By Morgan Bryce
Opelika Observer

The Lee County Commission voted last Tuesday to rename the Lee County Meeting Center on Tenth Street after Vietnam War veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Bennie Adkins.
The special guest of Commissioner Johnny Lawrence, Adkins spoke to those present and relayed his interpretation of Memorial Day.
“A memorial day service is designed to honor the ones who paid the ultimate sacrifice in life. I would like to extend that honor to the men and women today who are protecting our way of life. To me, this is what Memorial Day is all about,” Adkins said.
Lawrence proposed a motion to rename the Lee County Meeting Center the “Bennie Adkins Meeting Center.”
“I’m going to make a proposal to the county commission that will also be in the form of a motion that we, in light of the fact that education, having the ability to hold meetings and bringing people together is such an important part of what the armed forces were about that we name the Lee County Meeting Center across from the courthouse the Benny Adkins Meeting Center,” Lawrence said. “It can be a place where we continue to grow, continue to come together, so we can protect ourselves and our way of life.”
The motion was passed unanimously.
In other news, many concerned residents of Lee Road 246 voiced their concerns about the road’s safety. Problems with dust, narrow lanes and poor maintenance were among many of the issues brought up, but the main thing in question was why the road has not been paved.
“According to a policy passed by the commission in 2010, the county no longer paves or re-paves roads that have not previously been paved. And that appears to be the case with Lee Road 246,” said Probate Judge and commission chairman Bill English.
Jason Mitchell queried the commission about what could be done to improve the road.
“What is the solution to our problem? What can we do to get a little more maintenance on the road? If water fills up the ditch and runs back in the road you ain’t doing nothing but washing the road away,” Mitchell said.
County engineer Justin Hardee assured the residents that their road is one on a long list of many in the county that needs to be redone.
In other business, the council:
-approved the renaming of a bridge on Lee Road 375.
-heard the Annual Final Report of Litigations and Insolvencies from Lee County Revenue Commissioner Oline Price.
-heard and approved a request of resources from the Opelika Board of Registrars.
-approved a LRCOG Property Transfer Request.
-tabled a liquor license application from the Rockin’ Robin Bar and Grill.
-approved a variance request by the Haley Woods subdivision.
-approved an Adopt-A-Mile application on Lee Road 240.