March construction tops $653,000

Eleven local residents and businesses received building permits for $653,950 from the Jay Building and Planning Department in March.
Leading the way was a permit for John and Janelle Wendell to build a $300,000 new home at 3254 N. 150 East, Portland. Also receiving permits were Portland Veterinary Clinic, 1407 W. Votaw St., Portland, building addition and remodel, $105,000; Marvin Muhlenkamp Farms Inc., 8876 E. 600 North, Bryant, barn, $30,000; Ned Liechty, 8711 N. 550 West, Bryant, machine shed, $125,000; Marvin Muhlenkamp Farms Inc., 7637 E. 600 north, Bryant, barn lean-to, $5,000; Evelyn McKibben, 815 N. Meridian St., Portland, fence, $300; Robert Meyer, 832 S. Shank St., Portland, fence, $650; Eric Stephen, 3909 E. Treaty Line Road, Portland, porch addition, $8,000; Gary and Cynthia Pyle, 1610 W. 650 South, Portland, garage, $35,000; John McShane, 2117 S. Blaine Pike, Portland, residential addition, $25,000; and Jason Schmiesing, 6910 S. 300 east, Portland, storage building and pond, $20,000.

FTZ to aid Blackford
Blackford County commissioners recently gave approval for Blackford County to join a Foreign-Trade Zone.
Jacob Everett, executive director of Blackford County Economic Development Corporation, asked commissioners for the approval at their Monday meeting.
Blackford was one of five counties in Indiana that were not members of the FTZ. The four remaining counties are Jay, Randolph, LaGrange and Steuben.
An FTZ is a geographical area, in or adjacent to a United States Port of Entry, where commercial merchandise, both domestic and foreign receives the same customs treatment it would if it were outside the commerce of the United States.
Everett and the commissioners believed this designation would help attract businesses to Blackford County.

APC delays
action on turbines
Wells County Area Plan Commission recently voted to deny Apex Wind Energy the option to change the height of 87 turbines and tabled a request to approve the development plans for either 56 or 69 turbines.
During a marathon five-hour meeting, with 450 people in attendance, commissioners heard from numerous residents about the proposals.
Commissioners had previously approved development plans for the 87 turbines at their November meeting
The commissioners also denied a request from Alan Lance, who operates an airplane parts business in Rockcreek Township on Wells County road 600 North. Lance asked to rezone two parcels of land — near the northwest corner of Wells County road 200 West and U.S. 224 — for industrial use.

Bell partners
Bell Aquaculture recently announced it is partnering with Bob Tanem’s Enterprises to provide Fish Rich Organic Fertilizer to the Vegetable Garden at Homeward Bound’s New Beginnings Center in Novato, Ca.
The use of Fish Rich Organic Fertilizer was trialed at Heartland Growers Inc., Westfield, from September to November 2012.
Bell’s company headquarters are in Redkey, where the Bell Perch “leftovers” are processed at its fertilizer plant into Fish Rich.
For more information, visit www.fishrich.com.[[In-content Ad]]