Government & School Board

State Sen. Andy Zay (R-Huntington) will serve as a member of the Interim Study Committee on Employment and Labor and the Advisory Board for the Principal Institute in preparation for the 2024 legislative session. “As the state senator for District 17, ensuring all Hoosiers have access to good jobs is one of the most important things I do,” Zay said.

Should I transition some of my crop acres to USDA Certified Organic grain production? If you have been asking this question as you keep an eye on price premiums offered for USDA Certified Organic grain, or if you would like to earnestly explore a new production method on a few acres, an upcoming field day should benefit you. Purdue Extension specialists and educators in northeastern Indiana are sponsoring the Northeast Indiana Organic Field Day at Northeast Purdue Agricultural Center (NEPAC), southeast of Columbia City, on August 2, 2023.

Richard Strick has filed the necessary paperwork to run for re-election as Mayor. Strick secured 174 certified signatures of registered voters, exceeding the necessary 79, to run as an independent candidate, campaign officials announced July 3. By Indiana election law, to run as an Independent candidate for any position, “The candidate must collect signatures of registered voters in the election district that total at least 2.

Huntington County’s Substance Abuse Response Fund is distributing its first round of grants totaling $173,255 to seven agencies that serve Huntington County. The fund is a partnership created by the County Commissioners, City of Huntington, Town of Warren, County Health Department, Community Foundation and local supporters. The recipients were selected by a committee of individuals representing local government, law enforcement, health services and the recovery community. Boys & Girls Club of Huntington County.

Roanoke will soon have more space for accessible play if this crowdfunding campaign reaches its goal of raising $50,000 by Aug. 9, 2023. If successful, the project led by the Town of Roanoke will receive a matching grant as part of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s (IHCDA). “Children of all backgrounds and abilities should have the opportunity to engage in play with their peers,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Leveraging a nearly $1 million federal grant, the City of Huntington continues to be committed to clean up the approximately 12-acre H.K. Porter industrial site and make plans for its future redevelopment. On May 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a Brownfields Cleanup Grant Award of $991,000 to support the city’s efforts to remediate the contaminated site, demolish the remaining structures and create a community plan for the property’s eventual reuse. “Ten years ago, the City of Huntington embarked on cleaning up 90 years’ worth of pollution from the H.K.

Huntington County Community Schools announced the hiring of Eric Thompson as Huntington North’s new basketball coach on Monday, May 1. Thompson spent the last seven years at Peru where his teams won sectional titles in 2022 and 2023. Thompson has a reputation for leaving a program better than how he found it. As he leaves a Peru program that went from a sub-.500 team his first three years into a 69-26 over the last four seasons, including the sectional titles, he takes over a Huntington North team that went 8-16 this past.

Huntington County property tax statements were mailed April 10, 2023.  Deadline for payment is May 10. Property owners who did not receive a statement should call the treasurer’s office at 358-4860 or stop in the office in the Courthouse to pick up a copy of the tax bill. Failure to receive a statement does not relieve the taxpayer of the responsibility to pay the property taxes. The amount of taxes due for each property can also be accessed online at www.huntington.in.us by choosing GIS mapping and searching by name, address or parcel number.

The Huntington County Community School Corp. board formally approved the hiring of Jaymee Wappes as the next principal of Riverview Middle School during Monday night’s board meeting. Wappes, who currently serves as Riverview’s assistant principal and athletic director, will take over as the principal starting in the 2023-24 school year, as current Riverview principal James Bragg will be retiring following the 2022-23 school year. Wappes joined the Riverview family in July of 2021, bringing more than 20 years of experience in education with her in various roles.

State Rep. Lorissa Sweet (R-Wabash) invites local students to spend a day serving as a House page at the Indiana Statehouse during the 2023 legislative session.

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch announced today the resignation of Bruce Kettler, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). Kettler’s last day will be Jan. 6, 2023.

Huntington County received $1 million through the Community Crossings grant program.

United States Senate

(R) Todd Young—73.96%

Secretary of State

(R) Diego Morales—69.98%

State Auditor

(R) Tera Klutz—74.17%

State Treasurer

(R) Daniel Elliott—75.16%

U.S. Rep, Dist. 3

(R) Jim Banks—71.69%

State Senator

(R) Andy Zay—74.84%

State Rep., Dist. 50

(R) Lorissa Sweet—75.78%

Prosecutor, 56th Circuit

(R) Jeremy K. Nix—100%

Circuit Court Clerk

(R) Shelley Malone Septer—100%

County Auditor

By Mike Perkins