The case at hand was between a delivery driver Mahari Oukbu and Amazon. Oukbu sued Amazon and the property owner of the facility where the incident occurred, CF Mount Comfort.  

Oukbu was delivering a package to the Amazon facility when the signage for entrances confused him. He had to stop his car and get out on the highway to determine where to go. When Oukbu got out, he was injured by another vehicle. Seven weeks later, Harvail Dhillon, another delivery driver, got out of his car due to confusion and was struck and killed by a vehicle. 

Oukbu said he wanted Amazon to pay for damages and adjust, but Amazon argued that they are not responsible for damages that occur off their property.  

Alice Trueblood described Oukbu’s position. 

  “By placing those signs there, (Amazon) affirmatively assuming control of the behavior of the invitees who are attempting to enter their premises” Trueblood said. 

Amazon’s council said, “The concern is not so much how this affects Amazon, it’s how it affects property owners across the state, warehouse that have a condition that’s going to create a potential liability.”   

Justice Goff said this issue is not the liability as Amazon’s council is making it out to be.  

“Everybody’s worried about (liability), but it seems to me that the universe of people that this signage is directed to is really small and the conduct is really specific. Happens twice in a period of less than two months,” Goff said. 

No final decision was made during this hearing.  

“When we put tariffs on imported goods, the costs of these tariffs are embedded in the price of what we buy in very complicated ways,” Economist Alex Russell said. 

The new policy that President Trump is implementing is going to increase Chinese imports to 20%, 25% on most Canadian and Mexican goods, as well as a 25% global tariff on steel and aluminum products. 

Many local businesses are heavily affected by this including car dealerships and jewelry stores. 

“It’s all a little unsettling. Importers from China will have to decide how much of the added 10% they’ll have to pass on. If you import from Canada and Mexico, you probably won’t have a choice but to add the extra costs. It will definitely make jewelry more expensive.… It feels like a big mess,” Lillian Harsha, an employee at Kay Jewelers, said. 

With the new tariffs, there are major risks that the citizens are going to have to face which can result in a reduction of jobs, higher prices for electricity and a significant increase of purchasing cars. 

“It’s reasonable to expect that vehicle prices will rise, which presents an added challenge to an industry that is already grappling with ongoing affordability concerns,” Mark Mcknee, an employee at M&H Auto, said. 

These tariffs will have a negative impact on the everyday consumer, especially those who rely on imported goods. With an average income of 29,000 in the Grant County area, this will likely put a strain on household budgets. 

The proposed budget for the project is $160,000 and would come out of Marion’s general fund. 

“So, the city building was built in, I believe, 1980, and the majority of the furniture is still the same furniture we had from then,” Morrell said. “So we have a plethora of desks and chairs that are quite frankly falling apart over the years, and now it’s time to upgrade the city furniture.”

City Council President Nick McKinley also said that a lot of the city furniture is long overdue for an update. 

“A lot of this furniture, if it gets moved one more time, it’s going to fall apart,” McKinley said. 

Gary Fordyce, the vice president of City Council, said that he agrees that the furniture needs to be replaced, but that it is too expensive to replace everything this year. 

“I think we need to do it in stages in the next couple years, and that that would be a more adequate spending as far as I’m concerned,” Fordyce said. 

McKinley said during the meeting that he was concerned about the price of some of the items included in the plan. 

“I don’t know if the math was right, but it seemed like the average price of the conference room chairs was like $500,” McKinley said. 

Fordyce said that some of the city furniture had already been replaced by the previous administration. The budget for that replacement was less than half of what Morrell proposed.

“I’m not 100% sure on what needs to be replaced because I haven’t gone into every exact office and looked at every desk and every chair and everything but I think I need to see that,” Fordyce said. “You know, some departments need it worse than others and I think we should just prioritize it to a point and make sure, you know, the tax dollars are spent to the best, responsible way that we can spend them.”

Morrell said that if he moves forward with the plan, the bid will have to go through three readings with the City Council. 

“If all goes well it will be (approved) the first meeting in March,” Morrell said.

Photo of Jim McWhirt. Photo Credit: jimmcwhirt.com.

While the county council electoral results in Grant County were predetermined, the race among county commissioners in District II had two candidates of opposed parties competing for the seat. 

On the 2024 ballot, three county council at-large seats are available and three candidates are running. 

Jim McWhirt served as an at-large member on the county council from 2005-2018. McWhirt served as the council president for the final ten years of this stretch.

“I feel good about helping our local government be the best it can be and helping out in that area (finances),” McWhirt said. “No time like the present … I just want to be involved and just use my abilities and my experience to help county government run as good as it can.”

McWhirt said that his degree in accounting, experience in auditing and previously held local government positions will equip him to serve again as a councilperson. 

After serving for 12 years on the Eastbrook school board, Greg Brankle said he had an interest in county politics.

“I think I have quite a bit of knowledge on how the county is run,” Brankle said. “Although I don’t know everything, of course … owning a business and being a former member of a school board, I feel like the combination of those two gives me a little bit of insight on how the county works and I’m excited to take a part in that.”

Greg Kitts said he was motivated to run for an at-large member position due to a decision regarding building a new jail.

“It seemed like there’s some people jumping out there and wanting to build a $120 million or $150 million facility, but I really don’t believe our community can afford something that expensive,” Kitts said. “I think we have to have money in order to help these people who haven’t seen the light of day … and I think we’ve still got the|money for programs in order to help these folks.”

While the county council is responsible for fiscal matters, the county commissioners obtain legislative powers and oversee various county boards and departments.

County Commissioners

County Commissioners work as the executive body of the county. In each county, three commissioners are elected based on districts where they reside. 

Shane Middlesworth is a third-generation farmer with deep roots in Grant County. He has served on the Grant County Council, the county government’s fiscal body, for the past 12 years and is their current president. 

Middlesworth said he has no intentions of leaving Grant County and wants to see it improve in his term as County Commissioner. 

“I want to see Grant County, along with all its cities and towns, thrive and grow,” Middlesworth said. 

Middlesworth is running unopposed for the District I Commissioner seat, so his plans for Grant County will begin after he officially takes his place in office. 

“I will bring a focus on strengthening our local economy, increasing assessed valuations and ensuring fiscal responsibility,” Middlesworth said. “By supporting local businesses and prioritizing them for county projects and bids, we can keep money within our community and boost property values.”

As the only Democrat running for office in Grant County, Michael Spaulding wants to be a voice for those who feel unheard in local government. 

“I want to be that person who’s gonna listen regardless of what the topic is,” Spaulding said. “If someone has a concern, whether it’s a pothole or a major ordinance, I want to be the one person they got down there who they can talk to and treat them with respect.”

Spaulding said he felt unheard by the local politicians on issues concerning adding solar near citizen property and getting funding for emergency supplies for the volunteer fire department of which he is President, Treasurer and Deputy-Chief. 

When the primary passed and no democrats were on the ballot for commissioner, Spaulding took the opportunity to fill in the spot. 

At the end of Election Day, Spaulding lost to opponent Chuck Poling at 33.39% of the votes to Poling’s 66.61%. 

Spaulding’s opponent for the District II Commissioner seat, Chuck Poling Jr., declined to comment for this story.

This election season all five of Grant County’s local school boards had representatives up for re-election, and vacant spots that needed filled. 

Below are the election results for the Eastbrook, Madison-Grant, Marion, Mississinewa and Oak Hill school districts. 

Eastbrook

District Four Incumbent Patrick Pinktertin ran unopposed and was re-elected. 

Christopher Duckwall won the At-Large election by 57% in Eastbrook’s only contested school board race. 

“I believe I bring fresh ideas and new perspective to the school board,” said Duckwell. “Comfort and routine can sometimes bring complacency and my goal is to break us out of that cycle and push Eastbrook forward.”

Madison-Grant

Incumbent David Whybrew was re-elected for District One Grant. 

District Six Incumbent Amanda Kelich was also re-elected. 

“I want to bring not only top quality education, but job-ready skills and experiences to our students,” Kelich said.  

No candidate was filed for the District Five position. 

Marion

Sarafina Salamo was uncontested, and has been re-elected for District Three. 

Gabe Delgado won the At-Large District Four seat over Todd Nicholson with 66% of the vote. 

There is no candidate filed for District Two.

Mississinewa

Kyle Speakman was elected as the District One Representative. 

Two seats in Mississinewa’s District Four At-Large were up for re-election. These races were won by Chris Cunningham and Jarrett Richards, who earned 33% and 28% of the vote respectively. 

Cunningham has been on the Mississinewa School Board for 28 years, and said he ran for re-election in order to help out with an upcoming building project for the district. 

“We have to expand right now,” said Cunningham. “With open enrollment, we don’t have any more room.”

Oak Hill 

Aaron Pinkering was re-elected for District Three. 

For District Five, Adam Thompson, who was originally appointed to the position in 2022 after a board member resigned, has also been elected. 

 “I want our school system to be one of the best in the county, if not state” said Thompson. “I am obviously invested as my children attend school in Oak Hill, but I also want the same for all who follow them after they graduate.”

There was no candidate filed for District Two.

Nov 5, marks the day of the presidential election and the ballot loaded with new and familiar names as residents mark who they want to see in office.  

For Indiana residents this year’s presidential election has a public question on the ballot.  

This question proposes the removal the state superintendent of public instruction from the list of five other top state officials who would need to step into the governor’s role under extreme circumstances. The exact position, last held by Jennifer McCormick, no longer exists. 

The question reads, “Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to remove the state superintendent of public instruction from the list of officeholders who shall discharge the powers and duties of the governor if the office of the governor and lieutenant governor are both vacant?” 

Joe Lewis is a resident of Marion and gave his thoughts on the question.  

“I’m not in favor for changing the constitution for something like that it’s supposed to be the way, it was established that way, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Lewis said.  

If approved, the state superintendent of public instruction would be removed from the list of those who would take over the governor’s role if the lieutenant governor’s position was also empty.  

This change is a result of legislature approving to send the decision to voters, as well as updating outdated language in the constitution since the position no longer exists.  

The final step of ratifying the amendment is for it to be approved by the majority of Hoosiers in the general election. 

“I mean it relates as I understand to the succession of the governor in the case of a catastrophe so it’s an important question certainly is just like the line of succession for the White House,” Lewis said.  

Candidate Requirements

Before someone can run for President, they must fulfill some requirements first. 

All potential U.S. Presidential candidates must be at least 35 years old. The youngest person to ever be President was Theodore Roosevet who stepped into the Presidency after the assassination of William McKinley at only 42 years old. 

Candidates must also be natural-born citizens of the United States and have been a resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years. 

If candidates meet these three requirements, they then must raise $5,000 for their campaign and register with the Federal Election Commission. 

Timeline

The election process is much more than going to the polls on the first Tuesday in November and casting a vote. Rather the timeline can begin up to a year in advance. 

First the candidates must register for the campaign in the spring before election year. Then from the summer before election year to the spring of election year, candidates in each party hold debates and caucuses within themselves before a primary vote to determine the sole candidate representing each party. 

Then from July to September of election year, each party will hold a convention where they announce their candidates for President and Vice President. During these conventions, the chosen candidates will speak and several big names tend to give endorsements of those candidates. This year the Republican National Convention was held in Milwaukee in July and the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago in August.

After the candidates are chosen at the conventions, the months leading up to the election are filled with debates between the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates as well as several rallies in support of each party across the country. 

Eventually, Election Day occurs on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 

After the general election, the Electoral College cast their votes based on the percentage of votes for each candidate in their state. With 538 available votes, a candidate needs 270 to win the election. Most of the time, a projected winner is announced directly after the November vote, but the members of the Electoral College do not officially cast their votes until December. 

After the winner of the election is determined, the newly elected President of the United States is inaugurated into office on January 20 of the next year. 

Voting

While casting a vote is how American citizens participate in the democratic process, they must take a few steps before they can vote. 

First, in order to vote in the United States, the potential voter must be at least 18 years old on Election Day and a natural-born U.S. citizen. 

Each state has voter registration deadlines around a month before the election where any potential voters must first register themselves in the voter database for their state, county and city. 

Once registered, one has several options for voting. 

On Election Day, voters can go to one of several polling locations set up around the county. Different states and counties have different ID requirements for voting, so voters should be aware of their requirements before going to vote. 

Voters can register for either the Republican or Democrat party and vote in that party’s primary or caucus, but no party declaration is necessary for the general election in November.

Election Day is the first Tuesday in November and always in-person, but other options are available for people unable to vote in-person on Election Day.  

Other Voting Options

Absentee/mail-in voting works for college students or those in the military to vote despite living out of state/country. Absentee ballots must be requested ahead of time by the voter and sent back the ballot before the state’s deadline for non in-person voting. 

Some states have specific deadlines while others need the ballot back by the date of the election. 

Most states also offer early voting as an option for those unable to vote on Election Day. Some people live too far away from their hometowns (like college students) or have to work all day long on Election Day and need another option for voting. 

Some states require an absentee ballot for early voting, but that’s not very common. 

Absentee and early voting have spiked in popularity over the past few decades, especially since the COVID pandemic in 2020. 

Other Elections

While the Presidential Election is held every four years, local and state officials have other term limits and election cycles.
Voters should know when/if their state’s election cycle is different from the national level. For example, Indiana votes for governor in the same year as President, but in Michigan, the governor election is two years off from the President. 

The governor’s term is four years, senators terms are six years and representatives to Congress’s terms are two years. 

Elections are not just an every four years event, but happen almost every year depending on the state. 

Knowing the timeline, being registered to vote, having different voting options and being aware of all the local and state elections should make for a successful voting experience. 

Mayor Morrell announced an initiative called “traveling town hall,” where he and other department heads will speak and answer questions at different venues.

“What I wanted to do was give the citizens a unique opportunity to have a voice,” Mayor Morrell said.

Mayor Morrell said he wants transparency to inform the citizens and let them be aware of what is happening in their community. He also said he hopes this will allow residents to come with ideas they may have.

“I want the citizens to come up with ideas and see them actually get accomplished,” Mayor Morrell said. “You have a leader that actually cares about what they have to say.”

Marion has six districts that the mayor and his team will be visiting. The sessions are planned to last about two hours.

“It will be an opening speech by me, then from there, we will go right into the Q&A,” Mayor Morrell said. “This is really going to be an event controlled by the citizens.”

All the department heads will attend the meetings with the mayor.

“I will answer as much as I can, but I want to give my department heads who have expertise in their areas time to answer,” Mayor Morrell said.

Police Chief David Gilbert expressed excitement about the opportunities.

“Over the years, the public has lost some trust in the police departments,” Gilbert said. “We hope to change that narrative showing the police force is trustworthy and cares about the community.”

One of the goals for the meetings is giving back to the community.

“I plan to listen more and talk less,” Gilbert said. “The citizens pay taxes and we want to give them a return on investment.”

The traveling town hall initiative will start this summer with specific dates and venues to come. Social media blasts, newspapers, and radio spots will promote the events to get as many citizens aware and involved.

“We are making an effort to get our citizens informed and involved. And give transparency into
the administration and this is one of the ways we are going about that.” Mayor Morrell said.