Mar. 18—In response to Vermilion County Board member Jerry Hawker facing harassment allegations from a county employee, the county board this week removed Hawker from the board's Health and Education Committee.

The county board at its regular meeting on Tuesday heard from several people in support of Kasey Snyder, director of the county animal control department.

A complaint in December by Snyder was the second sexual harassment complaint county officials have received on Hawker. The complaints raised the issue that the harassment was in part due to their gender.

Hawker has denied the allegations.

The county board Tuesday night also heard from several residents against wind and solar farm projects in the county.

The comments mostly related to an application on file from Liberty/Mural Energy LLC for a commercial solar and wind turbine project in the southern part of the county.

The board also had a quarry presentation; additional American Rescue Plan Act approved expenses; and the appointment of Vicky Brown of Danville to take the place of Joe Vincent who resigned from the Vermilion Regional Airport Authority Board.

The airport's website had a special meeting agenda posted for a Thursday, March 16 meeting, but the agenda didn't state a time for the meeting. The Commercial-News received no notice of the special meeting.

According to the airport website-posted agenda, the airport board of commissioners was to swear in the new commissioner, approve a budget ordinance, and in closed session interview airport manager candidates and discuss proposed contracts for office support (individual contractor) and for retained consultant (individual contractor).

There also was to be possible actions after closed session on an employment offer for the manager position and the consultant and office support contracts.