Scott County officials approve temporary water well for Kelly Schools

BENTON -- Scott County has approved the engineering services and project administrators for construction of an emergency, temporary potable water well to serve the Kelly School District.

Elizabeth Long, a civil engineer with Strickland Engineering in Jackson; and Mitzi Dell, a grant writer and administrator with Dell Consulting in Campbell, will work on the project.

"Since 2007, we have been working with the school on their water issues and trying to help them continue to supply clean water," said Long.

"The school seems to be very satisfied with them, so I see no reason not to approve this," said Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger. He noted that Dell has also worked with Kelly Schools in the past.

He and commissioners Donnie Keifer and Dennis Ziegenhorn all OK'd the firms' involvement.

Due to the grant that the school is receiving, the county commission must sign off on it and involved parties. However, the commission is not responsible for the execution of the project.

In February, the school's potable well failed. It is now back in service but at a reduced capacity and there is still potential for a total failure. Although the school plans to connect with the public water supply system when it is completed in 2010, there is a need for an emergency, temporary water well.

In other business on Thursday, Joel Evans, county developer and emergency services director, followed up with commissioners on technology equipment that was stolen from his vehicle early Wednesday morning.

A laptop and projector, totaling about $5,000 in value, were taken from Evans' vehicle around 4 a.m. Wednesday. He said the vehicle was locked Tuesday evening, but unlocked and smelled of smoke when he got in it the next morning.

The equipment, which Evans had used in a CERT training earlier in the day, was in his vehicle in a black luggage bag with wheels.

The Sikeston Department of Public Safety is investigating the theft. Evans said there was a "very minimal" loss of information.

"All the files on my laptop are redundant to what is on the (computer) tower in my office," he said. "And there was no classified information."

Also on Thursday, commissioners reflected on Wednesday's annual Veterans Day Ceremony in Sikeston.

"Every year the program gets better," said Burger. "Kudos to all who put it on."