Purdue Extension of Kosciusko County gave its annual report to the county council Thursday.

Extension Director Kelly Heckaman spoke after short presentations by Jaclyn Franks, extension educator – health and human services, and Mindy Wise, who is in charge of 4-H youth development.

Franks said she had been working with some of the area’s full-time firefighters on a heart disease prevention program. She also talked about the “Hidden in Plain Sight” program, teaching parents and caregivers how to spot signs of a teen’s risky behavior in their bedroom.

Wise has been working on Spark Club, a program to give kids “a little taste of 4-H programs without a year-long or even a 10-year commitment.” She also had a life skills program in Enchanted Hills over Christmas break, and is presenting the same program to freshman students at Warsaw Area Career Center, among other things.

Heckaman spoke of the success of last year’s Farm Camp, crediting Mikaela Conley for that success. Heckaman said this year’s event will be a poultry-based camp. Heckaman also spoke of the success of Partnering in Farming, a program for fourth-graders.

The director said she is one of 12 people  who received grant money to train service providers on mental health first aid for ag producers.

“We want to be better prepared to help those in the agriculture industry deal with stress, depression, anxiety and those things. We had some good times but now prices have come back down, so there’s some stress-related issues going on there,” she said.  

“We are not good in agriculture talking about things like this, and the men will not talk about it. So we want to make sure they are supported and that we get through this transition.”

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County Prosecutor Dan Hampton asked the council to transfer budgets funds from one account to another to help his department handle “a significant increase in our caseload.” The approved transfer will help the department, especially in the investigative division, handle that workload.

The council also approved the appropriation of money received from a Senior Hub Grant. Hampton assured the council the money will not go toward paying overtime or comp time for his staff.

County Administrator Marsha McSherry updated the council on several projects, most notably the renovation of the health department offices. That department has been moved to temporary quarters on the first floor of the old courthouse while the offices on the third floor gets new flooring. She said there were several layers of worn subfloor that had to be removed as part of the process.

McSherry showed the council members photos of the new highway department building under construction. She estimated the building will be completed in mid-March. Council President Sue Ann Mitchell noted no money was diverted away from roads for the project.

The administrator also said a new grease trap has been installed at the work release center, and a county employee health insurance meeting went well. McSherry mentioned county employees needed to have forms turned in by May 21.

In other business, the council:

• Approved the appropriation of grant money received for the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative.

• Approved an appropriation for a $25,000 grant from Operation Pull-Over for the sheriff’s department.

• Gave the go-ahead for vehicle repairs and maintenance for the highway and sheriff’s departments.

The next county council meeting will be at 7 p.m. June 14.