Ohio Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor Monday afternoon handed local law enforcement a check for $54,000, and told them to keep up the good work.

For the sixth consecutive year, the Lawrence County Drug-Major Crime Task Force is getting a Byrne grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services to identify, arrest and prosecute drug traffickers and offenders of serious drug crimes.

"We select programs with a proven track record, and have a unique need," O'Connor said. "Lawrence County qualifies on both counts."

O'Connor said while the state does not have a quota on the number of arrests an agency must make to receive the grant, the number of both felony and misdemeanor drug arrests is taken into consideration.

The fact that Lawrence County is bordered by West Virginia and Kentucky, and must work closely with law enforcement agencies in those areas.

In accepting the check on behalf of the task force, Lawrence County Sheriff Tim Sexton said the money will be used to pay the salaries of officers working on drug investigations, equipment for surveillance, and confidential payouts.

O 'Connor praised the teamwork of the various agencies involved, saying "the local task force is an example of what can be accomplished collectively."

The task force is comprised of the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, Ironton, Coal Grove, Hanging Rock and South Point police departments, Bureau of Criminal Investigations Narcotics Bureau, Department of Human Services Fraud Division, Ohio State Highway Patrol Post 44.