Kingfisher County commissioners approved a $9,500 asbestos abatement contract at their weekly meeting Monday.

The jail is scheduled to be razed to turn the space into additional courthouse parking but the prior asbestos removal is required under Environmental Protection Agency regulations, County (EPA) regulations, County Engineer Nik Smith said.

Commissioners approved changes in the Loyal Fire Department. Former Fire Chief Richard Meyer is being succeeded by Dusty Biehler who will become the new requisitioning officer for the department. Scott Russell and Tracy Gardener continue as receiving officers.

Commission Chairman Heath Dobrovolny announced that the county’s broken 20-year-old transit, which is being replaced, will be donated to Chisholm Trail Museum in Kingfisher for its surveying display.

The commission approved bid notices for steel bridge materials for Districts 2 (Ray Alan Shimanek, commissioner) and District 3 (Dobrovolny, commissioner).

A $5,000 second quarter emergency management grant for the county office of City-County Emergency Management Director Steve Loftis received approval.

Two county road pipeline crossing permits were approved as follow:

• K&J Construction – 10-inch temporary water line starting 10 miles east of U.S.81 on Dover-Crescent Road in District 1 and extending into District 2. District 1 Commissioner Jeff Moss moved for approval.

Devon Energy Production Co. – 12-inch temporary wa ter line located 1.5 miles east of Omega in District 3.

Also present was Sheriff Dennis Banther in addition to all commissioners and County Clerk Jeannie Boevers, official minutes clerk.

Loftis reported that coronavirus cases in the county increased by four last week, listing the following number of cases by community: Cashion nine (down one), Dover three (same), Hennessey 19 (up five), Kingfisher 34 (down two), Loyal three (same), Okarche nine (up two) and Omega zero (same).