The Overton County Health and Rehabilitation Center (OCHRC) held a meeting Thursday, August 15 and discussed salary increases and building progress.

Administrator Jennifer Bouldin brought the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) salary to discussion for the board.

“We would ask and recommend that we increase the starting salary. We’ve done a salary comparison around different counties, and we’re a little bit lower than other facilities,” Bouldin explained.

“We ask that we could at least come up to their starting salary and to get everyone up passed that and give all of our LPNs who are currently here a four percent increase,” she continued.

Board member Donna Savage explained that she knew several nurses, personally, that would love to work at OCHRC, but will not because of the starting salary.

“We have several nurses–hometown nurses that would love to work here, but they chose not to because of the pay,” Savage said.

“I called and asked what the starting pay was and the incentives for length of service and called Cookeville and other places, and we’re the lowest paying there is,” Savage added.

Board member Randall Boswell was concerned how the pay increase would affect the budget.

“We’ve got the money in there to pay it,” Bouldin assured.

“We have been diligent to save in areas that we can. We’ve made both of our bond payments, and we’ve closed our year and we’re still in the black,” she continued. “You can’t save money on staffing. There are areas to save money, and we work diligently to try and do that.

“I’d certainly think that we can afford to do it, or I wouldn’t be asking.”

Board member Boswell agreed.

“We have to stay competitive to stay open,” he said.

Savage went on to bring forth complaints she has heard about the facilities.

“The main complaints aren’t on the care–we’re short-handed,” Savage expressed. “We’re not going to get quality nurses.”

The current average salary for currently staffed LPNs is $16.36 per hour.

The board voted, unanimously, to raise the starting pay to $16 per hour and give currently staffed nurses a four percent increase.

In other business, building project manager Joey Coker joined the meeting via teleconference call to give updates on the building project.

“They will be starting underground utilities probably next week,” Coker informed the board.

“So far from my understanding we haven’t had any complaints about noise or dust from residents or anyone in the building,” he added. “We haven’t had any problems with traffic flow at the job site, which is good because we were a little worried about that in the beginning,” he continued.

“The project is still on budget and within schedule,” he said.

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Two missing juveniles have been reunited with family as of Saturday night, August 17.

Teens Mariah Kinzie and Logan Parry were reported missing the previous Friday and had last been seen at Livingston Academy. Both were reported as runaways.

Local law enforcement worked diligently in finding the two teenagers, using social media to spread the word about the two, who had last been seen Thursday, August 15.

Both have been returned home safe.

Livingston Police Chief Greg Etheredge said, “We found them Saturday night.” “They are safe and reunited with their families.”

No charges are planned on being filed in the incident, according to officials.