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The 4-H kids who sold livestock at the July 5 auction haven't received their checks yet due to a number of reasons, according to county Extension office educators.
The 4-H guidelines book indicates that checks were to be mailed July 22. Total auction sales were $183,685 this year for 442 lots.
The fair booklet was published in February, and the livestock auction committee voted to give buyers 45 days to pay after the booklet was published.
"We always had money to float the auction checks before," said 4-H Youth Leader Tracy George. "This year we don't."
Funds from a carry-over account would be used to cut the checks to the kids; the account was reimbursed when the auction money was paid.
Last September the former Extension secretary, Betty Ann Davis, Claypool, was accused of embezzlement and, according to George, she allegedly took a substantial amount of money.
Davis worked in the 4-H office for 20 years and was charged with and convicted of theft in 1985 while working at the Extension office.
For years Davis was responsible for livestock auction disbursements.
Agriculture educator Kelly Easterday is heading up the auction now, a job she assumed two weeks before the fair. She admits one error after another has been made.
"There's been a 100 percent change in how the auction was run," she said. "One person ran our entire auction. That created a lot of problems.
"I guarantee you this will not happen again," she said.
Easterday said the first mistake was the sale committee giving businesses 45 days to pay without checking the fair book.
"Some businesses are traditionally late with their checks," Easterday said. "They thought some businesses only wrote checks twice a month or in a monthly cycle."
This gives businesses until until Aug 19 to pay their auction bills.
Other counties request auction payments be made the day of the sale or within 10 days, just like any other auction.
Easterday said some auction checks will go out this week because the checks have been rolling in.
The money 4-H members earned as premiums will be included in their auction checks.
Each 4-H member receives $1 for each livestock project exhibited in addition to small ($3 to 50-cent) placing premiums.
In prior years, premiums were paid in cash, with the children signing for their money the last day of the fair.
"The feeling was," Easterday said, "with the recent embezzlement, we didn't want cash out there."
So it was decided the state-funded premiums would be paid in one check.
"It's been a learning process for us," the educator said.
The 4-H Council meets Sept. 16, Easterday said. She expects the disbursement of auction money collection will be a topic of discussion.
