There'll be no champagne corks popping, no end zone victory dancesfor a Delaware County commissioner candidate before the November election.
That's what supporters of James King, the Democrat-turned-Republican who is running for re-election to his commissioner seat and faces a November challenge from Democrat Duke Campbell, believe is happening in relation to a project in the town of Daleville, where King is police chief.
It's no surprise that political parties are happy to stymie projects that might make candidates from the other party, or another political faction of the same party, look good before an election.
In this case, King's people point to the so-called Old Town Junction project, which would see $3.7 million in redevelopment in downtown Daleville. The developer, Envoy, has presented the plan, which would include commercial and residential development at Ind. 32 and Walnut Street, to town officials.
The Delaware County Redevelopment Commission has a track record of providing assistance to area towns, especially Daleville, on big economic development projects. The commission used Daleville's tax increment financing (TIF) money to buy and demolish buildings for the Envoy project.
But the commission recently let die for lack of second a motion to donate some county land to the town so that the town and the commissioners could move the project forward. The inaction came at a meeting in which commission members who aren't overtly tied to either Daleville or the local Democratic Party — which has its sights set on King in November, obviously — were not present.
Keen interest in sewers?
Never let it be said that W/R doesn't have diverse interests. We'll be waiting to hear the answer to a question raised last week about where sewage will flow from a new development at Nebo and McGalliard roads.
City economic development officer Todd Donati came to Monday's meeting of the Delaware County commissioners for approval of efforts to prepare 38 acres at the southeast corner of the intersection for the relocation of Dellen Ford and establishment of a Dellen Hyundai dealership.
The commissioners approved the request, but Commissioner King asked where sewage from the development would go: to Yorktown or to the Muncie Sanitary District?
Donati said the flow of wastewater had not yet been decided.
For an element of new commercial development that seems like it should be boring, there is — and likely will continue to be — heightened interest in the ultimate answer to that question.
Riding off into the sunset?
Vernon Jackson has been a familiar figure to visitors to the Delaware County Building. Jackson is a door bailiff for the building. He's one of the uniformed guards who man metal detectors and stands out in a crowd since he's tall and often sports a cowboy hat and boots.
Until a couple of weeks ago, that is, when Jackson went to the hospital to have knee replacement surgery. He was back at the door the other day, with a cane, but he wasn't working and he told W/R some news: He had been fired by Sheriff Ray Dudley for not giving proper notice before his medical leave.
Dudley confirmed that was the case.
“He is no longer an employee,” Dudley said. “He didn't follow standard operating procedure. You're supposed to notify your immediate supervisor and he elected not to do that.”
Jackson, a Republican who didn't make it through the primary election contest for sheriff a couple of years ago, and Dudley agreed on another thing: Jackson's firing is moving through a labor union grievance process because, even though he is not a merit deputy, he has some protections under the labor contract.
Missing zero has nerves on edge
Those of us — well, at least one of us — here at W/R were distressed by a personal failing in recent days.
A story about a drug deal gone bad in Randolph County initially included incorrect terms of the planned transaction, which, according to a police report, involved “400 Xanax that would be sold for $600.”
We at first left a zero off in our reporting, indicating 40 Xanax pills were to be be sold for $600.
That typoreally upsetat least a few people.
So here is our apology: If our mistake resulted in tension — or confusion, or just plain jitteriness — forthose local residents who monitorthe cost of street drugs in East Central Indiana, we regret it.
Contact Keith Roysdon at 765-213-5828 and kroysdon@muncie.gannett.com. Contact Douglas Walker at 765-213-5851 and dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.
