Occidental Chemical donates $15,000 to county first-responder program and parks planning

The commissioners accepted two donations from Occidental Chemical Corporation: $10,000 earmarked for the sheriff's first-responder program and $5,000 to assist the parks department with the county's master parks plan. A company representative said the firm has supported local programs for decades and described first-responder giving as an ongoing priority.

"For those of y'all that don't know, our company has been a part of this community for close to 40 years," a company representative said during the meeting. Sheriff Rivera's office accepted the donation for first-responder equipment and training; parks staff said the $5,000 will be used to kick off the Hansen Park planning process. Commissioners thanked the company for the support and noted the funds will be applied to the specified programs.