Lancaster Manor supporters rallied for the nursing home Tuesday morning. Then, they moved their fight inside to a public hearing in front of the Lancaster County Board.

They disputed a committee report recommending the board sell the nursing home. The public hearing lasted three and a half hours and nearly every seat was filled at the hearing.

Albert Klein of Adams spent most of his life serving his country, and his county as a commissioner. "My dad was a county commissioner for 16 years for Gage County," Klein's daughter Peggy Bybee says.

Now, Klein lives at Lancaster Manor, and ironically it's up to the county commissioners to decide his future, and he hopes they keep the nursing home. "It's super, it's the best you can get," Klein says.

At a public hearing Tuesday, the county board heard testimonies from manor workers and others who didn't agree with the committee report recommending the board sell the home.

Commissioner Bob Workman says he was surprised by some new information. "The statistic that was given to me that was very interesting was the number of individuals that reject our offer to be housed at Lancaster Manor. That is quite a high percentage," Workman says.

Billing procedures and equipment quality were addressed, among other topics. But commissioner Larry Hudkins says selling the manor wasn't one of them. "Everyone has testified and I think we're up to about 10 or 11 now saying the county board should not back away from this but dive in and fix it," Hudkins says.

That's a motion Albert Klein would second. "I think my dad said that well to the commissioners, you may be here someday, too," Bybee says.

Vice Chair Ray Stevens tells 10/11 the next step is for the county board to process the new information at Thursday's staff meeting, where it could be decided to vote on the manor's future.

To watch more reaction from commissioners Workman and Hudkins, just log onto kolnkgin.com.