By Rich Wicks | Times Vedette

During the regular Sept. 24 meeting of the Guthrie County Board of Supervisors, the supervisors discussed the communication plan relating to the upcoming vote on a countywide EMS service.

Supervisor Maggie Armstrong gave a “practice run” of the script that is suggested for the various small-group informational meetings the supervisors plan to hold prior to the Nov. 5 election. Her practice run lasted roughly 10 minutes. Afterwards, supervisors provided feedback on possible tweaks to the content.

The schedule of informational meetings (all meetings shown are set for 7 p.m.) on the proposed countywide EMS plan includes:

  • Oct. 1 (Bayard)
  • Oct. 3 (Casey)
  • Oct. 7 (Jackson Township)
  • Oct. 8 (Bear Grove)
  • Oct. 9 (WCV School, Stuart)
  • Oct. 10 (Guthrie Center High School)
  • Oct. 14 (Yale Community Center)
  • Oct. 16 (Panorama Schools auditorium).
  • An Adair meeting is also in the works.

Regarding the publicizing of these scheduled meetings, Armstrong said the meetings will be posted in area newspapers.

“I am also going to create a Facebook page,” Armstrong said.

County Health Services Director Jotham Arber provided an update on services in that department. He told of efforts to add a social worker to enhance mental health services. He added that, because the area is recognized as a “mental health desert,” he anticipates the usage will be high, especially as advertising increases.

Arber also updated the supervisors on the status of the county’s efforts to create a “vicious dog ordinance.” He said the process is ongoing, and he stressed that the proposed ordinance will not be breed-specific.

“The dog bite ordinance that we drafted with the coalition…in effect, it says that if your dog bites someone, and it’s a vicious dog, because of that, it can’t be in the county,” Arber said.

The next regular meeting of the supervisors will be Tuesday, Oct. 1. The public is welcome to attend in person or via remote technology. To join remotely, call 323-792-6123, then use meeting code 547029216#.