County Council discusses federal grant for Foxridge Park and housing federal prisoners at the jail

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The Knox County Parks Department has been awarded a 200-thousand dollar grant from the U.S. Land and Water Conservation Fund for further development of the Foxridge Nature Park. .

However, County Parks Superintedent Rama Sobhani told members of the Knox County Council last night they still need to raise 47-thousand dollars as part of the local match needed to obtain the grant.

Sobahni says they would use the proceeds from the sale of Enoco Mine property to repay the county. The 145 acre site near Bruceville is currently up for sale.

Sobahni says the grant funds would be used to build a shelter house, restroom facilities and piers for fishing.

Council President Bob Lechner asked the parks department to work with their attorney to come up with a legal agreement that would allow them to borrow the funding. Its expected the council will act on the document at their meeting in November.

 


Knox County Sheriff Mike Morris says they have received preliminary approval to house federal inmates at the Knox County Jail.

He told members of the  Knox County Council last night that he’s received verbal conformation that the county’s application has been approved, but he’s still waiting on the paperwork to be processed.

Morris has requested permission to house up to 20 inmates which the federal government will pay up to 40-dollars a day for their care. Morris says the money will provide additional operating revenue for the Sheriff’s Department.

He says they are currently housing 21-inmates from Vigo County due to overcrowding. He says Vigo County is paying them 35-dollars a day to house their inmates. In the past, the Sheriff’s Department has also housed inmates from the Indiana Department of Corrections.