Kingfisher County commissioners received notice Monday that the county has been named a StormReady County by the National Weather Service’s Norman forecast office.

The notice came in a letter to Kingfisher County Emergency Management Director Steve Loftis stating that extra steps had been taken to be ready to handle weather emergencies, including notification capabilities. when storms threaten.

Commissioners also approved a notification to proceed effective Monday to Jackson Civil LLC of Enid to proceed in demolishing the old sheriff’s office and jail immediately south of the courthouse.

Bids were opened several weeks ago with Jackson submitting the low bid of $75,000 with the proceed order Monday clearing the way for work to begin.

Commissioners approved an emergency “subgrant” of $5,000 awarded to the emergency management office by the state office and a request by Rural Water District #3 to apply for a REAP grant for upgrades to the district water system and two right-ofway permits for county road crossings, including a water line and an OG&E electric line in District 3 as follow:

• Ovintiv Energy – 12-inch lay flat water line located five miles north and five miles west of Okarche, and,

• OG&E power line crossing located two miles east and one mile south of Omega.

All commissioners – Jeff Moss, District 1; Ray Alan Shimanek, District 2, and Heath Dobrovolny, District 3 were present for the meeting as well as County Clerk Jeannie Boevers, who served as minute clerk, Loftis and Ryan Deatherage of the emergency management office, and Sheriff Dennis Banther.