Editorial Roundup: Kentucky

Recent editorials from Kentucky newspapers:

Dec. 31

Bowling Green Daily News on a way people in Kentucky can donate their Christmas trees:

One of the many things people do after Christmas is put away their Christmas decorations and get rid of their Christmas trees.

Many people put Christmas trees on the curb for garbage collectors to pick up, and that is perfectly OK. But for those who haven’t taken their trees down and are looking for an alternative to throwing them away, we highly recommend donating them to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Each year, fish and wildlife officials designate several locations where people can drop off their natural Christmas trees. Game wardens load them and place them in waterways to provide habitat for fish and other species. Across the state, about 40 sites have been set up for people to donate their trees after the holidays.

This year, the state will work to create new fish habitat in Barren River Lake as part of the multi-year, large-scale Barren River Lake Fish Habitat Project. Officials will be building 15 new fish attractor sites near the Narrows area of Barren River Lake in January.

Department experts will attach donated Christmas trees to wooden pallet structures. They’ll place them in deep water to attract large crappie and bass and in shallow water to provide refuge and cover for young sportfish.

Each site is marked with GPS coordinates and placed on the department’s page under the heading “Lakes with Fish Attractors” for interested anglers.

We’re really thankful that fish and wildlife officials administer this program to add this habitat to our lakes. It gives smaller fish a place to hide from bigger fish and also provides places for them to reproduce as well. These trees attract baitfish for the larger fish to feed on.

This really is a good program that provides habitat for fish and other species in our beautiful lakes. So if you haven’t put your tree on the curb, please consider donating it to fish and wildlife to help these fish in our lakes. ...

Online: https://www.bgdailynews.com/

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Dec. 28

Richmond Register on setting up an emergency contact:

While most of us are enjoying the many wonderful gifts Santa and our loved ones gave this year, there is another gift many might not have thought of -- registering an emergency contact.

Emergency Notice is an online emergency contact registry accessible to law enforcement officials to know who you would like to be notified in case of a serious emergency. Kentucky citizens with an active driver’s license, personal ID, or permit can submit a contact name and phone number online by visiting drive.ky.gov and clicking the Emergency Notice link.

“Registering an emergency contact takes the guesswork out of knowing who the right person is for officials to notify if you couldn’t speak for yourself in an emergency. We want to encourage Kentucky drivers to join the nearly 14,000 drivers who’ve registered a contact since the initiative launched this spring,” said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray in a release.

The National Weather Service reports on average, 65% of adverse weather-related fatalities happened during snow and ice season -- the months spanning from November to April. In Kentucky, 303 fatal crashes happened between November 2018 and April 2019.

Kentucky State Police Spokesman Sgt. Josh Lawson said Emergency Notice helps first responders at the scene of a crash or traumatic situation gain valuable information quickly.

“Oftentimes, every minute counts when it comes to connecting family members with a crash victim who has been critically injured,” he said.

The contact information integrates into the cardholder’s driving record, accessible only to law enforcement officials for emergency purposes.

The service is available only for valid Kentucky cardholders. Users will be required to input their license number, date of birth, first and last name to verify their information. Kentuckians may submit one contact and their contact information.

Users can update their information at any time and are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the submitted information, as well as keeping it up-to-date.

Kentuckians with limited internet access may call KYTC at (502) 564-1257 or they can provide their emergency contact information in-person at the Circuit Court Clerk office in their county of residence.

This is a simple gift to give your loved ones. So don’t wait, sign up today.

Online: https://www.richmondregister.com

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Dec. 25

The Daily Independent on the deaths of nearly two dozen horses:

At least 21 horses died after an apparent shooting spree occurred near the Floyd-Pike County line ...

This act of violence is as despicable and senseless as they come. And right here in the Bluegrass, where horses should be treasured and cherished.

These beautiful animals were evidently hunted, according to authorities.

We won’t make this editorial about hunting, as it can be a positive hobby — and sometimes done for all the right reasons like providing food for a family — for many in Appalachia. But horses aren’t here to be hunted.

Only a psychopath would derive pleasure from ruthlessly killing off defenseless horses, one by one. It’s a crime that should prompt the most severe sentence possible.

President Donald Trump signed a bill making animal cruelty a federal felony — the PACT (Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture) Act — in November.

What would possess someone to commit this unacceptable outburst of violence?

“This is very inhumane and it’s a very cruel act of somebody who just apparently had nothing else to do or whatever just to go back on a strip job and shoot down horses who were, one of them obviously was feeding, had grass in its mouth,” Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt said. “It looked like a battlefield for just horses.”

Some were young and some were pregnant.

Kentucky is the United States’ leading producer of horses. The equine industry has been exceptionally beneficial, economically, throughout the commonwealth’s existence.

Kentucky is most known for the Kentucky Derby, college basketball and perhaps bourbon and tobacco.

The gracefulness of horses encapsulates the beauty of Kentucky.

This inexcusable explosion of violence, again, should be accompanied by the most severe penalty that can be handed down.

Online: https://www.dailyindependent.com/

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