Board of health honors late president

Auglaize County Board of Health members kicked off their September meeting with a moment of silence for former board president Linda Kitzmiller who died recently. She had served nearly 30 years on the board.

Dan Harpster, board vice president, led the meeting and shared a commendation from Ohio House Representative Susan Manchester’s office. The commendation recognized her accomplishments, not only on the Auglaize County Board of Health, but the ESC and Joint Township Hospital Foundational Board, among other organizations.

“Linda Kitzmiller left an indelible impression on the people whose lives she touched, and she will long be remembered as a pillar of society,” the commendations said.

Harpster said board members helped in

listing her accomplishments for funeral services.

“I was impressed,” board member Tom Freytag said. “What a person, what a busy person.”

“When we enter the world we don’t know what we want to do and when we leave the world, we want to try to leave it in a better spot and Linda certainly did that,” Harpster said.

“It was an honor to serve with her. She was a wise steward,” board member Kim Preuter said.

“It was definitely a pleasure working with Linda. She always brought a great wealth of knowledge, always looked out for the best interests of public health, and the citizens of Auglaize County,” Health Commissioner Oliver Fisher said. “She will definitely be very missed.”

Fisher said they will start the process of recruitment for new board members and go from there.

“We are definitely looking at doing a reorganization sometime soon,” Fisher said.

There were 641 immunizations given in the month of August, during the back to school rush.

COVID-19 cases continue to be high.

“We are continuing to see a good size surge happening here in the county,” Nursing Director Jessica Wuebker said. From Sept. 1-12 there have been 265 cases. Of those cases 38 have been school-age children.

“At this point that’s accounting for roughly 14 to 15 percent of the cases that have been reported,” Wuebker said, adding there have been cases of vaccinated individuals coming down with COVID.

“We are seeing breakthrough cases observed with fully-vaccinated individuals,” Wuebker said.

Fisher said other health departments in Ohio have reported that 10 to 20 percent of their recent cases are vaccination breakthrough cases.

He said they are seeing more breakthroughs with Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer vaccines, but are still seeing some breakthrough cases with Moderna as well.

Fisher said hospitals are seeing more elderly and immune compromised patients among those breatk-throughs.

In Auglaize County the 30 to 39 age group is leading in infections, closely followed by 2029 year olds.

“It’s definitely different from what we were seeing last year,” Fisher said. “Last year we were seeing mainly the 50 and older age group.”

The delta variant is assumed to be the most widespread, although testing has been random and results can take weeks.

“Of the random ones that have been pulled, we have been seeing delta and the B117 variant,” Fisher said.

Don Jump, the department’s emergency coordinator, will be retiring after more 10 years with the health department. He also spent more than 30 years on Wapakoneta’s fire department.

He said he works part time at Stroh Johnson where he will continue that job, as well as work around the house, travel and “take it a little easier.”

His retirement date is Jan. 5.

“I thoroughly enjoyed this job,” Jump said. “I like to think I am leaving on a high note.”

Board members also approved a 14-day order to board up garage at 104 East Prairie Street in Waynesfield.

They also hired Public Health Nurse Briana Fisher.