Frank Denzler
The Local Coordinating Council for Drug Free Schools and Communities (LCC) is concerned with making and keeping area schools a safe and drug-free environment for students.
The LLC met for the first time of the new year Tuesday and elected officers: Rushville Boys & Girls Club CPO Chet Walker as president, Rushville Police officer Brandon Reynolds as vice president and Sally Shadley as secretary.
Annually, the organization receives roughly $15,000, as an operating budget. The funds are used to sponsor school programs, and in recent years have also been used to give local law enforcement agencies necessary funds to purchase equipment that they can’t normally buy with tax dollars.
The LCC is, however, limited with respect to the programs it may contribute to; they must meet certain criteria set forth by the state. Funds must be earmarked for prevention and education, treatment intervention and enforcement and justice.
In the past, the organization has financially supported a number of programs aimed at informing and educating students about the dangers and perils of smoking and drug use. The LCC was also a vocal advocate of making all RCS campuses, facilities and vehicles smoke-free.
During Tuesday’s meeting, members heard from community consultant Tim Tetherford, who informed the members of upcoming summits.
In other business, and following an update from Tammy Jackman regarding notification that Rush County received a $40,000 Tobacco Grant, the organization’s focus turned to a request for funds from Carthage Town Marshal Mike Onkst.
Onkst is seeking funding to procure a K9 for use by the department he heads.
Onkst explained that the cost of the animal and five weeks of extensive training in Peru is $10,000. An additional $2,000 would be needed to enable a vehicle to safely and comfortably transport the K9.
Questions were raised by Rush County Sheriff Jeff Sherwood regarding the Carthage Town Board’s thoughts and the coverage that a K9 could possibly provide for the entire county, and at the same time meet the coverage needs in Carthage should the request for K9 be made elsewhere in the county.
According to Sherwood, in recent months RCSD personnel have expressed an interest in having a K9 unit for the county.
LCC members expressed concerns that the amount requested would be more than the LCC could provide.
Director Jean Kopf explained that the organization is limited to providing funding for no more than 25 percent of the total cost of a project; secondly, she noted there is no written mutual aid policy currently in place between county and local law enforcement departments defining coverage and specifications of availability and alternatives.
Following a lengthy discussion, the matter was tabled.
Frank Denzler can be contacted at (765) 932-2222 ext. 106 or via e-mail at frank.denzler@rushvillerepublican.com. To add a comment to this story visit our Web site at www.rushvillerepublican.com.
