By Peggy Laizure

Transcript Staff Writer

Cleveland County Commissioners on Monday thanked Don Holyfield for serving as interim sheriff for the past eight months.

Holyfield was appointed when DeWayne Beggs retired last April. Joe Lester, elected this November will take office this week.

“I would like to thank Sheriff Holyfield,” said Commissioner Rod Cleveland. “Even though we had a few disagreements, I appreciate how he stepped up.”

Holyfield, a former Norman police chief, took the position and promised commissioners he would not seek election to the post.

District 3 Commissioner Rusty Sullivan and District 2 Commissioner George Skinner both agreed with Cleveland and Skinner also thanked assistant district attorney Jeff Virgin for sitting in for David Batton.

Capt. Ed Miller, jail administrator reported an average of 220 inmates in the county detention center the week of Dec. 16-22. Fifty-four of those live outside of Cleveland County.

A maintenance agreement between the county treasurer and Stanley Convergent Security Solutions, Inc. for a video surveillance system in the treasurer’s’ office was tabled again.

Holyfield told commissioners there are two systems operating independently of the recently installed courthouse security system, one in the court clerk’s office and the treasurer’s office. He said the court clerk’s office is already tied in and Saundra DeSelms, county treasurer, had no problem as long as they could monitor the system from her office.

Sullivan said Capt. Mobley, (courthouse security), agreed it probably would work.

In other business, commissioners:

• Accepted and will award bids later for bulk oils, lubricants and antifreeze for the county with multiple vendors.

• Approved claims for bridge inspection and repairs to three bridges and including one over Buckhead Creek in the amount of $575.50 and $18,450.

• Renewed a yearly contract between the Cleveland County Health Department and Norman Regional Health System to provide chest x-rays to diagnose and control tuberculosis.