South Kentucky RECC, which is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, has sent 12 men to provide restoration assistance to wind-damaged northern Kentucky. The damage from Sunday’s wind storm was the remnants of Hurricane Ike, which ravaged parts of Texas.
Vice President of Engineering Steve Conover says the call for aid came yesterday (Sept. 14).
“Our employees will be going to assist Owen Electric Cooperative in northern Kentucky. There were reports of up to 75 mile per hour wind gusts yesterday, wreaking havoc with trees and limbs, causing power lines to go down. It is my understanding that our two (six-man) crews will be dispatched to the Walton, Ky., office of Owen Electric Co-op, which covers the counties of Boone and Campbell.”
Mike Cobb, with Owen Electric Cooperative, says the co-op has 57,000 members, of which 12,000 are without power at this time.
At peak yesterday (Sept. 14), 28,000 were without power. He adds that it is nice knowing that help is available when you most need it.
“We appreciate the assistance we have received from co-ops across the state. It is nice to know that we can count on our sister co-ops during times like these to help with restoration efforts.”
SKRECC CEO Allen Anderson says that he can’t express his appreciation enough to the employees and their families for making the sacrifices they make to help other communities and states when they are called on in crisis situations.
Conover says that the time that SKRECC crews spend away from home depends on how much work they have to do when they get to Owen Electric.
Locally, Conover says the South Kentucky RECC system suffered some damage, but nothing like the north and northwestern parts of the state. Outages began around 11 a.m. yesterday (Sept. 14), and at peak, about 1,500 members were without power, mostly due to tree limbs on lines. Outages were widespread and by approximately 10:30 last night, members, for the most part, had power restored.
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South Kentucky RECC employees provide storm relief
Community News
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Somerset on verge of becoming natural gas hub
It sounds like a Buck Rogers fiction series, but it’s true. The city of Somerset is about to become the energy hub of Kentucky, maybe even regionally or nationally.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler, gas company manager Dan Henderson and city engineer Reggie Chaney discussed the grandiose energy network this week with a reporter for the Commonwealth Journal. It’s more than a vision. City officials say it’s about to become reality. -
Old districts are back ... for now
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Such is the legislative redistricting debacle in Frankfort.
Judge Phillip Shepherd in Franklin Circuit Court on Tuesday tossed out the General Assembly’s controversial redistricting plans and reverted everything back to where it was before. -
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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.
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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.
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SCS to host Medal of Honor recipient
The message is clear: There are heroes. Even here in our own hometowns.
That’s the idea organizers hope to get across Saturday night at Somerset Christian School, when Congressional Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Dakota Meter speaks to all who choose to attend.
For further questions, ticket purchases, and sponsorship opportunities please contact Susan Adams at (606) 875-0255. -
Newspaper veteran name Publisher of Commonwealth Journal
SOMERSET — A fourth generation newspaperman has been named publisher of the Commonwealth Journal.
Rob McCullough, 50, who started working in a newspaper mailroom when he was 15, officially assumes his duties today. He succeeds Jack McNeely who has accepted a position with the Daily Mountain Eagle in Jasper, Alabama.
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