By Dennis Brown

Lewis County Fiscal Court last week held the first reading of an ordinance which will allow the judge executive to declare various levels of snow emergencies and includes a section allowing fines from $25 to $100 for those who violate it.

Judge Executive Steve Applegate said several counties around the state have similar ordinances in effect and have found it to be beneficial in a number of ways including the reduction of traffic accidents and less interference with snow removal and emergency vehicles.

The ordinance would allow the judge executive to determine snow emergencies on three levels with the first level advising cautious driving.

The second level advises that only motorists whose travel is necessary should be on the roadway and the third level advises that only essential travel take place.

The ordinance also includes a section that outlines parking restrictions along roadways and a section allowing county crews to assist in clearing state-owned roadways.

Applegate said that when in force the level of snow emergency will be posted on The Lewis County Herald website and announcements will be made on WKKS.

A second reading of the ordinance is planned for the January meeting of fiscal court.

Magistrates adopted a resolution requesting the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet take immediate action to determine the causes of the extraordinary number of severe accidents at the intersection Ky. Rt. 59 and the AA Highway in Vanceburg, and to develop a plan intended to reduce the number and severity of accidents.

Magistrate Paul Bruce Swearingen suggested copies of the resolution be sent to Senator Robin Webb and Representative Jill York along with a request that they assist in seeing the matter through. Applegate said he would see that copies of the resolution were sent.

Magistrates also adopted a resolution aimed at reducing overcrowding in the Lewis County Detention Center.

The resolution is to develop an alternative work sentencing program to allow those convicted of certain misdemeanors to perform labor on behalf of the county in lieu of serving jail time.

Applegate said he would organize the program and assign county personnel as necessary to conduct it.

He said he had talked with District Judge Brian McCloud and County Attorney Buddy Lykins and gotten assistance in developing a program and said other counties have had success with it.

Applegate said those allowed to participate in the program will not include those convicted of any serious crimes or anyone convicted of DUI.

Lykins said the program has worked well in Greenup County and one of the projects included a garden tended to by participants of the program. He said produce from the garden was used to subsidize food at the detention center there.

Applegate said additional insurance to cover program participants would be nominal and that the program would pay for itself quickly.

Magistrates approved a contract with Advent Financial Systems to perform billing and collections for the Lewis County

Detention Center.

Jailer Tim Underwood said the program would be at no cost to the county because the company is only paid if they collect on balances owed to the detention center.

“We’re only collecting a fraction of what we could collect,” Underwood said, adding that it has been successful at other jails in the area.

During an open section of the meeting, Anita Gilbert brought up a recent break-in at the county road garage and asked if inmates who work with the road department will now have restricted access to county property.

“There seems to be a lot of accessibility by inmates to private and county property,” she said.

Applegate responded that an investigation by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department is ongoing and that it had not yet been determined if any state inmates who had work with the road department had a hand in the burglary.

Thieves made off with an estimated $15,000 worth of equipment from the road department garage between December 4 and December 7.

Gilbert also asked that the county not be in favor of a request by a company in Louisville to dredge the Ohio River for sand and gravel.

She said the company would be doing the work for profit and it was not needed for navigational purposes. She added there are many unanswered questions and that she had begun a petition against the company getting a permit to dredge.

She said they had requested a permit from the Corps of Engineers to dredge in the river between Quincy and the mouth of Kinniconick and stated she was concerned about damage to marine life as well as potential damage to the shores on both sides of the river.

In other business, magistrates approved the Lewis County Clerk’s 2010 Annual Budget and set the maximum amount for deputies and assistants for the county clerk’s office at $140,000.

*Approved the Lewis County Sheriff’s Annual Budget and set the maximum amount for deputies and assistants for the sheriff’s office at $224,350.

*Approved permit/easement for the Garrison Quincy Ky.-O-Heights Water District on county rights-of-way for the Garrison Wastewater Project.

*Approved acknowledgement of receipt of the Western Lewis Rectorville Water District 2010 Annual Budget.

*Approved acknowledgement of receipt of the Garrison Quincy Water District 2010 Annual Budget.

*Approved hiring LeAnn Bannister full time at the Lewis County Detention Center, up from part time.

Magistrate Paul Bruce Swearingen asked that they try once again to get officials with Time Warner Cable back to talk with them concerning promised upgrades to the cable system and to make an attempt to have Lexington television stations restored to the channel lineup.

Applegate said he would invite the officials again.

Magistrates approved payment of bills and transfers for all accounts before going into closed session to discuss proposed or pending litigation. No action was taken when returning to open session.

Members of the Lewis County Board of Education met in regular session last week and adopted the calendar for the upcoming school year.

Superintendent Maruice Reeder Jr. said the calendar is similar to the past few years and calls for August 5, 2010, to be the first day for students.

Reeder said Jamie Weddington had met with a committee of teachers to finalize the recommended calendar.

Board members heard reports from Lewis County Central Elementary Principal Richard Anderson and Laurel Elementary Principal Jerry Bloomfield.

Each of the principals reviewed their respective school’s scores from the previous year and gave an update on progress being made to meet the goals for the current year.

Anderson discussed the steps being taken and said more changes have been implemented this year than ever before and said MAP testing, which was underway, would give a better indication of how things are going this year.

“We’re on track to meet our goals,” Anderson told the board. He said a goal of 95 overall on the academic index is what had been set.

Bloomfield told the board he had … “waited a lot of years to come and make this presentation to the board.”

He said Laurel Elementary had a score in the 30s when he started there as head teacher 16 years earlier. The score was 101 last year.

“I’m proud of my school, my staff and my students,” he said, adding that parents and the staff at the Central Office also contributed to making the score a reality.

Bloomfield praised Belinda Forman for her assistance in helping the school to make improvements. “She worked diligently and tirelessly to help us get where we are,” he said.

Bloomfield said the goal this year is 105. “It’s a loft goal,” he said. “It won’t be easy to do.” He added the staff is committed to reaching the goal.

Board member Rob Kennard praised Bloomfield and the school staff for reaching the goal and extended his congratulations.

Diane Johnson reported that students from the district had recently competed in the Sixth Grade Showcase and had 22 winners. She said Tollesboro Elementary won first in quick recall and Garrison Elementary was the third place winner.

She added that four students from Lewis County were named to the district band.

Johnson told board members that as part of a grant, all elementary schools now have climbing walls for the students.

Reeder said that this was the first time in several years that school had not been cancelled prior to the

Christmas break. 

He commended Primary Plus, the school nurses and parents for their work in battling sickness and the various flu viruses in the schools this year. He added that attendance has rebounded after some sickness earlier in the year.

Bob Ross, with Ross and Company of Louisville, presented an audit report to the board.

He told board members it was a clean audit and the numbers were … “pretty good for a school district of this size.”

Ross noted a couple of minor infractions found by auditors and said they had already been remedied.

Greg McCane gave a presentation on the district’s technology plan and reviewed equipment that had been installed in most of the classrooms across the county.

He said the plan is to get new and modern computers and software into the hands of students and to improve teacher training on the operation of the new equipment.

He said 67 percent of the classrooms have now been outfitted with the latest technology including interactive white boards and ceiling mounted projectors.

Board members approved the technology plan for the upcoming school year.

In other business board members:

*Approved a motion to accept a KETS matching offer of assistance for technology in the amount of $32,069.

*Approved non-resident contracts with other school districts for the upcoming school year.

*Approved training hours for board member Joe LeMaster.

*Approved the concept of flexible professional development.

*Approved a memorandum of understanding as a step to receive Federal funding.

*Approved the District Report Card.

*Approved a drug testing contract with Medbrook for random testing of bus drivers and mechanics.

*Approved field trips for students from LCCE to travel to the Newport Aquarium and for the varsity boys basketball team overnight to play in the West Jessamine High Tournament.

Reeder reported certified substitute hires of John Silvey, Jonathan Rogers and Sandy Horsley Johnson; classified substitute hire of Jessica Tackett as an instructional aide; and classified resignations of Melissa Mabe as cook at LCCE and Donna Morgan as bus driver.

Members approved the treasurer’s report and payment of bills before adjourning.