County fills positions at end of the year
Through November and December, Crawford County has grappled with a myriad of open positions their departments.
At a personnel committee meeting on Dec. 18, the county confirmed that several of those roles are now filled, including Susan Myers, Information and Assistance Specialist for the ADRC; Susan Hilger, Justice Programs Coordinator; Kristen Emery, social worker; and Rusty Noel and Seth Harvat, highway patrolmen.
Some of the new employees have already started, while others will begin by the end of January.
The county planned to make a job offer to a candidate for the Aging and Disability Resources Center disability specialist but had not done so as of Dec. 18.
Other positions still open include child protective services social worker, emergency management director and deputy sheriff, ADRC director, ADRC disability benefits specialist, fair coordinator and juvenile court community services supervisor.
The county hopes to have the ADRC director position filled by then end of the year.
According to Wayne Jerrett, the fair board had not received any more applications for the fair coordinator position previously held by Samantha Morovitz. Lyrica Marks, Richland County’s fair coordinator, remains the only candidate for the position. The board is considering offering her a one-year contract.
Sheriff Dale McCullick confirmed that the county had received approximately six applications for the county’s emergency management director and deputy sheriff position previously held by Jim Hackett. Interviews were set to start this past week.
Public health update
At the Department of Health and Human Services Board’s December 9 meeting, Public Health Specialist Sonya Lenzendorf provided a monthly update about the county’s activity in November.
“We’re still watching pertussis over the state. Pertussis is increasing. As of December 2, [we] had just under 2,000 cases in the state of Wisconsin,” she said.
Crawford County had four cases of pertussis (more widely known as whooping cough). Three out of the four cases were described as older adults.
The Department of Public Health had 241 communicable disease control encounters this past November, including the distribution of 80 COVID home test kits, 116 condoms and 30 vaccinations.
The department had 248 chronic disease and injury prevention encounters in the same time frame, including the distribution NARCAN, fentanyl test strips, gun locks and personal hygiene kits.
The department also had 21 environmental public health encounters (water test kits, radon tests, human health investigations and others) and 64 maternal, child and family health encounters (WIC contacts and vaccine reminder letters).
Well water tests
Lenzendorf also informed the board that there are free well water testing programs for people.
“We’ve always had a program for well water tests for those who are pregnant or have infants. The state did expand that program to be a little broader,” she said.
People with children under 13 in their household or have experienced significant flooding can test well water for free.
The Public Health is handing out bottles and paperwork to people for free, but the water tests still cost money unless the well owner falls into one of the categories stated above.
