Security To Change At Lawrence County Courthouse Plaza

Last updated on Wednesday, October 7, 2015

(BEDFORD) - Security will change at the Lawrence County Courthouse Plaza.

The change is because of security concerns at the Department of Family Services office.

"We are having a problem of people entering the Courthouse Plaza with pocket knives or other items they are not allowed to take into the courthouse and wanting to leave it at the FSS offices," Lawrence County Sheriff Mike Branham told the commissioners Tuesday morning. "In one incident someone actually attempted to leave illegal drugs in their drawer, but an employee in the office caught it and the person leaving the items was arrested."

The security will be moved to the west door, with those leaving Courthouse Plaza exiting out of the east door.

"Basically we will be flip-flopping the entrances," Branham says. "That way people will go through security before they can enter the food stamp office."

In other business:

Sheriff Branham has ordered a new U-shaped desk for courthouse security. That way officers will have a direct vision to the entrance and it will look more professional. The desk will be paid for with courthouse security funds.

Sheriff Branham reported that there were 132 inmates being housed at the jail. Of those, 33 were females and 2 were Department of Correction holds.

Sheriff Branham reported more than 200 pounds of expired or unwanted medications were collected during the Drug Enforcement Administration's Drug Take-Back effort on September 26. In the state, 18,400 pounds of drugs were collected by 37 different agencies.

Sheriff Branham presented a contract with Vanguard Fire & Security Systems to service the fire alarm system at the jail.

The county adopted new procedures on when medical helicopters will be called and where they will land when responding to medical emergencies in the county.

Emergency Management Director Valerie Luchauer reported that the county is updating and evaluating the county's emergency evacuation plan at the courthouse.

"We have kicked around several ideas on how to alert everyone from the courthouse in an emergency," Luchauer says. "For example, if we were to have a fire in the auditor's office, we need to have a fast, safe way to alert others in the courthouse."

Sheriff Branham says the emergency public address system will be installed within the next couple of weeks.

The county will host a multiple fatality with a hazardous material spill simulation at the junction of Ind. 37 and Old Ind. 37 on Friday, November 13.

Highway Department crews are finishing up paving and patching county roads. They are also working on widening Moore Lane to the Lawrence County Recreation Park.

Work will begin on Bridge 82 on Judah Logan Road over Salt Creek, weather permitting, during fall break so as not to interfere with school buses

The commissioners tabled a request by County Assessor April Stipp to purchase a software package for $190,000 for her office from X Software. Stipp told the commissioners their current software is out of date and the technical support is lacking. Stipp told the commissioners she has the money in her budget to pay for the new program. The commissioners, because of the high price, will take a closer look at the new software package and make a decision at their next meeting in two weeks.

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