Category: Uncategorized

By Kate Pittack/Extension 4-H Agent

Did you know that Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation) provides valuable traffic safety information through the Passenger Safety Project? The project’s primary focus is on increasing child restraint and safety belt usage, but encourages all Texans to buckle up before hitting the road and need the services from a personal injury law attorney at court.

It only takes 3 seconds and could potentially save your life. Taking those few seconds to buckle your seat belt is the most important step you can take to protect yourself in a crash. You may be left confused after a crash, especially if it isn’t your fault, but at least you’re still in one piece. If you have been in a car accident then you may want to read legal advice like the advice in this article to see if you can get compensation for the crash. The seat belt helped save your life so now you can go on to claim the compensation you deserve. If you’re eligible for compensation, you’ll likely find yourself in a lawsuit. It might be the last thing you want to do after a traumatic car accident, but justice can be achieved from earning compensation and with loans on settlements in as little as 24 hours, the whole process doesn’t have to be stressful. Fortunately, most Texans now buckle up, but some groups of motorists continue not taking the message to heart and not consistently using their seat belts. The demographic of motorist most likely to be unrestrained are men and young adults, especially pickup truck drivers and passengers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 50 percent of people killed in crashes nationally are unrestrained, which goes up to 61 percent for pickup truck occupants. The Texas Department of Transportation reports that last year, 40 percent of those killed in Texas crashes were found to be unrestrained. According to NHTSA, in 2015 alone, seat belts prevented 370 fatalities and 6,652 serious injuries in Texas. When the “Click It or Ticket” campaign began in 2002, just 76 percent of Texans used seat belts. Today, more than 90 percent of Texans buckle up. It is for this reason when people are looking at their local dealership’s current selection of used cars in Kansas or any state, they look at car safety features, trying to find a vehicle that will keep them safe and protected while on the road.

Continue reading “Clover Connection: The Passenger Safety Project makes a difference”

The Athens Middle School choirs will perform a Spring Sing Pops Concert free to the public on Tuesday, May 24 at 6 p.m. at the AMS cafetorium. Students in the award-winning program will be performing tunes that include selections from the Beatles, Plain White Tees, Kelly Clarkson and Seussical the musical. Pictured is the boys’ choir practicing. The campus is located at 6800 Hwy. 19 South. Come out and support students in the arts. (Courtesy photo)

Al and Dorothy Barlow were crowned King and Queen of the A Trinity Valley Home Health and Therapy Services 6th Annual Senior Citizen’s Prom Tuesday. The couple celebrated their 53rd anniversary on Wednesday. The prom was held at the Henderson County Senior Citizens Center in Athens. (Courtesy photo)

The City of Athens activated its warning sirens during a Tornado Warning Friday evening.

Several Henderson County Now readers reported not hearing the sirens, so we asked City Manager Philip Rodriguez to explain the system.

He said:

The City’s outdoor warning sirens and CodeRed emergency alert system were activated late yesterday afternoon after we assessed the threat of an imminent tornado warning from the National Weather Service. Our Emergency Management team activates those two systems when something life-threatening may take place.

Outdoor warning sirens are designed to alert those who are outside that something dangerous is approaching. Hearers of the sirens should go indoors, get more information, and in most weather-related cases, take shelter.

The City of Athens has eight locations were the sirens are located. Those closest to the sirens may be able to hear the siren from inside a building, but an outdoor warning system is designed only for those outside.

The City’s aware that two of the eight sirens that were activated yesterday continued to run even after the imminent threat moved out of our area. Our Emergency Management team plans to test those later next week to determine why that happened and make any appropriate adjustments; however we will wait for a day when there’s no weather concerns in our community.

We urge residents and business owners to have an all-hazards NOAA Weather Radio inside their house or place of business. The radio is designed to alert you, even if you’re asleep. Folks can view this much like smoke alarms in their buildings, and it can be a life-saver in the event of threatening weather or other public emergencies.