Construction costs for a sewer project in Huntington can be reduced by about $16 million, the Huntington Common Council learned on Tuesday, June 11.

In addition, the revisions will make the sewer less expensive to operate and maintain - with an estimated savings of $4.3 million over 20 years.

Representatives of Greeley and Hansen, an engineering firm headquartered in Chicago, IL, gave the news to council members.

"We have identified some very large savings," said Anthony Goodnight, director of public works and engineering services for the city.

The Huntington County Board of Zoning Appeals will consider several requests during its meeting on Tuesday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m.

The meeting will be held in the GAR Room on the second floor of the Huntington County Courthouse.

Gregory Branham is requesting two variances from development standards. One would allow him to install a gravel parking lot instead of the required asphalt parking lot on a property at 3295S-400E, Markle. The second would allow a new building on that property to have a front yard setback of only eight feet rather than the 25-foot requirement.

The Andrews Town Council will hold a special meeting on Monday, June 24, at 5 p.m., at the Andrews Town Hall.

The meeting is being convened to compile information for the 2014 budget. Any other matters brought before the council will also be addressed.

The Town Hall is located at 66 N. Main St., Andrews.

The Andrews Town Council passed two ordinances during its Monday, June 10, meeting.

In Ordinance 2013-6, the town vacated an unimproved portion of Columbia Street to allow a landowner to build a garage on it.

"The council has been working with him to vacate the street to allow him to do that," says Clerk-Treasurer Bill Johnson. "He's agreed to pay all the legal costs. He's done that. He wrote us a check tonight. So, we're proceeding on with that."

Textbook rental fees for the 2013-14 school year have been set.

The Huntington County Community School Board of Trustees passed the 2013-14 fees during its June 10 meeting.

Assistant Superintendent Chuck Grable explained that beginning this fall, all elementary students will be charged a technology fee of $5.71 per student per year. This fee, Grable says, is meant to cover usage of the iPad carts given to elementary classrooms.

The Warren Town Council made light work of its agenda at its monthly meeting on Monday, June 10.

Ben Adams, of Commonwealth Engineering, addressed the council with updates regard-ing the Winterhaven project.

The project calls for a cul-de-sac to be built at the end of Winterhaven Drive in Langton Estates to create access for emergency vehicles.

The Huntington County Community School Corporation school board will hold an executive session today, Monday, June 10, at 5:30 p.m., at the Horace Mann Education Center.
The center is located at 2485 Waterworks Rd., Huntington.

The Huntington County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) along with Wells, Wabash, Blackford and Grant County SWCDs and other interested partners, will be hosting an informational meeting about activities associated with the 319 Watershed Management Grant they received for the Lower Salamonie Watershed (LSRW) area.

The meeting will be held on June 17, at the Dogwood Glen Golf Course Clubhouse, in Warren, at 7:30 p.m.

Two new officers are now patrolling the streets of Huntington.

Patrolman Benjamin Spurgeon and Patrolman Shane Blair began solo patrols this week, six months after being hired to replace two officers who retired from the Huntington Police Department.

Over those six months, Spurgeon and Blair attended 16 weeks of training at the Indiana Police Academy, graduating March 22. Blair graduated second in the class of about 160 officers, Huntington Police Chief E.J. Carroll notes.

Roanoke Town Council President Dave Tucker announced during the council's meeting on Tuesday, June 4, that refurbished dugouts in Roanoke Park that were served a violation notice by Huntington Countywide Department of Community Development (HCDCD) last month are now compliant.

The biggest issue was that one of the dugouts was ruled to be in the regulatory floodway.

Children in elementary school during the 2013-14 school year will not receive individual iPads during the school year.

The Huntington County Community School Board of Trustees voted 5-2 on Wednesday, May 30, to shut down phase two of the digital curriculum, which would have given iPads to elementary school students.

Holly Thompson, District 4, and Tom King, District 5, were the two "yes" votes, with the rest of the school board voting against the recommendation presented by Assistant Superintendent Chuck Grable.

Huntington Mayor Brooks Fetters (right) swore in several members of the Huntington Fire and Police Department on Tuesday, May 28, before several friends and family members at the City Building. With Fire Chief Tim Albertson (left) are newly sworn in members David Teusch, fire department lieutenant; Keith Paterson, fire department assistant chief; John Brewer, fire department lieutenant; Ryan Hack and Rex Drabenstot, both firefighters; Wayne Huff; deputy fire chief/fire marshall; Matthew Blackburn, firefighter; and Leon Hurlburt, assistant chief.

Construction is set to begin in mid-June on a million-dollar project that will open to development some 450 acres north of Huntington.

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on Tuesday, May 28, to signal the start of the project.

New sewer and water lines will be installed along the north side of U.S.-24 from Parkview Huntington Hospital to Carlisle Crossing. Crews from Ironclad Excavating, of Roanoke, are installing the lines and will bore under U.S-24 at Stults Road to make connections with existing lines.

Candy Moore (front row center) retired from the Probation Department at the Huntington County Courthouse on Thursday, May 30, and stands with a plaque presented to her by the Huntington County Commissioners commemorating her 20 years of service. With Moore are (front row from left) Larry Buzzard and Leon Hurlburt, vice president and president of the commissioners, respectively, and (back row) Commissioner Tom Wall.