What would have been a shortened session of the Huntington County Council Monday evening, May 19, suddenly went a lot longer when the item of the county's 2015 budget wants and needs was brought up.
County Treasurer Brenda Hamilton had just informed the council that the amount of the county's tax collections increased nearly $390,000 from May of 2013, going from 93.9 percent to 94.3 percent.
Twenty-three people lined up to give their opinions Wednesday, May 14, as members of the Huntington County Plan Commission listened to their views on wind farms.
The plan commission scheduled the special workshop, held in the Huntington North High School Auditorium, to allow the public to weigh in on the county's existing wind energy conversion system ordinance. The ordinance establishes guidelines for items such as setback distances, safety design, installation standards and decommissioning for wind turbines.
The Huntington Common Council vacated portions of three undeveloped alleys during a brief meeting on Tuesday, May 13.
Council members also established an economic revitalization area that will allow developers of a Senior housing complex to apply for tax abatements, and approved documents submitted by several businesses showing that they are complying with terms of tax abatements already granted.
Lauren Winterfeld - Tuesday, May 13, 2014 11:28 AM
The Huntington County Community School Corporation approved the hiring of Heidi Lawson as the girls' head basketball coach for Huntington North High School on Monday evening, May 12, in addition to extending for one year the contracts of the school's head boys' basketball and football coaches.
The decision came after much controversy followed the board's decision to table the issues at their last meeting, Monday, April 28.
The six school board members who were present at the April 28 meeting tabled the issue because of Board President Kevin Patrick's absence.
The Warren Area Chamber of Commerce's plan to build a park near downtown got a boost on Monday, May 12, as the Warren Town Council agreed to work with another group, Historic Warren, to secure a $10,000 state grant for the project.
The chamber has been raising funds to outfit the park with shade trees, benches and an area where small groups can perform, providing a green space near downtown Warren. The park will be located near the Warren Post Office, on land cleared when the town council demolished two dilapidated houses several years ago.
The Andrews Town Council learned at its meeting on Monday, May 12, that the town's post office may be in danger of closing.
Councilman Ray Tackett said that he had learned that the Andrews Post Office had been contacted by the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of Indianapolis and that letters will soon be sent to patrons the post office currently serves, informing them of a meeting to be held at the Andrews Town Hall on June 26 where the post office's future will discussed.
The Roanoke Town Council selected spring cleanup days during its meeting on Tuesday, May 6.
Council established Friday, May 30, to Sunday, June 1, as the cleanup period. During that time, bins will be placed in the town hall parking lot and citizens may dispose of refuse. Receptacles will also be in the alleyway next to the town hall and electronic waste may be disposed of there.
Greg Wajer is Huntington's new city ordinance officer.
He took over the reigns four weeks ago, and he says he has been busy learning the job.
"This is all brand new to me," he says. "I am former military, and law enforcement always kind of intrigued me.
"This opportunity came about and its something that just piqued my interest. I've been trying to figure it out as we go."
Wajer says the department is currently working on 70 to 80 properties "that have a lot of clutter and trash - old junk cars, parts - stuff like that piled up on them."
Before Huntington County's 36 precincts began reporting their totals, the 768 absentee ballots cast before Tuesday's primary told much of the story of who would win the election for the Republicans.
Those candidates who started out ahead never lost ground. Each contested county race stayed relatively steady, with little deviation in the final percentage of votes cast after the last precinct reported in.
Tuesday's primary election went off without a hitch, election officials say.
It also went off with relatively few voters, garnering a turnout of just 16.41 percent.
Four years ago, when the same offices were on the ballot, Huntington County saw a turnout of 33.20 percent. But even though the offices were the same in 2010, the competition was different.
"We had a sheriff's race, and that made a difference," County Clerk Kittie Keiffer said of the 2010 primary. "And there were several contested races with three and four people for one position."
