The Roanoke Town Council and Roanoke Town Court Judge Bobby Turpin met in a special session on Tuesday, Oct. 30, to discuss the ramifications of Huntington County Prosecutor Amy Richison's recent determination that all traffic violations in Huntington County be filed through the Huntington Superior Court.

The most significant ramification of Richison's decision is the probable closure of the court. The court relies upon the revenue from fines assessed during traffic violations to stay in operation.

Rules that, for the most part, keep farm animals outside the city limits of Huntington will remain in place.

Members of the Huntington Common Council voted 5-2 on Tuesday, Oct. 30, to make no changes to its animal control ordinance. The ordinance requires that anyone keeping animals that are commonly considered farm animals to have a minimum of five acres of land, a lot size uncommon inside the city limits.

Two positions on the Huntington County Board of Commissioners are on the Nov. 6 ballot, but a choice is required in only one.

Incumbent Commissioner Tom Wall, a Republican, and Democrat challenger Kenneth "Kenny" Zuk are both seeking the third district seat.

Republican Larry Buzzard is the lone candidate seeking to serve as the second district county commissioner.

Mike Pence, Republican candidate for governor, will bring his "Big Red Truck Tour" to Huntington on Monday, Oct. 29.

Pence will be at the Café of Hope, 900 E. State St., Huntington, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

For more information, contact Andy Zay at 356-1588 or azay@sbcglobal. net.

United States Congressman Marlin Stutzman will be speaking at the Dan Quayle Center, on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

There will be a brief presentation on the Fair Tax as well as time for questions from the public.

An optional freewill offering will be collected, with the proceeds going to the Huntington County Tea Party, the sponsor of the event.

Air National Guard Airman First Class William S. Richman graduated recently from the Utilities Systems Apprentice Course at Sheppard Air Force Base, in Wichita Falls, TX.

The course is designed to train students in water processing, analysis, operating principles of water treatment plants, maintenance of water and waste water, fire suppression and backflow prevention systems and components; and maintenance and repair of water supply, waste, fuels and natural gas systems.

The Huntington County Treasurer's office will be open on Saturday Nov. 3, from 8 a.m. to noon for the convenience of residents to pay their property tax payments.

Due to Election Day and Veterans Day the deadline to pay property taxes this year is Nov. 13.

The Courthouse will be closed for regular business on: Tuesday, Nov. 6, Election Day, and Monday, Nov. 12, for Veterans Day.

Mike Pence, Republican candidate for governor, will bring his "Big Red Truck Tour" to Huntington on Monday, Oct. 29.

Pence will be at the Café of Hope, 900 E. State St., Huntington, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

For more information, contact Andy Zay at 356-1588 or azay@sbcglobal.net.

Huntington County residents voting on Nov. 6 will be asked to select a member of the United States Senate, a third district representative in the U.S. House and a 50th district representative for the Indiana House.

The candidates are:

United States Senate
Three men are seeking election to the United States Senate seat held for 36 years by Sen. Richard Lugar.

Richard Mourdock, the Republican who defeated Lugar in this spring's primary, is joined on the ballot by Democrat Joe Donnelly and Libertarian Andrew Horning.

A man shoots a gun into the air and threatens to turn the weapon on his family. It's the middle of the night, and the shooting is taking place in a rural home in southern Huntington County.

A lone police officer responds.

A victim is tied up, bound and gagged in a strong-arm robbery in Roanoke.

Again, a solitary police officer responds.

Topics pertaining to the water rate study commissioned by the Andrews Town Council took center stage during a special meeting of the council on Monday, Oct. 22.

The council examined the water rate study with Steve Brock, of Thurber, Brock & Associates Inc., the municipal financial consulting firm that conducted the study.

The biggest accomplishment during the meeting, says Bill Johnson, clerk-treasurer of the Andrews town council, was that the council established rates for the next several years.

Superintendent Tracey Shafer presented a technology update on Monday evening, Oct. 22, during the biweekly meeting of the school board.

Shafer addressed concerns brought forth two weeks prior, by Billie Keith, a parent of three Huntington County Community School students.

Keith addressed the board on Oct. 7 and expressed concern over her middle school-aged children having the ability to gain access to pornographic material using the iPad in her home.

Voters living in two districts of the Huntington County Community School Corporation's board of trustees will be asked to decide on Nov. 6 whether to return the incumbent to office or seat the challenger.

In the school board's first district, incumbent Scott Hoffman and challenger Thomas Duncan are both seeking to represent Union and Jackson townships.

Incumbent Rex Baxter faces a challenge by Ryan Wall in the school board's seventh district, located on the southeast corner of Huntington.

A potential site for a new Markle Town Hall was brought before a packed house at the Markle Fire Station on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the Markle Town Council's monthly meeting.

Resident Robin Phillips addressed the council in regards to the sale of her building, the site of Davis Restaurant, 165 N. Clark St. Phillips offered to sell the building to the town as a potential new site for the Town Hall. She noted that the property satisfies all ADA (American Disabilities Act) regulations and has adequate town-owned parking lots.

Traffic violations in Huntington County will now be filed exclusively through the Huntington Superior Court and no longer through the Roanoke town court, Huntington County Prosecutor Amy Richison has determined.

Richison says she made the decision for two reasons. The first reason is to bring Huntington County into compliance with an Indiana Supreme Court ruling covering assignment of cases to specific courts.

The Andrews Town Council will meet in a special meeting on Monday, Oct. 22, beginning at 6 p.m., to discuss a water rate study, fire contract, health insurance and any other matters that may come before it.

The meeting will be held in the meeting room of the Andrews Town Hall, located at 66 N. Main St., Andrews.

The Roanoke Town Council and Judge Bob Turpin, of the Roanoke town court, say they are displeased with a recent move by Huntington County Prosecutor Amy Richison that will likely result in the closure of the town court.

The council was informed of upcoming changes in the court's operation on Friday, Oct. 12, says Troy Karshner, president of the council, said during the council's Oct. 16 meeting.

Turpin voiced his disappointment. The council sympathized with Turpin and considered how the decision would affect the town, such as from a monetary standpoint.

Huntington County residents may begin their marriage license application online, as of Jan. 1, 2012.

County Clerk Kittie Keiffer says starting the process online cuts the time spent in the office in half, and makes answers to required questions more accurate.

To be married in the State of Indiana, a couple must have a marriage license and both parties must appear in person at the Clerk's office where one or both spouses reside.

The Huntington County Department of Health will hold its monthly meeting tonight, Monday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m., in the conference room, located in the Annex Building.

In addition to reports from the public health nurse, sanitarian and vital records, the group will tackle new business including the Huntington County Community Health Assessment.

The Annex Building is located at 354 N. Jefferson St., Huntington.

For more information, call 358-4831.

Huntington County residents are being urged to take advantage of early voting options for the Nov. 6 elections.

"More voters taking advantage of early voting options will help to shorten the lines on election day," says Pam Fowler, voter registration clerk in the Huntington County Clerk's office.

The general election includes candidates for county, state and federal offices. Voters in some precincts will also select a representative of the Huntington County Community School Board.

The Huntington County Commissioners will meet only one time during the remainder of October.

The commissioners will meet on Monday, Oct. 22, at 7 a.m. in the Huntington County Courthouse.

Commissioners' meetings on Oct. 15 and Oct. 29 have been canceled. The panel will meet again in regular session on Nov. 5.

Following a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 8, the Warren Town Council adopted new water rates which are estimated to increase the average users expense by $4.50 per month.

Huntington County Commissioner Tom Wall says he will continue to serve in that office and continue his campaign for re-election despite facing seven misdemeanor battery charges, allegations he says are "untrue."

"I am going to fight to win this election," Wall says.

The Huntington County businessman says his campaign will focus on his contributions to the community during his four years as commissioner and in other areas, even though many of the questions he's asked will likely focus on the allegations of battery.

Efforts by Huntington Common Councilman member Greg Davis to cut appropriations in the 2013 city budget were rejected by the full council on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

That vote, however, doesn't mean that at least some of Davis' proposals won't be considered in the future.
The appropriations ordinance, a companion to the city's proposed 2013 budget, sets salaries for non-elected city employees.

A parent's complaint to the Huntington County Community School Board stirred the entire school board on Monday evening, Oct. 8.

Billie Keith, a Huntington resident who is the mother of three HCCSC students who possess iPads - two at Crestview Middle School and one at Huntington North High School - says she discovered her middle schoolers' iPads have the capability to look up pornographic material using the Internet connection in her home.

The Andrews Town Council decided Monday, Oct. 8, to allow the Shepherd's Food Pantry, in Andrews, permission to use of part of the Andrews Community Building.

Shepherd's Food Pantry will use the building the third week of every month, which is when it receives food and distributes it to the community.

A sale of Huntington County properties with seriously delinquent taxes brought in $162,525.03, Huntington County Treasurer Brenda Hamilton and Auditor Cindy Yeiter have announced.

The sale was conducted on Oct. 2.

The Huntington Street and Sanitation Department is scheduled to start curbside leaf pick-up the last week of October.

Residents are asked to rake the leaves to the strip between the curb and sidewalk. Leaves should not be raked into the street curb line as they could plug the storm sewers.

For more information, contact the Huntington Street Department at 356-4720.

Property owners in Huntington County have one last chance to keep their homestead exemptions intact.

If they don't, they may see their property taxes double in 2013.

The push is a result of the tough economic times, says Huntington County Auditor Cindy Yeiter, whose office is responsible for making sure that those who claim a homestead exemption on a property are, in fact, using that property as their primary residence.
"Things are getting tight, and people want to take advantage of as much as they can," she says.

With the election season approaching, the Indiana Department of Transportation reminds Hoosiers that no signs - including real estate, advertising and political signs - may be placed in the rights-of-way of state and federal highways.

Unauthorized signs will be removed and stored at the nearest INDOT subdistrict office.

Areas that must remain sign free include:

• All interstates and their interchanges.

• All intersections where at least one local, state or federal road intersects with a state or federal highway.

Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, R-Fort Wayne, has recognized State Sen. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, for his 2012 voting attendance record of 100 percent.

"Senator Banks continues to do a terrific job of representing Hoosiers in Senate District 17, and that's demonstrated through his exemplary voting record," Long says. "He takes his responsibilities as a state lawmaker seriously."

Long says Banks has a history of voting attendance records that "showcases his dedication," achieving 100 percent scores since his 2010 election to the Indiana Senate.

The Roanoke town council reviewed bids from contractors for storm sewer and street improvements to Commercial Street and awarded a contract for the work during its Tuesday, Oct. 2, meeting.

Wayne Asphalt delivered a bid of $118,598 and council President Troy Karshner introduced a motion to award them the job, which passed unanimously. Other bids were from Brooks Construction Co., Inc. for $138,283 and Phend & Brown for $163,318.

Anyone who wants to vote in the Nov. 6 election has until Tuesday, Oct. 9, to make sure they're registered.

Voters must be United States citizens, must be 18 by the date of the general election and must have lived in their precinct for at least 30 days before the election.
Anyone currently serving time in jail may not vote; they must re-register after being released from jail.

Anyone who has moved or has had a name change must also re-register.

The Warren Town Council has rescheduled its November meeting to accommodate a public hearing for the 2012 planning grant currently being completed.

The meeting, which was scheduled for Nov. 12, has been moved to Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m. in Assembly Hall, 131 N. Wayne St., Warren.

The public hearing will follow the council's regular meeting.