Commission approves Morgan junior livestock barn expansion on county property, fully funded by grant

Morgan County commissioners on July 15 approved a petition from the Morgan County Junior Livestock organization to expand the county’s livestock barn on county property, citing a 25% increase in youth exhibitors over the past decade. Nut graf: The junior livestock group said its exhibitor count rose to 238 youth (ages 8–18) this year, up from 174 a decade earlier; the group has received a fully funded grant from the Morgan DAF (Discretionary Allocation Fund) and requested county approval to build an additional 50‑by‑200‑foot barn on county fairgrounds property adjacent to existing facilities. The commission motion approved construction on county property; applicants said the grant will pay the full construction cost and details such as scale relocation or purchase will be finalized as the project progresses. Commissioners approved the request after staff confirmed the grant and site coordination; construction was expected to begin in August if permit and procurement steps proceed. Ending: Commissioners urged the club to preserve the barn’s historical features where possible and pledged to work with fairgrounds staff on logistics; the applicants said they expected to order materials after the county’s formal approval and hoped to complete the build before winter.