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Erie Railroad east yard to come alive again at historical museum

Huntington County Historical Museum Director Pat Bergdall poses with part of the Erie Railroad display currently housed at the museum. The historical society plans to build a replica of the east railroad yards and parts of Huntington that surrounded it.
Photo by Andre B. Laird.

Originally published March 8, 2010.

Huntington will soon journey back in time to the days of the Erie Railroad and all the historic landmarks that marked Huntington as a vibrant railroad community.

The Huntington County Historical Society is embarking on a project to recreate the Erie Railroad east railroad yards on an "H0" scale.

Board member Gib Young says the historical society is trying to accomplish something that a lot of other museums already have in place.

A decade into new facility, Parkview execs still like the fit

Rick Baker (left), chairman of the Parkview Huntington Hospital board of directors, and Darlene Garrett, chief operating officer of Parkview Huntington Hospital, stand in front of the 10-year-old Parkview Huntington Hospital building on Stults Road.
Photo provided.

A decade into its new facility, Parkview Huntington Hospital is finding that it's still a good fit.

"We are thrilled with where we are," says Darlene Garrett, chief operating officer of Parkview Huntington Hospital.

Garrett and Rick Baker, chairman of the hospital's board of directors, used the occasion of the hospital's 10th anniversary in its Stults Road building to reflect on the physical structure itself as well as the service the hospital's staff provides to its community - and to ponder PHH's future.

Youth’s passion for Batman turns into collection for family

Huntington North High School senior Tyler Miller sits in front of the main part of his Batman collection. He has been a serious collector since 2002, and his family is also involved.
Photo by Jessica Williams.

Originally published March 1, 2010.

Huntington North High School senior Tyler Miller, 18, has spent the last six years of his life collecting Batman items.

But what was once a youth's passion is now a family affair.

He has everything from action figures to comic books, blankets to curtains, all stored in what he calls his "bat cave."

Miller also has a hand-drawn Batman pillowcase that a nurse made for him down at Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, where he has been a patient for most of his life.

Local couple knows vital impact the March of Dimes can have

The Newton family is the Indiana March of Dimes Northeast Division Ambassador Family, and is a proud supporter of the March of Dimes March for Babies.
Photo by Matt Murphy.

The Indiana March of Dimes has scheduled the annual March for Babies for Saturday, May 1, at Hier's Park in Huntington.

The March of Dimes is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding the cause of both birth defects and premature births. It supports research in a variety of biomedical fields and supports neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) - special intensive care units for infants.

For one local family, the impact of advanced research in premature births has been all too vital.

Electrical Mechanical Devices is unique in what it does

Carl Draper, one of the founders of Electrical Mechanical Devices, Inc., tests a computer board at the EMD office on Monday, Feb. 15. EMD repairs a variety of electronics at its Huntington location.
Photo by Matt Murphy.

Originally published Feb. 22, 2010.

"We're unique in what we do," says Michael Scott, one of the founders of the Huntington-based Electrical Mechanical Devices Inc.

The statement proves to be true as EMD is one of just a handful of companies in the United States with the authorization and experience in electronic repair.

EMD is essentially a repairer of fixing everything from computers to monitors to computer processors.

Two Roanoke couples prove that lasting marriages are more than just thing of past

Roanoke residents Ted (back left) and Claribel Husband (seated, left) and Art and Mary Burton have been married for a combined 147 years. The couples say the key to their success is a strong commitment to each other.
Photo by Andre B. Laird.

Originally publilshed Feb. 11, 2010.

For most people, lasting marriages that work are urban myths or something you watch on TV Land or Nick At Night during episodes of Leave It To Beaver, All in the Family or Little House on the Prairie.

Well, meet the Husbands and Burtons, two Roanoke couples with more than 140 years of marriage between them.

Ted Husband and Mary Burton are siblings and say strong family values and living through the Depression were instrumental in explaining why their individual marriages have lasted so long.

Hot reads nationally not big locally

Jan Carnes, head of adult services at the Huntington City-Township Public Library, displays books that made the frequent check-out list at the library for 2009 on Thursday, Feb. 4. While some genres enjoyed continued popularity, others sank or rose.
Photo by Matt Murphy.

Originally published Feb. 8, 2010.

Each year, thousands of new books are published, but only a select few achieve "bestseller" status.

Devout bookworms across the country drive those sales, but do the hottest reads reflect what Huntington residents pick up?

According to statistics from the Huntington City-Township and Markle libraries, not necessarily.

Girl Scouts still finding ways to keep busy

Girl Scouts Andrew Broxon (left) and Cheyanne Geiderman don cookie costumes to work at a cookie sales booth.
Photo provided.

Originally published Feb. 4, 2010.

The organization has been in existence since 1912, and Girl Scouts are still finding ways to stay busy.

The local Scouts are in the midst of their annual Girl Scout cookie sale, a major fundraiser for the Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana branch. That branch made up of 22 counties in the northern third of Indiana and southwest Michigan, including 15,500 girls ranging in age from 5 to 17. They are led by 4,700 adult
volunteers.
The cookie sale wraps up March 9.

Local turkey federation members reaching out to youth with program

Jay Buzzard (left) and Steve Nevius are members on the board of the National Wild Turkey Federation Flint Springs chapter. The organization recently received state and national recognition for completion of a five-star program for community involvement.
Photo by Andre B. Laird.

Wildlife conservation has always been one of the foremost missions of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The non-profit organization was founded in 1973 with a mission of educating others about wild turkey conservation and preservation of the country's hunting heritage.

The local Flint Springs Chapter, which has been in existence for 14 years, has been fostering that culture through its JAKES and Xtreme JAKES programs, which started last year.

JAKES is an acronym for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge Ethics & Sportsmanship.

Local Red Cross knows county man is true ‘hometown hero’

Jim Miller (left) was presented with the “Hometown Hero of the Year,” award by Mike Rohler, executive director of the Huntington Chapter of the American Red Cross on Saturday, March 6.
Photo by Andre B. Laird.

Superman. Batman. Spiderman. Huntington resident Jim Miller. What do they all have in common? Heroism.

Although the first three are fictional characters, Jim Miller embodies the definition of ‘hero' by his actions last spring.

While headed home, Miller came upon a car accident on 600W, in Andrews, late last spring.

"It was a very bad wreck," states Miller. "The van landed on its roof and it was on fire."

Firefighter’s legacy lives on in form of lifesaving equipment

rank Buonanotte (left), founder of 500 For Life, presents a commemorative plaque and a new thermal imaging camera to Huntington Fire Chief Matthew Armstrong (center) and Huntington Mayor Steve Updike at the Southside Fire Station in Huntington on Jan. 21.
Photo by Matt Murphy.

Originally published on Jan. 25, 2010.

The legacy of a retired Fort Wayne firefighter will live on in the form of a lifesaving thermal imaging camera donated to the Huntington Fire Department, thanks to a joint effort by the firefighter's friends and family and 500 For Life.

Frank Buonanotte, founder of 500 For Life, presented the camera to Huntington Mayor Steve Updike and Huntington Fire Chief Matthew Armstrong in memory of the late Capt. Donald K. Derrow during a ceremony at the Southside Fire Station in Huntington on Thursday, Jan. 21.

Local Ducks Unlimited chapter helping fight for area’s waterfowl

John Block, chairman of the Huntington Hills chapter of Ducks Unlimited, stands with the 1999 and 2000 Top Flight Awards the chapter received from the national DU organization in recognition of the chapter’s fund-raising and involvement efforts.
Photo by Matt Murphy.

Originally published Jan. 21, 2010.

This spring, take a minute to watch the skies over Huntington County, as thousands of migratory birds pass through to return north for the summer.

Many of these birds, especially ducks and geese, will stop to rest in the area only to continue flying the next day. The rest will make their summer home in the county, to the delight of bird-watchers and hunters alike.

Robotics team doubles up its efforts to score well at Purdue

Robotics team members (from left) Sam Kratzer, John David Paff and Samir Shaikh put their robot through its paces after the machine was unveiled on Monday, Feb. 22, in the Community Building at Hier’s Park.
Photo by Cindy Klepper.

Five years of experience - combined with a little extra money this year - had robotics fans seeing double earlier this week.

Moments after the robot  built by the Huntington County 4-H Robotics Team was unveiled on Monday, Feb. 22, a second robot, identical except for color, shot out from behind the curtain.

United REMC still lighting the way for rural residents

REMC employee Felix Vanner installs a new pole and transformer at a residence on West Maple Grove Road on Thursday, Jan. 14. The removal of a rotten pole and installation of the transformer was part of REMC’s improvement efforts.
Photo by Andre B. Laird.

Originally published Jan. 18, 2010.

Not more than 75 years ago, rural Huntington County was dark.

Farmers and others residing in the countryside were missed by the growing power grid that lighted towns throughout the county.

Then in 1936, then-President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, part of the president's "Second New Deal" program, designed to bring electricity to rural areas all across the United States.

Huntington County was no exception.

Roanoke Public Library going strong in centennial year

Celia Bandelier, library director at Roanoke Public Library, says the library has been an asset to the community for 100 years as it marks its centennial birthday on Feb. 19..
Photo by Andre B. Laird.

February 19 will mark 100 years of operation and service by the Roanoke Public Library, which since its arrival, has been an integral thread in the fabric of the community.

According to library archives, a group of local women was the driving force behind talks for a library in 1909. On Feb. 5, 1909, the women met at an area United Brethren Church to discuss the specifics. Florence De Long was elected temporary chair of the committee and the Library Club was organized to sponsor a library in town.