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Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph..

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Members of the Hancock County Board sit at tables during its recent meeting at the Hancock County Courthouse.

Members of the Hancock County Board sit at tables during its recent meeting at the Hancock County Courthouse.

The Hancock County Board met to hold its regularly scheduled monthly meeting Tuesday, at the Hancock County Courthouse in Carthage, Ill. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes with 14 members present and one absent. Those present were board members Mark Menn, Tom Rodgers, Jan Fleming, Tom Bergmeier, Patsy Davis, Gary Stansbury, Harry Douglas, Mark Hanson, Pat Cramer, Wayne Bolin, Andrew Asbury, Stephen Finney, Dennis Castlebury, Chairman Delbert Kreps, and County Clerk Holly A. Wilde-Tillman. Absent was board member Katherine Phillips. Flanking the sides of the County Board room a handful of visitors were also in attendance — with one visitor being there for the purpose of discussions that have been ensuing on the EMS and ambulance issues — and two visitors being there representing the City of Warsaw — Warsaw City Clerk, Julie Haack present on behalf of Warsaw Mayor Mike Heisler, and Warsaw city council member and Warsaw Public Safety Chairperson Priscilla Blecha representing the committee Blecha chairs and the city of Warsaw.

However, neither Haack nor Blecha spoke at the meeting.

It had been anticipated that the State’s Attorney, Rachel Mast, would have available a report of an ongoing investigation she has been conducting concerning alleged attacks on citizen by dogs in the county to include a review of the currently in-place neighboring counties and cities ordinances for handling such in the State of Illinois.

However, the investigation and the report are still not ready with it being reported that Mast is awaiting the forthcoming “from Madison County.”

While a sense of urgency to have something concrete done about the escalating concerns being voiced by Hancock County residents — those who have been attacked by dogs in the county or those who have had their children harmed or their pets or livestock harmed or killed by dogs in the county — appears now to be more palpable than before, a seemingly shared perception emerging among those raising their concerns appears to be one of “stonewalling” — that the county is not doing enough to protect them and their concerns are not being taken seriously nor heard — and this is further frustrating efforts to resolve these problems.

Health and Miscellaneous Chairperson Pat Craven read in his report at the Tuesday meeting that at the Aug. 8 Health and Miscellaneous meeting “Mr. Rodgers asked if we needed to talk about the dog situation. Mr. Heisler, [who attended the Aug 8 meeting] stated this is why he [Heisler] came to the meeting” Cramer further then noting that “conversation was had on the Warsaw dog situation [with] Mr. Heisler present to discuss [it and that] there was discussion on Mr. Wright and his duties and the county’s role.”

While it was true that Mayor Heisler had attended the Aug. 8, County Health and Miscellaneous Committee meeting, in a subsequent meeting then held in Warsaw at City Hall on Aug.10, called by Warsaw City Council member and Warsaw Public Safety Chairperson Priscilla Blecha to discuss the recent August County Health and Miscellaneous committee meeting among other local public safety concerns — with also having County Board member Tom Rodgers visiting in that meeting — Mayor Heisler stated he had “felt discouraged and disappointed” by his experience speaking at the Aug. 8, meeting but that he too was awaiting the report to be issued by Attorney Mast.

The August Hancock County Board meeting didn’t see much attention being spent on the matter either given that the report is yet to be made available. It was noted, however, that Mast’s investigation “had found” some things and that the report would be forthcoming awaiting on Madison County.

Not surprising, there was no wasting of time at the Aug. 16 meeting to get the business at hand done. Committee chairpersons gave their reports by reading the minutes that had been prepared for approval and one by one the Hancock County Board etched off their agenda. The agenda included from the County Highway, Road, and Bridge Committee the resolution for construction of a bridge in Durham Township, from the Finance, Fees, and Salaries committee a resolution for taxing districts, approval to get an appraisal on EMS buildings (collectively and individually), and buildings, grounds, and insurance, and lastly, a report from the Health and Miscellaneous Committee on the animal control discussion which didn’t offer much but Rodgers waving a report of sorts at the board for someone to take it saying, “here this is — read this” but not really stating what the report was — appearing to give a warning of sorts — that “there it is — read it.”

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Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 82F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Scattered thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 79F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

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