Power Line

LANCASTER - A portion of Richmond Street in Lancaster was shut down for nearly eight hours Tuesday after a pickup truck toppled a utility pole. A driver was traveling on the highway about 6 a.m. when he slid off the road and into a pole in the 400 block, Lancaster Assistant Police Chief Allen Weston said. Though the driver was uninjured, the accident downed several power lines and knocked out the electricity in two nearby homes, Weston said. Lancaster firefighters arrived on the scene about 6:20 a.m. to divert traffic away from an approximately 1-mile stretch of Ky. 52 heading away from Lancaster Public Square.

East Kentucky Power Cooperative has proposed a route for its planned 36-mile, 345-kilovolt electric transmission line project in Clark, Garrard and Madison counties.About three-quarters of the proposed route would be located with or alongside existing transmission lines by either rebuilding existing lines or constructing a new line beside existing ones. The transmission line will deliver power produced by new generating units EKPC plans to build at its J.K. Smith Station in southern Clark County.

LANCASTER - A subcontractor that is constructing a power line in Garrard and Madison counties has filed a lawsuit claiming it hasn't been paid for its work. Hill Drilling Inc. of Missouri filed a complaint in Garrard Circuit Court last week alleging that it is owed $336,389 by Rock Drilling Technology, also from Missouri. East Kentucky Power Cooperative, which owns easements along the power line, also is named as a defendant. Neither Rock Drilling nor East Kentucky Power has yet responded to the lawsuit.

LANCASTER - Bob and Ann Crawford recently retired and moved to Lancaster where they found a historic house surrounded by rolling farmland. But now, they're second-guessing their purchase because of a new power line and substation proposed for their area. The high-voltage transmission line will run from Clark County through Madison and Garrard counties to Lancaster. "But nothing in anything East Kentucky Power Cooperative has published, that I've found, and distributed to the public has said the exact location they're looking at, nor the size of the monstrosity they're proposing to build with those lines," Bob Crawford said.

CLARK¿COUNTY¿FIRE - At 8:13 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called to 3084 Ecton Road for a downed power line. - At 10:10 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called to 33 Fontaine Blvd. to assist EMS personnel.

A downed power line left 827 Kentucky Utilities customers in Clark County without power Thursday afternoon. Clark County Fire Department Battalion Chief Ernie Barnes said firefighters were called to Fountain Circle Health and Rehabilitation on Glenway Road at 3:47 p.m. Thursday after a fallen power line caused a brush fire in the parking lot. “The Fountain Circle employees were actually able to knock it down some with fire extinguishers,” Barnes...

Boyle County firefighters are investigating a fire Tuesday at a plumbing business near Danville. Lt. Jim Harris of Boyle County Fire Department said firefighters were called out a few minutes after 3 p.m. to a residence on Ky. 33 across from Mock's Creek.  Firefighters discovered a barn, located behind the residence, was engulfed in fire. “There was heavy smoke and flames showing,” Harris said.  The barn had a tin structure, Harris said, and still had an active power line running to it.  “We had to wait on KU to arrive to cut the power line so we could get inside,” Harris said, adding firefighters attempted to fight the fire from the outside while waiting on electricians to arrive.  Harris said firefighters face the risk of being electrocuted or provoking a worse fire if they are not careful to avoid active power lines.  Once Kentucky Utilities cut the power line, Harris said three firefighters got inside the structure and extinguished the flames, but the crew stayed on scene for about four hours to monitor the situation.  Hartley Plumbing operated out of the barn, and owner Jimmy Hartley said he suffered about a $75,000 loss.

Boyle County firefighters are investigating a fire Tuesday at a plumbing business near Danville. Lt. Jim Harris of Boyle County Fire Department said firefighters were called out a few minutes after 3 p.m. to a residence on Ky. 33 across from Mock's Creek. Firefighters discovered a barn, located behind the residence, was engulfed in fire. “There was heavy smoke and flames showing,” Harris said. The barn had a tin structure, Harris said, and still had an active power line running to it. “We had to wait on KU to arrive to cut the power line so we could get inside,” Harris said, adding firefighters attempted to fight the fire from the outside while waiting on electricians to arrive.

LANCASTER - East Kentucky Power Cooperative will hold two open houses this month to educate local residents about a proposed power line and substation in Garrard County. Several residents have voiced concern over the property the company is considering for the substation. The company has an option to buy a piece of property near the intersection of Ky. 52 and Boone's Creek Road but says it is still reviewing alternate corridors. The power line will run from the existing Lancaster substation on Buckeye Road to just west of the city.

A combination of windy weather and aged trees caused a mess for apartment residents on East Lexington Avenue Thursday morning. Nancy Griffin of Danville said she left the house where she lives in a ground-level apartment about 8:30 a.m. When she returned just a few hours later, two magnolia trees near the house had collapsed leaving the parking area littered with debris. “There were thousands of pieces,” said Griffin, who parks her car directly where one of the trees hit. “It was like a war zone.” The magnolia trees likely were dead, causing them to splinter into the scattered mess.

Sirens wailed across Winchester in the early morning as severe weather forced tornado warnings and power outages across Clark County. According to Kentucky Utilities, 3,100 customers were without power in¿Clark County this morning, as well as another 1,500 in Fayette County. Emergency responders also reported a tree limb down and entangled with a power line near U.S. 60 and Clintonville Road early this morning. Weather sirens sounded around 6:30 a.m. in Winchester for severe weather.

Boyle County firefighters are investigating a fire Tuesday at a plumbing business near Danville. Lt. Jim Harris of Boyle County Fire Department said firefighters were called out a few minutes after 3 p.m. to a residence on Ky. 33 across from Mock's Creek.  Firefighters discovered a barn, located behind the residence, was engulfed in fire. “There was heavy smoke and flames showing,” Harris said.  The barn had a tin structure, Harris said, and still had an active power line running to it.  “We had to wait on KU to arrive to cut the power line so we could get inside,” Harris said, adding firefighters attempted to fight the fire from the outside while waiting on electricians to arrive.  Harris said firefighters face the risk of being electrocuted or provoking a worse fire if they are not careful to avoid active power lines.  Once Kentucky Utilities cut the power line, Harris said three firefighters got inside the structure and extinguished the flames, but the crew stayed on scene for about four hours to monitor the situation.  Hartley Plumbing operated out of the barn, and owner Jimmy Hartley said he suffered about a $75,000 loss.

Boyle County firefighters are investigating a fire Tuesday at a plumbing business near Danville. Lt. Jim Harris of Boyle County Fire Department said firefighters were called out a few minutes after 3 p.m. to a residence on Ky. 33 across from Mock's Creek. Firefighters discovered a barn, located behind the residence, was engulfed in fire. “There was heavy smoke and flames showing,” Harris said. The barn had a tin structure, Harris said, and still had an active power line running to it. “We had to wait on KU to arrive to cut the power line so we could get inside,” Harris said, adding firefighters attempted to fight the fire from the outside while waiting on electricians to arrive.

A combination of windy weather and aged trees caused a mess for apartment residents on East Lexington Avenue Thursday morning. Nancy Griffin of Danville said she left the house where she lives in a ground-level apartment about 8:30 a.m. When she returned just a few hours later, two magnolia trees near the house had collapsed leaving the parking area littered with debris. “There were thousands of pieces,” said Griffin, who parks her car directly where one of the trees hit. “It was like a war zone.” The magnolia trees likely were dead, causing them to splinter into the scattered mess.

Despite winds reaching nearly 60 mph, very little damage was reported across Clark County Thursday night. According to the Kentucky Mesonet website, Clark County experienced the fourth highest wind gust at 56.3 mph Thursday. Pike County experienced the three highest gusts in the state. Clark also experienced sustained winds up to 37 miles an hour. Still, the county suffered little in terms of wind damage. The Clark County Roads Department was called out on a few downed trees on county road but nothing too significant, Clark County Emergency Management Director Gary Epperson said.

At approximately 9 a.m. Tuesday a white Jeep Grand Cherokee rammed into a power line/telephone pole in front of Nicholasville City Hall.  The accident has temporarily shut down Main Street from Lake Street to Ross Street and cut power to the surrounding areas. Traffic on Stratton Avenue has been rerouted through the alleyway behind The Jessamine Journal onto Ross Street. According to Aaron Jordan, who works with the city's cemetery department, he was driving north on Main Street when he witnessed the accident.

A downed power line left 827 Kentucky Utilities customers in Clark County without power Thursday afternoon. Clark County Fire Department Battalion Chief Ernie Barnes said firefighters were called to Fountain Circle Health and Rehabilitation on Glenway Road at 3:47 p.m. Thursday after a fallen power line caused a brush fire in the parking lot. “The Fountain Circle employees were actually able to knock it down some with fire extinguishers,” Barnes...

CLARK¿COUNTY¿FIRE - At 8:13 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called to 3084 Ecton Road for a downed power line. - At 10:10 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called to 33 Fontaine Blvd. to assist EMS personnel.

Electricity was knocked out for hundreds of utility customers Saturday morning when a car hit a power line in Garrard County. Garrard Deputy Tevis Graham said Zachary King, 19, of Lancaster was eastbound on Ky. 52 shortly after 9 a.m. when his vehicle dropped off the shoulder then crossed the westbound lane at 4227 Danville Road. Graham said the vehicle struck a guideline attached to a utility pole, pulling the poll down and causing two electrical lines to touch. King's vehicle continued through a plank fence and rolled several times before coming to a stop.

LANCASTER - A portion of Richmond Street in Lancaster was shut down for nearly eight hours Tuesday after a pickup truck toppled a utility pole. A driver was traveling on the highway about 6 a.m. when he slid off the road and into a pole in the 400 block, Lancaster Assistant Police Chief Allen Weston said. Though the driver was uninjured, the accident downed several power lines and knocked out the electricity in two nearby homes, Weston said. Lancaster firefighters arrived on the scene about 6:20 a.m. to divert traffic away from an approximately 1-mile stretch of Ky. 52 heading away from Lancaster Public Square.