The Highland County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday received a check for nearly $84,000 from timber sales from the portion of Pike State Forest located in Highland County, and the part of that which is allotted to the county itself will go into the Child Emergency services fund that supports county children in foster children.
According to Nathan Jester and Ben Kelley, both with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, any time timber is harvested and sold from an area of state forest, proceeds go to that area from which the timber was harvested. With a portion of the Pike State Forest in Highland County, the county got a check for $83,944, which will be divied up to other local government entities.
The county’s share is $20,986. Commissioners passed a motion to put that money in the Child Emergency services fund. As previously reported, when crafting this year’s budget, commissioners in December approved a special line item into the county’s budget as a way to offset the increased costs of county children in foster care so that money could be transferred to it as needed.
Brush Creek Township will receive $20,986, and the Ohio Valley Local School District will receive $41,972. How the money is broken down is dictated by Ohio law.
“I can’t speak highly enough about the program,” Jester said, adding that it was “cool” to be able to give back to the community.
In other business, Gary Smaltz and Becky Williams, both with the Highland County Veterans Service Commission, updated commissioners on the veterans commission making state identification cards for veterans.
The commission has had a machine to make cards for some time, but according to Smaltz, commission staff have only made cards for veterans to use locally. As of last Friday, the commission can now make state ID cards for veterans.
The ID cards are free of charge, Smaltz said, and can be made during normal operating hours, which are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The commission is located at 1575 N. High St., suite 400, Hillsboro, and can be contacted by calling 937-393-8686. It intends to send out more information in the coming days about the state ID cards.
The Highland County Board of Commissioners meets each Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. on the second floor of the county administration building, 119 Governor Foraker Pl., Hillsboro. The meetings are open to the public.
Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.
