Lightning detector now installed

By ELLIS KNOX reporter@campcountynow.com

It all started with the new Pittsburg splash pad installation. A conversation between Randall McKenzie, J. D. McElhaney and City Manager Clint Hardeman, as they watched children playing in the water at the new splash pad, got the ball rolling. McKenzie is the Athletic Trainer for Pittsburg High School. Part of his job during any sporting event outdoors, has been to monitor the weather, and lightning is a particular concern for him. The coaches, players, and most of the fans are zoned in on the game and not thinking about the weather. McKenzie in the past used a hand held lightning detector, watched radar constantly and listened to weather reports prior and during any outside sports game. Of course, the smart phone technology made this job much easier, with one extremely serious problem. His only real defense against a lightning strike was a hand held device that told him that a bolt of lightning had just occurred somewhere in his vicinity. However, if that lightning strike was so close he could see it, the detector only told him something he already knew.

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