Features

Seventy participants were present at the Friday, June 4, fire house tour event hosted by the Huntington Parks and Recreation Department and the Huntington Fire Department Etna Avenue station.

The event, known as “Fancy Friday with Firefighters” is brought to the community as an opportunity to get outside and experience things they may not usually get to see.

Park Programs Director Megan Thompson says that she approached the fire department about the event and they were “absolutely interested” in hosting the kids.

One local teenager is taking her next step in the world of rodeo competition by joining the 2021 Beastmaster sponsorship team.

Emily Freise, of Majenica, is an amateur rodeo competitor with the National Little Britches Rodeo Association (NLBRA). While participating in one of her rodeos in Michigan this year, Freise saw the opportunity to apply for the sponsorship with Beastmaster Rodeo, a national pro rodeo company.

Julie Hoffman, of Huntington, taught math and various other classes at Huntington North High School (HNHS) for 37 years. She had also been the department chair for a number of years.

After the 2020-21 school year, Julie decided it was time to retire.

“A lot of times, it’s still really fun,” Julie said. “I really like the kids, but I want be able to help more with my grandbabies.”

Julie went on to say that she has eight grandchildren.

The Huntington County Community School Corporation (HCCSC) hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 27, for the Huntington North High School (HNHS) multi-purpose outdoor facility.

Out of an abundance of need, several community members have come together to create a new community center on the south side of Huntington.
Rev. Jim Splawn, the pastor at The Mission House, along with Bethanie Burns and Jeff Dimond, came together after suffering losses related to drug overdoses. Specifically, after the death of two young people caused by drug overdoses at the end of 2020, the group knew that they had to do something to make a positive change in the community.

Riverview Middle School eighth grade students conducted a culminating novel study event in their Auxiliary Gymnasium on Wednesday, May 19.

All eighth grade students studied “A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness. In the novel, teenaged Conor O’Malley faces the grueling suffering of his mother’s cancer by council of a most unlikely character, a Monster transformed from a yew tree. The Monster is a projection of Conor’s inner conscious struggle to let go of his mother from the mortal world.

One young entrepreneur in Huntington County has opted to make several donations to area organizations over the past few months, with the most recent donation being a load of groceries delivered to Blessings in a Backpack.

Thanks to the efforts of the community and city of Huntington, another Safe Haven Baby Box has officially been installed and unveiled for mothers in crisis to use.

On Thursday, May 13, community members and city leaders gathered together at the the City of Huntington Fire Station located at 1333 Etna Ave. for a blessing and unveiling of the Safe Haven Baby Box. Monica Kelsey, founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, introduced the back-story of how Safe Haven began.

The first mural in the Huntington County Mural Project has been completed. It is located on the southeast wall of 111 E. 1st St., Warren, and was painted by artist Amy Buchs.

Buchs is a retired art teacher from Waterloo, who paints with her former co-worker and family friend, Dave Schlemmer. They have painted 12 large murals and several smaller pieces.

From her experience in Warren, Buchs said, “While we painted, many locals came by and shared memories and conversations. We are sure that these impromptu memory parties will continue for many years!”

Pathfinder Services hosted a dedication ceremony for Greta’s Reading Corner on Friday, May 7, at Kids Kampus, 435 Campus St., Huntington.

Greta Schenkel was 3-years-old when she attended Village School in a pre-school class for children with disabilities. Schenkel continued to be involved in and served by Pathfinder Services until she passed away at the age of 47 in August of 2020.

Those who are looking for a new way to learn about Indiana’s vast assortment of flora, fauna and geography, as well as the preservation of it, can look no further than LC Nature Park in Roanoke, which hosted its grand opening on Saturday, May 1.

Eleven-year-old Tayla (Zartman) Beal, of Andrews and the reigning Indiana Miss Amazing Preteen 2020 will be competing in the National Summit in Nashville, TN, on July 30 through Aug. 1 at Vanderbilt University’s Martha Ingram Center for the Performing Arts.

Tayla is the daughter of Amy Beal and the great granddaughter of former Wabash Mayor Robert Vanlandingham.

Miss Amazing programs teach self-advocacy skills to girls and women with disabilities ages 5 and up in a fun environment with real stakes.

Several artists from each of the Huntington County Community School Corporation (HCCSC) elementary schools have been chosen to have their art displayed at a local establishment.

Annette Little, the art teacher at Andrews Elementary School, has partnered with Ed Asher, owner of

The Ice Cream Vault in Andrews, to display the art of her virtual-learning students.

The partnership was started because Little wanted to find a way to display the art of her virtual students in the same way that the art of her “in-person” students can have their art displayed.

On Saturday, April 24, the Huntington County Council on Aging (HCCOA) presented their annual variety show to the community.

The event, called “Step Up To The Mic” featured singing, dancing and instrument acts, each of which consisted of Senior citizens. Showings took place at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Senior Center, which is located at Central Christian Church, 500 MacGahan St., Huntington.

Master of Ceremonies David Dean, Sr., introduced each act as they came up to the stage to show off their talents.

On Thursday, March 25, Zach’s Pet Service (ZPS) in Roanoke celebrated five years of business in that location.

Shearer and his employees spent the week posting giveaways for clients and doing fun activities with the dogs like bubbles, an obstacle course and a piñata.

The real surprise came on Friday, March 26, when Shearer announced the construction of a new building to accommodate their growing business. Shearer noted that over 25,000 people saw the Facebook post about the expansion.