Coal Grove Hornets football team recognized

The Lawrence County commissioners, and several other county leaders expressed their appreciation to the county voters for passing the EMS levy at the commission meeting on Thursday.

“It’s a great day in Lawrence County. I want to thank all of the voters who helped pass the EMS levy. It would have been a bad situation if it wouldn’t have passed,” Commissioner Freddie Hayes Jr. said. “I always run against taxes, but I also run on safety, and that’s what this was about.”

The 2-mill levy passed on Tuesday night with 7,982 votes in favor for 56.63 percent of the vote, and 6,113 votes against for 43.37 percent of the vote.

“I think it’s important to let the people decide what they want to do, and this was a very important step for Lawrence County,” Commission President Bill Pratt said. “Funding for EMS will now be protected indefinitely. This is a very defining moment for Lawrence County, and it will get better from here.”

Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless and Lawrence County EMS Director Buddy Fry, who is set to retire later this year, also said they were thankful to the voters for the levy’s passage.

“I want to thank the public for securing the future of the county by passing the EMS levy,” Fry said. “I also want to thank Patriot for their support. We don’t do things exactly the same way, but we are partners and do a lot of things with them. Their letter of support was very valued.”

Commissioner DeAnna Holliday also said she was happy about the EMS levy passing, stating that it will be a great improvement for the county.

She also talked about the success of the Coal Grove Hornets football team, who won the Ohio Valley Conference this year and their first round playoff game last week under first-year head coach Evan Ferguson.

The Hornets have won the OVC 31 times in the history of the school, including this year, and haven’t been to the playoffs before this year since 2009, when Ferguson was the quarterback of the team. The last time Coal Grove advanced to the second round of the playoffs was in 1992. They are set to play their second round playoff game against Southeastern at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Lucasville.

Holliday also added that the commission wishes to proclaim days for the team as well as Coach Ferguson sometime in the near future at the school.

In other action, the commission:

• Approved the weekly Dog Warden Report dated Oct. 21 2017.

• Approved three floodplain permits.

• Approved two appropriations.

• Approved 35 transfer funds.

• Approved and issued an invitation to Bid for the Title IV-D Child Support legal service contract. The contract will be awarded for one year only.

• Approved and issued an invitation to Bid for the Title IV-D Child Support process server. The contract will be awarded for one year only.

• Approved the Acknowledgement of Award to Danny Sullivan Excavating LLC in the amount of $6,000 and signed the contract for the Sidewalk Plaque Installation with Danny Sullivan Excavating LLC, as requested by Cindy Anderson, Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization (CAO).

• Met in two executive sessions with Lawrence County Chief Deputy Auditor Chris Kline regarding Real Estate and another regarding personnel; hire, fire, reprimand. No action was taken from either.

• Met in executive session with EMS Director Buddy Fry regarding personnel; hire, fire, reprimand. No action was taken.

There will be two commission meetings next week. The first will be 11 a.m. Tuesday and the second will be 11 a.m. Thursday in the commission chambers on the third floor of the courthouse.