General Burnside Island won’t be cut off from the lake surrounding it this summer after all — efforts are currently underway to extend the boat ramp located there.
Representatives from Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s office, the Kentucky Trans-portation Cabinet and the Commerce Cabinet will be on hand at Burnside’s state park today at 10 a.m. to examine work done to bring the ramp out further so as to be usable for lake traffic. With concerns running high that ramps won’t be readily available in Pulaski County, hurting the traditionally bountiful tourism business here, Gov. Fletcher ordered the ramp extension following the announcement of plans to lower the lake level.
Lake Cumberland will be lowered to 680 feet above sea level for the remainder of the year, including the summer tourism season, in order to ease pressure on a susceptible Wolf Creek Dam. The level is 10 feet below what it normally is this time of year and several dozens of feet below what it typically is in the summer.
“It’s very important to the tourist industry,” said Burnside Mayor Chuck Fourman. “They’re going with the plan they said they would from the beginning ... to give access to the lake.”
Added Fourman, “The U.S. Corps of Engineers and the state are right on target and will do everything in their power to help the situation. They’ll be real careful with lowering the lake to 650 potentially because of how that would impact the community.”
Fourman said work was going on to extend the ramp on Monday. Stan Cave, the governor’s chief of staff, Commerce Secretary George Ward, and Highways Comm-issioner Marc Williams will be coming today to the scene of the project.
Local News
Plan calls for Burnside ramp to be extended
Fletcher said ramp extension is vital for lake traffic
- Local News
-
- Trial delayed for parents charged with trafficking daughters
-
Wolf Creek Dam renovation on target for Summer 2014 completion date
-
Burnisde may soon move to fourth-class status
-
McGaha didn’t approve farewell letter
-
Refinery to re-open in early summer
- Downtown road work running ahead of schedule
-
Board upholds principal’s demotion
-
Fast-moving blaze guts mobile home off Slate Branch Road
-
Big Bang Theory
Pulaski County is not at war. The booming you may hear at dusk is mock cannon fire to scare away birds.
Stuart Spillman, environmental director for the Lake Cumberland Health Department, said at least three cannons are on loan from the department to residents who want to scare away swarms of starlings and blackbirds settling in to roost.
He said a cannon is being used by a resident on Laura Lane off Ky. 39; another is in the Oak Hill Road area and a third is on Ashurst Street in the eastern part of Somerset.
Spillman said a timer on each cannon allows it to “fire” at whatever frequency is desired. The cannons must be used as the birds circle before going to roost. “After they settle in, nothing will chase them out,” Spillman said.
The Health Department doesn’t operate the cannons unless there is a specific complaint in an area where there are lots of birds, Spillman noted. He said so far this year the birds are not as bad as in the past. -
Boil water advisory is lifted countywide
The water controversy that Pulaski County has been boiling over — so to speak — for the last week is finally over.
At 10 minutes after noon Wednesday, the “boil water” advisory for the Western Pulaski Water District was lifted — almost a full week after the problems began around 1 p.m. last Thursday.
Prior to that, the Somerset Water Service — along with the other water providers in its system, including Science Hill Water, Southeastern Water, and Eubank Water — lifted their advisories, with Somerset on Saturday afternoon and the last, Southeastern, by Monday morning. Western Pulaski was the last in the system to complete sample testing for potential contaminants, due to not being able to access its Pikeville-based testing lab until Monday.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler thanked the public for its patience and understanding during the duration of the boil water advisory — put in place to keep citizens from drinking water that could have been contaminated after an accident last Thursday at the water plant site — and also thanked all the city employees for their hard work during this time.
“The boil water advisory went about as well as would be expected,” said Girdler.
- More Local News Headlines
Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
