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Government & School Board

Street department announces no leaf pick up this year

The City of Huntington Street Department has announced that there will be no scheduled leaf pick-up service this fall, but the department will collect leaves on a time-permitting basis.

Due to the lack of staff and time, the street department will spend a couple days a week picking up leaves when they aren't picking up trash, says Dave Spencer, street department commissioner.

Monday through Wednesday, the Street Department picks up trash, which allows the department Thursday and Friday to collect leaves.

New thermal imaging camera may help RVFD save lives

Donations from the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce, REMC and the Jackson Township Trustee, combined with monies raised at the Roanoke Volunteer Fire Department's annual pancake and sausage breakfast completed the drive to purchase a new thermal imaging camera for the RVFD.

"The department is grateful to Nick's Junction owners, Jim and Dana Drabenstot, for sponsoring the breakfast, the Roanoke Chamber, REMC  and Jackson Township Trustee for their contributions to the fund," said Chad Taylor, RVFD Chief. "Purchasing the camera would have be impossible without help from the community."

Jenks returns home after tour in Iraq

Chris Jenks.
Photo provided.

Indiana Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Jenks has returned to his hometown of Huntington after a 10-month deployment in Iraq.

Jenks served with Headquarters Company, 38th Combat Aviation Brigade, which was organized as Task Force 38, headquartered at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. He initially served in the air mission request section, then as liaison noncommissioned officer in Baghdad.

The missions of Task Force 38 included air assault, air movement, medevac operations, re-supply and VIP support.

Only two contested township races

Township-level offices in each of Huntington County's 12 townships will be on the Nov. 2 ballot, but only two of those townships have contested races.

In Huntington Township, six people are running for the three seats on the Huntington Township Board.
Dallas Township has four candidates for its three-member board.

Criss completes basic training in South Carolina; heads to Virginia

Tristan Criss.
Photo provided.

Private Second Class Tristan Criss graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, in Columbia, SC, on Aug. 19.

During the nine weeks of training, Criss studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values and physical fitness.

He received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, along with military weapons, chemical warfare, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches and field training exercises.

County sets Oct. 28 as auction date for properties with unpaid taxes

Huntington County will attempt to recover more than $1 million in unpaid property taxes by auctioning off the liens to those properties on Oct. 28.

As of Oct. 11, 134 properties in Huntington County were set to be included in the sale. Owners of those properties owe $1,029,827.28 in unpaid property taxes, says Jenny Bonewitz, whose responsibilities in the Huntington County Auditor's Office include tracking unpaid property taxes.

Huntington County property owners have until Nov. 10 to pay second installment of taxes

Huntington County property owners have until Nov. 10 to pay the second installment of this year's taxes, Huntington County Treasurer Brenda Hamilton has announced.

Tax payments may be made at 1st Source Bank, Beacon Credit Union, Bippus State Bank, First Federal Savings Bank, Lake City Bank, MarkleBank, PNC Bank and Wells Fargo Bank.

County Council to take another look at LOIT

The Huntington County Council will take another look at the Local Option Income Tax (LOIT) and is inviting input from members of the community.

The council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in the GAR Room on the second floor of the Huntington County Courthouse. Anyone wishing to comment on the tax will have the opportunity to do so.

Unplanned segments of HHIC receive attention at meeting

Sen. David Long (R-Allen County) speaks to members of the Hoosier Heartland Industrial Corridor Inc. at HHIC’s annual meeting at Huntington University on Friday, Oct. 8.
Photo by Matt Murphy.

As the Hoosier Heartland Industrial Corridor nears completion, at least two proposed, but unplanned, segments of the highway received greater attention at the 2010 annual meeting of the HHIC coalition at Huntington University on Friday, Oct. 8.

One segment, the A-7 Corridor in Huntington and Allen counties, was mentioned by several politicians at the meeting as both counties and the town of Roanoke have increased awareness about the segment in the past year. The segment would replace CR 900N from Roanoke to I-469 with a four-lane highway.

Portion of Ind.-5 to be closed soon

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Fort Wayne District announces that Ind.-5 between 300W and 200W will be closed beginning Monday, Oct. 18.

The closure is expected to be in effect until Oct. 22, weather permitting.

The detour route follows I-69 and Ind.-5. It adds about four miles for through-traffic.

 

Andrews council discusses water rate adjustment

The adjustment of water rates when residents use a large amount of water for purposes such as landscaping was the focus of discussion at the Andrews Town Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 11.

Last month, a resident with a substantial water bill after he had performed significant landscape work to his property approached the council asking for a sewer rate adjustment. The resident argued that because his water usage did not affect his input into the town's sewer system, his sewer rate should be reduced proportionally.

Public hearing set on proposed increase to Warren’s wastewater rates

The Warren Town Council will hold a public hearing on Nov. 8 on a proposed 20 percent increase in wastewater rates.

The hearing was set during the council's meeting on Monday, Oct. 11.

The proposed 20 percent increase in wastewater rates would mean a monthly increase of about $6 for a resident who uses 4,000 gallons of water a month.

The council also reviewed a letter of intent to apply for a planning grant through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.

Local Kiwanis honor Mike Jeffers with Police Officer of Year honor

Master Trooper Mike Jeffers' years of service to Huntington County have earned him the 2010 Police Officer of the Year award from the Huntington Kiwanis Club.

Jeffers was nominated by his supervisor, Indiana State Police Sgt. Tom Matheny, for the award, which was presented by Kiwanis representative Erv Ebersole during a club meeting on Thursday, Oct. 7.

Jeffers was selected for the honor from the group of Indiana State Police officers who work in Huntington County, Matheny said.

"I am blessed to have a good group of men serving this area," Matheny said.