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Anthony Cloud

Staff Writer

During the fiscal court meeting on Tuesday, Bell County Sheriff Bruce Bennett announced that they had received a grant that helps the Bell County school resource officer. The grant was in the amount of $30,000. Bennett applies for the grant every year.

The school resource officer is academy trained and also undergoes special resource officer training. The grant helps cover the funding for this special training. The training takes place at the Department of Criminal Justice Training Center.

The special training covers several aspects of being a resource officer. The officer is trained to handle several different scenarios such as illegal drugs in the school.

The resource officer is based at Bell County High School, but can respond to any problems at any school in the district. The resource officer for the district is Max Graves. He has been the resource officer every since Bennett took over as sheriff.

“It is highly important to have an officer (at the school),” said Bennett. “There is nothing more important than the safety and welfare of our children.”

Graves is at the high school on a daily basis. Bennett said a safe environment is needed for children in school.

There were also several bids opened during the fiscal court meeting. The first set of bids were opened for the Bell County Animal Project.

The bid that stood out to judge-executive Albey Brock was from Environmental Safety Management. The bid was for $43,443.

The Abbey Lane Bridge project was the second round of bids that were open. Only one company placed a bid for the project (Hinkle Contracting).

Brock said both bids would be reviewed and addressed during a special-called meeting on July 31.

The fiscal court also gave Brock permission to advertise for bids on ambulances. The entire fleet of ambulances are going to be replaced, according to Brock.

Two individuals were approved to be hired during the meeting. Josh Bays was hired as a part-time animal shelter worker at $7.25 per hour. Jason McCullough was hired as a part-time deputy jailer at $7.25 per hour.

Other business approved at the meeting included:

• Pay bills and make necessary transfer;

• Treasurer’s financial statement for previous month;

• Sheriff’s claim sheet for fee account for previous month;

• Payment of $2,184.75 to Bell County Solid Waste for PRIDE Grant;

• Checks in the amount of $42,261.53 and $30,000 from Bruce Bennett, sheriff;

• Checks from Becky Blevins, clerk.

Anthony Cloud is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. He can be contacted via email at acloud@heartlandpublications.com.