Salt

(Sun photo by James Mann) Andy Worsham spreads salt by hand on the sidewalk around the BB&T branch bank on the bypass while his brother, Bobby Worsham, spreads salt on ice in the parking lot. The men, who live in Irvine, also cleared the BB&T Bank parking lot in downtown Winchester and in Irvine.

Snowflakes were falling heavily around Roger Smallwood while he spread salt through the parking lot of Winchester Municipal Utilities Thursday morning. Smallwood is a crew foreman with WMU. The snow made streets slick for a couple of hours before melting. Temperatures were in the single digits this morning.

(Sun photo by James Mann) Bobby Gipson emptied several bags of salt into a hopper to spread on the parking lot at George Rogers Clark High School on Wednesday afternoon just in case the overnight forecast of snow was correct. Gipson, an employee of the Clark County Board of Education, was spreading the salt to keep the parking lot clear for students returning for classes today. Classes were closed Tuesday and Wednesday because of snow and ice.

While it wasn't salt, it still accomplished the same effect as Erika O'Brien sprinkles a de-icer on the sidewalk in front Court Street Gifts Wednesday afternoon. Sidewalks, county roads and some city streets were covered with a thin layer of ice Wednesday morning. More snow is predicted for Saturday and Sunday.

While this year's winter has lacked its snowy punch, local governments in Jessamine County have reaped the savings as road crews have had a quiet season. Thus far, this winter ranks as the 16th-mildest in the Lexington area since records started being kept in 1876, meteorologist Ron Steve with the National Weather Service in Louisville said. During a typical winter, the area receives an average of 6.1 inches of snow; this year's snowfall through Feb. 8 had been 1.8 inches.

Boyle County buys salt spreader Boyle County Fiscal Court approved the purchase of two $2,930 salt spreaders from J. Edinger & Son in Louisville. The purchase means the county will have five trucks this winter during to salt the roads. The county has ordered a single-axle dump truck. One of the salt spreaders will be affixed to that truck, and the other will replace a salt spreader that is beyond repair, said Duane Campbell, the county engineer. When the new truck is delivered, the county will have a spare truck, so it will always have five trucks working to clear the road.

An ice storm that swept through Clark County left streets and roads treacherous and caused the cancellation of schools today. John Haddix, Winchester's director of public works, said the city police reported about midnight that the rain that had been falling all day was turning to sleet and streets were getting slippery. Public works employees came in at 12:30 and by 1 a.m. were out salting roads, streets and alleys in town. "The streets got very slick and hazardous," Haddix said.

The snow was prime for play Saturday - fat, wet flakes and little ice - and the area can expect a refill today. The National Weather Service predicts there will be more scattered snow showers today, mainly before 3 p.m., with a high of 32 degrees. The temperature will dip to near 20 degrees tonight, and freezing temperatures are predicted until after 11 a.m. Monday, which may cause water on the roads to freeze. Boyle County public works crews plan to be back out on county roadways today to make sure the roads will be clear for school buses Monday.

Several years ago, I received a wonderful book from a very special friend, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. The book, "Grandmother's Kitchen Wisdom," contains 6,001 food facts and chef's secrets, some of which I have shared with you through the years. While attempting to straighten a corner in my work area, I picked up the book and started looking at it and decided to give you some more of "Grandmother's Wisdom. " I have had several calls about exterminating ants. I have found three more ways that supposedly work.

Well, it won't be long until the last holiday of the summer is here.Next Monday is Labor Day. I've often wondered why it's called Labor Day when many of the places are closed for the day. There has to be a logical reason, besides many people having to work, and one day I will take the time to look it up. As I recall past Labor Days, I remember the picnics (leave it to me to think of food). We had a picnic basket and carried it on picnics for years and, if I'm not mistaken, it was in Mother's sale.

STANFORD - Federal road crews will be salting roads in Lincoln County and nine other area counties in preparation for snow forecasted for this afternoon and tomorrow. Drivers should watch out for pre-treating crews and slow down near them, according to a news release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Road condition reports for major routes are available by calling 511 or visiting www.511.ky.gov.

Salt plays a crucial role in the kitchen, but do you know what type to use? Chemically there is little difference between all kitchen salts. The main difference is the processing of these salts and the resulting salt crystals. Below is some useful information about the most common types of salt and some tips on when to use them. Iodized or table salt, is the most common salt and has the strongest flavor. It is processed and refined which strips away all natural minerals. Table salt is best used in baking because of its small, uniform size.

While this year's winter has lacked its snowy punch, local governments in Jessamine County have reaped the savings as road crews have had a quiet season. Thus far, this winter ranks as the 16th-mildest in the Lexington area since records started being kept in 1876, meteorologist Ron Steve with the National Weather Service in Louisville said. During a typical winter, the area receives an average of 6.1 inches of snow; this year's snowfall through Feb. 8 had been 1.8 inches.

Street departments throughout Jessamine County are gearing up for the upcoming winter season by replenishing their salt supplies in preparation for the icy weather. Both the Wilmore and Nicholasville street department heads said they are prepared for the annual task of keeping the roads safe. “Last year, we all ran out of salt way too soon, and so I've kind of added extra to the pile this year,” Wilmore Director of Utilities and Public Works Dave Carlstedt, Wilmore director of Utilities and Public Works,  said.

If you over hear your children or grandchildren discussing bath salts, don’t be fooled into thinking they have suddenly gotten interested in soaking in the tub.  More than likely, they are discussing a relatively new phenomenon that began sweeping the country last year. “Bath Salts” is an acronym for a new class of designer drug that is readily available in many states at gas stations, tobacco shops, convenient stores, and head shops.  Sold under appealing names like  Ivory Wave, Bolivian Bath, Ocean Snow, Blue Silk, White Girl and Charley Sheene Bath, these chemical mixtures are considered potentially dangerous and produce multiple side effects in users.

State legislators sent House Bill 121, which is aimed at the wave of synthetic drugs marketed as bath salts but rampantly being abused as synthetic drugs, to Gov. Steve Beshear’s office to be signed into law last Friday. The legislation seeks to ban the sale, manufacture or possession of those substances in Kentucky. Violators would face misdemeanor charges that could result in jail time and fines. The products are sold under such brand names as “Red Dove,” “White Ivory” and “Disco Bath Salts.

The 2010-11 Lincoln County Middle School cheerleaders  brought home the winner’s trophy in the Salt River Conference Cheerleading Competition held at King Middle School in Harrodsburg. The Lincoln squad, coached by Donita Brock and Laura Back, competed in the traditional cheer category and won over the judges with their floor cheer and dance routine. “We are very proud of our team,” said Back. “The girls worked extremely hard and proved they had what it took to win their category.

Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted a short winter and an early spring when he failed to see his shadow a couple of weeks ago, but if any more snow falls on Jessamine County between now and then, even one more week of winter could be too many. And that’s because just about everyone is out of road salt. The city crews for Wilmore and Nicholasville ran out of salt Wednesday night, and the county crew was scraping the bottom of the barrel after Thursday morning’s routes. Thanks to the large amount of snow Kentucky has received this winter, it’s not surprising.

Last week, the newly revised 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released. These guidelines are just that, a guide to help us make positive changes to our eating, so that our health can be improved. One of the major areas emphasized is sodium. Although the Dietary Guidelines maintain the same recommendation of no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium — that’s about one teaspoon of salt — now it is recommended to reduce sodium even lower to that of 1,500 milligrams or 2/3 teaspoon of salt.

HARRODSBURG — With a winter storm watch on hand for Thursday, members of the Harrodsburg City Commission and Mayor Eddie Long are concerned about the city’s depleted road salt reserves. “We’ve already gone through 90 percent of our allotted salt budget for this year,” said Commissioner Charlie Mattingly, who oversees the Public Works Department. “Just to put things into perspective, last year at this time, we only went through 20 percent of our salt budget.