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Sheriff’s office gets six SUVs
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning County commissioners bought for the sheriff’s office six fully equipped 2015 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles from Lebanon (Ohio) Ford through the state purchasing program for an amount not to exceed $190,000.
The all-wheel-drive vehicles, averaging $31,667 each, will be used for road patrols.
“We wanted to make sure that we started a new program to replace vehicles,” because Sheriff Jerry Greene inherited many old, high-mileage vehicles when he took office in January 2013, explained David Ditzler, chairman of the county commissioners.
Through volume discounts in the state purchasing program, vehicles usually can be acquired for $5,000 to $8,000 below the normal retail price, said James Fortunato, county purchasing director.
The commissioners also approved a contract Friday with Thyssen Krupp Elevator Corp. to decommission three elevators at Oakhill Renaissance Place for $25,866.
For safety reasons, the state requires that any unused elevators be stored at the bottom of their shafts with the cables removed and doors secured against opening, Fortunato explained.
Oakhill is the county-owned former Forum Health Southside Medical Center, which is now a local-government office complex.
Magistrate Donald Hepfner, domestic-relations court administrator, announced that Judge Beth Smith of that court will receive the statewide innovative court practices award from the Ohio State Bar Association Thursday in Columbus at the annual meeting of the Ohio Judicial Conference.
The award is for Judge Smith’s initiation Feb. 25, 2014, of a program in which holders of civil domestic-violence protection orders carry wallet cards identifying themselves as possessors of such orders.
Sixty-five people now carry the cards issued by Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court, the judge said.
Mahoning County’s domestic-relations court is the first court in Ohio to launch this program, Hepfner said.
Linda Macala, county convention and visitors’ bureau director, announced that the Mahoning Valley will be the host of the Ohio Police and Fire Games athletic competition, which will feature more than 35 events June 14-19, 2015.
Many of the events will be at Mill Creek MetroParks, she said.
The commissioners’ next meeting will be at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Ohio State University Extension Office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield, after which the commissioners will cut the ribbon to open the Canfield Fair at 10 a.m.