By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Kosciusko County's Health First Indiana agreed in September to provide $10,000 for a new program that helps address food insecurity, and the timing could not be better. 

The Kosciusko Food Security Coalition leveraged $10,000 of Health First Indiana money to provide nearly seven thousand pounds of high-quality protein to families in need, said a news release from HFI.

That money was used to help provide 6,7000 pounds of ground pork that was then sent to the Milford Food Bank where it was distributed to 38 partners organizations, including food pantries, recovery homes and churches with community meal programs.

It was a cooperative effort coordinated by Live Well Kociusko and the food insecurity coalition and benefited 3,300 families at a time when many low-income families faced a temporary loss of food stamps while also dealing with rising grocery prices, said Liz McCullough, coordinator for HFI.

HFI described the arrangement in a news release as a major victory for local food security efforts.

The money will be used as part of the food coalition's “Meating the Need” program that provides high-quality protein to those in need.

"This one is a brand new program and ... for the first year of doing it, I thought it was pretty amazing," McCullough told News Now Warsaw.

She said she hopes HFI can help provide more money to the program next year.

She participated in a group call this week with people involved in working to offset food insecurity that focused in part on the future needs.

"All the prices of everything are increasing ... and they said the need is not going to go away anytime soon," she said.

The post Kosciusko’s Health First Indiana funds distribution of 6,700 pounds of meat to those in need appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Just months after the Kosciusko County fired its Health First coordinator over policy concerns, another strong message was sent Wednesday night.

That’s when County Attorney Ed Ormsby made two strong pronouncements to the Health First Kosciusko Advisory Committee at the start of their meeting.

Rarely does the county attorney representing the county commissioners take such direct measures to convey policy issues to county boards.

The first was a reminder that under state law enacted earlier this year, only Indiana residents — and not illegal immigrants — are entitled to services provided by programs funded through HFI.

Documenting the status of recipients needs to be done on forms used for the programs, he said.

"That would satisfy our obligation that the funds are only going toward services for those persons and not those that are here illegally," Ormsby said.

The law states that funds can only be used for Indiana residents who are lawfully present in the United States.

That comes after the firing of Kurt Carlson in March over what was described as a lack of "philosophical alignment" with the county administration.

Carlson's firing came without warning and was delivered by Ormsby in a letter that informed him that it was immediate.

At the time, officials refused to elaborate on what those issues were, but the county's HFI budget last year included a program that provided prenatal vouchers for undocumented residents.

That service has since ended.

At the time, State Sen. Ryan Mishler had said some state lawmakers were upset with some of the Health First initiatives across the state, but did not specifically reference Kosciusko County.

Ormsby also clarified on Wednesday that all funding proposals must be initially reviewed by the county commissioners before HFI further considers the programs, and that final approval is also needed by the commissioners.

He also pointed out that all such programming plans across the county need the commissioners' approval.

Previously, in some cases, not all policies were previewed or approved by the commissioners.

"I think there was some concern that some activities of the health department were not in line with the public official's policies," Ormsby said.

"We don't want the health department acting in a way that is contrary to elected officials' policies who are responsible to the citizens who elected them," he said.

If the contract for services is with another group, the county does not have to verify residency unless money is directly given to recipients, he said.

The advisory committee had little reaction to the directives.

The committee is currently in the process of developing a budget for next year, which is expected to be much smaller compared to 2025 because of state cuts initiated at the state level.

Ormsby's comments are at the very beginning of the county live stream.

The post Messsage to Health First: Services not intended for undocumented residents appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Plans to establish four new programs that will address food insecurity in Kosciusko County received a green light this week.

Kosciusko County’s Health First Indiana advisory committee recommended that the county health board support spending nearly $50,000 on four programs proposed by Caroline Arnett, who has worked for 10 years on food insecurity issues for the Purdue Extension office, including the last two years in the Warsaw office across from the Kosciusko County Justice Building.

The four-pronged approach was proposed by the Kosciusko Food Security Coalition, which was established about 18 months ago and is headed up by Arnett.

Efforts to improve access to food for local residents are supported by recent research.

A study that relied on US Census statistics found that the number of people who believe they're not getting enough food stood at 9.0 percent in 2021, but that's been rising and reached 13.9 percent in 2023.

 “So that’s about 10,900 people in Kosciusko that feel they can’t access food easily to live a safe and healthy lifestyle,” Arnett said.

Much of that increase had to do with the pandemic, but recent policy changes at the state and federal levels are expected to make circumstances even worse, officials believe.

A wellness study initiated as part of HELP, Hoosiers Enduring Legacy Program, which was headed up by Lisa Harman, executive director with Live Well Kosciusko, found that food security is a top wellness issue for many throughout the county.

Kosciusko County's Health First advisory Council voted to recommend that the county health board support funding the proposals, using Health First Indiana money allocated by the state.

Likely the biggest proposal is the creation of a SNAP coordinator who would network throughout the county to encourage those who qualify to sign up for SNAP benefits, formerly known by many as food stamps.

"If you sign up for SNAP, that tends to be the No. 1 way to reduce food insecurity in your community," Arnett said. "It's the easiest way, too. Plus, it brings money into our community for local stores, which I think we all appreciate that."

The coordinator would be a contracted position and work out of the Live Well Kociusko office in the K21 Health Pavilion near Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital.

The coordinator would help people overcome barriers such as literacy or the lack of transportation needed to visit the Family and Social Services Administration office in Warsaw, where SNAP is administered locally.

The job would also have an educational component.

“That person can also direct them to our local food pantries … and even help with nutrition or guidance on about how to stretch their dollars and their budget,” Harman said.

The existence of SNAP coordinators is somewhat common in other counties.

"In some counties, you might see two, three or four, and right now, we don’t have any,” Arnett said.

Another proposal would help expand an existing Indiana program known as Double Up Bucks, which doubles the buying power of SNAP recipients who are purchasing healthy food at farmers' markets.

The third program is aimed at providing healthy food to those who have cancer or are living with chronic disease or obesity.

"Meating the Need" is the fourth effort and involves distributing meat purchased from farmers.

The third and fourth programs also have a nutritional component.

Arnett has more ideas that she’s developing and said she wants to work more closely with food pantries, food banks and local farmers.

Sourcing locally grown food is often a better choice, she said.

Farmers can play an important role.

“We also want them to know that if they are in a position to donate anything from their farms, whether it's fruits and vegetables or meats, there is a large need for it,” Arnett said, adding that such donations can be a tax write-off.

Arnett provided details of the four programs to Kosciusko County's Health First Advisory Council on Wednesday night. Earlier on Wednesday, Arnett and Harman talked with News Now Warsaw about food insecurity for this weekend's public affairs show, In the Know.

*  *  * 

In The Know can be heard at the following times:

News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):

Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.

WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

Willie (103.5 FM):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

The post Proposals to offset food insecurity in Kosciusko County gain initial OK appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Kurt Carlson, who served as the executive director for Bowen Center for nearly four decades, was terminated immediately last week by Kosciusko County in his role as coordinator of Health First Kosciusko after 14 months in the position.

Carlson was informed of his termination on Thursday with a hand-delivered letter in which he was told the county and health Department determined that he lacked "a philosophical alignment" with the county in the administration of funds and services.

[caption id="attachment_106924" align="alignright" width="350"] Kurt Carlson (R) is pictured last year in a story for New Now Warsaw about Health First Kosciusko. Carlson was fired this week by Kosciusko County in his role as coordinator of Health First Kosciusko coordinator. Liz McCollough, left, the assistant administrator in the office, was named to run the office on an interim basis. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The letter was written by county attorney Ed Ormsby.

Carlson was instructed to clean out his office by the end of the day and return all county property.

The letter added, "Since you are an at-will employee of the county, no cause is required for this termination.

The letter added, "We understand that this news may be difficult, and we want to thank you for your contributions during your time here."

News Now Warsaw reached out to Cary Groninger, president of the county commissioners and Bob Weaver, county health administrator. for comment. Weaver referred any questions to the commissioners for comment and Groninger did not return a phone call on Monday.

Carlson did not return a call on Monday.

Weaver did confirm that Liz McCollough, an assistant administrator in the office, will serve as interim.

Carson retired from Bowen Center — now known as Bowen Health — in 2022 and is credited with expanding services throughout northeast Indiana over several decades.

He also played a key role in the county's establishment of testing and vaccinations during the pandemic.

Health First Indiana was established about three years ago and heralded by then-Gov. Eric Holcomb, with the goal of vastly increasing health care programs through county health offices.

The Health First Kosciusko budget, under state guidelines, grew from roughly $900,000 in the first year to $1.8 million in the second year.

Carlson led an expansion of health services with the funding in his role.

The office relies on approval and support from an advisory committee and the county health board.

The post Health First Kosciusko coordinator Kurt Carlson fired by the county appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — More Narcan will soon be available throughout Kosciusko County.

Tammy Cotton, executive director of LITE Recovery Hub, updated the County Council on many of the new services LITE has established in the past year or so and talked about the expansion of Narcan beginning as soon as Friday.

Cotton said there are currently only four locations in the county where Narcan can be obtained.

Narcan is known as Naloxone.

She said they expect to receive 18 boxes that can hold several doses.

"We're going to be, as a team, putting those up throughout the county. Our goal is to put at least one in every township throughout the county. Our staff will be monitoring and maintaining those," Cotton told council.

The outgrowth comes after approval of funding by Health First Kosciusko Count, which has greatly expanded a variety of health services in the past two years.

Narcan has been widely credited, in part, for helping reduce the number of overdose deaths in Kosciusko County in the past year.

Exact locations for the boxes of medicine have not been released, but will likely be available 24/7 and free of charge.

Also at Thursday's meeting, Council President Tony Ciriello joined the chorus of warnings from others about how Kosciusko County and other taxing units could see steep cuts as a result of state legiatlion seeking to reform property taxes.

"As it stands currently, this county stands to lose a lot of revenue," Ciriello said. "This is the reality right now that we're going to lose money — we just don't know how much yet."

Local officials will have a better understanding of what to expect when the General Assembly concludes its work On April 29, he said.

Thursday's council meeting was the first since the death of council member Mike Long who died recently of an accidental drowning.

Cirillo called for a moment of silence in honor of Long.

[caption id="attachment_106788" align="aligncenter" width="641"] Thursday’s Kosciusko County Council meeting was the first since the death of Councilman Mike Long on Feb. 27. He was remembered with a moment of silence, in the prayer before the meeting and his photo, nameplate and a candle marked his place at the council table. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.[/caption]

The post Expanded distribution of Narcan in Kosciusko County expected to begin appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Men in Kosciusko County continue to die of overdose and suicide at an alarming rate.

That's one of the facts that surfaced in statistics recently released by Kosciusko County Coroner Tyler Huffer.

The numbers look at both suicide and overdose deaths in the county over the past two years.

Those numbers were then posted by the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office on its Facebook page.

The numbers indicate incidents of suicide over the past year was on the rise while overdose deaths were in decline.

The number of suicides in the county rose from 11 in 2023 to 15 in 2024. Of the 15, only two were women, which is consistent with national trends in which men continue to take their own lives at a higher rate.

Two of the victims were 77 years old.

[caption id="attachment_105422" align="alignright" width="170"] Tyler Huffer[/caption]

A review of overdose deaths and suicides by Huffer looked at cases in which the individuals died in Kosciusko County and not ones where they were transported elsewhere and then died.

The release of the numbers has been applauded.

Sheriff Jim Smith said his office was encouraged.

Kurt Carlson, executive director of Health First Kosciusko, which makes recommendations on policies focused on improving health outcomes, also expressed appreciation for the transparency.

"Being willing to share the data … I think it’s quite appropriate to share that publicly,” Carlson said.

As reported recently by News Now Warsaw in December, the number of overdose deaths fell from 25 in 2023 to 9 in 2024.

The ages of the victims ranged from 60 to 21 and unlike last year, all of the overdose deaths in 2024 were men.

Huffer says each of those numbers often represents somebody’s child, parent or grandparent.

“It can all be prevented and that’s what we’re here for,” Huffer said.

“What we’re trying to do is just make it really available and be more transparent so we can get these numbers lowered.”

Both Smith and Carlson credited much of the fall in overdose deaths to Narcan, also known as Naloxone.

Narcan, also known as Naloxone, can reverse an overdose if applied quickly.

Carlson said he's a strong believer in the strategy.

"Narcan has really, dramatically reduced the number of fatalities as a result of overdose,” Carlson said.

In a statement from Smith, he pointed to a multi-faceted effort by different groups in the effort to combat the overdose epidemic fueled in part by Fentynal and opioids.

Smith said mental health groups, and community partners such as LITE and Fellowship Mission, JCAP, KCRP, the Coroner's Office, and law enforcement in general are having an impact within the community to aid these individuals.

Transparency 

[caption id="attachment_105447" align="alignright" width="300"] The sign outside of the coroner's office in Warsaw is seen Wednesday morning. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The release of the numbers has been part of a concerted effort by Huffer who was first appointed in 2022 through a Republican caucus and then elected last year.

Soon after his appointment, he erected a sign outside of his office on Old Road 30 that tracks the number of annual overdose deaths.

The move raised a few eyebrows at first, but Huffer said the reaction has since been favorable.

"I’ve actually received lots of compliments trying to bring this awareness to the community,” Huffer said. “They’ve called my cellphone, ‘Thank you for doing this. Thank you for making this an awareness campaign for our son or daughter who overdosed.’ “ 

What next?

Huffer also established a county Suicide Overdose Fatality Review committee that looks into the history of those cases in hopes of determining gaps of service or things that could have helped prevent the deaths.

Upward of 20 people are participating and include representatives of local schools, health officials, law enforcement, hospitals, and other agencies.

The effort goes hand-in-hand with the Health First mission.

“Once Tyler got into office and saw the opportunity to use his office to sort of spearhead this, I was privileged to be asked to be part of that,” Carlson said.

Funding for the efforts came through a grant written by Tammy Cotton, executive director of LITE (Living in Transition Effectively), who also serves as coordinator for the committee.

Carlson said the year-old committee is still maturing and making progress.

Huffer said the goal is to find gaps in service.

Carlson said he's unsure if they've identified gaps yet. “I don’t know if we’re there yet, but I think we're identifying some things that maybe we should be doing better for more people.” 

One thing both agree on is the common link between suicide victims and grief.

Huffer said he believes grief is a common aspect and that he thinks some kind of intervention or support could be beneficial.

[caption id="attachment_105450" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The coroner's report also included a summary of overall work in the office for 2024.[/caption]

The post Kosciusko Coroner highlights overdose, suicide statistics appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Health First Indiana, a robust funding mechanism that’s opened the door for new health services in counties across the state, is now preparing budgets for its second year.

Kosciusko County Heath Department received roughly $900,000 for new services last year year and will see twice as much for the upcoming year as it continues to ramp up its customized offerings.

The county health department hired former Bowen Center executive Kurt Carlson to oversee HFI, which they have rebranded as Health First Kosciusko.

Carlson spends much of his time developing policy approaches and has the support of an administrative assistant, Liz McCullough, who focuses much of her time documenting exactly what the county is doing with its new-found source of money.

Carlson and McCullough were this week’s guests on In the Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.

Carlson is expanding health services in Kosciusko County with numerous new initiatives, relying on existing service agencies and many of the efforts involve supporting newborns and youth.

HFK is providing new money to school corporations in the county for health-related services and is providing money to Breathe Well Kosciusko for campaigns against smoking and vaping.

One focus has been on prenatal care after officials realized many mothers in Kosciusko County are showing up at hospitals ready to give birth, having never received prenatal care.

HFK has now lined up several ways to break down barriers, including an ultrasound machine that gives mothers an initial chance to realize they're carrying a baby fully. Carlson also lined up support to provide transportation through KABS and vouchers to help cover the cost of doctor’s visits at both local hospitals.

"Yesterday (Tuesday), we gave out our first voucher, somebody who had come through the clinic — again, trying to remove the barriers of cost from them receiving care," Carlson said.

Carlson is also delving into details involving review boards that track how people are dying in the county. One involves suicide and overdoes while another looks at how infants die.

He said he learned earlier this week that two infants had died as a result of co-sleeping with their parents.

He said publicity efforts warning parents often don’t make a big difference.

"Unfortunately, even when they've had very robust campaigns in other counties, it doesn't seem to move the dial very much," he said.

Health First was proposed by Gov. Eric Holcomb and adopted by the state legislature, but even after its passage, there has been lingering concerns at the local level and elsewhere over whether the state would continue providing counties with the large infusion of money to support new services under future General Assemblies and/or the next governor who takes office in January.

Carlson said he’s seen such political uncertainty in his previous jobs in the mental health industry and is setting aside the typical political concerns to focus on the task at hand.

"I've ridden those waves and bucking horses over the years and so I, in this case, have faith that it will be funded at this level and there may even be some additional grant funding aside from Health First Indiana," Carlson said.

The post Health First Kosciusko expanding local services appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Kurt Carlson, the former longtime director of Bowen Center, is coming out of retirement to serve as the coordinator for Kosciusko County’s huge expansion of health services under the new Health First Indiana program.

The post Carlson eager for new challenge as coordinator of county health initiative appeared first on News Now Warsaw.