Adams-Wells Regional News

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Holdup suspect Sain arraigned

Hospital stays in the black

Decatur Daily Democrat:

The financial picture for the Adams Health Network (AHN) continued in the black for the first half of 2011 with a slight profit shown in June.

Chief Financial Officer Dane Wheeler told the AHN board of trustees at its recent meeting that the hospital showed a $37,235 profit in June, boosting the margin in the black to $341,848 for the first six months of the year. That figure was less than what hospital officials had expected when the 2011 budget was adopted, but still is significantly better than 2010 when AHN was $113,766 in the red for the first six months.

After contractual obligations and discounts were figured in, AHN had net patient revenues of $24,575,942 for the first six months of the year, almost identical to the figure the hospital had budgeted ($24,575,813). The 2011 revenue figure is nearly $700,000 higher that the 2010 amount for a similar period.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Council, drainage board resolve disagreement

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Zanesville council discusses spending items

Huntington County Tab:

The Zanesville Town Council approved two budgetary items and discussed the possible purchase of other items during its meeting on Thursday, July 21.

The council approved a request by Clerk-Treasurer Julie Christian to spend up to $1,000 from the sewer fund for a new laptop computer and software. Christian uses her personal computer for much of the town's business, since the town's current computer is older and doesn't have much memory remaining. The current computer will still be used for the town's sewer billing program.

Senior Center denied funds

Berne budget labeled ‘skinny’

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Berne City Council members got their first glimpse of the city's proposed $2.2 million budget for 2012 on Monday evening. The spending outline for next year includes a general fund budget of just over $1.5 million — an increase of just $38,000 over this year's spending blueprint.

"It's a skinny budget," said clerk-treasurer Gwen Maller during a review of the document. "You don't want to spend more than you take in — like some cities do."

Maller said tax receipts resulting from property tax caps imposed two years ago by the Indiana legislature cost the city approximately $47,500 in revenue for 2011, and she expects to see a similar reduction in tax receipts for 2012. While the exact amount of lost property tax revenue has not yet been determined, Maller said the budget was prepared "based on the assumption that we're not going to be getting some of that money."

Monday, July 25, 2011

Liechty receives outstanding 4-H member of year award

City near deal on eyesore

Friday, July 15, 2011

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Elder joins NA board

Auditor accused of some ‘shirking’

Decatur Daily Democrat:

A request by the county auditor for the county council to consider increasing the pay of his five staff members by a total of $6,000 led to an unusual and unexpected response from a veteran councilman on Tuesday.

Auditor Bill Borne, who was not present, had submitted a two-page, 11-paragraph, single-spaced request for the $6,000, seeking $2,000 for his chief deputy and $1,000 each for the other four staffers. The council chose to withhold action until the 2012 budget is prepared in September.

However, longtime council member Phil Wulliman said Borne, a two-time winner of the Indiana Auditor of the Year award, "is shirking some of his responsibilites." He added that, while the council does not want to micromanage county offices, "this is a prime example of where we might need to do that."

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Lightning hits Geneva library

Berne, LICA sign for more sewer work

Monday, July 11, 2011

Swiss Village team supports area Alzheimer's cause

Local funds given to aid honor flights

Friday, July 8, 2011

LaHaye to bring resurrection theme Swiss Days weekend

Richie suffers serious injuries

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

More dogs than ever at Swiss Heritage competition

$1,000 city pay hikes OKed

Decatur Daily Democrat:

If the State of Indiana doesn't wreak havoc with Decatur's 2012 budget, city employees will be getting raises of $1,000 each after going without increases this year and last.

Insurance changes are coming, though, with only some employees to be affected by higher costs.
City council unanimously approved the $1,000 hikes at its meeting Tuesday night, with the stipulation of "if the money is available." Mayor John Schultz, who supported the hike, said the only concern would be if the state radically reduced the city's budget for next year once that budget is submitted.

"You never know what the state, in all its infinite wisdom, will do," he said.

The $1,000 figure was suggested by Councilman Matt Dyer, who praised city department heads and employees for the way they held down costs last year. "They put us in position to do this (provide raises)," he said.