Students build robots as part of the STEMposium...
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A6 Wednesday, April 11, 2012 | LOCAL/STATE | www.kentuckynewera.com S U P E R L A W N Garden Center S U P E R L A W N Garden Center & Now Available: Evergreen Trees Flowering Trees Shade & Ornamental Trees Garden Seed Bedding Plants Onion Sets Seed Potatoes And Much More! Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 • Sat. 8-3 • Closed Sun. 1108 N. Main St., Hopkinsville, KY 270-885-4769 RUGS! RUGS! RUGS! Associated Marketing 819 Country Club Lane Hopkinsville, KY 270-885-3273 Open Thurs., Fri. & Sat. THIS AREA’S LARGEST SELECTION BY DENNIS O’NEIL NEW ERA STAFF WRITER Elkton City Council heard a proposal for the separation of water lines owned by the city and the Todd County Water Dis- trict during its Monday meeting. Terry Frogue, utilities di- rector for Elkton, said that at one time both city lines and TCWD lines were su- pervised by one superin- tendent. As TCWD has grown, it has installed water lines around the city limits that have intermin- gled with city lines. When leaks occur, there is confu- sion over whose responsi- bility it is to fix them, he said. “(The water district) has gotten to the point where they want to be their own thing,” Frogue said. “They want to know what’s ours is ours and what’s theirs is theirs.” Frogue formulated the proposal with TCWD. It outlines transfers of own- ership for several water lines between the city and the water district. It also stipulates that, in the fu- ture, the city will claim de- velopment rights to eight property areas bordering the city limits should those areas require water serv- ice. The water district also proposes installing water meters at the start of two city lines connected to TCWD lines. The water dis- trict pay for the meters and monitor them, Frogue said. Under the proposal, the water district would re- ceive a 15 percent share of revenue generated from the lines. After hearing the pro- posal, council members voted to table its discussion until a future meeting. Frogue said he has been ne- gotiating the lines separa- tion for two years and there have been many false starts on the project. “(The water district) asks me to submit plans, I sub- mit plans and they don’t like them,” Frogue said. “(The water district) comes back with their own plans, the council doesn’t like them. It’s an endless back and forth.” In other business: The council authorized an application for a $150,000 grant from the Land and Water Conserva- tion Fund for renovations to Elkton City Park. The renovations would include repairs to the park’s tennis and basketball courts and the construction of a pavil- ion. The council agreed to hire an architect to outline reconstruction of the Elk- ton Police Department’s roof. The project will be bid out based on the architect’s specifications. REACH DENNIS O’NEIL at 270-887-3237 or [email protected]. Committee hears proposal on water lines separation BY DAVID SNOW FOR THE NEW ERA Fort Campbell High School had its first STEMposium Monday and Tuesday in the school library. The STEMposium is part of a larger ed- ucational initiative that focuses on Sci- ence, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. For the STEMposium, FCHS students built robots and then had them respond to auditory and visual com- mands and even direct programming. “We’re trying to get as many robots in our school as possible,” physics teacher Phil McCarty said. “Kids live in a virtual world now. I grew up hands-on something all the time, and we’re trying to bring that back.” Using equipment provided by Lego, stu- dents gathered in groups to work on dif- ferent kinds of robotics. While some groups constructed and programmed ro- bots, Daniel Freeman of Fort Knox Schools set up an entire robotic city in which robots were programmed to make it more environmentally friendly. The ro- bots activated wind turbines, put solar panels on houses and took down smoke- stacks. Several professionals came to assist with the STEMposium, including Amishi Castelli of the U.S. Department of Trans- portation, “I’ve been talking about what I do for the Department of Transportation as an envi- ronmental scientist,” Castelli said. “I’ve been talking about what my education is and what my background is so that the kids who are interested in science careers can at least see an environmental scientist and see what the day-to-day life is like.” Gwen Ziegler of Fort Knox Schools pro- vided instructional support for the first STEMposium at Fort Campbell. “It’s really interesting, because these ro- botic kits are actually elementary. They’re built for ages 8 and up,” she said. “But, be- cause they are involved so much in the programming, it creates a really good tool for critical thinking and problem solving.” The STEMposium has proven to be pop- ular with Fort Campbell students, and the administration intends to build on its suc- cess. “This will be an annual event,” Lillian Butler said. Butler added that the school is trying to encourage girls and minorities to take an interest in scientific fields. Those are de- mographics that are typically under-rep- resented in those fields. Students have taken field trips to a local landfill and Kentucky Dam to see the way that those areas are productive while being ecology-friendly. “It’s given them some real-world experi- ences as well as practical experiences,” Butler said. “They have to do a lot of re- search and building. It’s just fabulous that you can cover four disciplines in one class.” The Department of Defense Education Activity, which operates school systems on posts nationwide and around the world, is offering four STEM classes: green tech- nology engineering, robotics, gaming and biotechnology. Fort Campbell Schools has the green tech classes this year and school officials hope to get the robotics classes next year. For more information on the STEM ed- ucation initiative, visit the website www.stemedcoalition.org. DAVID SNOW is the editor of the Eagle Post. Reach him at 270-887-3295 or [email protected]. DAVID SNOW | FOR THE NEW ERA Ethan Gibson (left), Jaemin Ko and Josh Clifton build a robot with an auditory sensor Tuesday at Fort Campbell Students build robots as part of the STEMposium initiative KENTUCKY BRIEF n E. Ky. educator to be surprised with award PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An eastern Kentucky edu- cator is set to be awarded $25,000 as part of a nation- wide recognition program. The Kentucky Depart- ment of Education says the winner works at Pikeville High School and will be sur- prised with the Milken Family Foundation Na- tional Educator Award on Tuesday. The winner’s name will not be released until after the award is presented. Fifty-one Kentucky edu- cators have won the award since 1993. Winners are cho- sen by state-appointed pan- els and can be teachers, principals or specialists. They are allowed to use the money in any way they choose. ELKTON CITY COUNCIL n That’s The TICKET Thursday Call to Subscribe 270-886-4444
Transcript of Students build robots as part of the STEMposium...
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A6 Wednesday, April 11, 2012 | LOCAL/STATE | www.kentuckynewera.com
SUPERLAWNGarden Center
SUPERLAWNGarden Center&
Now Available:Evergreen TreesFlowering Trees
Shade & Ornamental TreesGarden Seed
Bedding PlantsOnion Sets
Seed PotatoesAnd Much More!
Mon.-Fri. 7:30-5 • Sat. 8-3 • Closed Sun.
1108 N. Main St., Hopkinsville, KY270-885-4769
RUGS! RUGS!RUGS!
Associated Marketing819 Country Club Lane
Hopkinsville, KY270-885-3273
Open Thurs., Fri. & Sat.
THIS AREA’SLARGEST
SELECTION
BY DENNIS O’NEIL NEW ERA STAFF WRITER
Elkton City Councilheard a proposal for theseparation of water linesowned by the city and theTodd County Water Dis-trict during its Mondaymeeting.
Terry Frogue, utilities di-rector for Elkton, said thatat one time both city linesand TCWD lines were su-pervised by one superin-tendent. As TCWD hasgrown, it has installedwater lines around the citylimits that have intermin-gled with city lines. Whenleaks occur, there is confu-sion over whose responsi-bility it is to fix them, hesaid.
“(The water district) hasgotten to the point wherethey want to be their ownthing,” Frogue said. “Theywant to know what’s oursis ours and what’s theirs istheirs.”
Frogue formulated theproposal with TCWD. Itoutlines transfers of own-ership for several waterlines between the city andthe water district. It alsostipulates that, in the fu-ture, the city will claim de-velopment rights to eightproperty areas borderingthe city limits should thoseareas require water serv-ice.
The water district alsoproposes installing watermeters at the start of twocity lines connected to
TCWD lines. The water dis-trict pay for the meters andmonitor them, Frogue said.Under the proposal, thewater district would re-ceive a 15 percent share ofrevenue generated fromthe lines.
After hearing the pro-posal, council membersvoted to table its discussionuntil a future meeting.Frogue said he has been ne-gotiating the lines separa-tion for two years and therehave been many false startson the project.
“(The water district) asksme to submit plans, I sub-mit plans and they don’tlike them,” Frogue said.“(The water district) comesback with their own plans,the council doesn’t likethem. It’s an endless backand forth.”
In other business: The council authorized
an application for a$150,000 grant from theLand and Water Conserva-tion Fund for renovationsto Elkton City Park. Therenovations would includerepairs to the park’s tennisand basketball courts andthe construction of a pavil-ion. The council agreed to
hire an architect to outlinereconstruction of the Elk-ton Police Department’sroof. The project will be bidout based on the architect’sspecifications.
REACH DENNIS O’NEIL at 270-887-3237 or [email protected].
Committee hears proposalon water lines separation
BY DAVID SNOWFOR THE NEW ERA
Fort Campbell High School had its firstSTEMposium Monday and Tuesday in theschool library.
The STEMposium is part of a larger ed-ucational initiative that focuses on Sci-ence, Technology, Engineering andMathematics. For the STEMposium,FCHS students built robots and then hadthem respond to auditory and visual com-mands and even direct programming.
“We’re trying to get as many robots inour school as possible,” physics teacherPhil McCarty said. “Kids live in a virtualworld now. I grew up hands-on somethingall the time, and we’re trying to bring thatback.”
Using equipment provided by Lego, stu-dents gathered in groups to work on dif-ferent kinds of robotics. While somegroups constructed and programmed ro-bots, Daniel Freeman of Fort KnoxSchools set up an entire robotic city inwhich robots were programmed to makeit more environmentally friendly. The ro-bots activated wind turbines, put solarpanels on houses and took down smoke-stacks.
Several professionals came to assistwith the STEMposium, including AmishiCastelli of the U.S. Department of Trans-portation,
“I’ve been talking about what I do for theDepartment of Transportation as an envi-ronmental scientist,” Castelli said. “I’vebeen talking about what my education isand what my background is so that thekids who are interested in science careerscan at least see an environmental scientistand see what the day-to-day life is like.”
Gwen Ziegler of Fort Knox Schools pro-vided instructional support for the first
STEMposium at Fort Campbell.“It’s really interesting, because these ro-
botic kits are actually elementary. They’rebuilt for ages 8 and up,” she said. “But, be-cause they are involved so much in theprogramming, it creates a really good toolfor critical thinking and problem solving.”
The STEMposium has proven to be pop-ular with Fort Campbell students, and theadministration intends to build on its suc-cess.
“This will be an annual event,” LillianButler said.
Butler added that the school is trying toencourage girls and minorities to take aninterest in scientific fields. Those are de-mographics that are typically under-rep-resented in those fields.
Students have taken field trips to a locallandfill and Kentucky Dam to see the waythat those areas are productive whilebeing ecology-friendly.
“It’s given them some real-world experi-ences as well as practical experiences,”Butler said. “They have to do a lot of re-search and building. It’s just fabulous thatyou can cover four disciplines in oneclass.”
The Department of Defense EducationActivity, which operates school systems onposts nationwide and around the world, isoffering four STEM classes: green tech-nology engineering, robotics, gaming andbiotechnology. Fort Campbell Schools hasthe green tech classes this year and schoolofficials hope to get the robotics classesnext year.
For more information on the STEM ed-ucation initiative, visit the websitewww.stemedcoalition.org.
DAVID SNOW is the editor of the Eagle Post. Reach him at 270-887-3295 or [email protected].
DAVID SNOW | FOR THE NEW ERA
Ethan Gibson (left), Jaemin Ko and Josh Clifton build a robot with an auditory sensor Tuesday at Fort Campbell.
Students build robots as part of the STEMposium initiative
KENTUCKY BRIEF nE. Ky. educator to be surprised with award
PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) —An eastern Kentucky edu-cator is set to be awarded$25,000 as part of a nation-wide recognition program.
The Kentucky Depart-ment of Education says thewinner works at PikevilleHigh School and will be sur-prised with the MilkenFamily Foundation Na-
tional Educator Award onTuesday.
The winner’s name willnot be released until afterthe award is presented.
Fifty-one Kentucky edu-cators have won the awardsince 1993. Winners are cho-sen by state-appointed pan-els and can be teachers,principals or specialists.They are allowed to use themoney in any way theychoose.
ELKTON CITY COUNCIL n
That’s TheTICKET
Thursday
Call to Subscribe270-886-4444
