Hope for the future
When asked during a recent teleconference about the bankruptcy filing of Getrag Transmission Manufacturing in Tipton County, Congressman Joe Donnelly said it was a result of the credit crisis.
Chrysler and Getrag Transmission Manufacturing had entered into an agreement for the German company to supply dual-clutch wet transmissions starting in 2009. Chrysler terminated the agreements when Getrag was unable to obtain financing, according to a lawsuit.
Donnelly said he was told by Chrysler officials that Getrag couldn’t obtain the necessary credit to complete the plant and Chrysler didn’t have the funds available.
“No one had the cash to finish the job,” Donnelly said.
Donnelly said Chrysler officials indicated they still were interested in using the Getrag transmissions.
“There were indications that with a better economy the project would move forward,” he said.
Recounts requested
Petitions have been filed with the Miami County Clerk’s Office requesting recounts in elections for two county offices.
The petitions were filed in Miami Superior Court. No hearing date has been set and it is not known when the process of counting the ballots will take place.
Republican Brenda Weaver leads Democrat Vicki Wheeler by 25 votes for the position of recorder. There were 13,173 ballots cast in the race.
The other requested recount is in the race for Miami County auditor where Republican Jane Lilley leads Democrat Betty Hunter by 38 votes. There were a total of 13,116 votes cast in the contest.
Helping out
Miami County Prosecutor Eric Huneryager received approval from the county council on Tuesday for spending from the diversion fund, but none of the money was used by his office.
Huneryager told council members the engine on the Denver fire truck needed to be overhauled at a cost of $14,000. He asked for approval to provide $10,000 of the cost.
The council also approved $11,000 for the installation of new radio equipment for Miami County Emergency Management Agency so more radios could be purchased and $3,000 to purchase software for the sheriff’s department.
City/County drama, Part 43
The November Howard County Recycling District meeting turned ugly, when Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight found himself outnumbered on a key vote.
Over the past several months, it has become clear that Goodnight isn’t happy with the district’s leadership, mainly current director Marla Vechey. But with only two city appointments to the district’s seven-member board, Goodnight would need county allies to force a change.
Goodnight may have been hopeful Vechey was leaving. In August, she announced her intention of leaving the director’s position. If so, his hope was short-lived.
Goodnight found out this week Vechey and her assistant, Mikki Jeffers, were simply going to swap positions, and that the board majority was going to back the switch.
“If this was the intention of some people here, just to flip-flop positions, why did we go through this whole [candidate search] charade?” Goodnight said during a meeting which descended into a prolonged argument.
County commissioner Paul Raver, who is retiring at year’s end, cast the deciding vote in favor of the Vechey/Jeffers switch.
“Marla, I think she’s been treated pretty rudely here a few times,” Raver said in her defense.
“I think there’s a lot of people who have been treated pretty rudely here a few times,” Goodnight replied.
Unexpected expenses
City officials were socked this year with high gas prices like everyone else. Fuel costs forced the city to ask the city council for an additional $300,000, over the projected budget, to pay for fuel this year.
But if last year’s city council (which passed this year’s budget) wasn’t expecting $4 a gallon gas, they really weren’t expecting the city’s biggest spending surprise.
That would be worker’s compensation claims. While city officials are prevented by federal privacy laws from explaining what happened, worker’s compensation claims exceeded the budget this year by $500,000. Ouch.
Local News
Public eye – Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008
- Local News
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Wind farm company seeks tax abatement
Howard County officials are being asked to consider a 10-year tax abatement for the proposed wind farm in the eastern portions of the county.
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Local ceremonies honor those who fell in combat
Everyone who had gathered Monday afternoon at Darrough Chapel Park was there to remember the hundreds of names below their feet. Each brick in the Howard County Veterans Memorial’s Walk of Honor had the name of a soldier who died in battle.
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Carver Center selects new director
Former Kokomo city councilman Dennis Morgan is expected to take the reins at the Carver Community Center, just ahead of the annual Ribfest fundraiser.
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Colts ‘bring blue’ to Kokomo with team’s Fan Fest
The Indianapolis Colts will host a Fan Fest from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. June 22 at Foster Park, 721 W. Superior St., Kokomo. A free community concert by Poco will begin at 6:30 p.m.
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$50,000 pantry fundraiser at $4,390
A fundraiser for Howard County food pantries was less than one-tenth of the way to the goal at the campaign’s half-way mark, according to one of the organizers.
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Fans remember Dan Wheldon at Indy 500
Fans of the Indianapolis 500 took time on race day to remember Dan Wheldon, the popular driver who died in a crash last year at Las Vegas Speedway.
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Sixth-grader read dictionary twice to prepare for spelling bee
Sixth-grader Pranav Haran spent six weeks reading through the entire dictionary twice.
That’s more than 472,000 word entries.
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Library building costs may rise to finish project
The Kokomo-Howard County Public Library’s Outreach Building is looking good from the outside, but library officials indicated this week they’ll need additional funds to complete the project.
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Graduation has been a long time coming
People always told Megan McCall that she would never amount to anything, but her mom knew she would prove them all wrong some day.
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Blood drives will honor fallen officers in June
Throughout the month of June, the American Red Cross will participate in the statewide Fallen Officer Blood Drive Campaign. This is the sixth year the Red Cross will host blood drives across Indiana to honor fallen officers and raise awareness of the need for blood.
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Wind farm company seeks tax abatement




