County recognizes Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, hears pair of re-zoning request

At Monday morning’s regular county commission meeting, the county signed its annual proclamation designating September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. 

Though the Childhood Cancer Awareness Group of Coffee County is active year ‘round, in September, the Childhood Cancer Awareness Group of Coffee County becomes much more visible. September is when the group holds its fund-raisers for the year and really engages the public to raise awareness regarding the scourge that is childhood cancer.

Despite the group’s visibility, much of what they do is behind the scenes. Once they have a physician-signed diagnosis and treatment plan, members go to work. The group helps the child and the family with medical expenses, hotel stays, gas money, and so much more. The doctors’ visits and travel will often require a parent's full time attention, which is when the group will step in and help cover car payments, rent, groceries and any necessities the family may need assistance with at that time. 

The organization assists children not just from Coffee County, but any neighboring county as well. Currently, the group is servicing about eight kids from Coffee County and surrounding areas.

In other business, the commission also held the first readings for two re-zoning requests. The first was for 9.99 acres at 627 Woodcrest Road from Agricultural to Residential-Mix. The purpose of the request is to mobile homes on the property. County staff has recommended that this request be denied. The Planning Commission, however, has recommended that the county approve the request.

The second re-zoning request is 3.09 acres at 911 Redbud Road from R-2 Residential to Agricultural for the purpose of putting a single mobile home on the property. Staff and the Planning Commission both recommended approval.

The second readings, public hearing, and votes will be held at the October county commission meeting.

Commissioners also awarded the engineering services for the improvements that will be done at the soccer fields to Landcore Engineering of Douglas. This project is a part of the INODIC Grant in which the city is also participating. 

The commission also approved a quit claim deed for a 50-foot private drive adjacent to Pinecrest Drive in Douglas. This is behind the old Holiday Inn building south of town. Originally, there was a road planned at that location but those plans have since been scrapped. With this action, the county will be deeding that driveway to the Economic Development Authority.