FISCAL COURT: County and city split bucket truck

 LaRue County Fiscal Court, meeting at the courthouse in Hodgenville Aug. 28, voted to pay $7,000 for its half ownership, in partnership with the City of Hogenville, of a bucket truck.

“I think it’s something we’ll be able to use quite a bit,” Tommy Turner, judge-executive, told magistrates. “The city will likely use it to hang banners and replace street lights and we’ll use it for tree trimming and other things.”

He said the diesel truck with 30,000 miles contains a 27-foot insulated fiberglass boom that will be much safer for the person in the bucket than is the backhoe bucket county employees now use.

“The city will pay insurance and we’ll cover the cost of routine maintenance,” he said.

In other business, the court donated an amount up to $600 to the Crosstown Homemakers for hosting this year’s Lincoln Days’ reception.

Ambulance runs

Mike Cottrell, emergency medical services director, reported 120 ambulance transports in July. 

Effective Sept. 6, LaRue EMS employees will receive a 2.5 percent cost of living wage increase, according to Cottrell. 

His department offered EMS drivers’ training to all local fire departments.  Frank Donehoo, Sonora fire chief, trained a class of 25 in August.

Jail update

The court approved a jail update policy that charges an inmate co-payments of up to $30 for doctors’ visits, $20 for dental visits and up to 100 percent of the cost for prescriptions.

“We’ve already been following this, but it’s something we needed to put in our policy book,” Turner said. “The money will come from their canteen funds. An inmate who doesn’t have the money will not be denied treatment.”

Road department

Clyde Veirs, county road supervisor, reported his crews performed ditch work on Bird, Hawkins and Middle Creek roads; mow-trimmed Jackson, Edlin, Rust, Tennison, Peake, Blanton and Raine roads; replaced a driveway entrance tile on Parker Grove Road; and replaced name signs on Hawkins, Ragland, Mount Sherman-Ward and Logan Skaggs roads.