Thanks to a $5,000 donation by the Covington County Commission Monday, the children at Florala Head Start will soon have a new playground.

The day’s donation concluded the Florala Kids’ Club’s, Head Start’s parent organization, $20,000 fundraising efforts, said Kids’ Club President Karlie Simmons.

The center’s current playground consists of one dome climber, and there are no swings or other equipment, Simmons said.

“We started out this drive with yard sales, and we quickly realized we were going to need some help,” Simmons said. “Thanks to the community, we’ve made our goal.”

Other donations include $10,000 from the Solon and Martha Dixon Foundation; $2,000 each from the Florala City Council and the Utilities Board; and $500 each from the Tri-

Cities Chamber of Commerce and the Florala Civic Club.

The more than 40 students currently enrolled at the center will utilize the new playground.

Simmons said the money will be used to purchase one large multi-activity component, as well as several other assorted playground items.

“I think this is a good investment for the county, and I appreciate that we can do that for the children of this county,” Commissioner Harold Elmore said of the donations.

In other business, the commission:

• approved the purchase of a new patrol car and voted to solicit bids;

• declared several items of out-dated police equipment such as light bars and hand-held radios as surplus and voted to dispose of the items on govdeals.com.

• approved a renegotiation on the annual lease payment for the county’s motor graders, reducing the payment from $102,000 to $50,000.

–Stephanie Nelson