| A resource
for county services and other community info is now just a click
away.
Owen County officials launched a new Web site Tuesday that will
feature government phone numbers, forms, ordinances and other
information, as well as links and information for other local
points of interest.
The site, www.owencounty.ky.gov, will serve as a centralized resource
to contact many agencies in the county, including Fiscal Court,
sheriff’s department, Rescue Squad, building inspector and
dog warden, along with the Chamber of Commerce and other local
groups.
“Everything connected with county government, if we don’t
have it on the Web, we hope to,” said Owen County Judge-Executive
Billy O’Banion.
O’Banion began working on the site about a year ago. He
then enlisted the help of Naomi Cornette, chief information officer
for the Owen County School District, last spring. She in turn,
found help from a group of Owen County High School students enrolled
in STEP (Student Technology Entrepreneurial Program).
Cornette brainstormed with a group of others to determine what
information should be posted on the site.
She said she relied heavily on the “This is Owen County”
booklet, published annually by The News-Herald for inspiration
on what to include.
“As a citizen of Owen County, what is it that I need to
know?” she said. “And that helped drive what we put
in there.”
The students helped compose the Chamber of Commerce section on
the Web site. They will also update the site.
Cornette will oversee the group and approve all changes and updates
before they go online.
She cautions that the site, still in its early stages, may inadvertently
be missing some information.
She said anyone with suggestions about additions or changes should
contact her or O’Banion.
“We tried to be all-encompassing,” she said. “I’m
sure we missed someone and we’re going to hear about it.
And that’s OK.”
The site is meant to benefit tourists interested in visiting the
area, newcomers to the community and existing citizens.
O’Banion said he hopes to include more information on the
site in the future, such as forms for the building inspector’s
office; and he hopes the site will also help promote the community
on the Internet.
Cornette, who was modest in explaining her contributions to the
site, said the design template was provided by the state.
She said the first stage of her role focused on helping decide
what to include on the site, then putting the information on there.
The next phase will focus on its aesthetics.
“Fancy it up,” she said, “Give ‘em some
pictures and show how pretty it is here. Show that living in Owen
County is a good thing.”
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