The Putnam County Herald-Citizen reports:

Beginning this month, the commissioners will recognize county employees and citizens who simply do the right thing or who go above the normal call of duty in what's expected of them.

Every month at meetings of the Putnam County Commission, a Citizen of the Month and an Employee of the Month will be named to honor those people.

"I think there's so many people in Putnam County who are doing good things," Commissioner Johnnie Wheeler said. "I think it's wonderful the county commission is saying, 'We caught you doing something good, and we want to reward you.'"

Wheeler said the commission's awards committee will select a citizen and a county employee each month based on Character Counts -- a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics which promotes honesty, integrity, keeping promises, loyalty, respect for others, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

A Citizen of the Year and an Employee of the Year will also be selected from the monthly recipients during that year.

The awards committee is now accepting nominations for these awards. To nominate someone, pick up a form in the county executive's office in the Putnam Courthouse at 300 E. Spring St. or contact Johnnie Wheeler at 528-7328. Putnam citizens can nominate each other, and county employees are nominated by their supervisors.

The first recipients of Citizen of the Month and Employee of the Month will be recognized at the April meeting of the Putnam County Commission.