Ford-Iroquois Department of Public

Health meets with new direction

GILMAN – New members and perhaps, new direction may be the order of business for the recently-overhauled Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department. The Board of Health gathered in Gilman Tuesday night for its first meeting with newly-appointed members from Iroquois County.

Lauren Luecke joined Iroquois County Board Chairman Rod Copas as representatives for Iroquois County. Member Michelle Fairley was absent. Her job responsibilities at Iroquois Memorial Hospital, it was mentioned, prevented her attendance at the meeting.

Luecke and Fairley, last month, were appointed by the Iroquois County Board. Three other past members were ousted by the County Board.

Attorney Ron Boyer, representing the Ford-Iroquois Health Board, offered a few suggestions at the start, telling the board it may be wise and most-beneficial to "try and get along and get on with business," and put to rest recent threats of lawsuits.

Public Health Administrator Doug Corbett spent a good bunch of the meeting time explaining the department's many contractual arrangements, many of them thru grants. He also explained claims and detailed some of the expenses included in the department's budget.

Attendees commented about the mild-mannered, civil attitude during the meeting. Iroquois County Board members in attendance, Ernie Curtis and Marvin Stichnoth, agreed 'it's too bad this approach of sitting down and talking didn't happen weeks ago, before the controversy and allegations surfaced into newspaper headlines.

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