COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Branch County Board of Commissioners gave their formal approval on Tuesday for the Sheriff’s Department to implement a K-9 program at the jail.
The dog will be used for contraband only.
Branch County Jail Administrator Fred Blankenship told the Commissioners during their work session Thursday that a private donation is making it possible to bring the program back.
The handler class will cost $5,000. Half of the money will come out of a jail training fund with the other half coming out of the inmate commissary fund. Blankenship said there would no general fund money spent except for overtime.
They also approved a pair of requests from the Prosecutors Office to fill the vacant child support coordinator and misdemeanor clerk positions. A pair of requests from the Commission on Aging to keep the bookkeeper position at 40 hours a week and to hire a part time contracted maintenance assistant were also approved.
Three long time county employees were honored with plaques during Tuesday’s meeting. They were Doug Patterson for his 20 years with Corrections, Bill Hudson for his 25 years with juvenile and probation and Flip Johnson for his 40 years in District Court and probation.
