Carter County clean up dumpster will be on the WEST END this week and open Wednesday through Friday (9/9 - 9/11) 8:00 AM - 2:30 PM

Emergency Management for the City of Grayson have confirmed that they will be setting off the voice/siren warning system on Friday of this week as part of the Kentucky State Tornado drill. This test will be sounded at approximately 10:07am – and you are reminded that this is only a test.

The Bluegrass state’s annual statewide tornado drill is an official event of 2025’s severe weather awareness week. Kentucky Emergency Management along with the National Weather Service is coming together for the event and has invited all Kentuckians to participate in the potentially lifesaving practice drill.

And joining in is exactly what the City of Grayson Emergency Management is going to do. Remember that it will happen this Friday, March 7th at 10:07am. During this time the voice and siren warning system will be sounded throughout the city.

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It’s that time of year when the Carter County Soil and Conservation District conduct their annual tree giveaway for 2025. This year’s event has been scheduled for Friday, April 25th and will take place at the Carter County Farmers Market Shed. Trees will be given out on a first come first served basis and all individuals that come out to participate in the event will be given 10 seedlings of their choosing.

Seedlings available for the 2025 event include: flowering dogwood, paw paw, persimmon, Kentucky coffeetree, chestnut oak, wild plum, white oak, and red Shumard oak. Please note that this event is open for Carter County citizens only.

If you have any questions about the upcoming April 25th event then please reach out and contact the Carter County Soil and Conservation District by calling 606-474-5184.

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Despite one of the wettest winters on record for the Bluegrass state we are now into the spring fire season for 2025, and emergency management officials want to remind everyone throughout our Carter County communities that this means it is currently illegal to burn anything within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland between the daytime hours of 6am to 6pm.

Our spring and forest fire seasons stem from the Kentucky Division of Forestry as they are mandated by law to provide for organized fire protection. Spring forest fire season begins each year on the date of February 15th and continues through April 30th.

It is recommended that before conducting any outdoor burning you reach out and check with your local fire department officials to check on the conditions and to ask about any restrictions or local ordinances that may be in place. Once again the 2025 spring forest fire season will continue through the date of Wednesday, April 30th.

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Carter County is proud to offer help with the journey of parenting through the new HANDS program – a voluntary home visitation program for the whole family. The Kentucky based program stands for Health Access Nurturing Development Services and is here to help every family that needs an extra pair of hands, because with HANDS you have a team ready to support you every step of the way.

When it comes to that support HANDS helps throughout not only pregnancy but also for the first 2 years of the child’s life. It’s easy to get involved as any parent that is expecting a new baby is eligible. Please note that families must be enrolled in this free service during pregnancy or before the child is 90 days old.

To learn more about the Carter County HANDS program or to start your enrollment then you can visit them at their official Facebook page at Carter County HANDS, call them at 606-474-5109, or stop in for a visit during open hours at 105 Robert & Mary Street in Grayson.

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Officials in charge of the Carter County Clean-Up campaign have announced that they will be on East end of Carter County this week – but please remember that dumpster availability has been changed to include only Thursday and Friday of each week. Dumpsters will be open at the maintenance garage located in Grayson where clean-up personnel will be on site to help you unload your garbage between the hours of 8am and 2:30pm.

The County Clean-Up has now extended their list of non-accepted items to include: refrigerators, deep freezers, or televisions that’s along with household garbage, paint, tires, and batteries – please note that none of these items will be collected. Also remember that all garbage must also be bagged or boxed with no loose items being collected on site. The County Clean-Up campaign works on a rotating schedule and alternate between the East and West end of our county on a bi-weekly basis. After their stay this week it has been announced that dumpsters will be returning to the Maintenance Garage along US 60 on the dates of March 13th through the 14th.

Once again dumpsters will be open Thursday and Friday of this week on the East end of the county between the hours of 8am and 2:30pm.