The Greening of Western Kentucky March, 2013 | Page 4

Lucky Dog: All natural pet food store

The Lucky Dog pet store has been only open for a short while, but seems to be drumming up a lot of business. Opening day was January 2, 2013, and since that day, the Lucky Dog has been a hopping place. The purpose of opening this all natural pet food store was to, according to the employee we interviewed, “Enhance lives of pets, their owners, and community by providing natural pet nutrition education and exceptional customer service.” This purpose is being fulfilled because all foods and treats that are sold are all-natural and are high in protein. The only downside is that these all-natural foods are slightly more pricey, but due to the high protein in the food, your animal will actually eat less, which in turn, could save you money. You have to ask yourself the question: Is it worth paying a few bucks extra for your dog to have a healthy and natural diet? The owners and employees of Lucky Dog believe so and so do I.

Another interesting feature offered by Lucky Dog is the dog baths. The dog baths are located at the back of the store and are basically a room with a tub and shower that is devoted to you giving your dog a bath. These baths are available to any size dog for as long as your bath may take for the flat rate of $12.95. Lucky Dog even provides complementary soap and other washes for you to use on your dog. How could it get any better? You give your dog a bath with free soap and you do not even have to clean up after yourself. Overall, the Lucky Dog store seems to be an eco-friendly store with eco-friendly products available for the public. The current success of the store foreshadows that it will stay open for many days to come and provide all-natural pet products to anyone that is devoted to the health of their animals.

E85 in Madisonville

By: Jordan McCay

E85, named so for being a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, fuel stations have grown the past few years in the United States. In fact, the EPA has mandated that an increasing number of gallons of renewable fuel must be sold in the U.S. Nine billion gallons must be sold in 2008 and this number is required to increase to 36 billion gallons by 2022 -- or else companies will face fines. This is one of the reasons why no gas station in Hopkins County sells 100% gasoline. Most is made up of at least 10% ethanol. It is a huge step up in using renewable fuels, but where could a Hopkins County resident with a flex-fuel vehicle purchase the “more green” E85 fuel? How do you know if your vehicle is even a flex-fuel vehicle?

No need to fear! Right in Madisonville, a North Main Ideal Market sells just the stuff, and there are a few others around.* Tom Eveland was able to discuss some of the statistics with me, included in the above paragraph. I asked Mr. Eveland how much of the E85 accounted for the overall sales at the station. The answer was as expected

“E85 is not a big seller and accounts for only 1 - 1.5% of gallons sold at that location.”

Not many people know just how beneficial using the E85 fuel can be, not only for the environment but for the performance of the car. Because the ethanol is a high-octane fuel (a high amount of a liquid hydrocarbon found in petroleum that exists in 18 structurally different forms) it offers increased vehicle power and performance.

Mr. Eveland, when asked about where the station purchases the E85 fuel, replied that “…it can be blended…at a number of the suppliers [Ideal] buys other fuels from. Most of the E85 [Ideal] purchases come from the Country Mark Refinery in Mt. Vernon, IN.

So how do you know if your vehicle is flex-fuel? It’s simple! Look for the yellow gas cap (most manufacturers put them on the FFVs as of 2008, and 2006 for GM), check the fuel door (as some FFVs have a label there indicating the fuel type), look for FFVs badges on your vehicle’s body, check the owner’s manual, and check the VIN.

*Fuel stations (E85) around Hopkins County, KY:

- Ideal Market: 1640 N Main St, Madisonville, KY

- Quick Stop #29: 720 Princeton Road, Madisonville KY

- Max Fuel #6: 2103 Fort Campbell Blvd, Hopkinsville, KY

- Max Fuel #11: 4124 Fort Campbell Blvd, Hopkinsville, KY

- Thornton’s #87: 2000 US 41 N, Henderson, KY