Cellular telephone service in Lawrence County should be improved soon.

The Traverse City, Mich., based Cellere is building two communications towers to service AT&T. Lawrence County Commissioner Jason Stephens said one tower is being built in the Getaway area and one in the Deering area. Stephens said a third tower to service the Scottown area may be built in the near future.

Cellular service is an issue for rural Lawrence Countians. With the exception of a roughly five-mile swath along the Ohio River, cell service is mostly non-existent. Area officials have pushed recently to change this, noting that lack of cell service is not only an inconvenience, but a safety issue as well.

“Rock Hill and Symmes Valley areas are still without service,” Stephens said.

At Thursday’s meeting, commissioners said they would study a request for additional funds from Lawrence County Sheriff Tim Sexton. Sexton said the rising cost of gasoline for cruisers, plus food and medicine for inmates — which he is required by state law to provide— has depleted his supplies account.

“Thru eight months the average monthly cost for these account items is $21,948,” Sexton said in his letter to the commission. He asked for $25,000.

“We’ll have to see where we can transfer some money,” Stephens said.

The commission also agreed to advertise for a part-time dog warden. Assistant Dog warden Shannon Neal took another job earlier this year; his brother, Wayne Neal, recently took disability, leaving only Dog Warden Bill Click.

The job will pay $9 an hour and is 20 hours a week. Applicants must undergo a background check and drug test.