The Lewis County Fiscal Court held its regular session this month in the second floor district courtroom of the Justice Center rather than in the courthouse because workers are installing new windows on the third floor of the courthouse.

Lewis County resident Randy Thornton paid a return visit to the court to complain about the condition of Willim Branch. He said that since his visit last month the hillside has slid into the road.

Thornton told the court that he considered the road so dangerous he would not let his daughter ride the school bus. He added that large limbs were sticking out over the roadway posing a hazard to all vehicles passing the area.

Thornton acknowledged that the road department had put more rock on the road since last month's meeting but that it did not solve the problem.

Road Foreman Dane Howard explained that Ben Johnson owns the property, and he has given the court permission to take the hillside off and move the dirt into a nearby field and to relocate the road. Recent rains, however, have left the ground saturated with water and heavy equipment cannot operate in the mud.

County Judge Steve Applegate told Thornton that the county would send a backhoe out there and keep the road passable and safe for the public until the ground dried out enough to do the repair work.

Turning to other business the court renewed a contract with Brewer Lawn Service to mow the right-of-way at the Vanceburg Industrial Park at Black Oak for a yearly fee of $250.

The court approved the purchase of a 2004 Chevrolet 7500 2-1/2 ton dump truck with a plow and salter for $71,550.25.

Magistrates quickly renewed an annual contract with the Montgomery County Regional Jail for the fiscal year 2004-05. The contract clears the way for Lewis County to house inmates in Montgomery County if the local detention center becomes over crowded. Applegate pointed out that the county has never had to use the Montgomery County facility but the renewed contract would make that possible if it became necessary.

The court re-entered the County Road Aid Agreement with the Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the fiscal year 2004-05. The agreement makes funds available for Kentucky counties in the event of a major disaster and permits other counties to come in and render assistance.

The court moved to approve payment of $550 for the 10-year radio repeater license for local fire departments at the request of the Lewis County Firefighter's Association.

The court agreed to draw up a contract permitting Larry Fannin to cut hay on 17 acres of county property on Fannin Lane for the year 2004. The county purchased the property from Fannin, and the agreement assures that the property will be mowed and bush hogged at no cost to the county government.

The magistrates approved the appointment of Mark Riley to a full time position with the County Road Department.

The fiscal court gave first reading and approval to an ordinance establishing a Fire Tax District for an area surrounding Vanceburg. The tax upon all property in the district would not exceed ten cents per $100 of valuation as assessed for county taxes. The district would be referred to as the Lewis County North-Central Fire Protection District and would encompass a radius extending five miles from the point of origin on Lions Lane.

The new district includes the area of both the Lewis County High School and Middle School. It includes the following roads within the five-mile radius: Alum Rock Ridge Road, Garrad Lane, Reese Road, Fly Branch Road, Hazel Road, Underwood Lane, Green Valley Road, Little Sulfer, White Lane, Oakland Park access Road, Pollitt Lane, Benton Street, Southern Manor Road, Goodwin Lane, Pepoon Lane, Monteith Road, Little Sulpher Road, Blue Springs Branch Road, Ghost Hollow, Twelve Trees Lane, Town Branch, Lions Lane and Clarksburg Road.

The tax district has become necessary because the City of Vanceburg lacks sufficient equipment and resources to continue providing fire protection in that area. The tax levied would raise an estimated $24,431 over the next three years.

According to the ordinance as worded fire protection in the district should have a positive impact on possible growth in the area. The magistrates discussed the issue at length and noted that insurance rates for homeowners would probably be lowered and could possibly offset the cost of the tax.

Before the ordinance becomes law a public hearing will be held prior to its second reading and adoption by the court.

The court approved the use of emergency lights by the Lewis County Coroner. Applegate reported that the sheriff had no problem with the coroner using the lights. Coroner Tony Gaydos had indicated to Applegate that he had been caught in traffic and could not pass on occasion when he was en route to a traffic accident or other scene of death.

The court moved to approve the sale of two Crown Victorias and a Ford Taurus as surplus property.

The court gave first reading and approval to two budget amendment ordinances. Both amendments deal with unbudgeted receipts from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The first one was for $183,940 from the Transportation Cabinet and will be used for gravel and stone. It also includes $220,000 of federal reimbursement money. Of the latter $170,000 will be used for road projects and $50,000 for road worker salaries.

The second one was for $30,000 for the jail fund and will be applied to deputy salaries.

The court tabled approval of the rewording and updating of the language in a supplemental agreement with CSX Transportation, Inc., regarding property in Garrison until the magistrates can learn more about the property referred to and the details of the agreement.

Applegate announced that March 21-27 has been designated as Lewis County Cleanup Week. During the week the Solid Waste Department will accept all appliances, tires, furniture and televisions at its location off KY 3037 at no charge to county residents. Items that will not be accepted are computer monitors, propane tanks and household waste. For more information all the county judge's office at 606-796-2722 or the Solid Waste office at 606-796-0624.

Applegate also announced that the next regular session of the fiscal court will be held on Monday, April 12, at 9:30 a.m. on the third floor of the courthouse.

The Electric Plant Board of the City of Vanceburg held its regular session March 9 and was treated to a show and tell of the new Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) computer system now installed with the water department.

Department manager Chad Clark demonstrated the system to the board after the meeting was adjourned. He explained that the system enables employees to stay at the computer and check the water levels and the pumps' operation without having to take the time, man-hours and fuel costs to go to the site. The system serves all kinds of pertinent data with the click of a mouse.

During the actual demonstration the phone rang and a customer in the Laurel area reported that he was without water. The computer screen showed a red alarm from that area.

Clark said that last week a water leak occurred in the Quicks Run area when Fleming-Mason broke a water line while digging. He said when the water level dropped in the tank the computer sounded the alarm before the phone call came to report the problem.

He showed the board members how he or another worker can use the SCADA system to set the pumps to turn on when the water drops to a selected level and to turn off when the level reaches the desired height in a well or tank without leaving the office.

Clark said that SCADA was the best timesaving tool he had ever seen and is one of the best investments the utility company has ever made.

Superintendent Phil Kennedy said the system could later be set up to monitor both the electric and sewer systems just like it now monitors the water system. The program is already in place on the computers.

Possible solutions include using Alltel's online phone answering program or Call Wave, a similar system. Other possibilities would be having an extra phone line installed at the two residences or going to a wireless Internet connection that will soon be available through EKNS.

Kennedy announced that a native Lewis Countian is now working for Governor Ernie Fletcher's administration. Former Lewis County Judge Executive George Plummer is the Principal Assistant to the Commissioner of the Department of Local Government and is serving in Frankfort. Plummer has two offices, one with the Department of Local Government and the other with the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority.

The superintendent told the board that the office has been getting a lot of complaints about the tree over the lines near Central Elementary, but those are not power lines. They are telephone lines, and the utility company cannot do anything about them because they are Alltel's lines.

At this month's city council meeting on March 1 Mayor William T. "Bill Tom" Cooper referred to that problem and told the council that he had contacted Alltel on more than one occasion but so far nothing has been done about the situation.

Kennedy also announced that Rural Development has had some folk in the area interviewing residents about the just completed Southern Lewis County Water Project and asking them how they feel about the project. The results have been positive and will be in a news article that will probably make the department's national magazine.

The Lewis County Board of Education held one of its shortest sessions ever last week. The meeting lasted only nine minutes.

Superintendent Maurice Reeder Jr., said that he thought it would be a good time to hold a brief meeting since it had been postponed from Monday night, and the staff was involved in other matters.

Reeder began by praising the Lewis County Boys Basketball team for reaching the regional tournament and also lauded the Academic Team for its performance in the Governor's Cup competition this year.

He said that he was proud of the basketball team not only for having a winning record but for the character they displayed on the floor as well.

Reeder also commended the coaching staff and said that the men had conducted themselves in a professional manner all season long.

The board approved the first reading of the 2004-05 Code of Conduct. Reeder told the board that it had only minor changes from last year.

Deputy Dwayne Stone said the accident happened about 4:00 p.m. Friday on the Grayson Spur of the AA Highway about two miles from the Lewis-Carter County line.

Stone said a 2001 Jeep, operated by Ashlee Randall, 20, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was traveling north on the highway when the wind reportedly caught the vehicle, causing Randall to lose control.

Stone said the vehicle went left of center and Randall apparently over-corrected. He said the vehicle traveled some 324 feet, clipped three of four times, struck a guardrail, traveled an additional 42 feet, over an embankment, slipped two or three more times, and came to rest at the foot of a hill.