More grants approved

Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review

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More grant funds are headed to local schools.

Jay County Solid Waste Management District approved more than $1,700 in education grants during its meeting Monday. Those grants are in addition to the $2,989.97 the district approved for six projects last month.

The largest of the grants — $974.68 — went to General Shanks Elementary School instructional assistant Lexie Penrod for the purchase of two Buddy Benches, which provide a place for students to go if they feel lonely or left out. The benches are made out of recycled materials.

A Buddy Bench has already been installed in at Redkey Elementary and staff there have said it has had a positive impact.

Other grants approved were:

•$349.95 to Bloomfield Elementary teacher Amy Fullenkamp for five Kore Wobble Chairs.

•$249.80 to Bloomfield teacher Giles Laux for items to create a reading corner in his classroom.

•$103.80 to Jay Schools occupational therapist Emily Reynolds for four Build-a-Bouquet sets from Green Toys.

•$77.85 to Reynolds for five cooperative play board games.

All of those items are made from recycled materials.

In other business, board members Jeanne Houchins, Doug Inman, Randy Geesaman, Mike Leonhard, Chuck Huffman and Bill Gibson, with Tom Johnson absent:

•Voted Geesaman as vice president replacing Inman, who is leaving the group because of his resignation as a Jay County Commissioner. As vice president, Geesaman will also be a member of the personnel committee. Board members also named Gibson to the personnel committee to the seat the seat that Jim Zimmerman vacated when he left the board Dec. 31.

•Learned that the district brought in $24,86.97 in tipping fees on 14,018.45 tons dumped at Jay County Landfill in April. The district’s cash balance is $460,523.46.

•Agreed donated $12,000 for the 2018 Arts in the Parks program. Arts Place had requested $15,000, but the board decided to stick with the same amount it had given for this year.