LINDEN-The Linden City Council discussed recent burglaries and continuing problems with trains.

Recently, Gardner Ace Hardware and the Dinning Law office had fallen victim to break ins. However, Linden Police chief Jeff Laduron said they are close to solving these cases.

“We have been working on the burglaries,” Laduron said. “We have worked very hard on these the last couple of days and recovering some of the stolen property. There are arrests still pending.”

To help prevent further problems, Laduron said they have implemented their annual store-to-store surveillance.

“We are also doing Christmas foot patrol,” Laduron said. “We haven’t had any big problems with shoplifters in the stores and that is what we are going for.”

Laduron urged businesses to remember to lock their doors when they leave.

The council also discussed a recurring problem with delayed trains continuously blocking major highways in town. For months U.S. Highway 43 has become blocked for as much as an hour at a time almost every day because of trains stopping on the tracks. The problem seemed to be improving, but City Administrator Cheryl Hall said Sunday afternoon trains created an all too familiar scene. Hall said they notified local representatives to appeal for help with the problem.

“We had another problem with the trains Sunday,” Hall said. “We sent more letters out to Sen. Hank Sanders, Sen. Bobby Singleton and Rep. Thomas Jackson. We also sent them to the Department of Transportation in Grove Hill.”

Getting help from local government, Councilman Butch King said, was probably their best bet to solve the problem.

“There were some people who called me who have also called Sen. Sanders office,” King said. “I told them that is what they need to do because we can’t do anything without their help.”

Hall also reported the tennis courts on Coates Avenue should be back up to par soon. The courts have shown signs of the toll inconsistent weather conditions can take on a cement surface. Hall said weather conditions would always be a problem, but repairs were on the way.

“They are working on the tennis courts, but it is a slow process because they are in bad shape,” Hall said. “They are working on it, but there are so many cracks that it will take a little bit longer. It is going to be an ongoing thing on the maintenance part of it.”

The final issue discussed by the council was the limitations of dogs per household. A proposed resolution would limit the number of dogs per household to four, with the exception of puppies up to 10 weeks old.

The council will take a final vote on the resolution at their Dec. 20 meeting.