Review Team Examines Courthouse Security Strengths, Weaknesses

  Security strengths and weaknesses of the Buchanan County Courthouse were the focus of an outside evaluation last week as three members of a security task force appointed by the governor visited the county.
  Darryl Smith, of the Patrick County Sheriff’s Department; Kevin France, of the Bristol Sheriff’s Department and State Police Trooper David Olinger visited the Buchanan County Courthouse Wednesday and Thursday as part of the courtroom security initiative being conducted statewide in cooperation with the Virginia General Assembly, the National Sheriff’s Association, the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, the Virginia Community Policing Institute and the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission.
  France noted that visits similar to the one conducted in Buchanan County last week are being conducted in courthouses around the state at the request of either the sheriff or circuit judges.
  "It’s meant to be an evaluation tool to help identify security needs," France said. "The recommendations we make go to the General Assembly to enable them to look at the needs of individual localities."
  In some localities that may be additional courtroom staff and in that instance, the General Assembly will receive the information and be able to adjust compensation board figures for localities to provide the additional staffing recommended.
  "Our job is to help," France said.
  In assessing needs, the three-man team said they look at the physical layout of the courtrooms, how people enter and exit those areas and the courthouse as well as exterior access and layout.
  "We have a 63-page checklist to go by," said Smith, who was the lead assessor on the Buchanan review team.
  This is the first year the security initiative has been undertaken and France and Smith noted that localities are assigned to review teams based in part on the team’s familiarity with similar localities.
  The review teams go through intensive training designed to show them what to look for in the way of potential security flaws and what might be done to correct them.

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School Wellness Policy Adopted

   School vending machines are likely to have healthier foods for sale in the coming year due to the adoption on first reading of a school wellness policy by the Buchanan County School Board last month.
  South Grundy School Board Member David Thornbury made the motion to approve the policy as presented in the packet of information provided to school board members. The vote was unanimous.
  The new policy uses nutrition guidelines from the USDA to determine foods available on school campuses during the school day in an effort to promote student health and to reduce childhood obesity.
  "Nutrition guidelines will be based on nutritional goals, not profit motives," the new policy notes.
  The policy strives to decrease fat and added sugars and to moderate portion size of individual foods or beverages sold in the school environment, including those foods sold in the cafeteria; those sold in vending machines or at snack bars, school stores and concession stands; those foods and beverages sold as part of school-sponsored activities; and refreshments served at parties, celebrations and meetings during the school day.
  The policy recognizes the "critical role" schools play in promoting student health and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity.
  "Buchanan County Schools are committed to providing a comprehensive program that promotes and protects children’s health, well-being and ability to learn by supporting health eating and physical activity," the policy notes.
  As a result, it proposed goals for nutrition education, physical activity and other school-based activities and nutrition guidelines.
  It begins with instruction in the classroom from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, with students receiving nutrition education information that teaches them the skills they need to adopt and maintain healthy eating behaviors.
  Nutrition education is also available in the school cafeterias with coordination between the food service staff and other school personnel, including teachers, the policy notes.

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