Strong storms sweep through Pulaski

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June 10, 2009

By TRICIA NEAL and HEATHER PYLES The Commonwealth Journal Wed Jun 10, 2009, 07:27 PM EDT

Somerset — If you were spared rough weather yesterday, you probably weren’t in eastern Pulaski County — and you probably won’t be so lucky in the coming days.

A harsh storm whipped through the White Lily and Mount Victory areas of Pulaski County yesterday afternoon, blowing over several large trees and downing power lines.

“There’s quite a bit of damage between Shopville and Mt. Victory,” said White Lily Volunteer fire fighter James Kriege, who helped with clean-up efforts along Ky. 192. “A lot of trees down.”

The storm carved a path from the Shopville community across hills and valleys into White Lily, then Mount Victory, which is located around 15 miles east of Somerset near the Laurel County line.

A tornado warning went into effect at approximately 4:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon, but much of Pulaski County only experienced a typical summer thunderstorm.

“The tornado warning was for southeast and central Pulaski County, which mainly covered the Mount Victory area,” said county public safety director Tiger Robinson.

“There were only straight-line winds. There were no reports of (tornado) touchdowns.”

Kriege said he saw a funnel cloud with rotation from his home in Ferguson, but no touchdown.

“I told my wife and kids ‘Come look at this,’” Kriege said.

Soon after that, Kriege, along with other volunteer fire fighters, were on their way out Ky. 192 to help clear the road.

“I liked to have never gotten out here,” Kriege said about the numerous downed trees that blocked the highway.

White Lily and Mount Victory residents trying to get home yesterday afternoon were met with flooded roadways caused by debris-filled culverts. Kriege said one section of Ky. 192, located about eight miles east of Somerset, was under a foot of flood water for a short period of time.

White Lily fire fighters and relatives helped resident Brenda Ward work to clear her driveway of a fallen tree so she could return home yesterday afternoon.

“We moved three trees on the way out here,” Ward said.

A small stream flood advisory and a flash flood watch lasted until late last night.

More inclement weather — with the possibility of severe storms — is forecast today and over the next several days.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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