Members of the Alexander Rescue Squad’s Junior Rescue Competition Team were recognized at the October 6th meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners for their outstanding performance at the state level.
Terry Foxx, Captain of Alexander Rescue Squad & EMS, said the four-member team competed at the North Carolina Association of Rescue & EMS annual convention held September 6 in Fayetteville.
The team — comprised of Kade Church, Hunter Dancy, Wyatt Johnson, and Coley Whitener — earned second place in the state, finishing just two points shy of first place. In addition, they received the Chad Smith Spirit Award, marking the first time a junior team has ever received this distinction.
Foxx said they dedicated much of the summer to training alongside their senior advisors, Cole Sharpe and Riley Whitener, to sharpen their skills and strengthen their teamwork.
Board Chairman Marty Pennell presented lapel pins to the team members and congratulated them for representing Alexander County with skill and dedication.
“These young men have demonstrated exceptional teamwork, commitment, and leadership,” Pennell said. “They’ve made Alexander County proud, and we look forward to seeing them continue to grow as future first responders.”
In other business:
• Zack Shepherd, Vaya Community Relations Regional Director, presented a Vaya Health update to the board. Vaya is a public managed care organization that prioritizes whole-person health with three types of plans, including a Tailored Plan (Vaya Total Care), Medicaid Direct, and State Funding/Single Stream. Vaya helps clients manage services for mental health, substance use, intellectual and developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and more. In Alexander County, Shepherd said there are 1,022 Medicaid Direct clients and 902 Tailored Plan clients, totaling 1,924 local clients. He said the NC Department of Health and Human Services is preparing for the Rural Health Transformation Program with a goal of increasing access to care and improving health outcomes for more than 3 million rural residents in the state. Shepherd said the NC General Assembly has passed a “mini budget,” which includes $600 million in Medicaid funding; however, that funding falls below NCDHHS projections. Vaya is serving 22 of the 25 counties affected by Hurricane Helene, including Alexander. As part of the Hope4NC grant, residents in affected counties can call the 24/7 helpline at 1-855-587-3463 for free mental health services. Learn more at www.vayahealth.com.
• During the public comment period, Chad Lackey asked commissioners to consider offering a water tap fee discount for the current water project. The current tap fees total $4,777 for a ¾-inch meter. The county paid a portion of the tap fee on two previous water projects.
• Commissioners approved one budget amendment as presented by Interim County Manager Debra Bechtel. The amendment, which results in a net increase of $12,660 in general fund expenditures, increases the sheriff’s office budget for the use of State Unauthorized Substance Tax funds, budgets for a refund to the NC Department of Juvenile Justice for Juvenile Crime Prevention Council funds that were unspent, and increases the elections department budget for a Department of Homeland Security grant.
• Commissioners approved the consent agenda, which included tax abatements and adjustments totaling $13,960.40 and tax refunds totaling $1,488.67; minutes from the September 8th regular meeting, September 8th Consolidated Human Services Board meeting, and September 23rd special meeting; a line-item transfer report for September; a resolution authorizing the county attorney to initiate legal action to abate code violations; a contract with the North Carolina Department of Commerce for the Urgent Care of Mountain View project; a contract with Icard Architecture for additions to EMS Station #2 in Bethlehem; and a rewrite of the Alexander County Personnel Policy.
The next meeting of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners is set for Monday, November 3, at 6:00 p.m. at the CVCC Alexander Center for Education (room #103). Regular meetings are recorded and can be viewed on the county’s Government Channel on Spectrum channel 192 or the county’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/alexandercountync. Meeting agendas, minutes, videos, and more are available on the county’s website at alexandercountync.gov/commissioners.