Edmonson Voice Report:
Several Edmonson County students from all ages recently participated in 4-H activities at the Kentucky State Fair. Reese Childress won the Grand Reserve title, which is the top honor in the category of consumer education projects.

Reese's project was titled “What is the Best Buy?” She compared the prices of different types of orange juice and different types of ketchup to determine the best buy. She also had to write an essay explaining the process.

All other students won ribbons in multiple areas. They all first qualified for state by winning in the 4-H Rally Days contests at the Big Brownsville Bash.

Here is a  slideshow of these students and their awards:

By: Kari Lynn Somers, courtesy of Gatton Academy:
This summer, Gatton Academy student Brody Johnson, a Bee Spring resident, completed the Undergraduate Research Education Program (UREP) at the Wood Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory. As one of eleven students selected to participate in this program, Johnson focused on addressing the question, “What methods can be developed to effectively study small or rare populations relevant to cancer research?” The UREP gives students from across the region the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in biomedical research and present on their findings.

Johnson shared about his experience, “Wood Hudson’s UREP program prepared me for a career in medicine by providing me with excellent mentor figures, all seasoned in their respective fields, who were more than happy to share their expertise and advice regarding research, clinical medicine, and the field of cancer biology in general.” These mentors included Dr. Julia H. Carter, Prof. Diane Willkening Gilb, Dr. Ronald D. Snyder, Dr. Larry E. Douglass, and Dr. Erik Bey. Not only did this program give Johnson a new appreciation for the work going into cancer research, but he also had the chance to meet like-minded individuals pursuing similar goals.

The program concluded on August 10 at “Science Day” where students presented their final research proposals. Johnson proposed looking at treatment for patients with extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma and whether more effective approaches exist. As this form of cancer is rare, Johnson states that, “its treatment has not been explored as much as its more widespread counterparts,” making it a relevant proposal for research.

Students in the program also gave lectures on a chapter of their textbook, “Principles of Cancer Biology,” and one peer-reviewed journal article to their peers in a classroom setting.

Cheryl Kirby-Stokes, Academic Opportunities Coordinator at The Gatton Academy, stated, “We’re grateful to Wood Hudson’s UREP program for giving our students a chance to narrow their interests within STEM fields while gaining valuable experience. As a close partner for over 11 years, we look forward to our continued work with Dr. Julia Carter and all the wonderful staff in Newport.”

Students at The Gatton Academy are encouraged to participate in research experiences and internships during the summer between their junior and senior years. During Summer 2022, students took part in the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Gatton Research Internship Grant program, Gatton Sponsored Internship Program, National Security Language Initiative for Youth, Study Abroad, and more.

Brody is the son of Brad and Jodi Johnson of Bee Spring.

About The Gatton Academy: Established in 2007, The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s first residential two-year program for gifted and talented junior and seniors. The Gatton Academy’s students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Gatton Academy is a recipient of the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity Magazine and the Innovation Partnership Award from the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools.

Edmonson Voice Report:
The Edmonson County Schools annual Back to School Bash was held last night at the Edmonson County Public Library. An estimated 500 students attended the event, where there was also 32 vendors on-site.

“Back to School Bash is a way to provide parents with a few school supplies and also to connect them with resources in our community," said Jamie Carnes, Supervisor of Federal and State Programs for EC Schools. "It also provides FRYSC a great outlet for outreach.”

“We would like to humbly thank our outstanding community partners for their support in providing kids with a fresh start to the school year," said Alicia Edwards, FRC Coordinator for South Edmonson Elementary and Kyrock.

Carnes said the event is always successful and noted that it was not held at the high school due to the late start of the school year and a scheduling conflict with the ECHS football game.

by Senator Steve Meredith:
It is a busy time of year for Kentucky families as students get back into the routine of school and after-school activities get into full swing. With each new school year comes new opportunities, chances to achieve higher levels of learning, and the potential for new and great experiences. I wish all students, teachers, school staff, and parents a wonderful year!
 
All who touch the school system have experienced challenges over the last few years. From COVID-19 disruption, to natural disasters in both eastern and western Kentucky, and our concerns and prioritization of school safety, school staff and families have had a lot to contend with. While not easy, the time and effort is worth it to set our students up to have a successful year. 
 
Your legislators are eager to see the many successes the upcoming school year has in store. Over half of state revenue in the current budget was dedicated to public education. Lawmakers additionally dedicated over $500 million to schools, many of which have chosen to maximize that financial flexibility and provide raises for school personnel. 
 
We passed and enacted legislation giving a greater voice to parents, residents, and the community in school governance and curriculum by reforming the role of school-based decision-making (SBDM) councils through Senate Bill (SB) 1. The bill enhances accountability by ultimately giving school boards authority over curriculum and the selection of school principals — an authority SBDM councils had. Superintendents, who are hired and fired by the school board, will now make those final decisions after consulting with and receiving input from SBDM councils in their new advisory role. The SBDM model has existed in Kentucky for over three decades. In that time, no other state in the nation has deemed it a worthy model to adopt.
 
SB 1 also includes the Teaching American Principles Act, which extends existing elementary social studies standards through middle and high school. It encourages a study of United States historical documents and uniting students around our nation’s history, not dividing it. It also preserves classroom discussion of controversial aspects of history and maintains a teacher's ability to teach current events on controversial subjects. Most importantly, Teaching American Principles supports civic learning in settings that students may encounter in their lives, like the legislative process.  
 
We also reformed reading instruction across the commonwealth through the passage of Senate Bill 9, or the Read to Succeed Act.  SB 9 systematically improves the quality and delivery of reading instruction to students in kindergarten through third grade across the state by implementing supports and interventions, and creating a streamlined curriculum-based foundation in phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. It also requires reading-specific developmental training for all K-3 teachers. 
 
On school safety, the interim joint committee recently heard from the state school safety marshal and the Kentucky Center for School Safety about how legislation passed by the General Assembly is being enacted into law. I think if you look on the local level at your child's school, you will see dedicated efforts to ensure our students, teachers, staff, and administrators are safe. I encourage you to visit ket.org/legislature/archives to watch the July 15 meeting. You can also visit the KET website and watch a recent edition of ‘Kentucky Tonight’ that featured an hour-long conversation on the same topic. These are both resources containing important information for parents, students, and staff.

In closing, I want to thank each and every person who plays a role in ensuring the best possible education for students here in the 5th Senate District. It is a pleasure to get to work with our superintendents and to hear from people in our community. If I can ever be of assistance, please contact my office at 502-564-8100 or the legislative message line at 1-800-372-7181. You can also reach me at Stephen.Meredith@LRC.KY.GOV.
 
I wish each student, teacher, and parent nothing but the best as you return to the classroom. Have an awesome school year! 

Edmonson Voice Report:
Tonya Jones, a member of Edmonson County Schools’ Central Office staff, has completed training requirements in the Kentucky Organization of Superintendents’ Administrative Assistants (KOSAA) professional development program sponsored by the Kentucky School Boards Association (KSBA).

Jones, who serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent in the Edmonson County District Central Office,  achieved Level I of the KOSAA academy’s ten-tiered training curriculum on July 15, 2022, in Lexington, Kentucky. This encompassed completion of a minimum number of training hours and volunteer service. Training topics include areas such as Board Member Training Hours, Superintendent Search, Closed and Special Called Board Meetings, District Construction Projects, Standard Operating Procedures, and Policy and Procedure Annual Update.

KOSAA was designed as a vehicle to provide professional development and camaraderie for Administrative Assistants whose work is crucial to the success of Boards and Superintendents across the state. Completion of the various levels of training offered by KOSAA is just one step that contributes to the professional growth of these individuals.

KSBA says they are proud to assist in this endeavor, and hope that all Districts will encourage their Superintendent’s Administrative Assistant(s) to attend the twice yearly training events.

Laielah Roscoe, a 12-year old ECMS student, took home top Miss Preteen honors at the Amerifest National Pageant U.S. on July 14th in French Lick, Indiana.

Laielah has been competing in pageants for the last three years, getting her start at the Edmonson County Fair Pageant at the age of nine.

"I've learned so much from being involved with different pageant systems, but the one that's stuck out most is Amerifest," she said. "It's taught me that 'it is more than just...' meaning, that it's not just about the crown or sash or how pretty you are. It's about giving back to your community and being pretty on the inside, not just the outside."

Laielah is involved in multiple projects from taking up donations for foster care kids to collecting items for the "Service for Sailors Program," which sends care packages for active duty sailors.

"I was so excited to win the title of Miss Preteen US AmeriFest because it's my dream and I worked so hard to get here," she added. "It's a lot of work but I have so much fun with My AmeriFest family, and it's always a party when we get together. I hope to inspire young girls like myself and show them that with hard work, their dreams can also come true."

You can follow her pageant Facebook Page here.

She is the daughter of Eric and Ginny Roscoe of Sweeden.

Easton Probus, fourth grade student in South Edmonson 4-H club, performed at the Kentucky State Fair. He sang the song, “Believer.”

He was invited to perform on the Cloverville Stage for District 6 4-H. He is also a member of the South Edmonson Bulldog Choir.

Easton is the son of Ben and Paige Probus of Chalybeate.

Darren Doyle, story and photo:
Edmonson County Schools FRYSC's newest community outreach program, a custom school bus called "The Community Cruiser," was in action on Monday, stopping at both local elementary schools for free back-to-school haircuts to incoming students.

The Community Cruiser was made possible by a $100K grant awarded to Edmonson County Family Resource-Youth Services Center programs (FRYSC), which was part of a $15 million dollar project from the second round of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund 2 (GEER II) in the summer of 2021.

Several local hairstylists volunteered their services for the free haircuts that were sponsored by the FRYSC. 

Nearly 70 haircuts were given as a steady stream of local students took advantage of the opportunity.

According to Jamie Carnes, Supervisor of Federal and State Programs for Edmonson County Schools, Monday's free haircut event was sparked by local professional Emily Vincent. 

"With her help, we were able to get many other local stylists involved and offer a day of free haircuts for kids who might not have had the chance to get one prior to the start of school, otherwise," he said. "The turnout was great for this program's debut and we will likely begin to incorporate it into the FRYSC's yearly schedule.  This event served as a prime example of how we would like the Community Cruiser to be utilized - community input identified a need and the Cruiser helped to fulfill it with support from great volunteers."

In addition to Mrs. Vincent, Rachel Carroll, Cherrie Pierce, Kim Wrye, Mendi Miller, Amanda Denham, Sherry Gibson all volunteered their services to provide free haircuts to local students.

Carnes said the organization envisions the Cruiser as a mobile outreach tool for our FRYS Centers. 

"One example of our plan is to partner with local entities like A+ Family Healthcare and LifeSkills to provide underserved students with access to health and mental health-related care.  Also, Cooperative Extension Agents plan to collaborate with the FRYSC mobile education unit in an effort to help provide access to classes such as Parenting, Food Preservation, and Cooking Classes. Once we have provisions for internet on board, we would be able to use the Cruiser as an access point and/or workstation for kids in the event of future school closures for illness or other unforeseen circumstances." 

He also said that plans are in place to integrate the vehicle into existing FRYSC programming--especially that related to early childhood-- at all schools in the district, providing even more options than in previous years. 

He added that they are always looking for feedback from the community for additional ways that the Cruiser can assist in the local community.

"Our Centers are always open to suggestions and welcome other community partners who have great ideas for how we might help put the Cruiser to work to benefit students and their families."

Edmonson Voice Report:
Harper Davis, 4th grader at South Edmonson Elementary, received a blue ribbon award at the 4-H State Speech Competition.

The communications contest, also known as Talk Meet, starts with a county wide competition. Winners from the county division enter the Mammoth Cave Area competition. From this point, individuals who in region move to the state level.

Harper Davis won with her speech, “A Girls Best Friend,” written about her dog and how to care for pets.

Harper is the 9 year old daughter of Derek and Jamie Davis.

Edmonson Voice Report:
Anthony & Shirley Reynolds will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on August 29th, 2022.

The family invites anyone to come join them in celebration on August 28th, 2022 at South Edmonson Elementary School from 3-5 pm. Cake and punch will be served. 

Edmonson Voice Report:
On Thursday, August 18, 2022, six Edmonson County students competed at the Kentucky State Fair in the Country Ham Speech Competition. These six students, which are Daphne Bolton, Makaylee Thompson, Sophia Prunty, Ava Kepple, Baylee Wilkerson, and Jesse Denham, have been participating in a six month project leading up to this point, which consisted of three visits to Clifty Farms in Scottsville, Kentucky, where the students made their own country ham.

Over 800 4-H students from ages 9 to 18 competed in this competition.

Daphne Bolton was named State Champion in the Junior 9 year old division of 4-H Country Ham Speech Competition.  The other students who competed will get their results upon the conclusion of the State Fair.

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Alford's Pharmacy and Drive-Thru will celebrate 13 years in business on August 17th.

They will be serving light refreshments at the pharmacy and in the drive thru during the entire day on Wednesday.

They are also giving away a $100 gas card in a promotion on their Facebook page to celebrate, while sharing daily fun trivia about the pharmacy throughout this week.

paid advertisement:
The Judge Executive’s Office has announced that they have received approval to extend the Spay/Neuter Voucher Program.

Vouchers are available at the Judge Executive Office for immediate pickup, Monday through Friday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm.  This is the last chance this year that the vouchers will be available, and this will be a first come, first serve basis.  Funds are limited so if interested you will need to act immediately to secure a voucher for your pet.

Cat spay/neuter vouchers will be in the amount of $40, with pet owner paying the difference based on sex of cat.  If cat has not had rabies vaccine, there will be an additional charge for that, you will need to show proof of rabies vaccination if you have it.

Dog spay/neuter vouchers will be in the amount of $50, with pet owner paying the difference based  on weight of dog.   If dog has not had rabies vaccine, there will be an additional charge for that, you will need to show proof of rabies vaccination if you have it.

Thomas & England is currently scheduling the spay/neuter appointments, so make your appointment as soon as possible by calling 270-563-0011.
 
You can call the Judge Executive’s Office at  270-597-2819 or 270-597-1079 with questions. Once vouchers are picked up, there is a 30- day expiration date, if the voucher is not used within 30 days, it will be voided and unable to redeem at Thomas & England. Individuals that pick-up vouchers will be required to show proof of residency in Edmonson County.

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