Commissioners updated on HCSO's 'Project Lifesaver,' war memorial, county grant projects; OK purchase of AEDs

Highland County commissioners Terry Britton, David Daniels and Brad Roades heard updates June 3 on a variety of new and ongoing county activities, including a new program offered by the Sheriff’s Office, plus progress on a Revolutionary War memorial, grant projects and the purchase of AEDs for county buildings.

During the weekly commission meeting, Highland County Sheriff Randy Sanders and Chief Deputy Jennifer Schinkal announced the debut of Project Lifesaver in the county.

According to projectlifesaver.org, “Project Lifesaver is a 501 (C)(3) community-based, public-safety nonprofit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, search-and-rescue (SAR) teams, caregivers and others with a program designed to protect and, when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering.  

“The necessity of this program was determined through the correlation between cognitive conditions and the acts of wandering and ‘eloping.’ With the dramatic increase in cognitive conditions since the inception of the organization, Project Lifesaver has grown from a localized program to one recognized internationally as a proven and effective method of ‘bringing loved ones home.’”

As described by Schinkal and the Project Lifesaver website, the program involves training and radio technology.

“Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small transmitter on the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized frequency signal,” the website says. “If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. The first responders will then use the client’s individualized frequency to locate the position of the individual.”

Schinkal said the HCSO was approached by a member of the community about the program, which she and Sanders said is helpful for locating individuals with autism, dementia, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injuries or any factors that cause individuals to “wander or elope.” Five HCSO officers, including Sanders and Schinkal, have been trained to locate individuals who have a Project Lifesaver bracelet.

“We can go out as soon as they call us and let us know that their loved one has wandered,” Schinkal said. “We'll go out with our devices and track their transmitter. Every transmitter will have their own frequency.”

Schinkal said the Project Lifesaver packet costs $400 per year and involves certain requirements, including a daily battery check by caregivers and a monthly battery check by an HCSO officer.

“When they join this program with us, they have to sign a contract with the company because there’s limitations because of liability, and basically, they have to have a 24-hour caregiver,” Sanders added. 

Several area agencies, including the Board of DD and Adult Protective Services, have “committed some money” toward the purchases, according to Schinkal, while she said they can also seek grant funding from organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association.

Sanders said they will be setting up at area events, including KAMP Dovetail, to reach out to members of the community about the opportunity and to sign people up. Roades suggested that they should set up a booth during the county’s America-250 celebration July 18 as well.

“If we can save one life, we've done our due,” Schinkal said.

In another update, Gerold “Buzzard” Wilkin of the Sons of the American Revolution Highlanders Chapter met with commissioners to discuss plans for the installation of the long-discussed Revolutionary War memorial on the grounds of the Highland County Courthouse.

According to Wilkin, the installation is scheduled for the morning of June 10. He asked various questions related to the work, including ones regarding permits, traffic control and blocking off parking spaces. Roades referred Wilkin to the Hillsboro safety and service director, Shawn Adkins, to help coordinate the project, but commissioners also agreed to follow up with city officials.

Wilkin also said that the county’s America-250 celebration July 18 at the courthouse will include an “unveiling” ceremony of the new memorial. He asked to confirm that the America-250 committee was fine with “not covering up” the memorial ahead of the ceremony. As several committee members were in attendance, they said that they did not see an issue with it.

“On the monument is a QR code, so individuals can go up and take a picture, and it will be on the Highlanders website, which is the chapter for the Sons of the American Revolution,” Wilkin said. “We want to make that knowledgeable to the community that there's stories on the back of it, there's the people that initiated it and donated and worked on it, and then, I think we're at 280-something [names]. It went in the final engraving last Friday.”

Commissioners thanked Wilkin for the update and asked him to let them know if anything changes with the installation plans.

In other discussion:

• After meeting with commission clerk and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) coordinator Mary Remsing, commissioners agreed to use additional CDBG funds to cover unforeseen expenses connected to a previous grant-funded project at the Because He Lives food pantry.

Remsing said her request was for a purchase order in the amount of $25,166.86 in the Revolving Loan Fund to cover the additional work.
 
According to Remsing, the original project grant award was for $89,100, while the project initially came in under bid at $53,388. They later had a $20,889.13 change order to replace the “rotted wood decking,” which was covered with the leftover CDBG funds, leaving them with $14,822.87.

“Unfortunately, during the project, they also found some steel decking that was rusted and rotted,” Remsing said. “It's $39,989.73. The contractor did say if we do not replace the steel decking, the warranty will only be for the materials for the roof, that they will not have labor and materials under warranty. 
 
“I’m coming to ask for the funding shortfall of $25,166.86 from the Revolving Loan Fund. I do have a purchase order that will be closed that was utilized for Rolling Acres that will put $13,389.88 back into the fund. There also is a purchase order opened for $100,000 that, if closed, will also put those funds back into the account, and it will leave a Revolving Loan Fund balance of $670,726.82.”

Architect Doug Karnes added that both issues were a “surprise” that could not have been identified until after the roof was removed, as Remsing said the building was from 1967.

“They are a nonprofit, and they don’t have funds to cover the remaining expense,” Remsing said.  

Britton asked Highland County Economic Development Director Julie Bolender if the additional money “would be a problem,” and she said they should “take it to the [Revolving Loan Fund] board and have them approve that expenditure.”

Remsing disagreed based on her email correspondence with the Ohio Department of Development, a copy of which she shared with commissioners. After doing some research during the meeting, Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins confirmed that Remsing “is correct.

“The RLF board is a subcommittee of the commissioners,” Collins said. “This is not a loan. As long as it's been approved as a CDBG fund, the RLF board doesn't have to approve it.”

Daniels said that counting the money from the Rolling Acres grant that is coming back into the fund, their shortfall is $11,776.98. In response to a question from Britton, Bolender said that none of the remaining $670,726 in the fund is “committed.”

“I did go to the food pantry, and they don’t have the funds to cover this,” Remsing said. “I don’t want to see them lose out on their warranty.”

In an unrelated matter, Remsing also gave commissioners a quote of $997.28 to repair a 2006 van for the Job & Family Services CHORE program, which was unlikely to be used in the future. She said they could list it for sale at auction, with or without the repairs.

Daniels suggested paying for the repair, but Roades disagreed, since they were unsure how much of that payment would be recouped by selling the van. Commissioners voted 3-0 against fixing the van.

• After nearly two years of discussion, commissioners approved the purchase of AEDs for county buildings. 

Commissioners had placed the matter “on hold” in June 2025, after discussing a proposal to purchase 19 AEDs for nearly a year. Since then, the sheriff’s office acquired AEDs for their building, and Highland County EMA Director David Bushelman provided updated price quotes in May. 

ARPA funding coordinator Nicole Oberrecht said she was able to obtain the equipment at a slightly reduced price through a “corporate buydown,” at $1,890 each instead of $1,999. She said the brand of AEDs also had to change from the original Cintas quote, based on the recommendation of Bushelman. The county is also adding two additional AEDs only (no cabinets) for the Sheriff’s Office at their request, which the HCSO is going to pay for.

According to Daniels, the total cost is $30,388.04, which is for the outright purchase. The maintenance will be handled internally, so there will not be an additional service contract, Bushelman and Daniels said.

• Steve Williams and Gary Cooper of Southern Ohio Communications Services announced that they have completed a fiber internet project in Highland County based on a $250,000 grant agreement from the county.

“I just want to express my appreciation to the commissioners for awarding a contract to my company, Southern Ohio Communications, for allowing us to build broadband to serve some of your citizens here in Highland County,” Cooper said. 

According to Cooper, the $250,000 grant agreement was for 7.33 miles and 46 passings (residences), with SOCS adding another $329,070 for a total investment of $579,070 to cover 65 passings. Counting their initial $12.3 million capital investment, SOCS has invested 101.93 miles of fiber, servicing 1,302 locations with a total investment of $12,895,014.15. 

“The investment that you made also allowed us to invest more money to reach even more passings than what we originally thought that we would, so we appreciate that,” Williams said.

The area covered by the grant from Highland County include homes on state Route 1336, Pondlick Road, Calvary Road, Crooked Road, Dickey Road, Shaw Baker Road, Laycock Lane, Forsythe Road and Redkey Road.

“The project that we were a part of with you, of the 46 agreed-upon locations, we currently have 12 locations using the service actively that are turned on,” Williams said. “There's people being installed today in that area. There's just active installation happening there, so our hope is to continue to market that area and get as many people turned on and with access to broadband as possible in the county.”

Since SOCS has fulfilled their agreement, Oberrecht said they could disburse the remaining 50 percent of the grant, in response to a question from Daniels.

“I appreciate all that you guys have done, and I'm glad that the county's participation through the ARPA money has been able to get us some additional crossings or additional passings,” Daniels said. “We’ve had a lot of underserved areas here in the county for a long, long time. This has been probably one of the biggest underserved areas that we have.”

• Ethan Reynolds of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s office briefly discussed the governor’s announcement of “the pause of data center tax exemptions for the time being.” The governor made the announcement May 27, saying that “he has directed the chair of the Ohio Tax Credit Authority to pause consideration of any new data center tax exemption requests while the Ohio General Assembly's Joint Data Center Committee studies the growth of data centers in Ohio,” according to a press release from the state.

Reynolds also encouraged commissioners to make requests for projects in the capital budget and said he is “working to try to get the governor here” for the county’s America 250 celebration July 18.

• During their regular session, commissioners took a brief recess to sign a deed for a property, which had been forfeited to the county in a drug case and has now been sold at auction. They also had an executive session to discuss “pending or imminent litigation” and an offsite meeting at the future site of a recycling center.

Commissioners also made the following approvals, each by a 3-0 vote:

• A general conditions contract with Dance Construction LLC for the rebid of the new courtyard for Highco, Inc. In a separate motion, commissioners also approved a notice of award to Dance Construction for the same project.

• A lease agreement among Highland County Commissioners, Highland County Airport Authority and Michael and Shauna Davidson, dba H6 Aviation Service, LLC, for Hangar 6.

• A WSU contract extension for PY26 among Highland County Commissioners, Highland County Community Action Organization, Workforce Services Unlimited, Inc. for the Highland County CCMEP WIOA/TANF Youth Program.

• A quote from J’s Cleaning Services for additional work at the Workforce Development Center.

• A motion to approve Paint Valley ADAMH’s recommendation to appoint Dr. Tracy Reveal to replace Tonya Sturgill on the ADAMH board.

• A resolution to authorize a “then and now” purchase order and to authorize the county auditor to issue warrants for payment.

• A resolution stating commissioners’ continued support of the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission’s Economic Development District planning partnership investment grant program with the USDOC Economic Development Administration for the annual performance period Jan. 1, 2027 through Dec. 31, 2027.

• An additional appropriation from unappropriated funds within the 4220 Airport Capital Improvement fund in the amount of $2,340.

• An additional appropriation from unappropriated funds within the 2280 Records Preservation fund in the amount of $2,000.

• A resolution authorizing the County Auditor to establish a fund 4210 titled “Runway 23 PAPI-2” and establish the following appropriation lines within the fund: Contracts & Services, $125,313.90 and Professional Services, $68,850.

• A resolution authorizing the South Central Ohio Regional Juvenile Detention Center to undertake necessary repairs and improvements to its facility.

For more from Wednesday’s meeting, see the story at: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/commissioners-issue-2nd-notice-def….

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