As has been their practice in the past few years, the Boone County Commission is continuing to renovate the county courthouse in an effort, according to officials, “to improve safety, protect the taxpayers investments and continue to provide quality service to the public into the 21st century.”

On Tuesday, the commissioners authorized County Administrator Jim Gore to begin work on the magistrate courtroom, located in the basement of the courthouse.

“Our employees will begin to put in new benches, new carpet, and complete a large number of renovations that magistrates have requested for a while,” Gore told the Coal Valley News.

Since the work is in preliminary stages, Gore said it was too soon to determine just how much the renovations might cost. “We have sufficient funds in the budget to make this a reality, and I’m confident county crews will be able to do the renovations economically,” he said.

In other news, the county approved a bid from Jeffords, Inc. to provide a pair of 40-yard open-top containers for the Boone County Solid Waste Authority.

Essentially, the two large containers are heavy-duty dumpsters for use at the county’s two transfer stations, located at Rock Creek and Fosterville.

Jeffords’ $14,100 bid was slightly cheaper than the $14,500 bid from Midstate, Inc. of Buchanon, Virginia. Gore said the Jeffords bid will be accepted contingent upon commission officials determination that the new dumpsters are the model and type needed by solid waste employees.

Gore said he recently received word that the county will need to provide $24,900 to match the grant continuing operation of the county Day Report Center.

The center, run by court officials, allows Judges Will Thompson and Jay A. Hoke to provide alternative sentences to those charged in low-risk crimes such as 3rd offense DUI, minor drug offenses and other crimes unlikely to draw sentences of more than one year in custody.

Day Report clients are required to perform certain tasks such as keep a job, earn a GED, get parenting skills or enroll in and complete drug treatment programs.

Judge Thompson recently told the Coal Valley News that while the program is still in its infancy, “it is showing signs of helping otherwise good people get their lives back on track.”