Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Greg Thomas announced Friday that Warren County will receive the $829,150 in discretionary funding it needs to repave a combined 14.4 miles on Hays Smiths Grove, Blue Level Providence and Old Green Hill roads.

Applause broke out when Thomas shared the news early during Warren Fiscal Court’s meeting.

“This is a little more than we expected and it’s certainly something we’re very proud of,” Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said after the meeting. “I know that the governor really emphasizes roads and transportation to and from places to work. The good thing is he also understands that you have to travel these county roads to get to work, to get your children to school safely.”

According to a KYTC document, 3.9 miles on Hays Smiths Grove Road are slated for repaving, as are 3.1 miles of Blue Level Providence Road and 7.4 miles of Old Green Hill Road.

Fiscal court also unanimously approved a contract Friday that will bring back the popular seasonal SOKY Ice Rink this winter. The $118,100 contract with Ice Rink Events calls for the rink to be set up at the SOKY Marketplace Pavilion from Nov. 21 to Jan. 5. Nikki Koller of the Department of Public Works said the rink will be staffed by seasonal workers under the oversight of Public Works, the Parks Department and SOKY Marketplace.

This will be the fourth year the county has offered the ice rink, which Buchanon said has proven more popular than initially anticipated.

In 2016, Ice Rink Events predicted that about 5,000 people would come to the rink during the first season, Buchanon said. By the time the first rink was taken down, more than 15,000 people used the rink.

“We’re more than pleased with the response that we’ve had the last three years,” Buchanon said.

In another matter, Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower announced that his office will begin conducting traffic safety checkpoints July 19.

“Maybe every third or fourth vehicle, we may be checking them just to make sure they’re in compliance with their operator’s license, insurance and not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol,” he said.

According to a news release from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the checkpoints “will be conducted in a manner to ensure each is clearly marked, staffed with sufficient personnel and designed to avoid unreasonable delays to motorists.”

The release indicates that checkpoints will be positioned at U.S. 68-Ky. 80 between Carl Jordan and Hays Lodge roads and Ky. 101 between U.S. 68-Ky. 80 and the Warren County line. The checkpoints will be manned by sheriff’s deputies from 8 p.m. to midnight through the remainder of July.

Buchanon said he supports the idea.

“I think it’s a positive thing. Hopefully it will help to make the county roads safer,” he said.

Fiscal court also approved a measure to advertise for four fire engines for the county’s volunteer fire departments.

Jason Duckett, chief of the Gott Fire Department, said the Browning, Alvaton, Smiths Grove and Richardsville fire departments will receive the new engines.

Mason Hamilton, chief of the Alvaton Fire Department, said the engines will all be custom-made, making the price difficult to estimate.

He also said the time required to build the trucks means it is likely the county won’t see them until next summer or later.

“If we award in September-ish, you’re looking at at least a 320-day build time, probably,” he said.