Attempt To Reduce Health Department Role Fails

Two weeks after a failed push to fire Grant County Health Director Jeff Kindrai, five county supervisors on Tuesday unsuccessfully pushed to reduce the department’s powers. Only one supervisor supported the earlier push to fire Kindrai in September, but on Tuesday, another supervisor proposed rescinding the county’s emergency COVID-19 resolution, enacted in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Supervisor Porter Wagner also demanded the board strip the health department of its enforcement powers related to schools and COVID-19. In recent weeks, Kindrai has upset families and county leaders for his perceived role in quarantining students from schools after children have been exposed to COVID-19. Grant County parents have placed increasing pressure on the supervisors to intervene in decisions they say are disrupting their lives. Five supervisors — Wagner, Roger Guthrie, John Patcle, Pat Schroeder and Lester Jantzen all voted in favor of rescission. Twelve supervisors opposed it.