Warren Scott DRUG FUNDS DISCUSSED — The disbursement of funds received through a lawsuit filed by the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office against makers and distributors of prescription opioids, again, was a topic at Tuesday’s Brooke County Commission meeting.

WELLSBURG — Brooke County commissioners said Tuesday they are still determining the best way to use funds awarded to the county from a series of settlements reached between the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office and makers and distributors of prescription opioids.

County Commissioner Stacey Wise presented applications for the funds that have been adopted in Weirton and Hancock, Ohio and Marshall counties for her fellow commissioners to consider.

She noted some ask applicants to describe the impact their use of the money would have on the drug epidemic, while some government entities have applied a scoring system to determine recipients.

Wise also suggested consulting those officials about what has been effective in disseminating the funds.

Since being awarded $1,130,329 between December 2023 and September, the commission has received several requests for the funds.

They have come from the following:

• The Brooke County Sheriff’s Department for crimefighting equipment.

• Healthways Inc. to raise awareness of its short-term drug abuse treatment program.

• West Virginia University Medicine to provide mental health services at its children’s outpatient center in Wheeling.

• The Brooke County Health Department and Emergency Management Agency for a prefabricated building for storage of equipment and materials needed for emergency situations.

On Tuesday, the commission learned a sheriff’s deputy will join the Brooke-Hancock-Weirton Drug Task Force and was asked to approve the hiring of another deputy to conduct the patrols that officer had done.

Capt. Kyler Ferguson of the sheriff’s department said there currently aren’t three candidates on the department’s Civil Service list, meaning individuals who tested for positions in the department.

He said for that reason, a Civil Service exam must be administered to replenish that pool of candidates.

Ferguson said the test can be taken online, which would save time.

The commissioners expressed some concern about funding the additional position and tabled the request.

Following the meeting, they confirmed pay and benefits for a sheriff’s deputy on the drug task force are still paid by the county.

Asked if the position could be paid from the opioid funds, Commissioners A.J. Thomas and Tom Diserio said they are concerned about using the temporary money for a long-term expense.

It was a concern Thomas expressed earlier when the sheriff’s department proposed using the money to purchase equipment that eventually would need to be replaced.

Wise has expressed concern that any use meet state guidelines she said are outlined in a document hundreds of pages long.

She said the commission is required to report on the money’s use to the West Virginia First Foundation, a private, nonprofit group established by the West Virginia Legislature to provide funds from the settlement to private and governmental entities.

Thomas said he has made contact with an individual familiar with grants that have been awarded by the West Virginia First Foundation who may be helpful.

Wise said private entities who have approached the commission also may apply for a grant from the foundation.

She also confirmed some counties have applied to the group for funds to supplement their own funds for objectives aimed at addressing the drug epidemic.

In other business, Brooke County Prosecuting Attorney Allison Cowden announced her office at the judicial annex will be named in honor of David B. Cross, who served as the county’s prosecuting attorney for 35 years, at a ceremony to be held at 3 p.m. Jan. 2.