By Dennis Brown

Lewis County Fiscal Court met in regular session last week and received a promising report from County Treasurer Kathy Dillow.

Dillow reported that in the 20 years she has served as treasurer for the county, this is the first time she recalls having a cash balance of more than $635,000.

Dillow said she recently completed forms for disclosure of all receipts and disbursements for fiscal 2008-2009 and was pleased to report the financial standing to magistrates. She made the announcement while presenting the Annual Treasurer’s Settlement to the court.

Dillow noted that although the City of Vanceburg had claimed a portion of the insurance tax which had previously gone to the county, conservative steps taken by county officials made a significant difference in the bottom line.

Magistrates followed Dillow’s recommendation to make one annual premium payment for property and casualty insurance rather than quarterly in order to save some more money. She told magistrates that since the funds were available for the lump payment, the county would realize a savings of $1,600 to $1,700.

Gene Applegate addressed magistrates on behalf of his mother, Beulah Walker Applegate. He requested that Simmons Road at Tollesboro be renamed Walker Pike in honor of his grandfather, Rufus Walker.

Judge Executive Steve Applegate said he would definitely look into the matter and review process which must be completed to make the change.

Magistrates adopted a taser use policy for the Lewis County Detention Center. The policy was proposed during the June regular meeting and contains combined information from other similar institutions. A recommendation to adopt the policy was made by County Attorney Clayton “Buddy” Lykins Jr.

Dillow informed magistrates that steps had been taken to avert potential cyber-theft of county funds. She said Bullitt County was recently scammed of more than $400,000 by criminals targeting wire transfers made by the county, adding the county has little chance of recovering any of the stolen funds.

Dillow said Lewis County seldom uses wire transfers and

measures have been put into place where any wire transfers made will be required to have personal approval of the county treasurer or judge executive.

Ted Willim addressed the court asking if a sound system could be located in the meeting room to allow soft spoken people to be more easily heard by those attending meetings. Applegate said he had been considering installing a PA system for some time and would make sure to get that done.

In other business last week magistrates approved a resolution approving a lease for the financing of a backhoe for the road department and approved the reappointment of Dora Thomas as chairperson of Lewis County Sanitation District #1. Her term is set to expire in 2012.

Magistrates also approved the reappointment of Jeanette Applegate as treasurer and Sue Jane Bane as secretary of Sanitation District #1 with their terms also set to expire in 2012. 

Cova Maddix was reappointed to the Camp Dix Fire Department Board. That term will expire July 31, 2012. Magistrates approved the acknowledgement of receipt of the Lewis County Fire Tax District Annual Budget for 2009-2010.

Magistrates approved hiring Teresa Parsons as a part-time employee at the E-911 Dispatch Center to replace an employee who had been let go. The employee status of Josh Lewis was changed from part-time to full-time at the Lewis County Detention Center upon approval by magistrates.

Applegate commented that adoptions were going well at the county animal shelter and said local volunteers have been helping out with daily tasks there. He also told magistrates that Wal-Mart is donating all pet food required at the shelter.

During the Public Properties Corp. portion of the meeting, Dillow reported that a check for $19,537 had been received by fiscal court reflecting interest earned on a sinking fund during construction of a speculative building in the Black Oak Industrial Park.

Dillow noted that although the county owns the building, the state makes the required payments on it.

County officials presented their monthly activity reports and magistrates approved claims and transfers before adjourning.

Members of the FIVCO Area Drug Enforcement (FADE) Task Force and the Vanceburg Police Department made additional arrests in a roundup which began July 11 in the Vanceburg area.

Scott Gillum, director of FADE, said the arrests stemmed from primarily informant buys over the past several months in the Vanceburg area. Some buys, he said, were in December while most took place during the past three months.

Gillum said the majority of the charges deal with trafficking in Oxycodone. The 30 grand jury indictments were sealed and the timing of the arrests was set to catch the alleged dealers off-guard.

Members of the task force joined up with members of the Vanceburg Police Department before 6:00 a.m. July 11 and reviewed folders on each of the cases then fanned out to make arrests and lodge suspects in the Lewis County Detention Center.

By Noon on Saturday the team had made 20 arrests and another arrest was made Saturday evening. Two additional

 arrests were made last. A spokesman with the task force said seven other arrests are pending.

Those arrested and charged last week were:

*Darrell Zornes, 46, of Vanceburg, charged with first degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

*James Russell Dyer, 29, of Vanceburg, charged with first degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

The arrests and charges made last week and July 11 are in addition to the 32 arrests made June 27 by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department.

Member organizations of FADE are the Carter County Sheriff’s Department, Grayson Police Department, Flatwoods Police Department, Raceland Police Department and Russell Police Department. Officers from each of the departments make up the FADE Task Force.

Anyone wishing to report illegal drug activity should call FADE at 606-836-0442 or locally at 606-796-6563. Callers may remain anonymous.