BELLEFONTE - As is the case this time of the year, the Centre County commissioners approved over a dozen state and federal contracts for its Drug and Alcohol Department.
The nearly $400,000 in contracts will be paid entirely through state and/or federal funding, and will help the department serve the 500 to 600 patients it helps with outpatient treatment yearly, said Cathy Arbogast, assistant administrator for Drug and Alcohol, at Tuesday's commissioners' meeting.
In addition, she said, the department serves between 70 and 80 people yearly with in-patient services.
The commissioners Tuesday also approved two proclamations, one naming August as 4-H Week in the county and August as National Child Support Awareness Month.
Several 4-H members detailed the projects they are involved in during the meeting. Also, Ann Marie Oldani, director of Domestic Relations, noted her department is once again conducting a coloring contest, for children ages 3-5, 6-8 and 9-10. Nittany Bank has donated three $30 Barnes and Noble gift cards for the winners, while the State College Spikes have also donated four tickets for each age category.
The forms can be downloaded at www.co.centre.pa.us/contest. They can also be found in the Willowbank Building lobby, the offices of the Centre County Court administrator, Children and Youth, Domestic Relations and County Assistance; Nittany Bank locations and county libraries.
Oldani noted her department has the highest collection rate of any domestic relations offices in the state, at 88 percent. She added the department also leads all Class 4 counties in collections of arrears and court orders.
In total, the department collects about $11 million in child support payments yearly, she said.
Commissioner Michael Pipe reported the county's website redesign is on schedule for an unveiling in January. The new website address at that time will be www.centrecountypa.gov.
Until then, Pipe said the county's website has added a section where residents can receive updates of the county's emergency communications upgrade project, and the county is accepting photographs from the public of county landmarks and events for inclusion on the website.
The county also introduced its new human resources director, Kristen Simkins, who started last week. She previously worked in the same capacity at Remcom Inc. of State College and C-COR.
