Introduction

Welcome to the Clay County Sheriff's Department's Information Blog.

As Sheriff of Clay County, I am excited that The Brazil Times has opened an opportunity to allow us to pass on information to the citizens through the Blog. It is the Sheriff's Department's intent to give citizens information about safety issues as well as what is happening in the county.

Although you can respond to the blogs, we ask that any reports of crimes, criminal activity or safety concerns in the county be reported to the Sheriff's Department.

It is our goal here at the Sheriff's Department to make Clay County a better and safer place for all of our citizens to live.

As to the first Clay County Sheriff's Department Blog concerning safety, I would like to inform the citizens about some seasonal driving hazards as we approach the winter months.

Right now, we are in the fall season. Leaves are beginning to fall from the trees. And, after the wind we had Oct. 26-27, even more leaves have fallen.

Drivers beware, as the leaves fall and land on a roadway with any moisture on it; this is sometimes as dangerous as driving on snow or ice.

So we ask that you use caution and adjust for such road conditions when driving through areas that have leaves on the road, especially new and young drivers who may not have experienced such conditions yet in their driving habits.

A side note to go along with adjusting driving habits, is be aware of the traffic that is on the roads this time of year.

Due to the amount of rain and flooding we had earlier this year, many farmers have just now begun getting crops out of the fields and will continue to do so as fast as they can.

Farm equipment is large and slow and normally takes up most of the roadway on the county roads. With that in mind, please SLOW DOWN when approaching farm equipment on the road.

Farmers driving this equipment always try to find a place that they can pull over and let traffic around. However, due to the size of some of the equipment, it is harder to just pull over. Be patient and give them a little bit of time to find a safe place for them to pull over and allow you to pass safely. The last thing that anyone wants is to be involved in an accident or someone getting hurt.

I could continue on and on about traffic safety, and will in other blogs in the future.

However, for right now, just remember to allow yourself enough time to get where you're going and get there safely. Do not try to make up time by speeding, which could lead to more problems. For now, be safe.

Michael W. Heaton

Sheriff of Clay County

611 E. Jackson St.

Brazil, IN 47834

812-446-2535