06/25/2026
COMMENTARY:
A Prayer for a Safe Fourth of July
By Jeff Jobe, Community Publisher
As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, I want to share the statistics on this page not to alarm anyone, but as a prayer and reminder for the safety of families across our region.
On July 4, 1978, I accepted an invitation to spend the day on the Ohio River with friends. I was 15 years old. That day changed my life forever.
I believe God can bring blessings from even the darkest moments. My life has been filled with opportunities I never imagined, but it has also included decades of physical challenges, pain and struggles that began that holiday.
The Fourth of July is one of the busiest weekends of the year on our waterways and highways. Families gather to celebrate, but it only takes one poor decision to change countless lives forever.
Statistics alone may suggest teenagers simply make bad choices. I can tell you from experience that isn’t always true. At 15 years old, I did absolutely nothing wrong, yet I nearly lost my life because of someone else’s decisions.
Some may argue my mother should never have allowed me to spend the day on the river. She trusted the adults I was with, just as parents do every day. The tragedy wasn’t that I was there. The tragedy was that someone impaired by alcohol and drugs was operating a boat.
In 1978, Kentucky law offered little accountability for impaired boat operators. Today, that has changed.
I was proud to support and report on the passage of Keegan’s Law, which strengthens penalties for boating under the influence and was named in memory of a young Kentuckian killed in an alcohol-related boating crash.
Over the past year, I have had the privilege of getting to know Keegan’s mother. Through our conversations, I have been reminded why community journalism matters. I want to thank our thousands of readers who followed this story, shared it and helped keep the conversation alive. I believe our newspapers played a small part in helping shine a light on an issue that ultimately became law.
Holding people accountable is important. But my prayer is that accountability is never needed.
If you choose to drink alcohol or use drugs, that is your decision. Alcohol was my choice for many years. Since selling the brewery I once owned and embracing sobriety, I have no interest in it whatsoever. But the moment you climb behind the wheel of a vehicle or take control of a boat after a glass of wine, a beer or a few hits on a joint, your decision is no longer just about you. It becomes a decision that can forever change another family’s life.
As you look at the holiday fatality statistics, remember every number represents someone’s son, daughter, husband, wife, parent or friend. Every one of them was expected to come home.
This Fourth of July, slow down. Wear your life jacket. Buckle your seat belt. If you’ve been drinking or using drugs, hand the keys to someone else before your celebration begins.
Whatever you choose to do this Independence Day, I pray the memories you make are filled with laughter, family and gratitude—not the kind of memory I have carried with me since July 4, 1978.
May God watch over you, protect your family and bring everyone home safely.
Kentucky House Republicans State of Kentucky Senate.
