Rush County Commissioners Tom Barnes, Marvin Cole and Ken Masters met for the final time of 2008 Monday. The county leaders finished up a number of issues that needed their immediate attention.

County highway superintendent Jerry Sitton unveiled a proposal to make improvements to CR 800E south of Glenwood.

Concerned property owner and Glenwood resident Chris Ripberger recently approached the commissioners and asked if anything could be done to realign a curve south of SR 44 on CR 800E near CR 75S. Ripberger owns farmland in close proximity to the curve and said an increase in the number of accidents in the area has caused damage not only to vehicles but also to crops in his fields in recent years.

Sitton said if the county is given permission to expand its right-of-way in the area the project could possibly be completed for roughly $150,000. Sitton indicated that his department could do the majority of the work with the exception of laying the asphalt.

According to Sitton, the county would need to acquire a little more than one acre of property in order to make the improvement.

No action was taken on the matter and it will be revisited at a future meeting.

In other matters, EMA coordinator Mike Ooley informed the commissioners that the Rush County EMA purchased a vehicle from RushShelby Energy for $1. According to Ooley, the vehicle marked the third time that the energy company has made a substantial contribution to the Rush County EMA this year.

Earlier this year the company donated a power generator and made a $4,100 monetary contribution that facilitated upgrades to the mobile command center.

“The generator alone would have cost in the neighborhood of $25,000 if the county would have had to purchase it. The grant money also assisted the EMA, and now the vehicle. RushShelby has been a big supporter of the EMA,” Ooley said.

Those comments were echoed by commissioner Barnes.

“We are very appreciative of all their help. There are a lot of things we would not have or be in a position to get without their help,” he said.

On behalf of the Milroy ECDC, Dr. Rob Jackman and Scott Bailey from INDOT explained that the Milroy light project portion of the INDOT road improvement project in the rural community cost less than expected.

In 2008 — through a Federal Transportation Enhancement Grant and independent fundraising — the town purchased more than 30 street lights at a substantial savings over current prices. At that time the estimate for installation of the lights was $27,500; the actual cost for installing them was $15,710.20, a savings of nearly $12,000.

No county tax dollars were used for the lighting project.

Jackman and Bailey were at Monday’s meeting to get paperwork signed by the county leaders for the Milroy Street Light Committee to gain reimbursement funding from monies already awarded on the lighting project.