Commissioners on Aug. 11 approved the Crawford County Opioid Fund Disbursement Board recommendations.

The board recommended two applications from Invent Yourself. One application requested $8,771.25 for a program by Dr. Sean Siebert that is proposed for the Bourbon Middle School. The focus of the program is on behavioral health issues to help reduce factors leading to substance abuse disorders. The program also includes teacher training, and the costs are for materials and program licenses.

The other application from Invent Yourself was for $7,665 was to continue another Siebert program, which helps provide materials to recovering addicts on dealing with grief without turning to substance abuse.

Recommended rejected applicants included:

• Hope House Ministries for $44,800. Funds were for housing, transportation, vehicles and salaries, but their housing location is in Franklin County.

• Meetopolis, who requested $45,000 for providing support and recovery services remotely over the internet, lacks local person-to-person counseling services and is a new company without a proven record.

• The local 4-H also requested $40,000 to fund a part-time employee salary who would teach local students in leadership skills, mentorship and goal achievement to help reduce substance abuse. However, the request was rejected because the program does not fund salaries.

A motion to accept all the Opioid Board’s recommendations was approved with a 3-0 vote.

Presiding Commissioner Steve Black announced that they received an initial $77,000 check from their insurance agency for a fire that occurred on May 31 in a county building that formerly housed the Cuba Bakery & Deli. To pay for any additional construction on the building, they are required to submit any invoices they receive so the insurance company can pay the county.

District 2 Associate Commissioner Jared Boast gave a small update on the Smith Road bridge. He didn’t have an exact date, but said that construction on the bridge should begin in the fall, possibly sometime right after Labor Day. Completion is expected before the end of the year.

The county needed to renew its Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) membership. A motion to sign a basic membership with MRPC for $10,149.30 was approved with a 3-0 vote.

Continuing the discussion from the July 28 meeting about 18-wheelers on Old Springfield Road, Boast said that he has been working with the city of Cuba on how to provide additional signage, as well as discussing a possible joint venture to create a turnaround spot.

In other business, Treasurer Karen Sikes said that sales tax for the month of July was up 5.74 percent compared to last year. There is also one more CD that the county has with Raymond James that is set to mature in September.