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The Board of Osage County Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse in Pawhuska for a regularly scheduled meeting and received a lot of good news.

Osage County Tourism Executive Director Kelly Bland was at the meeting giving her monthly report and said the county is seeing a growth in lodging. Bland announced that lodging accommodations should be coming to Fairfax at the beginning of the year and another one east of Pawhuska as well. Bland has also talked to the media department at Oral Roberts University about possible promotional opportunities to highlight Osage County.

Terry Loftis of J&L Associates LLC was at the meeting giving an update on the amount of asbestos found in the Bighill Furniture Store and the Johnson Building. Loftis said they found asbestos in the Johnson Building, but it wasn't enough to stop it from being torn down. There was no asbestos or other hazardous material found in the Bighill Furniture Store.

The commissioners could have made the decision to choose a firm to tear the Bighill Furniture Store down, but they chose to wait and get more information. The movie, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” could be filming in downtown Fairfax. If they do, the filmmakers may assist financially in tearing the building down.

District Two Commissioner Kevin Pasley had a desire to advertise for the purchase of a 2006, or newer, vactor truck that the county would be able to use. This is a truck that has a pump attached to it and it is used to clean out sewers. He estimates that the truck will cost between $40,000 and $60,000. Scott Hilton, who had served as District Two's commissioner until 2016, spoke out against the vactor truck, saying it was not a good use of taxpayer money. In a 3-0 vote, the commissioners went on to approve the purchase.

The next regularly scheduled Board of Osage County meeting will be next Monday at 10 o' clock in the morning.