Boat

I thought it would be emotional to hear 14-year-old Alex Otte of Lexington tell her story about the horrific accident last summer on Herrington Lake when she was on a jet ski, hit by a boat driven by a drunk driver and lost her right leg. However, I had no idea just how heartwarming the story I heard at the Ohio UK Convention in Middletown, Ohio, would be. First, Laura Otte, Alex's mother, told about the “dumb decision I wish we could take...

The doctor charged in the death of his wife on Herrington Lake last week said he drove the boat toward her to scare her, not kill her, according to a Kentucky State Police incident citation. Steven C. Hall, 46, of 904 Wheatfield Drive in Harrodsburg, admitted he and his wife, Isabel Lynn Hall, were in a physical altercation on his boat when he threw her into the water, according to the citation. Click here to read arrest citation . Five separate witnesses told police what they saw Steven Hall do was an intentional act, according to the citation.

Boats need maintenance during the winter, and that doesn't mean washing and waxing. It does, however, mean checking battery water levels and keeping those batteries charged on a monthly basis, as cold weather does have a tendency to drain power levels. It would also be a good idea to add a fuel stabilizer or conditioner to help eliminate any moisture or condensation in the fuel tank. A few precautionary measures might prevent some serious and costly future repairs. Hopefully you drained all of your live wells and bilge areas before the freezing weather hit. If water freezes in those areas, hoses, pumps and seals can crack or burst when they thaw.

The second annual fishing tournament will be 7 p.m.-3 a.m. Aug. 5 at Pandora Marina at Herrington Lake. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m. Entry fee is $75 per boat. Door prizes include boat batteries, gift certificates, hats, T-shirts, baits, rods and more. For more information, call Teresa Leslie at (859) 806-8334.

FRANKFORT - The Fourth of July weekend is the busiest boating weekend of the year in Kentucky. Congested waters make for dangerous conditions, so boaters should be extra careful as they enjoy the holiday. Be aware of all other boaters nearby, especially personal watercraft. The low profile of these small, fast boats - Jet Skis, WaveRunners and the like - makes them easily missed while operating a larger boat. Also keep a lookout for swimmers, tubers and skiers. Scan the water around you before turning on your engine and continue to scan while under power.

HARRODSBURG — The Dixie Belle arrived home to the dock at Shaker Landing late Wednesday night after a long journey over land and water. The vessel, which has been used for tours of the scenic Kentucky River palisades for 30 years, has been out of commission since May 5 when it was hit by a concrete dock and sent floating downstream during major flooding. Shaker Village publicist Aimee Darnell said the boat was put back into the water at Camp Nelson about 7 p.m. Wednesday before making its way to its dock at Shaker Landing.

By BEN KLEPPINGER bkleppinger@amnews.com HERRINGTON LAKE — This year’s July Fourth weekend got off to a somber start Friday night, when a 13-year-old Danville girl suffered severe injuries after the Jet Ski she was riding on Herrington Lake collided with a 17-foot boat. Officials would not release the name of the girl, but Boyle County Sheriff Marty Elliott said both of her legs were “apparently crushed.” The girl was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center after the incident.

A Harrodsburg doctor has been charged with murder after he allegedly threw his wife from a pontoon boat on Herrington Lake Friday afternoon and then ran over her. Isabel Linn Hall, 49, died at about 4:30 p.m. in a gruesome incident near Gwinn Island Resort and Marina. Kentucky State Police Trooper Chris Lanham said Isabel Hall suffered wounds from the boat's propeller to her head, left shoulder and arm. Boyle County Coroner Dr. James Ramey said she died instantly. Dr. Steven Craig Hall, 46, of 904 Wheatfield Road, Harrodsburg, was being held without bond Saturday in the Boyle County Detention Center pending his arraignment Tuesday in Boyle District Court.

The man accused of running over a teenager with his boat waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday in Boyle District Court, and his case is now headed to a grand jury. Sammy Jason Hackler, 39, of Salvisa is charged with second-degree assault, driving under the influence, and three counts of wanton endangerment in the July 2 crash with a Jet Ski on Herrington Lake that seriously injured Alex Otte. Hackler did not appear at Wednesday’s hearing. He was represented by attorney Luke Morgan of Lexington.

Twenty five years ago, in two boats in Fort Myers, Fla., Tiki Tom introduced “Chainsaw” Charlie Keller to the art of woodcarving.  “This guy came up paddling in a canoe with tikis all over it, and he said, 'If this was my boat, I'd have tikis all over it,'” Keller said. “He showed me how to carve, and then I don't know, somehow he instilled that desire in me to have tikis all over that boat. " Over 25 years, Keller's technique and skill level evolved, and today he can carve images of anything from animals to faces to lifesize people.

I thought it would be emotional to hear 14-year-old Alex Otte of Lexington tell her story about the horrific accident last summer on Herrington Lake when she was on a jet ski, hit by a boat driven by a drunk driver and lost her right leg. However, I had no idea just how heartwarming the story I heard at the Ohio UK Convention in Middletown, Ohio, would be. First, Laura Otte, Alex's mother, told about the “dumb decision I wish we could take...

A woman injured Thursday afternoon in a boating accident was flown to a Lexington hospital after she and another passenger were thrown into Herrington Lake. Boyle County Fire Department spokesman Lt. Jim Harris said rescue crews were called to a portion of the lake near Old Bridge Golf Club about 4 p.m. A resident near the scene called 911 after the man who was on the boat when it crashed asked for help, Harris said. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Officer Damon Foster said David Wiseman and Margaret Morgan, both of Louisville, were headed toward Bryants Camp when Wiseman said the 14-foot “jon boat” he was driving hit a stump protruding from the water.

A woman injured in a Thursday afternoon boat crash was flown to a Lexington hospital after she and another passenger were thrown into Herrington Lake. Boyle County Fire Department spokesman Jim Harris said rescue crews were called to a portion of the lake near Old Bridge subdivision about 3 p.m. A resident near the scene called 911 after the man who was on the boat when it crashed asked for help, Harris said. The male passenger said his boat hit a stump, throwing he and the female passenger into the water.

Experiencing great blue herons on the Kentucky River is a study in anticipation, patience and, finally, reward. Standing more than four feet high with a wing span more than six feet, they are not difficult to spot. But it’s their blue-gray coloration, punctuated by black and chestnut accents, that usually draws the biggest response from those spotting their first heron. Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is offering two cruises aboard the Dixie Belle riverboat dedicated to as close as possible to the big birds and their nesting colonies.

To the editor: No doubt this past week will go down as a pivotal moment in Egyptian and, perhaps, world history. As long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak relinquished presidential power in Egypt, millions cheered. Yet what this means for religious believers, including the millions of Christians in Egypt, remains to be seen. Unfortunately, last week’s lead religion article about Pastor Johnny Hunt, a Baptist pastor from Alabama who recently toured Egypt, completely missed what is at stake there in terms of the Christian faith.

The mother of a girl who lost a leg in a Jet Ski collision this summer on Herrington Lake has filed a lawsuit seeking damages from the man operating the boat that struck her daughter. Laura Otte of Lexington filed the complaint earlier this month in Boyle Circuit Court on behalf of herself and her daughter, Alex, who was 13 when she was struck by the boat and its propellor on July 2. The lawsuit alleges Sammy Jason Hackler of Salvisa was intoxicated when his boat ran over Alex as she was sitting on her Jet Ski near her father’s boat dock near Bryant’s Camp Marina.

The man accused of running over a teenager with his boat waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday in Boyle District Court, and his case is now headed to a grand jury. Sammy Jason Hackler, 39, of Salvisa is charged with second-degree assault, driving under the influence, and three counts of wanton endangerment in the July 2 crash with a Jet Ski on Herrington Lake that seriously injured Alex Otte. Hackler did not appear at Wednesday’s hearing. He was represented by attorney Luke Morgan of Lexington.

A 13-year-old Danville girl injured Friday night while riding a jet ski on Herrington Lake remained in critical condition this morning at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center in Lexington, a hospital spokeswoman said. Alex Otte was airlifted to the hospital after suffering severe injuries to her legs when her jet ski collided with a 17-foot boat just after 9:30 p.m. Friday between Chenault Bridge and Bryant’s Camp Marina, according to the early results of an investigation by state Fish and Wildlife Department officer Greg Hill.

By BEN KLEPPINGER bkleppinger@amnews.com HERRINGTON LAKE — This year’s July Fourth weekend got off to a somber start Friday night, when a 13-year-old Danville girl suffered severe injuries after the Jet Ski she was riding on Herrington Lake collided with a 17-foot boat. Officials would not release the name of the girl, but Boyle County Sheriff Marty Elliott said both of her legs were “apparently crushed.” The girl was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center after the incident.