A program that connects community groups and other public agencies with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to help build and maintain life jacket kiosks adjacent to public waterways has added a new location.
A ceremony to mark the opening of a life jacket loaner station built in memory of Emanuel “Manny” Prewitt, a 17-year-old Madison Central High School student who drowned in June 2020 at Herrington Lake, was held June 10 at Lake Reba in Madison County.
Prewitt’s mother, Kelly, and supporters of the Swim Smart Manny Prewitt Legacy project were in attendance. They led the charge to build the kiosk, which provides boaters with free access to borrowable life jackets.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife started the Life Jacket Loaner Station program in June 2021 in an effort to make Kentucky waterways safer.
The department supplies the necessary signage, life jackets and building plans for the life jacket loaner stations. Citizen groups or other public agencies obtain the necessary materials and build the informational kiosks to meet the specifications developed and provided by the department.
Donors are recognized with a sticker placed beside the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife logo on the front of the station’s sign.
Including the new kiosk at Lake Reba, the program has grown to seven locations across the state with more planned in Webster, Allen and Jefferson counties.
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 In the "Staff Spotlight" this week are Fisheries Program Coordinator Jessica Morris, Animal Care Specialist Corrie Joyce and Highway Superintendent Jason Smith.
Jessica has worked for the department for six years and coordinates invasive carp research and removal efforts in western Kentucky. In her role, she works closely with commercial fishermen through the Invasive Carp Harvest Program and is involved with several projects. These include tracking the movements of tagged invasive carp using radio telemetry, testing of a bio-acoustic fish fence below Barkley Lock and Dam, silver carp population monitoring, and testing of experimental harvest methods.
A fun fact about Jessica: Her husband, BJ Morris, is a conservation officer with the department. They have three children and hope to instill a passion for the outdoors in them.
Corrie has worked for the department for five years and is a certified animal training and enrichment professional. In her role, Corrie cares for the many native birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fishes at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort. Visitors may see Corrie training an animal, conducting animal enrichment demonstrations in coordination with education staff and helping maintain exhibits.
A fun fact about Corrie: She enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog and family, gardening, and playing piano and ukulele.
In his 24 years with the department, Jason has held multiple positions within the Lakes and Streams Branch of the Engineering, Infrastructure and Technology Division. His work is vital to ensuring public access for fishing and boating across Kentucky. He oversees maintenance on department-owned dams, boat ramps and adjacent grounds on more than 150 sites statewide. An exceptional equipment operator, Jason performs some of the agency’s most challenging construction and maintenance duties requiring heavy equipment operation.
A fun fact about Jason: He enjoys traditional bluegrass music, especially live outdoor performances around the state that present an opportunity to camp with loved ones.
“Staff Spotlight” introduces you to the variety of our employees and the breadth of their expertise, as well as the diversity of jobs, programs and initiatives of the department.
To learn more about current employment opportunities with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, please visit fw.ky.gov/careers.
Stay tuned for next week’s “Staff Spotlight” featuring an employee from another one of the department’s divisions.
 Kentucky Afield TV recently expanded its weekly fishing report segment to include a fish stocking report.
In the report, Peter W. Pfeiffer Fish Hatchery Transportation Foreman Caleb Bentley provides information about waterbodies recently stocked by the department.
View this week's report: https://youtu.be/LlNVoQlyqds |
