Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County health, Purdue Extension and election officials give community updates; programs and voting information shared
Summary
Health, Purdue Extension and GIS staff briefed commissioners on low COVID wastewater levels, high flu activity, 4-H participation and an early-voting dashboard; the board also announced blood drives, resident alerts and Youth Services Bureau programs.
Monroe County staff used the April 9 meeting to update commissioners on public-health services, youth programming and election preparations.
Health update: A health department representative identified only as Ms. Kelly reported that COVID wastewater concentrations were low and continuing to trend down as of April 7 (Indiana Department of Health data) while flu activity remains high. The health department has free flu and COVID tests available for walk-ins Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., and vaccines via the Morgan County Health Department; staff provided a contact number (765-342-6621).
Purdue Extension: Audia Quala, county extension director, gave the quarterly update. She said the county expects to enroll more than 400 youth in 4-H locally and noted county youth are participating at state and national levels (two youth representing the county at national conferences). Extension programs include drone training in partnership with Hoosier Energy, a mobile classroom with M Street Fiber Indiana to help seniors with financial literacy, and a pilot perinatal mental-health program with the Women’s Center. Quala invited commissioners to the county fair (discussed as late June to early July).
Elections: John Bayton demonstrated a GIS-based early-voting dashboard. He reported 339 early votes cast over two days and 89,755 registered voters as of April 7, and said early-voting comparisons show stronger per-day turnout compared with previous midterm primaries; he reminded listeners that election day is May 5 and that the county will provide live precinct reporting as the election approaches.
Other community notices: The board encouraged residents to sign up for county resident-alerts via the county website, publicized blood drives in May at Ivy Tech (200 Daniels Way), and highlighted two free Youth Services Bureau programs — an 8-week Empowered Parenting Workshop starting April 15 and a free 10-week harm-reduction program for adolescents (contact 812-349-2986). The board also noted an April 11 open house at Seminary Point Apartments and clarified that properties purchased with innkeeper’s tax remain under CIB control unless the CIB releases them.
Next meeting: The board is scheduled to meet again on April 23, 2026.
