County Commissioners meeting Monday night, February 5 accepted the resignation of assistant Judicial Commissioner Ray Laureigh, and also agreed to a request from county Veteran Service Officer Forrest Bullington which allows him to reduce his hours worked from 21 to 12 hours per pay period until July 3, at which time he wishes to retire.

Bullington said he appreciated the support and assistance he has received from the commissioners, but that poor health does not allow him to continue in his position beyond the July 3 date. By reducing his hours to 12 per week, Bullington explained, he would qualify for full disability benefits.

Bullington also agreed to train his designated replacement (expected to be selected at the next commission meeting, February 26) allowing that replacement be paid for the nine hours per pay period Bullington is voluntarily giving up.

The commissioners granted Bullington's request and passed the matter on until the next meeting.

A second resignation was discussed concerning assistant Judicial Commissioner Ray Laureigh. The assistant fills in for full-time Judicial Commissioner Ralph Meeks when he is unavailable for duty. Sheriff Mark Gammons noted that the replacement should have a background in law, law enforcement or in the Circuit Court Clerk's office, as the county would be liable for legal action should an unqualified person be signing arrest warrants.

Gammons said that former Lafayette Police Lt. Ronnie Krantz was interested in the position, and the commissioners agreed that the county should advertise notice that the job was open before the next meeting, at which time Laureigh's replacement may be chosen.

The Sheriff and Commissioner Meeks were directed to draw up a job description and make recommendations to the court at their February 26 meeting.

In other business I the commission a approved one zoning request, and declined to re-consider another that had been brought before them last April and failed to gain approval at that time.

The body approved a zoning change requested by Colby Jones, whose application for Rezoning Request states that Jones wishes “...to sell the land to someone that wants to put a slaughterhouse on the property.” The 11.10 acre piece of property is located at 9018 Hwy. 52-west, Westmoreland, and the commissioners granted Jones request to rezone the parcel from A-1 residential to I-2 commercial.

On a 11-9 vote, the commissioners declined to reconsider a zoning change first requested by Freddie Fuqua on April 24, 2006.

In the final business of the evening, commissioners heard a report from county EMS Director Randall Kirby which informed them of a partnership agreement between several Nashville hospitals, Air Evac and Life Flight to establish the same guidelines for rapid transport and treatment of stroke victims as are currently the protocol for serious life threatening accidents. It would establish a three-hour maximum goal for transport of persons thought to have suffered a stroke, to one of three stroke centers where advanced treatment is now available.

Kirby noted that the patient would have the right to refuse the emergency quick-transport, but that the program had proved effective in influencing the outcome of such potentially fatal or debilitating incidents. 

County commissioners will meet a second time in February on Monday the 26th. The meeting that would have been held Monday, February 19 falls on a “red letter day” on the calender: Presidents' Day, honoring the birthdays of both Washington and Lincoln.