Published: June 01, 2009 09:38 pm      

Fountain seeks state grant

COVINGTON, Ind. — The possibility of a new Emergency Medical Services building for Fountain County is back on the drawing board.

The Fountain County Commissioners gave Virginia Scherer, EMS coordinator, permission to hire Anita Carpenter as a grant writer for the proposal Monday.

The county plans to apply for a $500,000 grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs to build the facility on county-owned land near Veedersburg.

“We want to get moving on it again,” Scherer said.

The county would have to come up with $55,000 in matching funds.

The proposal must be sent in by Aug. 14, with the application due Oct. 2. Awards will be announced Nov. 20.

The current EMS facility in Veedersburg is in need of major repairs and is not big enough to handle all of the equipment.

In other business, commissioners:

-- Learned that plumbing problems at the jail have slowed the move back into the facility. Sheriff Bobby Bass expects the jail to the operational by Friday, with inmates returned next week.

-- Heard a report on the Tecumseh Area Partnership Inc. and Alliance 4 Advancement from Roger Feldhaus, director. Fountain County is one of 12 counties in the group. Terry Ellingwood represents the commissioners on the council, with Dana Harvey as Fountain County’s at-large member.

-- Gave the Fountain County Historical Society permission to open the courthouse for a mural tour June 20 in conjunction with a bicycle tour.

-- Tabled action on maintenance of the wheel chair lift at the courthouse until additional bids can be obtained.