Giving to the Guard

By Staff
Jason Houston FCT Managing Editor
The Franklin County Commission did its part Monday to help make a monument to Russellville's National Guard unit a reality.
Skip Nichols, a local resident helping to raise funds for a Veterans Park project at the Franklin County Archives, was presented a $500 check from the commission at Monday's meeting.
According to Sheriff Larry Plott, however, the local guard unit may not exist for much longer.
Plott and Sen. Roger Bedford told the commission there has been discussion about the federal government eliminating all signal battalions, which would eliminate the 115th, based locally and currently serving in Iraq.
The commission passed a resolution asking the county's legislative delegation to work to prevent that from happening.
Also Monday, the commission approved the purchase of two weather sirens for East Franklin and Red Bay. The sirens will cost the county around $32,000. The money comes from a federal grant the county will match with 25 percent.
In other business, the commission: