The Jackson County Fair Board has two new members. Dana Butchee and Ann Aikens will step in to fill vacancies left on the fair board due to resignations from earlier this year. The district one appointments were made by Jackson County Commissioners during the regular meeting Monday.
Butchee replaces Gene Davis in a term that will expire in 2005, and Aikens replaces Diane Christmas in a term that will expire in 2006.
In addition to openings coming open for election in districts one, two and three, there also is a current vacancy in district two that needs to be filled. The district two opening is due to the resignation of Nelda Cable.
Prospective candidates must be registered voters of the county, and they must also reside in the commissioners district they wish to represent.
A filing period has been set from 8 a.m. Jan. 12 to 4 p.m. Jan. 16, 2004 by the Board of County Commissioners in order to fill the county fair board positions.
All prospective candidates must file for a position in the county clerks office in the Jackson County Courthouse. The election will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 3, 2004 at the office of Election Board Secretary in the courthouse.
The county commissioners are also working to fill space within the Jackson County jail. A contract with the Department of Corrections is being negotiated to house 48 DOC inmates.
Commissioner for district two, Ricky Crouch, said the DOC has looked at the Altus facility, and did find some items they would like to see addressed before committing to a contract.
Some of the DOC concerns include placing a television in every cell, a staff dietitian, food permit, allowing juveniles to visit, direct contact visitation with people other than attorneys, availability of microwaves and an ice machine, and access to a law library with all the state statues to be made available.
"I hope we can just work them all out," Crouch said. "There are going to be some things we can't negotiate with."
Placing a T.V. in every cell and making microwaves and ice machines available are some items Crouch said they will probably not adhere to. He said the jail showers have been modified so the water temperature could not be raised enough to scorch someone, and having a microwave available to heat water may defeat that purpose.
The county jail has already worked with Jackson County Memorial Hospital to fill the need of a dietitian, and acquiring the materials needed to complete the law library is also in progress. The state statues may be made available via computer access or through bounded books.
Crouch said the DOC does make some negotiations standard, such has having central heat and air, which the Jackson County jail does comply with.
Once negotiations are settled, Crouch said the contract will help finance the jail.
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