By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Two retirements: Officer Eder and Karma
Florence City Council agreed to declare Police Canine Karma as surplus property at its regular council meeting this week.
Karma’s handler, Officer BJ Eder, is retiring on December 31, and if Karma is surplus property, he can retire with his handler.
Mayor Diane Whalen said that Karma is so much more than surplus property but that’s what he has to be recognized as.
Police Chief Tom Grau said that Karma is one of four police canines in the city, and they are all cross-trained in apprehension and drug seizure calls.
The department will get another dog in the spring so that they have two dogs on evening shift and two on night shift. Once a handler is determined, that officer will go to the Shallow Creek Kennels in Pennsylvania and be matched to a dog, usually either a German Shepherd or a Malinois.
The new dog and his handler should be ready to go in the city by June 2023.
New members of Florence Fire Department
Fire Chief Rodney Wren presented four new employees to be sworn in by Mayor Diane Whalen at the December meeting. Firefighter/Paramedic Jacob Worley, Firefighter/EMT Christian Ritchie, Firefighter/EMT Timothy McElveen and Firefighter/Paramedic Jacob Shafer all took the oath of office to be part of the Florence Fire Department.
Praise for two firefighters
Two other firefighters received praise for their actions in September in getting a stroke patient to the hospital in a record 28 minutes.
Betty McGee, Clinical Education Specialist from St Elizabeth Hospital said Firefighter/Paramedic Candice Biltz and Firefighter/EMT Jimmy Rose provided one of the fastest times ever in their readings.
The program is called Target Stroke, and it is put on by the American Heart Association. St Elizabeth Hospital is rewarding those who can recognize the signs of stroke and get the patient to lifesaving medicine before the stroke can damage the brain.
This is the second time this year Florence firefighters were honored.
Council passed a municipal order approving a purchase agreement between the city of Florence and the owner of a strip mall on Main street in Florence which was built in the late 1960’s/early 1970’s.
Development Director Joshua Hunt said the strip mall was built when there wasn’t an emphasis on detention requirements, so there has been some water flow problems on the concrete, and the only solution is to tear down the entire strip mall and let the grass take over for awhile.
He said next spring council will master plan what to do with the 1.05 acres.
Toy drive Saturday
There will be a toy drive on Saturday, December 17 in front of Walmart in Florence held by the Fire Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All the toys have to be new and unwrapped.
The toys will go to the Boone County Family Resource Center to ensure children have at least one present under the tree.
Santa will be present.
Photos by Patricia A. Scheyer