Published: July 02, 2009 12:15 am      

Local briefs: 7/2/09

Booster seat law in effect

FRANKFORT - Enforcement of Kentucky’s booster seat law has begun in earnest. As of Wednesday, law enforcement officers no longer will provide a courtesy warning to motorists who violate the booster seat law. Violators will be issued a $30 fine, but will have the option of purchasing a booster seat instead of paying the fine.

Gov. Steve Beshear signed legislation in April 2008 aimed at improving safety for child passengers in Kentucky. Senate Bill 120 requires children younger than 7 and between 40 and 50 inches tall be secured in a booster seat.

Boosters elevate children so the seat belt, which is designed for an adult, is in the proper position to protect the child in an accident. Children involved in collisions with improperly fitted seat belts often recieve life-threatening injuries to the abdomen, neck, spine or back.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a properly installed, belt-positioning booster seat lowers the risk of injury to children by nearly 60 percent, compared with seat belts alone.



Luthiers exhibition opens July 11

FRANKFORT - "Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers” will open at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort on July 11.

The exhibit features the rich history of Kentucky luthiers — those who make or repair stringed instruments. It tells the stories of Kentucky master luthiers and their handcrafted guitars, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, dulcimers and other stringed instruments.

At the opening, visitors can participate in special activities including an opportunity for children to construct and decorate their own instruments using everyday household items. Luthiers Donna and Lewis Lamb will help families construct “can-jos” from 1 to 4 p.m. The activity is free. Light refreshments will be served.

Inside the exhibition, guests will have an opportunity to meet luthiers and learn about their passion for constructing and playing stringed instruments. The old-time string band Kentucky Wild Horse is scheduled to perform at 2 p.m.

“Made to be Played” will be on display through Sept. 26.

Admission, which includes all exhibitions on the Kentucky Historical Society history campus, is $4 for adults, $2 for ages 6 to 18 and free for children 5 and younger. KHS members receive complimentary admission.

“Made to be Played” was developed through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and is on display courtesy of the Dupree family, in memory of Clara Galtney Dupree. The exhibition is presented by the Kentucky Folklife Program, a partnership of the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Arts Council. It is dedicated to the memory of Homer Ledford, a Kentucky luthier and musician who was renowned for the quality, beauty and uniqueness of his works.

For more information, visit www.history.ky.gov/luthiers.



Mall branch open Saturday

CATLETTSBURG - The Boyd County clerk’s Kyova Mall Branch will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The main office in Catlettsburg and the Ashland branch will be closed. All offices will be closed Friday.



Fire reported at Mansbach

ASHLAND - City firefighters responded to a structure fire on the Mansbach Metal Co. property early Wednesday morning.

The blaze was reported at 2:48 a.m. in the 3400 block of Front Street on the Ohio River side of the floodwall. The building, which appeared to be an old railcar weigh station, was fully engulfed in flames before the firefighters were able to reach it, Battalion Chief Duane Trimble said.

Trimble said it appeared the building, which was being used for storage, was a total loss. A dollar estimate of the damage was not available.

A city-owned backhoe was used to collapse the walls of the structure, Trimble said.

No injuries were reported. Firefighters were on the scene until about 6:30 a.m.



2nd former deputy arrested

VANCEBURG - Two former Lewis County sheriff’s deputies were arrested within a 72-hour span.

On Monday, Mike Edington was arrested by the sheriff’s department on felony charges of impersonating a peace officer and perjury.

According to Sheriff Bill Lewis, Edington allegedly went to a domestic dispute in May and acted as a deputy, even though he was no longer on the force. He then allegedly lied about his actions in court.

Edington was a member of the sheriff’s department for 15 months, Lewis said. He was released from Lewis County Detention Center on $25,000 bond.

Another former deputy, Jeffery Ginn, was arrested during the weekend in a drug roundup conducted by the sheriff’s department.



KSP gears up for holiday drivers

FRANKFORT - Kentucky State Police is gearing up for heavy instate travel and will be participating in the National Highway Transportation Safety Association Fourth of July “Over the Limit. Under Arrest” holiday High Visibility Enforcement program.

Sgt. David Jude, commander for the KSP Highway Safety Branch, said the July 4 holiday period has become one of the most dangerous times for highway travel.

“Last year, there were 901 crashes on Kentucky roadways during this four-day time period,” he said. “These collisions resulted in nine fatalities and 650 people injured. Many of these deaths and injuries could have been prevented if motorists practiced basic defensive driving skills such as obeying speed limits, using seat belts and not driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol.”

Impaired driving tends to increase during holiday periods, Jude noted. “Unfortunately, too many people don’t understand that alcohol, drugs and driving just don’t mix,” he said.

“Impaired driving is no accident, nor is it a victimless crime.”

State troopers will be aggressively enforcing Kentucky’s zero tolerance policy about impaired driving during the holiday period and will be working overtime to provide increased saturation patrols and traffic safety checkpoints in high crash, high traffic locations.

“Although driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 is illegal, you can also be arrested for lower levels if you are under 21 years of age or operating a commercial vehicle,” Jude said.

“If you are going to drive, it’s best not to consume any alcohol at all.

“Even first-time violators face immediate arrest, which can result in court costs, legal fees, higher auto insurance rates, fines, loss of license and even imprisonment. The consequences are serious and real.”

Residents can further contribute to highway safety during the holiday period by reporting erratic drivers to the KSP hot line at (800) 222-5555.