By HOLLY GASKILL
Upon request from the commissioners, Sheriff Scott Holliday will begin presenting drug-specific arrest data during regular meetings over the next few months.
Commissioner Jeff Stringer said at a recent Wells County Chamber of Commerce roundtable discussion, it was apparent how drugs have deeply affected much of the community, especially young people.
“I can put faces and names of people that have died for fentanyl,” Stringer said. “I don’t think there’s enough attention we can bring to this issue.”
Holliday stated there have been 29 total arrests within the county since the last meeting on March 20. Of these arrests, nine were drug-related — six involving marijuana, two involving methamphetamines and one involving fentanyl.
Holliday added that the department reports annually on arrest types, and the majority are charges involving alcohol.
As of Monday evening, Holliday reported 62 inmates were housed in the jail, 23 of which were pre-trial holds for the Circuit Court, 18 were pre-trial holds for the Superior Court, 14 were Level 6 felons, and four were from the Department of Correction.
Later during the meeting, County Engineer Nate Rumschlag presented a not-to-exceed quote for Bridge 404, the small structure of River Road, of $59,900. This project was planned in coordination with the city of Bluffton.
Stringer stated he would have liked to see multiple quotes for this project to ensure the best price and transparency with the projects. Rumschlag responded that he had coordinated with other engineers and felt confident this was a competitive price for qualified work.
“I just want to make sure the appearance isn’t that we’re picking and choosing,” Stringer said.
The commissioner agreed to revisit the project at their next meeting.
Highway Department Supervisor Shawn Bonar was unable to attend the meeting due to CDL licensure training but sent updates via email. Bonar wrote that once finished, he will be able to license drivers in-house.
Additionally, Bonar said the department has recently sold its old chip spread and a truck at auction. The department is currently working on road conversion on 500W and replacing drainage pipes at Timber Ridge Golf Course.
Other updates included:
• Jon Winne, Ouabache State Park manager, was approved as the final commissioner-appointed seat to the tourism board.
• A 3-month extension of the remote work option for a Community Correction employee was approved. This was previously approved to help the employee through personal circumstances, but the commissioners said they did not intend it to become routine. Executive Director Blake Poindexter stated he could find a solution by the end of the extension.
• A hearing to vacate an unimproved alley in Uniondale will be held on April 17. The petition for this hearing was filed by neighboring property owners David Driscoll, Heidi Driscoll, Theodore Mitchell, and Travis Searles.
• A clearing account ordinance was approved for the health department.
• A permit request from Ron Marshall was approved for a memorial day service on the Washington/Main Commons.
holly@news-banner.com
