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Last updated on Wednesday, January 15, 2014
(BEDFORD) - The Lawrence County Commissioners elected officials for 2014 Tuesday morning.
Dave Flinn will serve as president and Chris May as vice president.
Flinn's first duty as president was to have County Attorney Dave Smith open bids for the replacement of more than 100 windows and a handicapped capped accessible ramp to be installed at the north entrance to the courthouse.
The commissioners received 4 bids.
Michael Conley, of Architura, who is in charge of the project, and the commissioners will review and hopefully award the bid at the next commissioners meeting.
The commissioners also passed a resolution to purchase Elliott Stone Company on Mitchell Road for $400,000 for the Solid Waste Management District and Community Corrections program.
The county will pay for the property over a five-year period and lease the facility to the district for use as its new headquarters and recycling center. The District will pay the monthly payment.
The district is currently operating out of a site on J Street owned by the Bedford Urban Enterprise Association. BUEA had offered to give the facility to the county, but the commissioners expressed concerns about the structural integrity of the old train station.
The commissioners say the Elliott property is more easily accessible and offers ample space for both a recycling plant plus headquarters for Community Corrections, which is currently operating out of a small building at the county complex on Sandpit Road.
In other business:
Veterans Officer Brad Bough introduced his new intern as Mitchell High School Senior Aubrey Foddrill. Foddrill is helping out in the officer during morning hours. Bough requested an intern from both Mitchell and Bedford North Lawrence High Schools. Foddrill who is interested in social work and nursing volunteered to serve as an intern. However Bough got no response from an interested BNL student, but it's not too late.
"I would welcome a BNL student. They could help out during the afternoon hours," Bough says.
Bough also presented his 2013 year-end report to the commissioners. During 2013 the office provided more than 5,730 services. He also told the commissioners that because his office is open every day of the week they are seeing several veterans from other counties coming in for assistance.
"Many county offices are only open one day a week," Bough says. "No veteran is every turned away."
* Highway crews are replacing sand from the last snow storm. Highway Superintendent Dave Holmes says crews are out cold patching pot holes.
"The cold temperatures and ice took a toll on the roads," Holmes says. "There are a lot of potholes but we are working on them. We are also cleaning out culverts and side ditches of debris."
* Project Coordinator Bob Dillon reported that crews were chipping and sealing Otis Bridge. Crews are also working on Bridge 70 on Mount Pleasant Road. Crews have removed all the trees, but three large ones.
"We have three large Sycamore trees left and major power lines very close to them," Dillon says. "I have contacted Duke Energy to see if they will come cut them down because of the power lines."
Dillon says the road will remain open during bridge construction.
"Except maybe for short periods of time when we set the beams and when we do paving in the spring," he added.
* Emergency Management Director Val Luchauer has been busy with weather reports for the state and working on a state assessment for her salary. She also asked permission from the commissioner to order new county maps. Luchauer says it has been three years since new maps have been printed. The cost of printing the maps is $5,000.
* Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig reported there are 153 inmates currently housed in the county jail, 27 of the inmates are women and 15 are Department of Correction prisoners.
* Sheriff Craig also told the commissioners that the volunteer fire departments of Lawrence County thanked the highway department for the quick response to a house fire on U.S. 50 to help with road conditions after water began to freeze on the highway causing a dangerous situation.
* Sheriff Craig will attend a courthouse security meeting this week to discuss security measures at both the courthouse and the courthouse plaza.
* Crews are finishing up painting at the jail.
* Sheriff Craig is dealing with water seeping in under the lower lobby door of the jail. "It seems when the wind blows water is entering into the lower lobby," Craig says. "I was at the jail on Saturday and there was an issue. I am not sure why is it doing what it is doing, I will keep monitoring the situation."
*Lawrence County Economic Growth Council Director Gene McCracken presented the Economic Growth Council annual report. He highlighted how the county continues to reach out internationally, not just nationally and locally to bring growth to Lawrence County.
* Marla Jones, who serves on the Stella Committee also presented an update on the Stella grant projects.
* January 27 to February 1 is Education Week. The week will kick off on Friday when members of the Lawrence County Up 4 Education will address the crowds just before the varsity game at 7:30 p.m. Up 4 Education is a collective, community-wide effort aimed at improving student achievement and educational attainment from cradle to college or career in Lawrence County. Other events are scheduled throughout the week.
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