PHOTO BY BRENNA WHITE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
DISCUSSION … Lori Bolton, Prosecutor Zartman, and Martin Schmidt listen as the Board discusses programs offered throughout the departments.
By: Brenna White
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Local Corrections Planning Board met on Friday, October 24, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in the Don North Building. With 16 members in attendance, the Board provided updates ranging from SNAP drawbacks, current incarceration statistics, and a variety of programs underway to help the residents of Williams County.
Kylee Uran, Chief Probation Officer, started off the meeting by giving an update on the Bryan Municipal Court Probation Department. She noted 114 active offenders.
The MRT Anger Management program celebrated a successful 11 graduations. The “Thinking for a Change,” a cognitive behavioral program, is underway to start in the following week.
Kylee Towne, JFS Director, began by sharing concerns about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) drawbacks if not reinstated by October 29, 2025.
“That will be a huge brace for impact in Williams County,” Towne stated, “we have thousands of individuals who will be without money to buy food.”
She is currently trying to set up a backup plan involving the Prevention, Retention, and Contingency Program (PRC). Towne plans to help qualified residents with paying utility bills, upon request, so they are able to use that money to purchase food.
“We have increased the outside cap we have on a lot of services to help people who are struggling,” she continued. “The problem is we can’t pay for food directly because there is already a government expenditure for that.
“We already have a listing of approved food banks and churches – but the problem is, it is going to be very overwhelmed,” Towne explained. She reiterated that minor children have to be present in the home in order to qualify for PRC assistance.
Andrea Hammond, Superintendent of the Board of Developmental Disabilities, shared that Early Intervention (EI) referrals are lower than in previous years.
For children aged 0-3 years old, Hammond noted that its services are readily available and free to the public.
“As many agencies are concerned with the property tax conversation,” she began, “we are as well. As over 80% of our revenue comes from property taxes. It affects all of us.”
“We have $4 million dollars authorized for our services for our individuals, and if we don’t get that local match money that comes in from property taxes, we can’t serve our community.”
Sarah Lohman, Recovery Services of Serenity Haven, stated that they have started a “strengthening families program” which focuses on parenting.
“We are tracking to see what the progress is overall during our assessments in terms of growth,” Lohman said. She shared that 74 drug-free babies were born with Serenity Haven’s help.
Tonie Long, ADAMhs Board CEO, updated the room on two new programs being offered through the ADAMhs Board. By working with recovery services, the board is in the early planning phases of an “ACT Team” (Assertive Community Treatment).
“We will start rolling that out hopefully very early in the new year,” Long said. “We are going to start with Defiance and Williams County – just looking at needs.”
The second program involves helping the 6,000 people (within the four-county area) in the expanded Medicaid group. “In 2024, somewhere around $5.2 million was used in behavioral health services alone across our four counties,” Long explained.
“A little over a million dollars of that being in-patient psychiatric. Those folks aren’t currently looking to the Board for services, but soon will be if they lose their Medicaid. We’re trying to offset that by helping them meet the requirements to maintain their coverage.
“We are looking at expanding supported employment so they can work with individuals. Most of the people I anticipate being impacted are going to be our drug and alcohol people,” she continued. “What happens to people when they can’t maintain their services? They relapse.”
Martin Schmidt, Commander of Programs and Services within CCNO, stated that the C-Unit project is “well underway.” He said that there is an average of 12 electronically-monitored people within Williams County for the year. As of September, a total of 38 county residents were housed in CCNO, averaging 47 people for the year.
Katherine Zartman, Williams County Prosecutor, presented some statistics offered by the new software program. Within the past year, there were 210 felony adult cases, with 168 still active.
Of those 210, the primary offense listed 53 drug-related cases, which make up 25% of all offenses. “That is a much lower percentage than I believed our number would be,” stated Zartman.
About 12% were noted to be felony domestic violence cases. “We all know that has been on the rise for the past five years,” she added.
12% were theft and fraud, 10% felony assaults, and 10% felony sex offenses.
In Juvenile Court, Zartman noted 206 cases opened within the last year. “These numbers are pretty typical, both felony adult cases and juvenile,” says Zartman.
Lori Bolton, Chief Probation Officer for Williams County, said that business is continuing as usual. “Jail beds are pretty low because we are constantly trying to get them into programming, residential treatment, and our intervention in lieu of diversion program,” she said. She announces two residents about to graduate from drug court probation in December.
Greg Ruskey, Chief of Bryan Police, stated that they have three officers going through the field training phase and one getting ready to complete his year-long probation.
Pat Hardy, Mental Health Counselor of Ohio Guidestones, shared updates on the expansion of children’s programs and early childhood services.
With the “Triple P” (Positive Parenting Program) underway, she hopes to see a positive increase in parents in the area. Four series of classes, each held in a different county, will show topics such as limited setting, child aggression, successful shopping, successful meal times, and more.
Hardy stated that the Ohio Guidestones is still a provider of crisis-related services.
Judge Rhonda Fisher, of Common Pleas Court, said that she has implemented pre-trial random drug and alcohol screening. “With the cooperative association with my adult probation department, it has been pretty successful.
“It gives me a good tool to see how committed a person is to treatment and gives up a better idea for direction when it comes to sentencing,” she says.
“We have been utilizing GPS monitors more than keeping people incarcerated at CCNO. The defendants are tested once a week through that program as well, so it’s just another tool that is helpful for keeping them accountable during the process,” Judge Fisher continued.
Bart Westfall, Williams County Commissioner, said, “I just appreciate the services and the support that is provided for our public throughout Northwest Ohio. It’s amazing – I appreciate your passion.
“The issue that I see is that I don’t think the average person sees what really goes on here, unfortunately.”
Julie Taylor, Special Education Administrator for grades 6-12 in Bryan City Schools, states that a “Youth in Action” program has been successful in providing youth services for mental health needs. She also notes that a school community safety drill will be held in the following weeks.
Judge Kent North, of Municipal Court, reported that thefts are up, along with domestic violence cases.
With no further discussion, the Local Corrections Planning Board adjourned at 11:00 a.m. The next meeting is scheduled for January 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.