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County office holders swear in at Courthouse ceremony Dec. 31

Jaime Miller (center) is sworn in for his first term on the Huntington County Council by Huntington County Clerk Kittie Keiffer (right) during a ceremony on Dec. 31 in the rotunda of the Huntington County Courthouse.
Jaime Miller (center) is sworn in for his first term on the Huntington County Council by Huntington County Clerk Kittie Keiffer (right) during a ceremony on Dec. 31 in the rotunda of the Huntington County Courthouse. Photo by Cindy Klepper.

New and returning Huntington County office holders were sworn in Monday, Dec. 31, during a ceremony held in the Huntington County Courthouse rotunda.

Huntington County Clerk Kittie Keiffer administered the oaths of office, taking the place of Circuit Judge Thomas Hakes as Hakes recuperates from knee surgery.

Participating in the ceremony were Brenda Hamilton, who is beginning a second term as county treasurer; Phil Zahm, who was elected last November to his first full term as county coroner after being appointed to the position in January 2011; Tom Wall, who earned a second term as third district representative on the Board of Commissioners; John E. Hacker, elected to a fourth term on the Huntington County Council; and Jaime Miller, serving his first term on the county council.

All will serve four-year terms, which began on Jan. 1.

Shane Bickel, who was elected to a second term on the county council, was not in attendance for the ceremony.

Hakes, who has served on the circuit court bench since 2006, was sworn in earlier by Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Heffelfinger. Hakes was elected in November to a second six-year term.

Also taking his oath in advance of the Dec. 31 ceremony was Larry Buzzard, who succeeds Kathy Branham as second district representative on the Huntington County Board of Commissioners.

Three members of the Huntington County Community School Board who were elected in November will be sworn in during the board's Jan. 9 meeting. They are Scott Hoffman, Sarah Kyle and Rex Baxter.

Complete caption: Jaime Miller (center) is sworn in for his first term on the Huntington County Council by Huntington County Clerk Kittie Keiffer (right) during a ceremony on Dec. 31 in the rotunda of the Huntington County Courthouse. With Miller is his wife, Sherry Miller (right). Miller is one of three at-large members of the council.