City OKs sidewalk repairs

E&B Paving was the only bidder on the city’s sidewalk reconstruction program this year, and the company’s $78,163 offer to repair 12 sections of sidewalk was accepted Tuesday by the Bluffton Board of Public Works and Safety.

Still, it’s up to the property owners who signed up for the sidewalk program to decide if they want to participate at the price quoted.

There are 12 sections of sidewalk, between 15 and 223 feet in length, that were put into the program. The prices range from $2,218 to $11,700.

Sidewalks proposed for this summer's repair program, and the amount E&B Paving of Huntington bid on each project:

• 421 W. South St., 59 feet of sidewalk that would be 64 inches wide; $4,358
• 505 E. Horton St., 126 feet of sidewalk that would be 54 inches wide; $8,100.
• 716 S. Johnson St., 46 feet of sidewalk that would be 66 inches wide; $6,812.
• 1319 W. South St., 125 feet of sidewalk that would be 60 inches wide; $6,812.
• 403 E. Spring St., 158 feet of sidewalk that would be 54 inches wide; $9,581.
• 904 W. Cherry St., 223 feet of sidewalk that would be 50 inches wide; $11,700.
• 739 S. Marion St., 96 feet of sidewalk that would be 54 inches wide; $6,891.
• 726 W. South St., 100 feet of sidewalk that would be 55 inches wide; $7,776.
• 307 W. Central Ave., 39 feet of sidewalk that would be 66 inches wide; $7,776.
• 327 W. Miller St., 110 feet of sidewalk that would be 54 inches wide; $8,048.
• 204 E. Arnold St., 56 feet of sidewalk that would be 54 inches wide; $4,271.
• 726 W. Silver St., 15 feet of sidewalk that would be 54 inches wide; $2,218.

N-B Video: BPD chief gets a beat down as Red Man

This week is the annual Bluffton Boot Camp, hosted by the city's police and parks and recreation departments at the Wells County 4-H Park. Although he has dressed in the Red Man training suit before, this year was Nathan Huss' first year in the suit as chief of police.

The demonstration Tuesday was to teach campers the various forms of force – using a baton, for example – and how to use commands when subduing a suspect. Sgts. Mike Miller, Chip Swindell and Geoff Gilbert assisted in the demonstration.  (Video by Jessica Williams)

N-B Videos: Blood, sweat and tears – IronKid Triathlon 2014

The Bluffton Parks and Recreation Department's annual IronKid Triathlon brought more than 90 kids to the Wells County 4-H Park and Wells Community Pool Saturday morning, July 26. (Videos by Jessica Williams)

Scroll below for results, provided by the Parks Department.

2014 IRON KID TRIATHLON RESULTS

5 & 6 year old girls
Holly Howard 12:20
Dash Moody 12:55
Lila Ringger 15:52
Kila Shelley 16:02
Amaelia Cordero 17:53
Emry Lockwood 19:10
Adriana Gehring 19:12
Ellie Coyne 22:15
Kylee Robles 25:22

5 & 6 year old boys
Trevor Smith 12:06
Gavin Sawyer 12:16
Kale Fuess 12:53
Owen Lesh 14:42
Cooper Craig 14:47
Sheldon Heffelmire 15:43
Xaiver Little 16:24
Paulmer Krug 16:45
Ryan Schlagenhauf 16:50
Braydon Leyse 16:56
Alex Maggard 18:01
Gavin Quillen 22:50
David Shelley 24:24
Matthew Shelley 25:28
Graham Linderwell 30:28

7 & 8 year old girls
Makenzie Fuess 12:22
Cambri Leas 13:10
Elizabeth Gerber 13:17
Emerson Meredith 13:32
Eve Corkwell 13:33
Cassie Coyne 13:51
Lucia Corkwell 14:03
Mckayla Ringger 14:30
Ella Krug 14:40
Isabella Stout 14:40
Brooklyn Bailey 14:48
Kendall Gomaras 14:51
Gabby Cogar 15:41
Kara Grover 16:14
Autumn Carnahan 16:19
Marina Reynolds 17:25

7&8 year old boys
Myles Moody 10:54
Noah Cordero 12:05
Ben Kiracofe 12:31
Andrew Myers 13:10
Levi Johns 13:56
Brady Howard 14:15
Mathias Langstrup 14:30
Ben Maggard 14:40
Wrigley Lockwood 15:14
Mack Baker 15:26
Kale Meredith 15:35
Griffin Linderwell 16:05
Dane Schlagenhauf 16:20
Kaleb Green 17:00
Gavin Reynolds 17:33
Harper Kahn 19:04
Jarrett Green 19:45

9 & 10 year old girls
Riley Meredith 13:05
Elsa Corkwell 13:49
Annika Linderwell 14:13
Zoey Carver 14:18
Katelyn Bultemeier 15:25
Makayla Robles 15:25
Kaeleigh Lairson 16:47
Raegan Neuenschwander17:22
Abby Kiracofe 17:50
Megan Kelly 17:52
Anna Reynolds 18:21
Savannah Reynolds 19:03

9 & 10 year old boys
Samuel Baumgartner 12:04
Donovin Dale 13:02
Kody Coyne 13:22
Skyler Gaunt 13:39
Benjamin Grimm 14:23
Nicklas Langstrup 14:49
Gus Martinez 14:51
Hayden Kipfer 15:07
Henry Kiracofe 15:18
Mikey Reidenbach 15:20
Trent Ingram 15:23
Hudson Kahn 15:27
Brenden Nuttle 16:59
Simon Hanes 18:59

11 & 12 year old girls
Sarah Mahnensmith 10:55
Paige Archbold 12:08
Taylor Archbold 12:25
Sarah Horton 12:32
Chloe Jolloff 13:15
Morgan Cogar 13:39

11 & 12 year old boys
Luke Gerber 10:28
Wyatt Corkwell 11:42
Charles Hanes 13:24
Cole Collins 14:31
Blake Ingram 15:03
Michael Laux 17:01
Joseph Koby 17:22
Julyan Barton 18:50

N-B Photo: Markle Town Council receives its 2015 budget

The Markle Town Council received its 2015 budget Wednesday evening at its meeting. Council members will review the budget in the next month before the Aug. 20 public hearing. The adoption meeting date is set for Sept. 17. Both meetings start at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the town's fire station.

Here is a brief notice of the budget:

N-B Links: Northern Wells parents' must purchase iPad cases

Northern Wells school board members unanimously approved requiring parents for students in third grade and beyond to purchase protective cases for the iPads.

Parents will be able to purchase at a discount two types of cases through the district’s website, Mills said, and acquire them when they acquire their iPads.

If parents purchase their own cases, they must protect the iPad’s front, back and corners, particularly if the device fell off a table.

If parents want a Bluetooth keyboard or a different style of case, however, they must purchase them on their own; click here and here for two online reviews of cases, and click here to go to the Apple website for cases.

N-B Video: Turning the park green for 4-H

During Saturday’s “Color Me Green 4-H Dash," runners and walkers made two laps around the Wells County 4-H Park. They made their way through numerous coloring stations where volunteers splattered them with green-colored corn starch. Including volunteers at the coloring stations, 51 people participated. The county’s annual 4-H Fair begins in less than a week. (Video by Jessica Williams)

N-B Video: Students complete county's first robotics camp

Nine students programmed and engineered robots to complete an obstacle course at the end of a week-long robotics camp, hosted by the Wells County Economic Development office and the 4-H association. Learn more in the Saturday, July 12, News-Banner. (Video by Chet Baumgartner)

N-B Video: Dream Team kicks off another season

In its 14th season, the Dream Team provides local children with learning and physical disabilities the chance to play T-ball. Here are some highlights from this season-opening week. (Video by Jessica Williams)

N-B Photos: Clay time at Washington Park

Children playing with clay enjoyed a cool, sunny morning at Washington Park Thursday. Two sessions were held for different age groups. The event was put on by Bluffton Parks and Recreation Department. (Photos by Jessica Williams)

N-B Links: City building code passes its first vote

Tuesday night’s meeting of the Bluffton Common Council was brief but busy.

In 29 minutes, council members passed a building code on first reading, approved its own rezoning request, bought property and listened to a citizen’s complaint about what he thought were unsafe fireworks.

A building code for the city has been discussed off and on over the past two years, but the four council members present Tuesday night — Mike Morrissey, Jim Phillabaum, Bette Erxleben, and Melanie Durr — actually passed it unanimously on its first reading. The measure will be back on the agenda at the council’s next meeting, July 22.

Learn more in the Wednesday, July 9, News-Banner, and read through the proposed code by clicking here.

N-B Photos: Dream Team starts summer season

The Dream Team's T-ball season started Tuesday evening at Whicker Field. The Dream Team offers programs for children with physical or learning disabilities. They play Tuesday and Thursday evenings through July at the field behind Bi-County Services and the Wells Community Boys and Girls Club. (Photos by Jessica Williams)

N-B Feedback: Ellis asks county for more help with pool

Mayor Ted Ellis came before the Wells County Commissioners – Scott Mossburg, Kevin Woodward and Blake Gerber – to ask them to consider contributing more money for future, long-term maintenance costs for the Wells Community pool.

Currently the county contributes $5,000 annually, but Ellis asked for $50,000 for capital improvement funds, not operating money.

“Do you have to provide a pool?” asked Woodward.

“No,” Ellis said, shaking his head.

Woodward then said they could look at increasing the entrance fee, even up to $4, but Ellis said they wouldn’t be able to raise the price enough to make it worthwhile. The mayor also said an original mission for the pool was to make it affordable and available to everyone.

Do you agree with Ellis? Should pool patrons pay more? Should the county provide more? Does the county need a pool?

N-B Video: Bluffton celebrates the Fourth of July

Videos by Dave Schultz.

N-B Video: Reusing what's there

A crew from Go Green out of Ottawa, Ohio, spent Tuesday cleaning up the demolition site of the new Wells County Lock-Up property. The recycled material will be reused for the base of the new driveways. The grinder is operated via a remote control. (Video by Jessica Williams)