At the Kosciusko County Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday, July 18, in the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom are Commissioner Cary Groninger, left, and Commissioners’ President Brad Jackson. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Kosciusko County Commissioners have approved recommending to the Kosciusko County Council a slight increase in county funding to some local nonprofits for 2024.

At their meeting on Tuesday, July 18, Commissioner Cary Groninger and Commissioners’ President Brad Jackson OK’d suggesting to the council that the Kosciusko County 4-H Council, Stillwater Hospice and the St. Joe River Basin received the full amounts they asked for 2024.

Commissioners’ Vice President Bob Conley was absent from the meeting due to a health reason.

Those amounts are: the Kosciusko County 4-H Council, $46,589.91, with it having been approved for $45,233 for 2023; Stillwater Hospice, $50,000, with it being approved for that same amount for 2023; and the St. Joe River Basin, $3,794, with it being approved for $3,705 for 2023.

Commissioners also approved recommending to the council that Cardinal Services, the Kosciusko County Historical Society, the Beaman Home and Kosciusko County Senior Services get the same amounts they got in 2023 for 2024 instead of the increases they had requested.

Those amounts are: Cardinal Services, $108,129; the Kosciusko County Historical Society, $23,230; The Beaman Home, $33,425; and Kosciusko County Senior Services, $33,425.

Groninger noted his decision was based on the latter four entities “all (having) received significant (American Rescue Plan Act) funds over the last year.”

County Extension Update

Commissioners also heard a semi-annual update on the county Purdue Extension Office from Health and Human Sciences Educator Shannon Shepherd.

She said the office’s County Extension Director and 4-H Youth Development Educator Andrew Ferrell has “done … 81 programs thus far through the year.”

“He had 531 4-H’ers, 238 volunteers at the fair, and he had over 2,000 youth impacted while he was at the fair,” said Shepherd. “He’s currently working with Grace College to do a partnership with their STEM program.”

“I’ve had over 118 programs,” said Shepherd. “We’ve had thousands of individuals impacted by those programs.”

Shepherd said the office’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Coordinator Emily Kresca “had 1,035 fourth grade students that went through (Ag Day) and 700 people attended Taste of Ag.”

“Then she’s been working with the Women Growing Their Futures as a partner with Grace College and Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams,” said Shepherd regarding Kresca. “This program brought women together that have a passion for agriculture and gardening and homesteading to grow their own knowledge in this area … They had 30 women in attendance for that and then she’s also started a drone program.”

“So she had 10 attendees for that … and she’s working with them to continue that, so they can get their certification,” said Shepherd.

In other business, commissioners:

• Approved a request from Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty to apply for Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings grant funds, in part to repave Old Road 30 East from CR 450E to US 30, and Ogden Point Road. Commissioners also approved setting aside $1 million of the county’s monies as a match for the 50-50 grant funding.
• Approved allowing Moriarty to apply for up to $40,000 in an at grade crossings grant “for multiple paint markings that will go at railroad tracks” for safety.
• Approved replacing a yield sign with a three way stop at CR 250E, Lilly Court and EMS C28 Lane at 8 Square Road in Plain Township at the request of Moriarty.
• Recognized county employees who have taken more than one million steps and drank the most water through health and wellness programming the county’s partnered with Purdue Extension for. The walkers include: Ronda Wiesehan, Michelle Hyden, Brooke Greer, Cheryl McGettrick, Kelly Moorman and Eric Sorensen. The top water drinkers include: Wiesehan, Jennifer Day and Jessica Scheil.
• Heard from Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board President Rob Bishop about the logo for the county parks department the board tentatively approved. The board wanted the commissioners to view it before board members fully approved it. The logo may be seen below.
• Approved vacating an alley on the east side of Webster Lake along EMS W17 Lane at the request of Arthur Jasen and rezoning land west of Webster Lake off of CR 650N from agricultural to residential at the request of William Rensberger.

Commissioners’ next meeting is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, in the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom.