In any community, it’s a difficult job to protect and serve. In fact there have been many lives lost in the line of duty over the years. Since the first recorded death of a policeman in 1791, more than 19,000 law enforcement officers in the United States have made the ultimate sacrifice. These tragedies have touched communities across the country, including the local community.
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Dennis Debbaudt introduced a multitude of good ideas during his Safety and Risk Management training session in March. Debbaudt, the leading voice on autism training for law enforcement and first responders, spoke at the Bellaire Public Library as part of Parents for Autism Community Education’s (PACE) ongoing training and informational sessions.
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Computers little bigger than a credit card can connect users with banks, entertainment, recipes for dinner, employment and each other-in the time it takes to “click.” National statistics state that of children 8 to 12 years old, 87 percent use the Internet; 51 percent are on the internet daily; 45 percent use cell phones; 38 percent use text messaging; 75 percent use Internet instant messaging; 81 percent play games on the Internet. Statistics also relate that one in 17 children is bullied or threatened online, and one in four is exposed to sexually explicit materials online without asking for them.
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The Belmont County Sheriff’s Office is poised to end the year with a payroll surplus in excess of $100,000, just one year after a financial crunch in 2009 led the department to exhaust its budget by mid-year. While the sheriff’s office was forced to lay off several workers last year in the wake of the financial crisis, a tighter ship has been sailing forward this year, employees have been brought back to work and the department has continued operating in the black.
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Styrofoam plates are no longer used at the Belmont County Jail, and officials said the move has saved county taxpayers $23,000 this year. And more savings could happen in the future if they are permitted to serve Kool-Aid to inmates in place of one of their three daily required servings of milk, they said.
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