Nurses and guards at the Douglas County Jail will be getting increased assistance in the dispensing of medication to inmates.

County commissioners Wednesday night approved a new plan that will add certified medication assistants (CMAs). CMAs, who are trained to give drugs, will relieve guards from having to handle the job when other medical staff aren’t working. CMAs will also ease the burden on nurses.

The sheriff’s office worked out the new arrangement with Visiting Nurses Assn. The new contract with VNA will increase from $205,091 to $266,563.

In other business, commissioners approved new speed limits on roads in the Hesper charter road improvement district near Eudora. The speed limits range from 35 mph to 45 mph.

Temporary 30 mph speed limits also were approved on some roads in the area of Douglas County Road 1055 where a bridge will be replaced south of County Road 458. Construction is expected to start in April and continue until September. A temporary 5-ton weigh limit for vehicles was approved for portions of East 1500, East 1600, North 800 and North 900 roads to be in effect during the construction.