Archive for May, 2012
Prepare for a Season of Safe Boating
Friday, May 18th, 2012
It is important to remember that water is a powerful conductor of electricity, and it is especially important to be aware of electrical hazards while participating in water activities. Unfortunately, sometimes those reminders come in the form of tragedy.
For instance, there is the story of a 13-year-old Oklahoma boy who died after he jumped from a boat dock into a lake to swim. The dock lights were on at the time. He immediately surfaced and was screaming, then submerged and did not resurface. An adult who entered the water to assist the boy felt an electrical current and called to others to turn off the dock lights. Power company employees inspected the electrical system for the dock lights, and they identified a short in the wiring. The wiring was in contact with the dock’s metal frame and transmitted sufficient electrical current into the water to cause a shock. The medical examiner listed the boy’s cause of death as drowning, possibly secondary to electrical shock.
“Take the time to make sure that the dock area is safe. This means making sure electrical connections are properly installed and safely maintained,” adds Molly Hall, executive director of the Safe Electricity program. “Your loved ones’ lives just might depend on it.”
Even if you are just renting the dock, it is important that you notify the dock owner of any safety violations so that they can be fixed immediately. If the owner will not make the corrections or properly maintain the dock, you should strongly consider moving your boat to a dock that will.
Assessing electrical hazards near areas of water is a wise investment of time and personal effort. While regulations might vary by location the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that electricity-related drowning can be prevented by regular inspections for ground-fault failure and by strict enforcement of the National Electric Code through frequent inspections of pools and docks.
Safe Electricity offers the following additional tips to stay safe while boating:
- When boating or fishing this summer, be aware of your surroundings and potential electrical hazards. Always check the location of nearby power lines before boating or fishing. Contact between your boat and a power line could be devastating, even deadly. Maintain a distance of at least 10 feet between your boat and nearby power lines to be safe.
- If your boat does come in contact with a power line, never jump out of the boat into the water-the water could be energized. Instead, stay in the boat and avoid touching anything metal until help arrives or until your boat is no longer in contact with the power line.
- Before you cast your fishing line, always check the location of power lines and make sure you are casting away from them to avoid contact.
- Be sure dockside outlets have ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection, and check cords that are plugged into them to make sure there is no broken or cracked casing and that there are no exposed wires. Have dockside electrical systems installed by professional electricians guided by the National Electric Code, and have these systems inspected regularly to avoid tragedy.
Find more electrical safety information at SafeElectricity.org.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Mandatory motor vehicle insurance notices to begin statewide in June
Friday, May 18th, 2012
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 17, 2012) – As mandated by the Kentucky Legislature, uninsured motorists across the Commonwealth will begin receiving notices in June that registrations for their personal vehicles will be canceled if they do not obtain required insurance or show proof of existing insurance. Registered owners of personal vehicles shown to have been without insurance for more than 60 days will receive the notices. The owners will have 30 days in which to obtain or present verification of coverage. “It is against the law in Kentucky to operate a motor vehicle without insurance,” said Commissioner Sharon P. Clark, of the Kentucky Department of Insurance. “Vehicle owners who abide by the law are too often victimized in crashes involving uninsured drivers. The Legislature recognized that this was unfair and mandated this new enforcement initiative.” The mandatory insurance initiative is aimed at plugging an enforcement gap that enables drivers to skirt the law by dropping coverage once their vehicles have been registered. It will be administered by the Department of Vehicle Regulation, of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Though simple in concept, the mandatory insurance initiative required extensive technology and testing. Working together, the Department of Insurance, of the Public Protection Cabinet, and the Department of Vehicle Regulation, of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, conducted a pilot enforcement program that grew to include eight Kentucky counties – Anderson, Ballard, Boyd, Bullitt, Christian, Laurel, Pike and Pulaski. Each month, insurance companies licensed to do business in Kentucky submit to the Department of Vehicle Regulation the vehicle identification numbers (VIN) of the vehicles their policies insure. A database compares the VINs with those of vehicles registered to Kentucky owners. Vehicles for which there is no corresponding personal insurance policy are identified, and owners are notified that if they do not obtain insurance or provide proof of insurance within 30 days, their Kentucky registration will be canceled without further notice. Based on results of the eight-county pilot program, the two Departments estimate that 30,000 to 35,000 uninsured notices will be issued each month. Each notice will identify the vehicle in question by make, model, license plate number and VIN. A notice will be issued only once per individual case. If a notice has been generated in apparent error – such as in cases of a mismatched VIN or a commercial vehicle erroneously listed as a personal vehicle – the notice instructs the owner to contact the county clerk or the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing to get the matter resolved. However, owners who fail to take necessary action will be subject to citation for driving without valid registration. “It is vitally important that vehicle owners who receive an uninsured notice follow the instructions on the notice and contact their county clerk or the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing,” said Tom Zawacki, Commissioner of the Department of Vehicle Regulation. “They may also have to contact their insurance company, but that should not be the first step. They must take action. The notice cannot be ignored.”
The Transportation Cabinet has a wealth of information about the Mandatory Insurance initiative on its website: http://transportation.ky.gov/Mandatory-Insurance/Pages/default.aspx
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
BLACK BEAR FESTIVAL 2012 (UPDATED!)
Tuesday, May 1st, 2012
The 9th annual Kentucky Black Bear Festival will be held May 11 & 12 in downtown Cumberland..events include carnival rides, great festival foods *(Fish platters, frog leg dinners, shaved ice, smoothies, funnel cakes, candy apples, homemade candy, hot dogs, bbq…and much more. Various vendors with sunglasses, body jewelry, hats, bear stuff, airbrush temporary tattoos, handmade hair bows, flip flops, candles and more.
To kick off the Black Bear Festival Cumberland Tourism will host the “2nd Annual Black Bear Paw Hop” (sock hop) to be held on Thursday, May 10th from 7 –9 p.m. at the Tourism Office parking lot. Jewell Scott will be our D.J. for the evening spinning the best music of the 50’s & 60’s. Free bounce house for the kids and lemonade for everyone, So come on out and twist your paws!!
Mid-South Carnival will be in the Rotary Park with carnival rides for kids and adults, games and food. All Aboard for the Train Depot in the Rotary park where the Harlan Rotary Club will have their Train Rides for all. Honey Hill Farm will have a petting zoo with about 25 different animals to pet so bring all the kids its Free!, and The Stables at Creekside Glenn will have their pony rides too. The Black Mountain Thunder Zipline will set up a line or two so the kids can get a little taste of what it’s like to ride fastest and highest Zip Line in the state of Kentucky.
David Browning the “Mayberry Deputy” will be there on Saturday walking around all day entertaining the crowds. You better be on your best behavior or he will Nip it !
The 1st Annual Black Bear 5K Run will be on Saturday, May 12 a@ 8:30a.m., starting at the Lynch City Hall, going to the Lynch Country Club, and back. Proceeds go for Camp UNITE. Pre-Register by May 10 for $15, and be guaranteed a shirt. If you wait to register on the day of the race, the fee will be $20 and t-shirts will be first come, first serve basis. Categories for Runners and Walkers are the same. Call 606-589-5812 for more information, or visit harlancountytourism.com for information and forms.
The Black Bear Cornhole Tournamet will also be back this year, Saturday, May 12. Doubles cost $20/Team to enter, winners will receive $400 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place; Singles cost $10/Team to enter, winners will receive $100 for 1st place, $50 for 2nd place. Check out harlancountytourism.com for forms and information, or call 606-589-5912.
We will offer a variety of music both days on our big Black Bear Stage from country, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, rock, and gospel. Our evening concert will be on Friday May 11th and feature For King and Country this contemporary Christian band has been touring for months across the country with Winterjam 2012; they recently performed in Lexington and Knoxville. You won’t want to miss this performance.
Saturday, May 12 the evening will start out with the side-splitting Lardo & Burley of The Moron Brothers who have been entertaining folks for years with their hilarious stories and original songs. They are a favorite at Bluegrass Festivals across the nation and have shared the stage with greats like JD Crowe, Eddie Adcock, bobby Osborne and Rhonda Vincent just to name a few. Then to end the evening we take a Magical Mystery Tour back to the 1960’s featuring The Sweet Beats who are an authentic recreation of the Fab Four at the peak of their popularity. You will hear over 40 of the greatest songs ever recorded on authentic Beatles instruments, not just a band- Entertainment!
So for some good family entertainment come to Cumberland for the 9th Annual Kentucky Black Bear Festival. For more information on becoming a vendor or just for information call the Tourism office at 606-589-5812.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »