Adopt a pet

Rascal is a 4-year-old tiger/white, DLH, neutered male and declawed in the front. He is a very loving boy.

Shelby is a 8-year-old orange tabby, neutered male and declawed in the front. He is a wonderful, laid-back boy.

Zippy is a 3-year-old male Puggle. He is very energetic and loves to play. He is also housebroken.

Low cost spay/neuter clinic on Nov 27. $50 per cat. Call for more information and how to get an appointment. 824-6063

N-B Video: Vicki Andrews garners most votes in County Council race

Vicki Andrews reflects on the four-way race for three open at-large seats on the Wells County Council. Republicans swept the local election, with Democrat and incumbent Tony Garton losing. Learn more in the Wednesday, Nov. 7, News-Banner. (Video by Dave Schultz)

Forgot where to vote?

Remember to bring identification. Polls close at 6 p.m.

Wells County business and citizen of the year nominations requested

From the Wells County Chamber of Commerce:

Each year the Wells County Chamber of Commerce publicly recognizes a person and a business in the community that has gone "one step beyond for their community." We are asking for your suggestions on a person and/or a business that you feel should be Wells County's 2012 Citizen and Business of the Year. These prestigious awards will be presented at the Chamber's Annual Dinner to be held on January 28, 2013.

Citizen of the Year - this person should be one who has contributed outstanding service to the growth and well being of Wells County making it a better place to live, work and do business. If you have submitted a name in the past and that person was not selected, please do not hesitate to submit the name again.

Business of the Year - this company should be located in Wells County and have contributed in an extraordinary way to the Chamber of Commerce, to the business climate and to the quality of life of our citizens and our community at large.

To nominate an individual or business simply submit a letter with reasons for nomination. Please return it to the Wells County Chamber of Commerce by December 14, 2012 by mail, email or fax.  

Please feel free to forward this email on to others who may be interested in submitting names.


Submit your nominations to:   Awards Committee
                                        Wells County Chamber of Commerce
                                        211 W. Water Street
                                        Bluffton, IN  46714
                                        Or email to shuffman@wellscoc.com
                                        Or fax 260-824-5871

Top sellers at BHES fundraiser

The students pictured above sold more than 10 pies in the most recent Bluffton Harrison Elementary School fundraiser. By doing so, they earned the right to slam a pie in the face of Administrative Assistant Eric Mounsey. Learn more in the Saturday, Nov. 3, News-Banner. Pictured are, front row, left to right, Nick Pastore, Tavin Frees, Megan Patch, Chloe Weinberg, Tyler Beer, Felicity Wondercheck. Back row, Curtis Ellis, Jaelynn Pemberton, Kailyn Baller, Brianna Ford, Hannah Gettys, Joseph Gerardot, and Lukas Gehrett.

State releases school grades

The Indiana Department of Education released schools' grades for the 2011-2012 school year Wednesday, including Wells County's public schools. Six of the schools received an A, while three received a B.

Along with the local grades, the state provided several links to help explain the statistics and systems behind them. To learn more about Wells County's grades, see the Thursday, Nov. 1, News-Banner. To learn more about the grading process, click on the links.

• To see grades throughout the state, click here.

• To better understand the statistics behind the elementary and middle school grades, click here.

• To better understand the statistics behind the high school grades, click here.

Bluffton Common Council gets lowdown on proposed housing plans

The representative of a company that wants to build single-family homes in Bluffton near the Willowbrook area for people with reduced income presented the project to members of Bluffton's Common Council Tuesday night, and some of the council members were a tad skeptical.

During the presentation, the representative shared photos of houses developed at Marion Meadows, a 39-unit, affordable single-family recently developed home in Marion, Ohio.

The representative said the company would design Bluffton's houses to match the area, but these photos gave council members an idea of what they could look like. 

Learn more in the Wednesday, Oct. 31, News-Banner.