Guard tanker crashes on KY 902

A military tanker transporting water from the Cumberland River to Marion's Old City Lake crashed on KY 902 between Fredonia and Dycusburg Sunday afternoon.

Two members of the National Guard crew in the vehicle were taken to a regional hospital as a precautionary measure.

The National Guard has been mobilized in support of Marion's water crisis.

Soldiers hauling water to Marion

Kentucky National Guard hauled 49,000 gallons of water from the Cumberland River Saturday to Marion’s Old City Lake in support of the town’s ongoing water crisis.

Crittenden County Emergency Management Director Jason Hurley said today’s rainfall will not slow the convoy from Dycusburg to Marion unless thunderstorms threaten the safety of soldiers or other support staff.

Five military tankers capable of hauling 2,500 gallons of water each are making multiple round trips per day to keep the city’s only remaining raw water source viable.

See this coming week’s full edition of The Crittenden Press or more information about the mission and guard members deployed here to support Marion. We will also have more details about the governor’s visit last week and what that means for the city in the short and long term.

Book the Lions Club building for your next event

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The Lions Club building at the fairgrounds in Marion is available for a variety of rentals.

The building has hosted community dinners, parties, meetings, pageants and wedding receptions since it was constructed, and is available for rent for those and other purposes.

The building contains a spacious commercial kitchen.

If you are planning a special event this year, consider the Lions Club building. Rates vary. 

For more information, contact Natalie Parish. 

Work on 2 county bridges will alter traffic

The one-lane bridge on KY 135 between KY 91 and Tolu will be closed for about two weeks in July while repairs are made. 

Work crews are planning deck maintenance and joint work on the Hurricane Creek Bridge. 

Also, the Piney Creek Bridge on KY 506 at the county line will be getting some repairs next month. 

Traffic will be restricted to one lane with alternating flow controlled by an automated signal. Work at the Piney Creek Bridge is expected to take about 30 days to complete, weather permitting. 

These jobs are tentatively set to begin around July 5.

Health department has job openings

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The Pennyrile District Health Department is seeking candidates for three positions. 

The starting pay for each is $20-$22 per hour.

Applications – including transcripts –must be postmarked by July 8 for consideration.

Positions to be filled include full time health educator, registered nurse in Lyon County and nutritionist.

Beware of water tanker trucks on local highways

Illustration only. Actual tankers may differ.

Motorists in the southern part of Crittenden County and near Fredonia in Caldwell County are urged to exercise caution and be on the lookout for large military vehicles that will begin hauling water from Dycusburg to Marion this weekend.

These 2,500-gallon Kentucky National Guard tankers will be running seven days a week. Trucks will use two different routes going to and from the Cumberland River landing at Dycusburg. 

The empty route from Marion will be southward on Mott City Road then along KY 70 to Dycusburg. The return trip loaded with water will be along KY 902 from Dycusburg to Fredonia then northward on US 641. 

The dual routes are planned to keep these large rigs from having to pass one another on narrow highways between town and Dycusburg, according to Emergency Management Director Jason Hurley.

Some water hauling could begin late this afternoon, but beginning Saturday there will multiple trips per day and multiple vehicles making the hauls. The National Guard is moving the raw water to Old City Lake. 

About 70,000 to 80,000 gallons are expected to be hauled daily. Marion’s daily demand for drinking water is just under 500,000 gallons.

Water: City now drawing from county

Bottled water is available at the armory.
See Distribution Schedule Here.

For the first time since the crisis began, Marion has begun drawing supplemental drinking water from Crittenden-Livingston Water District. For the past several weeks, the county water system has been unable to help Marion because of a water main break and the routine requirements of meeting daily demands of its own customers, which are spread over three counties. 

The City of Marion said in a news release that it's now receiving about 8 percent of its daily water needs from Crittenden-Livingston. 

Distribution of bottled water continues today at the former armory on Rochester Street. Today, individuals whose names begin with H through L will be able to pick up 3 gallons of bottled water per individual in the household. See the alphabetized distribution schedule here. This distribution is for residential customers only. Identification is required. 

After the first round of bottled water distribution, the number of gallons per family could be reduced if inventories are unable to be rebuilt. Lines were long at the water distribution center early Thursday, but it tapered off by midday. Members of Life in Christ Church helped administer distribution yesterday. Kentucky National Guard soldiers are also involved the distribution process. If any church, group or individual wants to volunteer at the distribution center, register first at city hall. Volunteers are needed for short shifts each day.

Efforts continue to find a short-term remedy to the water crisis, and a longer-term solution. In the short term, Marion continues to explore a possible connection to water districts in Webster County, Sturgis and Princeton. 

A water tank that can hold almost a day's worth of drinking water will continue being repaired and hopefully put into service today. When it does, Marion will have two storage tanks in operation above the town on Wilson Hill.

Officials are asking water customers to notify city hall immediately if a leak is detected anywhere in the drinking water distribution system. They ask that homeowners be alert to leaky faucets and toilets. 

At Dycusburg today, local crews from the city, county and National Guard will continue working to build a water pumping system so Marion can draw raw water from the Cumberland River then dump it into Old City Lake to supplement its raw water level. Tanker trucks from the National Guard hope to be convoying water from Dycusburg landing to Marion by early afternoon.

Marion preps for Cumberland draw

Workers at Dycusburg landing. In background
is a WPSD-TV reporter and cameraman.

UPDATES with new information 3:42pm and new photo

Local crews are setting up a pumping system today on the Cumberland River in Dycusburg from where it will draw raw water if Old City Lake gets too shallow.

Without sufficient rainfall, Marion could run out of raw water in Old City Lake in another week or so. Therefore, with help from county government, state agencies and the Kentucky National Guard preparations are underway to suck water from the Cumberland and truck it to town.

Some obstacles have been encountered due to the river being low, but officials believe they will soon be drawing water from the river.

The raw water would be dumped into Old City Lake to keep levels sufficient for manufacturing drinking water at the nearby plant. 

Much of the work now underway is being facilitated by Gov. Andy Beshear's State of Emergency declaration issued late last week. He was in town yesterday morning to meet with local officials. 

Park closing restrooms to conserve water

Marion-Crittenden County Park will close its public restrooms on Friday in order to help the community conserve water.

Additional portable toilets will be in place by then, giving the park four Porta-Potties to serve patrons using the facility.

Gov. Beshear: "The Whole State is Behind You"

City Administrator Adam Ledford explains
details of Marion's water crisis to Gov. Beshear
as officials met this morning at Lake George.

Gov. Andy Beshear and other top government officials toured Lake George and Old City Lake Wednesday morning. The governor brought a sense of comfort to Marion leaders as he promised to mobilize every resource necessary to solve the town's water crisis right now, and well into the future.

Beshear said his staff is already working on funding mechanisms, evaporation remedies for Old City Lake and logistics to ensure Marion's water crisis does not turn into a disaster.

"We are going to see that this is solved so that you don't have to ever go through it again," Beshear told a small contingent of local leaders who met with him for about an hour on the shores of both lakes.

With the governor were Transportation Secretary Jim Gray, Director of Kentucky Emergency Management Col. Jeremy C. Slinker and a host of other government officials from the Division of Water to Kentucky National Guard leaders. 

"I hope you see that we have everybody here to help. The whole state is behind you," Beshear told Marion Mayor Jared Byford, City Administrator Adam Ledford, city council members and other community officials who were at the rendezvous. 

"I feel it was a great visit with the governor, reassuring us that every resource at his disposal will be available to us," Mayor Byford said. "With his declaration and the support of the National Guard, we will not run out of water. However, we must continue to conserve water."

Marion will begin giving away free bottled water Thursday at the former armory on Rochester Street. Residents are encouraged to follow a recommended route to the armory in order to prevent traffic jams. Water pickup should be done according to the city's alphabetized plan posted below or here.

Bottled water will be distributed to Marion residents only. The distribution will be conducted perpetually until this crisis ends. Each household will be provided 3 gallons of water per person, each week.

GOV. BESHEAR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER FOR STATE OF EMERGENCY

WATER: Marion's daily news release on Tuesday

June 21, 2022  - Press Release from City of Marion

The City of Marion released information today to begin distributing water to city residents beginning Thursday.  This will take place at the old National Guard Armory located on Rochester Ave.  You can find a pickup schedule and additional information on the Crittenden Press’s page and the City of Marion Facebook’s page.  

The City of Marion met with regional partners today and have started entertaining the idea of Sturgis being a possible source for water.  Engineers have started working out the details of what needs to be done to make Sturgis a short time water supplier for the city.  We will release further information as it becomes available. 

Webster County is working on expanding their maximum coverage to be able to provide the city with as much water as possible.  It will be next week before we have additional information on engineering and testing on Webster.    

Caldwell County is starting to finalize engineering plans to possibly start testing water flow.  Next week they will begin the testing phase.  We will provide information as it becomes available.

We continue to ask everyone to keep conserving water.  If you have any questions about how you can help conserve water, please contact the public library or the extension office.

Water Distribution Schedule

Local partners along with the National Guard will begin distributing water to city residents at the Armory. You will be required to show your driver’s license when picking up water. We’re asking for this water to be used for drinking and cooking purposes. If you need to make special arrangements due to health or transportation, please contact City Hall at (270) 965-2266.

Location: 131 Rochester Ave. (Old National Guard Armory)

Arrival Directions: Turn onto East Bellville Street, then turn LEFT onto Cherry Street. At the stop sign turn RIGHT onto Rochester Ave. The Armory is on the LEFT. Once you arrive at 131 Rochester Ave pull into the large parking lot and follow the signage posted.

Distribution Days By Last Name
A-G 9:00AM- 6:00PM (Thursday, June 23)
H-L 9:00AM- 6:00PM (Friday, June 24)
M-R 9:00AM- 6:00PM (Monday, June 27)
S-Z 9:00AM- 6:00PM (Tuesday, June 28)

 

Job Corps center has employment opportunities

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The Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center now has a $15 minimum wage.

The Union County center is seeking employees at a competitive salary with a benefits package and opportunities for advancement. 

View current job openings at mtcjobs.com.

WATER: City issues Monday news release

Below is the City of Marion's official news release issued today with an update on the water crisis.

Today city officials met with the Division of Water and the National Guard to discuss more viable options for alleviating the City of Marion’s water crisis. Currently the city has a 19-to-20-day supply of water, with no significant rain expected in the forest for the next 10 days. Because of this, Stage 3 emergency procedures remain in effect, and we ask that you continue to limit your water usage to necessary activities of daily living such as personal hygiene, washing laundry, cooking, etc., and to avoid unnecessary water usage such as watering lawns, washing vehicles, and filling swimming pools. Further information on Stage 3 procedures and how to help conserve water can be found on the City of Marion’s Facebook page, and at the Crittenden Press, the public library, and the Extension Office. 

The National Guard plans to coordinate a convoy for water hauling from the Ohio and/or Cumberland rivers to City Lake to further support the City’s water supply, pending chemistry results of water samples from these locations. Should any issues arise with chemistry, the Division of Water is prepared to assist in their resolution. The Transportation Cabinet will also assist with preparations of City Lake. Information regarding water sample testing and the water hauling convoy should be available later this week.  We will release this to the public as soon as it is available. In addition, we continue to expect partial water needs to be met by Crittenden-Livingston, Webster and Caldwell Counties. Efforts are ongoing to resolve gravitational flow issues to allow the Webster County production project to provide support.        

Further meetings are planned tomorrow to coordinate with regional water supply partners to discuss additional efforts. The National Guard, Emergency Management, County, and City will be coordinating a water distribution program to begin operation as early as Thursday this week. We will release full details regarding this distribution tomorrow.  We appreciate your continued patience and cooperation.  We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Marion City Council met Monday night in regular session and about 30 individuals were in attendance. This week's full edition of The Press will have further details about the ongoing water issue.

County water now flowing into Marion

Water from a collaboration between Webster County and Crittenden-Livingston Water Districts is now flowing in Crittenden County, determining to some degree what type of support can be provided for Marion. Results should been clear early this week. If engineers see that the collaboration is working, then Marion could soon start receiving supplemental drinking water from the county water district. A collaboration of this type has never been exercised among these water providers.

Stage 3, the highest level conservation order, remains in place, but thanks to the governor's declaration of a state of emergency late last week and supplementary gallons from the county are helping to ensure that Marion does not go completely dry.

Read Entire City Water Conservation Order

The Crittenden Press will have new details and a closer look at what's to come in this week's full edition that will be on newsstands Wednesday. 

Try our new e-Edition newspaper emailed straight to your inbox every Wednesday. Click here to subscribe.

Pop-Up Driver Licensing in Marion July 6

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is partnering with Crittenden County Judge Executive Perry Newcom to host a Popup Driver Licensing Event on Wednesday, July 6 from 9:30 a.m. – noon and 1-3 p.m., at the Community and Recreational Center (Old Armory) located at 131 Rochester Ave, Marion, KY 42064. This event is only for Crittenden County residents.

Popup driver licensing is ideal for residents who need services exclusively performed in-person at a Driver Licensing Regional Office. This includes: 

• Upgrading to a REAL ID license 
• Requesting an 8-year license if you are due to renew
• Updating your name 
• Renewing your CDL  

Appointments are required and must be scheduled on drive.ky.gov. Slots are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and walk-in appointments are unavailable to ensure cabinet staff can answer questions or review documents of appointment-holders ahead of their scheduled visits. The traveling service currently only accepts payments by credit or debit card, check or money order.

A minimum of two popup visits will be scheduled in every county that does not have a Driver Licensing Regional Office. 

Appointments for the Crittenden County Popup Driver Licensing Event will be available online beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, June 20.

Schedule an Appointment

SKIP A TRIP, RENEW YOUR LICENSE FROM HOME

More than 150,000 Kentuckians have skipped a trip to a licensing office and renewed their driving credential online! A Kentucky driver's license, motorcycle license or combination driver/motorcycle license can be renewed online or by mail up to six months before it expires. In addition to license renewals, replacements for lost  or stolen cards, as well as address changes, can be made by mail. Cash can also be accepted by using the mail-in form.

Compare Your Options

City news release on water issue

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News release provided by 

City of Marion posted 

In its entirety as released 

Governor declares State of Emergency

Gov. Beshear Declares State of Emergency for City

Office of the Governor

Need to repair levee, limited rainfall have left city without sufficient water

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 18, 2022) – Today, hours after receiving a request from the city government, Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for the City of Marion in Crittenden County due to a water shortage.

“The number one priority of government is to keep our people safe,” Gov. Beshear said. “Today’s action of declaring a state of emergency for the City of Marion is intended to put into motion all the things we, the state, can do to help alleviate the situation and provide support. My administration is committed to helping the city and all of our Kentucky families who live there.”

Hearing of the pending water shortage, the Kentucky Department of Emergency Management (KYEM) contacted local officials to help them with the process of requesting state assistance and an emergency declaration. State officials are expected to travel to Marion to discuss remedies with the city and to begin implementing a plan that will provide short- and long-term guidance to the city to ensure that families have access to water.

Lake George, the primary reservoir for Marion’s residents and businesses needed to be drained because of a levee failure. That, coupled with limited rainfall and unseasonably warm weather, has now caused the water shortage to become critical.

With the declaration of a state of emergency by the Governor, KYEM can begin to coordinate a response and relief activities and the Kentucky National Guard can mobilize the personnel and equipment that may be required. 

Additional cabinets and state agencies can also act with the state of emergency in place. The Energy and Environment Cabinet (EEC) has been tasked with assisting the City of Marion and Crittenden County to stop all nonessential uses of water, and the Finance and Administration Cabinet has been directed to provide assistance with resource management and to help with procurement or contracts necessary to deal with the water shortage.

Water: Understanding the ebb and flow

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There seems to be some confusion in the community about where the city's raw water source(s) are or have been located. 

Marion Water Tanks on Briarwood Dr.

Lake George is the reservoir which was recently drained. It is pictured as a brown spot above in the far background. Old City Lake is between Lake George and the City Water Treatment Plant, which is off Chapel Hill Road. Before it was drained, Lake George held about a year's worth of raw water. 

In dry times, water was pulled from Lake George to keep what's commonly called Old City Lake full. Old City Lake can hold about 17 days worth of raw water.

From Old City Lake, the plant pulls in raw water and treats it to make drinking water, which is then piped to the water tank on top of Wilson Hill. Gravity provides ample pressure as water leaves the tank – from the highest point in Crittenden County – and flows to your faucet.

Neither the pond near Marion-Crittenden County Park nor the settling pond between the golf course and Vibra Finish (old CeraTech building) are sources of raw water for Marion. 

Trash interruption will be short-lived

Residential and commercial trash hauler GFL experience some labor issues this week and did not service all of its routes in the county.

The company will issue a credit to customers by calling 270-365-6200 or emailing jsimms@wcamerica.com.

The problem should be solved by next week.

Marion getting help from Mother Nature

Old City Lake behind the water plant

Updates 3:00pm June 17 with more info

Marion Marion Jared Byford said this morning's rainfall was a blessing.

While it's too early to know for certain, the mayor said Friday's precipitation may have added another week to the city's raw water cache. 

"We believe that it’s going to reset the clock to about 20 to 22 days," Byford said.

A gauge at the city water plant identified about 1.5 inches of rainfall. 

Prior to today's rain, the city was down to about 10 days or fewer of raw water.

The mayor also said work to bring Webster County Water District online so Marion can receive help from that source is going well. Water could start flowing today, which will provide Marion a portion of its daily needs and offset the pressure on its own raw water source.

Meantime, area groups and reaching out to help Marion. Here is an article about a real estate agents who are offering assistance. Also, here is a link to WPSD-TV's report from Thursday's council meeting on the water topic.

Here is a link to the Health Department's Guidance for Businesses during the Water Crisis. This link goes to Home Tips for Conserving Water.

The storm that passed through the are this morning may have given the city some relief, but it created problems for others. 

County Judge-Executive Perry Newcom said there were several downed trees creating travel issues on  Irma White, Pleasant Hill, Providence, Cave Springs, Tom Hill and Youth Camp roads. Also, power was out for many residents, including most of Tolu. 

Marion Discount has gifts for Dad

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Consider something for Dad from Marion Discount Tobacco & Liquor.

Located on Sturgis Road in Marion, Marion Discount Tobacco & Liquor has a wide variety of tobacco products, beer, bourbon and specialty liquors along with new Happy Dad Hard Seltzer.

Stop by today to check out the selection.

See this week's Press for playground update

Park goers in Marion will want to take a look at this week's full edition of The Crittenden Press to learn the latest news about efforts to bring a new playground to Marion-Crittenden County Park.

Discussion about adding a new, large playground at the park has been ongoing for several months.

The Crittenden Press is your primary source of news and information for this community. We’re proud to serve our community and we take great pride in bringing you real news, sports reporting and other information that helps you know what’s going on in town and across the county. Help ensure that real reporting continues in this community by subscribing today. You can subscribe online to the full version of the newspaper for only $2.95 a month. 

Try out new e-Edition newspaper emailed straight to your inbox every Wednesday. Click here to subscribe.