 Tonight, on EKB Evening News at 6, in the wake of two ATV-related fatalities, officials are asking the public to think safety first. Good evening. I'm Cindy Mae Johnson. And I'm Gary Sloan. With the warmer temperatures of spring, outdoor activities are on the rise. But with two deaths involving ATVs in recent weeks, officials are concerned that proper safety procedures are not being followed. EKB News reporter Shannon Deskins spoke with law enforcement officers to get tips that could save lives. Two ATV fatalities in a two-week span have local law enforcement agencies focusing on off-road safety. ATV crashes on April 18th and then on May 2nd claim the lives of two Pike County men, unfortunately marking the beginning of ATV and UTV riding season. Law enforcement officials say with the warmer weather comes more calls of ATV crashes. ATV is a big issue sometimes, especially in the summertime. You've got great weather. Everybody wants to ride. Everybody wants to ride ATV. So with that, you know, also comes safety. And that's a big issue that we want to try to enforce. Several ATV crashes have been reported in the past few weeks, and emergency responders across the region say in the majority of these crashes, the riders were not wearing helmets. A lot of times when we show up on scene, especially of a serious ATV accident, the first thing we discover is that a helmet was not in use. This is preventative measures that one can take. It's really easy. All riders should wear them. It's not uncommon during the spring and summer to see groups of friends riding together, riding off-road trails and having fun. But officers warn everyone not to include alcohol on these trail rides. With ATVs, you know, it's the same as driving a vehicle. If you get caught on an ATV drinking and driving, it's the same thing as actually in a motor vehicle, and you will be charged with DUI. Everyone agrees that riding ATVs and side-by-sides in the mountains of East Kentucky can be a great way to spend time outdoors when done responsibly. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shannon Deskins. A ceremonial tree planting took place at Southside Elementary School at Tolar in Pike County today. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Interior, the American Chestnut Society, and others dedicated the trees to new beginnings. EKB News reporter Shelby Steele was there and brings us this report. Second graders at Southside Elementary have been hard at work researching and learning all that they can about the American Chestnut Tree. Today, students got to show off their knowledge at a ceremonial planting event. The students are dedicating the trees to new beginnings as construction is underway for the new Belfry Elementary that will be a consolidation of Southside and Blackberry Elementary. Second grade teacher Alice Tackett says, one thing the students have learned while working on this project is teamwork. Teamwork is how we make a difference in the world, and so we've come together as a team today to plant trees, and we'll come together as a team as a new Belfry Elementary. Southside principal Jill Maynard says it is important for the students to remember the past and welcome the future. We can keep in our mind about the school that we have right now, Southside, and then it's to bring all of our schools together into the new Belfry Elementary and we're so excited to have all the other schools come here and be a part of that with us. Students also took their knowledge to Belfry High School where they taught students about the American Chestnut. We went up to the biology class and we told them the history of the American Chestnut tree and how tall it was and how it can help our environment so much if we plant them. Other students are excited about the project and think it's important to preserve the tree in eastern Kentucky. It provided for our animals, hogs, people, they sold it for crops, they sold the wood, they sold the chestnuts, they can eat the chestnuts. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shelby Steele. Tomorrow at 10 a.m. those second graders along with some Boy Scouts and students from the Honors Biology class at Belfry will plant 20 chestnut trees at Bob Amos Park in Pikeville to illustrate what they've been learning and give back to the community. Residents of Island Creek Road in Pike County will need to make preparations for road construction in two weeks. The Paul Doodle Hall Bridge going to Route 1426 or Island Creek Road off U.S. 23 South of Pikeville will close at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 15th and remain closed all traffic until 8 a.m. Monday, May 18th. Mountain Enterprises will be paving U.S. 23 southbound lanes during this time. During the May 15th through 18th weekend, there will be no entry or exit to the bridge and it will be closed all traffic. Motorists can get their Island Creek through Cedar Creek Route 1384, Herbie Deskins Highway. Highway District 12 recently honored the memory of employees who lost their lives on the job. Chief District Engineer Mary Westfall Holbrook and Safety Director Gerald Altman hung a memorial print in the District 12 headquarters lobby in Pikeville in honor of Workers' Memorial Day. The print pays tribute to Leo Hamilton, J. G. Reif, Martin Mitchell, Charles E. Martin and Burnett Breeding. The print was designed by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet graphic designer Shannon Martin. Westfall Holbrook took the opportunity to encourage motorists to pay attention to reduce speed limits in construction zones in the hope of never having to add more names to the list. Well coming up, Belfry High School teachers learned some lessons of their own. Right after a soft opening, the Pikeville-Pike County Museum is ready to bring on the crowds. We'll be back in two minutes. The Pikeville-Pike County Museum has now been open for three weeks. The attraction got a soft launch during Hillbilly days, but now officials say they're ready to move forward. EKB news reporter Shannon Deskins tells us more. The Pikeville-Pike County Museum welcomed its first visitors during Hillbilly days where nearly 100 people came to see exhibits showcasing Pike County history. And even though many of the exhibits are focused on the Hatfield-McCoy Feud, museum officials tell us that there are many more Pike County exhibits to see from many eras. This is definitely not strictly a Hatfield-McCoy Museum. We do have a big Hatfield-McCoy exhibit, but that is only part of what our museum is. The museum really focuses on our local history. There are hundreds of pieces of Pikeville and Pike County history already at the museum, but museum officials welcome any quality artifacts that local residents may have tucked away at their homes. So anyone can bring any artifact in, and if they want to donate it, they can get a tax break. If they want to just loan it however, they want to keep possession of it, then we can just put some kind of little card to recognize that it is theirs on loan to the museum, and that way we've got a place where everyone can bring the artifacts and let the whole country come and enjoy those and understand our history better. Even though more exhibits are still being added, the museum is currently open to the public on Saturdays, and they're welcoming both locals and tourists eager to learn more about Pike County history. For now, we're just going to be open on Saturday until we have our grand opening, which we're hoping to have in September, August-September, back to school kind of grand opening. Hopkins said those interested in learning more about the Pikeville-Pike County Museum can check their Facebook page, where different exhibits are featured. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shannon Deskins. Saturday afternoon, the Pike County Sheriff's Office set up roadblocks throughout the county to collect money to send kids to camp. Sheriff's Office employees set up at 10 intersections collecting donations for the Kentucky Sheriff's Boys and Girls Ranch. Sheriff Rodney Scott said the response was tremendous. I'd like to thank the people of Pike County. We had several roadblocks throughout the county, and the people were very generous. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart that I thank them. This money goes towards sending these kids to camp, and I know the kids will appreciate it. I think EKB, you know, thank you all for everything you all have done for us. Again, to the people of the county that, you know, they opened up their wallets and donated. We really appreciate it. Sheriff Scott said a total has not yet been announced because checks are still coming in. However, he is confident that they'll be able to send 30 boys and 30 girls from Pike County to the camp this year. Well, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Last night, teachers from Belfry High School put in a shift at McDonald's to raise money for the school. Teachers say they were both able to see the community they serve and be seen in a different light. EKB news reporter Shelby Steele spoke with some of those teachers and tells us more. Belfry High School celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week a little differently by hosting a McTeacher night at the South Williamson McDonald's. Teachers volunteered their time by working different positions in the restaurant. While this may be odd, this event was scheduled prior to Teacher Appreciation Week, but the staff decided to go along with it anyway. English teacher, Johnna Banks, enjoyed the opportunity to experience a different career for a few hours. We had already volunteered to do it for that particular night and just so happened to coincide with Teacher Appreciation Week. So maybe it made us appreciate teaching, maybe it backfired, but made us appreciate teaching a little more. Banks adds she enjoyed the role reversal between the students and the teachers. We had a lot of kids that came up to order just because we were there and one of the things I enjoyed the most was getting to work with some of the kids we had taught and they got to be our teacher and teach us how to operate the cash register and how to do all the different things that they do on a daily basis. So it's kind of a role reversal. Sophomore Zachary Hinkel says his favorite part of the night was getting to teach his teachers for a change. It was actually kind of fun to be able to know something they didn't instead of feeling like they don't want all the time. Fresh teacher Alex Chandler says it's important for students to branch out and they'll be more apprehensive to the idea knowing the teachers branched out to do something different. You know as a teacher we want to get students doing things outside the classroom all the time. We think that, you know, service learning and hands on experiences for students are important experiences and I think it's the same for teachers. I think when teachers get to go out and be involved in community events like this it shows that teachers care about the community and that they do more than just educate children inside the classroom that they really have an impact in broader ways. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shelby Steele. Well coming up, Jamie Johnson will be in to talk about diamonds, but not the kind you might think. Ah, okay. But first, EKB Chief Meteorologist Lathan Hopkins will be in with her forecast. We'll be back in two minutes. Gotta check the calendar guys. Yes, really. Because it's June. Are you sure? Yeah. It feels like June 5th, right? Who knows? It's still May 5th, hard to believe and we're talking temperatures well into the 80s. Their trend will actually continue through the rest of the week. Also watching a couple of pop-up showers that have developed in parts of Eastern Kentucky and parts of Virginia. Those now moving out of Ledger County and one little shower has popped up there at Pike County. Let's take you on a little radar tour. First we'll start with that little cell that developed in Ledger County near Weizberg a little bit earlier, moving to the north and to the west, moving right toward Vicko and southern parts of Knot County as well. So yes, maybe a quick little clap of thunder as well as this cell continues to move as I mentioned to the north and to the west. And within the last five minutes or so, this little cell has developed. This is for 16-year Belcher and southern parts of Pike County near Elkhorn City as well. So once the sun goes down, these showers, the thunderstorms will begin to diminish across the region. This is what we'll expect each and every day this week as a matter of fact with that daily threat of a shower or storm. Most of us staying dry, but a few folks will get a little rain. Satellite and radar composite, you'll see those fair weather cumulus clouds trying to billow up there right across the higher terrain of Eastern Kentucky and southwest Virginia leading to those showers. High pressure is still firmly in control of the forecast and if you look closely, you'll notice the circulation around this area of high pressure. This is bringing in the warmer air from the south and from the west. That is what's leading to those temperatures well into the 80s. Right now, 82 in Pikeville, 72 in Dorton, 76 now in Widesburg. A little cooler thanks to that shower that moved through. We have 84 in Prestonsburg, Paintsville, 82 in Saliersville and right now 83 at the National Weather Service Office in Jackson. A little bit earlier today, 84 degrees. That's what we hit as far as the record or the high for today near a record of 86 that was set back in 2014. No rain at the National Weather Service Office today, sunrise tomorrow morning near 6.30 sunset at 8.24 tomorrow night. Again, days getting longer and longer. Now what we will watch very, very closely into the week and to the weekend is this area right here of what will be an area of low pressure expected to develop giving it about a 40% chance of developing into something tropical. Maybe a tropical storm. Maybe a subtropical system. What's expected to happen is it's expected to develop, move towards South Carolina, oh, so slowly. We're talking this will be Friday, Saturday, Sunday before it happens. But considering this area of low pressure, how close it comes to our region could throw a couple of showers in our forecast for the weekend. That's what we'll have to watch. Other computer forecasting models are keeping this thing offshore so that means it would not impact our weather. So the weekend forecast right now could change, but of course we will keep you up to date. All right, let's talk about the pollen count sponsored by Faith Pharmacy, Adams Plaza in Pikeville, back into the high to extreme category 10.6 on Wednesday and back in 11.1 by Friday. Five day forecast time, 20% chance of those showers and storms each and every day this week. Even for now into the weekend, of course, Mother's Day on Sunday, temperatures every day, mid, maybe a few upper 80s overnight lows upper 50s to low 60s. You're right. It isn't more like July. Summer's here. It's here. Welcome May and welcome summer. I like it. I do too. Thanks, Layton. Have you ever wondered what DNA looks like? Well, during an event at the East Kentucky Science Center over the weekend, children and adults learned how to extract DNA from strawberries of all things. That exercise and others were all part of Super Science Saturday. The Science Center partnered with Altec to host the event. All activities were hands on and encouraged creativity. East Kentucky Science Center director Steve Russo says it's an event he hopes to see more of. They're having kids extract DNA from strawberries, which the kids seem to love because it's kind of gookie and messy and the kids love that stuff. But they also have a lot of their different displays set up here to teach people about the different things that Altec does. So it's kind of a joint event between the East Kentucky Science Center and the folks from Altec and it's one of many we hope will happen in the future. Now Super Science Saturday included laser shows and the planetarium and wrapped up the two free weekend events at the Science Center. It sounds like CSI there. Yeah, a little bit. We'll be back with sports in two minutes. Where I go, I don't say it, I mean, we're talking about how well recruiting ongoing at UK. It is and Coach Cal had some sour grapes today. Uh-oh. At least at least he kind of put off that kind of vibe. Coach John Calipiri has apparently grown weary of losing recruits the past couple of weeks. So what does a coach do to address a rabid fan base in the 21st century? He goes online, the website coachcal.com released a statement today from Calipiri saying quote, if you ask me if I'm ever going to platoon again, my answer is no, in quote. Many recruiting analysts believe Cal's platooning of star players this season turned into a tool for opposing coaches to use on new recruits, telling them they won't have to share minutes at their particular school. There'll be instant stars instead. Try not to sound bitter. Cal said he'd rather play seven or eight players each season anyway and reminded fans that Kentucky is a player's first program. While many fans have their attention on recruiting, there is the matter of actually playing games. The Cats have released a portion of their non-conference schedule for next season. Kentucky added home games with Wright State and Illinois State to the schedule last night. Now today it was announced that Pac-12 opponent Arizona State will visit Reparita this season with the Cats facing the Sun Devils again in 2016 during a holiday getaway in the Bahamas. As of right now, the schedule, which is subject to change looks like this. Kentucky will face defending champion of the NCAA, Duke on November 17th in Chicago, Wright State at home, South Florida on November 27th in Miami, Illinois State at home to end November, followed by a trip to Polypavillion at UCLA on December 3rd. Now other games include EKU at home, a trip to Brooklyn to face Ohio State on December 19th, followed by Louisville at Reparita in late December, and a game in the SEC Big 12 Challenge, possibly against Kansas, Oklahoma or Oklahoma State that'll be on the road. The Arizona State game will come out sometime in mid-December. There's only two weeks remaining of the high school baseball and softball season. Many teams are looking for final two nubs before district tournament play begins, including Belfry and Phelps, who met last night in 60th district softball action. It was a beautiful night for softball. We'll pick this up in the top of the fourth. It's two out trouble as Hannah Lane for Phelps places this single to right center field. That would score two as the Lady Hornets pad their lead. Belfry would recover though Kendra Gannon strikes at Lakin-Dotson and whoops, right there, no harm, no fail. Belfry trailed five nothing in this one and it rallied to win over the final two innings, 11 to five to final. Other scores from last night, Eastridge defeated Betsy Lane, 73. It was Johnson Central all over Pikeville, 11 to one. McGoffin County pounded Preston's bird, 12 to one. Pike Central slipped past Sheldon Clark, 3-2. South Floyd down down in Central, 20 to five. On the baseball diamonds, Eastridge took care of Sheldon Clark, 6 to two. Jenkins defeated Phelps, 6 to five. It was Lawrence County, 9-4 over McGoffin, over Pike Central and McGoffin County snuck past Shelby Valley, 2-1. Also Morgan County took care of Betsy Lane, 8-2. Pikeville rallied down 5-1. Came back to win over Johnson Central, 9-7. And finally Preston's bird, slipped a double header from South Floyd, 10 to nothing in both games last night. And that's sports. Well, speaking of last night, it was like perfect softball weather, wasn't it? Oh, perfect for any kind of outdoor activity last night. Absolutely. Thank you, Layton. Yeah. We'll be back in two minutes. Well, a slight possibility of an early evening shower. Those showers will be winding down. We have one in Southern Pike County, Southern Knot County dying out this evening. And then we get to do this all over again. Well, for the next five days, as a matter of fact, afternoon and evening shower possible, otherwise mostly sunny and temperatures well into the 80s. Speaking of the 80s, did you grow up watching music videos in the 80s? Oh yeah, all the time. So if you wanted to see them again. You can see them tonight, Mel's video rewind. She may even have a Spanish song for Cinco de Mayo. Ooh, maybe. That'd be nice. Yeah, that's what we call a segue right there. That will do it for tonight's EKB Evening News. Remember, you can get more local news anytime by listening to the radio stations of East Kentucky Broadcasting. You can also follow EKB News and EKB TV on Facebook. We're gonna leave you tonight with some of the breathtaking beauty around the Russell Fork. Good night. Thanks for watching.