By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — Caden Buschur gave Darke County Commissioners Matt Aultman and Marshall Combs an update on the Darke County OSU Extension Office at the Thursday, Oct. 5 meeting of the commissioners. Commissioner Larry Holmes was absent.

During Buschur’s presentation, he introduced the county’s news 4-H Youth Development Educator, Mercedes McFarland. McFarland grew up in Montgomery County and was active in 4-H and FFA. She went to Morehead State University where she studied Animal Science. She said she did research and background with Yak reproduction.

McFarland said she worked in Columbus with Select Sires, Inc. where she was a livestock technician. Prior to going to Columbus, she served as a 4-H assistant in Montgomery County.

She started at the Darke County OSU Extension nearly two weeks ago. “I’m really excited to be here and work with you guys,” she told the commissioners.

Commissioner Matt Aultman shared the extension office had two other positions listed, but the community development position has been put on hold. He believes they will talk about the position in the future, but probably not until the Land Use Survey is completed. The Family Consumer Sciences position, previously held by Dr. Rosanne Scammahorn, is still unknown. Aultman said, “OSU has a process on how the vet candidates. You apply, they vet them, and they bring them to a local committee and do an interview process and then it goes back through if they accept and there’s a whole rigamarole that Ohio State does. I haven’t heard any updates.”

Buschur said he has been holding educational program, participating in Farm Science Review and the Darke County Fair and has been interacting with the community, as well as doing research through a Soybean Weed Survey and Fungicide Application On-Farm Research.

The Commissioners approved a letter of support for providing funds for the Domestic Violence Shelter in 2024. The commission anticipates they will give approximately $11,000. These fees are part of the fee paid for divorces and dissolutions, as well as marriage licenses.

Aultman and Combs agreed to appoint Tom Lucas to the Law Library Board.

Transferred $102,500.01 to the Michael Resource Treatment Center. This was the monthly support for April, May and June. Aultman said Darke County’s share is kept low due to the out-of-county young men that are housed there. The other counties pay for those young men to be there. The county is hoping to expand the facility and use space that isn’t currently being used in the near future. The facility currently has nine teens staying there.

The county returned $12,248.46 to the state from funds it received for the special election in August. The state gave a grant to cover the cost of the election on the condition that unused funds be returned.

Darke County Commissioners meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. at the Darke County Administration Building.

To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected].