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Darren Doyle, story:
​South Edmonson Elementary school has been awarded a $12,000 grant by the Steele-Reese Foundation to support its music program.

The grant will pay for a new sound system, a Quaver music license, and 35 ukuleles for student use. The award was made during the 2018 funding cycle.

Student performances at South Edmonson have been hampered in recent years by old sound equipment that malfunctioned. In addition, SEES Music and Art Instructor Mrs. Jessica Doyle, who submitted one of 74 proposals submitted during the 2018 funding cycle, wanted to introduce a new music curriculum for K-4 students that would make learning music fun and interactive. Many music instructors use ukuleles as a way to introduce students to a stringed musical instrument.

The outdated sound system was first installed when the school was constructed almost 20 years ago. Some improvements were made to the system 4-5 years ago, but a limited budget only allowed a "band-aid" fix at best.

"This was a long process that started after I attended a grant writing workshop at the Kentucky Music Educators Association back in February," said Mr. Doyle. "I'm so grateful to our principal, Mr. Josh Long, for allowing me to attend this professional development opportunity, and that our Board of Education approved it. I think they would certainly agree it was well worth the expense now."  

The Steele-Reese Foundation is a charitable trust committed to supporting rural communities and the tax-exempt entities that serve them in Idaho, Montana, in the Native nations that share the geography, and in Appalachian Kentucky.

The South Edmonson proposal was one out of only 29 funded across Appalachian Kentucky.

Since its inception, the Foundation has maintained a focus on the unique challenges of rural living and on helping people build healthy, successful, and sustainable communities.

Eleanor Steele Reese, daughter of Charles Steele – a banker, lawyer, and business associate of J.P. Morgan – created The Steele-Reese Foundation in 1955. The Foundation's name honors Eleanor's family as well as the family of her husband, Emmet Reese, who grew up in the Appalachian foothills community of East Bernstadt, Kentucky.

"We can't wait to get our sound system updated," Mrs. Doyle added. "This is an amazing opportunity for our school to get a much-needed upgrade that we otherwise would never be able to afford. I am excited about our upcoming programs, where hopefully, we'll not have to worry about a malfunction in our sound system anymore."

Under the new direction of Mrs. Doyle, South Edmonson now has a newly formed choir, which is made up of more than 40 third and fourth grade students. Several new musical projects are currently in the works.
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The Edmonson Voice is proud to announce Shady Hollow Golf Course as the newest sponsor to our news network. A beautiful and well-maintained course, Shady Hollow is located in the heart of the Nolin Lake/Mammoth Cave area. 

Shady Hollow has been a premier course in Edmonson County for more than 20 years and is heavily rooted in the community, as they regularly give back to local schools, organizations, and charities.

The Edmonson Voice is proud to welcome Shady Hollow to the Edmonson Voice family and we encourage our readers to support all the businesses that help bring our network to you free of charge.

Check out this year's Chamber of Commerce Golf Scramble! Click the ad below to purchase your tickets directly from their site.

Check out many familiar faces and places from Edmonson & surrounding counties, from the official trailer for "The Prayer Box," a film that featured many locals! 

by Terry Watts:
​Crappie fishing has been good recently.  Most fish are being caught 8 to 10 feet deep over brushpiles along mud banks and in standing timber.  Minnows have been preferred. 

Bass fishing has been fair to good using shallow crankbaits and topwater baits.  Points, steep banks and docks have been holding fish. 

Recent rains raised the lake level about 2 feet.  Surface temps are near 80 degrees.  

Wear your PFD and take the family fishing.

​Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Saturday, September 15th was Nolin River Lakes 10th Annual Clean-up Campaign scheduled in conjunction with National Public Lands Day, which was September 22nd . One hundred and eighty eight volunteers showed up on Saturday morning to help clean up the lake, braving briers and poison ivy.

 
The following ‘thank you’ was submitted to the Edmonson Voice from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
 
BIG THANK YOU to all volunteers and groups that set aside the day to “lend a hand to the lands” they know and love.

Clean up Statistics:
It’s noticeable in every year’s statistic that volunteers are making a difference. Fewer appliances and tires are being collected and the trash more than likely is from the current year rather than an accumulation of many. Which makes a possibility for next year to focus on multiple projects!! Ninety seven bags of trash were collected along with nine tires! For the second year in a row the largest organized groups were Boy Scout Pack 130 with 65 participants and Girl Scout Troop 1496 with 40. The Kentucky Mountain Bike Associations KYMBA came to give the Brier Creek Trail some trail love and new to the clean-up from Elizabethtown were Boy Scout Troop 260 and the Elizabeth Town Technical College Fishing Club. Special Recognition to Mike Robertson for “lending a hand to the lands” and 10 year commitment of volunteering every year for Nolin River Lakes clean-up event.

Thank you Partners!
A long-standing appreciation and thank you to Hart County Solid Waste in their 10th year of providing dumpsters free of charge at Dog Creek and Wax, and Scott Waste provided a dumpster free of delivery charge to Moutardier. We can always count on Moutardier and Wax marina donating rental pontoons for Corps staff to use during clean-up, and a new partner Jeanine’s Boat Rental from Brier Creek donated a pontoon and driver. All partners received a special certificate in recognition of their participation in National Public Lands Day for their contribution to the beautification of public lands.

An appreciation picnic for all clean-up participants was donated by Bee Springs Restaurant at the Moutardier Recreation Area picnic shelter. It’s hard to know the number of volunteers that will show up the day of an event and Bee Spring Restaurant donated enough food for over 200 volunteers!! The Friends of Nolin provided volunteer recruitment assistance and prizes given away through a random ticket drawing an overall donation of over $200. Fishing poles, life jackets, coolers, dry storage containers, an assortment of camping gear, and a grand prize three-man tent with a camp stove were given away. It was a great ending to the day with food and prizes to thank our volunteers.

​WHAT: ‘Coffee with a Cop’ is a national event taking place across the Country, where citizens and law enforcement can come together and talk. Whether it is discussing community issues or talking about the local football game - the event is designed to build and strengthen relationships.
​
For more information, visit https://coffeewithacop.com/
 
WHEN: Wednesday, October 3, 8:00-10:00 am (CST)
WHERE: Sportsman’s Grill located at 675 South Main Street, Brownsville, KY 42210
WHO: KSP Post 3 troopers along with other local law enforcement agencies
WHY: Coffee with a Cop brings police officers and the community members they serve together–over coffee–to discuss issues and learn more about each other.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Travis Hudson, head volleyball coach for Western Kentucky University, will be the featured speaker at the 2018 Lady Cat basketball pancake breakfast, which is scheduled to be held on Saturday, October 13, 2018 at ECHS, from 7 - 11am.

No stranger to Edmonson County, Hudson is a 1988 graduate of ECHS where he was a member of the 1988 District Championship basketball team. He also was a large part of the Wildcat Football team, earning All-State honors in football. A 1994 graduate of WKU, Hudson holds a bachelor's degree in business management with a marketing emphasis. In 1996, he married the former Cindy Wiseman, a graduate of the University of Louisville's School of Allied Health with a degree in physical therapy. The couple has two sons, Tyler and Andrew.

Hudson has entered into his 24th season as head coach this year, and he is the architect behind turning WKU Volleyball into a championship-caliber team and bringing national attention to the Lady Topper program.

​

​After taking over the helm in 1995 and finishing that campaign with a 7-26 overall record, a resurgence in WKU Volleyball came at an astounding pace. Under Hudson's tutelage, WKU has earned 10 Sun Belt Conference Regular-Season Championships, including seven-straight from 2000-2006, and five Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championships. In the department's first four seasons in Conference USA, Hudson guided the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 squads to four-straight regular season titles and sequential C-USA Championships. Along with that, the Lady Toppers have appeared in 11 NCAA Tournaments, as nine came from earning the league's automatic bid and two were as at-large selections.
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For his career, Hudson holds a 590-203 (.744) mark, as his only head coaching job has been on The Hill. Hudson has been named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year five times (2000, 2002, 2005, 2012 and 2013) and Conference USA Coach of the Year twice (2015 and 2016) while being an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Coach of the Year finalist five times after earning the South Region Coach of the Year award in 2002, 2005, 2012, 2016 and 2017. He has 21 winning seasons in his career, as he has 19 seasons with 20 or more wins as well as eight years with 30 or more wins.

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Moriah Peterson, story and photos:
Despite the rainy weather on Saturday September 22nd, many still attended the Edmonson County Trail Town Day, Country Paddle, and the Chamber Luncheon event. 

The Country Paddle kicked off the day with twelve participants who braved the rain to free float down Green River.

Following the paddle was the Edmonson County Chamber Luncheon sponsored by Laura's Hilltop Restaurant, Jacob's Home Furnishing, and the Edmonson County Chamber and Tourism offices. 

There were plenty of activities for everyone inside the community center. County and State officials as well as current political candidates participated in corn hole tournaments- all in good fun. 

Along with games and activities, live music featuring Corey Culbreth and Ethan Stice was also inside the community center. Booths featuring the treasures of Edmonson County were also set up in the community center.  

"We appreciate the community coming out today even with the bad weather," said Chamber Director and Tourism member Rhonda Clemmons. "We achieved our biggest goal today which was completing the trial run day and getting input from the public for the state surveys."

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
There was a bit too much rain this morning for a successful canoe trip on the river this morning, but the Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce Cookout is still on for today. 

Chamber Director Rhonda Clemmons said the event has been moved inside the Community Center from noon until 2pm today.

"Our music and food fun is still planned for today, even though the weather hasn't been very cooperative," she said. "This is a free event for the community sponsored by the Chamber. We want to thank Jacob's Home Furnishings and Laura's Hilltop Restaurant for helping us make this happen. We encourage everyone to attend."

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Edmonson Voice Staff Report: 
Edmonson County Middle School has received a $7,500 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant for “Making a Way for a Better Future”. 
 
We are thrilled to announce that Lowe’s has awarded ECMS funding for “Making a Way for a Better Future.” According to Library Media Specialist Mrs. Charla Caudill, “As we stated in our grant application, the mission of our project is to provide our students with opportunities in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) that support critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication skills. Our project has multiple phases and the next phase is to expand opportunities to meet the needs of more students. Our students need opportunities to research current ideas and strategies and learn new ways to apply their new knowledge. Our students will use tools to learn how to create coding programs for robotic tasks and computer applications."

She also said that the upcoming phase of their project will require the purchase of Chromebooks to expand access and provide opportunities for development. 
 
“Our school and community will greatly benefit from this grant. We wish to thank our friends at Lowe’s for generously supporting this important project,” said Principal Brandon Prunty.
 
All K-12 public schools in the United States are eligible for the Toolbox for Education program.  More information is available at www.ToolboxforEducation.com.

Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Bank of Edmonson County employees from four different bank locations joined others across Kentucky today by wearing "Hope Starts" t-shirts in an awareness campaign in conjunction with the American Cancer Society.​

Today we are joining others across KY and wearing a “Hope Starts @ Home” tshirts. 

Employees at the Bank of Edmonson County wore these commemorative Hope Starts at Home shirts to help foster Hope in their community and beyond.

​"With their contribution, they hope to inspire others to find their Hope as they join with the American Cancer Society to help support ongoing life-saving research and support programs," said a statement released from the American Cancer Society.

"The American Cancer Society would not be able to do all that it does without support from communities like ours. We hope that this encourages others to show how your 'hope starts at home.'"

by Terry Watts:
The surface temps at Nolin are running in the low 80's.  The lake is clear and falling slowly before the big draw begins in October.  It appears that we are beginning the fall turnover.  Get out those topwater baits!  A buzzbait, popper, plopper, or spook jr all work well.  Fish will be shallow and scattered for a while.  Change locations often and cover a lot of water.  It's a great time to be on the lake.

Wear your PFD and take the family fishing. 

FLW/BFL weigh-in Saturday the 23rd, 4:00 at Cabelas

Sporting Dog Days, Saturday and Sunday, noon till 4:00 at Cabelas.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony today, marking the reopening of the Nolin River boat ramp near the tail waters of Nolin Lake. 

Almost all of Nolin River has been inaccessible since November of 2016 when Lock number 6 and dam breached. Once the dam was removed, the water level dropped tremendously in the Nolin, which caused dozens of trees to fall into the river as the root systems fell victim to erosion. 

According to Deryck Rogers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the river is now accessible thanks to the efforts of USACE team members, who provided the labor and resources to clear the debris and downed trees along the river.

"We estimate there were hundreds of trees and thousands of saw cuts that were required to get those trees out of there," said Rogers. "We knew that as soon as the Lock and Dam number 6 were removed that the demand for water recreation here was going to be huge, so we had to figure out a way to make that happen."

​He said the National Park Service partnered with the USACE, which allowed the work to be done.

As a result, the trees were cleared and the river is now accessible once again for canoers, kayakers, and those in small boats, as celebrated today with the cutting of the ribbon at the boat ramp.

Refreshments were provided at today's event by the Friends of Nolin Lake.

Chamber Director Rhonda Clemmons said it was a team effort and the Chamber is happy to part of the ceremony.

"This is a great move forward for Edmonson County Tourism's efforts in becoming a Trail Town," she said. "We anticipate a large crowd for Saturday's Trail Town Day. The Chamber is proud to help celebrate this reopening and we look forward to seeing water recreation happening again on the Nolin River.

Moriah Peterson, story and photos:
The Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening of the new local business "Creations", in downtown Brownsville, on Saturday morning September 15, 2018. 

​During the ceremony Chamber board member Bob Kleier talked about the history of the building beginning as a service station, then food mart, to a storage building. "The remodel and turning what was being used for storage into a multitude of businesses is a real asset to Brownsville," said Kleier.

“Creations” is owned by the sister in-law team of Tracy Burba and Ashlee Jaggers. The new local business has a salon, home decor boutique, photography studio and massage room. "This has been a dream of ours," said business owner Tracy Burba. "It doesn't feel real yet." 

"We are proud to have a new creative business in downtown Brownsville," said Chamber Director Ronda Clemmons. "We hope to add more downtown community events in 2019 to help support our local businesses.