A Leesburg man is walking historic Lincoln Highway starting Friday, Kosciusko County Commissioners heard Tuesday.

Jeff Blair, president of the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association, will walk the 150-mile route in 11 days from April 25 to May 5. Blair will walk through Warsaw May 1.

The walk will follow the 1928 alignment of the historic highway. Blair will walk from the Indiana-Illinois border at Dyer, to the Indiana-Ohio border, east of Fort Wayne.

The state recently granted the highway a byway status. The association is receiving a $65,000 grant from the federal government and administered by Indiana Department of Transportation.

Blair said he wants to raise awareness of and funds for the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Blair has raised $13,000 already and plans to use the $65,000 grant to develop a corridor management plan. The plan includes promoting tourism and “taking care of the good ole highway,” he said. Blair said he also would like to build kiosks in 11 counties in Indiana in which the highway is located. He is looking for members to join the council management team to help administer the plan.

In other county matters, May has been declared Motorcycle Safety Month. An ABATE member, Ben Durham, read the proclamation the commissioners signed. The proclamation includes recommendations for taking safety courses and improved safety for all motorcycle drivers.

Two bid openings to purchase box beams for a bridge project in Warsaw were opened. The lowest bid, for $69,950, from Hoosier Precast LLC in Salem, was granted. On May 20, construction bids will be opened for the bridge rehabilitation project, located on CR 300N in Warsaw.

A temporary road closure permit was approved. CR 300 North, from SR 13 to CR 850 East, will be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 24, for a Grand Prix dirt bike race. The gravel road is located 3 miles south of the North Webster area.

The first quarter claims report for Kosciusko Area Bus Service was signed so KABS can receive $116,760 from INDOT. KABS had 11,000 rides in the first quarter and rides are increasing, said Kevin Planck, KABS’ general manager. KABS will also receive a $96,934 grant from INDOT. Planck said he used the money to purchase two new buses to serve the northern part of the county; the buses will arrive in approximately two months.

In other news:

• A disaster debris management plan was approved and signed; the plan is for the emergency management department.
• Agreements with Medstat clinic for health care and exams for county employees and with Creative Benefits Inc., the county’s health care and insurance consultants, were renewed.
• Liability insurance, or workers’ compensation plan, saving the county $16,000, or 3 percent, was approved.

The next meeting is at 9 a.m. Monday, May 5, due to the primary election. Commissioners are president Brad Jackson, Bob Conley and Ron Truex.