At their meeting on Tuesday, April 25, Kosciusko County Commissioners recognized Keely Roe of Warsaw for obtaining the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest available in Girl Scouts. Roe is the daughter of Terrence and Lori Roe. From left: Kosciusko County Commissioner Cary Groninger, Commissioners’ President Brad Jackson, Lori Roe, Keely Roe, Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana service unit coordinator Barb Grumme, and Commissioners’ Vice President Bob Conley. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — A Warsaw girl has been recognized by Kosciusko County Commissioners for achieving the highest award in Girl Scouts.

At their meeting on Tuesday, April 25, the commissioners honored Keely Roe for getting a Gold Award, equivalent to the Eagle Scout rank in Boy Scouts.

For her Gold Award project, Roe, a Warsaw Community High School senior, created a patch other Girl Scouts can earn by educating others about breast health. Roe told InkFreeNews others from across the country had worked to obtain the patch. She also placed educational brochures about breast health in the county.

Roe collaborated with medical professionals for the project.

During her time in Girls Scouts, Roe, who’s been in Troops 10379 and 10380, also received the following awards: 10-year member award; Gold Torch Award, Gold-Silver Torch Award; Silver Torch Award; Senior and Ambassador Safety awards; Community Service bars for Cadette, Senior and Ambassador levels; Service to Girl Scouting bars for Senior and Ambassador levels; five Journey awards; nine cookie sale pins; and 48 badges while at the Cadette, Senior and Ambassador levels.

She’s the daughter of Terrence and Lori Roe. When Roe graduates this spring, she’ll have Ivy Tech Community College pharmacy technician and dementia care certificates, along with her Core 40 academic and technical honors diploma. She will attend Butler University as part of its honors college program and study biology on a pre-medicine track.

Roe is the WCHS student body president and has been involved in National Honor Society, the speech and debate team, Phi Theta Kappa, Kosciusko County Teen Court and the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy Board of Directors.

Commissioners presented Roe with a certificate, and Commissioners’ President Brad Jackson read a statement.

“Over the course of your years in Girl Scouts, you have learned many qualities that have helped you and shaped you into a strong leader and a helpful citizen to your community,” it said in part. “Our hope for the future is that you continue to learn and grow and lead with integrity.”

Present at the meeting was Suzie Light, who served as Roe’s Gold Award project advisor. Light said this is the first time a Girl Scout Gold Award winner has been recognized at a commissioners’ meeting.

In other business, commissioners:

• Approved a consulting contract with VS Engineering for inspection work on Bridge 9 on Husky Trail.
• Approved a request from Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty for purchasing a lowboy trailer for $47,100.
• Approved an ordinance allowing law enforcement agencies across the county to contribute to a fund for Flock cameras. Those take pictures of license plates for police investigative purposes.
• Approved a request to rezone about 9.6 acres at CR 175E and CR 300N from agricultural to agricultural II at the request of Timothy Posthuma. The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission had given commissioners a favorable recommendation on it.
• Approved paying the annual premium for property liability and workers’ comp insurance of $789,306. Kosciusko County Administrator Marsha McSherry noted “the (overall) premium increased 1.5% this year” while parts of it such as workers’ comp actually went down in cost.
• Allowed the Kosciusko Area Bus Service to apply for federal and state grant money estimated at more than $600,000. It’s the regular grant money KABS always asks for, noted Kosciusko County Commissioner Cary Groninger.

Commissioners’ next meeting is 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 9, in the Kosciusko County Courthouse’s Old Courtroom.