By HOLLY GASKILL
Eight local groups will receive grants from the Wells County Health Department through Health First Indiana funding.
The health board unanimously approved the grant proposals during their regular meeting on Thursday morning. The department budgeted $135,000 for grants in 2025, allocated through the $551,202.90 Wells County will receive by joining Health First Indiana. These grants aim to partner with local groups already serving health needs outlined by the state of Indiana as key performance indicators.
Administrator Sahara Wall said the eight groups had originally requested over $300,000 in total, but a subcommittee of herself, Public Health Nurse Lynn Blevins, and board members Molly Hoag and Chris Esterling worked together to ensure everyone received an award.
Recipients are: Bluffton Parks and Recreation, $1,000; Alive & Well, $15,000; Purdue Extension Wells County for Nutrition Education Program, $9,500; Brightpoint, $7,500; Community Care of Northeast Indiana, $23,653.40; Family Centered Services, $30,000; Wells County Council on Aging, $12,896.60; and Helping Hands, $22,450.
Information regarding the individual grant application requests has not yet been provided to The News-Banner, with Wall citing concerns that the contracts have not been signed.
During their meeting Thursday, the board discussed how to distribute the award amounts, and ultimately agreed to issue one lump sum to each applicant. Each group will also have to report on their project and how it benefited an HFI key performance indicator. Blevins notes that between the eight groups, the county will be able to target many of the state’s KPIs.
Also during the meeting, Wall announced that environmental specialist Erin Harvey has started working full-time, bringing the department to two full-time inspectors.
Environmental specialist Ryan Bennett stated that septic inspections have been slow, but Harvey found food inspections have been more involved as some businesses have not been inspected in some time. She conducted 15 regular food inspections, two complaint investigations, and followed up on 13 vendors.
In the same timeframe, Blevins performed 299 adult vaccinations and 301 child vaccinations. Blevins said the total was 30 more than the same timeframe last year. He also reported seeing an increase in pneumonia in children and strep throat in adults.
Wall also said she’s heard from the public that the board’s meeting time is “not accessible.” The board has previously met at 6:30 a.m. on the third Thursday of every other month and will meet at the same time on the third Monday of every other month in 2025.
In making this change in October, the board also discussed changing the meeting time. However, they ultimately felt it was going to be difficult to make any time work with their demanding schedules.
The board affirmed this sentiment again on Thursday. “I could see that, but honestly, trying to get all these professionals together every time is already difficult,” board member Dr. Bart Hott said.
“Well I can tell you, if there’s a hot topic, they’ll be here,” Blevins joked. “They have been.”
Hoag suggested the board add a mid-year evening session for information regarding HFI and grant reports, which the board was receptive to. Wall added that board meetings are required to be livestreamed beginning in July and will be available on Facebook.
In addition to Esterling, Hoag and Hott, board members Steve Bales, Ann McNabb and Tamara Troutt were present; Dr. Mary Donley was absent.
The board will meet next at 6:30 a.m. Feb. 24, one week later due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
holly@news-banner.com
