The Village of Bluffton will operate with a 2014 general fund budget of $3,525,454. Bluffton’s council approved the budget on Monday. The budget includes excess reserves of $1,192,371, which provides the village with an approximate six-month reserve.
Nancy Kindle, village fiscal officer, told council members that village income tax revenue in 2013 was higher than expected. She added that revenues in the water and sewer improvement fund were able to payback approximately $250,000 into the general fund.
Bluffton council hired two full-time police officers on Monday. With the new officers the department now had eight full-time officers, according to Rick Skilliter, police chief.
The two are Hope Hannah and Abigail Michael. Hannah has six years part-time experience with the Bluffton department. Michel has worked part-time for one year with the department.
They officially join the force on Jan. 5, 2014. Their pay is $13 an hour. Other members of the department are Matt Oglesbee and Ryan Burkholder, both sergeants, Tyler Hostettler, Chad Cupples, Lonny Kent and Skilliter.
Curling Iron, 129 N. Main St., is the second place winner in the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce downtown Christmas window decorating contest. Downtown business owners voted on the top three windows. First place is Town and Country Flowers and third place is Webb Insurance.
Harold B. Bruhn, Indianapolis, Ind., died Monday, Dec. 9, 2013.
Mr. Bruhn of Indianapolis, Ind., and formerly of Dayton, was born Oct. 17, 1924, in Kiel, Germany. He was preceded in death by his parents Christian and Hertha Bruhn, brother, Arnold Bruhn, and grandson, Janson Bruhn.
New Leaf Garden Center, 0395 State Route 235 (north of Ada), has a wide selection of Christmas trees "and a whole lot more," says Laurie Laird of New Leaf.
The garden center offers fresh cut and ready-to-plant pine, fire and spruce trees, wreaths, roping, greenery and artifical trees.
Also available are traditional and unique decorations, peanut cluster candy, poinsettias, cemetery wrreaths, blankets and saddles.
