Jasper County Board Approves Reapportionment Plan

Jasper County Board members approved a reapportionment plan for the county. The plan needs updated every 10 years. Counties are working with less information on the matter than usual, since census figures are not yet available.

The plan calls for a reduction to nine county board districts, with one person elected to the board from each district. The board member salary was set at $4,500 annually, with the chairman's salary remaining at $5,400. There are also changes to some of the districts. District 1 would include Wade 1 Precinct, which would be Ward 1 inside the city of Newton and outside Newton, Crooked Creek, Willow Hill, Grandville, Hunt City, Ste. Marie 2 and Grove Township. District 2 would include Wade #2 (Ward 2 within Newton) and outside Newton, Wade 4 (that's old Wade 3 and part of Wade 4) as well as Ward 2 and outside Newton, North Muddy and South Muddy Townships. District 3 would include Wade 5 (Ward 1) and outside Newton, Wade 3 (that's Ward 3 inside Newton) and outside Newton, Ste. Marie #1, Fox Township and Smallwood Township.

The Board also was updated on the law enforcement center construction project. The project currently involves moving out of, and demolishing, the old jail to make room for the new facility. The sheriff's department is relocating offices to the old environmental building west of the Health Department in Newton. Files will be stored in the basement of the county office building. Jail inmates were transferred to Richland County Jail in Olney.

The Jasper board also discussed election judge pay, and appointed Dr. Jacy Ghast and Tom Clark to three-year terms on the Board of Health.