AWARENESS — The Jefferson County Commissioners Thursday declared June Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month to “spread the word” about Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative brain disorders. Accepting the resolution on behalf of the Greater East Ohio Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association were board member Tate Blanchard and co-chair Mary Beth Panepucci, who said nearly 300,000 people in the Tri-State Area have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Blanchard said they’re also seeing people in their 40s diagnosed with early onset symptoms, and discussed groundbreaking advancements pioneered at West Virginia University. On hand for the presentation were, from left, Commissioners Eric Timmons and Tony Morelli, Blanchard, Panepucci and Commissioner Dave Maple. -- Linda Harris

STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County officials hope replacing a pressure regulator valve at the Jefferson County Justice Center will fix a recurring problem they’re having with blown water lines.

At Thursday’s meeting of the Jefferson County commissioners, Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Boyles said they’ve traced recurring line problems to the water pressure — it’s currently 115 psi, nearly twice what it should be. They figure the problem was triggered by a recurring problem with jail inmates flushing their jumpsuits or portions of their jumpsuits down the drains.

“We’ve done nothing for three weeks but repair water lines,” he said.

Replacing the valve is going to cost just under $33,000, he said. Cattrell Cos. Inc. is going to do the emergency repair. Parts have been ordered and the work could possibly get underway in two weeks.

“I think when we had the last plug we had to shut water off for about six hours,” Boyles said, adding, “A few days after we turned the water back on we began having issues with lines blowing off. I believe it’s definitely our pressure regulator valve to the building that’s the problem.”

He told commissioners turning the water off and then back on after the most recent jumpsuit clog “was probably the nail in the coffin.”

“It’s probably been building for a while,” he said. “(A fix) is needed pretty quickly here.”

Commissioners commended Boyles on the work done to clean up the old Matthews Chevrolet property in Brilliant. It’s one of the 21 lots in the Brilliant floodplain acquired by the county two decades ago after FEMA mitigated them. That designation means they must remain in the public domain and can’t be resold or be built on, but as years have passed, people have used them for personal storage.

Boyles said, “everything is off the lot now, except the car, camper and shed.”

“It looks 100 percent better, and I appreciate that,” Commissioner Eric Timmons said, with Commissioner Dave Maple pointing out the Matthews lot has “been a problem for a long time.” Wells Township trustees recently asked commissioners to transfer the FEMA lots to them so they will have the power to order people and their possessions off the properties.

Boyles pointed out there are boats, some on trailers, that have been left on the properties.

“I don’t even think they will float,” Timmons said. “It’s a bad eyesore … I’d just like to get them out. Give (the owners) time to move them … and then just get them out.”

Boyles also was given permission to purchase a small trailer to haul mowers or other equipment needed to maintain various county-owned properties. He said he’s priced them at under $1,000.

In other matters, commissioners:

• Were told by Dog Warden Chad Coil that the animal shelter is “close to being full.” By law he has to accept all strays, so that means some animals currently in their care might have to be euthanized if homes cannot be found for them.

• Opened the lone bids submitted for the Toronto transmission line booster station from Fort Steuben Maintenance for $54,954. It was referred to the Jefferson County Water and Sewer District and Arcadis, the engineering consultant, for a recommendation.

•Signed off on a resolution to proceed with a replacement levy for the Jefferson County Prevention and Recovery Board’s replacement levy, with proceeds to be used for alcohol and drug addiction programs.

• Signed the agreement for construction engineering and inspection services for the township Road 289 bridge replacement project with CTL Engineering. The price tag for repairs to the historic structure is maxed at $212,731.75.

• Reappointed James Baber and Mark Mihalyo, both of Steubenville, and Thomas Thomas of Tiltonsville to the prevention and recovery board. Their new, four-year terms will begin July 1.

• Authorized the county’s participation in the ODOT winter contract for road salt.

• Gave Friendship Park district’s commissioners the go-ahead to sell a 2010 Chevy Silverado “no longer in service and unusable” to a local scrap yard for disposal.

• Because the July 4 holiday falling on a Thursday, commissioners rescheduled that week’s meeting to 9 a.m. July 3.

• Prior to addressing the agenda items, commissioners paused to remember the 80th anniversary of D-Day and pay tribute to World War II veterans and their sacrifices.

“What they did for us was amazing,” Commissioner Tony Morelli said.