Thanks for a job well done.

The Lawrence County Commission Thursday agreed to send thank you letters to both the Lawrence County Engineer’s Office and the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Lawrence County garage for work this week to clear the roadways after snowfall.

“They got out there and fought it,” said Commissioner Doug Malone, who suggested the letters be sent.

Also at Malone’s behest, the commission agreed to send a letter to the fire departments and other emergency services personnel who responded Monday to the fatal fire in Miller, commending them for their service to the family and to the community.

“People in the EMS and the firefighters, it’s an unbelievable job they have to go and do sometimes, and it has to be stressful,” Malone said.

On Monday morning, four-year-old Paige Holley and her brother, three-year-old Travis Holley, Jr., died when their mobile home caught fire. Their mother, Amanda Holley and her youngest child, seven-month-old Brooke Holley, escaped the blaze. The mother tried to return to the burning structure to rescue her other two kids but with the home in flames, was unable to do so.

Authorities have said the fire was likely accidental but have not yet ruled on an exact cause.

Firefighters from several area departments were called to the fire, as were sheriff’s deputies and paramedics who all worked in sub-freezing temperatures.

Thursday’s meeting was at times contentious, with both members of the auditor’s office and treasurer’s office defending their stances on different issues that have recently surfaced. Malone said all county workers “ do need to cooperate, everyone, together. We’ve got to bend a little bit to make it work.”