More affordable prices for 111th Ky. State Fair

A century, a decade, a year … and counting!
       
The Kentucky State Fair celebrates its 111th year in 2015, with a colorful 11-day fanfare of food, music, rides, agriculture, animals, entertainment and fun, Aug. 20-30.

And now this summertime experience is an even better value. Children under six get in free, parking is only $5 when purchased in advance, discount admission is available online – as well as Ticketmaster outlets, Kroger and Walmart stores. The fair continues to offer free parking on the weekends with free shuttle service from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. With free concerts staged each night, and Midway ride specials every day, the Kentucky State Fair offers the most affordable way to live it up in those last lazy days of summer.

Plan to meet your friends and family at the Kentucky State Fair, Aug. 20-30, as the Commonwealth celebrates the 111th renewal of everything that’s traditional and right up to date in Kentucky.

Job Opening in Marion

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OFFERING AN EXCELLENT COMPENSATION PACKAGE INCLUDING:

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  • SAVINGS PLAN WITH COMPANY MATCH
  • PAID VACATION AFTER 1 YEAR OF SERVICE
  • 6 PAID HOLIDAYS

MAIL RESUME TO:

P.O. BOX 191-B, MARION, KY 42064

Area Death

Vernon Travis, 94, of Marion died Sunday, Aug. 9 at Crittenden Hospital. Visitation is Thursday evening at Gilbert Funeral Home and the funeral is at 1pm Friday at Caldwell Springs Church.

Home with Pool in Marion

Click Image to Enlarge

Back to School for Crittenden students

Back to the classroom brings joy and even a little frustration with the heavy traffic around schools this morning. Congestion should ease a bit over the next few weeks, but the first few days are met with near gridlock on Country Club Drive and Gum Street.

For the most part, however, the morning arrival of students for the 2015-16 school year came off without a hitch.

Ground troops leave Vietnam 43 years ago

For a website dedicated to the
commemoration of the Vietnam War,
visit VietnamWar50th.com.

Forty-three years ago today, the last American ground combat troops in Vietnam War departed for home from South Vietnam, leaving 43,500 advisors, airmen and support troops in-country. American naval forces also remained.

Though American involvement in Vietnam dated back to the Eisenhower Administration, the first combat units did not arrive in Vietnam until March 8, 1965. This year marks the 50th anniversary of America's direct involvement in the war.

U.S. troop numbers reached their a peak of 543,482 in 1968. The war would claim the lives of 58,253 Americans and injure 153,363. More than 1,600 prisoners of war are still unaccounted for.

The average U.S. infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year, thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. In comparison, the average infantry in the South Paci fix during World War II saw only 40 days of combat in four years.

The Paris Peace Accords were signed on Jan. 27, 1973, but the last Americans did not pull out of Vietnam until April 30, 1975.

Atmos: Call 811 before you dig

Every six minutes, an underground utility line is damaged in the United States. However, a quick, free call to 811 before digging virtually eliminates this threat and protects the community.

In recognition of National 811 Day (Aug. 11), Atmos Energy Corp. reminds homeowners, construction crews, and do-it-yourselfers to call 811 before digging into your next outdoor project.

“It’s the law in every state to call 811 at least two days before digging,” said Kevin Dobbs, Atmos Energy Kentucky’s vice president of operations. “The 811 program is provided at no charge to save you time and money as well as to prevent threats to life and property.”

When calling 811, homeowners and contractors are connected to their state one-call center, which notifies all appropriate utility companies in the area. Professional line locators are then sent to the digging site to mark the locations of all buried utility lines with colored flags and spray paint. The 811 service does not locate customer-owned lines on a property or inside a building. A plumber, electrician or other contractor must be hired to locate customer-owned lines.

“The greatest risk to underground natural gas pipelines is accidental damage during excavation,” Dobbs said. “Even minor damage, such as a gouge, scrape, dent or crease in a pipeline or its coating, can cause a leak or failure. To protect pipelines and other underground facilities, the law requires that all excavators call 811 between two and ten days before excavation work begins on public or private property.”

Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree or laying a patio are all examples of digging projects that need a call to 811 before starting. For details, go to atmosenergy.com/safety.

Small plane found in national forest

Illinois officials have confirmed that the small aircraft that fueled up in Marion last night and left around 8:30 p.m., crashed a short time later north of Eddyville, Ill., in the Shawnee National Forest.

A hiker found the plane late Monday.

Search and rescue crews had spent all day looking for the plane.

The pilot and a passenger were both dead.

See previous post at The Press Online

Crittenden schools back in session Tuesday

Summer's over ... at least for children.

Schools are back in session in Crittenden County Tuesday. In Livingston County, classes resume Wednesday.

With school starting across the state, Kentucky State Police are urging motorists to be alert for loading and unloading school buses and to be wary of reduced speed limits in school zones in the mornings and afternoons.

Kentucky law requires that if any school or church bus used in the transportation of children is stopped upon a highway for the purpose of receiving or discharging passengers, with the stop arm and signal lights activated, the operator of a vehicle approaching from any direction shall bring his vehicle to a stop and shall not proceed until the bus has completed receiving or discharging passengers and has been put in motion. The stop requirement provided for in this section shall not apply to vehicles approaching a stopped bus from the opposite direction upon a highway of four or more lanes.

Passing a loading/unloading school/church bus is a Class B misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class A misdemeanor for the second offense. Any person who violates this law will be subject to being cited or arrested.

Another concern is speeding in school zones. Be aware of the school zones in your area and remember to adjust your speed. Fines are doubled for speeding in a school zone where the speed limit has been lowered and flashing lights have been both installed and are flashing at the time.

KSP would like to remind parents of a few safety tips to make this school year safe for all:

Riding the Bus

School bus transportation is safe. In fact, buses are safer than cars!  Each year though, many children are injured or killed in an incident involving a school bus. More often than not, these deaths and injuries didn't occur in a crash, but as the pupils were entering and exiting the bus. Remember these safety tips:

• Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
• Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.
• When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk 10 giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance between you and the bus.  Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are back away from the bus.
• Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
• Stay away from the bus until the driver gives his/her signal that it's OK to approach.
• Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses; however, not all do. Protect yourself and watch out!

Walking and Biking to School


Even if you don't ride in a motor vehicle, you still have to protect yourself. Because of minimal supervision, young pedestrians face a wide variety of dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:

• Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard -- never cross the street against a light, even if you don't see any traffic coming.
• Walk your bike through intersections.
• Walk with a buddy.
• Wear reflective material ... it makes you more visible to street traffic.

Riding in a Car

• You might have heard before that most traffic crashes occur close to home ... they do.
• Seatbelts are the best form of protection passengers have in the event of a crash.
• You are four times more likely to be seriously injured or killed if ejected from the vehicle in a crash.
• Everyone needs to be buckled up properly. That means older children in seat belts, younger children in booster seats, and little children in child safety seats.

The Kentucky State Police wants everyone to have a safe school year.  Citizens can contribute to highway safety by reporting unsafe drivers to the Kentucky State Police toll-free at (800) 222-5555. Callers may remain anonymous and should give a description of the vehicle, location, direction of travel, and license number if possible.

Club restaurant seeks manager

Authorities looking for plane

DATED 2:20 p.m.
The aircraft with two people aboard remains missing and Crittenden County Emergency Management has enlisted the assistance of local pilot Jamie Hunt to help search for the plane. Hunt has a small, private plane at the Marion Airport and is taking to the skies to assist search and rescue personnel who have been unable so far to locate the missing plane or its passengers. Kentucky State Police are also bringing a helicopter to the area within the next hour.


UPDATED 1:01 p.m.
Pope County (Ill.) Sheriff Jerry Suits told The Crittenden Press that there is an active ground and aerial search for the missing plane. Illinois State Police as well as sheriff's departments from neighboring counties are helping Pope County authorities in the search. Suits said he expects and update around 3 p.m.

- - - -

A small aircraft that left the Marion Airport last night about 8:30 p.m., en route to Williamson County, Ill., is missing.

Authorities in Crittenden County and southern Illinois have been looking overnight and early this morning for the plane. It is believed that two people were on board the aircraft. Heavy storms were reported in the area last night about the time the plane went missing.

Search and rescue crews are scouring the area near Herod in Pope County, Ill., where there is some indication the plane may be located.

According to Marion Police Chief Ray O'Neal, Williamson County authorities say the aircraft never arrived at its intended destination. While investigators are not sure what happened to the plane, they continue to search remote areas along the intended flight route.

The Press Online will continue following this breaking news story today.

Ky. 91 in Caldwell County closed

UPDATED 1:58 p.m.
The road was reported open as of 1:50 p.m.

- - - - -

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has closed Ky. 91 between Fredonia and Princeton in Caldwell County today.

Ky. 91 is closed for cross drain replacement work between mile-point 17.985 at Good Springs Road and mile-point 19.229 at Pleasant Valley Road.

Ky. 91 closed to through traffic at the worksite at 7 a.m. and is expected to remain closed until approximately 3:30 p.m. today.

There will be no marked detour. However, motorists may self-detour via Ky. 70 and Ky. 136.

2nd atomic bomb dropped 70 years ago

Seventy years ago today, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on Japan. The bombing of Nagasaki came three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. About 74,000 people were killed. Japan surrendered five days later.

The bombing on Aug. 9, 1945, was announced on the first network television broadcast. The program, broadcast from Washington, D.C., announced the bombing.

Drivers need to be wary of bus traffic

With school starting in Crittenden County Tuesday and across the Post 2 District, Kentucky State Police are urging motorists to be alert for loading and unloading school buses.

Kentucky law requires that if any school or church bus used in the transportation of children is stopped upon a highway for the purpose of receiving or discharging passengers, with the stop arm and signal lights activated, the operator of a vehicle approaching from any direction shall bring his vehicle to a stop and shall not proceed until the bus has completed receiving or discharging passengers and has been put in motion. The stop requirement provided for in this section shall not apply to vehicles approaching a stopped bus from the opposite direction upon a highway of four or more lanes.

Passing a loading/unloading school/church bus is a Class B misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class A misdemeanor for the second offense. Any person who violates this law will be subject to being cited or arrested.

Another concern is speeding in school zones. Be aware of the school zones in your area and remember to adjust your speed. Fines are doubled for speeding in a school zone where the speed limit has been lowered and flashing lights have been both installed and are flashing at the time.

KSP at Madisonville Post 2 would like to remind parents of a few safety tips to make this school year safe for all:

Riding the Bus
School bus transportation is safe. In fact, buses are safer than cars!  Each year though, many children are injured or killed in an incident involving a school bus. More often than not, these deaths and injuries didn't occur in a crash, but as the pupils were entering and exiting the bus. Remember these safety tips:

• Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and the street.
• Stay away from the bus until it comes to a complete stop and the driver signals you to enter.
• When being dropped off, exit the bus and walk 10 giant steps away from the bus. Keep a safe distance between you and the bus.  Also, remember that the bus driver can see you best when you are back away from the bus.
• Use the handrail to enter and exit the bus.
• Stay away from the bus until the driver gives his/her signal that it's OK to approach.
• Be aware of the street traffic around you. Drivers are required to follow certain rules of the road concerning school buses; however, not all do. Protect yourself and watch out!

Walking and Biking to School

Even if you don't ride in a motor vehicle, you still have to protect yourself. Because of minimal supervision, young pedestrians face a wide variety of dangers while walking to and from school. Here are a few basic safety tips to follow:

• Mind all traffic signals and/or the crossing guard -- never cross the street against a light, even if you don't see any traffic coming.
• Walk your bike through intersections.
• Walk with a buddy.
• Wear reflective material ... it makes you more visible to street traffic.

Riding in a Car

• You might have heard before that most traffic crashes occur close to home ... they do.
• Seatbelts are the best form of protection passengers have in the event of a crash.
• You are four times more likely to be seriously injured or killed if ejected from the vehicle in a crash.
• Everyone needs to be buckled up properly. That means older children in seat belts, younger children in booster seats, and little children in child safety seats.

The Kentucky State Police wants everyone to have a safe school year.  Citizens can contribute to highway safety by reporting unsafe drivers to the Kentucky State Police toll-free at (800) 222-5555. Callers may remain anonymous and should give a description of the vehicle, location, direction of travel, and license number if possible.

Storm spotter class in Marion

There will be a public storm spotters class starting at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the Marion Ed-Tech Center. This is a three-hour certification course for anyone interested in becoming an official extreme weather spotter for Crittenden County. Participants may also take the class simply for personal information. Rick Shanklin of the National Weather Service in Paducah will be conducting the class in cooperation with Crittenden County Emergency Management. There is no cost to attend.

Kentucky Tourism to set up at state fair

The Kentucky State Fair opens Aug. 20, and the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet will be well represented during the 11-day event in Louisville.

Several cabinet agencies will have booths at the fair and will be prepared to offer information and answer questions from visitors. They include the Department of Travel and Tourism, the Department of Parks, the Office of Adventure Tourism, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the Kentucky Historical Society.

“We invite Kentuckians and our out-of-state guests to join us at this year’s state fair to celebrate all things Kentucky,” Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Bob Stewart said. ”The Kentucky State Fair is one of the Commonwealth’s finest traditions and a perfect showcase for Kentucky food, travel and culture.”

Here are more details about the state fair plans for Tourism, Arts and Heritage agencies:

• The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will have a booth in South Wing B right on Main Street, where visitors can purchase licenses and permits and get the latest fishing and hunting reports from experts in the field.  Bring the kids to shoot on the Crosman air rifle range, test your skills on the laser-shot hunting simulator, or take a chance and spin The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Prize Wheel.
• The Kentucky Historical Society will have the Historymobile at the Fair. If you had been living in the Civil War era, what would you have done?
• The HistoryMobile – a traveling exhibit inside a semi trailer – uses comic book-style graphics, authentic artifacts and hands-on activities to share the stories of real Kentuckians who faced tough choices during this time. The Museums-to-Go will introduce you to Kentucky’s famous Clay family, and the Learning Team will be there Aug. 20, 21 and 28 to lead hands-on activities that reveal the contents of a Kentucky legislator’s saddlebag and explore the making of pioneer clothing. Look for us throughout the fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in South Wing B.
• The Department of Travel and Tourism will have its booth in the South Wing next to the Pride of the Counties exhibit area. Free road maps, visitor guides and other travel information will be available.
• The Kentucky State Parks and the office of Adventure Tourism will share the space with the Department of Travel and Tourism in the South Wing. The state parks will have drawings for free overnight stays at a resort park, a round of golf for two, free tickets to the Waveland State Historic Site Art Fair and free kayak use for a day at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park. There will also be coupons for discounts at historic sites and museums, weekday camping at state park campgrounds in September and for lodging.  Kentucky's certified Trail Towns – London, Stearns, Olive Hill, Morehead, Livingston, and Dawson Springs – will be offering exciting adventure package trips into the natural areas they serve. 

For more information about the Kentucky State Fair, visit KyStateFair.org.

Kenlake's Hot August Blues Aug. 28-29

The Hot August Blues Festival at Kenlake State Resort Park is celebrating its 26th anniversary Aug. 28-29.

The festival is held at the park’s amphitheater on the shore of Kentucky Lake. The show opens Friday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. with 2 Miles Back Band. The program the next day starts at 2 p.m. with Deja Blues Band.

Advance tickets are $15 for Friday and $20 for Saturday. Two-day advance tickets are $30 a person. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets at the gate are $20 for Friday, $25 for Saturday and $40 for both days. Advance tickets may be purchased online or at these locations: Roof Brothers Wine & Spirits in Paducah; Kaylee’s Farmhouse Restaurant in Aurora, the UPS Store in Murray and at Kenlake State Resort Park (cash only).

More ticket and schedule information is available at www.hotaugustbluesfestival.com. The festival is held rain or shine, and guests may bring chairs and coolers (no glass).  A shuttle service from the park lodge and campground will also be available.

As a warm-up for the festival, Kenlake will host its “Neighborhood Night Free Concert” on Thursday, Aug. 27 from 6 to 10 p.m. Two bands are scheduled to play, Two Years Wasted from 6 to 8 p.m. and River Towne Alley Cats from 8 to 10 p.m. Food will also be available.

Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs for an evening of blues music on the front lawn.  The concert is free, but donations will be accepted for two charitable groups -- the Marshall County Exceptional Center and Murray WATCH.

The park restaurant will be open 5 to 8 p.m., and special lodging rates for Thursday night starting at $54.95 for a lodge room are available.

Ky. 120 in Webster to be closed

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to close a section of Ky. 120 in Webster County on Tuesday.

Ky. 120 will be closed to traffic at mile point 8.2 to allow two cross drains to be replaced.

This closure is along Ky. 120 between Pin Oak Lane and Quail Run Drive. It is about 1.5 miles east of the Ky. 120 intersection with U.S. 41-Alternate at Providence.

The roadway at this site is expected to close at 8 a.m. Tuesday. It is expected to reopen to traffic about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

There will be no marked detour.

About 600 vehicles travel this section of Ky. 120 in an average day.

Ky. 1668 closed Wednesday evening

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans an evening closure along Ky. 1668/Crittenden Springs Road in Crittenden County Wednesday.

Ky. 1668 will be closed at mile-point 1.4 starting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to allow a cross drain to be replaced. This closure point is just south of the Lynn Road intersection.

This closure is being scheduled in the evening hours avoid interrupting school bus traffic and to accommodate traffic to the nearby rock quarry.

The roadway at this site will close promptly at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. It is expected to reopen at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. This project is scheduled on a weather permitting basis.

There will be no marked detour. However, passenger vehicles may self-detour via Ky. 2123/Glendale Church Road and Ky. 297. Trucks should use an approved state route.

Work to resume on U.S. 641 in Lyon

A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to resume milling and paving along a section of U.S. 641 in Lyon County starting Saturday. The work will affect the flow of traffic.

Base repairs were completed along this section of U.S. 641 between Fredonia and Eddyville in early July. Milling and paving that had been expected to follow within a few weeks of the base repair work has been delayed due to weather and other factors.

The contractor now plans to move ahead with additional project activities along about a 6-mile stretch of U.S. 641 from near the U.S. 62 intersection east of Eddyville extending northward to the Lyon-Caldwell County line.

The contractor has established the following tentative project schedule:

• Saturday: Remove pavement markers on project.
• Tuesday: Perform milling operations.
• Thursday: Start paving operations.

Paving is expected to take about six working days, weather permitting.

Motorists should be alert for one lane traffic with alternating flow controlled by flaggers whenever crews are present in the work zone.  Appropriate caution is required where equipment, flaggers and construction personnel are along the roadway in close proximity to traffic flow.