Decatur Daily Democrat
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FRIDAY January 22, Democrat 2016 An independent newspaper serving Adams County, Indiana since 1857 75¢ Adams County well represented at Regional Cities gala IN BRIEF Vote center Final talent Toasting the region’s pitch heard auditions set prosperity “They said it for SUNDAY couldn’t be by Decatur The second and done, and you final audition time for the Decatur Cultural did it,” said John Connection’s upcoming Sampson, pres- City Council “Decatur’s Most Talented” dent and CEO show will be held from of the Northeast By BOB SHRALUKA 2-4 p.m. Sunday at Indiana Regional Decatur officials expressed what Riverside Center, 231 E. Partnership dur- appeared to be solid support for voting centers during a presenta- Monroe St., Decatur. ing a celebration It was previously tion at Tuesday night’s city council Thursday night meeting. announced, incorrectly, at the Grand that the auditions would Adams County Clerk Jim Wayne Center take place Saturday. Voglewede and County Councilman The DCC is putting up in Fort Wayne Ed Dyer discussed at length the cash prizes totaling $275 to celebrate the proposal to establish voting cen- to acts crowned the top region’s recent ters, a relatively new concept which three ultimate fininshers. receipt of $42 allows residents of a county to “Decatur’s Most million intended choose where they wish to vote. Talented” will be at to spur eco- There appears to be a possibility that the voting centers could be in 6 p.m. on Feb. 28, at nomic growth operation for the May primary in the Erekson Theatre at and prosperity Bellmont High School. Adams County. throughout the Voglewede said he and Dyer The talent show will fea- 11-county area ture a variety of talent- were on hand to explain the pro- ed acts, individuals and that includes posal to the city officials “and to groups throughout the Adams County. receive any input you may have.” area. There would be no additional cost Judges are look- to the city beyond its normal share ing for a variety of acts Photo by of election expenses. to fill the talent show. J Swygart Current thinking is to have six Singers, dancers, come- voting centers, two in Decatur, two dians, soloists, bands, in Berne and one each in Monroe unicycles, drama pre- and Geneva. sentations, magic acts, The Bridge Church in Decatur, juggling song and dance which has been a voting site in the combos are just a few ‘Road to One Million’ kicked off past, has already agreed to con- ideas, and those audi- tinue as a voting center. Another By J SWYGART One Million” title given to the the South Adams Trails Inc. longtime voting site in Decatur, the tioning are encouraged Representatives from program indicates the goal of group were also present for to be creative with their Knights of Columbus, has been Adams County and 10 other boosting the collective popu- the occasion. Adams County contacted but has not yet gotten talents. counties in Northeast Indiana lation of the 11-county region ECD Director Larry Macklin, Talent show auditions back to Voglewede. joined in a gala celebration to 1 million over the next North Adams Superintendent The Monroe Fire Department are open to those aged in Fort Wayne on Thursday 10-20 years. of Schools Brent Lehman and 12 and older. in Monroe and First Missionary evening to celebrate the “The number one challenge County Commissioner Rex Church in Berne also have agreed recent announcement that of employers today is finding Moore were also on hand to to continue under the new format. the Northeast East Regional tomorrow’s talent,” he said. celebrate the region’s suc- Voglewede said a second church DHA housing Partnership — of which cess. in Berne has been contacted but Decatur and Adams County Adams County was well Also representing the not given him a final decision; if it authority plan are a part — will receive $42 represented at Thursday’s county and a key player in decides not to, Swiss Village will million in funding for vari- celebration, with more than the future of the region was host a voting center. made public ous projects in the 11-county two dozen civic and commu- Andrew Briggs, president A church in Geneva is being The Decatur Housing partnership area. nity leaders in attendance. of Bank of Geneva. Briggs looked at as a vote center for that Authority is soliciting John Sampson, president Decatur Mayor Ken Meyer led has been active in the NE area. comments from the pub- and CEO of the partnership a large delegation from the Indiana Regional Partnership Once the initial costs to make the lic on its annual plan group, led the nearly 1,000 city, and several members of See REGION, Page 3 switchover are made, the savings update to the five-year business and municipal lead- over the current system should be agency plan for the ers and representatives of substantial, with reductions in poll operation of the Housing various civic organizations workers and site rentals. The last Authority. in a toast to celebrate the countywide election had 25 pre- The plan describes region’s success. cincts at 15 sites with 83 work- the mission, long-range “This was no trivial task,” ers; under the new proposal, there goals and objectives for said Sampson. “I’d like to would be six voting centers with 35 achieving Fort Wayne thank our corporate spon- workers. Housing Authority’s mis- sors and the chairpersons of “We wouldn’t anticipate any big sion over the subsequent our steering committee. Our savings for the first couple of years five years. The plan presentation (to the Indiana until we get all the infrastructure provides details about Economic Development Corp.) paid for,” then there would be some the FWHA’s immediate smashed the competition. And significant savings, Dyer, a mem- operations, programs, thanks to the members of ber of the vote center study com- services and strategies county councils and boards mittee, said. for handling operations of commissioners through- Among the necessary purchases concerns, resident con- out the region who told the would be Ipads, two for each cen- cerns and needs. state of Indiana that their ter, which would be used as poll The plan and the money would best be spent in Several Adams County representatives were on hand to join in books for identification purposes. required attachments Northeast Indiana.” the NE Indiana Regional Partnership event Thursday night. A person’s identification (driver’s are available for review Sampson said the “Road to Photo by J Swygart See VOTE, Page 2 at the following loca- tions: • 7315 Hanna Street, Fort Wayne, 46816 •128 South 3rd Street, County investments earn solid return in 2015 Decatur, IN 46733 •218 E. Monroe St., By MIKE LAMM His financial figures show 2015 invest- Although “we’re still a few months away Decatur, 46733 Adams County earned $105,211.03 inter- ments and cash totaling $18,746,901 as from tax collections,” Krueckeberg said • www.fwha.org. est on all investments in 2015, Treasurer of Dec. 31 — minus an ending balance of the percentage of collections for 2014 was Comments will be Tom Krueckeberg told the Adams County $16,326,298 — for a year end difference 97.346 percent, which was comparable taken through March 4 Commissioners this week. The total is up of more than $2.42 million. That balance to the 96.775 percent collection rate the and will be considered nearly $37,000 from 2014 and marks “the compares extremely favorably to the 2014 year before. He said an ever increasing for inclusion in the final first time annual interest has been in six year end difference between investments number of residents are paying their plan and submitted with figures since 2009,” he said. and costs of $451,794.08. taxes by credit card, a transaction that the final document. End of the year investment statistics He told commissioners 25 percent of carries a 2.49 percent interest rate with provided by Krueckeberg as part of his all cash received by his office is invested a minimum charge of $3. All area banks annual board of finance update showed a for at least two years, and that the State will continue to receive tax collection pay- Contact Us total on all investments by the county in Board of Accounts has approved his ments for the county in 2016. By phone: 724-2121 2015 of $2,722,711.87. He reported the investment policy. The interest rate paid Krueckeberg informed commissioners By Fax: 724-7981 value of all bonds at $1,722,711.87 and by the various bonds purchased by the he was recently selected to serve as sec- an additional $1 million invested in certif- treasurer ranged from a low of 0.875 retary of the Indiana County Treasurer’s icates of deposit with the Bank of Geneva. percent to a high of 5 percent and the Association, a position that will eventu- Four of the bonds will reach maturity this rate of interest on all CDs is 2 percent, ally see his ascendency to president of the year, Krueckeberg said. Krueckeberg added. statewide group. ALL DAY, EVERYDAY, THE NEWS www.DecaturDailyDemocrat.com Page 2A • Friday, January 22, 2016 LOCA L /STATE Decatur Daily Democrat From the desk of the Your Local Weather Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue superintendent 1/22 1/23 1/24 1/25 1/26 By BRENT LEHMAN North Adams Community Schools 28/19 30/15 34/22 39/30 32/23 Mostly Times of sun Mix of sun Rain mixed Chance of a cloudy.