February is Teen Dating Violence Month

The Board of County Commissioners of Sequoyah County proclaimed February teen dating violence month at their weekly meeting Monday.

Teen dating violence occurs as often as domestic violence, said Cindy Smith, an investigator with the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office. Though there hasn’t been a lot of research done into teen dating violence statistics, Smith said, it is vital for law enforcement agencies to get ahead of this issue and work to put an end to it.

“Our goal is to get ahead of the trend” of increasing rates of teen dating violence, Smith said Monday. Sallisaw Police Chief Terry Franklin echoed Smith’s statements, saying the Police Department fully supports the sheriff’s department’s efforts and will work hand-in-hand with other law enforcement agencies to combat the problem.

In other business, the commissioners approved a resolution to lower the speed limit on Old Highway 17 (South 4610 Road) in Marble City to 35 mph from 45 mph. The panel also approved a utility agreement between the Eastern Oklahoma Circuit Engineering District 2 and the Sequoyah County Water Association for the improvement of the same stretch of road in Marble City.

A resident of the area in question asked District 2 Commissioner Steve Carter about a timeline for the completion of the project, saying the roadway is “in horrible shape. I want to hear why not much has been done,” he said.

Carter agreed that the project should probably already be underway, but that funding and other issues need to be figured out first. Jim Rogers, the commissioner for District 3, agreed, adding that construction on the project, expected to take several years, is “one of the most expensive projects we’ve seen in Sequoyah County.”

Commissioners also signed a CIRB project agreement for improvements to the county bridge on Central High’s North-South 4760 Road over Garvin Branch in District 3.

The panel also approved a plan for the sheriff’s office to apply for a pair of grants for staffing and other needs.

The commissioners also approved the transfer of appropriations from the sheriff’s forfeiture capital outlay to the sheriff’s forfeiture maintenance and operations account.

The panel meets at the Sequoyah County Courthouse at 10 a.m. each Monday.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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