Three houses in the neighborhood of Ninth Street in Ironton are marked to be torn down as part of continual work on the Gateway Centre project and that area.

Lawrence County Commissioners awarded a contract to Solid Rock Construction of West Portsmouth for $12,830 in block grant dollars to demolish houses at 306 S. Ninth St., 820 Vernon St. and 822 Vernon St. The three are abandoned structures across from the Frisch’s Big Boy. The sites remain under the ownership of out of state owners.

The approval came at the commission’s Thursday meeting.

The commissioners, at the request of Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless, approved a contract with Express Mobile Diagnostic Services to provide on-site portable diagnostic services including X-Rays, EKGs, bone density testing, ultra sound and Doppler. X-rays will cost $70 per unit; ultrasound will be equal to 100 percent of the current Medicare Physicians Fee Schedule; and bone density test at $200 per patient.

Using the mobile unit would cut costs over taking an inmate to an emergency room and provide security with high-profile prisoners.

Also at the meeting Commissioners Les Boggs and Bill Pratt welcomed the new assistant director of the department of job and family services, Christopher Collins. Commissioner Freddy Hayes was absent from the meeting.

Collins beat out 11 others to get the job held by Terry Porter, who was recently promoted to director of the DJFS.

Boggs was looking forward to Collins working in “longevity at the DJFS,” he said. “We know Terry has been there and know Terry will have to retire. We are looking forward to working with (Collins).”

Collins hired in at $24.50 an hour or $50,960 annually.

After that the two commissioners, Porter and Collins went into executive session for 50 minutes regarding personnel.

In other action the commissioners:

• Accepted a customer service agreement for Republic Services for EMS stations 1,2 and 5 with a savings of approximately $80 a month for garbage pickup;

• Met with Ironton attorney Scott Evans on collective bargaining with Union-Rome Sewer District, county maintenance and animal shelter workers for 17 minutes. Concessions may be required by the maintenance workers if STAR Community Justice Center is to provide services for the county jail if it moves to Franklin Furnace. No action was taken.