Valley City: City-County Health District is pleased to announce a special bench dedication ceremony in honor of Dr. James and Sharon Buhr. The ceremony will occur on Wednesday, September 13 at 4:30 PM, outside of City-County Health District, located at 415 2nd Avenue NE.

“We are immensely honored to create a permanent tribute to the work of Dr. James and Sharon Buhr, who have tirelessly supported public health in Barnes County,” states Theresa Will, CCHD Administrator. Dr. James Buhr served as the health officer from January 1984 to September 2021. “Dr. Buhr went above and beyond as the health officer, taking calls related to CCHD as well as jail health. He was always available and provided input at the physician advisory meetings and served on the school district emergency management team during COVID.”

“Sharon has spent her career in Barnes County focused on improving the health of children and their families,” states Will. “Her work as a dietitian has been informed by her masters in public health,” continues Will. Sharon established the Young People’s Healthy Heart program which featured test tube visuals that graphically show how much sugar, salt and fat are in commonly eaten foods. Along with educating students and working towards behavior change, Sharon has worked in the community to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Sharon established the Barnes On the Move Partnership which presently has 18 partners, all non-profit and governmental organization. This partnership has supported programming, policy, systems, and environmental change in Barnes County. In addition, Sharon served on the City-County Health District Board of Health from January 2005 to June 2022 and served as chair of the board.

An open house will be held from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM with a short bench dedication ceremony at 4:30 PM at City-County Health District. CCHD welcomes all members of the community to attend this event.