The state will be covering a large portion of the cost of merging the Ashland and Bayfield County emergency dispatch centers. TheAshlandDailyPress reports the two counties are moving ahead with a joint dispatch center that will be located in Bayfield County. The state is providing just over $833,000 in funding, with each county contributing $67,000 each. The building in Bayfield County was built in 2004, and is built large enough to house the dispatch center for the next few years. Combining staff from both centers will solve staffing issues, and will allow dispatchers time off after difficult calls. Later this month, both counties will submit a draft agreement and resolution to county boards, which is required by the grant from the state.