“It will be a big, big thing,” said Dr. Tim Jones of the Mayfield Veterinary Clinic. As a GCHS alum, community member, and veterinarian, he believes sharing safety tips and emphasizing their importance can save lives. “It’s during National Ag Safety Week,” he said, “with agriculture being one of the number one career interests with the youth here it only makes sense during that week that we come up with different areas to try to bring some of the students that, at least, make a little more aware of what can potentially go wrong out there.”
In fact, Graves County agriculture students and FFA members will lead a variety of eight-minute presentations on various topics repeatedly throughout the day, reaching group after group of students who visit at both the middle and high schools.
Dale Dobson, a safety administrator with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Division of Agriculture Education and Outreach, is in charge of the Pep Really for Life. He is a veteran of many years of teaching ag safety across the commonwealth. He could be seen in recent years at schools across Kentucky and often in Graves County with his rollover tractor that shows the dangers and precautions involved in farm work.
Graves County Sheriff Dewayne Redmon’s department will address texting and driving as well as drinking alcohol and driving. Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer plans to be on hand, making presentations as well.
In fact, representatives of the Missouri Agriculture Department hope to participate and make notes on the day for their own use in the future.
Other safety topics will include all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers, firearms, electricity, and on-the-road driving of large vehicles.