Council will be asked for $$

Jay County students with 529 college savings accounts could gain another $50 in those accounts.
Bill Bradley, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, told the Jay County Commissioners Monday morning that he plans to ask Jay County Council for about $25,000 for 529 accounts.
The commissioners also heard about Community Corrections and Sheriff’s Office vehicles that were damaged during flooding.
The Portland Foundation, through the Jay County Promise program, already provides $25 to students who open an account with at least $25. Bradley hopes to secure additional funding from the county and other sources to get an additional $50 for each account. He’d like to have $100 in the accounts by October.
Students with at least $500 in a savings account are four to five times more likely to get some kind of post-secondary education, Bradley said.
“I don’t think you could probably make any better one-time investment, in all honesty, in the future of the kids, children, the young people of this county, than a program like this,” Bradley said. “I haven’t been this excited about something in a long time. This is really cool.”
Bradley estimates $62,500 total from all partners is necessary to start accounts for kindergarten through third grade students.
In the future, less money will be needed because the focus will be on each year’s kindergarten class.
Commissioners Faron Parr, Jim Zimmerman and Doug Inman heard from Yvette Weiland, Jay County Community Corrections director, that three Community Corrections vehicles parked by the courthouse were damaged during the most recent round of flooding.

Bixler Insurance said one 2004 Chevrolet truck is totaled and a 2008 Chevrolet Impala and 2009 Ford Escape are borderline totaled.
 “Basically the insurance company, on the Impala and the Escape, will do whatever you want,” Weiland told the commissioners.
Weiland noted her personal vehicle still has problems related to water damage from the 2011 flood.
Given the potential for persisting problems, the commissioners decided to have the cars totaled. Parr advised Weiland to start getting bids on used vehicles.
Replacing the Escape was already in the budget, with $20,000 appropriated to do so, Weiland said.
Jay County Sheriff Dwane Ford is also looking to replace a vehicle damaged during flooding.
Deputy Tony E. Lennartz was responding to an accident around 11 p.m. July 18 when he drove into standing water on county road 200 West near county 200 North. The 2013 Chevrolet Impala he was driving went off the road and flipped several times.
“I’ve never seen that road flood before. (Lennartz) hadn’t either,” Ford said.
Ford expects about $11,600 in insurance money for the vehicle itself, and is still working to turn in a list of equipment that was inside the vehicle.