Latest news with #CountyCouncil
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Steve Ellis will seek Vigo sheriff's post as a Republican
Vigo County councilman and gun store owner Steve Ellis announced Tuesday he will seek the Republican Party's nomination for sheriff in the May 2026 primary election. Ellis in a news release said he brings 'brings a strong sense of duty, integrity, and a deep commitment to the safety and well-being of Vigo County residents.' 'I will be running for Vigo County sheriff on the Republican ballot,' Ellis wrote. 'I know many of you already have a candidate that you need to back. Please know that I understand this, and there will be no hard feelings.' Ellis said he will not be accepting campaign donations. 'I want to thank everyone in advance for your encouragement and support. This campaign is about serving the people, not politics,' he said. More details regarding platform priorities, vision for the sheriff's office and opportunities for community engagement will be shared, he said. Ellis was elected to the County Council, the body responsible for the county's finances, in November 2024. He was one of six candidates seeking three at-large seats. He was the second leading vote-getter, landing his seat with roughly 19,900 votes, or about 20% of the votes cast in the at-large council race. A veteran of the shooting and gun sales worlds, Ellis bought the former Furniture Gallery building at Seventh Street and U.S. 41 in Terre Haute and in 2017 opened the current Top Guns, a large retail/wholesale gun dealership and training facility, complete with three indoor ranges. On the Democratic side of the ballot, Derek Fell, the current Vigo County sheriff is running. A Democrat and former sheriff's office chief of operations, Fell was caucused into the position in August 2024 following then-incumbent Sheriff John Plasse's death of pancreatic cancer in July. Also running as a Democrat is David C. Ewing, who has served 13 years as deputy with the Vigo County Sheriff's Office. The primary election is Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Reform-led Durham County Council scraps diversity training
Diversity training for councillors at a Reform-led council has been equality, diversity, inclusion and climate change modules were removed from the Member Induction and Development Programme on 13 June following a request from the leader of the council, Durham County Council Andrew Husband told a full council meeting earlier this month that there was "no requirement in law for councillors to complete equality, diversity and inclusion training".Former Labour councillor Rochelle Lainé said the move risked "undoing years of progress". Reform gained political control of Durham County Council after winning 63 seats out of the 98 elected in the recent local comes after the party's national leader Nigel Farage said members would boycott the training because "all people should be treated equally".Ms Lainé, a teacher and former county councillor, had submitted a question for the meeting on 16 July asking how a refusal to attend training would impact councillors' ability to make "legally informed and compliant decisions".Husband told the full council meeting that EDI training for councillors had been local authority then later added that, in making the request, the leader asked the council's monitoring officer what other arrangements could be put in place to assist councillors in discharging the public sector equality duty. Ms Lainé said she believed that Reform was "reintroducing casual racism, sexism, and discrimination by outright refusing to participate in training that promotes fairness".She added that the party was "pushing a rhetoric that is dangerous and divisive".Deputy leader and Reform councillor Darren Grimes said the claims were Grimes said: "I removed the module on unconscious bias because it's uniquely racist, peddling the idea that people are inherently prejudiced based on race."Our Reform caucus, many of us descendants of miners, have no time for this divisive notion of privilege based around immutable characteristics such as skin colour," he said. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Seven cars leave same stretch of road in two days in Shoby
Officers have called for safety measures to be introduced on a road in Leicestershire after seven cars came off the same stretch over a two-day Police said all the drivers had left the road and crashed into the hedgerow on the A6006 in Shoby, near Melton Mowbray, in less than 48 hours earlier this force's Melton policing team added it had asked the council to assess the road surface and install warning signs.A spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council said there were a number of permanent warning signs in place in Shoby and it was assessing these following concerns raised. In a Facebook post, the police team said the section of road was "notorious" and had seen "hundreds of collisions over the years".The post said: "Heavy rainfall after hot weather is the most dangerous time and we take this seriously to prevent loss of life."Steven Carter, a councillor for Melton Borough Council, said seeing vehicles in the ditch alongside the A6006 carriageway was a common sight in Shoby. "I used to go down that road every day to work and I used to see a car in there, or a van - I've even seen a lorry in there - every other day," he said. The independent councillor added: "I don't think there's enough signage there to be honest. "It's a sharp bend. Someone's going to end up getting killed there."A county council spokesperson said: "There are a number of permanent warning signs in place in Shoby – including vehicle activated signs, chevron boards, bend warning signs and slippery road signs - and we're assessing these following the concerns."Heavy rainfall after dry spells can affect all road surfaces and we'd always encourage motorists to adapt their driving to the conditions."
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
County Planning Department working to streamline development approvals process
Essex County Council received a report outlining the departmental activities and performance – active and completed approvals – of the Planning Services Division over the past year for information. It also provided some comparisons to activity over the past five-years, in addition to comments on the Planning Division actions toward achieving goals outlined in the County's Strategic Plan and initiatives detailed in the Official Plan adopted in 2024, Rebecca Belanger, Manager of Planning, explained to County Council at the July 16 meeting. The Planning Services Division – consisting of a manager, two senior planners, and a summer student – for the County of Essex facilitates the approval of planning applications on behalf of the province in conformity of all sections of the Planning Act, as well as other provincial and federal legislation. 'The Planning Services Administration continue to focus efforts on streamlining the development approvals process and to improve service delivery,' Belanger said. On a few different occasions over the past couple of years, the staff members of this County department have received correspondence from the Windsor-Essex Home Builders' Association, providing recommendations from their perspective on how the County could improve the experience in the developmental approvals process, Belanger explained. 'I'm in regular communication with the Home Builders Association representatives, working on these continuous improvements to remove red tape and continue making these improvements,' she said. One of the improvements currently underway include the implementation of the Cloudpermit Planning module, which the County is in the process of building presently. This will provide a web-based platform for processing the subdivision and condominium applications County-wide. 'This web-based platform will allow developers, agencies, local municipalities, and the County to share application updates on a live basis,' Belanger said, noting this will ensure all users have the same information at the same time. The implementation of Cloudpermit accomplishes one of the County's Strategic Plan objectives, which encourages more regional collaboration through harmonizing planning approvals. Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers was pleased to hear of this collaboration, noting what is heard at the local level is how much back-and-forth there is on Plans of Subdivision and Condominium. The County's Planning Services Division has noticed an increase in the number of applications that are processed. In 2019, Belanger recalled reporting to County Council there were 30 development applications in process at that time, particularly relating to subdivisions. Presently, this department has over 150 planning applications in process, Belanger added. 'In the last two-years, there has been a notable increase in the number of condominium applications submitted for approval. Many involve the redevelopment of lands within the urban centers in the County, which utilize existing municipal services and support healthy, sustainable communities.' The processing of subdivision applications in particular involves a significant time-allocation of planning application and reviewing support studies – such as functional servicing, stormwater management, traffic and environmental impact assessments – in collaboration with agencies and local municipalities. 'The complexity in processing each application is unique, based on a series of circumstances,' she explained. County Planning provides four-broad service areas: long-range planning, processing and approving planning applications, managing special projects, and responding to public and agency inquiries. In terms of special projects, the Planning Department is currently working on the preparation of a large-scale Community Improvement Plan (CIP) program guideline, which should be presented to County Council later this summer. Staff is also working on including a new natural heritage compensation guideline in the County Environmental Impact Assessment, planned to be tabled this summer or early fall. In addition, the Request for Proposal to retain a consultant to prepare the Specialty Crops Study is planned for procurement in the coming months, with the project ongoing this fall and winter. Planning staff, Belanger added, is also heavily involved in the development of the Coastal Resilience Plan for the south-shore communities of the County. The outcome of this work is intended to be transferable to the other remaining communities in the County. Work will continue over the coming years, she added. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Primary election: Crowded field vying for Whatcom County Council District 3 seat
Three candidates are challenging County Councilman Tyler Byrd of Sudden Valley in the election for Whatcom County Council District 3, which encompasses a rural areas north, east and south of Bellingham. Byrd is seeking a third straight term. The district includes the cities of Everson, Nooksack and Sumas, along with the foothill communities of Kendall, Maple Falls and Glacier, the South Fork Valley communities of Acme, Clipper and Van Zandt, and Geneva and Sudden Valley east of Bellingham. District 3 is one of five County Council districts. There are also two at-large members on the seven-member council. The County Council makes laws, appoints members of advisory committees and controls the purse through its budget authority. All County Council races are nonpartisan. Only registered voters in District 3 can vote in this race. Under Washington state's primary rules, the two candidates with the most votes will advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Jessica Rienstra Jessica Rienstra of Nooksack works as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and has a business providing remote telehealth. She is an elected member of the 2025 Charter Review Commission, which meets every 10 years to consider changes to the Whatcom County Charter, which is like its constitution. Rienstra lives in Nooksack and grew up in Lynden. She was home-schooled and also attended Bellingham Christian and Lynden Public schools. She earned a master's degree in nursing from Gonzaga University by working her way from nursing assistant to nurse practitioner — studying at Whatcom Community College, Bellingham Technical College, and earning a BS in nursing from Western Washington University. She provided medical relief work and aid delivery in Mozambique and Sudan and set up and managed a pediatric health clinic for a children's home in Madagascar. Rienstra told The Herald that she sees isolation and lack of services for rural residents as a key issue in her district. 'In rural areas, people are often physically cut off from things many take for granted: basic health care, steady internet, safe housing, or even nearby neighbors,' Rienstra said in an email. 'But isolation isn't just physical. It's also social. When people don't have connection or support, it wears on mental health, weakens communities, and makes it harder to get back on your feet when something goes wrong. You see it in seniors who live alone without transit options. In kids who struggle with anxiety or depression but can't access care close to home. In families who drive long distances just to get to work, school or a doctor. And in people working two jobs who still can't afford to live near where they work.' 'To fix this, we need to bring the basics closer to where people are. That means improving broadband and public transit. Making sure there's housing people can actually afford. Supporting local health services, especially mental health and recovery programs. And creating and supporting places where people can connect, like parks, libraries, or community centers.' She has endorsements from the Nooksack Indian Tribe; the 40th and 42nd Legislative District Democrats; several labor unions, including Bellingham-Whatcom Firefighters IAFF Local 106; the Sierra Club; Alliance for Gun Responsibility; the Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund; and the Riveters Collective. Rienstra raised $21,323 for her campaign through July 22, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. About half that total was from individual contributions. Tyler Byrd Tyler Byrd, who is with MacAuthority, has spent more than 20 years in financial services and business management. He serves on the County Council's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee and the Finance and Administrative Services Committee. In his role as a County Council member, Byrd told The Herald he demands accountability and seeks to streamline county operations through data-driven financial decisions. 'Whatcom County's most pressing issue is financial mismanagement and unsustainable spending,' Byrd told The Herald in an email. 'Years of inadequate financial oversight and prioritizing short-term political gains over long-term stability have strained essential county systems, leaving funding accounts over spent and critical infrastructure as well as vital public services underfunded and vulnerable. Without immediate and decisive action, residents face increased taxes, diminished public safety, and deteriorating quality of life.' He cited specifics such as reducing demand for more office space through remote work and leasing buildings rather than buying them. 'I have consistently advocated for comprehensive financial reviews, transparent budgeting processes, and strategic investments that provide measurable returns. My recent budget analysis highlights specific instances where better leadership could significantly improve financial outcomes, reduce wasteful spending, and better protect taxpayer dollars,' Byrd told The Herald in an email. At his website, Byrd lists endorsements including Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Richie, Mayor Scott Korthuis, Charter Review Commission member Hannah Ordos, former Ferndale Mayor Jon Mutchler, former Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo, former Whatcom County Council member Kathy Kershner and County Council member Ben Elenbaas. In addition, he is endorsed by the Whatcom Republicans. Byrd raised $28,708 for his campaign through July 22, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. About half that total was from individual contributions. Nearly all of the $9,500 Byrd has raised during this election cycle is from individual donors. 'Good leadership isn't doing what ever it takes to get ahead, win, or benefiting yourself. It's about listening to others, doing what's right — even when when it's hard — being consistent, telling the truth, and more. I invite you to learn more about the rules of leadership. These are the rules I created for myself, so I could be the role model my children are one day proud to follow,' Byrd said at his website. Kyle Christensen Kyle Christensen is a former mayor of Sumas and flood recovery manager for Whatcom County. He is director of the Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group. He has been a Umatilla County (Ore.) sheriff's deputy, a volunteer firefighter in Tillamook, Umatilla and Sumas and a real estate agent. He has served on several government committees, including the Whatcom County Housing Advisory Committee. As mayor of Sumas, Christensen was a key figure in the floods of January 2020 and November 2021, helping residents know what was coming and how to prepare, and later organizing disaster response and directing recovery efforts. 'As the mayor of Sumas during the 2021 Nooksack food, I led Sumas and the surrounding communities through the greatest crisis in a century. Afterward, I managed Whatcom County's recovery process, built relationships, and secured resources to restore our county and address ongoing flooding. We must do everything we can to protect life and property from future flooding disasters,' Christensen told The Bellingham Herald in an email. According to his campaign website, Christensen is endorsed by the Whatcom Republicans, Sumas Mayor Bruce Bosch, Everson Mayor John Perry, Nooksack Mayor Kevin Hester, Lynden Mayor Scott Korthuis and Whatcom County Council member Mark Stremler. He raised $22,315 for his campaign through July 22, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. Almost all of that total was from individual contributions. 'We will champion investments in infrastructure, broadband, economic growth, and emergency services, ensuring no corner of our district is overlooked. I'll work to lower, not raise, your property taxes, because affordability matters. Together, we'll protect our water, support local logging, and collaborate with state and federal leaders to solve the Nooksack River's long-standing issues. It's time to stop reacting to disasters and start preparing for them — because our communities deserve nothing less,' Christensen told The Herald. Daniel Probst Daniel Probst of Acme is a trail ultrarunner and race director. He previously worked in metal fabrication. In an email to The Herald, Probst said the county's biggest challenge is affordable housing. 'I will work to identify where the roadblocks are and clean up outdated code and provide a clear path so we can get permits out the door more efficiently. I'll also focus on making sure we hire the best people to serve the public and that they have the tools and support they need to excel,' he said. He said he wants to make government more accessible and responsive. 'I want to uplift the people already doing the heavy lifting, our business owners, community and tribal leaders, volunteer organizations, and everyday residents working to make a difference. I plan to ask the hard questions, and ensure our government follows through. I will focus on solutions that make a measurable difference in people's lives today. We have to walk and chew gum at the same time and not make excuses. I believe we can do that,' Probst said. Probst raised $2,590 for his campaign through July 22, according to the Public Disclosure Commission. Almost all of that total was from individual contributions. He lists no endorsements at his campaign website. Election info All voting is by mail in Washington. Ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. Aug. 5 and must be postmarked — not simply mailed — by that time. Postage is free. Ballots can also be placed in one of 20 special drop boxes located around Whatcom County. In-person services are in Suite 103 of the Whatcom County Courthouse at 311 Grand Ave. Auditor's Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Election Day hours are 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those who didn't receive a ballot should contact the Auditor's Office at 360-778-5000 or elections@ U.S. citizens can register to vote, update their registration and get a replacement ballot online or at the office. Registration and voting aids are available. An accessible voting unit is equipped with visual and audio technology. Voters requiring assistance can vote on the accessible voting unit starting July 16. Voter registration and address changes online or by mail must be received at the Whatcom County Auditor's Office by July 28. Address changes and voter registration are available in the Auditor's Office until 8 p.m. Aug. 5. Solve the daily Crossword
