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Last updated on Wednesday, June 18, 2014
(BEDFORD) - Brad Bough, Lawrence County Veterans Service officer, presented his monthly report to the commissioners Tuesday morning.
In that report, Bough was recognized by Tim Dyke of the Indiana Department of Veterans' Affairs for bringing more than $10 millions in disability and pensions to veterans in Lawrence County in 2013.
That is an increase of 19 percent from 2012.
"I just want to thank the commissioners for your continued support," Baugh says. "They (veterans) are the most deserving people of this county, they have served and defended us all."
Dyke praised Bough and those that work in his office for a job well done.
"Keep up the great work you are doing in Lawrence County," Dyke wrote in an email. "Not many, if ANY, other county employees can boast that they are bringing in outside federal dollars of this magnitude that are most likely being spent right there in your county."
In other business:
Lawrence County Clerk Treasure Myron Rainey told the commissioners that he found the matting and some ramping that can be used at the county's polling placed to make them handicapped accessible. He also says there is $4,200 left from a grant to purchase more mates or ramps if needed.
Rainey and Al Tolbert executive director with The Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living visited all the polling places in the county to make sure they complied with the Help America Vote Act.
Rainey says there were some issued with the polling sites at the Williams Community Center, the Springville Feeder Auction and at Grissom Airport.
At Williams those in wheelchairs could not access the building easily because of the gravel parking lot, at the Feeder Auction there were numerous concerns with accessibility to and once inside the building and at the airport there were no handicapped parking areas clearly marked.
Officials also discussed placing polling sites back at the schools, which are handicapped assessable or developing voting centers.
A voting center is a polling place where any eligible voter in the county may go to vote. They give voters more flexibility on Election Day because they are not constrained to a specific polling location. The centers are connected through secure internet connections, and as ballots are cast, an electronic poll book is instantaneously updated.
Commissioner Chris May and Rainey along with both school superintendents and others have formed a committee to look into developing the voting centers. Their first meeting will be July 2.
* Highway Superintendent David Holmes reported crews are working on patching roads, replacing culverts and mowing and preparing roads of paving. Holmes says paving should begin on June 30th if weather permits.
Holmes says the county bridge inspections began Monday.
He also gave the final numbers on what was spent to remove snow for 2014. The county spent $335,522 compared to $134,000 in 2013.
* Sheriff Sam Craig reported there were 139 inmates at the jail, 32 of those were female and 4 were Department of Correction holds.
Craig says Tri-County will be finished working on the north door of the courthouse by Tuesday and officials will begin the process of moving the security check point to that entrance. The commissioners are also having Bill Johnson provide them with a bid on what it would cost the county to create handicap parking on the north side of the square.
He also asked the commissioners when demolition will begin at the courthouse annex. But before that happens, there were concerns with moving the flag poles and who would pay for that work to be done and the moving of a storage shed located north of the building. The building is used to store salt and other equipment for the department.
Sheriff Craig also informed the commissioners that the building contained a riding lawn mower and several weedeaters that the county had purchased years ago to mow the courthouse lawn.
The commissioners voted that if the equipment was in working order that it be donated to community corrections. If not the equipment would be scrapped and the money deposited in the county's general fund.
* Rainey also asked for permission to hold the BBQ at the Quarry judging on June 28 in the courthouse lobby. Rainey, who is one of the judges, would be responsible for opening the courthouse and supervising the use of the courthouse.
* The commissioners voted to raise the per diem for county employee's meals while they are on over-night training conferences. Currently employees receive $25 a day that will be increased to $40.
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