By Angie Birdsall
CONSTANTINE — School resource officer Matt Stark introduced K-9 “Riggs” at a May 5 Constantine Village Council meeting.
Riggs, a year and a half old Brittany Spaniel is new to the school system. Stark said Riggs is a “comfort dog.” Their presence and interaction with individuals can be a source of positive reinforcement, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and promote well-being, using the dog’s presence and interaction as a reward or motivator for desired behaviors.
Stark took the resource officer position last September. He and Riggs have visited the Middle School and High School the majority of the time.
“It’s going very well. The school administration has been especially great. He was in the high school for half a day today, in drama class. Everyone loves him and he loves it here. Riggs fits in well,” Stark said.
The high school offers “Riggs Bucks” to spend time with the dog.
“We’ve seen a positive return on this. We’re trying to do everything we can to keep everyone on track, to keep things going in a really good direction,” Stark said.
Stark said the dog is still young, and he is slowly introducing him into the elementary schools. The goal is to visit all the schools on rotation.
“Riggs has visited Eastside and Riverside. It needs to be real controlled in the elementary schools. Kids are excitable and we need to explain the rules, introduce him slowly,” he said.
The Centreville-Constantine Police Department recently purchased a 2021 Ford Explorer, which was modified to transport the police dog.
Police Chief Dan Thayer attended the meeting and said Stark and K-9 Riggs were an asset to the department.
In other business…
The council reviewed a traffic order prohibiting parking of any vehicles on Florence Road, between Meyer’s Street and the village limits at Cemetery Street. Village manager Mark Honeysett said the Florence Road/Industrial Drive construction project set to begin on May 5 has been delayed until May 10. Rieth-Riley will crush, reshape and resurface asphalt pavement on Florence Road, Industrial Drive and Meyers Street, at a cost of approximately $895,000. The village received a $250,000 Transportation Economic Funds (TEDF) grant for the project earlier this year, and the village will provide the remaining funds, plus a five percent contingency fund for the project. The TEDF grant is a category B program, open to villages with less than 10,000 populations, and funds 50 percent of eligible road construction costs up to a maximum amount of $250,000.
The council authorized transferring a provisioning license from Atlas Cannabis Company to Pure Provisioning LCC by a 5-2 vote. Voting no were trustees Cathy Piper and Don King. Yes votes were cast by Gary Mathers, Eric Stears, Dick Larrance, Myra Mathers and Caleb Denman. On Dec. 16, 2024, the council initially approved the license transfer, but it depended on the purchase of the old Ford Garage (230 N. Washington St.) to house the business, and zoning and building code approval.
Angie Birdsall is a freelance writer who primarily covers Constantine.
