An open records success story from the Richmond Register to start the year:

"In August, Six submitted the first of four Kentucky Open Records requests to the Valley View Ferry Board Chair Todd Lockhart and was met with a reply from their attorney.

"Some troubling things were uncovered in the documents the Register received.

"Numerous allegations of unsafe working conditions, harassment by the captain on leave, ongoing maintenance issues, neglected safety protocols, and problems with employee turnover, were revealed.

"This prompted the Register to submit another series of open records requests for more information. The requests continued over the course of several months.

"Open records requests take time, and pouring over documents for valuable information can be a slog.

"State law requires the Register to give parties adequate time to gather information requested, per KRS statutes. Then, the parties can inform the Register of any delays in processing the request. Organizations can also deny the Register's request for documents with a valid reason under KRS statutes. If the Register disagrees with the denial, the newspaper can appeal the request through the state's attorney general's office.

"Thankfully, the small administrative staff of the Valley View Ferry Board was very helpful in obtaining the large amount of documents which The Register had requested. The board also maintained open lines of communication through their attorney, if additional time was needed to gather documents, and if such documents did not exist to be provided.

"The cooperation of the open records request by the ferry administration is how it should be done when working with media outlets.

"We are grateful for the board's transparency in helping us do our work at the Register."