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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.

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WARSAW — Center Lake Beach could be reopened on Thursday — Independence Day — if tests taken Wednesday show a reduction in E.coli bacteria, according to Warsaw Parks Superintendent Larry Plummer.

The beach was closed Wednesday morning after the Kosciusko County Health Department notified the parks department that tests taken Tuesday showed an unsafe level of E.coli, Plummer said Wednesday afternoon.

More tests were taken on Wednesday.

"We'll get a reading on those samples in the morning and they'll advise us if the counts are good — if they're good, we'll reopen the beach," Plummer said.

Updates on tests will be posted on the City of Warsaw Parks Department Facebook page.

The beach has been closed previously because of E.coli, but Wednesday’s decision was the first in nearly seven years.

Plummer said the recent high temperatures, may have contributed to the presence of E.coli.

Officials for years have said the old cement pier on the beach has contributed to the presence of E.coli because it causes water stagnation.

The pier has been closed for a year and the city plans to remove it when money becomes available.

He said the emergency closing reinforces the need to remove the pier.

Given the measures that have been taken in recent years to reduce E.coli, Plummer is hoping it’s an isolated incident.

The parks department uses a specialized rake to remove debris — including goose droppings — from the beach seven days a week. 

Employees also remove geese from its two beaches when they show up.

The only geese removed this year, though, have been at Pike Lake, he said.

"We have not seen them at Center so I don't think it's a fowl problem," he said. "I would lean more toward temperature or water movement. I'm not a scientist, but that's my sense over the years."

Plummer was asked if the circumstances reminded him of Jaws, the classic 1970s movie in which a community was under pressure to close a beach over a public safety issue (a shark!) ahead of the Fourth of July.

He laughed and offered an optimistic outlook.

"Our hopes are that the tests come back tomorrow and we can get the beach back open and our lifeguards are ready one way or another."

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WARSAW — Kosciusko County Health Department reported evidence on Friday that West Nile Virus has been found for the first time this year in the county.

The health department issued a news release Friday morning saying that mosquitoes in Kosciusko County had tested Positive for West Nile Virus.

“Mosquitoes in Indiana can spread several different viruses, including West Nile Virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis, and La Crosse Encephalitis,” said Jennifer House, DVM, a veterinary epidemiologist at the Indiana Department of Health.

“All of these viruses have the potential to cause
serious illness,” she said.

Health officials are urging Hoosiers to take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito-borne disease.

Officials say you can take precautions to avoid being bitten by wearing long sleeves/long pants, using insect repellent and avoiding wooded or marshy areas.

No other details were immediately available.

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WARSAW — It took a while, but Kosciusko County Health Department has received reimbursement checks for administering COVID-19 vaccinations during the pandemic.

County Health Officer Dr. William Remington said the county received two checks totaling $500,000.

As you recall, some of those who used one of many vaccination clinics in the county provided insurance information and the government then billed insurance companies for administrative fees.

"The state collected that info and they billed insurance companies for the administrative fee — whatever was allowed — to give the vaccines. The vaccines were federally funded so it wasn't about the vaccine product. It was about the administrative effort," Remington said.

About 30,000 vaccinations against Covid were distributed and much of the work was provided by volunteers.

"It was one of the most gratifying efforts I've ever seen in this health department in my professional career," Remington said.

The health department will put the money away for now. Remington said he’d like to see the funds used for clinical endeavors.

Remington provided the update during the county health board's meeting on Monday.

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WARSAW -- For the first time ever, Kosciusko County Health Department will begin testing children for lead poisoning beginning in July.

The new service is the result of a new state law enacted last year that requires all healthcare providers serving children to offer lead testing to their patients. 

Ideally, children would be tested at their one and two-year checkups. Testing will also be offered to any child under 6 who has not been tested before.

Testing is set to begin in July at the Health Services Pavilion on Provident Drive in Warsaw.

Previously, only Indiana children covered by Medicaid were required to be tested for lead at ages 12 and 24 months.

If a child tests 5 or higher, they will be enrolled in case management, and their families will be encouraged to allow health department staff to do a home risk assessment.

Kosciusko County received a $41,000 grant to provide the service. Future funding though, remains uncertain.

County Health Administrator Bob Weaver said it made sense for the health department to get involved, pointing out that children could be tested at the same time they receive immunization shots at the county health clinic.

Wever said he’s unsure how much demand there will be for the service.

The program allows parents to opt-out if they don’t want their children tested.

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WARSAW -- Fees are going up for numerous services at Kosciusko County's Health Department.

It’s been ten years since rates were adjusted and county health administrator Bob Weaver said fees in other surrounding counties are, in some cases, much, much higher.

An increase is needed to help cover the cost associated with specific services.

Services involving the issuance of birth certificates, well permits and septic permits are among those affected.

The county commissioners approved the rate change Tuesday.

Even with the increases, Weaver said some of the fees are still below levels used in other nearby counties.

[caption id="attachment_74479" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Document comparing fees with other counties provided by Kosciusko County Health Department.[/caption]

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