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Monday, February 8, 2010
(NORTH WEBSTER) - What is being called a significant winter storm is bearing down on the region and if the forecasts are accurate, the storm could shut things down for a day or two. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for much of northern Indiana and southern lower Michigan from midnight Monday night through 7:00pm on Wednesday evening. The storm is expected to produce heavy snow and blowing snow. Forecasters say the snow is likely to become heavy on Tuesday and Tuesday night with blowing and drifting snow developing as the winds increase. Near blizzard conditions are expected with occasional whiteouts. Winds are expected to gust to as high as 35 miles an hour from late Tuesday night into Wednesday. The total snowfall by late Wednesday is expected to be between eight and 12 inches. Locally higher amounts downwind from Lake Michigan are possible. There could be significant high snow drifts from the storm. Difficult travel conditions are in the forecast as some rural roads could become impassable.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
(MIAMI) - Unlike three years ago, there will be no state wide tour of the Super Bowl trophy throughout Indiana. The Indianapolis Colts lost Super Bowl 44 to the underdog New Orleans Saints 31-17 last night in Miami. The Colts jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter but the Saints closed to within 10-6 at halftime. The game seemed to turn on the second half kickoff when the Saints recovered an onside kick. After the lead exchanged hands twice, New Orleans took the lead for good with 5:42 to play on a two yard touchdown pass from game MVP Drew Brees to Jeremy Shockey. The Saints sealed the deal when former I.U. player Tracy Porter returned a Peyton Manning interception 74 yards for a touchdown. Many Colts fans were disappointed but they had sympathy for New Orleans because the city endured Hurricane Katrina. Some fans in Indiana were cheering for Brees who played his college ball at Purdue. The sentiment was split near the West Lafayette campus in the days leading up to the game. Brees passed for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
(DEKALB COUNTY) - Two Kendallville teens were injured late Saturday afternoon in a rollover accident. DeKalb County Police say a car driven by 18-year-old Alec Traxler went off of County Road 13 near County Road 16 at about 5:45pm. The car then went out of control and hit a fence post broadside which caused it to roll and vault over a ditch. The car then came to rest on its top in a field. Traxler complained of pain to the chest while a passenger, 15-year-old Abigail Ramey, complained of pain to the head and arm.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
(BRUSHY PRAIRIE) - The Prairie Heights and Westview Varsity Boys Basketball teams maybe rivals on the court but they will be on the same team in the fight against cancer this Thursday night. Thursday's game at Prairie Heights High School will be a Coaches vs. Cancer event. There will be a silent auction, Hula Hoop Contest, 3-point shots for $1.00, and half-court shots for $3.00 along with a bake sale sponsored by the Prairie Heights Cheerleaders. T-shirts are available at both Prairie Heights and Westview High Schools. All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. For more information, call 665-3098.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Officials at Trine University have announced the election of three new members to its board of trustees. Named as trustees during the boards annual meeting last month were Metal Technologies Incorporated Chief Executive Rick L. James, State Senator Dennis Kruse and Jack Shaw who is the retired president and chief executive for Hughes Electronics Corporation. James graduated from Tri-State University in 1977. Kruse has served the Indiana State Senate since 2004 and served in the Indiana House for 15 years before that. Shaw joined Hughes in 1987. He became the company C.E.O. and President in 2001.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
(HILLSDALE COUNTY) - A woman from Camden, Michigan lost her life following a Friday night accident in Hillsdale County's Amboy Township. Michigan State Police at Jonesville report 74-year-old Carol Keesecker lost control of her vehicle on snow-covered West Territorial Road at about 9:25pm. Her vehicle then went off the road and struck a utility pole. Keesecker was taken to Community Hospital of Williams County in Bryan where she was pronounced dead. Troopers were assisted by the Hillsdale County Sheriff's Department, the Woodbridge Township Fire Department and the Reading Emergency Unit.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - The state of Indiana is telling LaGrange County it must cut more than half-a-million dollars from this year's county budget. Council member Kay Myers told the council that the Department of Local Government Finance ordered the cuts from the county highway and cumulative capital development budgets. The cume cap fund budget was slashed nearly in half with a cut $379,448 ordered by the D-L-G-F. The highway department budget took a hit of $167,492. About half of the jail lease payment comes out of cume cap and half from economic development income taxes. Council members discussed the possibility of shifting more of the jail payment to EDIT because of the cut to cume cap. But Councilman Jac Price said most of the EDIT revenue is already budgeted for the County Road 250 North construction project and the Economic Development Corporation. Another $80,000 from EDIT was going to subsidize sewer and water rates at Fawn River Crossing. Council President Charlie Ashcraft suggested paying for 250 North out of Major Moves funds but Councilman Mike Strawser didn't care for that idea. Council agreed to send a request to the County Commissioners asking them how they would propose making the needed cuts.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
(ANGOLA) - An Angola woman who teaches in the Camden-Frontier school district was arrested on Friday by the Indiana State Police on a Class B felony for sexual misconduct with a minor. The State Police said in a news release that 37-year-old Dawn Marie Schwartzengraber was arrested by its Criminal Investigation Division. Schwartzengraber is free after posting bond. State Police say Detective Harry Nix investigated allegations that Schwartzengraber had inappropriate conduct with a now 17-year-old male student of the school over the last two years at her home and on roadways in btoh Michigan and Indiana. Michigan State Police assisted during the investigation.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
(CONSTANTINE) – Seven children were injured while driving to school in Constantine Monday morning. Michigan State Police from the White Pigeon Post says the vehicle driven by 17 year old Paige Hicks of White Pigeon was driving west on Stears Road when it hit a small snow drift in the road. The vehicle spun out of control, going off the road and hitting a tree. In addition to Hicks there were five female passengers and one male, ranging in age from seven to 17 years old. Three of the injured children were flown to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo by Aircare and Samaritan helicopters. They are listed in serious condition. Hicks was initially taken to Three Rivers Hospital and later flown to Bronson Hospital. The other three are at Three Rivers Hospital with non life threatening injuries. Troopers were assisted by Constantine Fire and Rescue, Three Rivers Fire and Rescue, and White Pigeon Fire. The crash is still under investigation.
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Saturday, February 6, 2010
(RICHLAND TOWNSHIP) - Nearly a dozen people had to escape from a burning Richland Township home near the Michigan-Ohio state line late on Friday night. Firefighters from eight departments in Steuben and Williams County had to battle the flames on 525 South near 900 East. The fire was reported just before 11:00pm. It was not called under control until just after 1:20am on Saturday morning but not before the home was determined to be a total loss. Crews were on the scene for about four hours. Hamilton Fire Chief Rodney Snyder says 11 people had to get out of the house including a teenager who had to jump off a roof to escape the flames. There were no injuries reported among the home occupants and firefighters. Hamilton firefighters were the first ones called to the scene. They got mutual aide from Florence Township, Metz, Montpelier, Northwest Township, Angola, Salem Center and Pleasant Lake. Drifting snow complicated matters for firefighters. The Steuben and Williams County Highway Departments had to be called in to plow roads so that tankers could haul water to the fire scene from Edon, Ohio. Snyder says the cause of the fire is undetermined but it not considered suspicious. He says it may have started in a laundry room. The dollar amount on the damage has not been determined.
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Saturday, February 6, 2010
(KALAMAZOO) – It’s now up to a jury to decide the fate of a Centreville couple charged in the death of their daughter. Both the prosecution and the defense presented their closing arguments Friday in the trail of Anthony and Marsha Springer. The couple are charged with murder, child abuse and torture in the February 2008 death of their 16 year old daughter Calista. St. Joseph County Prosecutor John McDonough showed the jurors the chain that was wrapped around Calista’s waste when fire fighters removed her body from the family home. The defense has claimed that the chains were used by the Springer’s as a last resort and as a form of protection. The jury is scheduled to resume deliberations on Tuesday.
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Saturday, February 6, 2010
(MONGO) - A short foot pursuit in the Pigeon River Fish And Wildlife Area resulted in the arrest of an Orland man on methamphetamine charges Friday morning. While patrolling the area LaGrange County Sheriff's Detective Tad Oakley spotted a Jeep Cherokee backed into the brush at a parking area. Oakley then saw 29-year-old Landi Hammond come out of the brush to the passenger side of the vehicle. While talking to Hammond, Oakley smelled chemicals associated with the manufacture of meth and spotted items in the vehicle commonly used in the process. Hammond allegedly struggled with Oakley as the officer attempted to handcuff him and ran into the thick brush. Oakley was able to tackle him and take him into custody. Preliminary charges include manufacturing and dealing meth, maintaining a common nuisance, possession of precursors, and resisting law enforcement. The Jeep was towed to the LaGrange County Jail and processed by the State Police Clandestine Lab Team. Assisting the investigation were Indiana Conservation Officers, state police, and sheriff's deputies.
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Saturday, February 6, 2010
(KENDALLVILLE) - Kendallville residents will be forced to do without free city wide cleanups, brush pickup, mosquito spraying and the transfer site. City officials chose to cut those services and more but not fulltime employees in response to the state's order to trim $1.18 million from this year's city budget. Mayor Suzanne Handshoe said the whole community will feel the effects of the cuts. The city will undertake no major street projects and the street light repair fund was cut. Police and fire departments will not be filling positions. While no full-time employees were cut, one part-time position was eliminated and two full-time vacancies won't be filled. The city will also offer early retirement to three employees who would not be replaced if they retire.
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Saturday, February 6, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Two men and two women were arrested Thursday afternoon during a marijuana bust at a residence in the 400 block of South Superior Street in Angola. 32-year-old Shannon William Green and 30-year-old Paul Michael Kage, Junior were both arrested on Class D felony charges of possession of marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance as well as misdemeanor charges of possession of paraphernalia. Green is free after posting 10 percent of a $7,500 bond. Kage appeared for his initial hearing on Friday where not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf. The two other people arrested, 19-year-old Nicole Paige Schnetzler and 20-year-old Amanda Victoria Treadway, were both booked on Class B misdemeanors for visiting a common nuisance. Schnetzler was being held on a probation violation while Treadway is free on bond.
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Friday, February 5, 2010
(AUBURN) - Auburn Police say they arrested a man on Wednesday afternoon on six charges following a reported armed robbery in the 100 block of North Main. Auburn Police Chief Martin McCoy stated in a press release that the robbery took place outside of a business. He says the victim told police that a man followed him out of the business, approached him as he got into his vehicle and stated that he had a firearm. Cash was demanded but when the victim said he had none, a debit card was stolen and the suspect fled the scene. Following a search and investigation, Detective Phil Snover went to a residence in the 300 block of West 4th Street because he thought that was where the suspect could be headed. Police then took 46-year-old Nicholas F. Reith into custody. Police say the stolen debit card was found in the snow near Reith's residence. Reith was charged with robbery, receiving stolen property and two counts of theft. He is also facing misdemeanor charges for possession of marijunana and paraphernalia. Assisting Auburn Police during the investigation were members of the DeKalb County Probation Department.
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Friday, February 5, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The next step in the development of a master plan for the Steuben County Park will take place on Tuesday night. The Steuben County Commissioners along with with The Troyer Group will host a meeting that will allow members of the public to discuss future improvements at the park. The meeting will take place in the multi purpose room of the Steuben County Community Center. A brief presentation will take place at 6:00pm to introduce the master plan process. Small groups will then be organized to develope ideas. The Troyer Group is expected to finish their work on the project by late April.
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Friday, February 5, 2010
(INDIANAPOLIS) - (AP) - A new revenue forecast, but same results according to Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. The new figures show Indiana tax collections fell $75 million short of expectations in January. Daniels said corporate and individual income taxes continue to flounder. Daniels says the figures underscore the need for the General Assembly to pass several bills that he says would save the state about $70 million. Daniels says combining the two state pension funds would save money by reducing investment fees without changing the benefits or funding for the separate funds. That bill and other legislation Daniels says would save cash have cleared the Republican-led Senate and now move to the Democrat-led House for consideration.
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Friday, February 5, 2010
(ANGOLA) - An Angola man is expected to face federal charges after he was accused of transporting a teen across state lines in order to have sex with her. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports 40-year-old Foster Kenneth Creager is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate on Monday in the southern district of New York State. Creager was arrested last September 11th at his Silver Lake residence on a fugitive warrant for allegedly kidnapping a 15-year-old girl he met on the internet. He was charged at that time with second degree kidnapping. Indiana State Police Detective Kevin Smith said last September that Creager drove to Poughkeepsie, New York to meet the girl. Smith says cell phone and computer records helped police in their search for Creager.
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Friday, February 5, 2010
(ASHLEY) - DeKalb County Police say a K-9 unit helped find a juvenile runaway on Thursday night. The girl was reported missing from a residence south of Ashley just after 7:30pm. She was last seen only wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans. She went out in near freezing temperatures without shoes, a coat or a hat. K-9 handler Deputy Aaron Long and his partner Gage were called in to help track the youngster about 45 minutes later after other efforts to find her were unsuccessfull. The scent was followed to a nearby barn where the girl was located safe and sound. The Sheriffs Department says this was Long and Gage's first successfull track as a team in which they found the individual they were looking for. After completing a 14 week training course, the officer and his K-9 partner have been together for almost a year. The DeKalb County Sheriffs Department says it K-9 program is funded thanks to donations from citizens and local business owners.
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Friday, February 5, 2010
(KALAMAZOO) – The father of a dead Centreville girl took the stand in his own defense on Thursday. Anthony Springer and his wife Marsha are charged with murder, torture and child abuse in the death of their 16 year old daughter Calista in February 2008. Anthony Springer spoke about the difficulties he had in raising Calista. He told the court that his daughter from an early age would act out and even eat lead paint. Springer testified he never tried to hide the fact that he was restraining Calista and that no one from the Department of Human Services told him to stop. The trial is scheduled to resume at noon on Friday.
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Friday, February 5, 2010
(BRONSON) – Phase One of the Bronson Library remodeling project is finished. The Bronson Friends Of The Library says the building finally has barrier free access. City Manager and Friends Of The Library Treasurer David O’Rourke says the new entrance is more conveniently located adjacent to the parking lot and that many patrons who previously had problems getting up the steps to the library are taking advantage of the entrance and the new elevator. Also on display are two historically significant lights. Students at the Branch Area Career Center re-wired and prepared the lights for installation.
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Friday, February 5, 2010
(AUBURN) - Auburn Police say two of their officers had to pull a young woman off the edge of the 9th Street Bridge overlooking Cedar Creek late Wednesday night. Chief Martin McCoy says the 18-year-old had reportedly made suicidal threats. Shortly after receiving the dispatch, Officers Derek Taylor and George Gensic were able to secure the woman and pull her back over the guardrail onto the sidewalk. She was later evaluated to determine if she was a threat to herself or anyone else.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
(ANGOLA) - After a nearly one hour discussion, the Steuben County Plan Commission voted 5-2 with one abstention on Wednesday night to make no recommendation to County Commissioners about a request to vacate a public way on Lone Tree Point at Lake James. Laura and Richard Clifton petitioned to vacate a four foot wide walkway that is located between a pair of lots so that two houses could be turned into one. But Attorney Craig Benson, representating a nearby property owner, raised several objections. He felt the vacation would give the Cliftons 104 feet of lake frontage. After the vote, Plan Commissioner member Jim Crowl, who is also a County Commissioner, told the two sides to work things out before they came before the Commissioners. In other business, a new fee schedule for administrative land divisions and wind conversion systems was approved. Plan Director Zach Michels also went over proposed changes to a code for ethics and behavior for Plan Commission members. They included areas in which conflict of interest situations may come up. There is also a tentative plan to limit meetings to no more than eight agenda items. A vote is expected to be taken during next months meeting.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
(HUDSON) - Officials in the town of Hudson have been informed by Congressman Mark Souder’s office that the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded a federal grant which will be used to buy new equipment. Town Manager Ward Odom says the department has gotten an Assistance to Firefighters grant from FEMA that will total over $40,000. The Federal share will be over $38,000 with a local match of about $2,000. Half of the that money will come through department fund raising. The other half is part of the town budget. Odom says the grant will allow the town to buy such items as helmets, turn-out gear and self contained breathing apparatus.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Some local high school students will be trying to make a point about the dangers of smoking during a couple of big high school basketball games in Steuben County this weekend. Members of VOICE will be holding what are being called "Drop Dead" events at halftime of the Angola-Fremont games. Debby Pontecorvo from VOICE says the students want to make a strong statement against big tobacco interests. Nearly 30 students will be involved in the "Drop Dead" events which will take place during the Friday night girls basketball game in Fremont and during the Saturday night boys game in Angola. VOICE is made up of students from around Steuben County. For more information about the group, log onto Drug Free Steuben's web site which is drugfreesteuben.org.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
(KENDALLVILLE) - City officials in Kendallville are scrambling to make a $1 million cut in this year's city budget. The Indiana Department of Local Government finance ordered the budget reduction on Tuesday. Mayor Suzanne Handshoe met with city employees yesterday to break the news. The mayor and city council finance committee plan to meet with department heads today to discuss their options and expect to announce the cuts on Friday.
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Thursday, February 4, 2010
(HOWE) - The new water and sewer utilities at Fawn River Crossing are a step closer to going on line. The water distribution and sewage collection systems have been substantially complete for awhile. But Don Skinner of the LaGrange County Regional Utility District says testing of the water distribution system is now being conducted. The wells, aerators, and service pumps are now chlorinated and on-line. Skinner says the water tower has also been filled and chlorinated. The contractor for the project, Selge Construction, plans to start filling the distribution lines Monday. Sewer collection lines could also be turned on by Monday. Once an agreement between the county commissioners and the utility district is finished, Skinner says the district hopes to hold meetings sometime in March with customers and contractors to discuss connections.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A third member of the Steuben County Council whose term expires this year has filed for re-election. District Three incumbent John Hughes joins fellow Council Members Sara Tubergen from District Two and John Ingledue from District Four on the May Republican Primary ballot. Hughes is facing a challenge in May from Bill Bryan and Keith Chrysler. So far, Tubergen and Ingledue are running unopposed in the primary election. Another incumbent, First District Council Member Paul Sparks, has decided not to run for another term. Steuben County Commissioner Mayo Sanders is only candidate who has filed to run for the First District seat so far.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(ANGOLA) - An Angola woman has been charged by prosecutors with a Class B felony of Dealing in Methamphetamine following an investigation that started last May. 35-year-old Verlena Boyd-Patrick was booked at the Steuben County Jail on Tuesday after a warrant for her arrest was issued last October. According to Steuben County court documents, a person who lived near Boyd-Patrick told police when they were called to the scene of an unrelated domestic dispute last May 22nd that she found some bags near a shed on her property. Police said the bags had a strong chemical odor which is commonly associated with the manufacture of meth. Boyd-Patrick is also facing two misdemeanor charges of purchasing more then three grams of precursors in a week. Not guilty pleas was entered by Magistrate Randy Coffey on behalf of Boyd-Patrick during her initial hearing and bond was set at $50,000. The case will go through Superior Court where a pre-trial conference was set for March 15th and a jury trial was scheduled for April 22nd. A co-defendant in the case, 41-year-old Anthony Cipolloni of Angola, is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday after he pled guilty on January 11th to a Class D felony for possession of meth.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Kindergarten registration in the M.S.D. of Steuben County has been scheduled for February 24th and 25th. Elementary schools in the district will be hosting registrations from 8:00am until 7:00pm on the 24th and from 8:00am until 3:00pm on the 25th. Parents of children eligible for kindergarten during the 2010-2011 school year will have an opportunity to request either half day or full day sessions. They will need to bring thier child's social security card, official birth certificate, proof of residence and immunization record to the registration. A child has to be five years old on August 1st of this year to qualify for 2010-2011 kindergarten classes. Children do not need to attend the registrations. If you have any questions or need further information, call any of the districts elementary offices.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(AUBURN) - DeKalb County Police say a Butler man has been arrested on a warrant for two Class C felony counts of child molesting. According to a brief statement released by the DeKalb County Sheriffs Department, 23-year-old Douglas Badman was arrested at his home and is being held without bond pending an initial hearing. The Sheriffs Department says the arrest took place after Badman was interviewed January 12th by DeKalb County Detective Don Lauer. Police say the alledged victim in the case is a three year old boy.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A meeting that will feature a presentation on a possible future fire territory in Steuben County has been scheduled for next Monday afternoon. The meeting is scheduled to start at 4:30pm in the Dale Hughes Auditorium in the Steuben County Community Center. It comes after what was called a brainstorming session was held on January 28th. While there has been initial talk about a fire territory involving the city of Angola and four nearby townships, Scott Township Trustee Susan Sonner during that meeting talked about the possibility of a Steuben County fire territory being formed in the future especially with the possibility that township governments maybe done away with by voters in November. Steuben County and Angola city officials along with township representatives are expected to be on hand for Mondays meeting. If a fire territory involving the city of Angola is to be formed, it must be done by March 31st so it can be included in the city's 2011 budget.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Trine University’s Office of Student Life and Bon Appetit will be co-sponsoring a Locks of Love event next Monday in the University Center's Whitney Commons Cafe. The event starts at 10:00am. Participants will donate hair to the Locks of Love organization. In turn, Locks of Love will provide hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who suffer hair loss from any medical diagnosis. Those who wish to donate can contribute 10-inch lengths of clean, dry hair bundled into a ponytail or braid. Hair containing permanents or dye can be used but no bleached hair can be contributed. Finishing Touch Salon will be cuttting the hair. Bon Appetit will collect donations of money, hair bows, barrettes, ponytail holders and other items. For more information, contact Deby Pranger with Bon Appetit at 665-4278.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(UNDATED) - It's like a bad re-run. Just like on numerous other occasions this winter, not a lot of precipitation fell Wednesday morning in Steuben County but it was just enough to slicken up the roads and cause numerous accidents. Nearly a dozen crashes were reported to Steuben County 9-1-1 Dispatch as light freezing rain led to spots of icy driving conditions. Crashes reported included one on southbound I-69 just south of the Pokagon Exit. Another was on State Road One near Clarks Landing. No serious injuries were reported.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(BUTLER) - Butler Police say five people were arrested during a Monday night drug bust in the 400 block of East Oak Street. 48-year-old Ben Owsley and 21-year-old Tyson Owsley were taken into custody on the most serious charges. Both were arrested on Class B felonies for possession of meth within 1,000 feet of a park or school. 47-year-old Daphne Webb was arrested on a Class D felony of maintaining a common nuisance. The other two people were arrested on misdemeanor charges. A juvenile was also arrested and later released to the custody of parents. Another juvenile was taken into custody for placement by DeKalb County Child Services. Indiana State Police and DeKalb County Police assisted Butler Police.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
(ANGOLA) - There were not enough members of the Steuben County Board of Aviation present Tuesday night for a quorum but those who attended were given an update by engineer Mike Evans about what is going to take place over the next several months concerning a couple of projects at the airport. One is a report the F.A.A. is requesting about wildlife in the area of the airport as the result of a new layout. Evans hopes that report, which he says would cost between $20,000 and $25,000, can be done in six months. As for work on the airports taxiway, Evans and Board Attorney Craig Benson felt it would be a good idea to wait until after this July's hot air balloon event for that to take place. Due to a lack of a quorum, last nights meeting will be rescheduled for next Tuesday night.
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Even though the local economy has struggled in the last couple of years, Angola Mayor Dick Hickman has a positive outlook about the citys future. He said in his state of the city report at Monday nights Angola City Council meeting that Angola will be one of the communities that will come back from the recession stronger and more vibrant than ever. He pointed out that city officials and a large percentage of people feel to come out of the recession, they must work harder and smarter than other communities. Hickman also said the city has been able to stay in good financial shape with cash and investments totaling $13.3 million. During last nights meeting, the City Council passed an ordinance on first reading that authorizes the issurance of tax exempt revenue bonds not to exceed $16.5 million which will allow Trine University to finance its Golf Course Apartment project. The Council also approved three additional appropriation requests. One was for $11,500 to the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation which will help fund a countywide economic development study. Another was for $5,000 for the Angola Police Department's K-9 program and another $28,000 was approved for the Police Department's Safe Routes to School program. The 2010 maximum levy tax rate of $0.9258 was also approved. Clerk-Treasurer Deb Twitchell pointed out it was a 3.4 percent increase from the 2009 tax rate.
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010
(DEKALB COUNTY) - A Corunna woman suffered a broken arm Tuesday morning in a two vehicle head on crash on State Road 327 north of DeKalb County Road 36. DeKalb County Police say a car driven by 28-year-old Abel Sanchez of Bridgeport, Washington went out of control on the snow-covered road and crashed into a vehicle coming from the opposite direction that was driven by 49-year-old Jacqueline Parks. She was pinned in the vehicle and had to be extricated by rescue crews. Parks was taken to DeKalb Memorial Hospital for treatment. Police say Sanchez was cited for driving left of center, no operators license when required, speed to fast for weather conditions and operating without proof of financial responsibility.
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010
(MERRILLVILLE) - (AP) - Officials for Northern Indiana Public Service Company says it plans to ask state utility regulators to adjust its rates
for natural gas for the first time in more than 20 years. NIPSCO is not saying whether the rate adjustment it plans to seek in March will increase or decrease its customers bills. NIPSCO has not filed a base rate case for natural gas since 1987. Robert Skaggs Jr., C.E.O. of NIPSCO parent company NiSource, says natural gas subsidiaries in Massachusetts and Kentucky won
increases this past year, and a Pennsylvania subsidiary last week filed a rate case there that would hike residential customers' gas bills 6.9 percent. NIPSCO has 712,000 natural gas customers in northern Indiana.
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Tuesday, February 2, 2010
LAGRANGE - LaGrange County Commissioners approved the rezoning of 5 acres near Howe on Monday. The rezoning of land owned by Lima Elevator to I-1 Industial is to facilitate an expansion of the business. It was approved by the Plan Commission last month. In other business, the commissioners agreed to advance three months payments to the LaGrange County Council on Aging. C-O-A Executive Director Bill Cunningham said the advance was needed to ease cash flow while the agency waits for reimbursement from the state. Cunningham also reported that a change in requirements by the Veteran's Administration will prevent the C-O-A from providing housekeeping services to five local veterans. Commissioners approved a remodeling of the sugar shack at Maplewood Nature Center to accommodate product sales. Parks Director Mike Metz said the South Milford Lions Club is paying for the $5,300 project. On another matter, the commissioners authorized E-M-S Director Bruce Coney to advertise for bids for a new ambulance chassis. Coney planned to do the remount later in the year, but said he fears that new emission standards could make the existing chassis that is required very scarce by then.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Steuben County Commissioners gave tentative approval to a $26,000 funding request on Monday afternoon from the county's Economic Development Corporation to help fund an updated strategic plan. Speaking on behalf of the E.D.C., Fremont Town Superintendent Chris Snyder said they want to put together a plan that would help create jobs. The firm of Thomas P. Miller and Associates of Indianapolis will be working on the strategic plan. The total price tag for work on the plan is $52,500. Snyder said funding from the various government entitles in Steuben County would be the same as to when the E.D.C. was formed in 2004. Gary Nielander from the E.D.C. said their board felt the plan should be done by a professional firm. Snyder said it would take three to four months for the plan to be put together. The Commissioners will make a request to the Steuben County Council to appropriate the money out of Major Moves funding in March. Meanwhile, Steuben County Commissioners matched their counterparts in DeKalb County on Monday in pledging $100,000 towards road and drainage improvements so that a possible manufacturing facility can be built in Ashley. The money would come from a $200,000 commintment each county made several years ago to a proposed distribution center. Nielander said it would be a $30 million state of the art facility that would result in between 50 and 60 new jobs which would pay about $15 a hour. Randy McEntarfer from the town of Ashley said the facility would be located about 2,000 feet south of the county line but it would benefit all of Steuben County. Nielander said the distribution center they have been working on for the last couple of years is still a possibility for the nearby Klink property.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(PLEASANT LAKE) - Melissa Beer is the Steuben County Spelling Bee champion for 2010. The 6th grader from Fremont Middle School correctly spelled "patience" in the 21st round to win Monday's Steuben County Journal Gazette Spelling Bee that was hosted once again by Pleasant Lake Elementary School. Melissa's parents are Todd and Kris Beer. She will now advance to the regional spelling bee which will be held next month in Fort Wayne. Brennan Badman of Hamilton Elementary was the runner-up. Also competing in the Steuben County Spelling Bee were Phillip McCutchen of Angola Middle School, Georgia Hewitt of Carlin Park Elementary, Trayson Lucas of Hamilton Junior High, Faiza Ahmed of Hendry Park Elementary, Destin Kuhn of Pleasant Lake Elementary and Matthew Wheeler of Ryan Park Elementary.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - An Auburn man was formally charged on Monday in connection with a burglary which took place last weekend at Aggregate Industries in Angola. 32-year-old Sheldon John Nickols is also facing two drug charges after he was arrested Saturday night when police say an ammonia odor was detected coming from a room at the University Inn on West Maumee. Steuben County Prosecutors filed Class D felonies of illegal possession of precursors and maintaining a common nuisance. According to Steuben County court documents, items taken in the Aggregate burglary were found by police in his room. Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of Nickols during his initial hearing in front of Magistrate Randy Coffey. Bond was set at $30,000 and his case will go through Superior Court where a jury trial was scheduled for April 22nd.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A Steuben Superior Court trial date of March 18th was confirmed on Monday for an Angola woman charged with murdering her husband with an ax. 44-year-old Norma Jean Mote appeared Monday for a pre-trial conference where the trial date was confirmed. Judge William Fee scheduled a final pre-trial conference for March 1st. Mote has pled not guilty to the murder charge in connection with the December 18th death of her 56-year-old husband Kevin whose body was found in an upstairs bedroom of the couples home on West Fox Lake Road. She is being held in the Steuben County Jail without bond.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A man from Howard City, Michigan was given a five year sentence on Monday in Steuben Superior Court after he entered a guilty plea on December 28th to a Class C felony of Forgery. 26-year-old Anthony Scott Hood was given credit for serving 204 days in the Steuben County Jail and 174 days for good time credit. He was also ordered to pay restitution. Hood was arrested last July after he had been wanted on a Steuben County warrant since January of 2007 when he allegedly failing to appear for a hearing on a check deception charge. That charge was filed after Hood allegedly wrote a check for about $240 in March of 2003 to an Angola store from a closed account out of Oklahoma. Steuben County Prosecutors filed the forgery charge in September of 2008 after Hood was accused of using a fake name to rent several pieces of construction equipment from an Angola business in August of 2006. He has also been accused by Michigan authorities of using numerous fake identifications.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Officials at the Steuben County Community Foundation have announced they have awarded over $9,000 in grants to three local organizations. Oren Skinner from the Community Foundation says Community Harvest Food Bank got $5,000 in support of their Farm Wagon program. In addition, Women In Transition got $2,400 to help with their operating budget and Mount Zion United Methodist Church received $2,500 to support the coat bank for those in need. The Community Foundation reviews grant requests five times a year. The next cycle of grant requests are due at the Community Foundation office by February 26th.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(FREMONT) - Kindergarten registration for the 2010-2011 school year at Fremont Elementary School is now underway. Registration will take place Mondays through Fridays between 8:30am and 2:30pm through February 26th. If you have a child that will be five years old on or before August 1st, you will need to come to the Fremont Elementary School office and register them for next years kindergarten. It is not necessary to bring your child. Screening will not take place until May. For more information, call the Fremont Elementary office at 495-4385.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - An effort to establish a Phosphate Ordinance for Steuben County has come to end. Bill Schmidt, who has been backing the ordinance for almost three years, told Steuben County Commissioners on Monday that the State Chemist office felt there was no "special circumstance" for the ordinance. The proposed ordinance would have banned the use of phosphates in the county in order to control plant life in local lakes. Schmidt indicated that state officials felt the ordinance would have been difficult to enforce. The ordinance was initially passed by the county and the town of Clear Lake before the State Chemist office stepped in.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A woman who was charged in connection with a fire in January of 2009 at North Lake Manor was given a total sentence of 6 1/2 years on Monday in Steuben Superior Court after pleading guilty to charges in three cases. Diana Louise Wright entered a guilty plea to criminal mischief in the case filed by prosecutors last February in connection with the fire at 114 Ivywood Court in North Lake Manor. The building where the fire broke out is owned by the Angola Housing Authority. In exchange for her guilty plea in that case, a Class B felony of arson of a dwelling was dropped by prosecutors. Wright also pled guilty to residential entry and attempted theft in the other two cases. She was given credit for 296 days already served in jail and the same amount of time for good time credit. Restitution was ordered in the North Lake Manor case but Wright was found to be indigent thus a civil judgement was entered.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(LIGONIER) - An Angola man was one of three suspects arrested on Friday in a methamphetamine bust at a home on 1000 North near Ligonier. The Noble County Sheriffs Department says 32-year-old James Hendrix was arrested on a Class D felony for possession of meth. In addition, 29-year-old Mark Lemings of Ligonier was arrested on three charges including a Class D felony of possession of two or more precursors with intent to manufacture. 34-year-old Shannon Hohenstein was arrested on four charges including Class D felonies for possession of two or more precursors with intent to manufacture and possesion of schedule four controlled substances. Police say the arrests were made after they had gotten several tips over the last month.
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Monday, February 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A portion of West Broad will be closed at least through mid week because of sewer work by contractors for the city of Angola. City utilities spokesperson Retha Hicks says Culy Construction will start their work today. The project is expected to last through Wednesday. A new sanitary sewer will be installed in the 600 block of West Broad Street. This section of West Broad will be closed to through traffic during the daytime hours. Access to Sheets, LP Gas and North Central Co-op must be gained from the east. Traffic will be maintained during the overnight hours.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A traffic accident on Friday night knocked out power to some residents on Angola's north side including those who live at Cameron Woods. The crash happened on 100 North just west of the Angola city limits just before 9:00pm. Reports indicate a vehicle knocked down a NIPSCO utility pole and numerous power lines before winding up in a pond near the Chuck Sheets property. The driver of the vehicle had to be pulled out by police but did not require transport to Cameron Hospital. NIPSCO crews worked overnight in single digit temperatures to make repairs. A portion of 100 North between Wohlert Street and 200 West was still closed to traffic on Saturday morning. The crash is being investigated by the Steuben County Sheriffs Department. The power at Cameron Woods came back at about 12:40am on Saturday morning but not before some residents left the facility to spend the night with family members.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Nearly 100 people braved the chilly temperatures at midday on Friday to watch a 20 by 11 foot aluminum cross be lifted into place at the new St. Anthony's Catholic Catholic on West Maumee. It was part of a topping out ceremony for the erection of the last steel beam at the new church. The cross was lifted into place following a speech by Angola Mayor Dick Hickman and a blessing by Father Fred Pasche. Parrish members believed it was only appropriate that a topping out ceremony at a church be conducted with the placement of its cross. There is still work to be done on the inside but construction on the church is nearing completion after it began last May. The first services are scheduled to take place during Easter weekend. Design Collaborative designed the cross. The new church is being built by Michael Kinder and Sons. ProFab fabricated the cross and it was erected by workers from Smith Erectors.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A Bachelor and Silent Auction to benefit the beautification of downtown Angola will be held Saturday night at 6:30pm at Piggy's Brew Pub. There will be music by Mike Conley, appetizers and over 30 items in the silent auction. Organizers say all of the money raised will go to the beautification of downtown Angola. Benches, tables chairs, and planters are on the wish list. Tickets are $10 at the door.
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Saturday, January 30, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Two members of the Cameron Hospital Auxiliary from Angola have accepted positions on the Indiana Hospital Auxiliary Association Northeast Area board. Donna Voges is the new chairperson of the district and Cec Shultz is the district’s secretary. Voges has been a member of the Cameron Auxiliary for ten years. She served as auxiliary president from 2005 to 2008. Shultz has been the Auxiliary treasurer since she joined in 2006. The Cameron Hospital Auxiliary currently has 68 active members.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The kick off meeting into what is expected to be an intense three month period that will lead up to a master plan for the Steuben County Park took place on Thursday night at the Steuben County Community Center. Representatives from the Troyer Group in Mishawaka went over what will be taking place and invited members of the public to submit ideas. The next order of business will be a two day planning and design workshop on February 9th and 10th which will cover the future use of the park and a 95 acre parcel that the county is looking to buy. John Leszcynski from the Troyer Group said at this stage, all ideas are good. He said they do not want the final report to sit on a shelf and that had to be something attainable. Problem areas expected to be addressed include making the property handicap accessible and to improve access for vehicles. Work on the County Park Master Plan is expected to be finished by the end of April.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
(ANGOLA) - What was called a brainstorming session concerning fire territories in Steuben County was held Thursday afternoon in the Steuben County Community Center's Dale Hughes Auditorium. Scott Township Trustee Susan Sonner organized the meeting and she discussed the proposed fire territory involving the city of Angola and four nearby townships. Sonner said the Jamestown Township Board has tabled the matter for now. No other formal action has been taken by any of the townships that would be part of the territory. Sonner also talked about the possibility of a Steuben County fire territory being formed especially since voters may do away with their township governments at the ballot box this November. Sonner said a Steuben County fire territory would not need a new fire station. If a fire territory involving the city of Angola is to be formed, it must be done by March 31st so it can be included in the city's 2011 budget. After about a 45 minute discussion, it was agreed that another meeting should be put together with representatives from Umbaugh and Associates. Umbaugh recently put together a report on the possible costs for those who would be part of the proposed fire territory involving the city of Angola.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
(DEKALB COUNTY) - Slick roads caused by light snow, strong winds and bitter cold temperatures led to numerous accidents around the area on Thursday. I-69 near the Ashley exit was a particually bad spot. The northbound side of the interstate had to be closed twice Thursday morning so that jack-knifed semis could be removed. In addition, an Ashley woman was injured in a crash involving her pickup truck and a Freightliner. DeKalb County Police say 60-year-old April Anthony lost control of her southbound vehicle about a half mile south of the Ashley exit. The pickup went across the median where it struck a northbound Freightliner driven by 58-year-old Thomas Frilling of St. Mary's, Ohio. Both vehicles went off the interstate and into a ditch on the east side of the road. Anthony was taken to Cameron Hospital after complaining of chest pain. Frilling was not injured. Indiana State Police, fire departments from Ashley and Hudson, Ashley Police and DeKalb County E.M.S. assisted at the scene.
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Friday, January 29, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Acting as special judge in the case, Steuben Circuit Court Judge Allen Wheat took a lawsuit involving the town of Wolcottville under advisement on Thursday after hearing two days of testimony during a bench trial in his courtroom. Lake Associations on Witmer, Dallas and Westler Lakes filed suit last month against the town of Wolcottville over a sewer rate ordinance. The plantiffs feel the rates are unfair to lake residents when compared to what customers in the town of Wolcottville have to pay. There were times during the bench trial when there were not enough seats to accomodate all of the spectators in the courtroom. One court official said the audience spilled out into the hallway at times during the first day of testimony.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(BRONSON) - A wood burner in the living room of a two story home near Bronson is being blamed for an early morning fire that killed two pet cats. Bronson Fire Chief Brent Wilber says the blaze at 1145 Hollow Road was reported just before 1:00am. It took firefighters about 40 minutes to get the flames under control but not before the inside of the home, owned by Roger Otis of Quincy, sustained nearly $55,000 worth of damage. Wilber says the wood burner's stove pipe caught the nearby walls on fire. The fire then extended to the first and second stories. The family renting the home managed to get out safely as smoke filled the residence and smoke alarms were activated. But Wilber says they do not have insurance and lost everything. He adds they escaped with only the clothing they were wearing. No injuries were reported. Firefighters were on the scene for almost three hours. Burr Oak firefighters assisted with a tanker.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - While President Obama's State Of the Union speech on Wednesday night featured plans for a second stimulus package and a call for businesses to create more jobs, Indiana Congressman Mark Souder joined fellow Republicans in blasting the address. Souder said it was more of the same rhetoric that's been heard for months. Souder added in a press release issued by his office, "while the president shifted his focus to job creation, he continues to embrace job-killing policies, like a second stimulus, that haven't worked." Souder also says the President "seems unwilling to back away from his drive for government expansion that stamps out job growth."
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Habitit for Humanity in Steuben and DeKalb Counties have new home thanks to a donation by Cameron Hospital. The hospital has donated a home in the 300 block of East South Street that Habitat officials hopes will be moved sometime by the end of July to an empty lot in either Ashley or Angola. The home is a one story, three bedroom home which covers 1,400 square feet. Habitat Director Don Cross says they are working to find funding to move the house. The home currently has a basement but Cross says it will have a crawl space at its new location. Cross says they are still accepting applications for the next Habitat family. More information can be found at dekalbcountyhabitat.com.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(METZ) - After several years of fundraising, Metz firefighters have gotten a federal grant to help fund the purchase of a new pumper tanker to replace a piece of equipment which has been used for 30 years. Indiana Senator Richard Lugar's office says the Metz Fire Department is one of sixteen in the state that will get funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. According to a press release issued by Senator Lugar's office, a $220,000 grant has been awarded so that the Metz Fire Department can buy the new vehicle. The local match was $13,000. It's hoped the new vehicle will be ready for operation within the next six months. The latest round of grants to fire departments around Indiana total nearly $1.3 million.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Two fundraising events will be held this weekend in Angola to help earthquake victims in Haiti. Cahoots Coffee Cafe on West Maumee will be hosting a Haiti Relief Party on Saturday from 12noon until midnight. There is a $3 admission, other donations will be accepted. Refreshments will be served. Money will also be collected for earthquake victims on the downtown square Saturday morning from 10:00am until 12noon. In another event, Smorgies will be hosting a Haiti Relief Party on Sunday from 1:30pm until 10:00pm. Smorgies is located in the former 101 Lakes Lounge building on 200 North. All proceeds from the weekend events will be donated to the American Red Cross for Haiti Relief.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(ASHLEY) - It was just a one inch snowfall but that combined with temperatures in the teens have made for some slick driving conditions especially on I-69 near the Ashley exit. Jack-knifed semis forced the interstate to be shut down twice on Thursday morning. The first accident near the 142 mile marker just before 2:00am caused the northbound side to be closed for about an hour. Another one at mid morning near the 137 mile marker in DeKalb County forced a temporary shutdown on the northbound side as tow trucks removed the vehicle. At about that same time, a two vehicle crash near the DeKalb-Steuben County line sent 60-year-old April Anthony of Ashley to Cameron Hospital after she complained of chest pain. DeKalb County Police say Anthony lost control of her vehicle, crossed the median and struck a Freightliner going in the opposite direction. Both vehicles then went off the interstate and into a ditch. In LaGrange County, traffic on U.S. 20 is restricted at County Road 400-East around 2:30 p-m and will likely have to be closed as wreckers attempt to recover a semi from the ditch. In Noble County, a Wawaka man was in stable condition at Parkview Noble Hospital after his car spun out and struck a utility pole near Ligonier. The sheriff's department identified the driver as 17-year-old Kyle Halderman. There was also an injury accident in DeKalb County on Wednesday night that police say was partially caused by icy road conditions. 51-year-old Kenneth Stark was injured when his Chevy Blazer failed to stop on State Road 101 near State Road 8 and slid into the front dual axle of a semi trailer. Stark complained of general associated pain. The truck driver from Covington, Ohio was not injured.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(ANGOLA) - After recently announcing his intention to run for Steuben County Prosecutor, Assistant Prosecutor Mike Hess has officially filed his paperwork with the state of Indiana to get on the May Republican Primary ballot. Local Attorney Jim Burns has also announced his intentions to run for Prosecutor. Current Prosecutor Tom Wilson is not running for re-election. Meanwhile, two long time school board members in Steuben County have decided to seek re-election. Officially filing in recent days at the Steuben County Courthouse are M.S.D. of Steuben County Board President Glen Lee Armey and Fremont School Board member Sheri Thompson. Also filing were Democrat Steven Vaughn for the Fremont Town Council, Gail Bartlett for Hamilton Town Council, Irene Thompson for York Township Board, Beth Griggs for Jamestown Township Board, Jacque Diehl for Millgrove Township Advisory Board, Marcia Helmuth for Salem Township Trustee, KIm Kepler for Otsego Township Trustee, Barbara Cleverly for Richland Township Trustee and Norma Hinsley for Jackson Township Trustee.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - The office area of the former Jayco building on North Detroit Street will serve as the temporary home of the LaGrange County Public Library starting in April. Library board members chose Jayco Wednesday evening from among four potential sites to house the library while the existing library on Spring Street is remodeled and expanded. Library Executive Director Mary Hooley says a “generous” lease agreement is being worked out with Jayco. The News-Sun reported the rent would cost $1,438 per month for about 4,500 square feet. Hooley said more than 2,600 feet would be in the front office area of the Jayco complex, with additional space in the warehouse for the bookmobile and storage. She said a big advantage of the Jayco site was having all space on ground level and having everything, including the bookmobile, under one roof. The library plans to take possession by February 15th with the moving process lasting through March, during which time the LaGrange library will be closed. Other sites considered by the board were the former state bank building at Detroit and Spring, the former Chris's Body Express building on Detroit, and the Oil of Gladness building at Detroit and Wayne.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010
(AUBURN) - A chase which began in Fort Wayne ended near Auburn on Wednesday afternoon thanks to the use of stop sticks. Indiana State Police say Fort Wayne Police started to chase a white van at about 2:00pm on northbound I-69 near Coldwater Road. Troopers say the vehicle was being driven by 47-year-old Robert Jerome Hudson. The pursuit ended a few minutes later but picked up again in DeKalb County when Trooper Timothy Myers saw the suspect's vehicle at the 125 mile marker. Hudson allegedly tried to speed away and police say they had to use stop sticks at the 126 mile marker. Hudson continued going for about a mile with two flat tires but he eventually stopped and was placed under arrest. He was booked at the DeKalb County Jail on resisting law enforcement charges and on a Floyd County theft warrant.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(INDIANAPOLIS) - A bill that is expected to have a impact on tourism in Steuben County and the surrounding region has cleared a State Senate committee chaired by Dennis Kruse. The Indianapolis Star reports the Senate Education Committee voted 8-1 in favor of the bill which would require schools in the state to wait until after Labor Day to start classes. Backers say the later start will allow families to enjoy the final days of summer before youngsters head back to class in the fall. Others feel school districts can save energy costs by not using air conditioning during the sweltering days of August. Those in the tourism industry have been trying for years to push the start of school back to after Labor Day. Opponents of the bill say it will take local control away from school districts. No matter when the school year starts and ends, students will still have to attend 180 days of classes. Michigan adopted similair legislation in 2006. If the bill becomes law in Indiana, it would go into effect in the fall of 2012.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A Crooked Lake man was formally charged on Wednesday with a Class C felony of Battery By Means of a Deadly Weapon after the Steuben County Sheriffs Department says a shooting apparently took place after he and a neighbor got into an argument. A not guilty plea was entered on behalf of 49-year-old Buddy Prince during his initial hearing in front of Magistrate Randy Coffey. Bond was set at $20,000 and a Circuit Court pre-trial conference was scheduled for March 8th. The Sheriffs Department says 26-year-old William Shelpman suffered a gun shot wound to the leg during the incident which took place just after midnight on Wednesday morning at 3040 West Sycamore Beach Road. According to a Sheriffs Department news release, Shelpman and Prince got into an argument while they were in Shelpman's home. Police say Prince then went to his home and got a handgun and confronted Shelpman. The two fought over the gun and during the struggle, Shelpman was shot in the right leg. He was first taken to Cameron Hospital before being transferred to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. Shelpman's 26-year-old wife Nathasha suffered a hand injury while trying to break up the struggle. She was taken to Cameron Hospital for treatment. Steuben County Court documents indicate alcohol was involved in the incident. If Prince posts bond, he was ordered by Coffey not to have any contact with the Shelpmans. He was also ordered not to have firearms or ammunition. Prince also can not enter bars or consume alcohol. Indiana State Police and Angola Police assisted the Sheriffs Department during the investigation.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS - (AP) - A federal appeals court has ordered a new sentencing hearing for a Fort Wayne man on Indiana's death row for killing four people in July of 1997. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled Wednesday that a trial court judge improperly considered aggravating factors not set out in state law when sentencing the now 34-year-old Joseph E. Corcoran. It ordered the Allen County court to hold a new sentencing hearing within 120 days. Corcoran's attorneys also argued that he was mentally ill, but the Court of Appeals said that issue should have been first raised in state court. The former Steuben County man was sentenced to death in 1999 for killing the four men in a house he shared with his sister because he heard them talking about him.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(ANGOLA) - An Angola man was formally charged on Tuesday with two Class B child molesting felony counts. 19-year-old Mathew Andrew Esquivel was arrested on Monday at his residence following an Angola Police Department investigation which started on January 16th. According to Steuben County court documents, the alleged incidents involving an eight year old child took place between December 27th and 31st. Not guilty pleas were entered on Esquivel's behalf during his initial hearing in front of Magistrate Randy Coffey. Bond was set at $100,000. If he should post bond, Esquivel was ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim or with anyone under the age of 16. The case will go through Steuben Circuit Court where a pre-trial conference was scheduled for March 1st.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(ELKHART) - Starting Wednesday, no more post meetings in the garage for Indiana State Police troopers working the Toll Road. A new state police post building opens for business on County Road 17 near the Elkhart East exit at the 96 mile marker. The new building has more than three times the space of the previous building at South Bend and has a new communications tower which wasn't possible at the previous site because of proximity to the airport. It will serve more than 60 troopers and several state excise officers. The new post was paid for entirely by the Indiana Toll Road Concession Company.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Cameron Hospital recently received the American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program. The program was originally recognized three years ago. Hospital spokesperson Laura Lutterbeck says the Association’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational programs meet the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. Programs apply for recognition voluntarily. Education recognition status is verified by an official certificate from A.D.A. and awarded for three years. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are over 20 million people in the United States who have diabetes with over six million who are not aware they have the disease.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A man who claims he was dumped at Cameron Hospital's emergency room last Monday by caretakers from an Auburn facility has found a new home. 46-year-old Gregory George is scheduled to be moved Wednesday to a facility in Marion. George's situation first came to light in a Herald-Republican article last Saturday. Authorities have been investigating why he was left behind by caretakers from the Wesley Healthcare Center where he had been living. Despite numerous media requests, no official comment has been made by the Auburn facility. George has stayed in an examination room for the past week. Cameron spokeswoman Laura Lutterbeck says the hospital was told by Wesley Healthcare that George would not be readmitted after he was evaluated and cleared for release. George said he think he was left at Cameron in retaliation for complaints he raised about privacy and television noise at Wesley.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Tuesday night was a night to honor Jim Wyatt for his 50 years of service to the Land of Lakes Lions Club. Among those honoring Wyatt was Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Steuben County Council member Ron Parker presented a proclamation from the Governor which named Wyatt a Distinguished Hoosier. There were also proclamations from State Representative Dick Dodge and from Angola Mayor Dick Hickman who declared Tuesday as Jim Wyatt Day in the city of Angola. Among those on hand to share some humorus stories about Wyatt's service with the Lions were District Governor Don Cooper and Past International Director Wayne Madden. In honor of Wyatt's half-century of service, it was announced that Pay Serv would be making a $1,000 donation to the Lions Kids Sight Program.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(BRYAN) - The Williams County Sheriffs Office says the Multi-Area Narcotics Task Force has seized a small marijuana grow operation from a home in Pioneer. Police say evidence consisting of several marijuana plants and cultivation equipment were taken from the home at 414 First Street after information was received by the MAN Unit and Pioneer Police. The matter has been turned over to the Williams County Prosecutors Office for further review and possible charges. In an unrelated matter, the MAN Unit was busy on Monday night taking care of a methamphetamine lab dump site outside of Alvordton. The Drug Enforcement Agency Hazardous Materials Team was called in to clean up the biohazard material. Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call the Williams County Sheriffs Office at 1-866-845-6760 or Williams County Crime Stoppers at 419-485-9302.
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
(UNDATED) - The Ohio Office of Workforce Development says unemployment went up in Williams County and throughout northwest Ohio in December. Figures released on Tuesday show the Williams County jobless rate went up a half percent to 14.9 percent. That's over five percent higher than the December of 2008 unemployment rate in Williams County. The unemployment rate also went up in Defiance County to 12.8 percent. Statewide, the Ohio unemployment rate went up in December to 10.7 percent.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Organizers for the first ever hot air balloon event at the Steuben County Tri-State Airport say they have a main sponsor and commintments from enough balloonists to go forward. Organizier Walt Drewes says "Angola Balloons Aloft" is a go for July 9th, 10th and 11th. Drewes along with his wife Marcia are organizing the event which was first pitched a couple of months ago to the Airport Board. Drewes says Parkview Hospital will be the main sponsor with Raymond James Investments being the V.I.P. sponsor. Four balloon sponsors have also been secured and others are still being sought. Besides the balloons, the weekend will include World War Two era aircraft, ski divers as well as plane and helicopter rides. Parkview Hospital's Samaritan Helicopter is also scheduled to be on hand. Among the events for the balloonists will be a key grab sponsored by Peter Franklin Jewelers in which the winner will get a $1,200 watch. Gas for the balloons will be provided by Sheets LP Gas. Drewes says part of the proceeds will go to Project Help of Steuben County. He adds they will need volunteers for all aspects of the event. If you to help out or become a sponsor, you can call Drewes at 316-8577.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Angola Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-1 on Monday night to deny a land use variance request from a property owner on 177 West who wanted to operate a repair business at his home garage. Tim Case filed the variance request for the property which is in an area zoned Medium Density Single-family residential. He told the B.Z.A. it would be temporary until the economy improves and he was just trying to support his family. But several neighbors complained about noise, traffic and property value issues. Their main gripe was with noise coming from a motorcross track on the property. Case said nobody has ever told him about a noise problem. His wife Sandy pointed out the business would not create noise. Board member Gene Burd made a motion to approve the variance for no more than one year but the other three members voted no. In other business, Brant Moore was re-elected as Board Chair for 2010 while Burd will remain Vice-Chair and Julie Cole will remain the secretary. In addition, the B.Z.A. has an opening after Ron Walter resigned due to his move to Michigan.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana State Police say two oversized loads will be traveling on southbound I-69 from the Indiana-Michigan state line to the G.M. plant in Marion on Thursday morning, weather permitting. Officials say the oversized loads will reduce speeds and cause traffic obstructions. This will be a double load operation. The first load will leave the Indiana-Michigan state line at 8:30am and it will be followed by a second load. Both loads exceed a half million pounds. Motorists on southbound I-69 can expect slowed traffic and may want to take an alternate route. Additional loads are expected to be moved through February.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(COLDWATER) - Two judges in Branch County have ordered the early release of 15 inmates due to overcrowding at the Branch County Jail. Judges William O'Grady and Brent Weigle certified the early releases on Monday after Jail Captain Fred Blankenship petitioned the courts last Friday. The order calls for the jail population to be reduced to no more than 90 percent of the rated 139 prisoner capacity, thus reducing the population to 125. Six of the inmates had been sentenced or were being held by Circuit Court orders, while the other nine were being held for District Court. According to the judges, those released do not present a great risk to public saftey. Most of the inmates being released early were scheduled to be released over the next six weeks.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Steuben County Township Trustees and Advisory Boards will meet this Thursday afternoon to discuss the proposed establishment of a fire territory. Members of the Angola City Council have been invited to the meeting which will start at 4:30pm in the Dale Hughes Auditorium at the Steuben County Community Center. Representatives from Umbaugh and Associates presented a draft of a proposed fire territory and the costs involved to representatives from the city of Angola and four nearby townships during a January 11th meeting. The city along with Jamestown, Pleasant, Scott and York Townships would be part of the proposed territory. Angola Fire Chief Mike Meek said as part of the fire territory, a new station would be established at Orland Road and 300 West. But several questions have been raised since the meeting two weeks ago. It's hoped those questions can be answered on Thursday afternoon.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - A LaGrange woman and her unborn child died following a two-vehicle head-on crash on U-S 20 Monday evening. The LaGrange County Sheriff's Department says Heather Martin, whose age was not released, apparently lost control on the snow and ice covered highway and spun across the center line before striking a semi. Martin suffered injuries to her left arm and thigh and her right ankle. She was conscious following the crash and transported to Parkview-LaGrange Hospital before being transferred to Parkview in Fort Wayne. She was pronounced dead about 3-and-a-half hours later. The crash happened around 9:30pm on U.S. 20 at LaGrange County Road 375 West. Tussey Dartagnan of Jackson, Michigan was driving the semi. He told police he was eastbound when he saw Martin's car spinning and tried to slow down and pull toward the shoulder, but the car struck the front driver's side of the truck. Dartagnan was treated for abdominal pain and later released.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Police in Steuben County are looking into the overnight break ins of two Angola area gas stations. They say two suspects broke into the Walmart Gas Station on North Wayne Street during the early morning hours on Tuesday and took a large amount of cigarettes. The 200 Express gas station at 200 West and 200 North was also broken into but it had not been determined on Tuesday morning if anything had been taken. Steuben County Crime Stoppers Coordinator Shari Dean says the suspects were reported to be in a dark colored older model Jeep Liberty. Anyone with information on these crimes is being asked to call Steuben County Crime Stoppers at 668-STOP or 1-800-600-HALT. You can also go to their web site, www.steubencountycrimestoppers.org. You do not have to give your name and your tip could lead to a cash reward of up to $1,000.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(INDIANAPOLIS) - (AP) - Republican Indiana Congressman Mike Pence says he won't run this year for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Democrat Evan Bayh. Pence had been considering a run and a possible showdown with Bayh, who has twice easily won election to the Senate. But the third-ranking Republican in the House says he's running for re-election to seat representing much of eastern Indiana that he first won in 2000. He says he made his decision in part because he's been given responsibility to shape a GOP comeback as chairman of the House Republican Conference. Those who have announced they will seek the Republican nomination are former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, state Sen. Marlin Stutzman of Howe, Richmond financial adviser Don Bates Jr. and
Fishers businessman Richard Behney.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A traffic stop early Monday morning in Fremont has led to a felony drug charge being filed against a Pleasant Lake man. 29-year-old Joshua David Filley was formally charged on Monday with a Class B felony of being in possession of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school and a Class A misdemeanor of being in possession of paraphernalia. According to Steuben County Court documents, Filley was pulled over by Fremont Police on State Road 120 in front of the Fremont Elementary School for driving with a suspended license. Police report they found less then three grams meth in the vehicle after a search was conducted. A not guilty plea was entered on Filley's behalf during his initial hearing in front of Magistrate Randy Coffey and bond was set at $50,000. The case will go through Steuben Circuit Court where a pre trial conference was scheduled for March 15th. Filley was charged two weeks ago with battery while using a deadly weapon. He was free on bond at the time of the Monday morning arrest in Fremont.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(AUBURN) - Auburn Police are looking into the Friday night burglary of Buttermore Appliance on East 7th Street in which a large number of electronic devices were stolen from the business. Police say sometime between 8:45pm and 10:00pm, an unknown number of individuals entered the store and removed items from the showroom and stockroom. The individuals loaded the items into a newer red Chevrolet or GMC Express cargo van that was parked at the rear of the business. Auburn Police are also investigating a series of reported business burglaries on the west side of the city that took place last Friday evening and Saturday morning. Police say the suspects forcibly entered the “DeKalb County Visitor’s Bureau”, “Heavenly Day Spa”, “The Cupbearer”, “Famous Hair”, and the “Fashion Bug”. Police say the suspects removed cash along with stereo, digital camera and computer equipment. A witness told Police they saw a green Ford four door vehicle departing the area of one of the burglaries. Any with information on these crimes is asked to call Lt. Mark Stump or Detective Phil Snover at the Auburn Police Department 920-3200. Information can also be left with DeKalb County Crime Stoppers at 927-4811.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(ORLAND) - The town of Orland will be seeking a $50,000 Community Focus Fund grant so that a Comprehensive Plan for the town can be put together. A brief public hearing was held during a special Orland Town Council meeting on Monday. Lori McCoy from Region 3-A said the town would have to provide a $5,000 match. She said D.L.Z. Engineering of Fort Wayne will be working on the project and they plan to hold public meetings. McCoy said the grant is non-competitive and they hope to hear within two months if it has been approved.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(UNDATED) - Republican Congressman Mike Pence appears to rank best among potential challengers to Indiana Senator Evan Bayh according to an independent telephone survey of 800 likely Hoosier voters. The new Rassmussen Reports survey shows Pence leading Bayh 47 to 44 percent among respondents. Pence is said to be considering a run at Bayh following last week's Republican upset in the Massachusetts senate race. Former Indiana Congressman John Hostettler has announced he's in the race and the poll shows him trailing Bayh 44 to 41 percent. State Senator Marlin Stutzman of Howe is also in the race for Bayh's seat and the poll finds him trailing the incumbent by 12 points, 45 to 33 percent. Rassmussen says Indiana, like many other states, shows a strong correlation between support for the Congressional health care plan and voting behavior. The poll taken January 21st and 24th has a margin of error of plus or minus 3-and-a-half points.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Former Swick Broadcasting Company employee, Gary B. Mallernee, was arrested on January 13th on three Class D felony counts of theft. Mallernee is charged with stealing from the company during and after his term of employment with Swick Broadcasting. A Steuben County initial court hearing date has been set for Mallernee on March 1st.
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Monday, January 25, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A Steuben Superior Court pre-trial conference for a woman who is charged with murdering her husband with an ax has been delayed for one week. 44-year-old Norma Jean Mote was originally scheduled to appear this morning but due to an illness involving defense attorney Anthony Kraus, the court hearing was re-scheduled for next Monday morning. Mote is scheduled to go on trial March 18th after she was charged with murder in connection with the death of her 56-year-old husband Kevin. A not guilty plea was entered on behalf of the defendant during her initial hearing last month.
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Monday, January 25, 2010
(UNDATED) - Figures released Monday by the Indiana Association of Realtors showed a nearly 46% increase in Steuben County December home sales when compared to year-ago figures. The association reports there were 35 units sold last month compared to 24 in December of 2008. The median price for Steuben County homes also increased by 19.6% from the previous December to $115,000. For the year, Steuben sales were up 1.6 percent and prices fell by 6.5 percent. As for neighboring counties, LaGrange County home sales more than doubled from six in December of 2008 to 14 last month but the median price went down by over 25 percent. In Noble County, home sales went down from 19 in December of 2008 to 14 last month. The Noble County median price for homes also decreased by 9.5%. In DeKalb County, home sales went down from 26 in December of 2008 to 23 last month while the median price went up by over 12 percent. The Association of Realtors also reports that Indiana's housing market ended 2009 on an upswing. December sales statewide were up 4.1 percent from a year ago, and median prices increased 11.2 percent. That's the third consecutive month that sales were up and second that prices rose. The Association's Karl Berron says the December numbers show Indiana's housing markets are continuing a turnaround.
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Monday, January 25, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - A Wolcottville man was hospitalized and faces possible charges following a crash near Messick Lake early Sunday morning. 47-year-old Eric Zehrung was flown to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne with internal injuries following the crash. The hospital reported he was in fair condition this morning. According to a LaGrange County Sheriff's Department news release, Zehrung's mother called 9-1-1 reporting he had just battered his father, Robert Englehart. While police were en route Zehrung left the house and was driving away when he struck another vehicle and a mailbox nearby and then left the scene. As he was turning south from County Road 75 West he left the road and struck a utility box and utility pole. The vehicle flipped end-over-end down an embankment and landed on its top. The driver of the second vehicle was not injured. The case is being sent to the prosecutor, with police seeking charges of battery, leaving the scene of an accident, and operating while intoxicated against Zehrung.
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Monday, January 25, 2010
(WAWAKA) - Police in Noble County say they arrested a woman early Sunday morning after she allegedly scaled the roof of a home and was caught in the bedroom of the homeowner's son. Police say 25-year-old April Bradley of Wawaka used a ladder to climb to the roof of a home on North Albion Street in Wawaka and force her way in through a second floor window. She climbed into the bedroom where the homeowner's son was sleeping. Police took Bradley into custody without incident. She was charged with residential entry and trespass and lodged in the Noble County Jail.
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Monday, January 25, 2010
(CORUNNA) - A Corunna man was injured Saturday night in a DeKalb County moped accident. DeKalb County Police say 41-year-old Kent Treesh was traveling in the 2600 block of County Road 19 when he lost control of his moped. The vehicle overturned and slid over 30 feet before it came to rest in the middle of the road. Treesh was found sitting on the ground near to where the moped had come to rest. Police say he was unable to recall the actions resulting in the crash. He suffered fractures to his nasal cavity and was taken to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne where a hospital spokesperson says he was in serious condition.
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Sunday, January 24, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The May Republican Primary for Sheriff now has three candidates. Garry Osborn of Angola, who is the Chief Deputy of the Ashley Police Department, filed the necessary paperwork on Friday at the Steuben County Clerks office to get on the ballot. Osborn announced his intention to run for Sheriff last July. He says his campaign started almost two years ago. Osborn added he thought he would hold back from the first day’s rush before filing for the Primary. Tim Troyer and A.J. Carpenter are the other Republican candidates for Sheriff. They were among the first candidates to officially file to get on the May Primary ballot last Wednesday morning.
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Sunday, January 24, 2010
(ANGOLA) - (AP) - Authorities are investigating why a 46-year-old man was reportedly left at the Cameron Hospital emergency room by caretakers from an Auburn facility where he was living. The Herald-Republican reports Gregory George was left Monday at Cameron. He stayed the week with around-the-clock care in an examination room. Cameron spokeswoman Laura Lutterbeck says George was evaluated and soon cleared for release, but when the hospital contacted Wesley Healthcare Center in Auburn it was told he would not be readmitted. A message seeking comment was left Saturday with Dennis Sutton who is a lawyer for Wesley. George said he think he was left in retaliation for complaints he raised about privacy and television noise at Wesley.
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Sunday, January 24, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Two more officers in 2011 and a new home for the Angola Police Department are two of the long range goals listed by Police Chief Stu Hamblen in his 2009 report issued to the Angola City Council. Hamblen says the Mayor and City Council should consider increasing the staff to at least 18 officers to complement and support the departments current time-off requirements, scheduling and annexations. He says the annexation west of Angola has led to an increase in calls during the past year. Hamblen also wants city officials to consider funding for a new home for the police department. The current police headquarters was built in the 1930's. Hamblen feels it requires continuous updates due to the increased demand for technological advances.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010
(COLDWATER) - Coldwater Police are looking for a suspect after the Century Bank branch office at 745 East Chicago was robbed on Friday morning. Public Safety Director Brett Pehrson says the suspect approached the bank on foot from the nearby Bob Evans Restaurant parking lot after sitting in a car beforehand. He went up to a teller and demanded money before fleeing on foot. There was no mention in a Coldwater Police Department press release about any weapon that might have been used. The robber got away with an undetermined amount of money. He was observed leaving in a dark-colored four door Pontiac. Police are looking for a white male in his late 20's who is about five feet eight inches tall with a clean shaven head, trimmed goatee and medium thin build. He was last seen wearing faded blue jeans with a black leather coat, a charcoal color stocking cap, black gloves and white shoes. Anyone with information is asked to call Coldwater Police at 517-278-4525 or Branch County Silent Observer at 517-279-2000.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010
(ANGOLA) - More legal trouble for an Angola man who now has nine case files in the Steuben County court system. 29-year-old Dusty Ray Freed was formally charged on Friday with a Class B felony of Dealing in Methamphetamine. Bond was set at $50,000 and a not guilty plea was entered on Freed's behalf during his initial hearing in front of Magistrate Randy Coffey. The case will go through Steuben Superior Court where a jury trial was scheduled for April 8th. Freed was charged after the Steuben County Sheriffs Department went to a home in the 3500 block of West State Road 120 on December 29th during a weapons investigation. Court documents indicate a pair of plastic containers thought to be reaction vessels for the making of meth were found inside. Police say empty pill boxes and ingredients used to make meth were also found in the home.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010
(BATTLE CREEK) – Some new witnesses have stepped forward to say that a convicted killer may be an innocent man. A hearing was held Friday in Calhoun County relating to the conviction of Thomas Foley. In November a Branch County Circuit Court jury found Foley guilty in the murder of his wife Dee Dee. But he could get a new trial if Judge Conrad Sindt decides these new witnesses have pertinent information and evidence. All three are saying they saw other activity at the Foley’s home in Girard Township the day of the murder. Jeannette Moor and Jacklyn Gibson both testified on Friday that they saw a white car parked at the Foley home on the day of the murder while a third witness said he saw a truck parked there. The hearing will reconvene on February 26.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010
(PIONEER, OHIO) - The driver of a North Central school bus and her child were treated and released from Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers in Bryan on Friday afternoon after the bus collided with a car at the intersection of State Road 576 and County Road R. The Williams County Sheriffs Office says the bus driver, 50-year-old Tina Sobczak of Montpelier, did not see the car driven by Michelle McAlister of Plymouth, Michigan. The accident happened at about 3:00pm. None of the nearly 30 students on board the bus were injured. McAlister also was not injured. While the bus sustained minor front end damage, the car sustained disabling damage. The Williams County Sheriffs Department is still investigating the crash.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Incumbents who serve on the M.S.D. of Steuben County School Board and the Steuben County Council have officially filed to get on the May Republican Primary ballot. Seeking re-election will be M.S.D. of Steuben County District #3 School Board member Barb Favourite and Steuben County Council member Sara Tubergen who represents District Two on the Council. Also seeking re-election will be Steuben Township Trustee Ron Hutchins, York Township Trustee Linda Bidlack and Scott Township Board Member Dale Chard.
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Saturday, January 23, 2010
(KALAMAZOO) – A jury has been seated in the trial of a Centreville couple. According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, a jury of 12 people along with two alternates was seated Friday evening in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court. They will serve for the trial of Anthony and Marsha Springer. The Springers are charged with felony murder, torture and first degree child abuse in connection with the February 2008 fire at their Centreville home that killed their 16 year old daughter Calista Springer. Calista was found chained to her bed. Anthony Springer said his daughter had special needs and the tethering was necessary to keep her from leaving her bedroom and their home at night. St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman will preside over the trial. Arguments and testimony are set to begin on Tuesday.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
(INDIANAPOLIS) - A vote by a State Senate Committee chaired by Dennis Kruse could come next week on a bill that would push back the start of the school year in Indiana. Those with tourism interests have been trying to get Indiana schools to start later in order so that families can spend more time together during the waning days of summer. Others say schools waste energy costs in air conditioning when students start classes in the middle of August. For a lakes country area like Steuben County and the surrounding region, the legislation could provide an economic shot in the arm. June Julian from the Steuben County Tourism Bureau and others from Steuben County were in Indianapolis on Wednesday for a committee hearing. After originally proposing that the school year would not start until after Labor Day, Julian said a compromise has been reached in which students would start classes no earlier than the fourth Monday in August. Students would still have to attend 180 days of school no matter when the school year starts. For those who worried local control was being taken away by the proposed bill, Julian says a compromise was also reached that will allow local school boards to decide when the school year ends. The start of the school year in Michigan was pushed back in 2006 and Julian says that has made a hugh difference in the Michigan Tourism industry's August revenues and numbers.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
(ANGOLA) - State Representative Dick Dodge has officially filed his paperwork to get on the May Primary ballot. The Pleasant Lake Republican will be seeking his fourth elected term in office after being appointed to the 51st District State House seat in 2004. He will be facing a challenge in the Republican Primary from Doctor David Powers of Auburn. Meanwhile, there will be a contested race in the May Republican Primary for Pleasant Township Trustee. Ken Dunlap has filed his candiacy at the Steuben County Clerks office. Mac Friedlander filed to get on the May ballot on Wednesday. Jackson Township Board member Sue Alford has also filed for the May Primary along with Hamilton District Four Town Council member Wilford Nuttle.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
(FREMONT) - The Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce has presented a $1,000 check to the Fremont Steering Committee in hopes of getting a Boomerang Backpack program started. The Chamber is challenging its members to support the cause. Two fundraising events are scheduled over the next couple of weeks in Fremont. The Fremont American Legion Auxiliary is sponsoring a pancake and sausage breakfast on Saturday morning at the Fremont Legion. In addition, a benefit meal is scheduled to be held on February 5th at Fremont High School on the night of the Angola-Fremont girls basketball game. It's hope Fremont Community Schools can begin a Boomerang Backpack program in March. South Milford Elementary School in the Prairie Heights School District has joined the program. Eligible students who are taking part in the program will get their first backpacks on Friday afternoon.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
(AUBURN) - A Waterloo woman was given a 30 year sentence in DeKalb County Superior Court Two on Thursday after she pled guilty last month to a Class A felony of Dealing Methamphetamine. The Star of Auburn reports that 39-year-old Vickie Chaffins has had five previous felony convictions which was noted during the sentencing hearing by Judge Monte Brown. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed four other felony counts of dealing in methamphetamine including three Class A felonies. Also dismissed was a misdemeanor for possession of paraphernalia.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
(UNDATED) - After seeing a steady drop during the autumn months, Steuben County's unemployment rate went back up by a half percent in December to 13%according to figures released Friday by Indiana Workforce Development. Steuben and Starke Counties were tied for sixth in the state for the highest jobless numbers. The Steuben County labor force also continues to shrink as there were almost 1,000 less workers in December compared to December of 2008. Of the 15,373 in the labor force, a total of 1,997 were without jobs in December of 2009. Elkhart, Noble and LaGrange Counties had the top three unemployment rates in Indiana during December. Elkhart County had an unemployment rate of 14.8% with Noble County right behind at 14.7% and LaGrange County at 14.1%. DeKalb County had the 14th highest unemployment in the state at 12.3%. Indiana's unemployment also went up in December to 9.9%, an increase of three-tenths of a percent from November. Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Teresa Voors says the two largest factors in the December report are a drop in construction employment that could possibly be attributed to the weather and an increase in the number of unemployment claims following eight straight months of decline. Many other Midwest states saw their unemployment rates go up in December. Ohio's unemployment rate now stands at 10.9% while Michigan has a 14.6% unemployment rate.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
(KENDALLVILLE) — The man who was the football coach at Notre Dame when the Fighting Irish last won the national championship will be the guest speaker on April 22nd during the annual Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce banquet. Former Notre Dame football coach and current ESPN analyst Lou Holtz is expected to speak on "A Game Plan For Success." Tickets are priced at $69 for chamber members and $89 for nonmembers. They can be bought at the chamber’s Web site which is kendallvillechamber.com.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS - (AP) - An Indiana Senate committee could vote on legislation next week that would allow casinos on Lake Michigan and the Ohio River to relocate inland. Proponents of the bill told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday that inland casinos could improve their business and help them stave off new competition or possible gambling expansions in neighboring states. But a lobbyist for one riverboat casino said it had recently spent $330 million expanding its riverboat casino under current law, and land-based casinos could eat into that investment. Others suggested additions to the bill. No vote was taken on Thursday.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
(KALAMAZOO) - (AP) - The murder trial of a St. Joseph County couple whose teenage daughter died in a house fire while chained to her bed is scheduled to get underway on Friday in Kalamazoo County. The trial for Anthony and Marsha Springer was moved from St. Joseph County last October after the defense was granted a change of venue motion. Over 200 people are in the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court jury pool. St. Joseph County Circuit Judge Paul Stutesman will preside over the trial. The Springers are charged in connection with the February 2008 death of their 16-year-old daughter Calista. Her father has said she had special needs and the tethering was needed to keep her from leaving her bedroom and the family's Centreville home at night.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A topping out ceremony for the erection of the last steel beam at the new St. Anthony Church on West Maumee in Angola will be held next Friday morning at 11:30am. Members of the church believe it is only appropriate that such a ceremony be conducted when the 20 foot by 11 foot aluminum cross is lifted into place on top of the new church which has been under construction since last May. Event organizer Marilyn Karpinski says it would cost to much to put the cross up on a weekend so the ceremony will be held next Friday, January 29th. Design Collaborative designed the cross. The new church is being built by Michael Kinder and Sons. ProFab fabricated the cross and it will be erected by Smith Erectors. Everyone is invited to attend.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
(FREMONT) - It maybe the dead of winter but this years Fremont Farmers Market was discussed during Wednesday nights Fremont Town Council meeting. The Council felt things went well during the Farmers Market first year and decided to keep the dates and times the same for 2010. In addition, they decided to increase the permit fee to $25 with the money going to the Park Board. The Fremont Farmers Market is scheduled to start in May and run Saturday mornings from 8:00am until 12:00noon. In other business, an ordinance that would annex an area of land west of Fremont was introduced. No action can be taken by the Town Council until a public hearing is conducted. Due to advertising requirements, the public hearing will not take place until April 20th at 5:00pm.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Thanks in part to reduced tax revenues which has led to a tight 2010 city budget, the Angola Police Department is in the midst of raising money for a K-9 unit which Chief Stu Hamblen hopes to have in place by 2011. He said during Tuesday nights Angola City Council meeting that the fundraising has gone well. Hamblen says they have raised almost $8,000 of the $40,000 they need to start the program. The money raised includes a $5,000 donation from First Federal Savings Bank of Angola. Besides local donations, Hamblen says the department is also seeking grant funds. For more information, call Angola Police at 665-2121.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
(FORT WAYNE) - A group of leaders from around northeast Indiana held its first meeting on Wednesday that will lead to a report on the future of the region's economy. The Coordinating Group will work on various strategies that will be part of the rpeort called Vision 2020. The report is scheduled to show how northeast Indiana can be a leader in economic development over the next decade. Among those serving on the board are Trine University President Doctor Earl Brooks the second and Farmers State Bank President Joe Pierce.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Trine University will host its 36th annual High School Math Competition next Wednesday in Hershey Hall. High school students from throughout the region will be matching math skills against each other. Students will get a chance to earn Trine University renewable tuition scholarships of $5,000 for the advanced level individual winner and $3,000 to each member of the winning math team. Awards will also be presented to the teachers of the winning teams which will be used for math education. Invitations went out to high schools within a two-hour drive from Trine. Over the years, students from 79 different schools have participated. Two schools, Harlan Christian of Harlan and Madison-Grant of Fairmount will send students to the competition for the first time.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
(HOWE) - Persons interested in learning more about ice fishing can get hands on experience this Saturday at Pine Knob County Park near Howe. Master angler Jim Gust is presenting an ice fishing clinic from 8:00am to 10:00am with LaGrange County Extension Youth Agent John Emerson serving as co-instructor. Topics will include identifying Indiana fish, equipment commonly used, and how to dress for winter ice. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will provide equipment for learners to try before making their own investment. The clinic Saturday is free to all but a one-dollar donation is requested. More information is available from the LaGrange County Parks & Recreation Department at 854-2225.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
(ANGOLA) - NIPSCO will be hosting a two hour "Community Coffee" reception next Thursday morning, January 28th, at Timbers restaurant starting at 7:30am. Utility officials say the event is free, informal and open to the public. NIPSCO representatives will be on hand to answer any questions they might have about the company and its utility service.
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Wednesday, Janaury 20, 2010
(HAMILTON) - An unidentified man was injured Wednesday morning when a tree fell on him while he and other Amish men were logging in Otsego Township. The incident happened near 4195 South 600 East shortly before 9:00am. Hamilton firefighters and Steuben County E.M.S. were sent to the scene while Metz firefighters were called up on stand by. Hamilton Fire Chief Rodney Snyder says the victim suffered a serious head injury but remained conscious. He was kept warm in a four wheel drive vehicle while awaiting the arrival of the Samaritan Helicopter. The injured man, whose name has not been released, was flown to Parkview Hospital. Further information on the incident is not available.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Two Republican candidates for Steuben County Sheriff were among the first candidates to officially file their paperwork on Wednesday morning to get on the May Primary ballot. Tim Troyer and A.J. Carpenter officially filed just moments after the Steuben County Clerks office opened up. Also filing on the G.O.P. side within the first hour were Mac Friedlander for Pleasant Township Trustee, Incumbent County Recorder Dani Lou Parrish and Jamestown Township Board Member Steven Shank. Kevin Beard and Annette Schueler filed to run for the District One seat on the M.S.D. of Steuben County School Board. Other filings were made by Surveyor Larry Gilbert and challenger Kent Alwood; Incumbent John Ingledue along with Mayo Sanders and Bill Bryan for County Council; Dave Goodwin and Loretta Smart for County Commissioner and Scott Township Trustee Susan Sonner. The filing deadline for the May Primary is February 19th.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(AVILLA) - Two people were injured Wednesday morning in a crash near Avilla. The Noble County Sheriff's Department says a pickup truck driven by Ronald Leins of Auburn turned into the path of a car driven by Mari Scott of LaOtto. The crash happened on State Road 8 at Green Drive near the south junction of State Road 3. Leins was treated at DeKalb Memorial Hospital for chest pains while Scott was treated at Parkview-Noble Hospital for injuries to her head and neck. The crash happened at 7:47 a.m.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(BRUSHY PRAIRIE) - Faced with a 2010 reduction of almost $390,000 in state funds, the Prairie Heights School District is starting to do some belt tightening. The Prairie Heights School Board on Tuesday night approved a recommendation that the contract of Milford Elementary Principal Doctor Gail Green not be renewed. Superintendent Alan Middleton says this is part of an reconfiguration of district administrators. Besides the cut in state funding, enrollment in the district is down. But Middleton says Milford Elementary, which has a student population of 136, will remain open next year. District officials are still trying to create a plan to deal with the reduction in state funds. In other business on Tuesday night, the board accepted the retirement of longtime kindergarten teacher Suzanne Halsey.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Steuben County Circuit Judge Allen Wheat got a promise from County Commissioners on Tuesday morning that they will look for an attorney to help recoup some of the costs associated with detaining juvenile offenders. The financial burden of detaining juveniles has moved from the state to the local level which could bust Steuben County's 2010 budget. Judge Wheat asked Commissioners to consider having someone to collect juvenile case fees from parents. Wheat said there has been no one to collect the fees since the passage of House Bill 1001. Wheat said there are some cases involving violent offenders in which he has few options. But the judge added he would not put a child in the Indiana Department of Corrections in order to save the county money. In other business, Commissioners gave Tom Green from the Soil and Water Conservation District permission to advertise an opening due to Administrative Coordinator Barb Angel's upcoming retirement after she had worked over 30 years for the district.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A federal bonding program that has been made possible by stimulus money could be used to help pay for improvements at the Steuben County Tri-State Airport. County Commission Chair Mayo Sanders said during Tuesday morning's Commissioners meeting the money could be used for a new hangar and the paving of the parking lot. Steuben County Attorney Don Stuckey indicated the county would not be left holding the financial bag if things don't work out. The program would allow the county to bond for up to $3 million dollars with almost half of the interest costs being covered by the stimulus act. Officials from the airport recently asked the county for Major Moves money to help fund various improvements including a better security system and fencing repairs. The County Council and the County Commissioners are scheduled to hold a joint meeting concerning the airport on April 13th.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(BRYAN, OHIO) - Williams County Sheriff Kevin Beck says three suspects including two juveniles have been arrested in connection with a recent series of bogus phone calls. Beck says 18-year-old Dylan Marino of Bryan and a pair of 17-year-olds from Bryan and Ney were arrested in connection with the alleged calls that were made on January 10th. They are accused of identifying themselves as a "Detective Wilson" from the Williams County Sheriffs Department. The person on the other end of the line was then asked to come to the Sheriff's Department to get fingerprinted as part of a homicide investigation. All three have been charged with Telephone Harassment which is a first degree misdemeanor in Ohio. Marino is being charged through Bryan Municipal Court. The two juveniles are being referred to Williams County Juvenile Court. The Defiance County Sheriffs Department assisted during the investigation.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(ANGOLA) - M.S.D. of Steuben County Superintendent Doctor David Goodwin told the district's school board on Tuesday night that while the district will see a drop of nearly $700,000 in state revenues this year, the district has enough cash reserves to give it time to make some tough decisions. Goodwin told administrators last week to come up with ideas as to how each building can reduce costs over the next 18 months. He said the district currently has $3.2 million in cash reserves including nearly $1.5 million in its Rainy Day fund. In addition, Goodwin said the Central Office will trim costs by $200,000. He added the loss of state funds will not affect the classroom and that there should be no teacher reductions except through attrition. In other business, Associate Superintendent Brett Wilson said the district has dropped 13 1/2 students in its average daily membership from the fourth Friday count. As of December 1st, the district's A.D.M. was 2,888 1/2 students. The board were also told by Curriculum Director Cyndi Nausbaum that there will be a summer school program this year thanks to a 21st Century Scholar grant.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Angola City Council approved a recommendation from the Hitchcock Design Group on Tuesday night as they accepted Parrish Excavating's low bid of over $483,000 for the Public Square Streetscape Project. Parrish Excavating was the only bidder under the approved construction budget of just under $537,000. Two alternate bids were approved which will allow for landscaping work on the Square and for all of the sidewalks to be constructed with brick pavers. Ann Marie Lindemeyer from Region 3-A said part of the OCRA grant calls for landscaping work. With two alternate bids being awarded, the city will have to come up with nearly $19,000 in local match funds.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors hired Thomas P. Miller of Indianapolis on Tuesday at a cost of $52,000 to put together a strategic plan for the corporation. They were one of 25 firms to submit proposals. In addition, E.D.C. Executive Director Gary Nielander reported a local company is expected to announce an expansion by the end of March which will result in between 50 and 60 new jobs. The board decided to keep the same officers for 2010 with Mayo Sanders serving on Board President. In addition, Larry Graham, Don Farrington and Kevin Keiser were all re-elected to the board as at-large members.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(INDIANAPOLIS) - (AP) - Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels is urging lawmakers to end the practice of schools promoting third graders to the fourth grade if they can't read. Daniels also thanked lawmakers during his State of the State speech Tuesday night for passing one of his top priorities. The Senate gave final approval to the measure earlier in the day. It will let voters decide in November whether to amend limits on property tax bills into the state constitution. Daniels predicted that voters would pass the referendum, making it harder for future legislatures to undo the property tax caps in the future. Daniels also said that Indiana's state government is weathering the recession better than most states. Democratic House Speaker Patrick Bauer says Daniels should have talked more about jobs in his speech. Bauer acknowledged that Daniels did mention job commitments the state has won over the past couple of years during the speech. But he says Daniels didn't talk enough about creating new jobs now. Bauer wants to put more people to work now by tapping tens of millions of dollars in a trust fund created by leasing the Indiana Toll Road. The Democrat-controlled House also has passed a bill that would require companies with state contracts to hire 80 percent of their workers on those contracts from Indiana.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(ELKHART) - One person is dead following a house fire near Elkhart last night. Firefighters brought 47-year-old Jody Houpt out of the house for medical attention, but ultimately attempts to revive her were not successful and she was pronounced dead at Elkhart General Hospital about 10:45pm. Two other people in the home escaped. Osolo Township firefighters were called to the home on Silver Street around 10:00pm and received assistance from Cleveland Township and Bristol firefighters. Elkhart County Sheriff’s Detective John Perry said the fire occurred in the upstairs bedroom where Houpt was located. The investigation remains open, and detectives are working with the state fire marshal’s office.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The trial for an Angola man who is facing six charges of attempted murder has been delayed until the summer. 32-year-old Donald William Myers the third was scheduled to go on trial next Monday in Steuben Circuit Court. But lawyers for both sides filed a joint motion on January 8th requesting the delay. According to Steuben County court documents, defense attorney Todd Whitehurst and prosecutor Mike Hess say essential information from Logansport State Hospital concerning the defendant has not been received. In addition, the motion stateed the prosecution has recently received additional information from law enforcement concerning the case. Myers is now scheduled to go on trial June 28th. A final pre-trial conference was scheduled for May 24th. Myers is accused of shooting at vehicles and police officers in April of 2004 during an incident on U.S. 20 near Silver Lake.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
(NAPOLEON TOWNSHIP, Mich.) - (AP) - A Jonesville woman is charged with biting off part of her sister's nose. Bobbie Smith was held in the Jackson County Jail on a $5,000 bond after her arraignment Tuesday on charges including mayhem and domestic violence. Napoleon Township Police Chief Michael Curry says the 27-year-old woman bit off "a significant portion" of 28-year-old
Sandra Smith's nose during a fight Sunday. Assistant Prosecutor Mark Blumer tells the Jackson Citizen Patriot that photographs indicated one-third of Sandra Smith's nose was bitten off. Police recovered the detached piece, but Blumer said he didn't know if it could be reattached. Attorney David Lady told District Judge James Justin that both women were "highly intoxicated." Mayhem, defined in part under a 1931 Michigan law as mutilating another person's nose, is a 10-year felony.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - LaGrange County residents considering how they can help the humanitarian disaster in Haiti have a local option. LaGrange County Habitat For Humanity Executive Director Mont Arnold says donations made to the local Habitat organization that are labeled “Haiti Relief Fund” will go directly to Habitat For Humanity International and its relief effort in Haiti. Donating through the local chapter provides an advantage. Donations from Indiana residents of $100 or more qualify for a NAP tax credit of 50-percent of the value of the donation. Habitat For Humanity International plans a threefold response in Haiti: Mobilizing people to clear the way for shelter construction and home rehabilitation; distributing building materials and tools in shelter kits and construction of transitional housing. For more information you can call the LaGrange County Habitat For Humanity office at 463-8519.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - The Census Bureau will offer testing for local Census job openings today. The tests will be given at 3:30 this afternoon at the Shipshewana Town Hall and 5:00pm at the Orland American Legion. The Census jobs are temporary jobs paying an average of $12.50 per hour. LaGrange County's Census Coordinator Cheryl Mencsik informed the county commissioners that she just received the email this morning announcing the testing times and locations. The commissioners have been trying to promote the Census jobs as a way for LaGrange County's unemployed to gain temporary employment. They were disappointed with the lack of advance publicity given to this latest round of testing. The employee testing will be held every Tuesday through February at 3:30pm at the Shipshewana Town Hall.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - The LaGrange County Commissioners accepted a recommendation to subsidize sewer and water rates at the Fawn River Crossing Development. A study by Umbaugh And Associates determined a subsidy up to $78,000 per year is needed to make the rates competitive with other communities, based on the existing eight users. The Economic Development Income Tax Committee met last week and recommended using $200,000 in EDIT tax revenue over the next two years to subsidize the rates. Commissioner George Bachman says the system must have rates that are competitive with Sturgis or the reason for creating the system is lost. Bachman said starting the rates high could drive existing companies away. Commissioner Phil Curtis wanted to have the county attorney draft a contract with the Regional Utility District that covers the subsidy and wants to look for other ways to get the user base up. The commissioners agreed to have Curtis and County Attorney Kurt Bachman meet with the Utility District to draft the agreement.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A plan to have the Michindoh Aquifer get sole source protection from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has generated a lot of controversy on both sides of the issue in recent weeks. The groundwater from the Michindoh Aquifer is the main source of drinking water in our area. Steuben County Commissioner Ron Smith reported on Tuesday morning that he attended a meeting last week in Bryan which he said was lengthy and heated. While it's favored by the city of Bryan and some ecological groups, Smith indicated opponents don't want to deal with more government regulations. A portion of Steuben County would be affected. E.P.A. representatives say public comments will be accepted through January 29th.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
(ANGOLA) - With incumbents either deciding not to seek another term or with current office holders being term limited, 2010 promises to be a very interesting year for Steuben County politics. There will be a changing of the guard as Prosecutor Tom Wilson and County Commission Chair Mayo Sanders have decided not to seek another term in office. In addition, Sheriff Rick Lewis and County Clerk Diana Penick can not run again because of term limits. The race in the Republican Primary for the Sheriffs Office promises to be a lively one. Candidate Tim Troyer held what was called an official announcement of his candiacy on Sunday in front of over 200 people. A.J. Carpenter and Garry Osborn are also running for Sheriff on the Republican side. Besides county and township races, there will also be school board elections in all four Steuben County districts this year as well as Town Council elections in Fremont and Hamilton. While some candidates have already announced their intentions to run for office, the filing of official paperwork to get on the May Primary ballot begins Wednesday. The deadline to file in order to get on the Primary ballot is February 19th.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
(SOUTH MILFORD) - Another area school will be starting a Boomarang Backpack program this week. South Milford Elementary School in the Prairie Heights School District will send their first backpacks home on Friday afternoon. The program is designed to make sure students who are in free or reduced price lunch programs get enough healthy things to eat over the weekend when they are away from school. Bill Stockberger from the Steuben County Community Foundation says they hope to have Fremont Community Schools in the program sometime in March if enough money is raised. A fundraiser will take place this Saturday when the Fremont American Legion hosts a pancake and sausage breakfast.
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Monday, January 18, 2010
(FREMONT) - Just about all of Fremont is without power early this afternoon following a traffic accident on South Wayne Street by Damiron Trucking. A power line was knocked down in the property damage accident which was reported just before noon. A NIPSCO crew has been called to make repairs but power is expected to be out until mid afternoon.
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Monday, January 18, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Steuben County Commissioner Mayo Sanders has decided to seek the District One seat on the Steuben County Council which is currently occupied by fellow Republican Paul Sparks who is not seeking another term. Sanders said he was not going to run if Sparks decided to seek re-election. But he says he was approached by a number of people to fill the future vacancy. Sanders, who has been a County Commissioner since the early 90's, says he is running for the Council because he wanted to continue work on several projects.
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Monday, January 18, 2010
(UNDATED) - There will be a contested Republican primary election in May for the 51st District State House seat currently occupied by Dick Dodge. Doctor David Powers of Auburn has announced his candidacy stating that he will present himself as the conservative candidate with a strong emphasis on state sovereignty. Powers also feels the role of government is to protect and preserve the right to life for the unborn and senior citizens alike. He also stated in his campaign announcement that marriage is only between a man and a woman and as such is to be protected by the state. Powers says he has been an advocate for higher education for many years especially at the local community level which he feels in turn will lead to well-paying stable jobs. Powers graduated from Waterloo High School in 1963. Before his retirement in 2008, he was President and C.E.O. of Luther Bible College in Rockford, Illinois. Auburn attorney Codie Ross is the lone announced Democratic candidate for the 51st State House seat.
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Monday, January 18, 2010
(HAMILTON) - A Butler man who told police he fell asleep at the wheel was injured Saturday afternoon in a DeKalb County accident. DeKalb County Police say 71-year-old Ronald Herrick suffered a fractured hip in the accident which took place on County Road 59 north of State Road 8. They say Herrick went off the road and into a ditch. His car then went down an embankment and struck a tree head on. Herrick was pinned inside and had to be freed by rescue crews. He was taken to Parkview Hospital. DeKalb County E.M.S. and Butler firefighters responded to the accident.
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Monday, January 18, 2010
(PLEASANT LAKE) - A wood burner is being called the possible cause of a barn fire Sunday night at 2225 Southwest Fox Lake Road near Golden Lake Road. The fire was reported at about 8:35pm. Pleasant Lake Fire Chief Bob Anstett says flames were coming out of the back of the structure owned by Mike Ash when crews arrived. The fire was called under control at about 9:20pm. Most of the $10,000 worth of damage was contained to the inside. Pleasant Lake firefighters got mutual aide from Salem Center, Angola, Hamilton and Hudson crews. Firefighters were on the scene for about three hours. No injuries were reported.
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Sunday, January 17, 2010
(UNDATED) - After spiking to $2.79 a gallon just after the New Year holiday, gas prices around Angola have steadily gone down in the last ten days. Prices at a couple of stations on North Wayne were down to $2.59 on Sunday. The drop has mirrored a decrease in the price of crude oil which has gone down almost $4 a barrel in the last week. A stronger dollar and increased crude oil supplies are two of the reasons behind the drop in gas prices. The web site Indianagasprices.com reports the average price of gas in Indiana is $2.66. Prices range from $2.47 in Whiteland to $2.89 in Salem, Evansville and Columbus.
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Saturday, January 16, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - A LaGrange man received a 12 year prison sentence Friday afternoon for the shooting deaths of two other men last May. LaGrange Superior Court Judge George Brown sentenced 25-year-old Cory Waltmire to a total of 12 years in prison - the maximum under the plea agreement for two counts of reckless homicide. Waltmire shot 24-year-old Shaun Zimmerman of Angola and 26-year-old Jason Smith of Fort Wayne after the three arrived at Waltmire's residence in LaGrange after Zimmerman and Smith beat Waltmire at a junkyard near Angola over some marijuana that Smith claimed Waltmire had stolen from him. Judge Brown cited as aggravating circumstances that Waltmire shot both men multiple times, one after the other, and that he had a previous misdemeanor conviction. Shaun Zimmerman's mother, Michelle Mason, told the judge 12 years was not enough for the loss of two lives, but was better than nothing. Jason Smith's sister, Rachel Yoder, spoke for his family. She said Waltmire and Smith were childhood friends, and that Waltmire killed the one friend who always had his back. She said she hopes Jason visits Waltmire every day, “if only in your dreams.” LaGrange County Prosecutor Jeff Wible said afterwards the case was a difficult one to prosecute because the investigating officers felt the shootings were in self-defense. He felt the plea bargain assured that Waltmire wouldn't walk from the courthouse a free man following the killings of Smith and Zimmerman. The judge fined Waltmire $200 and ordered he pay restitution of $76,183 for medical bills.
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Saturday, January 16, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - The investigation of an accident last month led to the arrest of a suspended Topeka deputy marshal on Wednesday. Indiana State Police arrested 27-year-old Zachary Miller on a warrant charging him with a class A misdemeanor of interference with the reporting of a crime and a class C misdemeanor of leaving the scene of a property damage accident. The investigation began December 19th when Miller's vehicle was struck by an Amish buggy near the intersection of State Road 5 and U-S 20 at Shipshewana. According to Lagrange County Prosecutor Jeff Wible, Miller left the scene of that crash for unknown reason. Miller was free on bail following his arrest in November on one count of conspiracy to deal methamphetamine and three counts of official misconduct. He's accused of smoking methamphetamine and receiving cash to protect illegal drug shipments. Miller was released Wednesday from the LaGrange County Jail after posting a $3,000 bond on the latest charge.
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Saturday, January 16, 2010
(MONTPELIER, OHIO) - Evergreen Nursing Home in Montpelier is collecting relief supplies for earthquake victims in Haiti as part of International Services of Hope. Donations can be dropped off at the nursing home at 924 Charlie's Way in Montpelier at any time. Suggested items include bottled water, canned food, non-perishable food items, first aid kits, personal hygiene items, blankets, spray and liquid cleaners and bleach. They are asking that no glass items or clothes be donated. For more information, contact Fara Nickle at Evergreen Manor at 419-485-8307 or go to isohimpact.org.
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Saturday, January 16, 2010
(WILLIAMS COUNTY, OHIO) - A Montpelier, Ohio man is looking at a maximum prison sentence of 69 years after he was convicted Thursday on 13 felony counts involving sex crimes against two young girls. 43-year-old Alan D. Dolman is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16th. Dolman was convicted by a jury on 11 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance as well as two charges of endangering children. Eight of the charges that Dolman was convicted on are second degree felonies in Ohio that carry maximum sentences of eight years.
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Friday, January 15, 2010
(FLINT) - Late penalties assessed to customers of the Steuben Lakes Regional Waste District whose payments are not received on time were discussed during Thursday nights District Board of Trustees meeting. Several letters have been received by the district but Board President Bill Heckley said they are governed by state regulations when it comes to monthly bills. He said if the district does not get the money by the due date, there is nothing more they can do but make the customer pay a late penalty. District Superintendent Tim Frederick said late payments in the mail are not an issue with the local post office. He said customers who use a third party vendor such as a bank to pay their bills should check to make sure the payment has gone out. But a customer who lives on West Otter Lake says the district have moved up the due date by ten days to the 15th of the month and that they were not informed about it ahead of time. In other business, Heckley said the Orland sewer project was moving along now that the weather has improved. The work is expected to be finish sometime this spring. As a follow up to Tuesday nights meeting about a proposed sanitary sewer project in the northeastern part of the district, Heckley said they hope to have another public meeting sometime in July or August.
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Friday, January 15, 2010
(LAKE JAMES) - It's a soggy fund raiser. The Lake James Restaurant Club Paradise will be donating all of the money raised from its second annual “Parrot Plunge” on Saturday afternoon to the Steuben County United Way. Registration for those who want to the plunge into the chilly waters of Lake James will start at 12:00noon. If you are not harty enough to take a dip, there is no admission charge to watch. Steuben County United Way Executive Director Darci Gaff says they will use the funds raised from the "Parrot Plunge" to support local health and educational programming. Pledge forms are available for download from the United Way website at www.unitedwaysteuben.org. For more information, call the United Way office at 665-6196.
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Friday, January 15, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Contractor's for the Angola Wastewater Treatment Plant will be working on East Maumee Street between Washington and Euclid Streets all day on Friday. Wastewater Department Superintendent Craig Williams says Maumee Street may be reduced to one lane and access to Euclid Street from Maumee Street may be limited or completely blocked. Access to Euclid should be made from the south off of East Gale Street. Williams adds the main entrance to Cameron Hospital will remain accessible throughout the day but visitors and employees are being encouraged to access the Cameron lots from East Gale Street.
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Friday, January 15, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Officials at Trine University have announced the schedule of events that will celebrate Doctor Martin Luther King during Black History Month. Activities and events will take place during the week of February 15th in the University Center. The 20th annual celebration of Doctor King's life will be sponsored by the Office of Student Life and the Office of Student Success and Retention. Among the events will be a free program honoring Doctor King will be held on Friday, February 19th in the Fabiani Theatre starting at 7:00pm. The program is open to the public and will include a message from guest speaker Doctor Crystal B. Thomas, presentations by Trine students and performances by the Voices of Unity Youth Choir from Fort Wayne.
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Friday, January 15, 2010
(MIDDLEBURY) - An 8-year-old Middlebury Elementary School student collapsed during gym class Thursday morning and later died at Elkhart General Hospital. The Elkhart County Sheriff's Department says Nolan Lawson was doing a warm-up routine for class by running with other students who alerted the teacher immediately. She and other school staff provided medical assistance until paramedics arrived. Deputies say the death might be related to an existing medical condition. Middlebury police were assisted by Elkhart County Sheriff’s Department officers in collecting information at the school.
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Friday, January 15, 2010
(UNDATED) - Over 15,000 Girl Scouts of northern Indiana and Michiana will begin selling Girl Scout cookies today. Eight varieties of cookies will be sold this year. If you are a fan of the "Daisy Go Rounds", better hurry. This is the last year they will be sold. The annual Girl Scout cookie sale will continue through March 9th. The Cookie Program is designed to teach young girls about leadership skills in such areas as planning, problem solving and managing resources. Over 4,700 adult volunteers are involved with the northern Indiana and Michiana Girl Scouts. To find a Cookie Booth near you, log onto www.gsnim.org.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(BRYAN, OHIO) - Bryan Police Chief Jeff Arnold says the results of an autopsy showed that an elderly woman who was found murdered last month died from blunt force trauma to the head and face. Arnold issued a news release on Thursday concerning the death of 91-year-old Grace Kennedy whose body was found in her home at 407 John Street in Bryan. Police were called there on December 23rd to check on her well-being after neighbors saw newspapers piling up at the residence. No arrests have been made yet and the investigation into her death is continuing. Arnold says a $6,000 reward is being offered by the family and the Bryan Police Department for information about the murder which is the first one in Bryan in nearly 60 years. Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Bryan Police at 419-636-4233 or Williams County Crime Stoppers at 419-485-9302. Arnold says all information received will be kept confidential.
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Tuesday, January 14, 2010
(KENDALLVILLE) - The State of Indiana has told the East Noble School District they will have to trim $1 million from its 2009-2010 budget. This is on top of the three percent cut East Noble and other districts around the state have to make. The News-Sun says East Noble school officials plan to cut nine instructional aides, reduce hours for teacher assistants, leave a custodian job open and move grant funding. The immediate cuts will save the district about $511,000. The balance of the cost cutting is expected to take place this spring.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(FORT WAYNE) - Bishop Kevin Rhoades was installed as the spiritual leader of more than 150,000 Roman Catholics in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend on Wednesday during a Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Rhoades becomes the ninth bishop of the northern Indiana diocese. He began his first homily as bishop by urging everybody to pray for the people of Haiti. The 52-year-old Rhoades comes to the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese after being the bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania for five years. He takes over for Bishop John D'Arcy who led the diocese since 1985.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(ASHLEY) - Ashley Police are investigating the recent thefts of items and gasoline from vehicles. Ashley Town Marshall Scott Barnhart says no arrests have been made. He is reminding everybody to make sure their vehicles are locked. With the gasoline thefts, Barnhart says it would be wise to use a locking gas cap as well. Anyone with information on the thefts is asked to call Ashley Police at 587-9388.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(ANGOLA) - After two years of planning, work on the Angola Downtown Streetscape Improvement Project is just a couple of months away from getting underway. Angola City Planner Julie Cole says the work will be done in two phases since Federal Stimulus money was not secured. Cole and consultant Adam Thiess brought about 50 people up to date on what kind of work will be performed this year during a Wednesday night meeting at Cahoot's Coffee Cafe. The first phase will focus on the Public Square sidewalks. It will be funded through a $500,000 state grant as well as a $150,000 local match and $17,000 from other various community resources. Work will include the removal of broken sidewalks and curbs. It's hoped the work can start in March and end in time for the Fourth of July parade. The Angola City Council is scheduled next Tuesday night to award the contractor bid for the first phase. The second phase is scheduled to take place between July and October and will focus on work along U.S. 20 from the railroad tracks to the downtown area. Phase two is being funded by a $504,000 INDOT grant and a local match of $126,000.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(FREMONT) - As has been speculated in recent weeks, former Fremont Town Council President Loretta Smart has announced she is running for the North District seat on the Steuben County Board of Commissioners. So far, she and M.S.D. of Steuben County Superintendent Doctor David Goodwin have announced they are running for the Commissioners position on the Republican side while Lon Keyes is running on the Democratic side. The position is currently held by Mayo Sanders who has decided not to seek another term. In announcing her candiacy, Smart says there's a strong movement currently against politics as usual at the local and national level. She adds her candidacy represents a fresh approach to the Commissioners but Smart also feels she is someone well grounded in the lessons of local government. Smart has served on various government boards including the Fremont Town Council for 17 years. She spent seven years as the Town Council President before she recently stepped down.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(COLDWATER) - A man charged with using a shot gun to kill a fellow resident at the Country Meadows Adult Foster Care home in Branch County's California Township is scheduled to go on trial March 16th. 51-year-old Kenneth Kalasz is charged with killing Don Miller in February of 2009. Kalasz has been held without bond since his arrest on the day of the shooting. Branch County Circuit Court officials have blocked off three days for the trial.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(FORT WAYNE) - The leader of Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne says a confrontation between two boys which led to a stabbing on Wednesday was out of character for both of them. Police say a 14-year-old boy attacked a 17-year-old with a large knife in the school cafeteria after they had gotten into an argument on Tuesday. The older boy is recovering from non life-threatening neck wounds. The younger boy was arrested and Fort Wayne Police spokesman Michael Joyner says he will likely face charges of aggravated battery and possession of a weapon on school property. Concordia executive director Terry Breininger says both youngsters are good students. The private school was operating normally on Thursday.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(EDGERTON, OHIO) - A woman died in a two vehicle traffic accident and there were some anxious moments involving one of the Samaritan Helicopters in Edgerton, Ohio on Wednesday afternoon. Edgerton Police say a vehicle driven by 73-year-old Gwendoline Trevino of Edgerton was struck broadside as it was trying to turn into a gas station at U.S. 6 and Vine Street by another vehicle driven by 30-year-old Jennifer Horne who is also from Edgerton. A Samaritan Helicopter was called in to transport the women to Parkview Hospital. As the chopper was landing near the Edgerton Medical Center, it clipped some wires causing a utility pole to topple. The pilot managed to land the chopper but two others had to be called in. A Lutheran Helicopter flew Trevino to Parkview where she later passed away. Another Samaritan Helicopter was brought in to fly Horne to Parkview where she is listed in fair condition. The Ohio Highway Patrol, the F.A.A. and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the chopper incident.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Hamilton Millpond Conservancy District is no more. With the state of Indiana agreeing to pick up all of the fix up costs for the dam at Hamilton Lake, Steuben County Magistrate Randy Coffey officially dissolved the district on Wednesday after a petition was filed in September. The court document states the district is no longer a benefit for surrounding property owners. It went on to say the district board has failed to produce within two years satisfactory evidence of progress in the preperation of a district plan. The district came about after the 1996 Hamilton Lake flood. Original plans called for a ten percent local match in the funds that would have been used to fix the dam. But many affected property owners objected and the matter eventually wound up in court. Some felt the state of Indiana should have pick up all of the costs for fixing the dam. Eventually, local and state officials worked things out.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - There is no shortage of issues facing small businesses during this session of the Indiana General Assembly and in Congress. Barbara Quandt from the National Federation of Independent Business told LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce members on Thursday that the national health care reform bill in the Senate is a prime example. Quandt says it expands the definition of construction trades and lowers the threshold of when a business would be required to provide health insurance. If it passes, Quandt says that could have a detrimental impact on small businesses. Other issues impacting businesses include delaying the increase in unemployment taxes in Indiana, putting property tax caps into the state constitution, and extending sales taxes to include services.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Council heard a request from the Health Department's Tom Friend on Tuesday to increase the salary of the department's nurse following the recent retirement of two employees. Friend said the nurse's salary is "historically lower" than neighboring counties. He proposed taking the $3,380 saved from former Food Saniterian Bob Gose's retirement and applying it to the nursing position. Since the state has not approved Steuben County's 2010 budget, Council member Paul Sparks was hesistant to take immediate action and felt a committee should be formed in light of possible budget shortfalls. But fellow Council member Linda Hansen did not think a committee was needed right now since the final budget numbers are not known. In other business, the Council tentatively scheduled a joint meeting with County Commissioners for April 13th to discuss funding requests recently made by officials from the Steuben County-Tri State Airport. In addition, Bill Booth was re-elected as Council President for 2010 while John Hughes will again serve as Vice-President.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A Pleasant Lake man was formally charged on Tuesday with allegedly using a large metal pipe to injure another man. 29-year-old Joshua David Filley is facing a Class C felony of Battery with a Deadly Weapon. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf during Tuesday's initial hearing in front of Magistrate Randy Coffey and bond was set at $20,000. Linda Wagoner was appointed as Filley's attorney. The case will go through Steuben Circuit Court where a pre-trial conference was scheduled for March 15th. Filley was also ordered not to have any contact with the alledged victim if he should post bond. According to a probable cause affadavit filed by Indiana State Police detective Kevin Smith, the alleged incident took place after the injured man and three others went to Filley's home either late Sunday night or early Monday morning. The incident happened as the four were trying to leave but their vehicle got stuck in the snow. The injured man was taken to Cameron Hospital by the other three who were with him and he was later transferred to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. According to court document, Filley allegedly hit the man multiple times, breaking both of his arms and causing a skull fracture. The probable cause affadavit did not detail the circumstances which might have led up to the incident.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Over 50 people jammed their way into a meeting room at the Ramada Inn Tuesday night as the Steuben Lakes Regional Waste District hosted a 90 minute meeting to gather public comments on a proposed sanitary sewer project for the northeast corner of the district. The area covered includes the Outlet Malls, Pokagon State Park and Lake Charles. District Board of Trustees President Bill Heckley said if the project is pursued, it would serve over 1,300 households. But he added it would be at least five years before any dirt is moved. Heckley also said if the board felt the majority of people were against it, they would not pursue it. If the district moves forward, the next step would be a preliminary engineer report that would cost between $60,000 and $100,000. Among the items some audience members grumbled about were the proposed monthly fees. According to preliminary figures, those fees would run anywhere from $86 to $98 a month depending on the length of a loan the district would have to take out. One audience member asked district officials who was forcing them to do this. Another said no facts were being presented. Responding to one audience member, District Superintendent Tim Frederick said the project was not being mandated by the E.P.A.. He said it had been requested in recent years by Pokagon State Park, some commercial properties and by some residents. The district plans to hold another meeting to gather public imput sometime this summer.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Changes in the funding method for detaining juvenile offenders maybe a 2010 budget buster in Steuben County. The Steuben County Council approved $700 worth of transfers in the 2009 Circuit Court budget for juvenile detention on Tuesday but they maybe facing a bigger problem in the near future. The financial burden of housing juvenile offenders has switch from the state to the local level. A $40,000 additional appropriation request for 2010 is scheduled to come before the Council next month and Council member Linda Hansen felt it will not be enough. Adding to the juvenile detention funding issues is that the state of Indiana has not yet approved Steuben County's 2010 budget. That is expected to take place sometime next month.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(INDIANAPOLIS) - Three area schools made the list of 188 Indiana Schools that were named Four Star Schools by the Indiana Department of Education on Wednesday. Making the list are Westview Elementary and Meadowview Elementary in the Westview School Corporation and Central Noble High School. The non-monetary awards go to schools that meet Adequate Yearly Progress guidelines and rank in the top 25 percent in I-STEP Plus scores and student attendance.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Police are looking for information regarding the Monday burglary of the Heavenly Breads and Sweets Bakery on 200 West. Crime Stoppers of Steuben County Coordinator Shari Dean says somebody got into the bakery early Monday morning and took a digital camera as well as an undisclosed amount of cash. Anyone with information on this crime or any other crime can call Crime Stoppers at 668-STOP or 1-800-600-HALT. You can also leave a tip at steubencountycrimestoppers.org. You do not have to give your name and your tip could lead to a cash reward of up to $1,000.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Health Department has announced they are resuming routine children immunization clinics starting next Tuesday, January 19th. Walk-in clinic days will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am until 11:30am. Scheduled appointments will be available on Wednesday evenings through the month. The clinics are for routine immunizations only. Adults hours will be Monday and Wednesday from 10:00am until 11:00am and Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00pm until 4:00pm. TB tests for adults will be offered Mondays and Tuesdays. All H1N1 clinics will be held on Mondays from 2:00pm until 4:00pm at the health department. If you have any questions, call 668-1000, extension 1500.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(INDIANAPOLIS) - A report released on Tuesday by the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute shows Steuben County was one of 22 counties in the state that was a donor county over the last year. That means taxpayers in those counties paid more then the county gets back. The report indicated that Steuben County was a donor county because it borders two states and has two interstate highways running through it. The report also showed that neighboring LaGrange, Noble and DeKalb Counties got more tax dollars than citizens in those counties paid.
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A downtown organization has been formed by a group of businesses and citizens called the Go Angola Downtown Business Alliance. The group recently put out a calendar and they have set up a fund at the Steuben County Community Foundation called the Go Angola Fund. They plan to meet Thursday mornings at 8:30am in Cahoots Coffee Café starting on January 21st. Upcoming fundraising events include a Bachelor and Silent Auction on January 30th at Piggy's Brew Pub and a garage sale and flea market at the Central School gym on February 20th. The goal of the newly formed group is to encourage progress and development in the Downtown Angola community through a variety of initiatives.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(UNDATED) - Steuben County and other area firefighters were kept busy on Monday evening as three fires broke out in the span of nearly three hours. Six departments were called to a house fire at 8150 East Metz Road which was reported at about 4:20pm at a home owned by Samuel Carroll. Angola Fire Department Public Information Officer T.R. Hagerty says the first units on the scene found heavy black and brown smoke coming from the house and fire showing between the house and garage area. It took almost three hours to get the blaze under control. Damage was estimated at about $100,000. Hagerty says the cause of the fire is stil under investigation. Then at about 5:30pm, a fire destroyed a barn that was owned by Jason Book at 5575 East 540 North. Fremont Fire Department Public Information Officer Brett Steele says the first units found nearly 70 percent of the barn engulfed in flames. Firefighters had to use a defensive attack to contain the blaze until other responding units could arrive. The building was used to store equipment for Book's Tree Service. Items lost in the fire include vehicles, tree service equipment and tools. The cause of the fire is undetermined and damages have been estimated at $200,000. Nearly a dozen departments were called to battle the blaze which was called under control at about 7:45pm. Crews cleared the scene just after 9:30pm. The third fire of the evening caused heavy damage to a home at 3860 Zion Street on the south side of Hamilton. It was reported at about 7:30pm and was not called under control until about 10:00pm. Crews were on the scene until nearly midnight. Hamilton Fire Chief Rodney Snyder says the cause of the fire appears to be electrical in nature. Firefighters from six departments battled the blaze. No injuries were reported from any of the three fires.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Ironically on a night when three fires broke out around Steuben County, representatives from Umbaugh and Associates presented a draft of a proposed fire territory and the costs involved to representatives from the city of Angola and four nearby townships. The city along with Jamestown, Pleasant, Scott and York Townships would be part of the territory. Angola Fire Chief Mike Meek said as part of the fire territory, a new station would be established at Orland Road and 300 West. He also said there has been talk of a fire territory being formed by townships in the southwestern part of Steuben County. Paige Gregory from Umbaugh said the funding sources would total just over $1 million. The tax rate per $100 of assessed value would be about 20 cents. She pointed out the draft was not final, it was just a place to start. After a discussion that lasted over an hour, township representatives who were present said they would take the proposal back to their boards.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(FORT WAYNE) - An Avilla woman whose husband died in a field near Garrett two years ago has settled her lawsuit against police and government officials in DeKalb and Noble counties. Julie Squire filed suit in federal court after a bungled police response to a report of an automobile crash resulted in Duane Squire's death as he and his autistic grandson were left stranded in a farmer's field near a wooded area. The Star of Auburn reported the parties reached a settlement through a mediator. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. Two DeKalb deputies responded to a motorist's report of a vehicle leaving the road and crashing into the field. They called off their search after a Garrett police officer told them the vehicle near the woods had permission to be there. Squire and his grandson spent the night and the next morning in the frigid cold. The boy required hospitalization after police and cell phone officials tracked Squire's cell phone signal to the area.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(HAMILTON) - The Hamilton School Board decided to keep the same officers for 2010 on Monday night. Scott Lucas will serve as president, Robert Gaff will be the vice president and Judy Manahan will serve as secretary. In other action, the board accepted the retirement of Mary Annette Poynter who has worked at Hamilton Elementary School for the past 20 years.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(BRYAN, OHIO) - Williams County Sheriff Kevin Beck says someone is making bogus phone calls about a murder investigation. He says his department was told on Sunday that somebody called a citizen and identified themselves as a Detective Wilson of the Williams County Sheriff's Office. The caller told the person on the other end of the line they had to be fingerprinted in connection with a homicide. Beck says they do not have a "Detective Wilson" affiliated with the Sheriff's Office. He says similar complaints have been reported to the Bryan Police Department, the Defiance County Sheriff's Office and other law enforcement agencies. Beck says the bogus calls do not appear to be related to the on-going investigation into the death of 91-year-old Grace Kennedy who police think was the victim of a homicide. Telephone companies throughout northwest Ohio are assisting with the investigation and Beck says whoever is responsible will be charged if they are caught.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(FREMONT) - The Fremont School Board approved a 2010-2011 calendar on Monday night which calls for students to go back to class one week later than in recent years. The students first day would be August 25th and they would be let out for summer on June 8th. Superintendent Ben Roederer pointed out the calendar could change if legislation is passed at the State Capital which would prohibit classes from starting before Labor Day. Roederer also reported that paperwork has been sent to Indianapolis that keeps the Fremont district eligible for stimulus money as part of the federal government's Race to the Top program. But he said the district is looking at a three to five percent cut as part of the state's belt-tightening efforts after tax collections did not meet revenue forecasts. Fremont Middle School Principal Mark Fowerbaugh also announced that at the request of students, students will be allowed to chew gum on a nine week trial basis.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Icy road conditions led to an Friday evening accident in Scott Township which injured an Angola man. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department says 24-year-old Clinton Penix was pulling out of a driveway when he was hit by a vehicle driven by 17-year-old Kory Willibey of Angola. According to a Sheriffs Department accident report, Willibey said he was unable to stop because of the icy road. Penix told police he did not see the Willibey vehicle. Penix was admitted to Cameron Hospital after complaining of back pain. A report on his condition was not made available by the hospital this morning.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - Talk of a possible hiring freeze for LaGrange County government came up at Monday's county council meeting. Councilman Mike Strawser asked if there was a way to prevent department heads from automatically replacing employees following a resignation, retirement or termination. County Commissioner George Bachman agreed with Strawser, but said implementing such a freeze is difficult. County attorney Kurt Bachman said the only way to enforce a freeze is for the council to go through the process of reducing appropriations from the budget. He suggested members of the council and commissioners could make it clear to department heads that such hires won't be funded in future budgets. In other personnel matters, the council approved the new county employee handbook. It also agreed to reverse its reclassification of the jail nurse from a salaried to an hourly position. Sheriff Terry Martin told council making the jail nurse an hourly position would end up costing the county more than having her remain on salary.
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
(MONTPELIER, OHIO) - Steve Yagelski was named Mayor of Montpelier, Ohio on Monday night by acting Mayor Jason Rockey. Yagelski will finish out the term of Michael Long who resigned on Friday. It's the second time Yagelski has occupied the Mayors office. Long said the poor economy forced him to spend too much time with his businesses and not enough time attending to the business of the village. Long owns the Dairy Depot, Montpelier Skate Company and the Weigh Station Gym. Yagelski will serve as Mayor through the end of 2011.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A second Republican candidate has announced a run for the Steuben County Prosecutors Office. Assistant Prosecutor Mike Hess officially announced he was running on Monday. Local Attorney Jim Burns is also running for the office that will be vacated by Tom Wilson at the end of 2010 as Wilson will not be seeking a sixth term. Hess has served as the Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Steuben County since 1987. He says the 23 years serving in that position has prepared him for the challenges the community faces in 2010 and beyond. Hess was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1981. Before his present job, Hess had a private practice and served as a Public Defender. Andy Aldred will serve as Hess' campaign chair.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - The LaGrange County Council has approved a resolution declaring their intent to make all unincorporated areas of the county an economic revitalization area. If confirmed, the action would make all areas outside of town limits eligible to seek tax abatement and knock 30 to 60 days off the time frame in getting abatement. Council tabled the issue last month and asked County Attorney Kurt Bachman to seek an opinion about the practice from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. The Council also sought a recommendation from the LaGrange County Economic Development Corporation about how long such a declaration should be in effect. Councilman Jac Price says the E-D Corporation recommends making the revitalization area permanent. The Council set a public hearing on the proposal for their March 8th council meeting.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(ANGOLA) - An Angola man was ordered to serve four years of a six year sentence on Monday after he pled guilty on November 25th to a Class C felony of being in possession of methamphetamine with a firearm. 21-year-old John Micheal Snook was also placed on two years probation by Steuben Superior Court Judge William Fee. Snook was given credit for a total of 102 days he has served in jail as well as for good time credit. In exchange for his guilty plea, four other charges including a charge of dealing in meth were dismissed by prosecutors. His sentence will be served consecutively with a LaGrange County case. Snook admitted to having a shotgun in his possession when he had meth with him at the time of his arrest by Angola Police last June 5th. In another case, Snook is also facing a burglary charge in connection with the break-in of a Jimmerson Lake home last May.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(FREMONT) - Head Start in Steuben and LaGrange Counties has begun accepting applications for fall enrollment. Children must be three years old by February 1st to be eligible. The program runs Monday through Thursday starting in September and going through May. Head Start also has a full day, 11 month program in LaGrange. This program is available to parents that are working or going to school. The full day program is five days a week, Monday through Friday. For an application, please call 495-4775 or 1-800-551-9819.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(UNDATED) - Three American Red Cross blood drives will be held in Steuben County over the next couple of weeks during National Blood Donor month. The first one will take place on January 21st at the Hamilton United Methodist Church from 12:30pm until 5:00pm. All donors will get a free pocket calendar. Other drives are scheduled for January 28th from 11:00am until 5:00pm at Trine University and from 11:00am until 3:30pm at Cameron Hospital. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-REDCROSS, that's 1-800-733-2767. For more information, visit redcrossblood.org.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Carnegie Public Library Director Sonya Dintaman told the Library Board of Trustees on Monday that the library finished 2009 in the black. She said they were over $75,000 under budget with almost $555,000 in the bank. She says the library did very well in cutting expenses and holding down costs, especially expenditures for materials. Dintaman added personel costs were also kept down during the past year.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(ANGOLA) - It was standing room only Saturday morning when the Angola Area Chamber of Commerce hosted State Senators Dennis Kruse and Marlin Stutzman as well as 51st District State Representative Dick Dodge. The legislators discussed various issues that are expected to come before the General Assembly which started their 2010 work on Tuesday. Some audience members which included those who belong to 9-12 and Tea Party groups expressed frustrations with the funding formula for schools in light of recent numbers released by the State Department of Education that show rural districts like those in Steuben County had higher graduation rates then many big city school districts. Property tax caps that would be put into the state constitution are expected to be another hot button issue. Dodge is among those who opposes the caps right now because not enough is known about what would happen if they become part of the state constitution. Kruse and Dodge both expressed doubts that a referendum will come before Steuben County voters this November that would ask them if they want a casino. Even though it has been pushed by local government officials in recent months, the Steuben County casino referrendum issue for the time being seems to have stalled in Indianapolis. Kruse does not think a proposed bill about gaming in Indiana would include referendums for Steuben County, Allen County or South Bend. He does not think there will be any movement involving casinos this year except in counties where they are currently located.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(DEKALB COUNTY) - DeKalb County Police say a Spencerville man escaped serious injuries in a Saturday afternoon accident after he fell asleep at the wheel. Police say 47-year-old Steven Davidson went off of County Road 64 near State Road 1 at about 2:20pm. They say he drifted off the south side of the road and went down an embankment. The vehicle then struck a tree before coming to rest in a ditch. Police say Davidson suffered non-life threatening injuries.
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Monday, January 11, 2010
(MONTPELIER) - A new mayor in Montpelier, Ohio is expected be named tonight during the Montpelier Village Council meeting. In an open letter to citizens issued on Friday, Mayor Michael Long said the poor economy has forced him to spend too much time with his businesses and not enough time attending to the business of the village. Long owns the Dairy Depot, Montpelier Skate Company and the Weigh Station Gym. The gym was recently moved to Hillsdale County.
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Saturday, January 9, 2010
(JAMESTOWN TOWNSHIP) - Former Clear Lake Town Board President Robert Troll was killed late Friday morning in a two vehicle traffic accident on Steuben County Road 50 West north of Feather Valley Road. Troll was 79. Besides the Clear Lake Town Board, Troll has also served as a member of the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation's Board of Directors. He has also done work for the Steuben County Community Foundation. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department says Troll was a passenger in a vehicle that was driven by his 77-year-old wife Judy when it apparently went out of control at about 11:20am due to the snow and slush covered road surface. The Troll vehicle then went left of center and was hit on the passenger side by a mini van that was driven by 27-year-old Shawntee Nusbaum of West Otter Lake. Mr. Troll was pronounced dead at the scene by Steuben County Coroner Rodney Snyder. Judy Troll was taken to Cameron Hospital for treatment of shoulder and head injuries. Nusbaum was not injured. The Sheriffs Department states in a news release that no charges are expected to be filed at this time. The Sheriffs Department was assisted by Fremont Police and Fire, Indiana State Police, Steuben County Communications and the Steuben County Coroners Office. Troll is the second former Clear Lake Town Board President to die in a traffic accident in the last month. Jack McArdle and his wife Karen died December 11th in a DeKalb County accident.
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Saturday, January 9, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Health Department will hold four more H1N1 clinics on the third floor of the Steuben County Community Center next week. The clinics will be held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 2:00pm until 4:00pm each day. The clinics are open to every one over the age of six months. Parents are reminded that children nine years and younger need a second dose of H1N1 one month after their first. After next week, the H1N1 clinics will be held on Mondays from 2:00pm until 4:00pm at the health department.
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Saturday, January 9, 2010
(FREMONT) - Fremont Clerk-Treasurer Kathy Parsons has earned the Master Municipal Clerk designation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. The professional designation is one of two granted by the institute. To qualify for the status, a municipal clerk has to attend extensive education programs and get enough experience in a municipality. The I.I.M.C. is a professional organization with more than 10,000 members in 17 countries including the U.S. and Canada.
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Saturday, January 9, 2010
(FLINT) - The Steuben Lakes Regional Waste District will host a public meeting this Tuesday night at 6:00pm at the Ramada Inn to discuss a possible sanitary sewer project for the northeast corner of the district. Russell Engineering conducted a Feasibility Study for a possible project that was completed in December of 2007. District Superintendent Tim Frederick says the goal of the meeting is to gather information from community members to assist with any future planning for the proposed project.
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Saturday, January 9, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - The LaGrange County Health Department will resume its regular vaccination clinics next week. The walk-in clinics are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30am until 11:00am and from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Appointment clinics are held on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 3:30. Off-site clinics in Shipshewana and Topeka are held on Thursdays. The clinics are open to anyone 18 and under and there is no charge for vaccinations, although donations are accepted. The health department will also hold a weekly H1N1 vaccination clinic on Wednesdays from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. It will be a walk-in clinic and H1N1 vaccine is free and available to anyone over six months of age. They still have seasonal flu vaccine available to children free and to adults for $20. All walk-in and appointment clinics are held at the Health Department Office on Townline Street across from Parkview-LaGrange Hospital.
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Friday, January 8, 2010
(UNDATED) - The winter of 2009-2010 is turning into a miserable one. Wednesday's freezing drizzle was followed by a nearly four inch snowfall on Thursday. Driving has not been any fun over the last couple of days and it's another morning where you have to give yourself extra time to get to your destination. Officially, Angola got 3.6 inches of snow. Steuben County Highway Department Superintendent Ken Penick says crews have been out since 4:30am this morning. Angola Street Department crews have been out since 5:00am and Superintendent Doug Anderson says drivers should be careful as there is ice underneath the snow. Crews are expected to work throughout the day. The snow which fell on Thursday was light and fluffy. North winds of between 10 to 20 miles an hour may cause some blowing and drifting on Friday. If the ice and the snow is not bad enough, another cold snap is heading our way for the weekend. Low temperatures over the next couple of nights are expected to drop into the single digits. Lows may flirt with the zero mark on Saturday night. Wind chill readings on Sunday morning could get down to as low as 17 degrees below zero. Just think, only 72 more days until Spring.
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Friday, January 8, 2010
(COLDWATER) – A Branch County boy is in critical condition after being pinned by a pickup Thursday. The Branch County Sheriff’s Department says the incident happened just after 1:00pm at 123 West Pearl Road. Deputies say when they arrived, they learned the victim’s step-father was backing a truck into a barn to hook to a farm wagon. His foot slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator, causing the vehicle to lurch backwards. The vehicle struck the 11 year old victim, pinning him between the truck and farm wagon, causing multiple injuries. The child was taken to the Community Health Center of Branch County and later transferred to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo.
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Friday, January 8, 2010
(ANGOLA) - It's no secret the past year has been a difficult one for many Steuben County residents. Thanks to double digit unemployment, Steuben County United Way Executive Director Darci Gaff says local food pantries have seen a large increase in clients and social service agencies have seen revenues go down as they try to meet increased needs. Gaff says to help assure that their partner agency's resources will be available in the coming year, the United Way is holding a fundraising effort called "GIVE 10, TELL 10." Traditionally, the United Way's annual campaign would be over by now but Gaff says the preliminary results are well under their goal which is why they have launched this latest effort. People are being asked to make a small contribution of just $10 and then ask at least ten friends to do the same. Donations can be brought in or mailed to the United Way's office located on the third floor at the Steuben County Community Center. You can also donate through PayPal on the United Way's website. Gaff says every dollar raised will mean one less dollar cut from agencies that provide vital health and human services in Steuben County. Meanwhile, last Saturday nights Angola High School Alumni Basketball Games raised almost $2,000 for the United Way.
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Friday, January 8, 2010
(BUTLER) - A Butler man is free on bond after being charged by DeKalb County authorities with assisting the suicide of a friend on Wednesday night. 38-year-old Robert W. Crow Junior is charged with a Class C felony in connection with the death of 43-year-old Jamie Gasso. Gasso was found dead in the garage of a home in the 100 block of East Willow in Butler. Authorities are accusing Crow of handing a gun to Gasso before the shooting took place. Crow is scheduled to appear for an initial hearing in DeKalb County Superior Court One on January 19th.
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Friday, January 8, 2010
(UNDATED) - Prairie Heights High School had Steuben County's highest graduation rate in 2009 according to figures released Friday by the Indiana Department of Education. Fremont was a close second with a graduation rate of 89 percent followed by Hamilton at 88.9 percent and Angola High School at 83.4 percent. Fairfield High School had the area's highest graduation rate in 2009 while Central Noble and Lakeland posted the lowest. Fairfield graduated 95.1 percent of its seniors on time last year followed by Garrett at 94.1 percent. Meanwhile, Central Noble posted a graduation rate of 81.8 percent, with Lakeland High School at 81.9 percent. Lakeland's rate was up six percent from 2008, while Central Noble's was down 2.6 percent. Also in LaGrange County, the graduation rate at Westview was 89.4 percent. In Noble County East Noble High School ranked highest, graduating 83.4 percent, with West Noble at 82.9 percent. Indiana's statewide graduation rate was 81.5 percent.
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Friday, January 8, 2010
(COLDWATER) - The lawyer for convicted murderer Tom Foley says a third person saw a car parked in the driveway of the Foley home near Coldwater on the day Dee Dee Foley was shot to death. According to the Battle Creek Enquirer, Defense Attorney Tom Schaeffer says 38-year-old Jacklyn Gibson of Burlington claims to have seen a dirty, white car in the driveway at about 4:00pm on the afternoon of February 7th. A defense witness during Foley's trial said he saw a car quickly leave the driveway at about that same time. A woman from Homer came forward after the trial to say she saw a white car at about 4:45 on the day of the murder. Foley was convicted by a Branch County Circuit Court jury of shooting his wife in the head. The defense has claimed the shooting took place during a burglary. Schaeffer has been critical of the Michigan State Police handling of the investigation. He says Gibson contacted the State Police three days after the murder but no one called her back. Schaeffer also says the State Police withheld this information from him which violated his client's constitutional rights. A hearing on a request for a new trial has been scheduled for January 22nd in Judge Conrad Sindt's Calhoun County courtroom.
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Thursday, January 7, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Plan Commission approved an amendment to the county zoning ordinance on Wednesday night which covers several items including the definition of structures and basements on sloping lots. Plan Director Zach Michels said changes were made to the basement definitions after imput from the Plan Commission and members of the public. The changes include making the height of the basement 10 feet instead of 12 feet. For example, if a basement is 10 feet, then 7 1/2 feet of it should be below the natural grade. The amended ordinance also covers such items as the number of accessory buildings, storage warehouses, retaining walls, low-income home occupations and handicapped ramps. In other business, the Plan Commission gave primary approval for a minor subdivision consisting of three lots on Lane 650-C at Snow Lake. After a long discussion, the approval was made with the provisions that the County Board of Zoning Appeals would have to approve the lot sizes and that there would be no deeded lake access. The Plan Commission also re-elected Larry Gilbert as chairman for 2010.
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Thursday, January 7, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Trine University officials say a LaGrange County family recently donated a collection of 19th century books to the university. When 87-year-old Angelo F. Petitti Senior passed away this past August, he left behind a collection of over 1,000 antique books. His children including Angelo Junior of LaGrange recently made a gift of his collection to Trine. The elder Petitti began collecting the rare books when he returned to Chicago after serving in World War II with the Army Air Forces. Petitti learned to love books during his military service thanks to a Belgian professor. His collection includes books about the battle of the Alamo and a very rare 1812 account of treaties between Native Americans and the U.S. government. Trine Vice President Robert Remington says some of the collection will be placed in circulation within Trine’s libraries while the rare books will be placed in archives.
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Thursday, January 7, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A long-time Angola city employee has retired. Holly Gorrell's last day with the Angola Parks Department was yesterday after working in that department for 16 years. She previously worked in the City Clerks office for 12 years. Angola Parks Director Bob Walter says because of the city's hiring freeze, the vacancy will not be filled at this time.
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Thursday, January 7, 2010
(AUBURN) - John Silowsky of Hamilton has been named as the new General Manager of Kruse International. According to a news release issued by Kruse, Silowsky has previously overseen operations of Pullman Industries plants in Michigan, Indiana and Ontario. He also supported the acquisition of three more factories in Mexico and oversaw the operations of plants for Masotech Stamping Technologies in Ohio and Michigan. In addition, Silowsky supervised the launch of multiple products for Honda and Suzuki.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
(ALBION) - A female inmate at the Noble County Jail died Wednesday morning. Jail officers found 54-year-old Roberta Bloomfield of Avilla on the floor of her cell at 10:40am. Attempts to revive her failed. The Noble County Sheriff's Department said surveillance video showed Bloomfield and her cellmate apparently sleeping when Bloomfield suddenly rolled onto the floor in an apparent seizure. She was booked at the jail Tuesday afternoon, not Monday as previously reported, for operating while intoxicated. Her blood alcohol content was point-two-three percent at the time of her arrest, that was almost three times the legal limit. The cause of her death was undetermined pending the results of an autopsy. The Indiana State Police and the Noble County Coroner's office are investigating along with the sheriff's department.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
(AUBURN) - Auburn Police are looking for a man whose car struck a girl who was on her way to getting on her school bus on Tuesday morning. "The Star" reports the incident took place at about 7:20am near South Van Buren and 20th Street. The girl was not seriously injured and was treated at her school. The bus driver reportdly told police the car stopped briefly before driving off on Van Buren. Police are looking for a car that was said to be brown or dark in color. Anyone with information is asked to call Auburn Police at 920-3200.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
(UNDATED) - Freezing drizzle turned northeast Indiana into a skating rink on Wednesday morning and forced the cancellation of school throughout Steuben County. Main roads including U.S. 20 and I-69 were reported to be glazed over. Indiana State Police say there have been numerous slide offs but no serious accidents as of mid morning. Drivers are being urged to slow down and make sure there is enough distance between vehicles. The icy roads led to the closing of the M.S.D. of Steuben County, Fremont, Hamilton and Prairie Heights school districts as it was simply to unsafe for the buses to travel this morning.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
(FORT WAYNE) - LaGrange and Noble Counties can claim two of the first six certified construction-ready sites in Northeast Indiana. The Certified Site Ready program was unveiled this morning at a news conference in Fort Wayne. It's a collaborative effort between the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, the Northeast Indiana Foundation, and Strategic Development Group of South Carolina. In LaGrange County, a 114 acre field in the Fawn River Crossing Industrial Park next to the Toll Road is now certified. It's owned by LaGrange Cattle And Land LLC. The Noble County site winning certification is 65 acres in the North Ridge Industrial Park along State Road 9 at 400 North. Steuben County did not have a site receiving certification in the initial round of announcements while DeKalb County has the Weilbaker site consisting of 165 acres awaiting site certification. A site gets certification when it meets 15 standards that assure potential developers that they are ready for expedited development. LaGrange County Economic Development Corporation Director Keith Gillenwater says the certification gives LaGrange County a distinct competitive advantage with site selectors in attracting development and jobs.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
(FREMONT) - Steve Brown was chosen Tuesday night as the new President of the Fremont Town Council during the Council's annual organizational meeting. Brown takes over for Loretta Smart who stepped down last week after serving as Town Council President for seven years. She will remain on the Council through the balance of her term which expires at the end of the 2010. Brown has served on the Council since 2004. Joe Thomas was also selected as the Council's Vice-President. Also during the meeting, Town Manager Chris Snyder said a project to repair a sewer line that leads into the wastewater plant will run between $250,000 and $450,000 depending on what option the Council chooses. Snyder said part of the project may have to be bonded and that more firm numbers should be available next month. In addition, an ordinance which changes the Town Superintendent title to Town Manager was adopted. The main change under the new title is that the Town Manager will oversee all of the towns departments and department heads. A public hearing was also held Tuesday night as the Town of Fremont intends to apply for a state grant this spring to help pay for a downtown revitalization project. Lori McCoy from Region 3-A said they will be seeking a $500,000 grant with the local match totaling over $653,000. Snyder says the downtown project is still pretty much what they have been looking at over the last couple of years. If the grant is awarded to the town, it's hoped work can begin in the Spring of 2011.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
(BETHEL TOWNSHIP) – Four children were injured in a crash involving a pickup truck and a buggy Tuesday afternoon in Branch County’s Bethel Township. The Branch County Sheriff’s Department says the accident happened on Block Road north of Pearl Road just after 3:30pm when the pickup struck the buggy from behind. Seven children between the ages of eight and 14 were in the buggy. Four were injured but the Sheriffs Department says none of the injuries were life threatening. All seven youngsters were taken to the Community Health Center of Branch County for treatment. The driver of the truck, 53 year old Brian Wolf of Coldwater, was not injured. Deputies gave Wolf a ticket for failing to stop in a sure clear distance. Deputies were assisted on scene by Life Care Ambulance and the Bronson Fire Department.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Registrations are now being taken for the Steuben County Literacy Coaliation Even Start Family Literacy program which is resuming February 1st after it was recently awarded a federal grant. The program was stopped in 2004 due to cuts in federal funding. The goals of the program is to prepare young children for school success and to prepare their parents for success in the work place. The program targets undereducated and underserved families with children between the ages of three and five. A minimum of 15 families are needed for the year-round program. For more information or to register, you can call the Literacy Coalition at 665-1414.
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
(UNDATED) - With the National Weather Service issuing a winter storm watch for Thursday, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana State Police have decided to move up the schedule for an oversized load to travel from the Indiana-Michigan state line to Marion to Wednesday morning. Officials say the oversized load on southbound I-69 will reduce speeds and cause traffic obstructions. The load is scheduled to leave the Indiana-Michigan state line at 8:30am. It is expected to arrive in Fort Wayne about an hour later and at its final destination at the General Motors plant in Marion sometime around 12noon. The load is 24 feet wide, 14 foot by 6 inches tall and weighs 555,000 pounds. Additional loads are expected to be moved through the months of January and February. Motorists may want to take an alternate route in order to avoid expected delays on southbound I-69. Diamond Heavy Hauling of Shandon, Ohio is transporting the oversized load.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
(AUBURN) - A Fort Wayne man charged with killing his girlfriend as part of a violent New Years Day rampage in DeKalb County made his initial court appearance on Monday. 39-year-old Ronnie R. Jones is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of 32-year-old Melissa Patrick. She was found shot to death in an Auburn group home where she worked. Jones is also facing two counts of attempted murder and a charge of recklessness with a firearm after authorities say he tried to kill his former wife Sara Grimm and her boyfriend Jason Patrick at the Waterloo home they shared. Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of Jones during his initial hearing. He is being held without bond pending his next court appearance which is scheduled for March 8th.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Angola City Planner Julie Cole announced at Monday nights City Council meeting that a public meeting will be held next week in order to bring citizens up to date on downtown construction projects which are scheduled to take place in 2010. Cole says representatives from the city and EDEN Collaborative will be on hand at Cahoot's Coffee Shop next Wednesday night starting at 7:00pm. She says they will offer an update on progress related to the Downtown Revitalization Plan during the two hour gathering. Those who attend will have a chance to look at documents and ask questions in regards to the project. The meeting is free and open to the public. In other business, the Council approved a $20,000 request to look into the possibility of Angola and four nearby townships forming a fire district. Mayor Dick Hickman said Umbaugh and Associates will do the background work and come up with the costs involved with forming such a district with Scott, York, Pleasant and Jamestown Townships. Also during last nights City Council meeting, Clerk-Treasurer Deb Twitchell said that the sale of Dana stock shares which was approved by the Council during their last meeting resulted in proceeds that were close to the $1,975,000 the city was seeking. The money will be used to help clean up the enviromental mess left behind by Dana at the current Univertical site. She said they still had over 74,000 shares of Dana stock remaining.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
(STURGIS) - Sturgis police arrested the driver of a pickup truck on Monday that was towing a stolen trailer and snow throwers. They got word that the truck was heading north into Sturgis on State Road 9 and was suspected in the theft of snow throwers from the Kendallville area. Sturgis Police stopped the vehicle on North Centreville Road and learned the driver's license was suspended and the trailer and license plate were stolen from the Angola area. Police are still unsure where the snow throwers came from. The man, whose name is withheld pending arraignment, was lodged in the St. Joseph County Jail on charges of possessing stolen property, possessing burglary tools, providing false information to police, driving while suspended and on two outstanding warrants.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
(UNDATED) - More pain at the pump at the start of the new year. Gas prices at several service stations along North Wayne Street in Angola spiked on Tuesday afternoon by 10 to 15 cents a gallon to $2.79. Soaring prices for crude oil, the struggling dollar and the big chill that has hit most of the country are some of the reasons why the price of gas has gone up by almost 40 cents a gallon since the middle of December. Crude oil prices have risen nearly $10 a barrell in the last two weeks to almost $82. The web site Indianagasprices.com reports the average price for gas in Indiana has gone up four cents in the last day to $2.69 a gallon. The web site also reports that prices in Indiana range from $2.50 in Monticello to $2.85 in Chesterton.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - The Lakeland School Corporation is taking it's plans for a New Tech high school to the community. School officials on Tuesday announced the launch of a website featuring information about the project based learning model that will begin next August at Lakeland High School. The site also contains information for parents and the community about upcoming events geared toward sharing information about the coming changes. The first such meeting will be January 13th from 7 to 8 p-m for parents of eighth and ninth graders. That is the January PAT meeting at the high school and will feature a parent whose student graduated from a New Tech high school who will answer questions about the experience. A New Tech Community Summit is planned for January 28th from 6:30 to 7:30 at Lakeland High School. Any interested community members can attend and receive information about the Lakeland project.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
(ANGOLA) - A ordinance covering the use of wind energy was given final approval by Steuben County Commissioners on Monday afternoon. Commissioners passed the ordinance on second and third reading. Before they voted, County Commissioner Ron Smith wondered why it was called a "wind ordinance". County Attorney Don Stuckey said the name of the ordinance was appropriate. The Plan Commission gave the ordinance a positive recommendation last month after almost a year of work on it by the Steuben County Planners Office.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
(UNDATED) - The American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana will offer free CPR and first aid training to Steuben County residents this month. Officials say the classes are designed to train individuals to give proper care to conscious and unconscious choking victims. They will also be taught how to perform CPR, give first aid, and treat sudden illnesses. A review class for those who have received CPR training within the past two years will be held on Thursday, January 14 at 6:00pm. First-time participant classes for those who have never received CPR training will be held on Tuesday, January 19 and Thursday, January 21 at 5:30pm. All of the classes will be held at the Steuben County 4-H Extension Office in the Steuben County Community Center. For more information or to register for a class, call 260-484-9336 extension 240. Pre-registration is required. The free training has been provided by the Olive B. Cole Foundation.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(ORANGE TOWNSHIP) - A two story home near Kendallville was destroyed in a fire on Sunday night. Firefighters from a half dozen departments had to battle the flames at 3521 East 600 North. Orange Township Fire Chief Jim Ebert says the fire was reported at about 9:00pm and was not called under control until about 2:00am Monday morning. Crews were called back just after 6:30am when the fire rekindled. The occupants of the home managed to get out safely. Ebert says the fire started in the basement but it's cause is still under investigation. He estimated damages at between $60,000 and $80,000. No injuries were reported. Called to the scene were crews from Orange Township, Kendallville, Albion, Noble Township, Corunna and Johnson Township. Called up on standby were fire departments from Avilla, Topeka and Ligonier.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(COLDWATER) - An overheated wood burner is being called the likely cause of a fire which damaged a two story home in Coldwater on Monday morning. Coldwater fire officials say the blaze at 120 East Washington was reported at about 3:10am. They say the wood burner was in the rear laundry room and porch area of the structure. There was light to moderate damage to the contents of the kitchen and laundry room after flames had gotten all the way into a second story attic. The occupants managed to escape without injury.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - LaGrange County Commissioners approved the re-zoning of 46 acres at Fawn River Crossing from business to industrial this morning. The property is just west of Sun Valley R-V and south of the Toll Road and is the north part of 114 acres owned by LaGrange Cattle & Land L-L-C. The other part of the parcel is already zoned industrial according to Planning and Zoning Administrator Chris Godlewski. The plan commission unanimously recommended the rezone during a special meeting on December 30th. County Commissioner George Bachman is part of a LaGrange County delegation planning to attend a news conference Wednesday morning in Fort Wayne to announce various sites as certified shovel ready. LaGrange County Economic Development Corporation Director Keith Gillenwater said the rezoning was needed for the certification.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(NOBLE COUNTY) - An Angola man was injured on Monday in a Noble County accident. The Noble County Sheriffs Department says 64-year-old John Taylor was trying to pass another vehicle on U.S. 6 near County Road 1200 East when his jeep lost traction with the road, went into a ditch and began to roll over. Taylor was taken to Parkview-Noble Hospital after complaining of head pain.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(ANGOLA) - The City of Angola's Redevelopment Commission met briefly on Monday afternoon to pick officers for 2010. Brant Moore was named as the Commission President once again while Jim Hornbacher was named Vice-President, Julie Cole was named secretary and Deb Twitchell was chosen as Tresurer.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(LAGRANGE) - LaGrange Police arrested two people Saturday after they say they found drugs during a traffic stop. After pulling the vehicle over the LaGrange canine unit detected the presence of drugs in the vehicle. Police say Tera Evans of Middlebury was driving the vehicle and was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Her passenger, Wes Weinberg of LaGrange, was charged with possession of methamphetamine. Both were lodged in the LaGrange County Jail.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(AUBURN) - Kruse International is planning to file more lawsuits over the next few weeks in an effort to recoup millions of dollars. The Auburn-based company says it is owed $6.7 million by customers. Suits have already been filed in DeKalb County seeking over $2 million. Kruse spokesperson Kelley Ellert says the company is planning to file at least five and as many as 15 additional lawsuits as Kruse International continues to face legal issues over its debt. Auctioneer Dean Kruse says the recession has hurt his sales. Among the lawsuits Kruse is facing is one filed by a Kansas bank which alleges he violated terms on a loan in which he still owes $6.5 million.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(ANGOLA) - Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County will resume their storytime schedules this week. Storytimes will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For more information or to register, call 665-3362, extension 25. You can also register on line at www.steuben.lib.in.us.
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Monday, January 4, 2010
(HOWE) - Officer's looking for an alleged deadbeat dad wound up arresting two people of meth related charges north of Howe on New Year's Eve. A LaGrange County deputy was attempting to serve a warrant on 46-year-old Kenneth Garrison for felony non-support when he noticed an odor associated with the manufacture of meth. After obtaining a search warrant, officers found Garrison hiding inside the residence and arrested him. A search turned up meth and meth precursors along with marijuana and drug paraphernalia. In addition to the warrant, Garrison was charged with possession of meth and precursors, possession of paraphernalia, and maintaining a common nuisance. 42-year-old Sevilla Rhoades of Plymouth was also charged with possession of meth and precursors, possession of a legend drug and marijuana, and assisting a criminal. Both were lodged in the LaGrange County Jail.
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Sunday, January 3, 2010
(UNDATED) - There was a good reason why you were probably grabbing for that extra blanket this morning as temperatures dropped below zero for the first time this winter at many locations. The WANE-TV weather station at Pleasant Lake Elementary School recorded a low of two degrees below zero. Fort Wayne International Airport had a low of two above while the mercury dipped to two below in Coldwater, four below in Auburn, six below in Goshen and Sturgis, eight below at the South Bend Regional Airport and nine below in Three Rivers, Michigan.
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Sunday, January 3, 2010
(AUBURN) - The violence which took place in DeKalb County on New Years Day involved four people who knew each other. 39-year-old Ronnie Ruben Jones of Fort Wayne is being held without bond in the DeKalb County Jail on a preliminary charge of murder. He was arrested Friday in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend, 32-year-old Melissa Patrick. Her body was found in an Auburn group home where she worked at. Police say Jones also went to a Waterloo home that was being shared by his former wife Sara Grimm and her boyfriend Jason Patrick and tried to kill them. At one point, police say gunfire was exchanged between Jones and Jason Patrick before Jones crashed his S.U.V. into the house. All occupants of the house including six children had to escape through the back of the residence. Indiana State Police Detective Mark Heffelfinger said there was a strained relationship between Jones and his girlfriend. DeKalb County Police also say Melissa and Jason Patrick were going through a divorce. In addition, there has been a series of protective orders that had been issued in DeKalb and Allen Counties involving Jones, Grimm and Jason Patrick.
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
(AUBURN) - It was a violent start to the New Year in DeKalb County on Friday. An Auburn woman was found shot to death and a Fort Wayne man was taken into custody after he allegedly told police he shot her. Indiana State Police say 39-year-old Ronnie R. Jones is being held in the DeKalb County Jail on a preliminary charge of murder. Police were first called to a home in Waterloo just after noon on Friday on a breaking and entering report. When they arrived, Jones surrendered to Waterloo Deputy Marshall Gary Warfield. Police say Jones told officers he had just come from a home in Auburn where he had just shot and killed a woman that he would not name. When police went to the Auburn home, they found 32-year-old Melissa Patrick dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Police say Patrick was Jones' girlfriend. They add Jones told them he went to the Waterloo residence with the intent to kill his estranged wife and her boyfriend. Witnesses told police that when no one answered the doorbell at the Waterloo home, Jones fired several rounds from a semi-automatic handgun into the front door. Gunfire was returned from the inside by the boyfriend which may have struck Jones in the right leg. Jones then got into his S.U.V. and drove it into the house. The two adults and six children inside fled through the back of the house. Jones then fled to another location on County Road 427 where he was apprehended by Waterloo Police. Jones was treated for his injuries at Parkview Hospital before he was released back into police custody.
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
(KENDALLVILLE) - A Kendallville man is now charged with the December 14th stabbing of a woman. 24-year-old Jonathan Prater is charged with a felony count of battery for the attack on 19-year-old Kara Newport at an apartment on Dowling Street in Kendallville. Police were called there and found both Newport and Prater had stab wounds. The two reportedly shared the apartment. Prater was booked at the Noble County Jail on New Years Eve. He is being held without bond pending an initial court hearing.
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
(AUBURN) - A Fort Wayne man was arrested on New Years Eve in connection with the alleged shaking death of his girlfriend's four-month-old son in October of 2007. DeKalb County Police say 29-year-old Michael Rutledge was arrested on a Class A felony warrant for neglect of a dependent resulting in death following an investigation by the Auburn Police Department. The warrant was issued by DeKalb County Prosecutors in November. Authorities claim the alleged incident took place while the mother had left the infant in Rutledge's care for less than 20 minutes while she went out to get some pizza. Rutledge is being held in the DeKalb County Jail without bond pending an initial court hearing.
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
(UNDATED) - 2010 is expected get off to a snowy start in northern Indiana and southwest lower Michigan. The National Weather Service has issued a lake effect snow advisory until 7:00pm Sunday evening for LaGrange and Noble Counties in Indiana and for St. Joseph County in Michigan. Forecasters say snow could accumulate in excess of eight inches north of Knox, Plymouth and Warsaw and west of Albion, LaGrange and Sturgis. Lesser amounts are expected to the east and south. Besides the snow, winds out of the northwest at 15 to 25 miles per hour are expected to cause blowing and drifting snow. Wind chills are also expected to fall to near zero degrees. Forecasters say lake effect snows could continue well into next week.
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
(KENDALLVILLE) - A Kendallville man was injured Friday evening when he blacked out before hitting a pole with his pickup truck. Derrick Reick told police he felt ill and light headed before he tried to pull off of U.S. 6. Police say he blacked out before he could stop the vehicle which struck a pole at Noble County Road 600 East. Reick was treated at Parkview-Noble Hospital after be complained of pain and feeling light-headed. His F-150 was a total loss. Firefighters from Kendallville and Orange Township assisted Noble County deputies at the scene.
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Saturday, January 2, 2010
(COLDWATER) – A traffic stop on New Years Eve led to an arrest for marijuana possession in Branch County’s Ovid Township. Michigan State Police from the Coldwater Post say they stopped a vehicle on I-69 near Pearl Beach Road for following too close. According to troopers, a search of the vehicle revealed several hidden marijuana plants along with a small amount of processed pot. Troopers arrested a fugitive as a result of this investigation. Names are not being released pending further investigation.
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Friday, January 1, 2010
(ANGOLA) - It did not take long for the first baby of 2010 to be born at Cameron Hospital. A baby girl by the name of Neveah Kayannah-Lynn Wesling was born at 2:07am on New Year's morning. The daughter of Christina M. Wesling and Ronnie Smith weighed eight pounds, ten ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long at the time of birth. The youngster has two other siblings. Various local merchants have donated prizes to the mother and father for having Cameron's first baby of not only 2010 but for the new decade as well.
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Friday, January 1, 2010
(HAMILTON) - Temperatures were almost balmy for the annual Hamilton Lions Club polar bear dip at the Hamilton Millpond on New Years Eve. It was in the mid 30's and a light snow was falling when nearly 200 people braved the chilly water. An opening in the ice had to be made at the Hamilton Public Beach. The event raises money for the Hamilton Lions Club which in turn is donated back to community projects.
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Friday, January 1, 2010
(KENDALLVILLE) - A man arrested just last week when police found 25 meth labs in a Kendallville apartment was arrested again Tuesday night. 25-year-old Kevin Slone of Kendallville was jailed on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia, and residential entry. Slone was out on bail after being arrested December 22nd when police followed footprints in the snow from an accident to a nearby apartment on East Dowling Street. Officers say they found the 25 one pot meth labs in the apartment occupied by Slone. His latest troubles came when the owner of a rental property on North Main Street called Kendallville police to report someone was occupying the home without permission. While they were there, police say Slone entered the residence and said the items there belonged to him and a female. 18-year-old Sierra Renkenberger of Kendallville arrived a short time later and was taken into custody. She is charged with resisting law enforcement, residential entry, and possession of marijuana and another controlled substance. Her bail was set at $4,500. Slone's bail is set at $7,500.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
(UNDATED) - Unemployment figures that reached double digits in Steuben County and throughout northeast Indiana has been chosen as the top local story of 2009 by WLKI News. The rising jobless numbers came after the Wall Street meltdown in the fall of '08. The effects of the recession also lingered throughout 2009 but there was a glimmer of hope late in the year as unemployment numbers either dropped slightly or leveled off.
Other top stories covered by WLKI News in 2009 included--
* An April fire on Lone Tree Point at Lake James caused at least $6 million in damage as five homes were destroyed.
* A firey Fathers Day accident on I-69 near the 150 mile marker as an S.U.V. and a bus carrying members of a semi-pro football team collided. Killed in the crash was Beth Smith, the wife of PGA Tour member Chris Smith of Peru. 14 people on the bus were injured.
* The agreement reached between local, state and company officials to clean up the enviromental mess left behind by Dana-Weatherhead at the current Univertical site.
* Steuben County Commissioners abandoned plans for a sewer district in the central and southern part of the county after noisy complaints were made by some residents in the proposed district.
* The Breeden Y.M.C.A. changed names to the Y.M.C.A. of Steuben County.
* New student housing and the opening of the ARC on the Trine University campus.
* Two local school superintendents, Doctor David Goodwin in the M.S.D. of Steuben County and Paul Thomas in the Prairie Heights school district, announced plans to retire.
* Local officials and the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation tried to get a referendum on next years ballot asking county residents if they want a casino built sometime in the future.
* An Angola woman charged in December with killing her husband with an ax.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
(COLDWATER) - Coldwater Police say a half dozen businesses were targeted for the passing of several phony $100 bills on Tuesday. Public Safety Director Brett Pehrson says they are looking for a white male in his late 20's to near 30 years of age. The suspect is described as being five feet, ten inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black ball cap with a long bill and a black waist length coat. Pehrson says the counterfeit bills have the serial numbers of AF75393913F and FA93475913F. Local businesses have been notified by the Branch County Chamber of Commerce. The U.S. Secret Service and local banks have also been told about the phony money. Anyone with information is asked to call Coldwater Police at 517-278-4525 or Silent Observer at 517-279-2000.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
(INDIANAPOLIS) - State officials say Indiana traffic deaths for 2009 are on pace to be the fewest recorded in more than 80 years. Preliminary figures through Monday show 680 traffic fatalities. That's the lowest number since the 670 recorded in 1925, when Ford was still making Model T's. State records show traffic fatalities have dropped by more than 25 percent since 2004, when there were 947 deaths. Indiana State Police Superintendent Dr. Paul Whitesell says there's an increased emphasis on arresting drunk drivers. Northeast Indiana didn't fare as well as the rest of the state. Steuben and Noble counties were down, LaGrange County was the same as last year, and DeKalb County had more fatalities. According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, six people have died on LaGrange County roads. Steuben County recorded five fatalities compared to eight a year ago. Four death occurred on Noble County roads, compared to six last year. DeKalb County nearly doubled the number of fatalities with nine this year compared to five last year. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute says Hoosier drivers are traveling about the same number of miles as they did in 2008, when there were 814 deaths. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels attributes the decline to tougher seat belt and drunken driving laws and increased police enforcement.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
(HAMILTON) - The most asked question in Hamilton on New Years Eve every year is, "are you going swimming?" The Hamilton Lions Club will be holding its annual New Year's Eve Polar Bear Dip Thursday afternoon at 2:00pm. Last year nearly 200 people braved the chilly waters of the Hamilton Millpond. Those who decide to stay dry can purchase a weenie button. All of the money raised will go towards various community projects the Hamilton Lions are involved in.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
(INDIANAPOLIS) - (AP) - Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels says he doesn't expect to have to make any deeper state budget cuts in 2010. But he said Wednesday that depends on how accurate state revenue forecasts turn out to be. Daniels has ordered $300 million in funding cuts for K-12 schools and a $150 million reduction in state higher education spending because tax revenues are far below previous projections. He also told state agencies to cut their spending by 10 percent. Daniels says the state likely will have to use all of its financial reserves to get by. Indiana had a $1.3 billion surplus in July. He adds his emphasis over the next several months will be on making ends meet without tax increases or "calamitous" cuts in public services.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
(LAGRANGE) - LaGrange County will soon have a three person public defender board. County Commissioners approved an ordinance creating the public defender board on Tuesday in hopes of getting some state reimbursement of local public defender costs. Commissioner George Bachman called it a no-lose scenario for the county. Under state law, the county can receive up to 40 percent reimbursement for all non-capital felony cases if it meets state standards for public defender caseloads. Assistant county attorney Casey Cox said the commissioners will appoint one of the three board members, with judges choosing the other two. The county can opt out of the program if standards require the hiring of more public defenders.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
(FREMONT) - The Fremont Town Council will have a new President in 2010. Loretta Smart announced at the end of a special Town Council meeting on Wednesday morning that she was stepping down as Council President effective immediately. She has been the Town Council President since 2002 and has been on the Council since 1992. Smart will stay on the Town Council. Her current term expires at the end of 2010. A new Town Council President will be selected next Tuesday when the Council holds its annual organizational meeting. In other business as the Council took care of mostly end-of-the-year business, they approved a nearly $12,000 agreement with the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation for 2010. Town Superintendent Chris Snyder will once again represent Fremont on the E.D.C. Board of Directors. An ordinance on cell phone use by town employees was tabled as it is still being worked on. It's expected to come back during next Tuesdays meeting.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
(FREMONT) - A semi with no driver inside crashed into an office at First Call Towing at 7210 North Baker Road near Fremont on Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported following the incident which was reported at 9:38am. Steuben County Sheriffs Department Corporal R.J. Robinson says their initial investigation indicates the semi driver was paying for fuel across the street at the Angola Petro Stopping Center when his parked vehicle began to roll. It went south across Baker Road before going into the First Call parking lot. It clipped a pickup truck before crashing into an empty office which belongs to business co-owner John Calloway. Calloway's wife April says it was empty because he was working an accident in Michigan. She adds the impact shook the whole buidling. April Calloway said she and Operations Manager Marcia Pelham first heard a boom which sounded like a blown tire. They saw the truck coming across their parking lot and had to scramble to safety when they realized it was not going not to stop. The name of the truck driver and his hometown are not known yet. Fremont Fire and Police assisted the Sheriffs Department at the scene.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Health Department will hold four H1N1 clinics next week. All of the clinics will be in the Health Department on the third floor of the Steuben County Community Center on Monday January 4th, Tuesday January 5th, Thursday January 7th and Friday January 8th. All clinics will run from 2:00pm until 4:00pm. Officials say the clinics are open to every one over the age of six months. Parents are also reminded that children nine years and younger need a second dose of H1N1 one month after their first vaccination.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
(KENDALLVILLE) - Two Kendallville men are in jail after an alleged meth lab exploded in the bathroom of an apartment on Kendallville's north side. 28-year-old Aaron Michael Cox and 40-year-old Carlton Joseph Harwood are charged with manufacturing meth within a thousand feet of a family housing complex following the Monday night incident. The apartment unit at Nelson Estates was evacuated for about two hours. A six-year-old child in the apartment was released to a relative by the Department of Child Services. The explosion and fire in a bathtub was extinguished by the sprinkler system.
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009
(LAGRANGE) - LaGrange County Council members refused to fund the salary for a temporary Census Coordinator position on Tuesday. LaGrange County Commissioners appointed Code Enforcement Officer Carol Marbach to the Census Coordinator position last month. Her code enforcement position was reduced to part-time in the 2010 budget, and commissioners felt Marbach could do the Census job during the first few months of 2010 when she would not be needed as much at Planning and Zoning. But council members voted 4-0 to deny the request to fund the Census job after Councilwoman Kay Myers reported that other nearby counties did not pay their Census coordinators. Marbach resigned her code enforcement position last week when it became apparent that council would not fund the Census position. Commissioners said the Census job was important to making sure the county does not lose federal and state dollars. One part of the job was to work with Amish bishops in the county in getting an accurate population count.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Angola Attorney James W. Burns has announced his candidacy for Steuben County Prosecutor in the 2010 election. Burns has practiced law in Steuben County for thirty years and previously served as Chief Deputy Prosecutor and County Court Judge. After leaving the bench, Burns opened and has maintained a law office in Angola for the past 25 years. Burns has also served as President of the Angola Rotary Club and was the United Way Campaign Co-Chair in 1999. Local organizations he has been involved with include Big Brothers-Big Sisters, RISE, Incorporation and the Steuben County Community Foundation. Following the formation of his campaign committee, Bill Stockberger will serve as his Campaign Chair. Current Prosecutor Tom Wilson is not planning to seek another term.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(UNDATED) - Hopefully you filled up your gas tank yesterday. There's been another spike in gas prices around Angola in the last day. Prices have jumped nearly 20 cents a gallon to $2.68. The web site Indianagasprices.com reports the average price of gas in Indiana has increased by five cents in the last day and by 13 cents in the last week to $2.65. The web site also reports the lowest price of gas in Indiana is in Middlebury where one station was selling gas Monday night for $2.37. The highest price in Indiana was in West Lafayette where it's $2.89 a gallon at one station. The increase at the pump mirrors a recent hike in crude oil prices. As of mid morning on Tuesday, crude was selling at over $79 a barrel.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(DALLAS LAKE) - A LaGrange man was treated for frostbite after he fell into Dallas Lake trying to retrieve a goose he shot on Monday afternoon. Conservation Officer Rodney Clear says 27-year-old Joshua Dininny was hunting with two other men on an island at Dallas Lake just before 4:00pm. He took a jon boat out to retrieve two geese that had been shot and encountered rough waters and fell out of the boat. Clear says Dininny was not wearing a life jacket. He held on to the side of the boat and was rescued by some bystanders on shore who saw him fall in. They took another boat out and pulled him in. Dininny was taken by private vehicle to Parkview-LaGrange Hospital for treatment. Clear emphasized the importance of waterfowl hunters and ice fishermen wearing a life jacket under their winter gear. Parkview EMS and Johnson Township firefighters along with officers from the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department and Wolcottville Police Department assisted conservation officers.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Four bids for the Angola Public Square Streetscape Project were opened during a special meeting of the Angola City Council on Tuesday afternoon. Parrish Excavating of Quincy, Michigan had the low base bid of over $483,000. It was also the only bid under the budgeted amount for the project of about $537,000. Alternate bids were also submitted for such items as paving, landscaping, light poles and benches. Ann Marie Lindemeyer from Region 3-A said the project engineers need to review the bids before any contracts are signed. The Council agreed to take all of the bids under advisement.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(STURGIS) – A potentially dangerous standoff ended peacefully Tuesday afternoon. Sturgis Deputy Police Chief David Ives says officers responded to the 100 block of North Lakeview just before noon on a report of a 22 year old man who was involved in a domestic dispute and was threatening family members with a gun, holding them hostage. Officers arrived and had members of the household exit the residence. But they received mixed information as to whether or not the subject with a gun was still inside. Police determined there was a person reportedly in the basement. Officers were advised the individual threatened to kill family members and would not be taken alive. Police tried to contact him, but he would not answer the phone. Sturgis Police along with Michigan State Police and the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department secured the area. The subject finally came to the door and exited without a weapon. A search of the house by police discovered an air soft pistol that resembled a real handgun. The suspect is charged with felonious assault and is being held in the St. Joseph County Jail. The investigation is continuing.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(AUBURN) - Kruse International President Dean Kruse has filed what he is calling the first round of lawsuits aimed at collecting what he claims is $6.7 million owed to his auction company from past customers. A press release issued by Kruse International ran down the people and organizations that Kruse is taking to court in the first round of suits. He has initially filed seven lawsuits in DeKalb County which are seeking $2.1 million in back payments. Kruse says at the end of the press release that more suits will follow soon. Kruse has been battling financial difficulties over the past year that he has blamed on customers who have not paid him. He has also blamed the recession for the slow cash flow. Some who have sold cars during Kruse International auctions in recent months claim they have either not been paid or the checks they have gotten bounced.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(ANGOLA) - A teenager was injured early Monday afternoon in a crash on County Road 400 West near Orland Road. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department says 17-year-old Brandon Van Gordon of rural Angola suffered head and internal injuries in the accident which took place shortly before 1:00pm. It was earlier reported that Andrew Van Gordon was injured in the accident but that was not the case. The confusion apparently took place because the Sheriffs Department says Brandon Van Gordon was driving a vehicle which was registered to Andrew Van Gordon. They say the crash happened on a snow covered road when the Van Gordon vehicle was unable to stop and slid in front of a pick up truck driven by 26-year-old Mark Eicher of Auburn. Eicher was not injured. Both vehicles were called a total loss. Deputies say both driver wore their seatbelts at the time of the accident. At last report, Brandon Van Gordon was listed in critical condition at Parkview Hospital.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(BRONSON) – A Monday night fire destroyed a house trailer in Branch County’s Bethel Township. Bronson Deputy Fire Chief Ken Stutzman says a passerby called in the fire at 545 West Central Road just before 7:00pm. When fire crews arrived, the 14 by 60 foot house trailer was fully engulfed in flames. The blaze was put out, but the trailer was a total loss, with damage estimates at $20,000. The occupant, Jeff Wright, was not home at the time of the fire. Stutzman says the owner, Charlotte Duncan, did have insurance on the dwelling. The cause of the fire is still unknown.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
(AUBURN) - A Hudson man will go to trial for his part in last May's murder of a flea market owner at the Walker-Rowe Airport. A plea agreement for Matthu Sanders was rejected on Monday by DeKalb County Superior Court One Judge Kevin Wallace. Sanders entered a guilty plea last month to a Class A felony of aiding in robbery resulting in serious bodily injury which is an amended charge that was filed by prosecutors as part of the plea bargain. In exchange for his guilty plea, murder and other charges would have been dropped. Sanders was one of four men charged in connection with the killing of Raymond Edward Morrow. The other suspects are Clint Hess of Corunna, Matthew Nelson of Orland and Jeffery Cain of Florida. Sanders is now scheduled to go on trial March 2nd.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(BRYAN) - Bryan Police say a 91-year-old woman was the victim of a suspected homicide. Police Chief Jeff Arnold says officers found Grace Kennedy dead at about 9:00pm Wednesday after they were called to 407 John Street to check on her well being. Police were called after a neighbor had noticed a number of piled up newspapers. No details on how the woman died have been released yet by authorities. Arnold says the final determination of death will be made upon the completion of an autopsy. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting Bryan Police. Anyone who might have information on this crime is asked to call Bryan Police at 419-636-4233 or Crime Stoppers at 419-485-9302. Police say all persons submitting information will be kept confidential.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(ALBION) - A burglary investigation led to the arrests of two Noble County men on Saturday. 26-year-old Anthony James Hoover of Albion and 28-year-old Vernon Dwayne Hall of Ligonier were booked into the Noble County Jail. Hoover is charged with four felonies for possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and a controlled substance and for maintaining a common nuisance. Hall was charged with possession of meth and a controlled substance and visiting a common nuisance. Both were being held without bond pending initial court hearings. The Noble County Sheriffs Department says they were investigating a burglary in the 4000 block of West Albion Road when they say items were discovered that led them to a home near Albion. That is where Hoover and Hall were arrested and police say they found numerous items taken from the burglary as well as illegal drugs and items used in the manufacture of meth. Police add an active meth lab was found in the back of a van parked nearby and three children between the ages of four and 14 were in the home. The Department of Child Services were called in. The children were released to a relative who took them to Parkview-Noble Hospital for examination. The Sheriffs Department says other charges are pending.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(COLDWATER) – More H1N1 clinics for the general public are scheduled for Tuesday in Branch County. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community will hold a clinic at the C.H.A. office at 570 North Marshall Road in Coldwater from 1:00pm until 7:00pm. Anyone over 6 months of age is eligible and encouraged to be vaccinated at these clinics. There is no fee for the vaccinations and no appointments are necessary.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(AVILLA) - A driver who claimed to be lost in Avilla Monday morning was shown the way to jail by an Indiana State Police trooper. State Police say Trooper Brian Kreger saw a white colored car driving in and around Avilla. He saw the driver commit a traffic violation at 4:22am and was preparing to make a traffic stop when the driver stopped and walked back to the trooper's car. 28-year-old Philip Krantz of Columbia City told Kreger he was looking for the town of Albion. A license check returned that Krantz's license was suspended. Kreger then went to the car and smelled raw marijuana. According to troopers, a subsequent search turned up two pounds of marijuana, L-S-D, meth lab precursors, and drug paraphernalia. Krantz was held at the Noble County Jail while prosecutors prepared charges in the case. Avilla Police and Noble County Sheriff's Department deputies assisted in the investigation. The state police clandestine lab team responded to deal with the meth lab ingredients.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(LAGRANGE) - Monday afternoon's Community Harvest Farm Wagon visit to Parkview-LaGrange Hospital has been canceled due to weather. Starting next Monday, the Farm Wagon visits to Parkview-LaGrange will begin at 2:00pm on the north side of the hospital. Persons needing food should plan to arrive at least a half hour before 2:00pm. The Farm Wagon's scheduled Thursday visits to the Church of Christ in LaGrange are unchanged.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(FORT WAYNE) - (AP) - The new Roman Catholic bishop for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend will be formally installed during an invitation-only Mass next month. The diocese says the installation Mass for Bishop Kevin Rhoades will be January 13 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Fort Wayne. Among those expected to participate are Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican's ambassador to the United States. A solemn vespers service is scheduled for January 12 at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend. The 52-year-old Rhoades has been bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg in Pennsylvania for five years. He is replacing Bishop John D'Arcy who has led the northern Indiana diocese since 1985.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(ANGOLA) - A man from Howard City, Michigan is looking at a five year sentence after he entered into a plea agreement on Monday in Steuben Superior Court to a Class C felony of Forgery. 26-year-old Anthony Scott Hood is scheduled to be sentenced on January 25th after Judge William Fee took the plea agreement under advisement. Hood was arrested last July after he had been wanted on a Steuben County warrant since January of 2007 when he allegedly failing to appear for a hearing on a check deception charge. That charge was filed after Hood allegedly wrote a check for about $240 in March of 2003 to an Angola store from a closed account out of Oklahoma. Steuben County Prosecutors filed the forgery charge in September of 2008 after Hood was accused of using a fake name to rent several pieces of construction equipment from an Angola business in August of 2006. He has also been accused by Michigan authorities of using numerous fake identifications.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(WOLCOTTVILLE) - A warrant service turned into a meth bust in Wolcottville on Christmas. Noble County deputies attempted to serve warrants at 314 South Main Street Lot number 2. They could hear someone inside the trailer but no one came to the door. When they went to another door at the rear of the trailer they smelled chemical odors and secured the scene along with Indiana State Police and the Noble County Special Operations Group. Officers obtained a search warrant and entered the trailer where they found items used to make methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. 19-year-old Lakiesha Gilson was arrested on a warrant for probation violation, while 28-year-old Michael May was booked on charges of dealing meth and a body attachment. He is expected to face formal charges later today. Both are Wolcottville residents.
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Monday, December 28, 2009
(AUBURN) - A Hicksville, Ohio woman remains in critical condition at Parkview Hospital following a Saturday night accident in DeKalb County. 54-year-old Virginia Mackling was a passenger in a car driven by 50-year-old Guy Mackling of Hicksville when according to DeKalb County Police it went off of State Road 8 near County Road 45, overcorrected and rotated into the path of another vehicle driven by 69-year-old Harry Hornett of Waterloo. Hornett was taken to DeKalb Memorial Hospital. Virginia Mackling was taken to Parkview after police say she suffered a ruptured spleen.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
(NORTH WEBSTER) - In anticipation of snow, blowing snow and gusty winds on Sunday, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for a large portion of northeast Indiana, northwest Ohio and southern Michigan from 11:00am Sunday morning until 7:00am on Monday. Forecasters say moderate snow will increase from west to east beginning late on Sunday morning and overspreading the area through the area through the afternoon hours. The snow will gradually end by late this evening. Winds will pick up this afternoon and continue overnight. Snowfall amounts of between two to four inches can be expected with the greater amounts along and south of U.S. 30. Strongs winds will cause blowing and drifting of snow which is expected to make traveling hazardous. If you have to travel, use caution especially in open areas.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
(NORTH WEBSTER) - With minor flooding expected, the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning for the Tiffin River near Stryker which will affect Williams, Defiance and Fulton Counties until Wednesday evening. The Tiffin near Stryker was at 10.9 feet and rising at 7:00am on Sunday morning. It was expected to crest at 11.4 feet Monday evening at about 7:00pm. It is then expected to go back below flood stage on Tuesday night at about 10:00pm. Just a reminder, never drive vehicles through flooded areas. The water maybe to deep to allow safe passage. In addition, do not allow children to play in or near flood waters. More detailed river forecasts can be found at WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IWX.
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
(ASHLEY) - An Ashley company is once again providing a sweet solution to icing problems on Ohio streets and highways. K-Tech Speciality Coatings is supplying the Ohio Department of Transportation with at least 100,000 gallons of the product GeoMelt 55 this winter. The enviromentally friendly product features de-sugared sugar beet molasses which was patent protected in 2000. It is mixed with road salt to make it more effective. Ohio has been using the product for the last three winters. K-Tech is the exclusive GeoMelt 55 distributor for the northern two-thirds of Indiana as well as Ohio, Pennsylvania and the southern half of Michigan.
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Saturday, December 26, 2009
(UNDATED) - It's not a major winter storm but snow showers that fell early Saturday morning are causing some traffic problems. At least four slide off accidents were reported on southbound I-69 in southern Branch County near the Michigan-Indiana border. Steuben County Communications reported a pair of property damage accidents as well. No injuries have been reported. The snow showers are expected to last into tonight and we could see a couple of inches of accumulation.
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Saturday, December 26, 2009
(LAKE GEORGE) - Fremont fire officials say the cause of a Christmas morning fire at a Lake George home is unknown due to the extent of the damage which was estimated at $100,000. Fremont Fire Department Public Information Officer Brett Steele says the fire at the Tim Lawton Senior residence at 7740 North Old 27 was reported at about 7:50am. When firefighters arrived, smoke was visible coming from all four sides of the basement. The blaze burnt through the floor at the front of the residence so crews went in through the the back of the home and found the fire in the basement. It took about an hour to get the fire under control. No injuries were reported. The scene was cleared at about 10:45am. Fremont fire crews got assistance from the Angola and Lakeland Fire Departments, along with Steuben County E.M.S., the Steuben County Sheriff Department, Steuben County Communications and the Michigan State Police. Montgomery firefighters stood by at the Fremont Fire Station.
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
(NORTH WEBSTER) - Just in time for Christmas, the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for our area. It will be in effect from 11:00am this morning until 3:00am Christmas Day for Michigan's St. Joseph County as well for LaGrange and Noble Counties and areas to the west. The advisory will be in effect for Steuben, DeKalb, Branch and Hillsdale Counties from 7:00pm tonight until 7:00am on Christmas morning. Forecasters say a mixture of sleet and freezing rain will overspread the area Thursday evening. The precipitation will become heavier overnight before changing to all rain after midnight. Roads, especially the ones left untreated will be very slick this afternoon and evening. This will include I-69, the Toll Road and U.S. 6. Ice is also expected to accumulate on cold objects such as trees and power lines. Increasing winds may cause an increased risk of power outages on Christmas Eve night. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW, SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County United Way will host an Angola High School Alumni basketball game on January 2nd at the Central School Gymnasium. Game time will be 7:00pm. Admission will be a $3 donation with all proceeds going to the United Way. Among the former Hornets scheduled to appear are Charlie Wills, Ross Kinsey and Bryan Weber along with Savannah Werner, Dana Dunham, Lauren Grant and other members of the 2002-2003 state-ranked Hornet girls team that went 25-1.
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
(KENDALLVILLE) - A property damage traffic accident on Tuesday night in Kendallville led to the discovery of 25 so-called one pot methamphetamine labs at the same location of a double stabbing on December 14th. Kendallville Police report 25-year-old Kevin Ray Slone crashed his car into a utility pole and then ran into the residence at 669 Dowling Street. When police knocked on his apartment's door, Slone is said to have told them he was not the driver of the car but he gave police permission to search the apartment for other persons. Police say when they went inside, they found items related to the manufacture of meth and noticed a strong chemical smell. After Slone was arrested and a search warrant was obtained, police say they found the meth labs in the apartment house along with numerous precursors to make meth and drug paraphernalia. Kendallville Police say Slone was arrested for manufacuring meth and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(BATTLE CREEK) - Calhoun County Circuit Judge Conrad Sindt has scheduled a hearing for January 22nd in his Battle Creek courtroom as the defense for convicted murderer Tom Foley is seeking a new trial. The hearing was scheduled after a 70-year-old woman from Homer came forward with information about a vehicle she saw leaving the Foley home in Girard Township on the day Dee Dee Foley was shot to death. A Branch County Circuit Court jury found Tom Foley guilty last month of first degree murder in his wifes death. He was given a mandatory life prison sentence without parole last week.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(ANGOLA) - A child care program at the Y.M.C.A. of Steuben County has fallen victim to the bad economy and the loss of jobs in the area. The Y's Board of Directors decided on Tuesday that its Little Learner Child Care Program will close on March 12th due to low enrollment. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Peters said in a press release that “this was not an easy decision for the Board to make, but one that had to be made.” Peters added that the operation is closing because of declining enrollment and demand for child care services in the foreseeable future. Peters noted that with the Steuben County economic situation, the Y lost children because parents and grandparents were getting laid off. Peters also said the Little Learners program was excellent and that there were no problems with it. The Y plans to work with parents to transition their children to other child care programs. They also will help find other employment for the affected staff members.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(SALEM TOWNSHIP) - Tuesday nights slick driving conditions led to a Salem Township accident in which the drivers of two vehicles from Angola were injured. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department reports a car driven by 19-year-old Megen Wilson was approaching Lake Valley Road when it started to slide on snow and ice covered County Road 600 West. It then spun into a ditch before coming to rest partially in the road. While emergency crews were responding, a van driven by 32-year-old Cassie Hunter came over the hill and lost control when it swerved to avoid Wilson's vehicle. The Hunter vehicle then went off the road and struck a tree. Wilson and Hunter were both taken to Cameron Hospital, Wilson complained of neck pain while Hunter complained of back pain. The Sheriffs Department says seatbelts were used and were effective in both crashes. Salem Center firefighters, Steuben County E.M.S. and Steuben County Communications assisted the Sheriffs Department.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(UNDATED) - Santa is really going to need Rudolph tomorrow night and Old Man Winter is in line to get a big lump of coal in his stocking. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch from Christmas Eve afternoon through Christmas morning for parts of northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Forecasters say a mix of freezing rain, snow and sleet will develop late Thursday afternoon or Thursday evening. The precipitation is expected to change to all freezing rain or rain by early in the evening. Precipitation will then gradually change to all rain from southwest to northeast on Christmas Eve night. Roads could become very slippery early Thursday night for several hours before temperatures rise above freezing. This includes the Toll Road, U.S. 6, I-94 and I-69. If the crummy driving conditions aren't bad enough to ruin holiday plans, ice could accumulate on cold objects such as trees and power lines. Winds are also expected to increase and that may cause an increased risk of power outages.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(UNDATED) - The unemployment rate in Williams County dropped to 14.3 percent in November according to figures released on Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. That's an improvement from the October rate of 14.6 percent. The Williams County unemployment rate for November was the eighth highest for the 88 counties in Ohio. Defiance County's rate held steady in November at 12.2 percent. Ohio's non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in November went up slightly to 10.2 percent. The November unemployment rate in neighboring Indiana as reported last week was 9.3 percent.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(UNDATED) - The weather contributed to a pair of Noble County crashes within a couple of hours of each other on Tuesday evening that injured three persons. The Noble County Sheriffs Department says two person were injured in a wreck on County Road 900 North near 600 West just after 7:00pm. They report a car driven by 24-year-old Joseph Parks of Middlebury crested a hill, lost control and sideswiped a vehicle driven by 51-year-old Lee Ann Baucher of Ligonier. Baucher and her 15-year-old daughter were both taken to Parkview-Noble Hospital due to complaints of pain. Meanwhile, 49-year-old Alinda Summers of South Bend was injured in a crash at about 5:15pm on U.S. 6 near 500 East. The Noble County Sheriffs Department says her vehicle went out of control and was hit in the back by a Freightliner driven by 30-year-old Donald Graham of Huntertown. Summers was wearing a seatbelt. She complained of pain over her entire body and was taken to Parkview-Noble Hospital.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(CONSTANTINE, Mich.) - A police chase ended in tragedy on Tuesday afternoon in Michigan's St. Joseph County when a man suspected of retail fraud at a Three Rivers business was killed when his car crashed into another vehicle and a tree. Authorities say a 37-year-old Robert Porter of Sturgis was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident which took place on the south side of Constantine. A passenger who had earlier jumped out of the car was taken into custody. The driver of the minivan which was hit by Porter's car was not injured. Various police agencies assisted the Michigan State Police during the pursuit.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(ALBION) - A prisoner serving time at the Chain O' Lakes Correctional Facility in Albion was accidentially scalded by hot water early Tuesday morning while he was preparing food in the prisons kitchen. Prison officials say 52-year-old Timothy Polly of Elkhart is in stable condition at the St. Joe Burn Unit in Fort Wayne. They say he is serving a sentence for theft.
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Wednesday, December 23, 2009
(AUBURN) - A Corunna man originally charged with attempted murder last June was sentenced on Tuesday in DeKalb Superior Court II to time already served and good time credit on a Class D felony for pointing a firearm. Richard Leins entered a guilty plea to the charge last month as part of a plea bargain agreement with prosecutors. The attempted murder charge was dismissed by prosecutors in exchange for the guilty plea. Leins was also ordered to serve 753 days on probation which will include one year on home detention. Leins was charged with shooting 51-year-old Larry D. Daley in what Indiana State Police say was a dispute over money at a campground near Corunna.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(PLEASANT LAKE) - It took rescue crews almost an hour Tuesday morning to free a traffic accident victim from a vehicle following a wreck on Old 27 near 400 South, just north of Pleasant Lake. The crash was reported at about 8:20am. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department reports Zachary Elzey of Edgerton, Ohio was heading north on Old 27 when he lost control on the snow covered road. His vehicle then went into a yard on the west side of the road where it hit a utility pole, spun sideways and struck a tree with the passenger side door. A passenger, Karen Warren of Hamilton, was pinned in the vehicle for almost an hour because it was up against a very large tree. Elzey and Warren were taken to Cameron Hospital. Elzey complained of neck pain while Warren complained of pain to her right side. Power lines were knocked down across Old 27 which caused the road to be shut down for about a half hour. Responding to the scene were the Pleasant Lake Fire Department, the Steuben County Sheriffs Department along with Steuben County E.M.S. and crews from NIPSCO and Verizon.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(ANGOLA) - After raising several questions, the Angola City Council decided on Monday night to table the first reading of a proposed ordinance which covers wind turbine systems in the city. Council Member Ed Nagle, raised most of the questions. He felt it was to restrictive and counter-productive. The Council tabled the ordinance in order to allow City Planner Julie Cole to address their concerns. In other business, the Council agreed to eliminate the $250,000 Local Option Income Tax pledge towards sewage rates thanks to the recent increase in the price of Dana stock shares which are being used to help pay for the enviromental clean up of the Univertical site. The Council voted to have the city sell enough shares to raise over $1.9 million. With the stock closing at $10.95 on Monday, the Council also agreed to sell half of the Dana stock if it ever got down to $8 and sell the ramaining half if the shares dropped to $6 a share. They had earlier set the threshold for selling the stock at $4 and $3 a share.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Two Big Turkey Lake residents were formally charged with Class B felonies of manufacturing methamphetamine on Monday following a routine traffic stop in Orland on Friday morning. Bail for both 40-year-old Laura Ann Ferrier and 18-year-old Caden Ferrier was set at $50,000. Both of their cases will go through Circuit Court where pre-trial conferences were scheduled for January 11th. According to Steuben County court documents, they were in a vehicle driven by Caden Ferrier that was pulled over by an Indiana State Police trooper on State Road 327 north of State Road 120 for having a damaged taillight. Besides manufacturing meth and possession of paraphernalia charges, Caden Ferrier was also charged with driving without a license. None of the other vehicle occupants had drivers licenses so the vehicle had to be towed. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, police stated in court documents that they found drugs and paraphernalia. They add more drug-related items were later found during an investigation at the Ferrier's home. Besides the Class B felony, Laura Ann Ferrier is also facing possession of meth, marijuana and paraphernalia charges.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(ANGOLA) - An Angola woman charged with keeping a family member in her home against her will in February of 2008 was given a time already served sentence on Monday in Steuben Superior Court. 37-year-old Jennifer Beltz was given a five-year sentence after she pled guilty to a Class C felony of criminal confinement causing injury. The time she has already spent in the Steuben County Jail along with good time credit was suspended from the sentence and she was also placed on probation for one year. In exchange for the guilty plea, a battery charge was dismissed by prosecutors. Beltz was also ordered to have no contact with the victim in the case.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(ANGOLA) - A woman charged with driving two burglary suspects to a Jimmerson Lake home that was broken into last May was sentenced Monday in Steuben Superior Court. 19-year-old Nicole Schnetzler will not have to spend any additional time behind bars. After pleading guilty to a Class B felony of aiding in burglary, Schnetzler was given an eight year sentence with all of the time suspended except for the days she has already spent in the Steuben County Jail along with good time credit. Schnetzler was also placed on five years probation and was ordered to pay restitution.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(UNDATED) - Statistics released Tuesday by the Indiana Association Of Realtors showed home sales went up in all four northeast Indiana counties in November when compared to the days following the Wall Street meltdown in November 2008. There were 22 homes sold in Steuben County in November compared to 13 during the previous November. Meanwhile, 24 homes were sold in Noble County which was up from 16 in November of 2008. LaGrange County went from four homes sold in November of 2008 to nine in November of 2009 while DeKalb County saw an increase to 36 homes sold last month compared to 16 in the previous November. While home sales improved, median prices went down in Steuben, LaGrange and Noble Counties but up in DeKalb County. The median price in Steuben County dropped nearly 12% to $105,000. Median prices went down to almost $84,000 in Noble County and $85,500 in LaGrange County in November but went up to $91,500 in DeKalb County.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(FREMONT) - A new store opened in the Outlet Shoppes at Fremont on Monday. The apparel store 20 Below is now open for business in the north section of the outlet mall. The 7,700 square foot store is next to Oshkosh B'Gosh. 20 Below is known for its line of brand name adults, teens and children clothing.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(STROH) - Police arrested an Orland man Monday afternoon for allegedly attacking an ex-girlfriend. A woman called police reporting her ex-boyfriend was trying to break into her residence on LaGrange County Road 1150 East near Stroh. The suspect, 19-year-old Aaron Tecsi, left the home by the time LaGrange County deputies arrived, but was located driving a vehicle in the vicinity and held while police investigated. The woman alleged Tecsi hit her in the head and face and kicked her in the stomach. Officers arrested Tecsci on charges of battery, intimidation and residential entry and took him to the LaGrange County Jail.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
(ANGOLA) - In an effort to streamline operations, the Angola Board of Public Works and Safety voted during a special meeting on Monday night to combine stormwater billing for government and school properties. Included would be Trine University, the M.S.D. of Steuben County and Steuben County Government. City Engineer Bill Boyer pointed out that Trine University currently gets 34 stormwater bills every month. The B.P.W. also decided that commercial and industrial property owners should be billed for stormwater. In addition, Wastewater Department Superintendent Craig Williams was named to the Angola Plan Commission.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(COLDWATER) - Two children were injured Sunday when the pickup truck they were riding in struck a tree in Branch County. The Branch County Sheriff's Department says it happened just before noon along Union City Road near Olds Road. A 7-year-old girl suffered serious injuries and was transferred to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo where she was listed in critical but stable condition. A 2-year-old girl was admitted to the Community Health Center of Branch County in Coldwater. 26-year-old Amanda Marie Hall of Coldwater was driving the truck and was not injured. Police say child safety seats and seat belts prevented more serious injuries.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(ANGOLA) - An infamous section of I-69 in Steuben County reared its ugly head again Saturday night as eight vehicles were involved in three accidents on the southbound side near the Pigeon Creek Bridge. The crashes forced the interstate to be shut down for almost two hours. Luckily, only one injured was reported. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department says the crashes started when a truck pulling a box trailer started to slide on the ice and snow covered bridge and struck the guard rail. Deputies say all of the drivers and passengers were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash which took place at about 5:30pm on Saturday.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(UNDATED) - Between three to five inches of snow fell on northeast Indiana on Saturday after National Weather Service forecasters initially said only about an inch of snow was expected. Angola measured 3.3 inches of snow. Auburn got five inches of snow while Hamilton got 4-and-a-half inches and Fort Wayne recorded four inches of snow. Other communities reporting just over three inches of snow included LaGrange, Montpelier, Garrett, Avilla and Warsaw.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(TOPEKA) - A Ligonier woman is in critical condition after a pickup truck struck a buggy along State Road 5 near Topeka Sunday night. 32-year-old Mary Sue Bontrager was listed in critical condition at Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne where she's being treated for a head injury. Bontrager and eight others were in the south bound buggy when the pickup truck veered into the buggy lane and struck it. 29-year-old Gary Eash of Topeka told police he leaned over to grab some water and when he looked up he was partially in the buggy lane. Three others in the buggy suffered less serious injuries. The buggy was driven by 33-year-old Gerald Bontrager of Ligonier. The LaGrange County Sherrif's Department investigated the crash, which happened at 9:24pm.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(DEWART LAKE) - Police now have an identity to go with the body found near Dewart Lake in Kosciusko County last Wednesday. 40-year-old William Edmundson of Syracuse was identified through fingerprints according to Indiana State Police. There were no signs of trauma to Edmundson's body indicating foul play. But investigators say someone apparently dumped the body in a field along Kosciuscko County Road 400-East south of 1050-North. Anyone with information is asked to call the Bremen State Police Post.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(LIGONIER) - A Ligonier man was seriously injured when he lost control of his minivan and struck a tree Sunday afternoon. The crash happened just after 1:30 p-m on Noble County Road 900-North just west of Ligonier. Deputies say 22-year-old Vikter Busch lost control on the slushy road and left the south side of the road before spinning around and striking a tree with the passenger side of the van. Busch was not wearing a seatbelt and was pinned. Ligonier firefighters extricated him from the wreckage and he was taken by ambulance to Parkview in Fort Wayne with possible head and internal injuries. Busch was listed in fair condition this morning.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Airport Board President Doc Weaver told Steuben County Commissioners on Monday morning that the Tri State-Steuben County Airport has been terribly underfunded when compared to nearby communities in recent years. Speaking on behalf of airport officials and local pilots, Weaver requested County Commissioners provide $1 million in Major Moves money over the next couple of years to help pay for almost a dozen improvement projects. Weaver says the current condition of the airport is nobodys fault given the limited amount of tax money which is available. According to airport officials, it's estimated all of the projects would cost $1.2 million. Weaver said the projects that are needed include a new terminal building and service hanger which alone would cost over $1 million. Airport Manager John Kline said corporate activity comes to a halt in the winter because there is no place to keep jets out of the cold. He added de-icing equipment is not allowed because of enviromental concerns about the runoff. In addition, there is no security at the airport which leaves planes open to vandalism. Walt Drewes from the Airport Board said the airport right now looks like an eyesore. He added the condition of the airport would chase a lot of potential business away. Commission Chair Mayo Sanders said the finance committee would meet around the first of the year. He asked Weaver for more information about potential costs for the terminal building. Sanders told Weaver to also look into possible funding options through the federal stimulus package. Sanders added they would take the request under advisement. Drewes also discussed plans for a balloon festival which the airport is hosting for the first time on July 9th, 10th and 11th. In other business, County Commissioners listened to a funding request from Hamilton Town Manager Milton Otero on Monday morning who wants the county to provide Major Moves funds to help pay for the paving of 300 East from the town limits to Bellefountaine Road. Otero said work has already been performed on culvert replacement but they need financial help to pave the road. Commissioner Ron Smith said they would be willing to help out. The request would still need approval by the Steuben County Council.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Commissioners gave their approval on Monday to the first reading of an ordinance that would cover the use of wind energy. County Plan Director Zach Michels says wind turbines of several sizes would be covered. He also ran down what one would have to do if they wanted to establish a wind farm. The Steuben County Plan Commission gave a favorable recommendation to the wind ordinance on December 2nd after months of research and input.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(UNDATED) - Two men were injured Saturday morning when their vehicles collided in a Noble County construction zone. The Noble County Sheriffs Department says the crash happened on U.S. 6 in the construction area near 200 West at about 7:30am. They say a pickup truck driven by Keith Miller of Milford went out of control and into the other lane of traffic where it was struck by a vehicle driven by Joshuah Logan of Kendallville. Both were taken to Parkview-Noble Hospital. Miller suffered a hip injury while Logan suffered injuries to his head and face.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(DEFIANCE, OHIO) - The Ohio State Highway Patrol says snow covered and slick roads along with not wearing a seat belt were factors in a fatal crash on Saturday morning south of Ney. 81-year-old Joyce Herr of Defiance lost her life in the accident on State Route 15. Troopers say her van went off the snow-covered road after it fishtailed. It then struck a ditch and then a power pole. Herr was ejected from the van as it flipped over three times. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers say she was not wearing a seat belt anf that could have prevented her from being ejected and sustaining fatal injuries.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(RANSOM TOWNSHIP) - A suspect was arrested on multiple felony charges on Saturday morning after Michigan State Police say they found him cooking methamphetamine behind a shed at his residence in Ransom Township. State Police and the Hillsdale County Sheriffs Department went to the home after getting an anonymous tip. Troopers say the active meth lab was in its final stages of completion which would have yielded several grams of meth. Numerous meth lab components were also recovered.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(SOUTH MILFORD) - A LaGrange man and woman was injured when their pickup truck slid on slush and struck a tree east of South Milford Sunday evening. 48-year-old Michael Howe suffered a cut to the top of the head, and 45-year-old Kelly Howe suffered head and neck injuries. Michael Howe was driving west on county 750-South west of 1000-East when the truck struck some slush and Howe lost control. The truck traveled across the road and crashed into a tree. LaGrange County deputies say it was snowing at the time.
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Monday, December 21, 2009
(ELKHART) - Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller is suing an Elkhart County recycler to force it to stop open dumping of wood waste and removal of waste materials and debris. The suit claims VIM Recycling has a pattern of non-compliance with I-DEM orders and that its actions could damage the public health and the enviornment. Zoeller says VIM was given multiple opportunities by the state and has now “just run out of second chances.” The suit seeks court injunctions to cease and desist from dumping contaminants, and removal of solid waste with proper disposal. Neighbors of VIM have long complained of the foul stench, smoke and wood dust coming from the facility. An explosion and fire at the facility in June of 2007 killed one worker and injured another. The court could impose civil penalties of up to $25,000 per day per violation.
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Saturday, December 19, 2009
(COLDWATER) - Convicted murderer Tom Foley was given the mandatory sentence of life in prison on Friday for the killing of his wife Dee Dee last February. Judge Conrad Sindt pronounced sentence after Foley was convicted by a Branch County Circuit Court jury on November 27th following a two week trial. Prosecutors said Foley killed his wife with a single shotgun blast while she was in the shower getting ready for their sons 10th birthday party. The defense has argued the killing took place during a burglary of the home. Defense attorney Tom Schaeffer has filed a motion saying a 70-year-old woman has come forward after the trial with new information. Judge Sindt agreed on Friday to hold a hearing as part of the defense request for a new trial. Before he was sentenced, Foley stated again he was innocent. But the victim's mother, Marilyn Shiery, spoke on behalf of the family and said there is no forgiveness for what Foley did. She also called him devious and said he never loved his wife and their son.
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Saturday, December 19, 2009
(MONTPELIER, OHIO) - Police in Montpelier, Ohio are looking for the owner of a vehicle that hit the Williams-Geesey Funeral Home on Empire Street and then drove off without telling police or the building's owner. Police Chief Jeff Lehman says it happened sometime between the late afternoon of Thursday and Friday morning. The vehicle is thought to be a car or a mid to smaller sized truck. According to evidence collected at the scene, Lehman says the vehicle may very likely be black in color and it sustained damage to the right front area. Anyone with information is asked to call Montpelier Police at 419-485-3121 or Williams County Area Crime Stoppers at 419-485-9302.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
(ANGOLA) - An Angola man is dead and his wife was formally charged with his murder on Friday. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department says 56-year-old Kevin Mote was found dead in an upstairs bedroom at his home at 945 West Fox Lake Road. Mote's wife, 44-year-old Norma Jean Mote, is being held without bail for his murder. A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf during an initial hearing Friday afternoon in front of Magistrate Randy Coffey. Anthony Krause was named as her attorney after Mote requested a court-appointed lawyer. The case will go through Steuben Superior Court where a pre-trial conference was scheduled for January 25th and a jury trial was set for March 18th. According to Steuben County court documents, the defendant called 9-1-1 at about 12:20am on Friday morning and allegedly said she had killed her husband was an ax. The Sheriffs Department stated in a news release on Friday afternoon that an autopsy conducted at St. Joe Hospital determined that Kevin Mote died from blunt force trauma to the head. They add this was caused by numerous strikes with an ax. The Sheriffs Department says the case is still under investigation. If convicted, Norma Jean Mote is looking at a prison sentence of between 45 and 65 years under Indiana law.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
(UNDATED) - The unemployment numbers show it's going to be another tough Christmas for some Steuben County residents. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says there was a very slight decrease in the Steuben County preliminary unemployment rate for November as it stood at 12.6% compared to the October figure of 12.7%. Steuben County had the fifth highest unemployment rate in Indiana during November. Elkhart County once again had the highest rate at 14.5% followed by Noble County at 14.3% and LaGrange County at 14%. DeKalb County had the 11th highest rate in the state at 12.1%. Figures also showed the labor force in Steuben County declined again last month by 124 workers. The labor force has dropped by over 1,000 workers in Steuben County in just the last year. As a comparision, the Steuben County unemployment rate in November of 2008 was nine percent. Indiana's preliminary seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for November held relatively steady, dropping 0.2 percent to 9.6 percent. Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Teresa Voors says it is encouraging to see a slowing of job losses as evidenced by 40 percent fewer initial claims for unemployment when compared to November of last year. Seasonally-adjusted total non-farm employment in Indiana declined by 6,400 in November. Most employment sectors reported declines including Private Education and Health, Financial Services and Other Services. The state's manufacturing sector added 5,200 positions thanks mostly to recalls of temporarily laid-off autoworkers. No other sectors reported significant employment gains in November.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
(ANGOLA) - A man formally charged with two Class B felony counts of burglary was ordered held on $100,000 bail during his initial hearing on Friday. 18-year-old Jesse Daniel Powell, who had a listed address of Helmer at the time of his arrest, was charged in connection with a pair of alleged burglaries at an apartment in the 300 block of South Superior on November 20th and on December 14th following an Angola Police Department investigation. Jim Burns was appointed as his attorney and not guilty pleas were entered on Powell's behalf during Friday's initial hearing. Powell is scheduled to go on trial May 6th in a seperate misdemeanor battery and intimidation case. He asked Magistrate Randy Coffey Friday if he could be released on his own recognizance but Coffey denied that request.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
(UNDATED) - With the busy Christmas travel period upon us, gas prices as expected have spiked nearly 20 cents a gallon. Prices have jumped to as high as $2.55 a gallon at several stations along North Wayne Street in Angola. That's the average price of gas in Indiana which has gone up six cents in the last day according to the web site Indianagasprices.com. Prices in Indiana range from $2.21 in Columbus to $2.75 in Cloverdale.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
(ALVORDTON, OHIO) - Two suspects were arrested on Thursday after the Williams County Sheriffs Office says police from various agencies seized a methamphetamine lab in a Alvordton home. Arrested on a second degree felony for manufacturing meth following a search of the home were 25-year-old Brook Rice and 32-year-old William Mohr of Bryan. Agents from the Multi-Area Narcotics Task Force went to the home on East Main Street after they got information in regards to alleged meth activity. Police say they found an inactive meth cook along with several chemicals used in the manufacture of meth. Assisting in the investigation were the Williams County Sheriffs Office, police in Bryan and West Unity along with the Williams County Adult Parole Authority and the Williams County Prosecutors Office.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
(AUBURN) - (AP) - A Kansas bank has asked a judge to hold auto auctioneer Dean Kruse in contempt of court, alleging he violated terms of a loan on which he still owes $6.5 million. Hillcrest Bank of Overland Park, Kansas, says Kruse didn't own three historic Nazi command vehicles when he used them as collateral for the loan, which is now in default. The lawsuit is scheduled for a hearing Monday in DeKalb County. It caps a trouble-filled year for Kruse and Kruse International that include seizure of Kruse's Cessna jet and the loss to foreclosure of a luxury home he owned in Arizona. Hillcrest Bank's lawsuit was filed in August against Kruse, his wife, his auction company and several limited-liability companies he owns.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Plan Commission has openings for volunteers to serve on the Lakes Advisory Board. The Lakes Advisory Board is a seven-member board. It was created to inform the Plan Commission of specific concerns or questions of affected property owners and to aid the Plan Commission in fact finding missions. Members also provide follow-up information concerning possible violations of the zoning ordinance or conditions of approvals. In addition, the L.A.B. studies subjects and problems upon request of the Plan Commission. The Board is concerned with properties located within 1,000 feet of the shore of any state-owned lake within Steuben County, properties zoned Lake Residential and properties which drain into a creek or body of water that flows into a Steuben County lake. Members of the LAB are appointed by the Plan Commission for three-year terms which would expire in December of 2012. If you are interested in serving, call the Steuben County Plan Commission at 668-1000, extension 1600 or log onto plancommission@co.steuben.in.us.
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Friday, December 18, 2009
(SHIPSHEWANA) - Fire damaged a Shipshewana business Thursday evening. Shipshewana firefighters were called to Wingard Sales on North State Road 5 just before 7:00pm. Fire Chief Chad Miller says damage to the single story pole building was estimated at $30,000, but no equipment or materials were damaged. The company makes working and decorative aluminum windmills, bike carts and other aluminum products. They brought the fire under control in about 30 minutes and firefighters remained on the scene about 3-and-a-half hours eliminating hot spots in the insulation. Miller says an electrical malfunction has not been ruled out as the possible cause of the fire. No one was injured.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Contractors for the Angola Wastewater Department will be working around the intersection of Williams and East Maumee all day on Thursday. Wastewater Department Superintendent Craig Williams says the intersection will remain open, but traffic will be restricted to one lane. Motorists are being strongly encouraged to use an alternate route to avoid traveling through this area. At no time will the Cameron Hospital entrance be closed during the work.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The Angola Redevelopment Commission confirmed in a resolution on Wednesday the establishment of a Tax Increment Finance District near U.S. 20 and I-69. The action was taken after a public hearing. Resolutions were passed by the Redevelopment Commission, the Angola Plan Commission and the Angola City Council last month. It calls land annexed by the city over the last year an economic development area. In addition, an economic development plan for the area would only apply to commercial property. The T.I.F. District designation would last for 25 years which is the maximum time allowed. Money collected from the T.I.F. District will go into a fund for future projects. With the resolution passed, City Planner Julie Cole will file the proper documents with the County Auditors and Recorders offices along with the Department of Local Government Finance. The Commission also scheduled a January 4th meeting to elect officers for 2010.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The case of a man who is accused by authorities of shooting at vehicles and a Indiana State Police cruiser near the Silver Lake Mobile Home Park back in April of 2004 is about ready to go to trial. 31-year-old Donald William Myers the third is scheduled to go on trial January 25th in Steuben Circuit Court. He is facing six charges of attempted murder and a charge of criminal recklessness. A pre-trial conference was held this past Monday to confirm the trial date. A final pre-trial conference is set for January 11th. The trial is expected to last five days. The case was taken off the court docket about a year after the shooting incident when an exam found Myers was not competent to stand trial. After treatment at the Logansport State Mental Hospital, Myers was found competent for trial last June and the case was redocketed. Myers was shot twice during the three hour standoff which involved 75 police officers. No one was else was injured during the incident.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The Angola Area Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a Third House Forum with northeast Indiana lawmakers for Saturday, January 9th at the Chamber offices on East Maumee. State Representative Dick Dodge along with State Senators Dennis Kruse and Marlin Stutzman are scheduled to be on hand for the 9:00am meeting. The public is invited to attend.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(DEWART LAKE) - Indiana State Police are investigating the discovery of a body in northern Kosciusko County Wednesday morning. A passerby discovered the body of a white male along Kosciuscko County Road 400 East south of 1050 North around 9:30am. Sergeant Trent Smith at the Bremen State Police Post says the man has not been identified, and the age and cause of death are undetermined. Investigators plan to conduct an autopsy later this week when the body thaws out. Anyone with information about a missing individual is asked to call the Bremen State Police Post at 800-552-2959.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(STURGIS) – An incident involving pepper spray could have some repercussions for a Sturgis Public Schools student. Sturgis Police say the incident happened Tuesday morning before school hours on a bus. A fifth grade student accidently discharged pepper spray towards the floor of the bus. The mist filled the vehicle, which was immediately stopped and the children evacuated. A second bus was brought in and took the children to school. Parents were notified and some decided to pull their children out of class for the day. Investigators says they talked with the student and his mother, and told them that it was illegal to have the spray because the bus is a weapons free zone of the school district. Police have submitted their report to the Juvenile Court in Centreville. It is not know yet what if any action may be taken by the Court.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(BRYAN, OHIO) - Two Montpelier residents were arrested Wednesday night in Bryan as part of a drug investigation involving Bryan Police, the Williams County Sheriffs Department and the Multi Area Narcotics Task Force. Bryan Police say 41-year-old Cheri Ingersoll and 32-year-old Dawn Robbins were arrested on a third degree felony charge of assembly and possession of chemicals for the production of methamphetamine. Police add that Ingersoll was also charged with two warrants out of Bryan Municipal Court while Robbins was also charged with driving under an O.V.I. suspension. Ingersoll and Robbins were both taken to the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(LAGRANGE) - LaGrange County is looking to put some teeth into its county innkeepers tax. The topic came up this week after Administrative Assistant Cassy Zuver told county council members about a problem collecting the tax from a local bed and breakfast. Council members Mike Strawser and Jac Price think it's a good time to review the local ordinance. Councilman Steve McKowen suggested having penalties for businesses that don't pay their taxes. After further discussion, the Council agreed to research the issue.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
(KENDALLVILLE) - The line of succession is set at the top of the East Noble School Corporation. Assistant Superintendent Ann Linson will take over for Dr. Steve Sprunger when he retires as superintendent at the end of June. Sprunger has been superintendent for five years at East Noble. Linson joined East Noble as high school principal in 2003. She became assistant superintendent two years ago. The school board approved the move Wednesday.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(ANGOLA) - M.S.D. of Steuben County School Superintendent Doctor David Goodwin has announced his intentions to run for a position on the Steuben County Commission. Goodwin will be seeking the North District seat currently occupied by Commission Chair Mayo Sanders. Sanders is not planning to seek re-election after serving as a County Commissioner since the early 1990's. Ironically, Sanders worked in education as he was a teacher and principal in the Fremont Community School District before he became a County Commissioner. Goodwin will be retiring as M.S.D. of Steuben County Superintendent at the end of the school year in June. He has served as the Steuben County Republican Party Treasurer in recent years. Goodwin is not the only candidate for that position on the County Commission. Lon Keyes will be running on the Democratic side.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(UNDATED) - Two Indiana State Police Troopers from the Fort Wayne Post were honored by Superintendent Doctor Paul Whitesell on Monday for 30 years of service. Detective Daniel Clawson of Angola along with Master Trooper James Sheffield of LaGrange were recognized for their service to the department and the citizens of Indiana. Clawson and Sheffield graduated together in December of 1979 and were both assigned to the Ligonier Post. Steuben County was part of their coverage area at the time. When the Ligonier Post shut down, they both went to the Fort Wayne Post. Clawson serves as a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division. Sheffield currently patrols in LaGrange County.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(UNDATED) - Two area residents are facing meth related charges in LaGrange County. LaGrange Police arrested 27-year-old William Yoder of Orland on Tuesday on charges of possession of meth, possession of paraphernalia, and driving while suspended. Yoder was lodged in the LaGrange County Jail. 24-year-old Brooke Honaker of Albion was booked at the Noble County Jail Wednesday afternoon on warrants for dealing and possession of meth, possession of precursors with intent to manufacture, and possession of marijuana or hashish.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Crime Stoppers of Steuben County is looking for information concerning the theft of items from a home on U.S. 20 east of Angola on December 7th. Crime Stoppers Coordinator Shari Dean says at 4:30pm that afternoon, a white male with a goatee and a baseball cap approached the home owner and diverted their attention by talking about a broken down truck. While that was going on, a second suspect got inside of the home and took an undisclosed amount of cash and jewelry. The suspects truck is described as being green. Anyone with information on this crime or any other crime is asked to call 668-STOP or 1-800-600-HALT. You can also log onto the web site steubencountycrimestoppers.org. You do not have to give your name and your tip could lead to a cash reward of up to $1,000.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(ANGOLA) - All elementary students in the M.S.D. of Steuben County may soon get a chance to attend summer school. The district's School Board agreed last night to have the Steuben County Literacy Coalition apply for a state grant to help fund a 21st Century Elementary Summer School program. Curriculum Director Cyndi Nausbaum said it would be a five week program housed in one building. She said it would be staffed by a director and possibly an assistant director depending on the number of students. A 21st Century grant is currently being used by the district to fund after school programs Monday through Thursday at Carlin Park and Hendry Park Elementary Schools. Nausbaum said students would attend full day sessions in the summer school program. The school board also heard a presentation about new courses being offered at the high school along with new opportunities for students in vocational and agricultural classes.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(FREMONT) - The Fremont Town Council approved a 2010 salary ordinance for full time town employees on Tuesday night. The ordinance calls for a $500 across-the-board pay raise for all full time employees. In other business, Town Superintendent Chris Snyder said three more signed petitions have been brought in for the annexation of land just west of Fremont. The Town Council also approved a nearly $3,500 request from Town Marshall Joe Patterson for equipment to record police interviews. Patterson said there was no place to record interviews at the Fremont Police Station which has forced them to go to the Steuben County Sheriff Department instead. The Council also approved a model policy submitted by Patterson which covers such situations as litigation or officer discipline.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(AUBURN) - One man was killed and another was injured on Tuesday afternoon in a crash at the intersection of DeKalb County Roads 56 and 39. DeKalb County Police say a car driven by 85-year-old Richard Lutterbein of Edgerton, Ohio did not yield the right of way at a stop sign just before 2:30pm and was struck by an S.U.V. driven by 73-year-old Clyde Stapleton of Auburn. Lutterbein was flown to Lutheran Hospital where he later died from his injuries. Stapleton was taken to Parkview Hospital for treatment of head injuries. He is listed in critical condition.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Angola High School is one of 135 schools in the state which made this years "Best Buy" list that was issued by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The 11th annual report is designed to recognize Indiana high schools that have excelled academically while providing the greatest value for tax dollars. Many of the schools also excelled with comparatively high percentages of low income students. Central Noble High School also made the "Best Buy" list while Lakeland High School made the "Honor Roll" list.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(COLDWATER) - The driver of a van has been charged in connection with last October's fatal traffic accident at the intersection of U.S. 12 and Michigan Avenue in Coldwater. 35-year-old Crystal Leigh Thorne was booked Wednesday at the Branch County Jail on a negligent homicide charge in the death of 63-year-old Richard Horn. Authorities say Thorne's van collided with a moped driven by Horn while she was talking on a cell phone and became distracted. Under Michigan law, negligent homicide carries a maximum sentence of two years. Thorne posted bond and was released. Her arraignment in Branch County District Court is scheduled for January 4th.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
(SHIPSHEWANA) - A network of Northern Indiana woodcrafting firms is opening a wholesale furniture showroom in Shipshewana. The Northern Indiana Woodcrafter's Association is opening the 10-thousand square feet showroom at 960 South VanBuren Street to display furniture year-round for its network of dealers. The showroom will not be open to the public. The Woodcrafter's Association has more than 80 members. LaGrange County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Keith Gillenwater says the corporation and the Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center are working with the Woodcrafter's Association on its marketing strategy.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Indiana State Police say a rural Angola man surrendered Monday morning at the Steuben County Jail on seven Class D felony charges of possession of child pornography. Jail records indicate 34-year-old Donald Lynn Sutton turned himself in at 8:45am following a four month State Police investigation. State Police Detective Kevin Smith says the investigation started in August. The investigation included the seizure of computers after a search warrant was issued by the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. A warrant was issued for Sutton's arrest after State Police alleged child pornography was found on the computers. Not guilty pleas were entered on Sutton's behalf during his Monday initial hearing. Bail was set at $20,000 with 10 percent allowed. Allen Stout will serve as his attorney. The case will go through Steuben Circuit Court where a pre-trial conference was scheduled for January 11th.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(ANGOLA) - An Angola man who admitted his guilt to a Class B felony of child molestng was ordered to serve 10 years of a 14 year sentence on Monday afternoon in Steuben Circuit Court. 32-year-old Melvin Arthur Andrews pled guilty to the charge last month after it was filed by Steuben County Prosecutors. This came about after another plea agreement was rejected. In exchange for the guilty plea, two Class A felony counts of child molesting that were filed last June following an investigation by Angola Police and the Indiana State Police were dismissed by the state of Indiana. Prosecutors claimed in court documents the victim in the case was 13-years-old and that the incidents alleged in the charges took place between September of 2008 and last June. Before he was sentenced, Andrews said he was sorry for what happened. Judge Allen Wheat suspended four years of the sentence and placed Andrews on four years of probation. Andrews got credit for 368 days already served.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(FREMONT) - The Fremont School Board voted to have plans for a Boomerang Backpack program in the district move forward during Monday nights meeting. The program provides healthy snacks for children when they are away from school on weekends who are in free or reduced priced meal programs. Elementary School Guidance Counselor Chris Phillips says the program would cost about $7,500 per semester. Those involved would all be volunteers. The program started in the East Noble school district and drew national attention from NBC News last spring. The Steuben County Community Foundation helped bring the program to the M.S.D. of Steuben County this fall.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The Angola Plan Commission gave no recommendation on Monday night for a amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance covering standards for wind turbine systems. The vote was 5-2 in favor and with four members absent, the amendment needed six votes to pass. In other business, the Plan Commission also gave no recommendation to a zoning change from agricultural to low intensity industrial on property owned by James Hale at 1265 North State Road 827. Just like with the wind amendment, the vote in favor was 5-2 but it needed six votes to pass. Both matters will move onto the City Council with no recommendations.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(ST. JOE) - A registered sex offender who was convicted for child molesting in 1997 is in trouble with the law again. The DeKalb County Sheriffs Office says 69-year-old Richard L. Warble of St. Joe was arrested Monday on a Class C felony charge of child molesting and for being a repeat offender. Warble was being held on a $20,000 bond after he was booked at the DeKalb County Jail. Sheriffs Department Detective Don Lauer says the alleged incident with a child under the age of 14 took place sometime between 2003 and 2006. Warble was released from prison in 2002 after he served his time on the 1997 Class C felony conviction.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(HAMILTON) - Hamilton School Superintendent Mark Gould says the district will be in the black by nearly $144,000 at the end of this year. Gould told the Hamilton School Board on Monday night he expected the district to have a $124,000 surplus. The district on Tuesday got a $20,000 payment from the state of Indiana as part of the full day kindergarten grant. The improved financial picture comes one year after the district finished nearly $97,000 in the hole. Unlike last spring when belt tightening forced the district to trim staff, Gould does not beleive there will be cuts this year in positions that are paid out of the general fund. Three positions in the district are currently being funded through federal stimulus dollars.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(COLDWATER) - With restrictions being lifted on H1N1 vaccinations, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has scheduled a series of clinics for the general public. December clinics will be held Wednesday from 4:00pm until 7:00pm, on the 22nd from 7am until 11am and on the 29th from 1pm until 7pm at the agency's office on North Marshall in Coldwater. Another clinic will be held January 5th from 8:30am until 11am at the Burnside Senior Center in Coldwater. The vaccinations are available to anyone over six months. School age children under the age of 10 are being encouraged to get vaccinated in their schools. The second round of shots for Branch County school children have already begun. Children who miss their first schools shots can attend the Health Agency clinics. For more information, log onto www.bhsj.org.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(ANGOLA) - The Steuben County Health Department will hold H1N1 clinics on December 21st and 22nd from 2:00pm until 4:00pm in the Health Department's clinic on the third floor of the Steuben County Community Center. The clinics will have the H1N1 shot and nasal spray available. The Health Department will also hold H1N1 clinics today and Thursday from 2:00pm to 4:00pm in the Health Department Clinic on the third floor of the community center. Children nine-years-old and under will need a second dose of H1N1 one month after their first dose. If you have any questions, call the Health Department at 668-1000, extension 1500.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(ALBION) - An Albion woman died Tuesday morning when her pickup truck slid off a Noble County road and rolled into a ditch. Indiana State Police say 60-year-old Kathleen Knafel was headed east on County Road 100 North near 50 West at about 7:50am. As she approached a hill crest the truck slid off the south side of the road, went up an embankment and then rolled several times before coming to rest in a ditch on the north side of the road. Knafel was ejected and was fatally injured. Police say the truck's speed, weather and road conditions contributed to the crash. Noble County Sheriff's Deputies and E-M-S assisted at the scene.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(COLUMBIA CITY) - The body of a missing Whitley County woman was found Tuesday in a stream southwest of Columbia City. WANE-TV in Fort Wayne reports Deb Houser's body was found pretty well preserved in a stream that was two-and-a-half feet deep. An autopsy was planned for Wednesday. Houser had been missing since mid-November and her husband, Rod, was charged with her murder. Her body was found after investigators received a tip that a neighbor had seen Rod Houser's vehicle in that area the morning of November 17th. Authorities had searched that area before, but believe the body had been tucked under some brush and broken free.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(RICHLAND TOWNSHIP) - A Lake George man suffered internal chest injuries on Sunday morning when his car went off of State Road 427 near 700 East and rolled over. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department says 58-year-old Raymond Sylvester was injured in the crash. They say 427 was partially covered in slush, frozen snow and rain when Sylvester's S.U.V. went off the road and through a ditch before it began to roll over several times. It finally came to rest in a field. The Sheriffs Department says there were no indications that safety equipment was used and it's believed he was ejected. Sylvester was taken to Cameron Hospital for treatment. It turns out it was one of five peronsal injury accidents in Steuben County over the weekend in which five people were injured.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Steve Shatto and David Police will be switching officer positions on the Carnegie Public Library Board of Directors in 2010. The Board decided on Monday that Police will serve as the Board President while Shatto will be the board Vice-President. Shatto has been the board President for the maximum amount of two years. Ann Rice will serve as the board's secretary in 2010. Meanwhile, Library Director Sonya Dintaman announced in her report that downloadable audiobooks will soon be available. This is made possible by a consortium of smaller public libraries who are joining together to offer the audiobooks in a shared collection. The cost to the library will be $3,000 a year.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(LAGRANGE) - With the new year almost three weeks away, LaGrange County's new building commissioner appealed to the county council to hold off on making a staff position part time. Tom Marks took over as building commissioner after the 2010 budget talks were concluded. He says the position in question is critical. Marks told the council he expects the building department's workload to increase in the new year. Councilman Mike Strawser wasn't swayed nor was County Commission President Phil Curtis. Council President Charlie Ashcraft agreed to re-evaluate the situation near the end of the first quarter.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009
(LAGRANGE) - LaGrange County Commissioners locked in fuel prices for 2010 during a special session Tuesday morning. The commissioners received three bids for gasoline and diesel fuel, with North Central Co-op submitting the low bids of $2.21 per gallon for gas and $2.37 per gallon for diesel. While those prices are higher than last year, Commissioner George Bachman said the county still caught a break. LaGrange County Council on Aging Executive Director Bill Cunningham told the commissioners that the state is finally releasing the purchase orders for new dispatching software and two vans for LaGrange County Area Transit. The software and vehicles are the first federal stimulus grants received for LaGrange County according to Bachman. In other business, the commissioners approved a disaster recovery plan for the county's information technology department. I-T Director Bob Murphy said the plan calls for the county's information systems to be back in operation in at least one week after some major data loss occurs.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
(BRONSON TOWNSHIP) - A driver and eight passengers escaped injury on Monday morning when a Branch Area Transit Authority bus hit an icy area southwest of Bronson and rolled onto its passenger side. Bronson Fire Chief Brent Wilber says the accident happened on Dewsenberry Road west of Bawden Road at about 7:45am. He says firefighters cut the battery cables to eliminate the possibility of a fire from an electrical short. They also assisted in moving the passengers into a second BATA bus. Wilber says seat belts and the wheel chair restraint system prevented serious injuries. LifeCare paramedics stayed inside the bus and provided blankets. They also checked several times to make sure no one was injured. The Branch County Sheriffs Department and Road Commission assisted at the scene.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
(FREMONT) - A eastbound semi crashed into one of the toll booths at the Indiana Toll Road East Point Plaza early Monday morning after Indiana State Police say the driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel. No serious injuries were reported although a toll collector suffered a minor hand laceration. State Police say the truck almost hit another semi before crashing into the toll booth. Toll Road spokesman Matt Pierce called the damage extensive. The State Police estimated the damage at about $100,000. State Police are still investigating the incident which took place shortly before 1:00am. Operations at East Point are running normally following the reconstruction of the accident scene which forced some lanes to be shut down for several hours.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
(VANBUREN TOWNSHIP) - A Middlebury man was injured when his pickup truck rolled onto its top Sunday evening. The LaGrange County Sheriff's Department says 58-year-old Fancis Dado the third lost control while driving south on County Road 1100 West near 590 North at about 8:20pm. The truck left the road and went down a small hill before rolling. Dado suffered unspecified injuries. Police say speed was a factor in the crash and possible charges are pending. Shipshewana Police and Fire Rescue crews assisted deputies at the scene.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
(UNDATED) - Black ice led to all of the Hillsdale County school districts cancelling classes for Monday. Due to the frozen ground, light drizzle associated with an approaching area of low pressure froze on contact even though some temperatures were above freezing. Areas of fog created even more travel headaches. Icy driving conditions are partly to blame for a bad weekend on northeast Indiana roads in which two people were killed and six others were injured.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
(KENDALLVILLE) - Two people were stabbed Monday morning at a home in Kendallville. 24-year-old Jonathan Prater and 19-year-old Kara Newport were both taken to Parkview Hospital. Noble County Prosecutor Steven Clouse says it was not known who is the victim and who is the perpetrator. The stabbings took place just before 5:00am in the 600 block of Dowling Street. Kendallville Police with assistance from the Indiana State Police are looking into the incident. Investigators were collecting evidence at the scene of the stabbing throughout the morning.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
(ORLAND) - A Fremont woman was injured late Saturday night in a rollover accident east of Orland. The Steuben County Sheriffs Department says 34-year-old Kimberly Fox was one of four people in a vehicle which rolled over in a cornfield near State Road 120 and 600 West at about 11:45pm. Orland Fire Department Public Information Officer Kim Norton says she was partially ejected out of the drivers side window. It took rescue crews over a half hour to free her. Fox was taken to Cameron Hospital before she was transferred to Lutheran Hospital where she was listed in fair condition this morning. Also assisting the Sheriffs Department at the scene were Orland Police and Fire along with the Indiana State Police.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
(AVILLA) - A Tennessee man and a state highway driver were injured early Sunday when the man ignored a roadblock at Avilla. State Police say officers closed State Road 3 in both directions due to icy conditions that led to numerous slide-offs. They say 26-year-old Jason Dolan drove around the roadblock and headed north at high speed until he hit a state highway department truck that was backing up while applying salt to the highway. Dolan was taken to Parkview Hospital with a broken leg. 51-year-old Douglas Kempf was driving the highway truck and suffered a broken hand and complained of pain. He was treated at Parkview-Noble Hospital.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
(STURGIS) - A Sturgis man should have paid his child support. Sturgis Police went to a home in the 200 block of North Prospect on Saturday with a warrant for non-support. It turns out the 45-year-old man tried to hide in the middle of a marijuana growing operation. Police obtained a search warrant and found several lamps and 17 potted marijuana plants, along with miracle grow, scales, packaging material, cash and a 22 caliber handgun. Officers jailed the man on the non-support warrant and new charges of maintaining a marijuana growing operation, possession with intent to sell, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police also charged a 47-year-old Sturgis woman with obstructing a police officer, maintaining a marijuana growing operation, and possession with intent to sell. Both suspects were taken to the St. Joseph County Jail and the cash was forfeited.
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Sunday, December 13, 2009
(DEKALB COUNTY) - A couple from Auburn were found dead on Saturday morning after their car crashed into the St. Joe River in DeKalb County. Indiana State Police report 69-year-old John McArdle and his 63-year-old wife Karen were heading to Hicksville, Ohio on Friday night. After police got a report they were missing, their upside down vehicle was discovered by another motorist at about 10:20am in the river near the area of County Roads 75 and 42. The car was found upside down in four feet of water. State Police Detectives think the car hit a guard rail before winding up in the water.
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Sunday, December 13, 2009
(DEKALB COUNTY) - Two teenagers from Garrett were injured Saturday night in an accident on DeKalb County Road 48 between Auburn and Garrett. DeKalb County police say icy road conditions led to the crash which took place at about 10:20pm. They say a 2000 Jeep driven by 16-year-old Trevor Waldron went out of control and into a ditch. The vehicle then rolled over several times before Waldron was ejected. Waldron suffered head and chest trauma while a passenger, 14-year-old Heather Rowe, suffered lacerations.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009
(AVILLA) - A car struck a utility pole near Avilla last night, leaving six teenagers injured. The Noble County Sheriff's Department says it happened on County Road 700-East just after 9:30pm. 17-year-old Douglas Gordon of Kendallville told police he swerved to avoid a deer and hit the pole, causing electrical wires to come down. After striking the pole the car rolled onto its top. 16-year-old Dean Withem suffered a broken wrist and 17-year-old Jacob Porter suffered facial bleeding and were transported to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. Gordon was treated at Parkview-Noble Hospital bleeding from the face. Three passengers from Kendallville were also transported to Parkview-Noble. 18-year-old Jordan Centurioni suffered neck pain and minor bleeding. 18-year-old Nicholas Jahr complained of pain, and 17-year-old Dillon Balyeat suffered minor abrasions.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009
(UNDATED) - You have a little extra Christmas cash to play around with thanks to dropping gas prices. As of early Saturday morning, gas prices on North Wayne Street in Angola were as low as $2.38 a gallon. According to the web site Indianagasprices.com, prices around northeast Indiana range from $2.35 in Columbia City to $2.56 in Auburn. The lowest price in Indiana is $2.29 in Muncie while a station in Lebanon has the highest price at $2.79. You're getting more of a break at the pump thanks to a $7 drop in the price of crude oil since December 1st. Indianagasprices.com reports the average price of gas in Indiana has gone up in the past day to $2.49 a gallon.
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Saturday, December 12, 2009
(ADDISON, MICH.) - Two women were taken into custody on Thursday when the Michigan State Police say they found them using and cooking methamphetamine in the kitchen of a home in Hillsdale County's Wheatland Township. Troopers went to the home after they got an anonymous tip of a working meth lab. They say there was a strong smell of chemicals coming from the residence which prevented them from going inside. Both of the women fled to the back of the home when troopers knocked on the door. One ran out a back door but was captured. The second suspect eventually came out. Police say they found several grams of meth and an active meth lab. No arrests have been made and the names of the two women have not been released as the investigation is continuing.
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Friday, December 11, 2009
(COLDWATER) - A man facing murder, arson and conspiracy to commit arson charges in connection with an September 2004 explosion and fire in Coldwater which led to the deaths of two men will go on trial after he rejected a plea bargain agreement. 57-year-old Musaid Ahmed Saeed of Dearborn, Michigan is now scheduled to on trial February 2nd. The Skylight Studio on East Chicago near downtown Coldwater along with a vacant pizza shop and an adjacent building were destroyed in the blast. Two Detroit area men who allegedly started the fire died from their burns just over a week later in the University of Michigan Burn Center.
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Friday, December 11, 2009
(FLINT) - The Steuben Lakes Regional Waste District Board of Trustees decided to keep the same officers for 2010 during their monthly meeting on Thursday. Bill Heckley will serve as board chair for another year while Jim Van Vlerah will continue to be the board vice-chair. In other business, after expressing some displeasure with the work being performed the board voted to withhold a payment of $7,700 to the contractor who is doing framing and roof work on the districts office building.
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Friday, December 11, 2009
(MONTPELIER) - Five people were sent to area hospitals Thursday afternoon when two pickup trucks collided on U.S. 20 at the east junction of State Route 49 in Williams County. The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports a pickup driven by 21-year-old Scott Sindel of Edgerton pulled into the path of another pickup driven by 32-year-old Kimberly Finch of Montpelier at about 2:45pm. Sindel was treated and released from Community Hospitals and Wellness Centers in Montpelier. Finch and three passengers from Montpelier were all flown to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. Finch along with 18-year-old Christopher Grider and 17-year-old Glenda Finch were all reported to be in serious by stable condition. Meanwhile, seven-month-old Kendra Baldridge was also flown to Parkview as a precaution. She was examined and released. Both vehicles sustained severe front end damage. The Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash.
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Friday, December 11, 2009
(STURGIS) – Invocations will once again be a part of City Commission meetings in Sturgis. The Commission asked City Attorney Roger Bird to look into the matter last month to see if they could have an invocation. The practice was stopped a year ago, after being in place since 2003. During Wednesday’s meeting Bird said invocations are legal to have, but they must follow certain criteria. Pastor Steve Clark of Sturgis Four Square Church shared with the Commission the invocation guidelines that are used by the U.S. Senate and the city of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After some discussion, the Commission approved the new invocation guidelines on a 6-2 vote.
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Friday, December 11, 2009
(LAGRANGE) - When LaGrange County Habitat For Humanity dedicates its newest home on Saturday, it will be dedicating an Energy Star. Kellie Wetzel's new home received 5 stars and the highest possible rating on the energy star rating system. Energy Diagnostics of Valparaiso provided the rating service and says the builders achieved a superior level of energy efficiency. Habitat For Humanity International is providing $3,000 to the local Habitat affiliate for achieving the Energy Star rating. The design of local house #19 will provide real savings on utility bills for the Wetzel family. Saturday's dedication is at 10:00am at the home, located just behind Parkview-LaGrange Hospital on County Road 20-West.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
(COLDWATER) - Attorney Tom Schaeffer has filed a motion for a new trial in the Tom Foley murder case after a potential witness came forward with new information. The Coldwater Daily Reporter says fear prevented the 70-year-old woman from coming forward until she saw media reports of the verdict. Foley was convicted of first degree murder November 27th by a Branch County Circuit Court jury for killing his wife Dee Dee with a shotgun blast to the head while she was in the shower of their Girard Township home last February. The prosecution said the killing took place as she was getting ready for her sons 10th birthday party. The jury convicted Foley after they did not buy the defense argument that he was innocent because the murder took place during a burglary. One witness testified during the trial they saw a vehicle speeding out of the Foley driveway. The request from Schaeffer will formally come before Judge Conrad Sindt during Foley's sentencing hearing on December 18th.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
(COLUMBIA, OHIO) - Firefighters from several area departments had to battle the high winds and wind chills below zero on Wednesday night when a trailer fire broke out in Columbia, Ohio. The fire was reported on Williams Street near U.S. 20 just before 8:00pm. U.S. 20 was shut down for about three hours because of the blaze. Four departments from Williams County were called in. Assistance was also provided from the Metz, Hamilton, Fremont and Angola fire departments. Firefighters did not clear the scene until just before 1:00am Thursday morning. The Williams County Sheriffs Department says no injuries were reported.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
(NORTH WEBSTER) - Sustained winds of over 35 miles an hour with wind gust over 50 miles an hour blew into northeast Indiana on Wednesday as Old Man Winter announced his presence with authority. One wind gust measured 54 miles an hour at the WANE-TV weather station located at Pleasant Lake Elementary School. There was another gust of 48 miles an hour at DeKalb High School. The strong winds were caused by a near record low pressure system that raised weather issues throughout the Midwest. Southwest lower Michigan is taking the worst of this winter storm. Blizzard warnings remain posted from the Grand Rapids area to Kalamazoo until 4:00pm Thursday afternoon. Those areas can expect another two to four inches of blowing snow today on top of the eight inches or so they already received. Locally higher amounts are possible. The high winds caused some scattered power outages in LaGrange and Howe yesterday as power lines came down. Scattered power outages were reported in Steuben County including one near Clear Lake that Steuben County R.E.M.C. crews had to take care of Wednesday night. Numerous area events were also called off because of the rotten weather.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
(ANGOLA) - In an effort to cutting down on speeding in the Metz area, Steuben County Highway Engineer Keith Lytton told County Commissioners this week that new speed limit signs will be put up. He says thanks to state law, the speed limit in Metz will be lowered from 35 to 30 miles per hour. He said a recent traffic count showed a high number of drivers are speeding. It was done at the request of Steuben County Commissioner Jim Crowl who felt drivers had to slow down to improve safety in the area. The speed limit on Metz Road is 50 miles an hour. Drivers will soon see speed transitional signs as they approach Metz that are designed to get them to slow down.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
(ANGOLA) - A play about a play called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" will be presented this weekend by the Angola High School Mainstage Players. The story line involves the choas that takes place during the production of a church play. Nearly 30 students are in the cast. The play will be presented in the Angola High School Auditorium on Saturday night at 7:00pm and on Sunday at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students, children and seniors.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
(ANGOLA) - Steuben County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Gary Nielander says most new jobs in the county came from existing companies during what he called a difficult 2009. Nielander recapped what the E.D.C. has done this year during the Corporations annual appreciation dinner on Tuesday night at Trine University's Whitmer Clubhouse. He said for the most part local companies are holding their own during the tough economic times. Since 2004, he said there has been significant expansions at nearly 30 local businesses. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Mitch Roob was the guest speaker. He said while the past year has been tough, the state has gotten over 2,000 more job commintments than in 2008 but investments are down nearly 50 percent due to the tight credit markets. He unveiled a slogan which stated Indiana offers "Engineering Excellence". Roob explained that in 2010 they will emphasize that in order to attract high paying jobs.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
(ANGOLA) - A new business will be moving into the former Eagle-Pincher building on Homestead Drive in Hamilton this spring which company officials say will mean the creation of 111 jobs by 2014. The official announcement was made Tuesday night during the Steuben County Economic Development Corporations annual dinner at Trine University's Witmer Clubhouse. The business in the 93,000 square foot building will be known as Triton Metal Prodicts. It was formed by Industrial Steering Products which is based in Bryan, Ohio as part of an $4.8 million expansion of its production operations. The company manufactures parts for various industries including automotive, agriculture and food equipment. The former Eagle-Pincher plant in Hamilton has been empty for almost two years. Triton manager John Freudenberger says they hope to begin operations in April. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Triton Metal Products up to $620,000 in performance-based tax credits and up to $50,000 in training grants based on job creation plans. The town of Hamilton will consider additional property tax abatements.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
(AUBURN) - A round up of drug suspects over the last couple of days by Auburn Police and the IMAGE Drug Task Force has resulted in 17 people being arrested. Auburn Police Chief Martin McCoy says all of the arrest warrants were for drug related crimes which took place in DeKalb County and were the result of a 10 month IMAGE investigation. Five of the suspects were arrested on Class A felony warrants. 34-year-old Adam Wolfe of Auburn was arrested on three Class A felonies including a pair of counts for dealing methamphetamine and one charge of conspiracy to manufacture meth. In addition, 57-year-old Keith L. Johnson of St. Joe was arrested for dealing meth. 31-year-old Jamie Hoffelder was served with a Class A felony warrant for dealing meth at the DeKalb County Jail where he was being held on unrelated charges. In addition, 32-year-old Steven Kline of Albion and 22-year-old Stephan M. Davis of Decatur were arrested for dealing a controlled substance. Meanwhile, 51-year-old Roger Boese of Corunna is wanted on felony charges of conspiracy to manufacture meth and dealing in meth. At last report he was still at large. Anyone with information on where he might be is asked to call Auburn Police at 260-920-3200. Two Auburn residents, 28-year-old Joshua Rollins and 26-year-old Amanda Brown, turned themselves in on Wednesday morning. Assisting with the arrests were police from Butler and Garrett along with Sheriff Departments in Allen, Adams and Noble Counties. The DeKalb County Sherriff’s Department assisted with the intake and booking off all suspects while the DeKalb County Prosecutors office assisted with the charging documents and warrants.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
(UNDATED) - The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency has announced that the H1N1 vaccine will be available for anyone over the age of six months at two locations this Saturday. The vaccinations are free. Clinics will be held from 9:00am until 12:00noon at the agency's office on North Marshall Street in Coldwater and at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds. Health agency officials say school age children under the age of 10 are still being encouraged to be vaccinated in their schools. The second shots in Hillsdale County have begun while Branch County school children will get their second shots starting next week. Children who missed the earlier vaccinations at their school are encouraged to attend the Saturday clinic.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009
(SMALLEY LAKE) - The Northeast Indiana SWAT team was called in for a short time on Tuesday afternoon to help arrest a man at his Smalley Lake home in Noble County after it was reported he was armed. 24-year-old John Bradley the fourth was arrested without incident just over 90 minutes after police first got word he was at his residence. Bradley was wanted after police say he shot a man in the leg in Warsaw early Monday morning. Bradley was also wanted in Noble County on warrants for burglary and residential entry.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
(GOSHEN) - Goshen police believe alcohol played a factor as a train struck a Goshen College student near campus early Tuesday morning. Emergency responders found 19-year-old Daniel C. Martin lying next to the tracks north of Kercher Road just after 7:00am. Martin had leg injuries and a minor head injury. He was flown from Goshen Hospital to Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Martin's condition was not immediately available.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
(ANGOLA) - After tabling it during their October and November meetings, the Steuben County Council approved an additional appropriation request from County Commissioners on Tuesday morning for $50,000 in Major Moves funds as part of the County Park improvement project. The approval comes after the Troyer Group was selected last month to conduct a feasibility study. In a letter to the Council, the Commissioners said the Troyer Group has not formally submitted a contractual amount but the Commissioners understood the need to substantiate funding for the initial phase of the project. Commissioners also noted the Department of Local Government Finance would not approve any additional appropriations until budget orders are okayed. Another factor for the request according to Commissioners was the closeness of the holiday season. They felt advertising constraints for the actual figure would make it impossible to allow for any payment in January or February.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
(INDIANAPOLIS) - (AP) - An Indiana legislative panel has released findings that say actions are needed to help protect the state's casino industry from competition from neighboring states. The Gaming Study Committee held several hearings before issuing its findings Tuesday, which could serve as the basis for several gambling bills being considered when the full Legislature convenes in January. Legislation could lead to a non-binding referendum on next Novembers General Election ballot in Steuben County in which voters would be asked if they want to see a casino come to their county. One finding says some riverboat casinos could benefit if they were allowed to be land-based. That could include letting one of two Lake Michigan casinos in Gary move inland. Republican State Senator Luke Kenley of Noblesville says the findings were not recommendations, but rather conclusions reached after several gambling topics were studied over the past several weeks.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2009
(ANGOLA) - A clearly upset Angola Mayor Dick Hickman blasted Indiana state legislators during Monday nights Angola City Council meeting saying he was "damn sick and tired" of hearing how local governments waste money. The Mayor was talking about how a city hall server was repaired after it went down on Wednesday afternoon when he launched into a blistering attack on state lawmakers. Hickman was upset about plans at the State Capital to put limits on property tax bills and to have those limits amended into th |
