Be sure to take part in this year's ECHS Cheerleading Camp, August 20-21, 2018, 3pm-6pm, at the ECHS gym. Print the form below or download the form at the bottom.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
The 2018-2019 ECMS Cheerleaders, led by coaches Allie Bolton and Jessica Lindsey, participated in a two-day Premiere Cheer Camp on July 20 and 21 at the ECMS gym.

They were led by Emily Grimes, who has traveled across the nation teaching cheer stunts and dance routines.   KONA ICE will be served at each ECMS football home game as a fundraiser to help the ECMS Cheerleaders.

The ECMS Cheer Team encourages the community to come out and support the Wildcats in the upcoming season. ECMS will have their season opener at Warren East on Thursday, August 9th at 5pm. They will host Breckinridge County on Tuesday, August 14th at the first home game at Wildcat Stadium at 5:30pm.

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The Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Edmonson Senior Food Pantry are teaming up for a night next month. On Wednesday, August 8th, fans can bring two canned goods to the Hot Rods game and receive a $5 box seat ticket. The canned goods will help stock the Senior Food Pantry.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with the Edmonson Senior Food Bank in this way,” said Hot Rods Media Relations Manager Paul Taylor. “The Hot Rods love being a part of the South Central Kentucky community, and this is yet another way to show our commitment to the community we call home.”

Food pantry coordinator Vickie Walker said she was thrilled when she was contacted by the Hot Rods.

"We're very humbled by this gesture from the Hot Rods and we're grateful that they reached out to help our pantry," she said. "This will make a big impact on what we try to accomplish."

Walker also said the pantry not only accepts canned and non-perishable food items but also personal hygiene products as well.

The Hot Rods take on the West Michigan Whitecaps that evening, and first pitch is set for 6:35pm. For questions on the event, please contact the Hot Rods at 270.901.2121.

Moriah Peterson, story and photos:
The 2018 Relay For Life Car Show and Craft Festival, which took place Saturday July 28th, had their biggest turnout with 126 registered cars. 

Cars, trucks and motorcycles lined the streets and vendors filled up the community center. 

Plaques were awarded to the top 40 and trophies were given to the top 16. "It's not about competition, its about coming out, having a  good time and raising money for cancer research," said Tommy Stratton, a volunteer and judge at this year's show. 

​"It's a lot of work putting this together, but so very rewarding," said Delores Jones, one of the event coordinators. "Thank you to all our sponsors, the volunteers, vendors, and car owners who helped make this possible. I also want to thank the Edmonson Voice for promoting this event and coming out today."

Over $6000 was raised on Saturday, all of which goes to Relay For Life. 

Richie Jones also stated "There is no way we could thank everyone individually for their efforts today. Once again, our community has come together for a great cause."

Top 16 winners & categories 
In Memory of Peggy Meredith Award- Norris Wagner, 1966 Pontiac GTO
In Memory of Roger Towe Memorial Award- John Rosser, 1934 Ford Convertible Roadster
Eastern Stars Choice- KW Walker, 1957 Chevy
Judges Choice- Cory Carpenter, 1970 Monte Carlo
Mayor's Choice- Adam Alsup, 1964 GMC Pick up
Best Truck- Charles Barker, 1964 Chevy C-10 Custom
Best 80's & Up- Ray Page, 1994 Ford Mustang GT
Best Tri Fives- Ralph Geralds, 1955 Chevy Bel Air
Best Motorcycle- Glenn Dennison, 2003 Yamaha V-Star 650
Best Paint- Earl Beloin, 1955 Chevy 2-10 
Best Interior- Sis and Daryld Taylor, 1956 Chevy Bel Air
Best Engine- Willy Plumber, 1956 Chevy Bel Air 
Best Mopar- Rick Gregory, 1973 Dodge Charger
Best Ford- Jim Wafer, 1937 Ford Sedan
Best Chevy,- Sandra Towe, 1956 Chevy Bel Air
Best of Show, Tom Smith, 1956 Chevy Nomad 

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Members from the Edmonson County Horseshoe Pitching Association were well represented last week at the World Horseshoe Championship held in Florence, South Carolina, where three locals made an impressive mark in their respective categories.

Brownsville resident Ben Webb finished 14th overall in the competition after finishing 2nd in his class. Webb is a two-time state champion in the Jr. Boys division from 2013 and 2014. He now competes in the men's division.

Local member Sarah Neagle, age 16, finished 5th in her class in the Jr. Girls division. She and her father are both members of the local association. Her father, John Neagle was the KHPA state champion in 2010. Sarah is a junior at Warren East High School.

Karen Meredith, also a local member, finished third in the open women's division. She is no stranger to pitching, as her husband Ronnie has had much success over the years, and her father-in-law Charlie Meredith (also a local member) has 10 state championships, which is a state record.

The local association is reaching out to Edmonson County and surrounding residents to join their group for some good family fun.

"We're always looking for people to play," said local member Jimmy Adwell. "We play out here once per week and we'd love for these courts to be full with people."

The group plays each Thursday evening at the horseshoe courts at Chalybeate Park at 6pm as their summer season has just begun. The facility was built thanks to state grants obtained by locals N.E. Reed and A.B. Webb in 2011. The shelter is one of the premier facilities in the region and is frequently used for larger tournaments.

The group said it costs nothing to try out their league and that anyone looking to enjoy the sport can borrow the proper equipment from team members if anyone would like to test the waters of pitching horseshoes.

To find out more about the local group, click here to visit their Facebook Page.

A trio of local ladies shared an outstanding rendition of The Star Spangled Banner on Thursday, July 27, 2018 at Bowling Green Ballpark, but the crowd was just as inspired by watching 7 year-old Shaylee Alexander perform a sign language demo of the song along with the trio.

Made up of Edmonson County natives Laney Meredith, her mother Kathy Meredith, and close friend Andrea Brantley, the women performed the National Anthem while Shaylee signed the entire song. The crowd gave a hefty ovation after the performance. Check out the full video below: 

Shaylee is a second grader at South Edmonson Elementary and is the daughter of Carlton and Tena Alexander of Brownsville.

​Fishing has been a challenge, but a fun challenge the last few days.  The lake is around summer pool and 86 degrees.  Bass fishing has been more about finding the fish than getting them to bite.  The fish have been on points, drops and isolated cover. 

Using a drop shot rig and a vertical presentation has been productive.  The rig consists of a 1/4 ounce weight attached to the end of the line.  A #2 hook is attached about 2 feet above the weight using a palomar knot.  A small 4 inch worm is hooked through the nose allowing it to hang freely in the water.  Light line is a must along with a medium light action rod.  When you locate fish, fish the rig vertically by lifting the weight off the bottom and dropping it back now and then. 

Very little movement on your part has been getting bites.  Bites are light and you never know if it is a 3 pound bass or bluegill nipping at your bait. Set the hook by reeling into the fish. Melon/red and smoke/purple have been good flavors to try.
​
Wear your PFD and take the family fishing.       

Moriah Peterson, story and photos:
There was steady flow of students during the Back to School Bash which was held on Tuesday night July 24, 2018 in the Edmonson County High School gym.

Vendors from the community set up booths to give out school supplies and other goodies. Community Education Director Lisa Whobery said “It’s a great opportunity for local organizations to reach the community and share information about their services, which in turn helps parents and guardians be made aware of local resources.”  

Prizes and other gifts donated by local business and residents were given away throughout the night.

​
FFA students volunteered at the event to assist in setup, teardown, cleaning up and running booths. “We always do this to help out” said FFA Vice President Savannah Lindsey. “We enjoy giving back to the community because they do so much for us throughout the year.”

 Whobrey added that the event was to get kids and their families excited for the return of school.

Edmonson County High School Band Fundraising Shoe Drive ends on 08/01/2018,  and still need shoes to meet their quota.

The public is invited to participate in a shoe drive to raise funds for the ECHS Band. Donations of gently worn, used and new shoes will be accepted. The amount of money raised is determined by the total weight of the shoes collected.

​All donated shoes will be redistributed to micro-enterprise partners through Funds2Orgs, a for profit social enterprise, and used in developing nations for impoverished people to start their own businesses.

In the US alone, over 600 million pairs of shoes are thrown away per year. The materials used to manufacture a pair of shoes are created from chemical compounds that will create health hazards if left to disintegrate openly or in landfills. By donating your gently worn, used and news shoes to the Edmonson County High School Band, your shoes are given a second chance to make a difference. 

Drop offs can be made from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday until 08/01/18 at Edmonson County High School in the band room. 

If you have any questions contact Nicole Lindsey at 270-246-2574  or John Woods, II at 270-597-2151.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Local 8 year old Noah Simon and his teammates went 5-1 in the TN Game 7 8U-AAA tournament on July 15, 2018.

At the end of the tournament the boys were named the World Series Champs where they took home rings and the World Series Trophy.

Noah plays on the Tennessee Owlz traveling team. He is the son of Eddie & Emily Simon of Chalybeate. 

by Terry Watts:
​Fishing has locked into the late summer pattern on the lake.  Bass are holding tight to isolated cover on points and on flats near deeper water.  Jigs with a craw trailer have been the bait of choice.  Summer craw and green pumpkin have been favored flavors.  Most are being caught at 15 to 20 feet deep. 

White bass are still actively chasing shad late in the day.  Jumps are not as predictable as earlier this summer.  Conoloway has a good number of fish.  Crappie appear to be holding on deep brush.  Jigs or minnows have been the preferred baits. Most of these fish have been 12 to 15 feet deep.

The lake is right at pool, clear and 88 to 89 degrees.
​
Wear your PFD and take the family fishing.

Check out all the info for this year's 2018 Edmonson County Youth Football League and download the form below to sign up.

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Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
​ECMS 7th grader Scotty Hagan, age 12, has qualified for the 2018 B.A.S.S. Junior Championship and will be competing July 31 - August 1, 2018, according to family members.

The competition will take place at Carroll County One Thousand Acre Recreational Lake in McKenzie, TN. 

Scotty will have the opportunity to aquire college scholarships and tournament money.

"He's very excited and he has proud parents, grandparents, and lots of family and friends cheering him on," said his mother, Carlet Hagan.

​Both Scotty and his ten year-old brother Mason, a sixth grader at the EC 5/6 Center, have been fishing the B.A.S.S. Junior Tournament series in the state of Kentucky since they were 6 years old. Mrs. Hagan helped in the support of the Western Kentucky University Bass team in 2015 which has aided in the effort for the WKU Bass Fishing team to offer scholarships.

Scotty recently finished 2nd place at Green River Lake on July 14th and has qualified for the KY BASS Nation State Championship in September at Barren River Lake. Mason is set to find out this week if he has qualified for the State Championship through point standings.

They are the sons of Raymond and Carlet Hagan of Mammoth Cave.

2 Broke Girlz
Firestone
Modern Woodmen of America

Abney Eye Center
Fishers Auto
Ms. Susie Vincent

Advanced Auto Parts
Gail Vincent's Hair Shop
National Corvette Museum

Alex Lashley - Okie Dokie Salon
Garden and Pond Place Greenhouse
NCM Motorsports Park

Alford's Pharmacy
Gravil Funeral Home
Park Place Salon

Ali Mellow - Mary Kay
Historic Rail Park and Train Museum
Rachel Meredith - Kentucky Farm Bureau

Anabelle's Chic Boutique
Hot Rods Baseball
Ralphie's Fun Center

Ashley Edwards - Adorably Shabby
Jackson's Orchard
Ralph's Market

Backyard BBQ
Jessica Vanmeter - Plunder
Renee Webb - It's Adoorable

Bank of Edmonson County
Jill Skaggs Catering
Rough River Corps of Engineers

Bee Spring Lumber Co.
Jones and Gravil Tax Service
SC Construction

Bee Spring Restaurant
Jump Air Zone
Scott Lindsey

Bertie’s Ice Cream
Kerr's Flowers
Scott Skaggs Photography

BG Airport
Kona Ice
Sheer Bliss

Bobby Thornhill - Sam 100.7 FM
Laura's Hilltop Restaurant
Sherry's Red Roof Restaurant

Brian and Jamie Lindsey
Laura's Hilltop Restaurant
Sky PAC

Brownsville Homemakers
Leitchfield Aquatic
Step Up Hair Salon

C&S Real Estate and Excavating
Leslie Decker
Stevenson Auto Sales

Capturing Memories by Tracy Burba
Lost River Cave
Stile Homes

Cee Bee Food Store
Luke Wilson - Interior Solutions
Sun Valley Feed Mill

Country Oven Bakery
Main St. Activity Center
SunDays Greenhouse

Cracker Barrel
Main Street Barber Shop
Sweeden Sign Shop

Craig Culbreth
Mammoth Cave Transplants
Thomas Marsh and Family

Creekside Nursery
Madison’s Flower Shop
Tiffany's Tanning & Boutique

Darla Moody
Marilou Pate - Pate's Cake Shop
Tony Mello

Darren Evans WGGC 95.1 FM
Mark Wardlow
Tonya McGrew

Dawn Decker Photography
Melissa Culbreth
Venita Wilson's Salon

ECHS Archery
Mimi's Gift Gallery
Vincent's Auction House

Edmonson Drug
Minit Mart
Walden's BBQ

Edmonson News Paper
Mis Amigos Restaurant
Whitney Williams - Matilda Jane

Edmonson Voice
Missy Hendricks - Lu La Roe
Wildcat Den

Elkins Grove and Miranda Elkins

​She was taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville where it was later discovered she'd suffered a brain bleed in the center of her communication hub. Her motor and communication skills grew worse and on Wednesday, June 27th, doctors shared a grave diagnosis. It was their professional opinion that unless a miracle occurred, she would not recover from her current condition, which was a vegetable-like state without the ability to speak or understand speech, writing, or hand signals. With every attempt to communicate with her, there was no response. Doctors told family members to prepare for permanent, 24/7 assisted living arrangements in the form of a nursing home or rehab facility.

This news was also devastating on another level, as Grandmama is the caretaker of my Grandaddy. Even with a large, devoted family, we just couldn't see him making it without her for very long. He needed her and according to the doctors, we were on the verge of possibly losing both of them.

Her children (my mother, uncles, and aunts) simply did not accept the diagnosis, but not because of denial. They knew God was in control of all things and He was able to see to this. There were times when individual faiths weakened, but one or more members of this family were able to say just the right word, make the right expression, or simply do the right thing that would bring encouragement to the others.

My immediate family and I were vacationing more than 800 miles away and I had already started to plan coming back home. After receiving the troubling news through phone calls and text messages, I called my dad, a man of God who is gifted in saying  what always seems to be the right thing. As he expounded the doctors' grim outlook with me, his voice wasn't the least bit troubled. He shared his faith with me and assured me there was no need to come home just yet. That's when he said one of the most profound things I'd ever heard:  "Either you believe God will intervene, or you don't." 

I'd been taught to trust God my entire life, but I don't ever remember someone putting it so plainly. He followed up with, "if we don't believe that, we need to get to the place where we do. We need to pray." I knew he was right. Prayer had gotten me out of plenty of messes in my life that nothing else could. Why wouldn't it work now? Miles away from Grandmama, I found a private place and prayed. All our family prayed. So did our friends and neighbors. I also believe people prayed that didn't know us. Our church prayed. I'm not sure how many people prayed for her, but it worked.

The next day, she began to speak, point, and communicate. As the day went on, her condition continued to improve. Doctors didn't know what to say. We knew that God had not only heard our prayers, but He answered them. She continued to improve with a few ups and downs and the kids took Grandaddy to see her in the hospital shortly after. As he struggled walking into the room with the help of a cane, he made his way to her bed where they reached for each other with tears running down their faces.

"Love you," he said in a shaky voice. They held each other for what seemed like an hour, and for a brief moment, all was right with the world. Everyone in the room knew that this wasn't the end and there would be more time in their 65 year marriage.

Her improvement continued over the course of the next week and a half. Family members took shifts taking care of the both of them, staying with each one 24/7. Children and grandchildren visited, stayed, cooked meals, cleaned, and anything else that was necessary to see to their well being. Grandaddy's mind was clear and he said on more than one occasion, "Momma'll be home in a few days." 

​Our church had a baptism scheduled for Sunday, July 15th and not long after she regained her ability to communicate, she began to ask if she'd be able to attend the baptism. Doctors said that she would have several weeks of rehabilitation after being discharged from the hospital, which squashed any hopes of attending. For years, Grandmama has monogrammed the names of new converts onto handkerchiefs, giving them as gifts. She had been able to make some of the handkerchiefs prior to her stroke but there was still several to complete and she was not satisfied that she was told she wouldn't be able to attend. (A local friend of a family member eventually completed the handkerchiefs for the baptism at no charge).

On Monday, July 2nd, she was discharged from the hospital and was moved to Bowling Green into a rehab facility. She asked those in charge of her treatment if she'd be able to leave the facility in order to attend the baptizing and then come back. The facility wouldn't allow leaving and coming back. They told her if she left, she'd have to forfeit the rest of her treatment, which she was actually willing to do, but family members talked her into staying, as it was necessary for her recovery. She only agreed after family members guaranteed she'd be able to watch the baptizing in real time either through FaceTime or Facebook Live. 

On Wednesday, July 4th, I sat next to Grandaddy at prayer meeting. Earlier in the day we were told that there was no way she would be able to come home until the following week. A fellow church member asked me, "How is Lynn?" I told him that she was improving, but not wanting Grandaddy to hear that she wouldn't be home this weekend I stopped short.

"Momma'll be home in a day or two," Grandaddy added. I just looked at the church member and shrugged my shoulders. I later told him that it would likely be a week or more, but none of us wanted Grandaddy's hope to be dimmed. 

​I believe that with God's help, her sheer will and determination to come home, to be with Grandaddy, and attend the baptism led to her blazing through her rehab that week, and on Saturday, she was discharged from the facility and allowed to come home. Another lesson learned: when Grandaddy says something, pay attention...turns out he knows lots more than I gave him credit for. Momma was indeed home in a couple of days.

She attended the baptism with Grandaddy at the Beaver Dam Baptizing facility. She sat in a wheelchair with Grandaddy beside her in a chair of his own. She watched as several new converts were baptized, including two of her own great-grandchildren. She gave a heartfelt testimony at the end of the service of how she was thankful God allowed her to attend. "He knew how bad I wanted to be here," she said.

Some may think all of this is silly, a coincidence, or just simply not true. Some may also feel that it's inappropriate for a news editor to write and publish this sort of article in Edmonson County's leading local news provider. Thanks to this great country, you have the freedom to believe whatever you choose. 

As far as my news company goes, I'm going to continue publishing information that I feel impacts our readers the most, and those readers are overwhelmingly made up of Edmonson County residents, and I believe the majority of those readers believe the information in this article.

Thanks to all of you that prayed, wished us well, or asked about us. I'm thankful for my wonderful family, friends, community, church, and that I live in Edmonson County, KY, USA.

My family is no better than anyone else's, and I know of several others that can share similar stories; however, this one is mine and I can speak for myself.

I know that faithful prayer works. This is one of the many examples in which I've seen it work firsthand throughout my life. I just left Grandaddy and Grandmama's house. She had her cell phone in hand, texting family members and he was watching "Fixer Upper." Three weeks ago we were told she wouldn't recover, but she has. It's not a 100% recovery (yet) and there's still plenty of therapy and home rehab she'll need. They will both need the continued help of family members, but on Thursday, they plan to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary at home together, with a home cooked meal, prepared by family.

If you'd like to send them a card, (no gifts please) please mail to:
Wavie and Lynn Skaggs
2537 Chalybeate Road
Smiths Grove KY 42171