During the Commissioners’ meeting last week, Eric Coldren of Mifflintown Hose Co. No. 1 requested a letter of support from Commissioners in applying for a $1 million loan share account grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Commonwealth

Financing Authority.

While the fire company already received one grant for $1 million, Coldren clarified last week that ladder trucks range in cost from $1.8 million to $2.1 million and that the fire company needs additional funding.

Coldren noted Tuesday that he gathered price quotes, which determined that a new ladder truck would cost closer to $2.3 million.

Coldren noted that it could take up to five years to secure funding and purchase the ladder truck.

Commissioners also issued a proclamation Tuesday that Oct. 19 through Oct. 23 is Business Women’s Week.

Lynlee Richmond of Juniata County Business and Professional Women accepted the proclamation and shared information about her organization.

Business and Professional Women of Pennsylvania is a statewide organization with more than 1,100 members in 42 local organizations and 10 districts throughout the state.

“We are a leading advocate for working women in our state, focusing on all issues that touch women’s lives and sponsor programs and scholarships to improve women’s lives and careers,” said Richmond.

“At our local level here in Juniata County, we work to advocate for issues related to business women in our area (i.e equal pay) as well as get the community involved and bring awareness to our (Business and Professional Women of Pennsylvania) state project.”

Juniata County Business and Professional Women’s 2025 project focuses on a hunger-free Pennsylvania.

The organization will support the Juniata County Food Pantry with its first event at a food drive to be held at Schlegel’s Grocery & Hardware in Thompsontown from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

“In celebration of National Business Women’s Week, our plan is to share on Facebook each day the story of a successful woman (both past and present) who led Fortune 500 companies to success,” Richmond said.

Commissioners also:

-Approved hiring Trey Lauver as a Juniata County Probation Officer. Lauver replaces Taylor Gingrich, who resigned effective as of the end of business on Sept. 19, 2025;

-Accepted the resignation of Naomi King, administrative assistant within the Juniata County Commissioners’ Office, as well as the resignation of Danny Martin from the Juniata County Board of Assessment Appeals;

-Approved the September 2025 departmental reports for the Assessment Office, as well as the monthly summary of collections report submitted by MDJ Powell’s Office and the quarterly expenditure report submitted by the Juniata Children & Youth Office;

-Ratified the CDBG-IDIS check as submitted by the Juniata County Planning and Community Development Department for Mid Atlantic Storage Systems, in the amounts of $7,300.84 and $91,144.31;

-Approved a change in compensation for Steven Russell for successful completion of a six-month probationary period as County Administrator/Chief Clerk for Juniata County.