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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Blair County commissioners approved Thursday morning the submission of a 2027 Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Grant application to the state Department of Environmental Protection for nearly $75,000.
Blair County 911 Coordinator Emily States made the motion on behalf of Blair EMA during the commissioners' meeting.
Commissioner Laura Burke said it was a good program that the county participates in every year, but they've "had some spirited discussions this year because of controversy about spraying."
"There were a lot of challenges because of the amount of rain we received and flooding events, but I remember in the past doing tire collections or education around checking standing water around your house," Burke said.
States confirmed that preventative education for the public would be a part of the grant funding but not in the form of tire collection as "that's several thousand dollars to do."
"However, we do educational projects for this," States said.
The grant, if awarded, would run from Jan. 1, 2027, to Dec. 31, 2027, in the amount of $74,486.
Commissioner Amy Webster said she was happy the county sprayed for mosquitoes because they were so terrible in some areas of the county that "people couldn't walk out of their house without being attacked."
"I understand there are all sorts of reasons why you shouldn't (spray) but I think it was a welcome relief to those folks in the areas where the spraying took place," Webster said.
The commissioners also approved proposals made by Empire Communications on Oct. 13 in the amount of about $24,000 to install cameras outside three courthouse courtrooms and adjacent hallways. The prices quoted were for $7,490, $10,338 and $6,228 to install cameras outside courtrooms two, three and five, respectively.
Chief Clerk/County Administrator Alicia Tiracave said the expense would be covered by a grant from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.
Before adjourning the meeting, Commissioner David Kessling expressed his sympathy for the Cove Mountain Wood Products shop, which was destroyed by fire Wednesday evening and lost an estimated $1 million worth of products and structure.
"It's a staple of our community and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone out there and hopefully they can recover quickly," Kessling said.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.