Adopt-a-Highway groups ready to ‘summer scrub’ roadsides

KENTUCKY PRESS NEWS SERVICE
Volunteers will be out in force next week to summer scrub Kentucky highways. The Transportation Cabinet announced Monday that Adopt-a-Highway Summer Scrub Week is June 2-8.

“The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet appreciates the efforts of our Adopt-a-Highway volunteers who help keep our highways and communities beautiful and litter-free,” Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock said in a news release.

Nearly 750 groups participate in Kentucky’s Adopt-a-Highway program, which was established in 1988. Volunteers clean about 5,100 miles of roadside annually, setting an example of responsible environmental stewardship.

The Adopt-a-Highway program promotes public environmental awareness and supports tourism. The program also creates a partnership between citizens, community and government, the news release said.

Each year, the state Transportation Cabinet spends about $5 million and 200,000 worker hours to remove 96,000 bags of highway litter. Adopt-a-Highway volunteers help save thousands of taxpayer dollars and demonstrate that a clean environment is a shared responsibility, the news release said.

Any permanently established business, association, community or public organization, or government entity can adopt a stretch of highway. A wide range of groups throughout Kentucky now participate, including homemaker clubs, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, high school organizations, service clubs, veterans, college fraternities and sororities, sports teams and church groups, among others.

Volunteers adopt two-mile sections of highway under a two-year, renewable contract with the Transportation Cabinet.

Adopt-a-Highway coordinators can explain the fundamentals of the program to volunteer groups, work with group members in locating an available highway, and keep them notified of news and upcoming events.

Litter pickups are held at least four times per year or as many times as necessary to keep adopted areas reasonably litter-free. The cabinet coordinates three annual clean-up efforts.

Groups interested in becoming members of the Adopt-a-Highway Program can find details and district coordinator information at http://adopt-a-highway.ky.gov/. Safety guidelines are provided to volunteers and should be reviewed prior to each cleanup.

The Adopt-a-Highway coordinators help volunteers get in touch with the county maintenance crew superintendent to arrange warning sign placement on the date of pickup. Trash bags and safety vests can be obtained at each state maintenance facility, and litter removal is provided by the state highway crews.

For more information, visit the project website at http://adopt-a-highway.ky.gov/. For questions or comments, contact Miranda Thacker, (502) 564-3419, or e-mail Miranda.Thacker@ky.gov.

Hundreds of abandoned military items waiting to be claimed at state treasury

KENTUCKY PRESS NEWS SERVICE
If you’re a veteran missing a medal or discharge papers or a relative looking to discover a military legacy, all you need to do is visit www.KYtreasury.com and click on Military Item Listing.

The Kentucky State Treasury is looking to reunite veterans and their families with hundreds of military items that sit unclaimed in the Treasury vault.

Kentucky Treasurer Todd Hollenbach said, “We owe it to our military service members and their families to go the extra mile to return these items. Their stories deserve to be told, and their memories need to be preserved."

Among the items in the vault are a bronze star, seven Navy medals, two purple hearts, numerous battle ribbons and campaign pins, dog tags and dozens of discharge papers including one from the Civil War.

The state treasurer serves as custodian of all property surrendered to the state that is presumed lost or abandoned. The military items are among the more than 50,000 unclaimed items stored in the Treasury vault that come from the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.

Each year the Kentucky Treasury returns millions of dollars in unclaimed property to Kentucky residents, most of the properties are in the form of cash from old insurance policies, stocks and bonds and leftover bank accounts. Under the proactive leadership of Treasurer Hollenbach and his Treasure Finder’s Program, the Treasury has returned a record $ 81 million in unclaimed property.

I-24 stretch near Christian next in line for cable barriers

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced plans Friday to add cable barriers in the medians of some hazardous stretches of Interstate 24 near Hopkinsville. Based on a priority list of roads where the most crossover crashes occurred versus the number expected there based on traffic flow and design, the section of I-24 from mile marker 70 to 85 ranks at the top, according to a Kentucky Transportation Research Center review. Also on that list is I-24 from mile marker 85 to 93 in Christian County.

For more, visit the Kentucky New Era online.

Relay organizers stick with outdoors despite rain chances

As of this afternoon, Relay for Life organizers plan to keep the event around Crittenden County Courthouse, despite a chance of rain Friday and Saturday.

"We will re-evaluate tomorrow if needed," said Relay chair Natalie Parish.  

The back-up plan will be Rocket Arena, if rain does force Relay indoors.

Ky. 983 in Webster closed

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to close Ky. 983 in Webster County today.

The closure on Ky. 983 at about the 6 mile marker is to allow replacment of a cross drain that has collapsed.  There is a large void under the roadway that requires immediate repair.

There will be no marked detour.  However, motorists may self-detour via Ky. 56 and U.S. 41-Alternate.

Ky. 983 will be from approximately 8 a.m. to around 4 p.m.

UMW to rally in Henderson against Patriot, Peabody, Arch Coal

The United Mine Workers of America are planning a large rally in Henderson next week to protest actions by Patriot Coal Corp., Peabody Energy Corp. and Arch Coal that could affect retired miners’ health and pension benefits. More than 30 busloads of miners, retirees and family members are expected to arrive from around the Midwest, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio, according to UMW spokesman Phil Smith. The rally is planned for next Tuesday, June 4, at the Henderson County Courthouse. More details are expected to be released later this week.

For more on this story, visit The Gleaner online.

Circuit clerk's office closed Saturday

Crittenden County Circuit Clerk's office will be closed this Saturday. The office will also be closed June 15.

Child drowns at Kuttawa

At approximately 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, the body of Warren Patterson, 9, was recovered by the Dive Team from Marshall County Rescue Squad. Patterson was located around the beach area of Kuttawa Harbor and was pronounced deceased on scene by the Lyon County Coroner. 

The boy had been reported as missing earlier Wednesday.

Kentucky State Police were assisted by multiple agencies on scene.

Crop planting still far behind last year

USDA, NASS, Kentucky Field Office

According to the USDA's Kentucky Weekly Crop and Weather Report, planting progress across Kentucky was slowed due to heavy rainfall in the second half of the week. Precipitation amounts were higher in the western and southern regions of the state.

At Princeton, the nearest University of Kentucky Agricultural Weather Center data station, 1.07 inches of rain fell. The annual total is 22.62 inches, 0.97 above normal.

Temperature for the week averaged 66 degrees across the state, near normal. At Princeton, the average mercury for the week was 71 degrees, 1 degree higher than normal.

Crop progress, conditions
As of Sunday, corn planting was 74 percent complete, trailing both last year at 100 percent and the five year average of 86 percent, the weekly report reflects. The corn crop was 49 percent emerged compared to 95 percent last year and the five year average of 72 percent. Condition of the corn crop was rated as 1 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 63 percent good, and 11 percent excellent.

Soybean planting reached 14 percent complete, according to the report. Planting progress trails last year at 68 percent and the five year average of 36 percent. The soybean crop is 3 percent emerged compared to 50 percent last year and the five year average of 21 percent.

Condition of the winter wheat crop was rated 1 percent very poor, 1 percent poor, 10 percent fair, 61 percent good, and 27 percent excellent. The expected date for the winter wheat harvest to begin is June 14.

Pasture condition was reported as 3 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 54 percent good, and 19 percent excellent.

Public urged to leave young wildlife alone

KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT
OF FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES 
They are born in woods and brushy fields. From birth, they learn how to survive in a world where the daily challenge is to find enough to eat and try not to be eaten by other wild creatures.
   
For eons, wildlife have been born and raised without human surrogate parents. So the message is clear: leave wildlife babies alone.
   
Well-intentioned concern often does more harm than good.
   
Get too close to a bird's nest and the young may leave the nest prematurely and not survive. Bring home a deer fawn and you're taking it away from its mother. Feed a bear cub and the cub will become conditioned to humans and human food. All these scenarios are likely to compromise the animal's survival chances.
   
Only licensed wildlife rehabilitators may possess injured or orphaned wildlife. Only persons with a captive cervid permit may keep deer in captivity.
   
To locate a licensed rehabilitator, go to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife's website at fw.ky.gov and click on the "Hunting, Trapping & Wildlife" tab, then on "Injured and Orphaned Wildlife."
   
When someone finds a deer fawn it's often assumed that the fawn is abandoned.
   
But David Yancy, a deer biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, explained that mother deer rarely abandon their newborns. "The mother leaves the fawn often for hours at a time, between morning and evening nursing," said Yancy. "The doe stays away from the fawn because she doesn't want to attract attention to it. While she's away from her fawn she feeds and rests."
   
Fawns are scentless at birth. They hide in grass and weeds, their spots helping to camouflage them.
   
If the mother deer feels threatened by the approach of a human or a predator, she moves off, so the threatening presence will follow her and not endanger the fawn.
   
Newborn deer remain bedded for the first few weeks of life until they are strong enough to run at their mother's side to escape predators. The doe is never far from her fawn. "The mother is likely in some nearby woods. She's definitely within earshot and will usually come running if the fawn bleats," said Yancy.
   
Landowners are asked to leave a deer fawn alone if they encounter one. "If you find one while mowing your hay field, pick it up and put it somewhere nearby where you won't be mowing. The mother will return and find it in the evening," said Yancy.
   
The parents of songbirds are also attentive to the needs of their young.
   
"If you see a baby bird or a fledgling, you should leave it alone. Most likely the parents are nearby," said Shawchyi Vorisek, an avian biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. "The parents stay with their young at least until they can find food on their own."
   
Most songbird species are protected by federal law. Nests with eggs or young should be left alone. "Observe nests from afar," added Vorisek. "Don't go up to a nest or touch it, as that can leave a trail for predators to follow or cause the parents to abandon the nest."

Kentucky State Police honor Post 2 officers

Last week, Kentucky State Police announced its slate of awards
for 2012. Earning recognition as a ceremony last Thursday in Frankfort
were Trooper Jonathan McGehee, KSP Post 2 Trooper of the Year; Lt.
Brenton Ford, recognized with a citation for bravery; Detective Daniel
Morck, Post 2 Detective of the Year; and Senior Trooper Timothy Sales,
who also received a citation for bravery.

On Thursday, the Kentucky State Police announced the 2012 Trooper of the Year, Detective of the Year, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer of the Year and other awards for acts of bravery, life-saving, professionalism and dedication to duty at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort.  Four officers from Post 2 Madisonville were honored at the ceremony.

Lt. Brenton Ford and Senior Trooper Timothy Sales were presented with the KSP Citation for Bravery.  This honor is bestowed upon officers of the agency who perform acts of bravery, without regard for personal risk, of clear and obvious peril and clearly above and beyond the call or risk of ordinary duty.  Lt. Ford is a resident of Owensboro and a 14-year veteran of the KSP. Senior Trooper Timothy Sales is a resident of Murray and an 11-year veteran of the KSP.

Tpr. Jonathan McGehee was Post 2’s Trooper of the Year. During the calendar year of 2012, Trooper McGehee issued 1,063 citations, responded to 457 complaints, investigated 25 motor-vehicle collisions, arrested 47 impaired drivers, and made 251 criminal arrests. Trooper McGehee is a resident of Bremen and has been a trooper with the KSP for two-and-a-half years.

Det. Daniel Morck was Post 2’s Detective of the Year. During the calendar year of 2012, Det. Morck made 1,132 criminal arrests, the majority of which related to child exploitation. Detective Morck is a resident of Madisonville and an 11-year veteran of the KSP.

Post 2 covers Crittenden, Caldwell, Webster, Christian, Hopkins, Muhlenberg and Todd counties.

1st career craze camps offered at WKCTC

Middle school and high school students can join the craze to learn about careers in healthcare and energy at West Kentucky Community and Technical College beginning in June.

The two free, hands-on Career Craze camps are for students ages 12 to 15 to discover their passion for the healthcare and energy fields.

"This is the first time we've offered camps like this for our area youth thanks to a grant funded through Lt. Governor Jerry Abramson's office," said Kevin O'Neill, WKCTC continuing education coordinator. "These camps will offer a fun and educational experience with hands-on learning for all who participate."

"So You Want to Work in Healthcare" will be held on June 3-6 in the Allied Health Building, room W-107. Students will learn about programs such as nursing, physical therapy, surgical technology, dental hygiene/assisting, phlebotomy and more. The maximum enrollment for the camp is 25.

Margaret Johnson and Laura Durbin, WKCTC assistant professors of nursing, will be the leaders for the healthcare camp. Students will be divided into five groups for hands-on experiences with simulation and moulage (wounds blood, etc.), suturing sponge or other simulated object. WKCTC physical therapy assistant students will be on hand to share their experiences; campers will also learn from area healthcare professionals during tours of local hospitals and physical therapy facilities.

WKCTC Applied Technologies Coordinator David Franklin will teach "Exploring Energy & Alternative Energy Careers" on June 17-20 in the Emerging Technology Center, room 216. The maximum enrollment in the energy camp is 20.

Students will have the opportunity to tour two energy plants to learn how electric energy is produced. Representatives from the local uranium enrichment plant will present hands-on demonstrations; campers will visit a local power utility to learn how the electric grid works and learn how electricity gets to their homes. On the WKCTC campus, students will also learn from WKCTC faculty about alternative energy options. They will have hands-on activities on how a generator works, explore wind and solar energy and learn what it takes to have a career in the energy industry.

Both camps will be held Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon.

College representatives will be on hand on Thursday during both camps to answer questions as well as encourage the camp participants to look to WKCTC as their next step in their education process after high school.

Space is limited. Call (270) 534-3335 to register. For more information about the Career Craze camps, contact Kevin O'Neill at (270) 534-3206.

Memorial Day services begin today

Saturday's annual Memorial Day weekend commemoration
at the Blackford Walk of Honor drew dozens of visitors.

Four traditional services over Memorial Day weekend will honor Americans who died while members of the U.S. military, whether on the battlefield, at sea, in the air, as prisoners of war or otherwise performing sworn duties for the nation.

In Crittenden County, on Saturday, the annual Blackford Walk of Honor Memorial Day ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. The featured speaker is retired U.S. Navy Commander Don Gatewood of Crittenden County, with former state representative and retired Navy Capt. Mike Cherry emceeing the event. Organized by Brent Witherspoon each year, it carries the distinction of being the newest ceremony in Crittenden County, as well as typically drawing the largest crowd of the county’s three Memorial Day ceremonies.

On Memorial Day, at 10 a.m., American Legion Post 111 will host its usual ceremony at Mapleview Cemetery with Crittenden County native Kentucky Army National Guard Col. Scott A. Campbell as the guest speaker. In 2012, Campbell led the 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, a force of guardsmen from several states, out of Iraq without a single loss of life in the unit to help close out the war there.

Also on Memorial Day, Shady Grove Cemetery Association will host its traditional service at 11 a.m., followed by a meal. Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham will once again be the featured speaker at the solemn event.

Livingston County will not be without its own commemoration of the military over the holiday weekend. American Legion Post 217 in Burna will honor the active duty personnel of Livingston County, as well as the deceased veterans. Justice Cunningham will be the featured speaker at an 8 a.m. memorial service conducted on the Legion’s property just off U.S. 60 in  Burna. The ceremonies are open to the public and will be followed by a complimentary breakfast.

Flags ordered to half-staff

KENTUCKY PRESS NEWS SERVICE
Gov. Steve Beshear has directed that flags at all state office buildings be displayed at half-staff until noon on Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

“Memorial Day is a time for Kentuckians and all Americans to honor those military men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice,” Beshear said in a statement. “On Monday, I urge you to take a moment and give thanks to the service members who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and also recognize those who are still serving our country both at home and abroad.”

Beshear encourages individuals, businesses, organizations and government agencies to join in this tribute.

For information on Memorial Day ceremonies at Kentucky veterans cemeteries and nursing homes, please visit http://veterans.ky.gov/

Most area I-24 work zones on pause for holiday

All lanes of Interstate 24 are open in Livingston, Lyon, and Christian counties. However, some of the lane restrictions along the work zone from the 3- to10-mile marker in McCracken County will remain up until early Saturday morning.

There will continue to be lane restrictions along a portion of the McCracken County until sometime after midnight.

A shoulder restriction will remain up along most of the McCracken County work zone through the weekend, but all driving lanes should be open by Saturday morning.

As a reminder, there are a couple of sections along the Christian County work zone where motorists will be traveling on base courses. Caution is required in these areas.

Area deaths

Ricky Loydd Cunningham, 64, of Grand Rivers died May 23, 2013, at his home in Grand Rivers. Collier Funeral Home in Benton is handling arrangements.

James Hubert “Bud” Glore, 70, of Marion, died May 23, 2013, at his residence. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

David Wayne Scott, 58, of Marion, died May 24, 2013, at his home in Marion. Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

Joanne Kathryn Myers, 74, died May 22, 2013, at Lourdes Hospital in Paduach. Lone Oak Chapel of Milner & Orr Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Safety key as recreational boating season launches

KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES

The three-day Memorial Day holiday which starts Saturday is the unofficial start of recreational boating season in Kentucky.

Boating safety officials with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources are urging everyone who plans to be on the water to keep safety in mind. About 90 percent of all boating accident victims die as a result of drowning.

"Wearing a life jacket is the most important step you can take to keep you and your family safe on the water," said Zac Campbell, boating education administrator for the department's Division of Law Enforcement. "Your odds of surviving an unintentional fall overboard with a life jacket on are substantially higher. Just remember your life jacket’s got your back."

Conservation officers will be out in full force patrolling the state's lakes and rivers, watching for impaired boaters and checking vessels for required safety equipment.

Boaters are most often written up for expired boat registration, not enough life jackets on board, boating under the influence, going too fast in an idle speed only zone or having no fire extinguisher on board.

Boaters should also remember that youths ages 12 to 17 must have a valid Kentucky boater education card to operate a boat or personal watercraft of 10 horsepower or more.

For complete information on boating regulations, safety requirements and boat operation, consult the 2013-14 Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide, available wherever fishing licenses are sold. The guide also is available online at fw.ky.gov.

I-24 welcome center in reopens today

The welcome center for westbound travelers on Interstate 24 in Christian County reopens today, until Tuesday. Motorists will be able to use the facility during the busy Memorial Day weekend.

The facility was scheduled to reopen yesterday; however, recent storms in the area hampered the necessary paving work on the welcome center approaches.

Crews will close the facility on Tuesday for two weeks to continue ongoing pavement rehabilitation work along I-24 at mile points 85-93.

The rest area is at mile point 93 near the Kentucky/Tennessee line.

KyTC plans median cable barriers on I-24

The Kentucky Transportation  Cabinet (KyTC) is planning to add median cable barriers to a section of Interstate 24 in Christian County. Two other sections could be eligible for cable barriers in the next year or two.

The three sections on I-24, from the 3- to 12-mile marker in McCracken County, from the 70- to 85-mile marker and the 86- to 93-mile marker in Christian County had made their way into the top five of a cable barrier priority list over the last three  years.  Engineers anticipate moving ahead with barrier installation on the section from the 70- to 85-mile marker in Christian County this year.

The Kentucky Transportation Research Center at the University of Kentucky conducted an extensive review of all Interstate highways across the state. Each one was ranked based on the number of crossover crashes that occurred versus the number that would be expected on highways of similar design and traffic flow.

The research found a total of 46 fatality and injury crashes along the entire 93-mile length of I-24 in Kentucky over the last 10 years. Ten of those were classified as crossovers; eight head-on and two opposite direction side-swipes.  A review of the last three years showed five fatality crossover crashes; two in McCracken County and three in Christian County.

“First and foremost, the safety of the motoring public is a top priority of our cabinet, and we regard every highway fatality as a tragedy,” KyTC District 2 Chief Engineer Kevin McClearn said. “We continuously work to identify roadways – or sections of roadway – that can be improved for enhanced safety. At the district level, we often perform roadway safety audits in high-crash areas and we carry out an automatic site review of all fatality crash locations. Depending on the issues involved, an audit may result in actions such  as additional or improved highway markings, signals and signage, or application of high-friction asphalt – to name a few.”

Median cable barrier costs an average of $115,000 per mile. KyTC has installed 172 miles of cable on various controlled-access highways statewide. KyTC has budgeted about $3 million for installation of an additional 25 miles of barrier cable this year.

McClearn noted that locations for barrier installation are identified and given a priority ranking on the basis of crash history.  As barriers have been added to highway sections ranked highest over the years, the three sections of I-24 have now made their way to near the top of that list.

Unless other sections of highway around the state have a higher number of crossover crashes for 2013, another two sections of I-24 would be expected to be eligible for barrier installation in the 2014  or 2015 construction season.

“A median cable project for I-24 in Christian County is currently moving through the design phase. We hope to have it ready for bids this summer,” McClearn said.  “It involves about 16 miles of I-24 from about midway between the U.S. 68/Ky. 80 and Ky. 117 interchanges to about the U.S. 41-Alternate interchange south of Hopkinsville.”

While median cable barrier is effective in preventing or mitigating median crossover crashes involving passenger vehicles, McClearn noted it is not fail-safe and it creates other safety issues.

“For instance, it is not designed to stop trucks,” McClearn said.  “It also limits the ability of emergency responders to cross medians, increasing response time to a crash site.  For motorists, the barrier can turn what might be a $45 tow charge for a runoff during icy conditions into a $2,000 auto repair and a $2,000 bill, or more, for repairing the cable when they hit it.”

McClearn said some of the preliminary engineering work on the section of I-24 from the 70- to the 85-mile marker will likely start within a few weeks. A construction contract could be bid in June or July, with work starting about a month after the bid date. Construction could take about two to three months to complete, weather permitting.

McClearn indicated the most effective weapon for highway safety is the driver who observes the speed limit and other traffic laws, refrains from cell phone use and other distractions while behind the wheel, maintains his vehicle and tires properly, is cognizant of weather and road conditions, and is constantly watching out for other traffic.

Stormy weather delays work at I-24 facility

The Interstate 24 Welcome Center in Christian County will remain closed until further notice.

The facility was scheduled to reopen today and remain open through the Memorial Day driving period, however, recent storms in the area have hampered necessary paving work on the Welcome Center approaches.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KyTC) has not determined when the Welcome Center will be able to reopen to serve westbound motorists on I-24.  The facility near I-24 mile-marker 93 at the Kentucky-Tennessee State Line is jointly operated by KyTC and the Kentucky Department of Tourism.

It is reported in this week's issue of The Crittenden Press that the facility will be open, but that was published prior to today's notice of closure.