The Lincoln County Commissioners accepted a check for $3,442 from the Maine Municipal Association as a result of the county’s few losses and its loss prevention programs regarding Workers Compensation.

Carrie Kipfer, county administrator, said the check was the result of safety and wellness programs the county has been offering. Lincoln County isn’t alone in receiving the dividends. This year, the Workers Compensation Fund distributed almost $650,000 in dividends to participants, while the Property and Casualty Pool has paid out dividends of nearly $550,000 to MMA members.

Sheriff Todd Brackett said the jail count is now 31 inmates for Lincoln County to 47 for Sagadahoc; Waldo, Kennebec and Oxford counties, and state and federal inmates made up the balance of the jail’s population.

Commissioner Mary Trescot said she had received an email from Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry, explaining that because the state had not sent the expected amount from the State Inmate Support Fund, Sagadahoc County would be sending a smaller amount, $22,000 less. Merry said that he had overbudgeted the amount the state would provide, and that this was the first year he had had to try to anticipate the funding. In a phone call, Merry said that the state’s additional support of $2.25 million was split up based on population, and last year, the population was down in both Sagadahoc and Lincoln counties. During the last two months, Sagadahoc paid $209,707.35. Going forward, it will send $205,676.07 for the remaining ten months of the fiscal year.

Brackett recommended accepting the bids for two of the surplus vehicles still in the Sheriff’s Department’s fleet. Only one vehicle remains, a Crown Victoria cruiser.

Tod Hartung of the County EMA said the agency will hold an open house for HAM Radio enthusiasts on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lincoln County EMA building at 34 Bath Road. Demonstrations, questions and answers, and information about obtaining a HAM Radio license will be available. The goal is to obtain a number of amateur radio operators around the county to assist with information in the event of an emergency or natural disaster, when many other means of communication fail, Hartung said.  Anyone interested may attend. If under 18, a parent or guardian should attend as well.

The law library is still being revamped, and will likely be moved to the Probate Office, where it will be available to the public, giving the county space to store records in the basement.

The Maine State Library has received a grant to continue its newspaper digitalization process in the amount of $375,000, and will be transferring microfilm to a searchable digital format.

The county is still awaiting nominations from many towns or their agents for the Spirit of America awards. The award ceremony is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. Light refreshments will be offered after the awards are presented.

The state has sought meeting space on Oct. 20 for State Claims Commission hearings. Kipfer said the best location would be the EMA training room. The SCC also requested that a county commissioner sit on the commission during its deliberations, and Mary Trescot agreed to perform the duty. Kipfer said the state seeks to seize by eminent domain several parcels in Lincoln County: two in Southport, two in South Bristol, and one in the Boothbay/Edgecomb area.