‘Better every year;’ Sheriff discusses safety measures in place at county fair

The 185th Greene County Fair is underway, and organizers are working to make sure fairgoers are safe.

As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00 , fair leaders said they know about the large fights that shut down the Clark County Fair on Friday and are working to make sure that doesn’t happen here.

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“Security is very important to us. We have Sheriff’s (deputies) on the ground 24/7 here at our fairgrounds,” Greene County Agriculture Director Kala Benton said.

She said one of her top priorities is making sure attendees have a good time.

The Greene County Fair has a yearly average of 75,000 people, so checking who comes in is important.

“Everyone that comes into these gates is appropriate to be here, and they’re here to have fun,” Benton said.

On Friday, several fights forced the Clark County Fair to close over an hour early.

According to a previous News Center 7 report, a gun was spotted in videos of a large fight.

Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Mike Young said four people were detained and later released to their parents.

>> Gun seen in video of large fight that shut down Clark County Fair early, sheriff’s office says

Investigators are examining video evidence to determine if any charges will be filed.

Greene County Sheriff Scott Anger told News Center 7′s Malik Patterson that the agency made security adjustments after the incident at the Clark County Fair.

“We have different cameras throughout the fairgrounds, and we have some assistance from the state that we also use. Again, our safety plans just keep getting better and better every year,” Sheriff Scott Anger said.

“We always have the contingency for all the different things that happen,” Anger continued.

4H students told News Center 7 they are excited about the festivities and not worried about safety.

“I would say, first, get your snacks. You got to go get your food first, then check out all the animals,” Reagan Saunders said.

“One of my favorite things at the fair is riding the rides, and they’re gonna be in a new spot this year, which would be really fun,” Kendall Stiffler said.

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Benton said the fair’s layout is different this year, to accommodate more people.

“Fairgrounds looks different, and we’ve tried to make it more for our consumers, so it’s more consumer-friendly here,” Benton said.

The Greene County Fair will be open until Saturday, August 3.

Admission at the gate is $8. Kids 9 and under get in free with a paying adult.