Information scarce on inmate death
Also, United Way calls a meeting to explain funding postponement
Reports of an inmate death at the Howard County Jail spread across social media over the weekend, but the Howard County Sheriff’s Department has little to say about the incident. In a press release issued sometime on Oct. 29, the department confirmed the death which occurred the day before.
The release states that corrections officers discovered an unconscious and unresponsive male inmate in his cell at around 11:30 a.m. on Fri., Oct. 28. The officers and medical staff rendered aid until paramedics arrived and transported him to nearby Ascension St. Vincent Hospital.
The inmate, identified as 51-year-old Rick A. Bartel of Peru, was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy is scheduled for this week. As the case is under investigation, the sheriff’s department released no further information regarding the incident.
Bartel was booked into the jail on Oct. 17 on a petition to revoke suspended sentence.
The jail has struggled this year with staffing shortages. Sheriff Jerry Asher explained earlier this month that his department is 14 corrections officers short, which has caused the department to lockdown cell pods on a rotating basis. Corrections officers and even sworn deputies have been working overtime shifts in the jail to ensure adequate staffing.
It is not known whether staffing shortages or lockdowns played a role in the inmate’s demise. The Lantern will report additional information on this incident as it is made available.
United Way calls a meeting
The United Way of Howard and Tipton Counties is seeking to clarify its position regarding funding for 2022-23. As such, it sent a letter to current and prospective grant recipients on Oct. 27 to invite them to an informational meeting.
The meeting is scheduled for Mon., Nov. 14, at 8 a.m. The letter states, “We will be offering an update on our postponed 2022 grant cycle as well as answering questions from attendees. This will be an in-person meeting only.”
As reported on by the Kokomo Lantern on Oct. 27, United Way told non-profits at the end of September that funding would not be forthcoming. This resulted in confusion and concern from the non-profit community. According to Betsy Hoshaw, Community Investment Committee Chair for the local United Way, the postponement isn’t permanent.
“Some of what is happening at United Way isn’t any different from what is happening everywhere,” said Hoshaw. “We had four staff members, who were better than competent, leave for other jobs because they were closer to home or moving into their field of study. When that happens all at once, we ask, ‘what do we do now?’ That is where we are.
“The reason for the postponement is twofold. One is financial. We hired an interim executive director who knows how to ask the questions and set a new direction, and his background is in finance and auditing.
“We are not about to dispense money we don’t have, and we don’t know how much we have at this minute. We had an issue with pledged money not getting to us, but we are working on that. It’s not that we won’t be giving grants. We just put things on hold until we know exactly where we are.
“The other reason is staffing. We’re only getting two loaned associates this year. Everyone is in transition. We’re trying to hire staff. Nobody is having fun with staffing. It’s not that United Way has stopped. We need help. We need to hire staff. We need to take care of the business of the community and be there now and in the future. Every organization hits a point in the cycle when it needs support. This is the time for United Way.”