It appears the Journal Gazette has picked up on our story, but does leave out the resignation of Trent Ruble.
Officer on leave over porn accusation - JG.net
HuntingtonLocal.com has confirmed the circumstances leading to the resignation of Huntington Police Officer Trent Ruble and the suspension of Detective Mel Hunnicutt. Both police officers were accused of what can best be described as inappropriate internet use, among other things. While Trent Ruble has resigned, Mel Hunnicutt has retained the police union attorney to fight any other disciplinary action, up to and including termination. The Huntington Board of Works has scheduled another executive session for July 20 to discuss the matter.
Assuming since Branham did release some information in response to the J-G's Indiana open records request, the earlier reasons for not telling the taxpaying public what the hell is going on at 300 Cherry Street are now "inoperative"-a la the late great Richard Nixon.
Posted by: jfk4 | 07/04/2009 at 10:02 AM
I was really confused as to why I found this story online on the Journal Gazette website, while nothing in our local website or newspaper had anything to say about it. Why do we have to learn about this from another city rather than our local news? The story in itself is disgusting, but reading about it from somewhere else is also disgusting! Yes, they don't have the whole story yet, but at least they attempt to communicate with us, which the Herald Press is sadly lacking in.
Posted by: Patty | 07/04/2009 at 11:50 AM
Patty,
To the HPs credit, the city hasn't been forthcoming with information about this. Evidently it's all in how you word your information request form, or how good your attorney is to make the city follow the laws in releasing the information. I think the lack of local coverage has more to do with the cover up locally than the HPs lack of investigation. If all of the 'rumors' are true, there is a lot more to this story that will be coming out in the near future. Right now though, it's unsubstantiated and therefor hard to publish as news. I know Gary's been investigating this, I've started to, and I also know that the HP is. Eventually all of the facts will come out on this (or at least enough facts that you won't want any more :-)...
Until then, call your local representatives and tell them to stop the cover up.
Seth
Posted by: Seth Anderson | 07/04/2009 at 10:15 PM
Seth, all we know of the H-P is what we read in the paper, so to speak. Based on what I see there, I doubt they would even know how to investigate this let alone actually be doing so. At least the original arrogant ### Paxton Media Group installed as editor had some newspaper experience of note. It is strictly amateur hour there now, without any institutional knowledge remaining of the territory they cover. It is a joke.
Posted by: jfk4 | 07/04/2009 at 11:53 PM
Thanks Seth!
I'm sure there is more to know about this than we need to know, and I'm sure the personal lives involved in this issue will be raked through the coals and perhaps ruined. I do hate to see that to happen to the innocent victims and families.
I guess my whole issue goes back to the state of the local newspaper and their coverage of all the issues. I was just frustrated to see something of this local nature coming out in the Fort Wayne newspaper while it seems ours is lacking in substance in many areas. Not to mention the spelling and grammatical errors. I'm not perfect, but I would expect those running the paper to be more careful in that area.
Just my rant for the day!
Posted by: Patty | 07/05/2009 at 01:11 AM
what's the big deal
porn is better than working anyway
Posted by: bill leazier | 07/05/2009 at 01:16 AM
One more H-P news cycle, granted its the dreaded "Sunday-Monday nothing happened because we were asleep" time frame-and NOTHING in the H-P. Couldn't even pick up the J-G story from Saturday. They're on it alright, Seth.
Posted by: jfk4 | 07/06/2009 at 01:17 PM
Well, there is a story at the top of page 1 in the July 7th Herald Press. While there is no real information we didn't already know it does name names and quotes a parsing by Branham that rivals Clinton's best. No H-P staffer lays claim to the story by name, possibly because I wrote better essays in seventh grade.
Posted by: jfk4 | 07/07/2009 at 04:47 AM