It’s a new concept, Barton County Engineer Clark Rusco told the County Commission Monday morning. The idea behind the federally funding High Risk Rural Roads program is to stop accidents before they happen.
Rusco had applied for the grant funds which are funneled through the Kansas Department of Transportation to pay for upgrades on four major county corridors. These include: NW 50 Road from NW 30 Avenue to North Washington Avenue (near the KSNC television tower); NE 140 Road from NE 60 Avenue to NE 130 Avenue (near Odin); NW and NE 190 Road from NW 140 Avenue to NE 90 Avenue (in the Galatia-Beaver area); and SW 110 Avenue from West Barton County Road to SW 70 Road (near Pawnee Rock). 
In the past, Rusco said, this money funded projects based on past accident reports. Among these were the Boyd Road improvements north of Great Bend.
“But,now they are being more proactive,” he said. Federal traffic safety studies have noted that over half of all crashes occur because of the driver leaving the road and half of all crashes period occur on rural rods.
Also new is the idea of prioritizing the projects and tackling the lowest cost ones first, Rusco said. The idea is to eliminate as many potential dangers as possible.
Based on these reports, Barton County selected the above routes.
Barton County is sort of a test case, Rusco said. It is among the first counties to utilize the program.
Projects could include extending reinforced concrete box culverts, guardrails, earthwork and signage.
The maximum amount of the grant is $711,000. Under the agreement, the county will be responsible for 10 percent of the project. In addition, the County will be reimbursed for construction engineering costs. 
The county has federal funds left over from last year in an account at KDOT which can be used to cover the 10 percent match.
“It think this is a great program,” said commission Chairman Don Cates. He applauded Rusco and the efforts to secure the grant.
However, Commissioner Homer Kruckenberg voted against the measure. He said the “sign lobby” was constantly pushing to change regulations. “It’s wasteful.”
Even though this work has less to do with signs than other safety improvements, he still opposed the agreement. “I want to send a message.”
In other business Monday, the commission
• Approved a resolution marking October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Barton County. Given the number of victims touched by domestic violence, the importance of working with survivors and the need to hold perpetrators accountable, said Laura Patzner, executive director of the Family Crisis Center.
“Recognizing this month is really important to us,” Patzner said. Monday was designated as “paint the town purple” day to mark this event.
In the last reporting year, the center served 778 victims of domestic violence and offered shelter to 156 women. This is an increase over the previous year and part of an upward trend seen over the past six years.
The issue impacts not only the victims, but also their family and friends, Patzner said. “It is devastating to society as a whole.”
One in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes, she said. Victims deserve help and the abusers deserve punishment.
• Approved the a resolution making possible a transfer of funds from the general fund to Juvenile Services. Kansas law provides that juveniles may be required to pay a supervision fee to be used to fund community juvenile justice programs. In the past, Juvenile Services Director Laurie White said, this money went directly into the general fund. But, the law also allows for this money to go directly to juvenile programs on a quarterly basis. 
The funds will go to the School Truancy Alternative for Youth program which has seen funding cuts recently.
White said she had just become aware of this option.