Review
Also in the week of August 29th. Until September 5th, 2021 many articles worth reading have been published, which we have put together for you. The selection is made automatically by the system based on the number of hits, so it is not influenced by the editorial team. So you won't miss a hot topic:1
Graphics cards: Analysis of price increases as well as current prices and purchase advice (special)
2From Dune to Company of Heroes: The evolution of real-time strategy games (Special)
3Bye bye Blizzard: Where did the legendary developers go? (Special)
4Too big, too hectic, too much RPG - Far Cry 6 preview reveals old weaknesses (Special, 1 Comment)
5Is that still Saints Row or should it? you hate it? (Column)
6King's Bounty 2: Test of the challenging tactical RPG (test)
7Call of Duty: That has to change in Vanguard, otherwise the series dies (column)
8Splinter Cell for PS5 and Co .: Finally develop this stupid game! (Column, 1 Comment)
9Review of Super Castlevania 4: An absolute classic! (Special)
10No More Heroes 3: Bizarre Hack-and-Slash Game in the Test (Test)
During the same period, of course, news appeared that were also in the community have been discussed (108 news with 25 comments). The most read news in the past week:
1
Daily Deals • Apacer Panther Gold 16 GB 56.98 € • AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 254 € • Rent Prime films for 0.99 € each • Crucial Ballistix 16 GB kit DDR4- 3600 € 77.77 • MediaMarkt (including Crucial MX500 2 TB 159 €) • 505 Games Promo at GP (including Control Ultimate Edition € 14.99) • Alternate (including ASUS VG248QG € 139.90) [Advertisement]
2Prototype 2 - Trailer shows the German version, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga: New trailer reveals the release period and much more. - The most popular videos of the day
3Review: These are the hottest topics of the 35th calendar week 2021 on Videogameszone (3 comments)
New county treasurer sworn into office
New County Treasurer Bryan A. Blakeman is sworn in by Seventh District Court of Appeals Judge Carol Robb in the county courthouse on Friday with his daughters Lexi (holding the Bible) and Lauren.
LISBON — The county’s money is officially in new hands. New County Treasurer Bryan Blakeman was sworn in on Friday in front of family and friends with plans to hit the ground running.
Blakeman, a Republican, defeated incumbent Democrat Linda Bolon in November 2020, but newly elected treasurers wait until the following September to take office. Since that time, Blakeman said he has taken nearly 30 hours of continuing education and working with mentors to learn intricacies of the job.
“I’m sure I don’t know everything day one,” Blakeman said, “but I’m excited to get my hands around it and look to improve it.”
While county residents were in the courthouse to pay their property taxes on Friday, Blakeman was sworn in by Seventh District Court of Appeals Judge Carol Ann Robb at noon in the County Commissioner’s meeting room. In att endance were his parents, Steve and Kathy Blakeman; his daughters, Lauren and Lexi Blakeman; his grandmothers, Palma Blakeman and Janet Horst; his girlfriend Betsy Theodore; and his brother, Brad Blakeman.
“To me, family is very important,” Blakeman said. “It’s an emotional day. I told my daughters there is a lot of weight and responsibility that comes with any public office… I’m going to give it 100 percent.”
Blakeman said there are a few things he hopes to accomplish right away, but does not plan to make any immediate changes in the office, instead hoping to learn from the employees currently responsible for the operations of the office.
“They know their jobs. They know them well,” Blakeman said, adding he believes after watching he will come up with things that can be improved, things they will find a way to implement.
He has been in contact with the fiduciaries responsible for the day-to-day management of the county’s investments and believes there is no reason COVID relief funds cannot be invested. He wants to increase the county’s investments by moving about $25 million he said the county has received in COVID relief funds into short term investments where the county can earn some interest. Currently, Blakeman said the county has between $65 and $70 million invested and this will greatly increase that amount.
The most recent COVID relief funds received by the county were about $9.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds, some of which the county commissioners have allocated for upcoming projects.
Additionally, Blakeman wants to upgrade the IT infrastructure of the office, giving employees the ability to work using laptops and with a secure VPN connection. Blakeman said he has also been in conversation with the commissioners about having a separate email system for the treasurer’s office, instead of going through the auditor’s office, which leads to confusion.
“I like things to be cleaner than that,” Blakeman said, explaining that emails from the treasurer’s office currently have the @columbianacntyauditor.org designation.
Additionally, Blakeman said after speaking with Bolon Friday he is under the impression the carpeting has not been replaced since Strabala was in office, referring to the former county treasurer Ardel Strabala who cost the county millions due to an investment scandal.
“My intention is to work with the commissioners to get the funds to bring the treasurer’s office into the 21st century,” Blakeman said.
Bolon was in the courthouse on Friday as well and has left Blakeman lots of information she compiled on the operations of the office and the investments. During her last report to the commissioners she gave them in July, Bolon reported the county has $104.7 million in the fund balances, spread out of 335 funds, including $7.9 million in the general fund.
Bolon was one of the office holders that helped the struggling county recover financially during more than 14 years in office spread out between two time periods.
County Auditor James Armeni said Bolon was one of the people who gave him advice and guidance when he took office in January. Despite being from different parties, Armeni said Bolon showed him things he needed to know for the operation of his office and he appreciated her devotion to public service.
“I enjoyed working with Linda in our brief time here together and I wish her well,” Armeni said. “She worked for the betterment of the county.”
djohnson@mojonews.com
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