The Mingo County Commission received an update on the efforts made by Mingo County 911 to make sure emergency services will be able to reach those in need in a timely fashion.

Jarrod Fletcher and Dedra Carr with Mingo 911 explained that the mapping is nearing completion.

Carr explained the county is working with the US Postal Service to ensure all homes make it into the county’s computer system.

‘We will be able to see where someone is calling from and know who they are when they call 911,” Carr said.

She said workers were going out into the county and leaving cards at addresses to help make sure everyone was in the system.

The Commission gave the Delbarton Volunteer Fire Department $2500 to be used as matching funds for a grant the department is receiving to purchase new equipment, as well as donating $2500 to the Town of Matewan to help pay production costs for the reenactment of the Matewan Massacre. The play is a dramatization of the famous mine wars that culminated in a shoot out in Matewan which led to unionization of local coal mines.

“It is a great play they put on,” Commissioner Greg Hootie Smith said. “It really helps preserve the local culture.”

A group of citizens from the Matewan area, along with Matewan Mayor Shelia Kessler, addressed the Commission about what they feel are very questionable methods used by the Mingo County Democratic Executive Committee to choose poll workers for the election to be held this May. The Executive Committee meeting, those from the Magnolia District say, was held with little prior notice, which is in conflict with the state’s Sunshine Law, which says plans and agendas for meeting should be posted in so those who wish to can make plans to attend.

The lack of publicity is just one of the issues brought before the MCC, which the Daily News is investigating. Full coverage of that meeting and the results of our investigation will be featured in Friday’s edition.