T-L Photo/CARRI GRAHAM Monroe County commissioners accompany Linda Masters of the Monroe County Suicide Prevention Coalition on Monday as they hold a proclamation for National Suicide Prevention Week, observed Sept. 4-10. Pictured from left are Commissioner Mick Schumacher, Masters, and Commissioners Diane Burkhart and Bill Bolon.

WOODSFIELD — Monroe County officials are working to spread awareness amid National Suicide Prevention Week from Sept. 4-10.

Last week, the Monroe County Board of Commissioners signed a proclamation recognizing the week and the importance of suicide awareness in the county. According to the document, 36 residents of the county completed suicide in the last 10 years with 11 of those being military veterans.

“The suicide rate is the highest for adults 40-59 years of age; with men accounting for 83% of the deaths in Monroe County,” the proclamation states.

Following the reading and signing of the proclamation, Linda Masters of the Monroe County Suicide Prevention Coalition requested permission to place an information banner, posters and pinwheels on the couthouse lawn during the month of Septemnber.

“The banner will promote the hotline, the local crisis line and the crisis text line. We’d also like to have some posters that have the statistics,” she said.

Commissioners approved the request.

In the past, the coalition has held programs promoting suicide prevention outside the courthouse; however, due to the ongoing construction along the Woodsfield square they have decided to cancel the outdoor program this year. Instead, Masters said they plan to hold an awareness program for the local school district in October.

“They (the schools) have a speaker come in, and we’re going to kind of piggyback off of that to do some suicide prevention. Since we did have a teenager complete suicide last year – he was a member of the football team – we’ve talked to the athletic director, and they are really wanting to be a part of the educational event at the school,” she said.

Masters thanked Commissioners Diane Burkhart, Bill Bolon and Mick Schumacher for their support.

In other matters, commissioners reached out to Bob Allen, business manager of E.L. Robinson Engineering and consultant for the county, regarding a septic project at the Monroe County Jail. The project is in the works and includes the installation of an automatic bar screen to collect foreign materials that have been flushed down the commodes.

During the phone call, Schumacher asked for an update on the project and inquired when the next meeting will be held.

Allen apologized for the commissioners not being included in a previous meeting, which he said was just a “technicality.” He said he was unable to attend it due to having COVID-19 and sent an engineer to the meeting in his place.

Allen said they are ready to bid out the estimated $397,000 project. He said he would inform commissioners on the date of the next pre-bid meeting as soon as he receives the information.

Once bids are received, reviewed and a contractor is awarded, it should take around 12 weeks or more to complete. He said there are delays from the manufacturer with the parts, which has been a common occurrence among many other projects as well.

Also, commissioners made a motion to close the courthouse Monday in observance of Labor Day. Commissioners will next meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday inside the courthouse.