MOUNT VERNON — During their Nov. 7 meeting, the Knox County commissioners appointed former Danville Police Chief Dan Weckesser as interim sheriff starting Jan. 1, 2025.
Because the retirement process runs on a calendar year, Knox County Sheriff David Shaffer will retire on Dec. 31. However, his term does not end until Jan. 6, 2025.
Since Weckesser is the incoming sheriff, the commissioners appointed him interim sheriff between Jan. 1 and Jan. 5, 2025. The commissioners will drop the interim title when Weckesser’s elected term starts Jan. 6.
Weckesser stepped down as Danville police chief on Nov. 2. Former Chief Monte Vance will serve as interim chief.
Shaffer met with Weckesser several weeks ago and gave him the information to start the hiring and onboarding process.
Shaffer also started closing out accounts so that Weckesser could open new ones.
“We’re going to start our audit of the evidence and property rooms the first week of December,” Shaffer told the commissioners. “I’m going to have a couple of outside people come in and help our people with that. That way there’s a full accountability for evidence and property.”
Regarding personnel, one deputy is on light duty, and another will soon return to light duty following injuries.
Otherwise, the sheriff’s office is down one patrol position due to a resignation. Two potential hires are in the pipeline.
“We’ve had some overtime because of the injuries, so we’re going to have to do a temporary move. A couple of detectives are going to have to fill those slots,” Shaffer said.
The jail is fully staffed. As of Nov. 7, the jail population was 57 males and 14 females. Five are housed outside of the Knox County Jail.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office recently received 100% on its jail inspection.
“That’s 176 standards, so yes, that was excellent,” Shaffer said.
The KCSO continues to evaluate Right Stuff and Planet Police scheduling software. Planet Police’s contract renewal is in February.
Farmers market
Paul Higgins and Sabrina Schirtzinger of Knox County OSU Extension updated the commissioners on the 2024 outdoor farmers markets in Mount Vernon, Fredericktown, and Centerburg.
Higgins called it a “very successful season.”
The Centerburg market responded favorably to the tokens for the Eat Fresh, Eat Local seniors program coordinated by the Task Force for Older Adults. Additionally, the program increased the number of tokens for the Mount Vernon market.
However, Higgins said that tracking found that the markets are not attracting many new people.
“But what that’s telling us is we’re seeing the need for the same people continual,” he said.
The task force distributed 50 produce bags as prizes during Senior Day at the Knox County Fair.
“The response for those was overwhelming,” Higgins said. “Last year, we did 30; this year, we did 50.
“So we’re excited about that as well.”
The Green Teen program through Knox Public Health participated in the Mount Vernon farmers market this year, offering demonstrations.
“They would either grow the produce and have it or we get it from one of the vendors and they’d make whatever the sampling was going to be,” Higgins explained.
The teens also developed the produce bags given away at the fair, interacting with vendors to determine what products were available, creating a budget, and packing the bags.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program
A change in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition program did not go as well.
The Ohio Area on Aging administers the program, but the Ohio Department of Aging became involved. The goal was to transition to a digital format, moving from coupons to debit cards.
However, cards were unavailable until June, and vendors and market-goers struggled with them.
“Part of the problem was that at the market, a vendor either had to use a cell phone and scan the QR code or have a scanner,” explained Schirtzinger. “We have Amish vendors who don’t even have a cell phone.
“They also wanted seniors to use their cell phone to do this as well,” she added. “We have seniors that can’t do that.”
Food for the Hungry provided a grant to buy tokens. Market coordinator Marty Trese scanned the senior’s debit card and gave them tokens to buy produce.
“The redemption rate was half, and normally we’re in the 90% of that program,” Schirtzinger said.
“It was a mess, but we made it work.”
Holiday Market
In conjunction with Knox Public Health, OSU Extension is working on a pilot program for an indoor holiday market. The goal is to get approved for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Produce Perks vouchers.
A recent food assessment reported producers need an outlet for their produce in winter. Habitat for Humanity hosted the inaugural market on Nov. 9 at Heartland Commerce Park. The group is planning another market in December.
From there, the goal is to have indoor markets in March and April 2025, then move outside for the regular season.
