Commission meeting in special session to address animal concerns
The Mercer County Commission is meeting in special session on Monday, April 7, starting 6 p.m. at the Mercer County Courthouse to discuss animal control issues. The meeting will be held in the courtroom of Circuit Court Judge William Sadler.
A large population of homeless dogs and cats keeps the Mercer County Animal Shelter's kennels and cages full. This ongoing situation has been illustrated last year and this year by the multiple times the shelter has had to declared a Code Red status when its facilities get too full. Code Reds are declared when the shelter may have to consider euthanasia to make more space if not enough dogs are adopted or transported to out-of-state rescue organizations. The shelter has held adoption events with lower fees to help pets find homes.
County residents have appeared before the commissioners about stray dogs causing problems such as digging into trash and threatening people.
Sheriff Alan Christian said after the county commission's March 27 meeting that his department picks up dogs suffering abuse and neglect, but the department's humane officers could not pick up stray dogs. Humane officers are not tasked with picking up strays. Dog wardens have this job, but Mercer County does not have one at this time.
Commissioner Greg Puckett said the animal shelter works to make space for homeless pets, but the fact that the county has so many stray dogs means that emptied dog runs are filled again as soon as canines are adopted.
The county has problems addressing dog issues due to a lack of regulations. Puckett said that in one instance, an owner in Matoaka has over 50 dogs.
Christian said the public can share ideas about the shelter and animal control with him.
'I have pretty much an open-door policy,' Christian said. 'If they catch me here, I'm happy to talk to them about anything in the community. Not just dogs. You name it, that's what I'm here for.'
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
American Military News
20 hours ago
- American Military News
Pics: 1,600-year-old Christian church warning uncovered
Archaeologists recently uncovered a mysterious 1,600-year-old warning inscribed at the entrance of an ancient Christian church in Olympus, an abandoned city located in Turkey. According to Fox News, Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency in Turkey, confirmed that the discovery was made during a recent excavation at Olympus, which is located in the country's Antalya province. The outlet noted that while continued excavations have taken place in Olympus since 2006, a recent excavation operation resulted in archaeologists discovering multiple mosaic floors in the abandoned city. Excavator Gokcen Kurtulus Oztaskin, a professor at Pamukkale University, told Anadolu Agency that Olympus 'continues to surprise' archaeologists. 'We discovered beautifully decorated mosaic floors in both the main hall and annex of the church,' Oztaskin stated. 'Most notably, a mosaic inscription was found directly in front of the entrance, with the phrase: 'Only those on the right path may enter.'' READ MORE: 1,600-year-old settlement discovered with Roman military artifacts The excavator and professor added that archaeologists discovered 'richly decorated mosaic floors' at the Olympus excavation in 2017, 2022, and 2023 before uncovering and restoring the 'floor mosaics of Church No. 1.' Pictures of the recent archaeological discovery have been shared on X, formerly Twitter. 🇹🇷 'ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS MAY ENTER': 1,600-YEAR-OLD CHRISTIAN WARNING UNEARTHED IN TURKEY In the ruins of ancient Olympos, archaeologists just uncovered a fifth-century church with a chilling message carved at its entrance: 'Only those on the righteous path may enter here.'… — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 4, 2025 According to Fox News, the mosaics recently discovered by archaeologists also featured the names of various benefactors as well as vegetable motifs. Fox News reported that the warning inscribed on the mosaic found at the entrance to the church in Olympus has not been seen since the city was abandoned by the 12th century. Fox News reported that Olympus features Roman, Byzantine, and Hellenistic architecture, as the city was inhabited for several centuries before it was abandoned by the 12th century. The outlet noted that notable discoveries at Olympus have included the Lycian Marcus Aurelius Archepolis Monumental Tomb, the Bishop's Palace, and the Antimakhos sarcophagus. Other archaeological discoveries at Olympus have included a bridge, a city entrance complex, and multiple church buildings. Looking toward future archaeological excavations at Olympus, Oztaskin said, 'At the end of last season, we identified ashlar masonry walls that suggest the presence of a monumental temple. Based on its layout and construction technique, this area will be a major focus of our 2025 excavation program.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Ancient Christian church reveals mysterious 1,600-year-old warning to nonbelievers: ‘Only the righteous'
Advertisement Archaeologists in Turkey recently excavated the ruins of a millennia-old city, revealing a fifth-century Christian church with a message that hasn't been seen in over 1,000 years. The excavation took place at Olympus, an ancient Lycian port city in Turkey's Antalya province, according to Anadolu Agency (AA), a state-run news outlet in Ankara. The city has been excavated continuously since 2006, but during the recent season, archaeologists uncovered multiple mosaic floors, along with large storage jars called pithoi. Excavator Gokcen Kurtulus Oztaskin, an associate professor at Pamukkale University, told AA that the site 'continues to surprise us with its mosaics.' Advertisement The professor noted that 'in 2017, 2022 and 2023, we discovered richly decorated mosaic floors at the sites we worked on. This year, we uncovered and restored the floor mosaics of Church No. 1.' 4 During the recent season, archaeologists uncovered multiple mosaic floors, along with large storage jars called pithoi. Anadolu via Getty Images The most striking discovery was an inscription found at Church No. 1's entrance. Oztaskin translated the message as: 'Only those on the righteous path may enter here.' Advertisement Olympus was abandoned by the 12th century — meaning the inscription has not been seen since. 4 The most striking discovery was an inscription found at Church No. 1's entrance. Anadolu via Getty Images The mosaics also featured vegetable motifs, a common artistic element of the era. The names of benefactors were also visible on the mosaics, indicating that an affluent class once flourished in Olympus. Advertisement Excavators also found a newly uncovered building that resembles a temple, though more work will be done to determine its age and function. 4 Oztaskin translated the message as: 'Only those on the righteous path may enter here.' Anadolu via Getty Images Olympus was in use for several centuries. It still bears some remnants of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine architecture. Archaeologists have uncovered multiple churches, a bridge and an entrance complex. They also found the Bishop's Palace, the Antimakhos sarcophagus and the Lycian Marcus Aurelius Archepolis Monumental Tomb. 4 The mosaics also featured vegetable motifs, a common artistic element of the era. Anadolu via Getty Images The discoveries come on the heels of several recent breakthroughs in early Christian archaeology. Advertisement Earlier this spring, an archaeologist uncovered an ancient Christian settlement in Jordan known as Tharais. Last year, historians unveiled the earliest-known evidence of Christianity north of the Alps, in the form of a silver inscription.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews mobilized emergency aid for Syrian minorities
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has mobilized emergency aid for Druze and Christian communities in Syria's Sweida region (Video: The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.)
