WEST ALEXANDRIA — The final portion of the application process for the wastewater treatment plant for West Alexandria has been sent onto the state, according to Mayor Carol Lunsford.

During a council meeting on Monday, June 18, Lunsford updated council on the application process. After receiving more than 200 applications, the village qualified for low to moderate income. The final application has been sent through Preble County onto the state.

Lunsford added, during a recent house fire in Eaton, she observed neighbors serving first responders with water, noting that Preble County is a great place to live.

She asked Police Chief Tony Gasper about rumored drug activity and any misconception people may have regarding when they can approach a suspect.

He said, “I am sure that some of you are curious to what we are doing about that. So, I just put together a few tallies showing what we have done the last few weeks. I’m sure anyone who is in that area has seen us, in those drug areas, we are there constantly.”

“Just to let you know what we have done the past three weeks, these are the charges we have made based on the drug related areas and the known drug users,” he reported. “We have one armed robbery charge, one protection order violation, one complicity to robbery, one complicity to theft, three drug use instruments, two warrants, three possessions of drug, one theft, one license plate confiscation, two vehicle impounds, three related citations to similar areas, and two open investigations.”

Councilwoman Holly Robbins asked, “How do you feel about a neighborhood watch program?”

“I am all for it,” Chief Gasper responded. “I tried to start one a few years ago. If anybody wants to start a Neighborhood Watch Program, come see me and we will go online, get the literature they need to do that, and then we can start training them on what will help us.

“I’m sure some of you have seen the Facebook posts. I’m not against it, but I’m not for it. They’re making assumptions when they post stuff, and that really doesn’t help us as a police department, but if we can train people to be good observers, that could help us make more charges.”

In upcoming events, West Alexandria will be celebrating the Fourth of July with the annual lighted parade and car show at Peace Park. The next regular meeting will be held on Monday, July 16, at 7 p.m. in the EMS building.