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Last updated on Wednesday, May 17, 2017
(BEDFORD) - The Lawrence County Commissioners approved a request Tuesday morning made by Kenna Hodges, a member of the John Wallace Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, to place a V shape pattern of American flags as a tribute to veterans who have passed away.
Hodges says the tribute will honor, as of today's date, 91 veterans.
"I still have one more funeral home to contact before I have a total number," she told the commissioners.
The flag will be placed on the courthouse lawn before the Memorial Day holiday.
Last year there were 118 flags placed on the courthouse lawn.
"The numbers are high because the veterans who fought in World War II are passing away," she added.
Commissioner Gene McCracken says hopefully one day no flags will be put on the courthouse lawn.
"We may not see it in our life time," he added. "But maybe one day we will have a zero count."
In other business:
The commissioners opened bids for road paving. Four bids were received and were taken under advisement because Highway Superintendent David Holmes was attending an INDOT meeting in Indianapolis about future funding for highways.
Highway crews are continuing to crack seal county roads and they are mowing and cutting brush.
Paving on Old State Road 37 is complete and crews were scheduled to finish striping on Tuesday afternoon.
Bids to repair the deck on Bridge 133 on Sand Pit Road will go out next week.
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Emergency Management Director Valerie Luchauer presented the commissioners with the annual Americans with Disabilities Act compliance report.
Luchauer reported that the sidewalks and door thresholds at the County Complex have been repaired. Door handles were changed and the restrooms were also made handicapped accessible.
The county received only one complaint this year. That complaint was from a volunteer at the Lawrence County Purdue Extension office.
"They stated it was difficult for them to go up the stairs for meetings," Luchauer said. "The organization has since moved their meetings to the fairgrounds where the buildings are handicapped accessible."
The extension office does not have an elevator.
The Hazard Litigation Planning team will meet at the StoneGate Arts & Education Center on May 30th at 1 p.m.
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Sheriff Mike Branham reported that there were 156 inmates in the jail Tuesday morning. Of those, 30 were women, 19 were Level 6 felons and one was a Department of Correction hold.
Sheriff Mike Branham told the commissioners that he is running into problems with having meeting rooms available for lawyers, public defenders, community corrections and probation officers to meet with inmates at the jail.
The room, which was used for those meetings, is not available because the department is using it for the body scanner at the jail.
"Space is a major problem," Sheriff Branham added. "We are going to convert the room where the breathalyzer is into a meeting room."
Sheriff Branham says the machine will be secured behind a locked gate so no one would be able to tamper with the equipment.
Once that is done, those wanting to meet with an inmate will have to call in advance and schedule the visit.
"It will be on a first come - first serve basis," he added. "It will be run just like a doctor's office. You make an appointment and if you don't have an appointment, they won't be able to see their clients."
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