NEWS RELEASE
DEFIANCE
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2013
The Board of Defiance County Commissioners met in regular session at 8:00
a.m. on Thursday, July 11, 2013 in the Hicksville Village Council Room,
Hicksville, Ohio. Chairman Otto L. Nicely
called the meeting to order. Also present were
Commissioners James E. Harris, Jr. and Thomas L. Kime, Sherry Carnahan, Fiscal Manager/Administrator, and Stephanie Metz,
Clerk.
The Commissioners met in General Session and approved and signed
various resolutions, contracts and documents.
The Commissioners also reviewed the calendar of events and discussed
upcoming meetings.
Sherry Carnahan, Finance Manager/Administrator, met with the
Commissioners to provide a monthly update.
Bruce Clevenger and Teresa Johnson, Defiance County OSU Extension, met
with the Commissioners for a quarterly update.
Agriculture/Natural
Resources: Established two Defiance County research plots to participate in
the Statewide Survey of Yield-Limiting Factors in Ohio Soybean Production.
Research protocol includes identifying fields with normal and low yielding
areas and collecting geo-referenced data and practices that contribute to the
yield differences. Data analyzed are zone soil samples for nutrients and
nematodes, plant tissue, farm history of practices and grain samples. Seed
costs for com and soybean production have increased significantly in the last
five years. Since 2008, corn and soybean seed costs have increased 160% and
175%, respectively. Two studies were established to evaluate seeding rates of
com and soybean in Defiance County. Com plots were established with two hybrid
types (fixed and flex ear) with 5 populations 26,000 to 50,000 seeds per acre.
Soybean plots were established with 80,000 to 220,000 seeds per acre. Trends
indicate that optimum com populations are increasing with today's hybrids while
optimum soybean populations are decreasing with today's varieties. A
monitoring/scouting project began June 1st for the Western Bean
Cutworm (WBC) with local farmers and agri-businesses. The first WBC moth caught
in 2013 was caught June 14th marking the beginning of moth flight. WBC
moth catches have been steadily increasing since 2008 with Defiance County a
"hot spot" of activity for Ohio. The Defiance County Master Gardener
Volunteers hosted a plant sale in May. Funds raised by MG events support the
MG/OSU Extension college scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a
student that has completed two years of college and is pursuing an
agriculture/horticulture related degree. The 2013 application deadline is
September 1, 2013. The Defiance County Farmers Market is open in Defiance on
Tuesdays 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., Thursdays 12-4 pm and Saturdays 8:00 a.m. – 12:00
p.m., and Hicksville Tuesdays 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 12:00
p.m. During April, May, and June, more than 130 phone calls and/or personal
visits were made to the county agriculture/natural resources educator requesting
information on crop and livestock production, horticulture, pond management
and/or farm management. Master Gardeners and office staff additionally assisted
with 36 horticulture phone calls and/or visitors requesting assistance on plant
health, insect identification, or care of lawns and gardens.
SNAP Education:
The SNAP Ed Program presented 66 educational sessions with 249 participants
attending. Topics included: Making Better Choices, Stretching Food Dollars,
MyPlate, Feed Your Bones, and The Calcium Route. Participants enjoyed building
a healthy plate using MyPlate. Filling 1/2 your plate with fruits and
vegetables is easier than it seems.
4-H Youth
Development: The 4-H Educator developed and conducted six Quality Assurance
programs for 361 FFA & 4-H Youth and 8 Senior Fairboard Livestock Committee
members. Three additional Horse Rule Sessions and Quality Assurance sessions
were conducted for 40 youth and their parents. The 4-H Educator coordinated
project related workshops and day camps. The 4-H Educator facilitated a two day
field trip for the Fairview Kindergarten classes for a total of 96 youth. This
included a nature craft, leading camp songs and also teaching camp line dances.
96 youth and 15 adult volunteers received training regarding their specific
role as an advisor or 4-H club officer/advisor. 12 Cloverbuds received
astronaut training and learned about our solar system during the Cloverbud Day
Camp at Diehl Park. A clinic was held for eight 4-H members enrolled in the
photography projects. A 4-H volunteer provided information about the project
and reviewed the various requirements for project judging. The 4-H Educator
worked with the Fashion and Nutrition Board in providing educational information
related to project completion and judging for the clothing and food projects.
38 youth attended the sessions. The Best in Northwest 4-H Club organized a
service project where 4-Hers made pillowcases for chronically ill children to
help brighten their hospital stay. Sixteen 4-Hers representing 3 different 4-H
clubs participated in the project and 40 pillowcases were constructed. 60 girls
ranging from first to fifth grades attended 4-H Princess Camp in May. The fifth
annual Princess Camp was hosted by four OSU 4-H Extension Professionals. Teresa
Johnson, Defiance County, Laura
Rohlf, Henry County, Staci Hiler, Paulding County and Jill
Stechschulte, Fulton County who planned, organized and conducted the event held
at 4-H Camp Palmer on May 11th. The program covered what every
princess needs to know. The focus of the program included self-esteem,
self-confidence, inner beauty, poise and grace, cultural customs, table manners
and etiquette. Activities included making Princess mermaid tails, mermaid
dolls, attending a tea party and much more.
The Commissioners’
Office recently received the monthly activity report from Cecilia Parsons,
Defiance County Recorder. In June there were the following instruments
recorded: 154 deeds, 182 mortgages, 137 releases, 4 power of attorneys, 0
plats, and 1 lease. This compares to 195 deeds, 213 mortgages, 159 releases, 2
power of attorneys, 3 plats, and 1 lease in June 2012. There was $24,896.25 in
receipts, of which $12,105.50 went to the Housing Trust Fund and $10,894.75 to
the General Fund. This compares to $29,669.00 in receipts in June 2012, of
which $14,509.00 went to the Housing Trust Fund and $12,900.00 to the General
Fund.
Release Approved: ____________________________________________________
Otto
L. Nicely, Defiance County Commissioner