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School Technology Admin Says KyWired Will Have Little If Any, Effect On School System, Households10/9/2018 The following article was submitted by Brent Norris, Edmonson County School District Network Administrator. Mr. Norris is responsible for all aspects of technology in Edmonson County schools, including fiber optic and copper networks, telephones, wireless communication, and internet filtering, as well as servers and endpoint devices. by Brent Norris: I have attended community forums about KY Wired and I have been involved in discussions about internet access inside our county. While they've been really great conversations, there has been not very much data available about how many households in Edmonson county had internet access and what type it was. With the start of school, every student had a registration form where they could provide their current internet information. I would like to make sure that the community is aware that our community schools have been connected by fiber connections since as early as 2002. By 2005 we had all schools connected with fiber optic cable running at speeds 10x faster than any connection that could be delivered to a household in the county. By 2015 we had upgraded that to 100x faster than any connection to a household in the county. Our link to the internet has always been fast and for several years has been 5x faster than any internet link that could be purchased in the county. It is fast enough that our normal usage runs around half of its total capacity. The first interesting data from the survey was just how many households with school age children have internet access in some form. Our numbers show that over 82% have some kind of internet access, which is a dramatic increase from five years ago. That still leaves 212 houses that do not have access. One thing we did not ask was why that was. It is possible that these houses do not have options, or just see no need for it. We can dig deeper into the data and find more information about the makeup of our internet access. Inside the county the majority of internet access is DSL with over 54%. Cable access comes next at around 17% and the rest are less. An interesting number that we saw emerge this year is the “Other” category, which we think to be people with cellular internet. It has seen a sharp increase. paid advertisement The last two graphs below are for our two different elementary schools. I thought this was interesting because it gave us a chance to see the connection options in both the northern and southern portions of Edmonson County. Once we move into the higher grades, the county population is merged and there is no chance to see differences between the areas. Both locations are still strong DSL subscribers, but in the southern area of the county, you can see that cable access is much more pronounced than in the northern part. I think this shows how Mediacom hasn’t expanded as much above the river. I was also surprised by the number of satellite users in the southern part of the county. It is also interesting to me that the increase in cable and Satellite doesn’t seem to change the “None” percentages. They seem to exclusively be taking over DSL subscribers. This means that cable and satellite aren’t bringing in new customers they are most likely taking dissatisfied customers from DSL. Cellular access seems to stay consistent across the two regions though. I will be interested to see if as the years progress (and we update our form to include a line for cellular) if the percentage of access through the cell networks increase and takes over some of the other choices. The cellular option doesn’t require infrastructure to the house and therefore might be more cost effective to deploy to homes in a county that is spread out like ours. The bottom line is this: several people have voiced their concerns as to why the KyWired project is crucial to our school system, when in fact, it will have very little or nothing to do with it at all. While the project will have the possibility to bring other internet options to more parts of the county, the chances of it having any positive effect anytime soon are very little due to the fact that it will be up to individual internet service providers to extend their services to these other areas. That's something that will be very time consuming and costly. Edmonson Voice Staff Report: The 2018 Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Scramble was held on October 4th at Shady Hollow Golf Course. First place honors was awarded to the team of Tommy Webb, Anthony Browning, Barry Rich, and Tracy Meredith at 16 under par. Second place was awarded to the team of Drew Cassady, Gerald Meredith, Darrell Cassady & Ronnie Booker at 13 under par. The team of JR Estes, Todd Polston, Andy Highbaugh, & Nathan Quisenberry received third place at 13 under par. Second place was determined by a playoff. “It was a lighter turnout with fall break but we still had a good number of teams. It was a great show of support for the Chamber and we’re so grateful for all our sponsors,” said Chamber Director Rhonda Clemmons. “Thanks to Rafferty’s for providing lunch for all our teams.”
Edmonson County fire departments in cooperation with the KY Division of Forestry have announced the annual statewide fall burning season that began on October 1, 2018. No burning is allowed between the hours of 6am and 6pm within 150ft of woodland or brush. See all the details in the flyer below:
paid advertisement: After retiring from the US Army Reserve and Kentucky State Police, I've dedicated myself to being a public servant and advocate for Edmonson County. I've served as the Edmonson County Sheriff and am nearing the end of my first term as your Judge Executive. I've learned much during some challenging times and I look forward to using that knowledge for the benefit of our county. Everything we do in Edmonson County government takes teamwork: all your elected officials, county employees, and myself working together for the good of our county. I've worked hard to use the leadership skills I've learned from the Army, KSP, as Edmonson County Sheriff, and as your Judge Executive to keep everything running as smooth as possible. I'll continue working to improve our county roads, parks and facilities, ensure they're maintained, and keep them safe and attractive to improve the quality of life in Edmonson County for all of us. I'll also continue to promote agriculture, new construction, industry, business, and tourism in Edmonson County. I'd love the opportunity to answer any of your questions or concerns you may have for our county. Please call me at my office at 270-597-2819. I'm asking you for your vote and support on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Judge Executive and for your continued support as we work together for all of Edmonson County. --Wil Cannon, Edmonson County Judge Executive paid for by Wil Cannon
The Edmonson Voice does not endorse any political candidate Don't miss this opportunity from Ken Byrd Realty and Auction. Click the ad for the complete listing:
One bedroom duplex for rent on Sulphur Road in Chalybeate. Near South Edmonson Elementary and Chalybeate Park. Water is included in rent. No pets permitted. Rent is $375 per month with a $375 security deposit. Please call 270-791-0945.
Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Mammoth Cave National Park will receive a $10,000 field trip grant for the 2018-2019 school year from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. The funding was secured by the Friends of Mammoth Cave, and will go towards an Environmental Education (EE) program which will bring ten local schools to the park, and will send EE staff directly into schools in the McCracken and Pike County School systems. This is the first year for the “Sharing Mammoth Cave National Park; from Paducah to Pikeville” program in the park, but the local in-school programs have been conducted since the inception of the EE program in the 1970s. The field trip and in-classroom learning activities focus on educating students on geology, biology, and how good environmental stewardship can positively affect the world around them. Students are taught by trained EE staff and participate in hands on lessons, experiments, and environmental games. Each program offered is tailored to what the students are currently studying in the classroom so the information presented will build upon their regular school lesson plans. During the 2017-2018 school year Mammoth Cave EE staff worked with over 57,000 students both far and near. “It is wonderful to bring so many local students into the park to experience what is right here in their backyards, but we understand that many students live outside of a reasonable timeframe to drive to the park for a traditional school field trip,” said Dave Wyrick, Chief of Interpretation. “This grant from the National Park Foundation provides us the ability to serve our local counties while also reaching out to students who live a little further away. We are happy to be able to share the national park experience and environmental lessons with schools in both Paducah and Pikeville.” The grant is part of the Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program which creates pathways for kids to explore and connect with national park experiences. “Trekking along trails, observing our natural ecosystems and engaging with our shared history are experiences that benefit all children,” said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth. “Making it possible for America’s youth to explore our national parks is an investment in their future and the future of the national parks community.” The grant will be received through Friends of Mammoth Cave, the non-profit partner of Mammoth Cave National Park, who works to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and cultural resources and visitor experience at Mammoth Cave. For more information about the National Park Foundation and the Open OutDoors for Kids campaign visit www.nationalparks.org/our-work. To learn more about Mammoth Cave’s Environmental Education Program please visit www.nps.gov/maca/learn/education/index.htm. Upcoming Free Event: Edmonson Voice Staff Report:
Mammoth Cave National Park will conduct a Night Sky Program at the visitor center on Sunday, October 7, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The program will allow participants to take a tour of the fall night sky and view the planets and stars in detail through telescopes provided by the park. It is recommended that participants bring a flashlight with a red filter, jacket or sweater as needed, and wear sturdy shoes. In the event of rain or overcast skies, a night sky slide show will be presented at the outdoor amphitheater at 7:30 pm. For more information on the event contact the park at 270-758-2180. |
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