Water pumps at Richmond Utilities are working around the clock to serve the city, but whether or not a water restriction is called for lies in the hands of Mother Nature.
“We’re in good shape right now, but if it keeps this up for another week, (a water restriction) could happen,” said Scott Althauser, superintendent of Richmond Utilities.
Richmond last water restriction was June 25 to July 24, 2005. Residents were asked to conserve water in any way possible and flower, garden and grass watering were restricted to certain days only.
Although the city’s water use is not restricted at the present, Althauser said he always encourages residents to conserve water and use it wisely.
The water pumps at the utilities company are pumping 24 hours a day. With sufficient rainfall, the pumps operate an average of 15 or 16 hours each day.
“We’re selling about everything we’re making right now,” Althauser said.
A supplemental pump was activated three days ago and has helped the utilities company produce an extra 800,000 gallons of water each day, Althauser said.
An expansion to the city’s water plant will be completed in about one month, he said.
The drinking water treatment plant, located on College Hill Road in Waco, will go from treating 9 million gallons of water a day to 12 million gallons. The last expansion of the treatment plan was in 1990.
The expansion is the utility company’s way of preparing for the future and Madison County’s increasing population, Althauser said.
Based on statewide statistics, Kentucky’s precipitation shortfall range is 6 to 9 inches in the south to 2 to 4 inches in the west.
The lack of rain has curtailed hay production and prompted water conservation measures in some areas. The dry spell follows a freeze in early April that inflicted at least $70 million in crop losses statewide, hitting winter wheat, peach and apple crops the hardest.
Thirty-five percent of the state’s hay crop was rated poor or very poor, according to the latest weekly report by the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Kentucky field office.
Row crops planted in the spring are faring better. Nearly three-quarters of the state’s corn and soybean crops were rated good or excellent, the report said. Just more than half the tobacco crop was in good shape.
The Weather Channel is calling for a 40 percent chance of rain tonight and a 30 percent chance on Monday, but Tuesday through Friday show only a 10 percent chance of precipitation.
Predicted weekend precipitation won’t be enough to “wipe out the drought in one fell swoop, but maybe it will prevent conditions from getting worse,” said Mike Callahan, a National Weather Service hydrologist.
“We would give anything for a couple good days of soaking rain,” Althauser said. “We’re not calling for any voluntary or mandatory restriction at this point, but any kind of conservation is a good thing.”
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.
Local News
Despite dry weather, no water restrictions
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Friday at library : Lecturer to portray founder of Berea
John G. Fee, abolitionist and founder of both Berea and Berea College, will be portrayed Friday night by performer Obadiah Ewing-Roush as part of Kentucky Humanities Council Chautauqua performance series at the Madison County Public Library. There is no charge to attend the 7 p.m. event.
As the son of a slave-holding father, Fee witnessed firsthand the benefits of having slaves and the profits that could be made from their labor. When he graduated from college and enrolled in Lane Theological Seminary, he began to understand the inherent wrong and destructiveness of slavery. -
Berea woman dies Tuesday in Laurel County crash
A Berea woman, Tommie Johnson, 60, died Tuesday evening in a Laurel County crash, according to the the Laurel Sheriff’s Office.
The accident took place about 7 p.m. at the junction of Maple Grove Road and KY 363 south of London, as Johnson was attempting to turn onto the state highway.
Laurel County Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore said Johnson’s Chevrolet Cavalier pulled out in front of a Dodge Durango driven by Charles Joseph, 19, that was traveling south on KY 363.
After being extricated from her vehicle, Johnson was transported to St. Joseph-London hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Joseph also was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, according to the accident report. -
Finally February
Ian Rosser, an Eastern Kentucky University student from Lexington, clears snow from his car parked on campus Wednesday
morning after about an inch of snow fell in Richmond. Temperatures are forcast to be in the upper 40s today. Kentucky has seen a lot of rain in the past few months, as was predicted by the Farmer's Almanac, but very little snow has fallen. -
Volunteers needed for equine therapy
The Appalachian Foothills Therapeutic Equestrian Center will be hosting two, one-day volunteer training workshops for those interested in helping others with special needs.
The volunteer orientation days will be Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but only one day of training is required, according to Mark Martin who co-owns Appalachian Foothills Therapeutic Equestrian Center (AFTEC) with his wife Cheryl.
The all-volunteer organization, which is based in Jackson County, uses horses to help humans deal with physical and emotional challenges. -
Man accused of holding samurai sword to girlfriend’s throat
A Madison grand jury will hear the case of a man accused of threatening to cut his girlfriend’s head off, and attacking her father with a samurai sword.
Russell M. Masters, 42, of Richmond, is charged with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, which is a Class D felony, and fourth-degree assault (domestic violence with minor injury) and resisting arrest, which both are Class A misdemeanors. Masters could receive one to five years in prison on each wanton endangerment charge, and the misdemeanors both carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail. -
Arrest made in connection with stolen jewelry, computer
Richmond police have made an arrest in connection with property stolen from two homes last fall.
A woman reported to police Monday that she had discovered several items that were missing from her home on South Killarney Drive and her grandmother’s home on Raintree Drive, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock. The items were a set of gold hoop earrings, a white Sony Vaio laptop, a yellow gold heart pendant, a gold tennis bracelet and a ladies’ wedding band with a diamond setting.
The complainant said the belongings had gone missing sometime between August and October. -
US 25 business owners scared of five-lane plan
Voices of Berea business owners upset about upcoming construction on US 25 will be taken to the state level, according to city administrator Randy Stone.
Several people operating businesses along a section of US 25 gave comments Tuesday to the Berea City Council, asking them reconsider plans to widen the road to five lanes.
The design is a five-lane highway with a center turn lane and a 10-foot shared use path on one side and a 5-foot sidewalk on the other side. -
Grand jury to hear copper theft case
The attorney for a man accused of stealing copper from a handful of electric poles questioned his identification as the same person who took copper from 32 poles two days earlier.
Public defender Meena Mohanty questioned Richmond police officer Nicholas Duvall during a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Madison District Court. Her client, Jeffrey W. Nester, 46, of Fourth Street, was arrested in connection with a Jan. 23 copper theft. He is charged with second-degree criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking, possession of burglary tools and failure to notify address change to the Department of Transportation. These charges are all misdemeanors that, at most, carry a sentence of one year in prison. -
Judge weighs constitutionality of legislative redistricting
Kentucky’s deadline for filing to run for legislative seats was in flux on Monday because a judge did not immediately rule on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of newly redrawn district boundaries.
Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd said he expects to enter a ruling in the case by mid-week.
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Couple recovering from injuries suffered in weekend house fire
A couple was hospitalized after their home was set ablaze Sunday by a spark from a cigar, according to a county fire official.
County Fire Chief Jim Cox said the city and county fire departments were called to the home at 111 Concord Road in the early afternoon. Waco Volunteer Fire Department and the Richmond Fire Department also responded.
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