Whitney Stearns and Wesley McGaw

Bro. Bruce and Sherry Stearns would like to announce the forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Whitney Stearns to Wesley McGaw. Wesley is the son of Tonya Pruitt and Dale Redman and Wesley Sr. and Sheila McGaw. The wedding will take place Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 5 p.m. at Community Full Gospel Church in Piney Woods. A reception is to follow at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. All close family and friends are invited to attend.

Valissa Smedley and Justin Dobbs

Donna and Harold Dobbs and Laura Smedley would like to announce the forthcoming marriage of their children, Valissa Smedley and Justin Dobbs. The ceremony will take place Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 2 p.m. at Mill Springs in Wayne County. All family and friends are invited to attend. No formal invitations will be sent.

Justin is from Monticello, Kentucky and Valissa is from Albany.

The three-block section of Washington Street in Albany near the courthouse square received some spring cleaning and sprucing up recently. Clinton County News co-owner Janie Gibson spent an afternoon in her business neighborhood cleaning out the brick planters along the street, and planting new flowers. The project was a joint effort between Gibson, who provided the volunteer labor, and the City of Albany, which provided the plants. All materials used were purchased from local vendors.

Clinton County High School students enjoyed a couple of leisure days this week, on the final two days of school for the 2011-2012 year, spending Monday and Tuesday involved in games and recreational activities. Although most students were inside the gymasium Monday morning, this group of students were on the side porch, still in the learning mode, as they picked up some skill tips that these young men will find useful for the rest of their adult lives – the art of cooking on the grill. Lunch for the day was being prepared by Hunter Shearer of Hunter’s Bar-B-Q, one of the best known local grill cooks, and he was constantly giving out pointers to this group of students as he prepared Monday’s lunch fare.

As many hay producers make their first cutting, they are finding lower-than-normal yields. The lower yields are due to a variety of reasons and depend on the type of hay produced and the producer’s location, said Ray Smith, extension forage specialist with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

An unseasonably mild winter and a warm March allowed the hay crop to mature quicker than normal. But many areas in Western Kentucky have had very little rain this spring, which could be one explanation for lower yields of grass hay. Yields are also down in areas of Eastern Kentucky that have received more rainfall. Smith said the lower yields in this area could be caused by producers not applying fertilizer because of the high cost of nitrogen. Another explanation may be the grasses’ growth patterns were affected by significant swings in temperature this spring.

Alfalfa producers and those with grass-clover mixed hayfields are seeing higher yields than those with just grass hay.

“Across the state, the mild winter and good early precipitation led to tremendous early growth of clover this year, and alfalfa yields are good despite some alfalfa weevil damage,” Smith said.

Smith encouraged those who haven’t made their first cutting of hay this year to do so soon. It is very likely that grass hay producers will get a quality second cutting this year if they receive timely rains.

Smith said it is likely alfalfa producers, who will take their second cutting in a few more weeks, will get a good second cutting, despite the amount of rainfall their area receives between now and then. This is because alfalfa has a deep root system and can thrive even in dry areas, he said.

A mild winter across the region, above average temperatures in March, and insufficient rainfall in the Cumberland River Basin during the month of April have resulted in lower than normal lake levels at area reservoirs. Corps water managers rely on runoff from rainfalls in April to fill the pools of reservoirs in the Basin. At J. Percy Priest Lake, the current reservoir level is 3.7 feet below the elevation it should be for this time of year. Likewise, Lake Barkley is approximately 2.8 feet lower than normal. According to the National Weather Service, much of the Cumberland River Basin is considered to be in moderate drought.

Lower lake levels combined with significantly reduced flow in area streams have the potential to impact a wide range of benefits provided by the coordinated operation of the Cumberland River reservoir system. Similar conditions during the recent severe drought in 2007 and 2008 resulted in interruptions to commercial navigation through Nashville, taste and odor issues at regional water treatment facilities, reduced hydropower generation, and impacts to fish and aquatic life. The most visible indication of the drought conditions are often lower lake levels, which may cause hazards for boating on some lakes in the Cumberland River Basin.

Mitigating potential impacts due to drought is largely dependent upon two primary factors: the volume of cold water stored in reservoirs and the occurrence of adequate rainfall. Management of the available cold water is important to the health of the aquatic ecosystem and to ensure normal operation of major power plants at Gallatin and Cumberland City, Tenn. Seasonal outlooks from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center are for normal rainfall and above normal temperatures this summer. While rainfall is forecast to be normal from June through August, the runoff from typical summer rain events is not sufficient to fully support the benefits the Cumberland River reservoir system is expected to provide. Normally, water stored during the spring at the tributary projects (Wolf Creek, Dale Hollow, Center Hill and J. Percy Priest) is used to supplement flows through the Cumberland River lock and dam projects (Cordell Hull, Old Hickory, Cheatham and Barkley) during this period. However, reduced water in storage at Wolf Creek and Center Hill Dams (two largest tributary projects in the Cumberland River system), where there are lake level restrictions in place because of dam safety concerns, will limit the Corps’ ability to respond to low flow conditions. Without lake level restrictions, an adequate volume of cold water would have been stored at these two projects in the spring for release to meet downstream requirements during summer and fall.

As particular impacts are known at specific reservoirs, the Corps of Engineers will keep the public informed.

(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.)

With the 2012 recreation season already underway, I want everyone to know that “Water Safety” is extremely important to me and to everyone who serves the public in the Nashville District.

Last year there were 19 fatalities on the 10 lakes the district operates on the Cumberland River and its tributaries in Kentucky and Tennessee. Despite the fact we hosted 32,499,829 visitors between October 2010 and September 2011, even one death at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake is too many in my view!

There has already been one fatality during the 2012 recreation season. So I want to do everything I can to draw attention to water safety and provide some key tips that everyone in the public should be aware of before heading out to recreate on any lake, river or body of water.

Knowing what to do to safeguard loved ones around water is vital for this reason. Of the 19 recorded deaths on Nashville District lakes last fiscal year, nearly half were directly attributable to not making good decisions.

Some of the accidents involved taking risks such as drinking alcohol, swimming long distances, diving into shallow water, or boating at high speeds. In most cases the victims did not wear their life jackets.

This recreation season I want men, women and children of all ages to seriously think about water safety and take steps to reduce the risk of tragedy. I would also note that men age 18-55 fall into the highest fatality statistic because they often take risks. Despite this, anyone can be a victim regardless of age, and it only takes 20 seconds for a child to drown, and 60 seconds for an adult to drown.

The best thing anyone can do to remain safe is to wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket and not an inflatable toy to keep safe. Never swim alone, and swim in designated areas. Know your limits and never be influenced or swayed by peer pressure to exceed them or to take any unwarranted risks in and around the water. Even great swimmers drown when they make poor decisions and take risks such as attempting to swim long distances.

When boating, remember to always wear life jackets. It’s too late to put them on after an accident has occurred and passengers have been ejected.

Boating near a dam also has risks. Remember never to anchor the boat. Adhere to all buoys, sirens, signs, ropes, and navigational aids and, again, always wear your life jacket. Water at dams can quickly rise and currents can strengthen with little notice. A boat can be pulled toward the dam, flipped, and capsized, trapping people underwater. Always use extreme caution near a dam, even if just fishing from the shoreline.

Alcohol, boating and swimming don’t mix. Nearly 50 percent of all accidents on the water each year are the result of alcohol consumption. When you add long hours in the sun, vibration, noise and motor fumes, it only intensifies the effects of alcohol on judgment, balance, vision and reflexes.

When operating a boat, also be courteous and use good judgment. Slow down when passing other vessels, fishermen, swimmers or anyone who might be unaware of your presence in the area. Never stop and swim in busy navigational channels or around boat ramps or courtesy floats.

Nearly 700 people drown each year nationwide from recreational boating accidents. It’s imperative that everyone wear a life jacket when recreating in and around the water.

I know some people think it’s not cool or even uncomfortable to wear them, but there are options available today that helps with these misconceptions. There are cooler, sleeker and much more comfortable inflatable life jackets that have the ability to turn an unconscious person face up in the water.

Although people ages 16 and under and non swimmers are not authorized to wear inflatable life jackets, it is a great option for those who can. And they are great for playing it safe during this summer’s recreation season.

Keep youngsters safe by having them wear a proper-fitting Coast Guard approved life jacket for when they venture into the water.

Don’t know how and when to wear a life jacket? Stop, and ask questions. Get it right before entering the water. Park rangers at the lakes are there to assist visitors with their questions and they want to help with water safety issues that the public might encounter. Seek them out and give them an opportunity to assist. It’s better to be sure about something before making a snap and unsafe decision that could turn into tragedy.

Please visit Corps lakes and have fun. But be safe doing it. I want every visitor to have fond memories when returning home.

Best wishes for a safe summer,

Lt. Col. James A. DeLapp

Commander,

Nashville District

U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers

Lt. Col. James A. DeLapp, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District commander, pilots a Corps boat at Cordell Hull Lake on the Cumberland River, April 13, 2012. The commander wants to stress water safety and for everyone to wear their life jackets during the 2012 recreation season. (USACE photo by Joanne Mann)

Lamon Hubbs and Jacob Williams of Clinton County have been selected to attend The Center for Rural Development’s 2012 Rogers Scholars summer youth leadership program

As 2012 Rogers Scholars the students will be eligible to receive exclusive scholarship opportunities from 16 colleges and universities.

Hubbs and Williams were selected by The Center for Rural Development to build their leadership and entrepreneurial skills as the region’s next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs at this summer’s Rogers Scholars program.

Rogers Scholars, an intensive one-week summer youth leadership program, brings together rising high school juniors from across Southern and Eastern Kentucky for a one-of-a-kind experience that past participants often describe as “life changing.”

“The Center believes in giving young people in our region a chance to receive leadership and scholarship opportunities so they can seize their potential and become effective, skilled leaders,” Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, said. “It is our goal that many of these students will return to Southern and Eastern Kentucky to build their careers and transform this region for years to come.”

Rogers Scholars—The Center’s flagship youth program—was built on a mission started by U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) that “no young person should have to leave home to find his or her future.”

Now in its 15th year, the Rogers Scholars program is planned, coordinated, and supervised entirely by The Center and its staff. Most activities take place on the grounds of The Center in Somerset and other sites in the Lake Cumberland region.

“The Rogers Scholars program emphasizes the development of technological skills and builds in participants a sense of leadership, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a commitment to rural Kentucky,” Stephens added.

The first group of Scholars will be at The Center June 24- 29 for the opening week session. The final summer session is planned for July 8-13.

During the program, Scholars get to meet and hear presentations from some of the region’s top business leaders and entrepreneurs; complete a community service project; and receive professional, hands-on instruction from leading experts in one of three top in-demand careers: healthcare, engineering, and video production.

Students apply for the Rogers Scholars program during their sophomore year and attend the summer prior to the start of their junior year.

Since 1998, approximately 806 high school students have graduated from Rogers Scholars. College scholarships valued at more than $7.5 million are available to program graduates.

The program, which is supported solely through financial contributions, fundraising events, and program sponsors, is provided free of charge to participants and their families.

Hubbs is the son of Lamon and Lisa Hubbs. Williams is the son of Mike and Teresa Williams.

Twelve of the fatalities involved motor vehicles and six victims were not wearing seat belts. Single-fatality crashes occurred in Allen, Boone, Bracken, Daviess, Harrison, Hart (2), Logan, Rockcastle, Rowan, and Taylor counties. The crash in Perry County involved the suspected use of alcohol.

One pedestrian involved fatality occurred in Fayette County.

Through May 13, 2012, preliminary statistics* indicate that 238 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2012.

This is 13 more fatalities than reported for the same time period in 2011. There have been 205 motor vehicle fatalities and 119 of those victims were not wearing seat belts.

Twenty-seven of those crashes involved a commercial motor vehicle. Twelve crashes involved a motorcycle and eight victims were not wearing helmets. Three crashes involved an ATV and two victims were not wearing helmets. Seventeen crashes involved a pedestrian and one involved a bicycle. Thirty-seven deaths have resulted from crashes involving the suspected use of alcohol.

Citizens can contribute to highway safety by reporting erratic drivers to the Kentucky State Police toll-free at 1-800-222-5555. Callers will remain anonymous and should give a description of the vehicle, location, direction of travel and license number if possible.

*These statistics are still preliminary as KSP waits for all local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to report any crashes and fatalities that may have occurred in their areas. Crash data for this report is generated from the Kentucky Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Jon Gray, right, from Clinton County, recently graduated from the Tennessee Technology Center at Livingston. Congratulating him on receiving his Welder Helper Certificate is Lee Baxter, Industrial Maintenance instructor at the school.