County Clerk Kevin Alexander has announced that his office will be closed today (Friday) and Saturday in observance of Good Friday. All county offices are also closed including Judge Executive, Sheriff, County Attorney, and PVA. Circuit Court Clerk will be open half day on Friday.

Bee Spring Restaurant is hosting a grand re-opening this weekend, full of specials, live music, and more! Check out the flyer for more info and click for their Facebook Page.

C&C Firearms has extended their product line to now include a full archery line along with a great selection of fishing tackle and live bait. Check out the details below and click on the flyer to visit their Facebook Page. 

Bluegrass Supply Chain will be holding an upcoming job fair at the Edmonson County Public Library. They are offering first and second shift positions in three categories. They are full time positions with benefits. See the flyer for more info:

ECHS Cheerleading will host a youth cheer camp for ages pre-kindergarten thru 8th grade. Print off the form below or download the form in .PDF format at the bottom.

Edmonson Voice Staff, photos courtesy of Lisa Whobrey:
The Youth Leadership Edmonson County students at ECHS utilized their last session today with a field trip to Mammoth Cave and the Cabinet of Health and Family Services for a nice surprise.

According to EC Community Education Director Lisa Whobrey, the group had a combination guided tour (Historic and Gothic Avenue Tour) at Mammoth National Park.  Students engaged in learning about the history of the cave and tourism for the county.  After their tour they had lunch at the Hotel's Rotunda Room followed by a graduation ceremony for the group.

​"During the year, students worked on collecting stuffed animals and blankets to give to the Cabinet of Health & Family Services for Child Abuse Prevention Month," said Whobrey.  "They wanted to give something back to the community so they felt this project was a way to do that."  

The toys and blankets will be given in emergency situations to comfort children when they have to become involved in difficult family situations.  The students presented the toys and blankets on their way back to school today.

The annual county wide cleanup project is back this year and is scheduled to begin on Monday, April 10th. Check out the flyer for all the information.

by Senator Steve Meredith
​Long nights, intense debate, and media attention from across the globe wrapped up what started as a quiet final week of the 2017 Session of the Kentucky General Assembly. Minutes before the Senate gaveled out for good, Governor Matt Bevin called this session the most productive in history.  It was truly an honor to work alongside the governor with the new House Majority to pass many great initiatives for our commonwealth.
 
Critics and supporters alike have noted the session was among the busiest our state has ever seen. We added to the session’s major accomplishments in recent days with the final passage of Senate Bill 1. This bill, known as the “Teachers Can Teach” bill, is a wide-ranging measure that will deliver sweeping education reform and effectively repeal Common Core standards.
 
The measure will change how Kentucky public schools are held accountable for student progress as well as how teachers are evaluated. It will place more control and accountability in the hands of local school districts, giving them a stronger voice in improving performance by both students and teachers. 
 
The legislation also requires vigorous regular reviews of academic standards in Kentucky schools and holds schools accountable for success indicators such as graduation rates and college admissions exam scores. It offers state-funded opportunities to assess students’ academic progress through taking early college admissions tests, returns responsibility for teacher evaluation back to local school boards, and reduces the amount of paperwork that now takes time from teachers and administrators. The measure passed by wide margins and with nearly unanimous support in both the Senate and House. It has been delivered to the governor’s office to be signed into law.
 
In addition to passing major bills this week, we overrode four vetoes issued by the governor shortly before we returned to the Capitol on March 29 after a two-week recess. The governor’s four vetoes focused on measures dealing with the regulation of drones, court-ordered treatment for certain mentally ill people with a history of involuntary hospitalization, the manner of disbursing funds from a multimillion dollar legal settlement with Volkswagen, and the naming of roads in certain parts of the state. All four of these vetoes were overridden in the Senate and House with bipartisan support.
 
In other business this week, the Senate approved a number of bills that will become law when signed by the governor, including:
 
Senate Bill 120 is a criminal justice reform bill that will help people leaving prison successfully rejoin society. The measure includes provisions to remove licensing restrictions that make it harder for felons to find jobs. It also makes improvements in reentry substance abuse supervision.
 
House Bill 13 lays out the foundations for a new veterans’ nursing home in Western Kentucky.
 
House Bill 128 will ensure that public schools are allowed to offer elective Bible literacy classes to students.
 
House Bill 206 establishes the Dual Credit Scholarship Program, allowing high school students to use education credits for both their current high school class and future postsecondary institutions.
 
House Bill 253 will help protect abused children through unannounced visits by state social services workers to the residences where child abuse or neglect has occurred. The unannounced visits will continue until the welfare of a child has been safeguarded.
 
House Bill 375 prohibits disqualification for unemployment benefits for a worker who leaves a job to follow a military spouse who has been reassigned to another military base or duty location that is 100 miles or more from the worker’s home.
 
House Bill 522 is another bill aimed at helping state agency minors by allowing children who are at least 17 years old to seek a high school equivalency diploma.
 
House Bill 524 will help fight human trafficking by requiring public schools to display the National Human Trafficking Reporting Hotline information and will require the hotline number of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center to be posted at rest areas. The measure will also make promoting human trafficking involving commercial sexual activity a criminal offense against a minor if the victim is under 18.
 
My next piece will be a big-picture summary of the highly successful 2017 Session of the Kentucky General Assembly. In the months to come, lawmakers will continue studying and discussing the issues we are likely to take up in next year’s session. If you would like to offer input on the work lawmakers have completed in this year’s session or the issues we have yet to tackle, I hope you will take the time to share your thoughts.
 
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.

by Beth Cook, Mammoth Cave Transplants:
Preparing Soil for Gardening
Getting the soil ready for your flowers and vegetables are important first steps in growing a successful garden. Time spent in preparation reduces the time you'll have to spend maintaining and weeding your garden over the course of the growing season.
 
Location, Location, Location. Vegetable gardens and most flowerbeds require at least 6 hours of full sun each day. Choose a level spot -- either natural or terraced -- that has well-drained soil. Thick grass or vigorous weed growth usually indicate soil drainage and nutrient levels that will support healthy garden plants. If the area is grassy you will first need to remove the top layer of sod, any weeds, rocks, and debris.
 
Test the soil. To get the best results in your garden you should definitely do a soil test. Do-it-yourself soil test kits work best for detecting the soil pH, but give only a rough idea of the nutrient levels. Professional tests provide more thorough and accurate information and recommendations. Send a sample of garden soil to a private or cooperative extension office soil-testing lab for nutrient and pH analysis. Test results will tell you which minerals and pH amendments your soil needs to grow healthy vegetables and flowers.
 
Add amendments. Depending on your test results you may need to adjust the soil pH -- its measure of acidity or alkalinity -- by adding ground limestone or sulfur as recommended by the soil test results. To improve the soil fertility, clay soil drainage, and sandy soil water-holding capacity you can add organic material, such as compost, well-rotted livestock manure, or composted fir bark. Apply a 1- to 2-inch layer of organic material over the garden.
 
Turn the soil. Work the amendments into the top 6 to 12 inches of soil with a rototiller or garden fork. Break up large clods and remove rocks and roots. Work the soil only when it is dry enough to crumble easily after squeezing - never when it is saturated with water.
Below are some additional soil fixes and amendments depending on your soil condition.
 
SOIL FIXES

• If you have clay soil, add coarse sand (not beach sand), compost, and peat moss.
• If you have sandy soil, add humus or aged manure, peat moss, or sawdust with some extra nitrogen. Heavy, clay-rich soil can also be added to improve the soil.
• If you have silt soil, add coarse sand (not beach sand) or gravel and compost, or well-rotted horse manure mixed with fresh straw.

SOIL AMENDMENTS

• Bark, ground: made from various tree barks. Improves soil structure.
• Compost: excellent conditioner.
• Leaf mold: decomposed leaves that add nutrients and structure to soil.
• Lime: raises the pH of acid soil and helps loosen clay soil.
• Manure: best if composted. Good conditioner.
• Peat moss: conditioner that helps soil retain water.
• Sand: improves drainage in clay soil.
• Topsoil: usually used with another amendment. Replaces existing soil.

After you have made any amendments or fixes to your soil, let it sit for a couple of days before planting. You may wish to turn the soil daily but it is not necessary if you did so already. Ideally you should prepare your garden soil at least 1 or 2 seasons ahead for compost to break down and improve your soil.  Remember, getting a soil test done is the first step to a successful garden. Happy Gardening from Mammoth Cave Transplants!
 
~Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes.. ~Unknown
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