A time to be cautious (8/24/04

There may never have been a more dangerous time on Jay County roads.

Think about it: School has just started, and the annual Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show is about to attract thousands of visitors to the county.

Meanwhile, the most amazing corn crop in recent memory has turned the open roads into corridors and transformed usually simple intersections into potential death traps.

School buses, young drivers, pedestrians and kids waiting for buses, and visitors new to the area make for a dangerous recipe.

Clearly, it’s not a time for business as usual. It’s a time for increased vigilance and expecting the unexpected.

In an interview for today’s special tabloid section on the engine show, longtime saw mill operator Karl Fennig described the precautions taken when working with a big, whirring blade. His words could apply to driving in Jay County this week: “You have to be extra, extra careful. You have to look twice before you do anything.”

Watch yourself out there, folks. It may not be as dangerous as a buzz saw, but it always pays to be cautious. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]