Utility company warns parents about movie's portrayal of electricity

By By Staff Reports, Hartselle Enquirer
A local utility company is warning people about a soon-to-be-released movie, saying its message could send the wrong signal to children.
Officials with Joe Wheeler EMC, which serves Morgan and Lawrence counties, issued a release last week concerning the movie "Like Mike."
According to company officials, the movie's main character becomes a great basketball player after his tennis shoes come into contact with electricity from a power line that's been struck by lightning. Officials said they are concerned that younger children might try to energize their shoes in the same way.
"This is just a movie and we hope that our members enjoy watching this with their children, but we hope that everyone will realize just how dangerous actions of this sort really are," George Kitchens, JWEMC's general manager said. "Parents should make sure that their children know how important it is to stay away from power lines."
Kitchens said Joe Wheeler's distribution lines carry some 7,200-12,500 volts. Lightning carries as much as three million volts.
Kitchens said people should avoid electrical facilities and never throw shoes or other objects across power lines or try to retrieve something that is on a power line.
"We hope that everyone enjoys the movie about the dream that many children have about playing basketball in the NBA; we just want everyone to be safe around electrical facilities and realize that there is a difference between the real life danger of personal injury and what is depicted in the movie," Kitchens said.