County commissioners OK purchase of Internet filters

Cape Girardeau County commissioners approved the purchase of Internet filtering software Thursday.

Eric McGowen, county information technology director, presented four bids, telling commissioners that software from Innovative Idea Integrations of Jackson complements the county's existing e-mail spam filter software. It costs $2,344.70 and was the low bid.

The decision is one way county officials are setting limits after discovering Auditor David Ludwig had repeatedly violated the county's policy on computer use.

McGowen said the filter would block sites based on categories ranging from pornography to terrorism as well as detect malicious intent of hackers seeking to break into the county's computer system, and filter out spyware and virus programs.

Tire collection day set

The commissioners also agreed to set a second scrap tire collection for 8 a.m. to noon June 21 at the county's maintenance facility on Highway 34 near its intersection with Highway 72. Robb McClary, the commission assistant who coordinated the event, said the first tire collection, held May 20, drew 2,406 tires and cost the county $8.785. He said a single tire, which weighed nearly a ton, was inadvertently taken in as part of the collection and cost $650 to process. Despite that, he said, the county has $12,815 left for the June collection.

The commissioners approved a request by county highway administrator Scott Bechtold to advertise for grading bids for county roads 405 and 501.

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones asked Bechtold why he is asking to advertise in a piecemeal way rather than all at once. Bechtold said by advertising the road projects a few at a time, losing bidders have a chance to adjust future bids.