People have underestimated me my entire life, and for years, I never understood why. It used to really bother me. Then one day, while watching my favorite television show, I heard a quote attributed to Walt Whitman. It was stated plainly, and it made me sit right up: “Be curious, not judgmental.” I like that. So the next day, I was in my car driving to work, and all of a sudden, it hit me: many of the people who had belittled me, and some who still do, were never really curio

Amy Heutmaker, Resident and Russell Township Trustee Yesterday, I wrote about my call for a limited-scope transition audit following Fiscal Officer Karen Walder’s announced resignation. Since then, several residents have asked for more context about why I believe this review is necessary. The short version is this: my concerns about financial reconciliation, transfers, and transparency did not begin with the resignation. They were raised in writing nearly six weeks earlier. O

Resident Amy Heutmaker, Russell Township Trustee Published: May 10, 2026 Following public comments raised by resident Tonda Poppe and Fire Chief John Frazier at the May 7, 2026, Board of Trustees meeting, and subsequent questions from additional residents last weekend, I am asking the Board to consider authorizing an independent limited-scope transition audit or financial review in connection with Fiscal Officer Karen Walder’s announced departure, effective June 5, 2026. Why

Amy Heutmaker, Russell Township Trustee Published: May 1, 2026 My blog traffic is up. Not election-night up, not inauguration-week up, but noticeably up. And if I am being honest about why, it is because someone on Facebook has been posting some fairly colorful things about me. I will not name them, link to them, or give them more oxygen than they have already found on their own. What I will do is say this: if their posts brought you here, I am genuinely glad you came. Whatev