At the request of Paul Sheffield, Jones County’s Emergency Operations Center director, the board of supervisors adopted a Local Proclamation of Emergency that will provide additional resources if the coronavirus escalates in this area.
“We currently have no cases in Jones County,” offered Sheffield Monday morning.
The proclamation agreed to by the supervisors will allow local entities, like the EOC and South Central Regional Medical Center, to access resources from the state of Mississippi that they normally cannot get.
The request from the EOC director came less than a day after the Centers for Disease Control asked organizers or hosts to cancel events where 50 or more people would gather. That number was previously 250.
Locally schools are considering or adopting extended spring breaks, and athletic contests, like high school baseball games, have been postponed for at least a couple of weeks. Many churches canceled services on Sunday, March 15, with some using Facebook Live to stream their services.
The local courts are also facing a dilemma, as pulling residents in to form a jury is presently impeding the normal judicial process. Jones County Sheriff Joe Berlin shut down visitation to the county’s adult and juvenile detention centers last week. The supervisors are now considering on a daily basis what county-owned facilities can be opened for use by the public. Even the gun show scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22, at the Magnolia Center in Laurel may not be allowed to go on.
Sheffield, who said he is depending on the Mississippi State Department of Health and the CDC for guidance, said “We may get to December and not have a case in Jones County. I hope that’s the case.”
Right now, however, Sheffield, the supervisors and other county officials are taking precautions.
On another topic, the supervisors heard from Don Hartness, who recently moved to Jones County from Rankin County. Hartness asked that the board consider making Jones County a sanctuary county for 2nd Amendment (gun) rights. Hartness noted that a citizen’s right to bear arms is not a Republican or Democratic thing but a right of citizens to protect themselves and their property. The supervisors told Hartness that they will consider his proposal at a special session, which is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 26.
Another item the board will review at the special session is to implement, or not, additional permit requirements for heavy trucks traveling through the county. The supervisors initially broached the topic at their first March meeting, which was held in Ellisville.
The supervisors could establish new road “load” ratings and require more insurance on truckers. The potential new requirements would likely affect timber and poultry businesses the most. The supervisors want to hear from representatives from those industries before taking a vote on the matter. They are also studying what neighboring counties are implementing. Their consideration of the new requirements stems from damage being caused to county roads by the large equipment.
Other Action Taken by the Supervisors
*Approved travel for the MAPDD Conference from April 28 - May 1 in Biloxi.
*Gave Sheriff Joe Berlin’s department an additional $3,000 in “drug buy” money. The sheriff’s department has conducted 51 total drug buy cases this year. There were 42 such cases for the entire year of 2019, said Berlin.
*Approved project bids of $225,535 on Old Watermill Road (D&M Construction) and $87,774 on Moselle-Seminary Road (Wilco).
*Voted to amend the county’s employee handbook to include an administrative leave clause that would allow county employees to be paid during a time of emergency, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, if the county is forced to shut down its offices.