Marshall County 4-H Fair Association to Apply for OCRA Grant

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

The Marshall County Fair Board will be applying for an Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) grant worth $500,000 for a multi-purpose building in the Town of Argos.

An application request was approved by the Marshall County Council members on Monday morning. Marshall County Fair Board Secretary Angel Balsley explained that the project did not receive grant funding in the previous round of OCRA grants but will apply for the additional grant round in February. The date to announce an intention to apply for the grant is Friday, Dec 1. The fee is $150 which will be paid for by the fair board. Continue reading →

Marshall County Attorney to Submit Paperwork to Purdue Extension

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

Marshall County Attorney Jim Clevenger this week discussed the Memorandum of Understanding between the county and the Marshall County 4-H Fair Board.

The document protects the county from any financial obligation in its capacity to act as a pass through vehicle for a Community Development Block Grant worth $500,000. The grant will help fund a multi-purpose building on the fairgrounds in Argos.

Marshall County Extension Director Karen Richey asked Clevenger for a copy of the document to send to the Purdue University Extension office for their approval as the project includes 4-H and a 4-H organization.

The document has not been signed so the topic will be reviewed at the commissioners’ next meeting.

Fair Board Seeks Grant to Construct Community Building

Posted on Author Anita Goodan

A public hearing was held during the Marshall County Commissioners meeting on Monday to hear comments on the proposed construction of a community building to be constructed on the 4-H Fairgrounds in Argos.

Shannon McLeod, a grant writer from Priority Project Resources, is assisting the Marshall County Fair Board  in obtaining a federal grant to build the structure.  The building would be used as a meeting place, wedding reception hall or any other type of use by the community.  Continue reading →

Argos Comprehensive Plan Looks to Balance Growth with Small-Town Values

Posted on Author Michael Gallenberger

The Town of Argos hopes to fix dilapidated buildings, promote active transportation, and revitalize its downtown, all while maintaining its small-town values over the next decade. The town is putting the finishing touches on its 2030 Comprehensive Plan. It focuses on four core values: encouraging balanced growth, promoting economic prosperity and vitality, enhanced quality of life, and expanding transportation choices. Continue reading →

Marshall County Commissioners Approve Funding for Fairgrounds Feasibility Study

Posted on Author Lenny Dessauer

There have been discussions on how to improve the property for the Marshall County 4-H program, and now a professional firm will step up and help.

While long-range plans have been discussed individually with the Marshall County Fair Board, there needs to be a focus of the board. Principal Architect Stephen Kromkowski from the DLZ Corporation in South Bend explained what would be in the feasibility study.

“We would meet with the primary users and understand your current operation and the site,” said Kromkowski. “There have been some discussions about some improvements on the fairgrounds itself. We’ll gather all of the information, so we understand what your needs are. We will document what you have now. We also do a site analysis to make sure that you don’t place a new building on an area that will cause some other difficulties down the road.”

A report will be produced to decide what the improvements can be and dollar amounts for those improvements. A priority list will be provided as Kromkowski said the improvements will most likely cost more than what funds are available.

Fair Board President Tammy Dickson said the board and others are excited to have a professional direction of how to improve the grounds for the successful program.

“The Marshall County program is a hugely successful program,” commented Dickson. “I know at the fair itself the judges come from all over and comment on the quality and level that Marshall County and it is very commendable. We want to continue to grow that program.”

Sponsors have donated money toward improvements, but an agreement couldn’t be reached on projects, but that is about to change.

Kromkowski commented that the report would take about 14 weeks to complete.

County Attorney Jim Clevenger suggested an inter-local agreement between DLZ and the county on behalf of the fair board be signed. The Commissioners approved funding for the study with the understanding that the fair board will need to follow through with the plan.