IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County will have a full-time 4-H program coordinator working out of a Michigan State University Extension office at Bay College West under a funding agreement approved by the county board.

The county’s 2023 budget includes $75,000 for MSU Extension, its biggest allocation since 2014. There was no funding from 2016 through 2021.

Last year, commissioners approved $25,000 in 4-H funding before reaching an agreement to have a full-time position this year. Jessica Ice, an MSU educator who formerly worked half-time on Dickinson 4-H, will now focus solely on that program, said Paul Putnam, Extension district director for the central and western U.P.

Beyond having a full-time 4-H educator, the new agreement will expand offerings from regional educators in other areas, including agriculture, health and nutrition, natural resources, community and family.