DAV, Chapter 32 in Brownsville, Kentucky is very active and provides free assistance to all veterans, as their representative for benefit claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs. For many years DAV, Chapter 32 has delivered and assured millions of dollars in earned benefits, medical treatment, and compensation to veterans, families and survivors in Edmonson, Warren, Logan, Butler, Simpson and Barren Counties. 

The local office of DAV chapter 32 is open every Friday morning from 8am-12noon to meet with veterans on a walk-in basis and evaluate their VA claim for benefits. We are located at the corners of Washington and Veterans streets right next to Brownsville City Hall. 

Veterans bring your DD214 and any other military service documents. DAV Brownsville Chapter 32 is an all-volunteer service organization that depends solely on donations. If anyone would like to donate, please make checks payable to:

DAV Chapter 32
PO Box 428
Brownsville, KY  42210 

Our Veterans thank you.       

There is so much more put into this house than photos could tell! This is a custom build home and we have made use of every square inch. There are numerous storage closets and built-ins, huge closets...definitely a place for everything! There are 4-5 bedrooms with additional storage rooms and bonus rooms, theater room, huge pantry, study, lots of easy-access attic space, etc. The back view is unbelievable! You can see for miles on the back patio and from the inground 20x40 pool. There are unlimited possibilities for the additional 30x50 shop with three garage bays. This house has so much... you have to see to believe. 

Please call 270-991-5625 for an appointment or with any questions.
 
Click on the link below for all the info, and thanks!
 
http://www.zillow.com/homes/661-noah-bledsoe-rd-smiths-grove_rb/
 

ATTENTION ALL JOB SEEKERS! Are you seeking local employment with a short commute? What about benefits? (medical, dental, vision, 401K, paid vacation time). What about working close to home in case you are needed? Maybe you are not a morning / evening person and the shift you are presently working just doesn’t fit you. How about opportunity to advance with the company or have a steady income from week to week? Would you like to meet face to face with some of the area’s top employers? Top employers are ready to meet with you! 

ATTEND the Morgantown-Butler County Career Fair on June 18, 2015 from 10:00am-4:00pm at the Eva J. Hawes Ag & Expo Community Center at 363 Park Lane, Morgantown, Ky. 42261. (Building located at the back of the park). Computers available on site to submit your application on the spot. Computer assistance on site and also assistance with creating your resume. Signs will be posted. For more job fair information call 270-526-6827.

Don and Sharon Starnes, owners of Starnes Construction in Chalybeate, want to wish all the best to this year's senior class. Congratulations!

For many years, healthcare professionals have known that various nutrients play vital roles in the development of a fetus during pregnancy (ex. Folic Acid to prevent spina bifida). Several recent reports have stressed the importance of iodine in brain development and the need for many women to supplement to receive adequate amounts.

About one-third of women in the United States are mildly iodine deficient. This is due to our high intake of processed foods which usually contain salt that isn’t iodized, leading to a deficiency. Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive should take a prenatal vitamin that contains the recommended amount of 220 to 290 mcg/day of iodine. You can also change your diet to foods that are rich in iodine to help get this amount. Dairy products, certain meats, eggs, seafood, etc. all are rich in iodine. 

Be aware that you should avoid seafood that is high in mercury content. It is also important not to get too much iodine (over 1100mcg per day) as this can have negative effects on both the mother and baby’s thyroids.

Looking for a good prenatal vitamin over the counter? Check out One A Day Women’s Prenatal 1, Centrum Specialist Prenatal, or Similac Prenatal Vitamin. These all contain the recommended amounts of nutrients and iodine.

Thanks, and be sure to follow Edmonson Drug Company Inc. on Facebook!

Your Family Pharmacist,
Samuel Warnell

Congratulations Samantha on being a 2015 High School Graduate! – Honors Graduate, WKU Red Towel Scholarship Recipient and Virginia Webb Memorial Scholarship Recipient.  


We love you and are so proud of you!  
Love, Mom, Dad & Brady

Crepe Myrtle: Dead or Alive?

Many of you, no doubt have been frantically wondering "is my crepe myrtle dead or alive?" Patience is virtue with plants like crepe myrtles. Due to the harsh winter we had this year, several trees, shrubs, and roses did not make it. Crepe myrtles are slow to show life anyway, but this year they are behind even more. If they aren't showing any kind of life by now, they are probably goners.  Before you dig them up, look for new growth from their roots. You should cut away any dead portions to allow the new shoots optimum growth.

This also goes for roses, butterfly bushes, hardy hibiscus, and even ornamental grasses. For the last several years Kentucky has had very mild winters. This past winter was another story and several were lost to Mother Nature. Look at the bright side, this will give you an opportunity to try something new or different! If you decide to replace those, now would be the time to do so.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. ~Chinese Proverb

From your friends at Mammoth Cave Transplants. Check out our Facebook here for all our latest!

The 9th Annual Edmonson Center Car Show and Cruise In will be held on Saturday, June 6th. Check out the flyer below for all the details!

Why do you carry a gun?

It’s a question I’m often asked.  Usually followed by, “what are you afraid of?”   Sometimes I wonder why a free American should be asked to validate simply exercising his rights.  However, it is an important question because, understanding that motivation might be all that separates those who support gun rights/concealed carry from those who don’t.  So I want to address this, not to speak for anyone else, only for myself.

I don’t carry out of fear.  For certain some people do, I’m sure that many people feel legitimately threatened in one way or another.  Whether it be a woman who is being harassed or stalked, or someone who travels often and feels less able to protect themselves away from their home,  or maybe someone feels threatened because they’ve seen cable news (a platform designed to scare you).  But that’s not me.  I’ve been blessed , so far, to live my life in relative security.  However, I recognize that is subject to change at any time. 

I carry to be able to protect myself and the people I love should the situation call for it.  More importantly, I carry out of a sense of responsibility as a citizen.  Men and women have fought and died to protect all of the rights we enjoy and whether we are talking about the right to bear arms or the right to vote, we honor their memory every time we exercise our rights.  Rights are like our muscles, they work best when exercised regularly.  If we don’t, they wither away to nothing and it might become too easy to forget we even have them.

Josh Casey
C&C Firearms

You can check out all the latest deals and promotions by visiting their Facebook Page here.

Does Your Allergy Medicine Increase Your Risk of Alzheimer’s?

Recently several reports have come out discussing how certain medications might increase the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s in seniors. For many years now the American Geriatrics Society have published a list of medications (BEER’s Criteria) that have greater risks than benefits in patients over the age of 65. These medications can cause cognitive impairment, increase the risk of falls, or have high drug interaction risks. Many insurance companies have now stopped paying for medications on the BEER’s Criteria list in seniors because of the risks.

Many of the medications on this list are in the class of anticholinergics. Basically, these medications produce a drying effect in an effort to stop various conditions where there is excess fluid production (think runny noses, diarrhea, etc). They are also used for other issues such as dizziness, COPD/Asthma, and allergic reactions. This is the class of medications that most seasonal allergy treatments fall into, such as Zyrtec, Claritin, Benadryl, Allegra, etc.

The increased risk of cognitive impairment is thought to be reversible once the medication is stopped. These recent studies have suggested at link between these drugs and dementia. However, they do not prove that these drugs CAUSE dementia. More study is needed to confirm this theory.

If you are over 65, try to avoid allergy medications that have an increased risk of cognitive impairment. Medications such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), hydroxyzine, brompheniramine, and chlorpheniramine should be avoided if possible. Alternatives with a lower risk of this side effect include cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra), levocetirizine (Xyzal) or desloratadine (Clarinex). Loratadine (Claritin) is also an option, but should be avoided in patients who already have dementia or impairment.

Talk to your pharmacist today about the risks associated with your allergy medications!

Your Family Pharmacist,
Samuel Warnell

This column is brought to you weekly by your friends at Edmonson Drug Company, Inc. Click here to visit their Facebook page.

We're glad to be featured on the billboard at the entrance to the high school at the car wash for the next month. Thanks to all of you for making our first 9 months so successful. We currently receive over 20,000 visits to our site each week and we continue to grow each month. Please continue to tell folks about us, keep sending us your info, emails, and suggestions, and please keep reading the Edmonson Voice. Thanks again.

Darren Doyle, Editor

In our society, most people are very conscious of their weight and size. While media ads portray the ideal body type as skin and bones, the entire country has seen a drastic increase in adult and childhood obesity over the last 20 years. This has lead to increases in all kinds of disease states (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, etc.) among all age groups in our population. While diet and exercise play a major role in your weight, your medications may be working against you! Here are several classes of medications that may make you want to keep an eye on your scale:

Atypical Antipsychotics – These tend to be some of the worst medications for weight gain, especially olanzapine (Zyprexa) or clozapine. These medications increase many patient’s body weight by 7% or more. Weight gain is less likely with Abilify, Invega, Latuda, or Geodon.

Antieplieptics – Gabapentin (Neurontin) and Valproic Acid (Depakote) increase weight gain by over 10% in 33% and 50% of patients respectively who take these medications. Lamotrigine, phenytoin, or levetiracetam tend to be weight neutral, while topiramate and zonisamide can actually lead to weight loss!

Antidepressants- Patients taking paroxetine or mirtazapine tend to gain an average of 6 pounds. Fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, and escitalopram are all weight neutral and will not change your waistline. Bupropion is another option that actually results in weight loss for some patients.

Diabetes Medications- While insulin keeps your sugar under control, it is a growth hormone that actually causes you to gain weight. Patients can expect to gain from 8 to 15 pounds after starting insulin therapy. This risk can be reduced if the patient continues on metformin after starting insulin. Glipizide, glyburide, and pioglitazone (Actos) all tend to increase your weight by 5 pounds.

As always, discuss your medication side effects with your doctor and pharmacist. Be sure you understand all of the risks associated with them before you start a new therapy.

Your Family Pharmacist,

Samuel Warnell



Visit Edmonson Drug Co, Inc's Facebook Page for all the latest at your hometown family pharmacy.

A new album was released this week featuring many different church choirs from the Green River Association of United Baptists. The goal of the project was to gather several churches together and assemble one large united choir for the purpose of making the CD. The double-disc album is being sold as a fundraiser for the GRA Minister's Aid Fund, which helps older or disabled ministers and their immediate families of the association that can no longer work.

The project was recorded on location at two different sessions, the first was held at Chalybeate United Baptist, the other at Lone Hill United Baptist in Louisville. Seventeen different churches participated in the event, the first of it's kind here. 

"It was a very moving experience to see this many people come together for the cause and enjoy the entire process," said Darren Doyle, member of Chalybeate Church and owner of Studio DD, who produced and recorded the project. "There are over 200 people singing on each song, and these are songs that pretty much everybody knows and loves."

Each participating church chose one or two songs for the project.  The singers were all assembled in the pews as the individual choirs came up and led the entire group. "The sound of that many talented singers on these songs is something that I think people are going to be amazed by," Doyle said. 

The double disc album features a total of 31 songs, most of which are classic hymns and songs that are familiar to most. The cost of each album is $20, and 100% of the proceeds is donated directly to the Minister's Aid Fund. All costs and resources for the making of the project was donated by different association members.

Several churches in the area have the albums available for purchase such as Stockholm, Beaver Dam Chapel, Chalybeate, and others. To purchase your copy of the album, you can contact a member of the listed churches or email Studio DD at [email protected]. They are also available at Mimi's Gift Gallery in Chalybeate. If you'd like to sell the albums at your place of business, please contact the Edmonson Voice Online News at [email protected].

Edmonson Voice Staff

In an effort to give a louder voice to Edmonson County citizens, two magistrates will be hosting upcoming community meetings. District 6 Magistrate Mark Woosley is hosting another forum at the Bear Creek Fire Department on Thursday, May 28th at 6pm. 

District 3 Magistrate Clark Wood will host a meeting at the Rocky Hill Fire Department on the same evening, Thursday, May 28th at 6pm. Wood said the meeting will focus on the Rocky Hill Gas Plant, but will be open for other discussions if needed. He also hopes that other county officials will attend.

Both magistrates said you don't have to be a resident of the 3rd or 6th district only, as all Edmonson County residents are welcomed to attend either meeting. It is highly recommended for citizens to attend these meetings, as magistrates are the community representatives that rely on your feedback as they take their place in Edmonson County Fiscal Court.

Mother’s Day is drawing near. Are you stumped on what you are getting your Mom, Grandmother? Flowers remain the top gifted item for the Moms in our life on Mother’s Day. Instead of giving the usual cut flower arrangement that will soon wilt and be tossed away, give her a gift that will keep on giving through the spring and summer or even for years to come.

One very important thing to keep in mind when gifting flowers is to know how much sunlight it will get at its new home. A shade loving plant will not be able to survive in an area that gets sun a majority of the day no matter how much TLC you give it. So be sure to check the labels in each plant. See the below recommendations for lighting conditions.

Full sun: Prefers six or more hours of direct sunshine a day
Partial shade: Thrives in three to six hours of daily sunshine
Shade: Generally does well with less than three hours of sun per day, preferably morning sun.

If you want to give a gift that keeps on giving year after year, get her a perennial like a Clematis, a Peony, or one of the many other perennials that are available. Rose bushes, other flowering shrubs like Hydrangeas, and ornamental trees are also a great gift idea that she can enjoy for years to come. If you unsure about what flowers she would like or what type of plant would do best at her home, you can always get your avid gardener some new gardening gloves or tools. Beautiful garden décor is also another gift idea that may just add the perfect touch to her garden. If you are still unsure, you can always get a gift certificate and she can choose the plants to her liking. Take a day and make a special outing with her to pick them out, spending time together would be the greatest gift of all.

To all the Mother’s out there, Happy Mother’s Day from Mammoth Cave Transplants!

Being a mother means that your heart is no longer yours; it wanders wherever your children do. ~Author Unknown