Marengo County Commission honors Drinkard

In a short meeting Tuesday, the Marengo County Commission approved applications for two Community Block Development Grants.

The first, proposed by County Engineer Ken Atkins, is to pave Southern Pine Road. The second, discussed with Frank Dobson of the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission, would upgrade the lighting and HVAC systems in the courthouse.

Commissioners honored retiring District Judge Wade Drinkard with a resolution. Drinkard is retiring May 31 after serving the county for 15 years.

The Commission continued its practice of hiring summer workers, two from each district in the county.

After a discussion on the upkeep of the shooting range on County Road 44, the Commission voted to erect signs warning users not to litter or consumer alcohol on the property.

The range is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sheriff Richard Bates said his deputies open and close the gates, but he has to use inmate labor to pick up used targets and discarded brass left by shooters.

The motion by Freddie Armstead added that regulations would be updated for the range as needed. Bates assured Commissioners that users will be held to the rules.

Pam Stenz, county extension agent, introduced Hamilton Wasnick, the summer intern with the Auburn University Living Democracy program.

Wasnick, the fifth such summer intern, will be working in Linden for 10 weeks while he collects stories of veterans. Those stories will be sent to the Library of Congress, he said.

Brenda Tuck, director of the Economic Development Authority, said work is still moving forward on a port operator for the Intermodal Complex in Demopolis, along with several other projects.

Revenue Commissioner Sharon Barkley said the county web site will be adding community events and offering Commissioners the ability to create their own blogs.