CCHS SBDM to meet March 17

Crittenden County High School site-based decision making council will meet at 3:30 p.m. March 17 in in the high school conference room.

State fire marshal: Change batteries this weekend

The Kentucky State Fire Marshal is reminding Kentuckians to change the batteries in each of your home’s smoke alarms when you spring your clocks forward this weekend to daylight saving time.

“Early warning is the first line of defense in escaping a fire,” said William Swope, director of the Public Protection Cabinet’s Division of Fire Prevention and the state’s fire marshal. “Without a working smoke detector to issue an early warning, occupants can become trapped by deadly smoke and heat as the fire spreads quickly throughout a home, blocking escape routes."

Smoke detectors should be on every floor of your home, including the basement and in each sleeping area. “The bottom line is smoke detectors can save the lives of your family and pets,” said Swope. “It’s simple: When you set your clocks forward, change the batteries in your smoke alarms.”

Swope said education is the key to preventing fires in your home. “Make sure that everyone in your home knows about fire prevention and what to do in case of a fire in your residence,” he said. “And pay particular attention to family members with disabilities to ensure everyone escapes a home fire successfully. Have a fire escape plan that includes two ways out for everyone.”

For additional information on fire prevention, visit the National Fire Protection Association website at http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information. There, you can find fact sheets on several fire prevention topics.

Alumni men's basketball Sunday at Rocket Arena

The late
Carlisle Towery
Shady Grove grad

Rocket basketball coach Denis Hodge is encouraging all former basketball players to participate in Sunday's Alumni Games and Reunion at Rocket Arena. Players should report to the gym no later than 1 p.m.

Games will be two 15-minute halves. There will be two age brackets:  39-under and 40-over. Players 40-up may play with the younger group. Graduates of Crittenden, Marion or any of the county schools are welcome to participate by playing or simply coming to enjoy the reunion.

Pull-over scrimmage jerseys will be provided.

For info, call Denis Hodge at (270) 704-0643 denis.hodge@Crittenden.kyschools.us or Travis Perryman at (270) 969-1168 or travis.perryman123@yahoo.com.

Admission will be $5.

No classes for students Friday

School officials have announced there will be no classes for students in Crittenden County on Friday. However, certified staff are to report to work at 9 a.m.

That brings to 17 the total number of instructional days missed by students in the district. Unless the board of education elects to amend the academic calendar, June 5 will be the final day of classes with graduation on June 6.

Area deaths

James “J.D.” Myers, 82, of Marion died March 5, 2014, at Crittenden Health Systems in Marion. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

Coleman David "Skip" Buchanan, 85, of Waverly died March 6, 2014, at Lucy Smith King Care Center in Henderson. Whitsell Funeral Home in Morganfield is handling arrangements.

No school Thursday

There will be no school in Crittenden County Thursday.

That brings the total number of days of instruction missed in the district to 16.

Prior to this week's missed days, the last day of school was set for May 29 with graduation on May 30. However, by tacking on to the end of the calendar the four days already missed this week, that would make the last day of class on June 4 with graduation on June 6 unless the board of education decides to alter the school calendar when they meet later this month.

Two county roads under water

With saturated ground and high water levels in waterways, two roads in the northwest portion of Crittenden County are now under water, according to Crittenden County Judge-Executive Perry Newcom. Those roads are:

• Phin Croft Road
• E-town Ferry Road

Weather slows Press time today

UPDATE: Newspaper is now available.

Due to the weather, the printer will be arriving a little late with The Crittenden Press today.

Copies should be available at our office at about 3 p.m. Our vendors should have them shortly thereafter.

We apologize for any inconvenience this creates.

State's salt supplies critically low

Just about everyone is fed up with winter, but state transportation officials have even more reason to be eager for spring – salt supplies are critically low.

Despite a lull in the winter storms that have pounded the Commonwealth, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KyTC) has advised its 12 highway districts to conserve salt supplies and focus on other conservation efforts in combating further snow and ice this season.

“Our snow plow operators are carrying a heavier burden in clearing our highways,” said KyTC Secretary Mike Hancock.  “It’s a real challenge, but our crews are working hard to ensure our roads are safe and passable.”

Currently, the cabinet has less than 70,000 tons of salt on hand statewide.  Historically, this amount has been more than enough for riding out the winter. But the cabinet wants to ensure that each county has enough salt to handle another snow and ice event.

To level supplies, salt has been shifted among highway districts, and the state’s emergency reserve, stored at the Mega Cavern in Louisville, has also been tapped.  Plow operators have concentrated on clearing priority A routes first and transitioning to B and C routes afterward.  The cabinet will reassess the distribution of salt if another snow and ice event occurs.

A national salt shortage, delays in salt deliveries and wave after wave of winter storms have hampered the cabinet’s snow and ice removal efforts. The cabinet has ordered more than 90,000 tons of salt, and shipments are expected in the coming weeks. As salt deliveries trickle in, the cabinet has implemented conservation methods to preserve supplies.

These include:

·         During a wet snow with moderate temperatures (25 degrees and warmer), crews should be able to rely strictly on plowing operations to combat accumulation on roadways. Once the snowfall has ended and it is daylight, crews can begin light applications of salt in the cleanup phase. 

·         Reducing application rates when applying salt. In most cases, an application rate of 180-200 pounds of salt per 2-lane mile would be sufficient during cleanup efforts.  The customary application rate would be 250-400 lbs of salt per 2-lane mile.

·         On lower priority routes, where possible, crews can blend sand or small aggregates with the salt to extend supplies.  In most cases, crews have to rely on plowing operations and warming temperatures to completely clear these routes.

This season, the cabinet has used more than 410,000 tons of salt, compared with 160,000 tons at this point in 2013.  Snow and ice operations have cost the cabinet more than $53 million this year.

Mike McConnell: Candidate for Jailer

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