Society

Kentucky residents affected by severe storms and tornadoes a couple of months ago have until Monday to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance. Such assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, replacement of essential household items and clothing and other programs to help people and business owners recover. U.S. Representative Hal Rogers says registration is also necessary to apply for Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loans to pay for losses not covered by insurance.

Kentucky is offering a new resource guide to professionals who may encounter crime victims with disabilities. "Responding to Crime Victims with Disabilities: A Kentucky Resource Guide" is now available to law enforcement, victims' services, disability-related services and other professionals from allied fields.

Workers for Hall Contracting of Kentucky have started assembling the trusses for the replacement span of the Eggners Ferry Bridge. Steelworkers assembled the flooring frame of the new truss section and partially assembled the deck support structure over the weekend. Once the span is complete a barge will transport it upriver to the bridge site to be placed on the existing piers. The bridge has been closed since a cargo ship struck it in late January, destroying a 300 foot section. Hall expects to complete the repairs by May 27th.

So many motorcycles in Clarksville, Tennessee have been reported stolen that police have formed a task force to fight the problem. Clarksville Police Chief Al Ansley says officers are being "proactive and reactive" in their investigation of the spike in thefts. He says motorcycle owners should take precautions and urges anyone who sees suspicious activity to report it. The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle reports there have been 59 motorcycles stolen in the city in the past year with a combined value of more than $400,000.

Kentuckians wanting a motorcycle operator's license will face a new rider skills test starting this week. The Kentucky State Police Driver Testing Branch will start using the new test tomorrow which was developed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. It's designed to better determine if operators possess sufficient safety skills for riding motorcycles in traffic. The new test expands Kentucky's current motorcycle skill test from two to four exercises. The changes apply to both two-wheel and three-wheel motorcycle tests.

The American Quilters Society’s annual show is winding down in Paducah, and quilters have seen nearly every fabric, design and stitch associated with the art of quilting. The city has been covered in quilts. Yet, as the 150th anniversary of the Civil War continues, Casey Northcutt investigates a time when fabric was scarce and quilts were relief supplies sent to soldiers.  Of the quilts women did manage to piece together, only a portion remains today, serving as a testament to the hardships of the time.