out of 10 on the tiebreaker questions.

Brody and Brayden are the sons of Brad and Jodi Johnson of Bee Spring.

Brayden is also a standout on the ECHS Tennis Team, which is in its first full-year of formation. He was the only team member last year and is leading the way as teammates have been added to the roster for the first time in 2022.

Brody currently attends the prestigious Gatton Academy at WKU.

“I am extremely proud of both Brody and Brayden, said Head Academic Team Coach Nick Skaggs. "They have worked so hard and have helped Edmonson County reach national success in academic team competitions throughout their careers. They deserve this recognition and I am proud of their accomplishments.”

Come join SEE PTO this Thursday 5-7pm in SEE Cafeteria for their first ever Cookies and Canvases night. For $10, you get a canvas, access to three different templates (see attached flyer), paints and brushes, 2 cookies and a drink. Please dress accordingly.

Week 11 of the 2022 regular session was unique in that the General Assembly gaveled in for a historical day of session at the Old State Capitol. The Old Kentucky State Capitol was the third statehouse, built in 1830 following devastating fires in the previous two. It was designed by native architect Gideon Shryock in the classical Greek Revival style, modeled after the Temple of Minerva and used until 1910 when the current Capitol was built.  It is a beautiful building, steeped in history and rich with artifacts of days gone by.
 
Used during the Civil War, it was restored in the style of that era and replenished with historical relics of that time. Upon renovation in 1920, when the Kentucky Historical Society moved into the building, the Senate chamber was furnished with 1830s replica desks and chairs after discovering descriptions in the 1830 Senate Journal. Original to the building are the enormous iron 1840s era chandeliers and the hand-blown stained glass window panes. Walking in through the massive doors and into the marble rotunda is truly awe-inspiring; it’s astounding to believe that the commonwealth is home to such a beautiful structure.
 
The Old State Capitol was home to some of Kentucky’s richest political history, including prominent speeches by Henry Clay, Isaac Shelby, and Thomas Metcalfe. It was also witness to the assassination of governor-elect William Goebel in 1899, which a plaque now marks.
 
As a lifelong student of our great commonwealth’s history, this was truly a special experience for me. If you have never toured Kentucky’s Old State Capitol, I highly recommend you go.
 
The Senate experienced a bit of this history on Tuesday, when stories were told and history recounted through ruminations and floor speeches. Sen. Donald Douglas (R-Nicholasville) gave a moving speech about the symbolism of being an African American man elected to office and having the opportunity to stand and give a floor speech in a historic structure previously built by slaves. Senators Brandon Smith (R-London), Jimmy Higdon (R-Lebanon), and Phillip Wheeler (R-Pikeville) stood and spoke about historical figures either from their districts or families who had traveled to the Old Capitol for political business back in their day. It was a memorable day, not only fun but fascinating for those who love both state politics and history.
 
Three Senate bills landed on the Governor’s desk and were signed into law this week.
 
Senate Bill 64 was sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson and allows any public agency to establish a peer support counseling program for Kentucky’s public safety officers who have faced a traumatic, emotional, or difficult incident while on duty.
 
Senate Bill 140, sponsored by Sen. Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) will make it possible for patients to take the specific medication their doctor prescribed instead of having to start with the generic medicine insurance companies prefer.
 
In addition to the excitement of Old Capitol Day, the General Assembly began negotiations over the biennial state budget this week. Every two years, both the House and Senate pass a budget for the following two years, a process in both procedure and tradition. At the conclusion of each day, the leadership of each chamber, budget chairmen, and select caucus members came together in a conference committee to negotiate what will become the state’s budget. The first conference committee kicked off Wednesday evening followed by the second one on Thursday. These hearings are broadcast live on KET each day and can be viewed by all residents.

Senate Bill 315, sponsored by Sen. Robby Mills (R-Henderson), aims to tackle cleaning up Kentucky’s nearly 14,000 abandoned oil and gas wells. Under the federal government’s new infrastructure bill, Kentucky is eligible to apply for $105 million in federal grants to address this often forgotten issue.

This legislation will update the definition of an “orphan well” to include any oil or gas well which has been determined by the Energy and Environment Cabinet to be abandoned or improperly closed, and that all owners or operators with legal responsibility for the well are determined to be financially insolvent after the cabinet conducts a reasonable investigation. Doing so will ensure that Kentucky receives the maximum funding from these grants.

One of the main features of this bill will require that contracts awarded for the “orphan well” remediation be capped at 25 wells per contract. By doing so, this will allow for small contractors, vendors, and companies in the region to make competitive bids, creating much needed jobs and boosting the economy in the region.

The second tranche of funds totaling $75 million was released to Western Kentucky Relief Funds in SB 150.  While Mills sponsored the bill, the positive effects will touch Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 32, where the tornado tore through the commonwealth in December 2021.   

SB 321, sponsored by Senator Wise from District 16, represents an incremental change in how and when an abortion can occur. While it does not completely abolish abortions in Kentucky, it is one step closer to a day that thousands of Kentucky children will be saved from premature deaths.

As a lifelong champion of the unborn, I feel that this was one of the most important votes that I made this session.

Even as we celebrated Kentucky’s fascinating past, we looked into the future as the Senate passed legislation through SB 347 to do our part in the national roll-out of electric motor vehicle charging stations.  With HB 392, we set up state regulation of so-called “solar farms,” including where large solar electric generation fields could be located and ways to assure the land under them is returned to good use when they are decommissioned after about 20 years of operation.

We also spent a lot of time promoting trade workers this week with HB 192, which helps folks employed in electrical installation and elevator repair; HB 249, which helps those employed in  the heating and air industry; and SB 113, which pertains to certain hair blow-drying services. Also affecting many Kentuckians was legislation relating to hunter education in SB 241.

On family related issues, we passed SB 95 to help women dealing with postpartum depression. We also increased penalties on those who commit crimes against children under 12 years of age and required law enforcement to collect data relating to domestic violence so we can address that scourge in a more informed way with SB 271.
 
As always, it’s an honor to represent the residents of the 5th District here in our commonwealth’s Capitol. If you have any questions or comments about these issues or any other public policy issue, please contact 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.legislature.ky.gov.

Madison Doyle, story:

On Monday in Louisville, the Edmonson County Middle School academic team participated in the Governor's Cup. Established in 1985, KAAC (Kentucky Association for Academic Competition) now serves over 20,000 students and nearly 1200 schools at over 400 competitions each year.

Eighth grader Brayden Johnson, son of Brad and Jodi Johnson of Bee Spring, placed 8th in the entire state in the Language Arts category, and was awarded a trophy and a medallion by Governor Andy Beshear.

Over 130 students tested in the competition today. Johnson did not only place in the state, but also placed 1st in the district and 2nd in region to qualify as a state finalist.

by Representative Michael Lee Meredith:

Between legislative committee meetings, House Floor debates, and visiting with constituents, this week has been a very busy one in our State Capitol building. However, we still have a great deal of work to do, and the remaining legislative days promise a rapid pace. As I write this, we have less than 14 session days remaining in the 2022 Regular Session. In the next couple of weeks, we will pass legislation on the executive branch budget, tax modernization, child care assistance, and the transportation budget.
Here are a few examples of the legislation passed this week:
 
Lowering Motor Vehicle Taxes: Following unanimous passage in both chambers, legislation that would permanently lower motor vehicle taxes for Kentuckians was signed into law. HB 6 would ensure Property Value Administrators (PVAs) under the Kentucky Department of Revenue only use the average trade-in value, not the clean trade-in value, as the standard when assessing the value of motor vehicles for tax purposes.
 
Increasing Access to Law Enforcement Training: Members of the House approved HB 565, which would allow 10 percent of basic training and 30 percent of annual training for police officers to be given virtually. This measure will free up class space allowing officers to receive their training sooner. Currently, it takes officers several months to get into training courses due to the backlog.
 
Scaling Back on Masking: Legislation providing parents the right to opt their students out of mask mandates in Kentucky’s school and child care settings passed the House this week. HB 51 gives parents the option to send their children to school with or without facial coverings at all levels of education, from child care centers and public K-12 schools to higher education institutions.
 
Strategy to Recruit and Retain Teachers: Legislation aimed at addressing Kentucky’s teacher shortage passed the House Education Committee Wednesday. HB 277 creates a new alternative license expediting teaching certification programs in Kentucky. The measure creates a new pathway for recruiting potential teachers outside of the education field to the state’s most under-resourced school districts.
 
Protecting Second Amendment Rights: This week, HB 29 passed on the House floor. This measure is meant to prohibit identified entities from enforcing federal firearm bans. HB 29 would prevent any federal firearm regulations enacted after January 1, 2022, from being enforced with Kentucky tax dollars or taxpayer dollars. Across the United States, 15 states have enacted similar legislation.
 
Protection of Personal Health Information: This week, HB 28 passed on the House floor. This measure would protect public employees from having to disclose their vaccination status.
 
Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s update. I appreciate that our local media is willing to run these columns and, of course, hope you’ll let me know if you have any comments or questions. I can be reached during the week from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (EST) through the toll-free message line at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via e-mail at [email protected]. You can keep track of committee meetings and potential legislation through the Kentucky Legislature Home Page at legislature.ky.gov

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce hosted another ribbon cutting today, the third one in two weeks, as BGB Cafe celebrated their grand opening.

Owner Jamie Perry, welcomed everyone in attendance, which included chamber members, public officials, and local residents looking for some home-cooked meals and specialty coffees.

While the Brownsville cafe has been in business since February 1st of this year, today was set aside for the special opening of her business in the Creations building near the Brownsville Square.

"We do specialty coffees, I do boba teas, we prepare lunch Tuesday through Fridays and it's all homemade foods," she said. "We have desserts that are also homemade. We also have a small breakfast available in the mornings."

The cafe is open Tuesday through Friday, 7:30AM until 4:00PM and a limited menu is available on Saturday's, 9AM to 2PM.

Arguably, the cafe's biggest conveniences are mobile paying options for curbside delivery, regular delivery to your home or business (Brownsville city limits and localized area for a small fee), and easy call-ahead orders for takeout.

The cafe also features freshly-roasted coffee from Ridley Roasthouse in Bowling Green. The coffee roaster has been in business for 5 years and they roast imported coffee beans themselves.

You can call BGB Cafe for orders at 270-297-7120 or click here to visit their Facebook Page.

by Senator Steve Meredith:

As time springs forward, so too has the 2022 biennial state budget as various state budget bills (executive, legislative and judicial) crossed significant milestones in week 10.

The state Senate officially placed its fingerprint onto the most significant budget related bill, the executive branch’s two year budget, which is House Bill 1. HB 1 alone allocates $26.3 billion of your taxpayer dollars and the Senate’s priorities reflected in the Senate Committee Substitute 1 (SCS 1) to HB 1. 

The two chambers will enter into budget negotiations in a conference committee, likely to take place as soon as next week. Both chambers select members to begin budget negotiations on their differences so the final product can be agreed upon. SCS 1 to HB 1 reflects the Senate Majority’s keen understanding that each penny entrusted to Frankfort was from an investment of time and energy of every single Kentucky taxpayer.

High points of the Senate budget include:
- Pay increases for state employees
o    A $4,500 raise in the budget’s first year for state employees, which is the equivalent of a 10 percent raise for employees in positions making $45,000. The state is finding many positions harder to fill and retain with no cost of living increases over the many years. The second year will also include a similar raise amount, but will be contingent on a Personnel Cabinet study that emphasizes employment environment, merit, locality and positional impacts. 

o    Those considerations will also be applied in raises for Kentucky State Police. Each trooper will receive a minimum $15,000 pay increase.

o    Social workers will receive a $4,800 increase in the first year and then a 10 percent increase in the second year. These raises are on top of the 10 percent raise they received effective December 16, 2021 by the governor’s executive order. An important component of this Senate budget, and a reflection of the workload social workers carry, is to provide an alternate work program for those who have worked at least four years with the state. This will provide an alternate work opportunity that will help address employee burnout, heavy caseload and the emotional drain on the profession.
 
- Bolsters the state’s rainy day fund, also known as the Budget Reserve Trust Fund to $1.756 billion.
- Leaves a conservative $1.3 billion remaining after the biennium, providing the state fiscal flexibility
o    The Senate budget accomplishes all this while including the chamber’s tax refund plan for working Kentuckians, $500 for single filers and $1,000 for households

- Education investments 
o    Increases per pupil funding to $4,100 in Year one (up from $4,000) and up to $4,200 in Year two and provides funding for school construction and maintenance. Previously allocated federal dollars became ineligible for school infrastructure funding following Biden administration policy change after Kentucky had already allocated those funds last year. 

-Increases inmate per diem state reimbursement to county jails by $4, lowering the burden on local jails that are housing state inmates.

I will keep you updated as budget negotiations yield something more concrete. Please know Senate District 5 remains my priority as we work to maximize the tax dollars you have entrusted to your Senators.

Aside from these significant budget efforts, other notable legislation passed in the senate last week include:

Senate Bill 216 builds on election integrity efforts implemented in SB 4 of the 2020 legislative session and the bipartisan election reform SB 574 in 2021. SB 216 expands the Attorney General office's independent inquiry of potential election irregularities to include no fewer than 12 random Kentucky counties. It implements measures to prevent voter fraud by removing credit or debit cards as a viable form of voter identification and prohibits a voting system from being connected to any network, including the internet, or with any external device. Additionally, it requires all voting machines to use paper ballots by January 1, 2024, and returns the Kentucky Secretary of State as chair of the State Board of Elections. After trust was breached, the previous Secretary of State was rightly removed as chair of the board.

Senate Bill 189, which I personally sponsored, will allow small fire departments that are merging together create one station to allow rural departments to retain all aid that each merging department would have received prior to merger. As you know, I am a champion of our rural communities, and this legislation intends to give a helping hand to our rural fire districts.

Senate Bill 205 is Kentucky’s response to major banks and investment firms that are denying lending to and investments in fossil fuel companies that promote “green” investments and political agendas. The coal industry has been a vital part of Kentucky’s economy for over 100 years and has provided affordable energy and good jobs for countless citizens of our Commonwealth.  This concerted effort to financially starve out the fossil fuel industry is contributing significantly to high fuel and energy costs, resulting in extreme financial hardship on hard-working Kentuckians.  SB 205 makes it clear that Kentucky stands with our fossil fuel companies and the Kentuckians who work every day to produce the resources that power our nation.
 
The bill requires the Kentucky State Treasurer to maintain a list of financial companies that are boycotting the fossil fuel industry and share that list with government agencies in Kentucky that make substantial financial investments, such as state pension funds.  These governmental agencies are required to divest of investments in financial companies that refuse to stop boycotting.  Kentucky will not invest state funds in financial companies that have declared war on our coal and fossil industry by adopting a political philosophy that will continue to increase fuel and energy costs and put our reliable power grid at risk.
 
As always, it’s an honor to represent the residents of the 5th District here in our commonwealth’s capitol. If you have any questions or comments about these issues or any other public policy issue, please contact 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.legislature.ky.gov.

by: Rep. Michael Lee Meredith:

Before leaving Frankfort last week, I had the opportunity to vote for legislation that lays the groundwork for eliminating the state’s personal income tax, leaving more than $1 billion in the pockets of the people who work hard to earn it. The measure, HB 8, is the next step in our commitment to growing the state’s economy by making the state’s tax code more attractive for working Kentuckians and individuals considering relocating to Kentucky. I am glad to see us take this step because lowering the income tax provides multiple benefits like leaving more money in our local communities.
 
Now, for the details. HB 8 would lower the state’s 5% income tax incrementally over a period of years until it is eliminated. The first decrease would reduce the income tax rate an entire percentage point to 4% on January 1, 2023. That cost would be covered by funding set aside in the version of the budget passed by the House earlier this session. (HB 1). While the first decrease is automatic, HB 8 requires the state to meet additional revenue targets before additional rate reductions can occur. Commonly referred to as triggers, the thresholds are based primarily on state revenue levels. Lawmakers used conservative revenue forecasts based on the work of the Consensus Forecasting Group (CFG) and available sales tax data to predict future state revenues.
 
To ensure there is enough revenue to trigger further decreases, HB 8 shifts the revenue burden to consumption based taxes that are paid by those who visit the state as well as those who live here. It extends the sales tax or a user fee to the following services as well as others listed in the bill:
-          Non-Primary Residential Electric (primary residences would remain exempt)
-          Taxi cabs, car rentals, or transportation services like Uber and Lyft
-          Temporary Rental Services (AirBnB, VRBO)
-          Residential and Nonresidential Security Systems
-          Bodyguard and Self-Protection Services
-          Process Servers
-          Valet and Parking Services
-          Pleasure Watercraft Docking
-          Entertainment Venues and Event Space Rentals
-          Legislative and Executive Branch Lobbying
-          Cosmetic Surgery Procedures (non-medically necessary)
-          Personal Financial Planning
-          Private Mail Services
-          Road and Travel Services
-          Executive Employee Recruitment Services
-          Unsolicited Telemarketing Services
-          Public Opinion Research
 
HB 8 also includes a tax amnesty program, essentially a window of time that those who owe taxes can pay their bills without penalty. We expect the amnesty program bring in more than $200 million in taxes already owed to the state. The measure also implements a battery reclamation fee on electric and hybrid motor vehicles and a tax on the use of fee-for-service charging stations. HB 8 earmarks revenue raised through these mechanisms to the state road fund and general fund. 
 
We have heard a lot of talk over the past couple of months about giving one time bonuses or refunds for specific groups. While I know it may win political points, I believe Kentuckians should keep more of their money and pay the state less in the first place. After all, it isn’t how much money you make, but rather how much you take home that determines your quality of life.
 
Modernizing our tax structure also includes dealing with our state’s antiquated local tax system. The Kentucky Constitution, enacted almost 130 years ago, allows local governments to levy taxes but limits what can be taxed based on the economy of 1891. As a result, local governments are forced to levy personal income taxes through the occupational tax, business income taxes through the net profits or gross receipts tax, property taxes, and franchise fees. This is not only harmful to economic development efforts, but also prevents legislators from extending to local governments the flexibility to tailor their local taxation policies to meet their community’s specific needs. HB 475 passed in the House on February 23 and would allow Kentucky voters to decide if they want local governments to have the ability to modernize their tax systems to allow revenue to be realized through more competitive taxes. If a constitutional amendment passes, the legislature would still have to pass legislation that determines which options local governments may have.
 
Before I close, I want to remind you that the tax modernization bill we passed last week would not have been possible if we had not already approved our version of the budget. That proposal, HB 1, includes record funding for education, a continued commitment to the state’s budget reserve trust fund, and pay increases for the Kentucky State Police, state employees, social workers, and educators.
 
All three bills are now in the Senate for consideration. While they may make changes, I am optimistic about these measures passing into law.
 
As always, I can be reached here at home anytime, or through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. Feel free to contact me via email at [email protected]. If you would like more information, please visit the LRC website www.legislature.ky.gov.

story and photos by Madison Doyle:

Today in Brownsville, Subway celebrated its Grand Re-Opening with new owner Greg Harris, after being closed for over a year.

Mr. Harris first started working for Subway in 2007 as a field consultant, monitoring 30 stores and making sure they were operating under company standards. He purchased is first store in Glasgow in 2013. He has operated the store with his family since that time.

Most of Harris' new employees are local high school students. He said he has enjoyed meeting and getting to know the local guests, and he is very pleased with his sales thus far.

Mr. Harris told everyone today he greatly appreciated everyone's support over the last couple months, as the store officially re-opened in December.

"Thank you all very much I can't thank you enough." he said, "If there's ever anything I can do, if you ever get something here not to your liking, come talk to me and I will take care of it."

The event was sponsored by the Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber President Darren Doyle discussed today's event.

"Mr. Harris has done a fantastic job with the re-opening our local Subway," he said. "It's improved so much since he and his new staff have taken over. This is the exact type of business our community needs and we're glad to have him in Brownsville."