Presentations of awards and reports highlighted the Lyon County Commission’s weekly action session Thursday morning.
One of those presentations included the Flint Hills Community Health Center’s first quarter report. According to the statistics shared this quarter was relatively quiet in terms of Emergency Preparedness and Environmental Health.
Despite this, the report did reflect a rise in reported STD cases from January to March including 66 confirmed cases of chlamydia. FHCHC Medical Support Manager Melissa Smith says this is an issue they have been seeing steady increases in over the past year.
Also during the report, FHCHC Community Health Services Director Jennifer Milbern discussed a desire to implement a new initiative locally known as Stop the Bleed. The main mission of the initiative is to provide bystanders with training to help assist individuals in crisis situations who may be suffering traumatic blood loss until paramedics can arrive on scene.
According to Milbern, the initiative is still in the infancy stages locally.
In a separate presentation, The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office received the AAA Kansas Community Traffic Safety Platinum Award for the sixth consecutive year. This is the highest level achievable for the annual awards and recognizes the Sheriff Departments numerous traffic enforcement and education efforts including their participation in the Seatbelts are For Everyone (SAFE) campaign and Ticket or Treat.
Lyon County Sheriff Jeff Cope says the award not only recognizes the efforts of law enforcement but the community as well.
According to AAA Kansas spokesman Shawn Steward, thanks to these numerous efforts teen seat belt use has increased from 69 percent to 86 percent since 2013. On top of that child passenger restraint use has risen from 73 percent to 90 percent since 2014 and roughly 90 percent of SAFE program students utilize their seat belts.
Lyon County is one of just 11 sheriff’s departments in Kansas to be recognized with a AAA Kansas Community Traffic Safety Award.
In other business, commissioners approved a quote from Lyon County Engineer Chip Woods from APAC-Kansas, Inc. Shears Division for placing a leveling course and 1-½ inch overlay on Americus Road from the north city limits of Americus going 1.5 miles north for $292,137.98. A quote from Emporia Construction and Remodeling Inc. for the emergency construction of the jail work release door was also approved. Total cost is not to exceed $6,000.
Following the agenda items, commissioners held five executive sessions to conduct interviews for the now vacant county appraiser position. No announcement is expected to be made on the position anytime soon.
The Lyon County Commission will next meet Thursday, April 25 at 8 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse.
