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Government & School Board

Banks has 100 percent voting mark

State Sen. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) was recognized on May 16 by Senate President Pro Tempore David Long (R-Fort Wayne) for his outstanding 2011 voting attendance record of 100 percent.

"Senator Banks realizes the importance of being the voice for those Hoosiers within Senate District 17," Long said. "I congratulate him on achieving a perfect attendance record and thank him for the dedication he has shown to his constituents and this state."

This session, 118 Senate bills moved to the governor's desk.

Board studies options for reassigning Horace Mann students

The Huntington County Community School Corporation redistricting committee is looking at three different options for reassigning former Horace Mann students to Andrews, Lancaster and Lincoln schools, Superintendent Tracey Shafer informed the school board on Monday, May 23.

The committee consists of Shafer, board members Rex Baxter (District 7) and Ben Landrum (District 3), Horace Mann Building Principal Amy Rudolf, Transportation Director Doug Waldfogel and six parents from Horace Mann, Andrews, Lancaster, Lincoln and Salamonie schools.

School lunches will cost more, get healthier

The Huntington County Community School Board approved a request on Monday, May 23, to raise lunch prices at Huntington County schools by a dimefor the 2011-12 school year.

Starting in the fall, elementary students will pay $1.90 for lunch. Middle school and high school students will pay $2.15.

The Food Service Department made the request in order to comply with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which requires school food services to make adjustments to lunch prices depending on how current prices compare with government paid lunches.

Zanesville’s festival won’t get town funding

Homespun Days in Zanesville will be in an abbreviated format this year, after the Zanesville Town Council denied a request for a $1,000 donation from the Zanesville Homespun Days Committee to help run the festival.

Melba Edwards, a member of the Homespun Days Committee, said that without the money, there will be no parade and other events may be canceled.

Edwards said asking the town for a donation was necessary because businesses in and around Zanesville already contribute much to events in the town.

Roanoke council again discusses downtown trees

The Roanoke Town Council is continuing its discussion of the removal or replacement of the 19 trees planted along downtown as part of the town's beautification project over a decade ago.

The trees have grown to the capacity of the in-ground plots which contain the plants, and will begin
damaging the downtown sidewalk within a few years if the trees are not removed. Originally, the council discuss removing the trees altogether, but opposition from the community moved the council to consider replacing the trees instead.

State-mandated reassessment going on now


Photo by Matt Murphy.

Huntington County is in the middle of a state-mandated reassessment of property, and the Huntington County Assessor's Office wants homeowners to be aware that data collectors will be visiting properties until next spring.

The data collectors are employees of Accurate Assessments, Inc., a Fort Wayne-based company that was contracted by the Assessor's Office last year to perform assessment field work on residential and agricultural properties in the county. The staff at the Assessor's Office will be collecting data for all other types of property.

Warren council selects Brown to fill opening

Tracey Brown will fill a vacancy on the Warren Town Council created by the death of council President Bill Cartwright.

Cartwright, who died April 12, was scheduled to serve on the council until the end of 2014, and Brown will complete that term.

Brown, of 1340 Hallliday Drive in Warren, was selected by council members Barb Trosper, Ron Boxell and Julia Glessner during a special meeting on Monday, May 16.

Six people had applied for the post, including Marvin Foland, David Scheib, Danny DeWeese, Michael Yoder and John Gamble.

GIS is updated; advisory committee offering training sessions to public

The Huntington County GIS (Geographic Information System) is sporting a variety of updates as of May 11, and the Huntington County GIS Advisory Committee is offering training sessions to show any interested member of the community how to take advantage of the system's new capabilities.

Identical training sessions will be offered twice on Wednesday, May 18, in the GAR Room of the Huntington County Courthouse. The free 45-minute sessions will begin at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

School board exec session May 18

The Huntington County Community School Corporation's Board of Trustees will meet in executive session on Wednesday, May 18, at 6 p.m. in the Administrative Services Center, 1360 Warren Road, Huntington.

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining.

 

Andrews-Dallas Township fire protection contract likely to stay in place through year

A fire protection contract between the town of Andrews and Dallas Township will likely continue through Jan. 1, 2012.

The Dallas Township Advisory Board has requested that the contract continue until at least then, Andrews Town Council President Karl Shockome told fellow council members at their May 9 meeting.

The council asked Clerk-Treasurer Bill Johnson to check with the town's attorney to find out what steps must be taken to comply with that request.

In other business:

Cleanup dates for town of Markle are May 24, 31

The town of Markle will hold its May cleanup on two Tuesdays, May 24 and May 31.

Only metal items will be collected on May 24, while all other items will be collected on May 31.

Acceptable items include those too large for trash collection including furniture, carpeting and appliances.
Hazardous materials, tires, liquid paints, brush wire, fence, construction debris or items disposed of in regular trash will not be collected.

There is no charge for one cubic yard or less picked up. However, a $10 fee will apply for each additional cubic yard picked up.

Deputies to join in seat belt enforcement push

The Huntington County Sheriff's Department will again be participating in the state's 2011 Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization, which will run May 20 through June 5.

County officers will join more than 260 state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Indiana State Police, to conduct high-visibility patrols targeting Hoosiers who fail to wear their seatbelts.

In 2007, Gov. Mitch Daniels signed a legislation requiring all Hoosier motorists to wear a seat belt, regardless of vehicle type or seating position.

Repairs set for railroad crossings in Warren; road closings expected

All four Wabash Central railroad crossings in Warren will be repaired this spring, resulting in intermittent road closures.

No definite date for the start of the project has been announced, Warren Clerk-Treasurer Marilyn Morrison says, but Wabash Central representatives said the projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of June.