May 23, 2008 By Tara Kinsell 5 min read

WAYNESBURG – The first of 820 free smoke detectors that are being given to residents of Greene County were distributed at the Greene County Commissioners’ agenda meeting on Wednesday. On February 17, 2007 a tragic house fire in Franklin Township that claimed the lives of six children and one adult brought fire safety and prevention to the forefront for residents and county officials.

“At the time [of the fire], [the county’s] Safe Kids coalition had some detectors available and they were able to get them out to people,” said Karen Bennett, administrator of Greene County Human Services. “We had requests to get more from the public and through a grant from [state Rep.] Bill DeWeese and [state Sen.] Barry Stout we were able to purchase 820 smoke detectors.”

Two of the local residents who had requested the detectors, Emma Lee and Vernon Anderson, were at the Wednesday meeting to receive the first of the smoke detectors.

“It is a testimony of the people in Greene County that they are willing to reach out and help their neighbors in Greene County to hopefully prevent another tragedy,” said Sister Sue Fazzini of the Greene County Human Services Board.

The detectors are available by contacting Greene County Find-Out Office at 724-852-1943.

“We will also be giving them out at different events throughout the county until they are gone,” Commissioner Pam Snyder said.

Information educating the public on fire safety will also be made available through Greene County agencies and at various events.

“The public education side is another piece of the puzzle,” said Jeff Marshall, director of the county’s emergency management services. “Schools conduct fire drills once a month so the students are prepared. How many people do them at home?”

The emergency management services agency sought out the type of detector that would be most effective if a family only had one smoke detector in the home.

“If only one could make a difference, this is the one,” said Marshall. “It has a ten-year lithium battery inside so there is no need to worry about remembering to replace the battery every year when the time changes.”

In another matter, Mt. Morris resident Denise Herrington addressed a concern to the commissioners during their regular meeting on Thursday. Herrington spoke on behalf of the Boots-N-Spurs 4-H Pony Club regarding what she felt was inadequate accommodations for horses at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

Harrington expressed concern over a lack of washing facilities available to horse owners who come in for the yearly roundup and for the annual agricultural fair in August.

“When we hosted our states there was nowhere to put Allegheny County,” Herrington said. “We were scattering looking for places to wash horses. Some of our horses got hurt by nails in the stalls and I was wondering if the ones who rent the stalls are monitored.”

Jake Blaker, director of Greene County Department of Recreation, assured Herrington that the stalls are inspected and that there are rules and regulations being followed by horse owners. When those owners have not been in compliance, they and their horses have been escorted off of the property and/or the Humane Society has been called, according to Blaker.

The barn that houses the horse stalls is currently full with rentals, according to Snyder.

“The board of commissioners is working on the problem and have rented 40 portable stalls for the week of the fair,” Snyder said. “We cannot leave the stalls in the barn empty all year to rent them for just one week [the week of the fair].”

Snyder stressed that the board of commissioners believes “that the 4-H is the heart of the fair” and encouraged 4-H members to contact the board with any concerns.

In other business, the Greene County Salary Board approved the following:

Hired Jason Neighbors at an annual salary of $30,000 for a full-time position as a Business Development Associate.

Hired Dustin Teagarden at $15 per hour full-time as a West Nile Technician.

Hired Bill Wentzel at $12 per hour for a part-time Environmental Program Associate.

Accepted a leave of absence for Martin Niverth, Greene County Conservation District Manager, effective May 28 to July 1, 2008.

Accepted the resignation of Tracy Moss as shift supervisor at the Greene County Prison.

Promoted Robin Lantz to shift supervisor at the Greene County Prison at a rate of $15.75 per hour.

Hired Joseph Usher, Scott Whipkey, and Nathan Tustin as casual corrections officers at the Greene County Prison at a rate of $75 per day effective May 9, 2008.

Hired Jamie Barna as a casual corrections officer at a rate of $75 per day, effective May 13, 2008.

Promoted Scott Whipkey to casual correction officer at a rate of $12.02 per hour, effective May 17, 2008.

Accepted the voluntary resignation of Loretta Townsend as a casual food service worker, effective May 28, 2008.

Accepted the transfer of James Gregan from juvenile probation officer to adult probation officer, effective May 12, 2008 at no salary change.

Hired Jason Taylor as a juvenile probation officer at the UMWA pay rate of $15.31 per hour, effective May 12, 2008.

Hired two temporary sheriff’s deputies, William Reedy and Earl Saveley, at a rate of $9 per hour, effective April 29, 2008.

Hired Linda Roberts as a temporary part-time department clerk in the sheriff’s office at a rate of $9.32 per hour, effective May 28, 2008.

Accepted the voluntary resignation of Missy Orlandi, community services supervisor in Greene County Human Services, effective May 9, 2008.

Snyder explained that some of the approved new hires are temporary and were made necessary by the recent murder trial of Jeffrey Martin and the amount of work still involved in that case.