By law, road maintenance, ditch cleaning and other such issues are the jurisdiction of the county engineer.

But Lawrence County Commissioners will tell you they frequently field such phone calls anyway, and play emissary between residents and the engineer's office. Now, the commission will keep formal tabs on how many requests for assistance they get.

"I want a log on all projects that people ask to be done, and when they're finished, we'll check them off," Commissioner George Patterson said in proposing the plan. "This is so we know where they're at with it (the work)."

At Thursday's meeting, the commission agreed to forward to the engineer's office a request from a Hog Run Road resident who said

his portion of the road needs a ditch before water backs up

on his property and ruins his septic system. They also forwarded a complaint about a tree overhanging County Road 230. "The tree was struck by lightning and it's about to fall over the road," Commissioner Jason Stephens said.

In other matters, the commission agreed to fulfill a request by the Veterans Services Office to add $3,000 to that agency's Emergency Assistance account.