Effingham County Board Met Monday

Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The Effingham County Board met for their regular meeting on Monday and started the meeting with a presentation of awards.

From the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page:

“Dustin and Bridget Harder (pictured above) were recognized with a Distinguished Act Award at the August 18th, Effingham County Board meeting.

The Harder’s were recognized for their compassion and bravery during an accident they witnessed and assisted with in July. The commendation they received read:

On July 20th, 2025 at approximately 1401 hours, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle driving off the roadway at the intersection of Park Avenue and Safety Harbor Drive. After leaving the road, the pickup continued down the embankment and into a small cove of Lake Sara. The front end of the pickup became mostly submerged in the water, with the male driver still inside. Dustin and Bridget Harder were travelling in the area, witnessed the incident, and stopped to assist the occupant of the vehicle in the water. While Bridget called 911, Dustin attempted to help the driver out of the vehicle, but the door was locked and the driver was unable to unlock the door. Bridget retrieved a glass breaking tool from their vehicle and brought it to Dustin. He was able to break the door glass, unlock the door, assist the man out of the flooded cab and up the embankment to safety.

Mr. and Mrs. Harder’s initiative to help others in a moment of crisis speaks volumes about their character, and they are to be commended.

I want to personally thank the Harder’s for letting us tell their story. So many times, acts like this go unseen or unrecognized. Dustin and Bridget are another example of why Effingham County is a great place to live and work.”

As for the meeting, the Board started by approving a few appointments.

• Ambulance Oversight Committee – Ron Will (9/1/2025-8/31/2027) 
• Lucas Township Drainage District – Larry Probst (9/2/2025-9/5/2028) 
• South Island Drainage District – Kevin Miller (9/2/2025-9/5/2028) 

The Board also:

• Approved Use of Historic Courtyard, Museum Parking Lot, and County Building Parking Lot for  Downtown Cruise & Car Show 
• Approved “Effingham County Courtyard Pavilion” as Name for New Pavilion
• Approved Earmarking $2,588.89 in ARPA Funding for Flag Pole for Government Center 2) Approve $1,500.00 Disbursement in Hotel/Motel Funding for Corvette FunFest
• Approved Awarding RFQ for Effingham County Audit Services to West & Company, LLC