News-Banner wins Have a retirement Colts’ Reich tests four HSPA awards worth saving for positive for virus Area State Page 5 Page 2 Sports Page 6 The News-Bannerwww.News-Banner.com TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2021 BLUFFTON, INDIANA • Wells County’s Hometown Connection $1.00 County to apply for funds for Murray drainage system By JESSICA BRICKER ideal candidate for us to look at The county will be seeking doing storm water and pavement funds from a new grant program improvements in that area.” that could benefit the community Rumschlag said there wasn’t of Murray. a lot of time to put a proposal A rough budget compiled by together and the program was County Engineer Nate Rumschlag announced in mid-July. shows a new storm water collec- The county should have access tion system and pavement could to the previous survey work con- cost more than $1.2 million. ducted in Murray for the RSD Rumschlag told the county project, which puts the county commissioners this month that in a good position in terms of the state has allocated $60 mil- readiness. That would knock out lion for transportation and drain- months of work, Rumschlag said. age projects, which deviates from There were no guidelines Hue can paint its standard funding programs for presented for the required local drinking water and sanitary sewer. matching funds and the county has As class instructor Marybeth Voght demostrates in the background, sisters Finley Esterling, 10, at center, and Harper Esterling, 12, work on a painting of a gnome during the Hue Can Paint class sponsored by the Since it’s a new grant program, some co-funding options to pur- Bluffton Parks and Recreation Department. The class was held Monday evening in the Council Chambers he’s unsure if the county will be a sue, such as matching grant funds on the second floor of City Hall. (Photo by Dave Schultz) good fit but he’s working to tailor set aside in the highway budget. the application appropriately. Rumschlag also said the proj- The state is seeking projects ect would not qualify for funding next to state roads. through the county’s portion of the “The best candidate that I can American Recovery Plan. Legion puts see was to look at Murray with He has prepared an anticipated (Ind.) 116,” he said. “With the not-to-exceed budget that includes current Regional Sewer District a 90-10 matching funding sched- out call for project serving those areas, it’s an (Continued on Page 2) a muralist By JESSICA BRICKER Indiana’s high court A nationwide call-out is under- way to find the muralist who will create downtown Bluffton’s next American Legion Post 111 is looking for an artist to create a mural on the is asked to delay suit public art piece. back wall of the post home at 111 W. Washington St. The wall faces the Bluffton NOW and the Parlor City Plaza across Walnut Street from the building. (Photo by Dave American Legion Post 111 have Schultz) announced the timeline of creat- on the Bluffton NOW website. Legion emblem.” filed by the governor ing a military-themed mural on the “The goal of this program is to Sheets was Wells County’s first north-facing side of the Legion, By TOM DAVIES the law passed this year over his construct a mural within down- World War I fatality. The “mood Associated Press veto by the Republican-dominat- located at 111 W. Washington St. town Bluffton that will pay hom- board” compiled for the project in Bluffton. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indi- ed Legislature is unconstitutional age to branches of the military,” includes his portrait, a flying eagle ana’s attorney general asked the because it gives lawmakers a new Proposals are due Tuesday, the information said. “The mural and battle images, among other Aug. 17. The mural would be state Supreme Court on Monday power to call themselves into a project proposals could reflect images for inspiration. to stall Republican Gov. Eric Hol- special legislative “emergency ses- installed by Monday, Sept. 20 the following: Pay tribute to the A jury of 10 members of the comb’s lawsuit challenging the sion” during statewide emergen- — the week of the Bluffton Free branches of the military of the Bluffton NOW mural commit- increased power state legislators cies declared by the governor. Street Fair. United States; pay tribute to PVT tee and the Legion will select the gave themselves to intervene dur- Holcomb and some legal The brick wall is approxi- Grover Sheets, veteran (killed in muralist. Learn more and view ing public health emergencies fol- experts maintain the state consti- mately 60-feet-by-14-feet and the action for whom) the Legion is related materials at www.bluffton- lowing conservative objections to tution allows only the governor mural can cover the whole surface, named after; reflects the battlefield now.org/mural his COVID-19 actions. to call the Legislature into special according to information posted cross; must contain the American [email protected] The court filings come three session after its annual session weeks after a Marion County ends. judge ruled against arguments The attorney general’s petition from Republican Attorney General centers on the constitution’s prohi- Todd Rokita’s office that he alone bition on legislators being subject Western wildfires rage on has the legal authority to represent to civil court action during General the state in court and can decide Assembly sessions, which typical- INDIAN FALLS, Calif. (AP) — Erratic “Fire behavior has been so unpredictable, it whether the new law is allowed ly would have formally adjourned winds and the potential for dry lightning added hasn’t been safe for inspectors to go in to work,” under the state constitution. this year in late April. The Legis- to the challenges facing firefighters battling Cali- said Mitch Matlow, a fire spokesman. “Until The attorney general’s office’s lature, however, remains legally in fornia’s largest wildfire, one of numerous blazes things settle down, we won’t Seniorknow the extent ofMoneyLife petition to the Supreme Court session awaiting meetings to vote burning Monday across the U.S. West. what’s burned.” Security. Trust. renewsIntegrity. arguments that the gover- on the redrawing of congressional Over the weekend, the massive Dixie Fire Flames spread in remote areas with steep ter- nor’s lawsuit shouldn’t be allowed and legislative election districts merged with the smaller Fly Fire and tore rain crews can’t easily reach, Matlow said. Gusty to proceed because the Legisla- because of delays in receiving cen- through the remote Northern California com- winds also hindered containment efforts and ture technically is still in session sus data for that work. munity of Indian Falls. The blaze had already the problem could get worse with the predicted despite concluding its regular busi- The Marion County judge ruled leveled at least 16 houses and other structures, arrival later Monday of pyrocumulus clouds — ness for the year in April. Marion such legislative immunity didn’t but a new damage estimate wasn’t immediately literally meaning “ fire clouds “ — which can County Judge Patrick Dietrick apply because the issue was a sep- available because flames were still raging in the bring lightning and the risk of new ignitions. rejected putting off the case for aration of powers dispute between that reason, which could prevent the government’s executive and mountain area. (Continued on Page 2) any court action until spring. legislative branches. Holcomb’s lawsuit argues that (Continued on Page 2) Homeschooling thrived during pandemic By DAVID CRARY denominator: They tried homeschool- the U.S. Census Bureau, which report- AP National Writer ing on what they thought was a tem- ed in March that the rate of households Although the pandemic disrupted porary basis and found it beneficial to homeschoolingWe their makechildren rose to life easy. family life across the U.S. since taking their children. 11 percent by September 2020, more hold in spring 2020, some parents are “That’s one of the silver linings than doubling from 5.4 percent just six grateful for one consequence: They’re of the pandemic — I don’t think we months earlier.Daily MoneySafe. Management now opting to homeschool their chil- would have chosen to homeschool Black householdsSafe. saw the largest dren, even as schools plan to resume otherwise,” said Danielle King of jump; their homeschooling rate rose Clean. in-person classes. Randolph, Vermont, whose 7-year-old from 3.3 percentBill Payin the Assistance spring of 2020 Safe. The specific reasons vary widely. daughter Zoë thrived with the flexible, to 16.1 percentClean. in theSafe. fall. Some families who spoke with The one-on-one instruction. Her curriculum The parentsBudgeting in one of those Services house- Comfortable.Clean. Associated Press have children with has included literature, anatomy, even holds, ArlenaComfortable. and Clean.Robert Brown of special educational needs; others seek archaeology, enlivened by outdoor Austin, Texas,Financial had three Monitoring children in a faith-based curriculum or say their excursions to search for fossils. elementary school when the pandemic EnrichingComfortable. senior lives every day. local schools are flawed. The common The surge has been confirmed by (ContinuedInsurance onComfortable. Page 2) Advocacy Metro Creative Graphics illustraton Safe.Enriching seniorSafe. lives everySafe. day. 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