Stutzman: stop wild spending

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Using two charts to illustrate his points about the federal budget, U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman told some 110 people at Thursday's Republican Lincoln Day dinner in Decatur that the GOP plan keeps the budget under control, but the Democratic plan will double the national debt to $28 trillion.

Stutzman, speaking at the Knights of Columbus Pavilion, reported that, last year, the federal government received $2 trillion in revenues, but spent $3.5 trillion. He called that situation "a predictable catastrophe." Therefore, he said, reducing the budget is a requirement and that includes military appropriations, some of which he said the current defense secretary, a Republican named Robert Gates, is proposing.

Local businesses jump in to support Hope Clinic

Berne Tri-Weekly:

Katie Sprunger, executive director for The Hope Clinic, was amazed at the way local businesses jumped in this week to show their support for the local ministry.

Businessmen from several local businesses were willing to take to the dunk tank during Habegger Ace Hardware's annual "contractor night," which incorporated the addition of a tank in order to raise money for the clinic. Those businesses participating included Lehman Feed Mill (Lance Lehman), First Bank of Berne (Joe Caffee), Bank of Geneva (Chris Reusser), Berne Ready Mix (Matt Subler), and Habegger's Ace Hardware (Brian and Mike Habegger).

Meese earns HNHS valedictorian spot; Herber is salutatorian

Huntington County Tab:

The top two students for the Huntington North High School Class of 2011 were announced during a breakfast at the school Wednesday morning, April 27.

Madison Meese secured top honors as valedictorian and Alex Herber was named salutatorian for the class of 457 students.

Meese, the daughter of Bill and Sheila Meese, earned a grade point average of 11.55 on an 11-point scale.

$2-m plus in pacts given for Extended Care move

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Contracts for the $2,096,708 renovation project which will result in the Extended Care Unit currently located at the Adams Memorial Hospital between moved to Woodcrest were awarded Wednesday morning in a special meeting of the Adams Health Network Board of Trustees.

The project has come in slightly under the anticipated cost of $2.15 million and hospital officials were told to expect additional savings as a contingency allowance in the budget as $250,000 should be plenty more than what is needed for additions or changes to the project.

The renovation will take the unused Wing B of Woodcrest and make it into a separate entity to be known at the Adams Health Network Rehabilitation Center. The facility will house 14 single-bed rooms.

Area farmers not nervous yet concerning later planting

The Berne Tri-Weekly:

While area farmers would prefer drying conditions at this time, most area agricultural experts indicate that they are not nervous yet concerning the early wet spring.

"I don't think we are running that late yet," said Monroe's Don Inniger. "It depends a lot on what happens the rest of this week. We're wet, but the planters could start rolling next week if it stops raining. If it is still so wet then, we might have to re-evaluate and see where we are at.

FCC planning new Berne expansion

Decatur Daily Democrat:

The FCC (Adams) automotive supply company in Berne, fresh off a recent expansion project which created four times the number of jobs originally anticipated, is growing again.

Berne City Council on Monday evening approved 10-year tax abatements for real estate and new equipment for the Japanese-owned firm's second expansion in as many years at the Parr Road site.

The latest growth at the clutch assembly production plant will include $5.5 million in site improvements and the addition of $20.1 million in new manufacturing equipment, according to FCC administrations manager Elizabeth Daniels. Included in the project will be the construction of a 57,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, to be added to the west end of the existing factory, and the addition of a 22,000 square-foot parking lot capable of accommodating 100 vehicles.

Republicans unveil changes

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Adams County Republican Party Chairman Rob Noetzel has announced that longtime party treasurer Larry Hill has resigned due to matters of health.

Hill, a Decatur resident, held the treasurer's post for more than 20 years, leading Noetzel to say in a news release, "The entire Adams County Republican Party would like to give its heartfelt thanks to Larry for his dedicated service as the treasurer of our party."

Noetzel also announced two changes in party leadership.

He named Jerry Walker of Berne, the party's former secretary, as the new treasurer. Walker is a veteran GOP precinct committeeman and had been secretary since March of 2007.

Napkins provide backdrop for artistic expression

Berne Tri-Weekly:

South Adams' Stephen Hartman will never forget a career-seeding moment that occurred at McDonald's when he was a young child.

"Every year we go to McDonald's on the first day of school," said Hartman. "A person in there was drawing a certain landscape on a napkin. I was intrigued by it so he gave it to me.

"Two years later another napkin with a drawing on it was lying there. I started drawing all of the time," continued Hartman. "I drew different characters and different things. My friends and I would play 'Who Knows What. At recess; I would draw the characters."

So how much would the NA tax hike cost?

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Editor’s Note: In this article and others to follow, North Adams Community Schools officials explain why they are seeking approval of a $1.25 million funding increase from taxpayers. The newspaper welcomes all comments on this issue. Please address them to: Referendum Peoples Voice.)

Times are tough. Expenses keep going up — even for schools — and state and local revenues are expected to continue in decline. A General Referendum may be a necessary revenue-generating measure, but exactly how much is it going to cost me?

The basis upon which property tax is calculated depends upon several factors. There are individual tax assessments levied by the county, the township, the school district, the city, the library and for special district purposes, respectively. To answer the question posed above, we will look only at the impact of changes in school district levy rate. Interestingly, in the past three years, those rates have steadily fallen.

Food fight: Kids (and others) take on hunger

Decatur Daily Democrat:

The recent Kids Against Hunger event at Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School north of Decatur brought together 224 people from Adams, Allen, Wells, and Van Wert counties who turned 8,000 pounds of food into 53,000 meal packages in just one day.

The weight of all the food was nearly four tons, according to Event Coordinator Joe Gorman.

The meals will be divided in the following manner: about 29,000 to five food banks in Adams County, more than 15,600 to the African nation of Sierra Leone, almost 5,100 to the Wells County Food Pantry, and more than 3,200 to the food pantry at St. Joseph Catholic Church at Hessen Cassel of southern Allen County.

New depot work Oked

Decatur Daily Democrat:

The city-owned railroad depot off Seventh St. is getting another shot in the arm ... er, building.

Mayor John Schultz revealed at this week's city council meeting that the city's Board of Works and Safety had authorized the expenditure of approximately $23,000 to provide some much-needed work on the aging structure, now in its 99th year.

Once a busy part of the community as a Pennsylvania Railroad depot, the building has been owned by the city for 25 or so years. It was occupied by a floral business until two and a half to three years ago, and has been empty since that time.

Elvis Presley music, Shakespeare storyline for HNHS spring musical ‘All Shook Up’

Huntington County Tab:

The music of Elvis Presley and a storyline by William Shakespeare form the backbone of Huntington North High School's spring musical, "All Shook Up," which opens its three-day run on Thursday, April 28.

Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 28, 29 and 30, all at 7:30 p.m. in the HNHS auditorium.

Travis Duckett plays Chad, a hip-swiveling roustabout just out of prison. Mechanic Natalie Haller, played by Bronwen Fetters, is smitten. Chad, however, has eyes only for glamorous museum owner Sandra, played by Mariah Harold. In her quest to win Chad's attention, Natalie disguises herself as a man and becomes Chad's new sidekick and the object of Sandra's attentions.

Citywide cleanup is planned

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Plans were unveiled at Tuesday night's Decatur City Council meeting for Operation Cleanup, a major undertaking to "clean up" the city for its 175th birthday celebration later this year.

Mayor John Schultz said a committee comprised of Board of Works member Bill Karbach, city Planning and Zoning Superintendent Roger Gage, and City Attorney Tim Baker have been working on various aspects of the program, including targeting and implementation.

River rising and more rain likely

Decatur Daily Democrat:

The St. Marys River in Decatur rose another two-plus feet in the past 24 hours, but was still far short of causing any significant problems ... at this point.

City weather station officials said this morning that the river stood at 16.23 feet at 7 a.m., up from the 13.9-foot reading 24h hours earlier and 11 1/2 feet from a 4.8-foot reading on Tuesday.

While the river is not troublesome at this stage, more rain is on the way. The National Weather Service said there is a 70 percent chance of rain after 2 a.m. Friday and a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon — then an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday night.

Storm does heavy damage

Berne Tri-Weekly:

While storm damage reports overnight in Adams County range from some property damage to trees that fell on County Road 500 West between County Roads 450 and 500 South.

An Amish barn on CR 400 West just south of Hwy. 218 felt the brunt of the heavier winds, which took the backside off the barn. Widespread insulation and debris could also be seen in surrounding fields.

Heavy damage is also being reported in Celina and eastern Mercer County.

Home BHS’ Early College program hailed as key economic development tool

Decatur Daily Democrat:

The transformation of Bellmont High School into an Early College High School is advancing it into an elite class in Indiana, and good schools can be a powerful economic development tool, a point underscored again and again at Tuesday night's meeting of Decatur City Council.

Bellmont Principal Scot Croner, a driving force behind the program, was on hand to lay out details of the program, what it means to the students and their parents, and to the community as a whole.

Jobless rate lowest in 3 years

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Unemployment in Adams County hit its lowest point in nearly three years during March, leaving the county with the most attractive jobless rate among all northeast Indiana counties.

According to figures released Tuesday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the county's unemployment rate for March was 8.2 percent, down from 8.8 percent one month earlier and 9.2 percent in January. March's reading marked the lowest unemployment level in the county since a rate of 8.0 percent in July of 2008.

Sparse crowd for NA meeting

Decatur Daily Democrat:

The crowd was small and the dialog was sparse Monday evening as North Adams school officials held the first of three public meetings to discuss a property tax referendum that will be decided by school district voters on May 3.

The 10 area residents in attendance at the meeting, held at the former Monmouth Elementary school building, barely outnumbered the school personnel on hand for the evening. North Adams Superintendent of Schools Wylie Sirk and the five board of education members laid out reasons the referendum is being sought to bolster the school district's general fund.

Briggs a key figure in Geneva history

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Moments of silence often last only 15 or 20 seconds, but the one observed on Thursday evening at Geneva for influential banker and civic linchpin James D. Briggs Jr. was lengthier than usual, running at least one minute.

The solemn tribute to Briggs, one of the most veteran financiers in Indiana, came less than one hour after he died, at age 89, in Adams Memorial Hospital.

Briggs led Bank of Geneva for decades and his son, Andrew, is the current bank president.

‘Fireworks’ can spark a quick response

Decatur Daily Democrat:

"Fireworks" is what one thinks of during celebrations, such as at the Fourth of July.

However, in this area, Fireworks means an ultra-modern way of fighting fires or handling other emergencies inside buildings.

The idea was laid out briefly during the recent annual State of the Schools program at a luncheon meeting of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce at Woodcrest Retirement Community.

AC is again debating an earlier start

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Should the school day start at 8:30 a.m. instead of 8?

That question is being considered again by the Adams Central school board, which has weekly teacher professional development sessions on Wednesdays that push that day's class starts back to 8:30.

At the April meeting of the AC board, Superintendent Mike Pettibone said allowing students to get more sleep before coming to school is beneficial. On Wednesdays, he said, "the hallways are different," with the students appearing "more alive" and "not lethargic," as they are when classes begin at 8 a.m.

Northwest closing gets added to list of HCCSC cost-cutting options

Huntington County Tab:

The Huntington County Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees spent a fourth evening on Wednesday, April 13, reviewing cost-cutting options, but this time with an addition - Northwest Elementary School was added to the list of possible school closings.

Schools Superintendent Tracey Shafer again presented numerous slides detailing ways the corporation could narrow down its expected $2 million budget shortfall for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012. He said the corporation has implemented an estimated $1.25 million in cost savings for 2011 and is considering four routes the corporation could take to make more cuts.

To make up the rest of the shortfall, Shafer said, the corporation could reduce staff and programming; pass a general fund referendum; close schools and repurpose those buildings; or allow the state to take over, giving the government power over the corporation's finances and possibly academics.

Mandate hikes NA lunch price

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Tighter state requirements governing school nutrition guidelines have forced North Adams Community Schools to boost lunch prices for the 2011-2012 school year.

Erin Ripley, food service director for the school district, addressed the changes — some of which are already in place, and others which are expected to be imposed — during Tuesday evening's meeting of the North Adams school board.

Ripley said new guidelines affect the type of milk that must be offered (skim milk only) to mandates to reduce the number of calories and the amount of sodium served to students. She said the changes will greatly affect the way North Adams prepares and serves the nearly 2,400 school lunches daily.

Council approves rate changes for use of Lehman Park Pavilion

Berne Tri-Weekly:

At Monday's meeting, Berne City Council approved a recommendation from the park board to raise rental rates for the Lehman Park pavilion, effective Jan. 1, 2012.

Councilman Ron Dull, the park board president, said that current rates are $35 for half days during the week, $50 on weekends and $100 for full day usage. As of Jan. 1, the new rates will be $50 half days during the week, $75 on weekends and $150 for full day usage.

South Adams drug testing policy is outlined

Decatur Daily Democrat:

South Adams Schools board member and random drug testing policy committee chairman Steve Dobler recommended at Tuesday's school board meeting that the random drug testing policy be enforced at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year.

"I think it will be a good thing for our students," he said.

Dobler reported that the random drug testing committee has met three times since the March school board meeting to discuss who will be entered into the drug testing pool, whether to use saliva or urine as the test specimen, and to determine the consequences for a positive test result.

Although the board policy allows for a urinalysis test, a saliva screening and/or a breathalyzer test, the primary method of drug testing, said Dobler, will be the saliva screening.

Deaf Spring Social on April 16 an attempt to bring hearing, deaf worlds closer locally

Huntington County Tab:

Margo Noel says she felt lost when she moved to Huntington in 2007.

Deaf since age 3, Noel wasn't sure how to navigate her new community. It wasn't that people were intentionally shutting her out; they just didn't know how to deal with her.

"I think some people are willing to try and work with you," Noel says. "Others feel awkward and step away."
It didn't take her long to start reaching out. After joining Union Church, Noel decided to teach a signing class. Eventually, several of the church members who had taken her class volunteered to interpret for her during services. As a result of Noel's classes, the church now has a signing ministry, Worship In Motion, and several deaf people attend services there.

State of the Schools outline given by Sirk

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Giving the annual State of the Schools address on Monday to a lunchtime gathering of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, North Adams Community Schools Superintendent Wylie Sirk quoted famous television news anchor and author Tom Brokaw about the importance of education.

"There is a place in America to take a stand: public education," Sirk said. "It is the underpinning of our cultural and political system. It is the great common ground. Public education, after all, is the engine that moves us as a society toward a common destiny. It is in public education that the American dream begins to take shape."

Sirk allied his district to Brokaw's views with just seven words: "We believe that firmly in North Adams."

Mayoral candidates answer on economic development, infrastructure to support business

Huntington County Tab:

Today and on the next two Mondays, The TAB will publish the candidates' responses to a series of questions about the actions they would take as mayor.

Today's question is:
What can the city do to encourage economic development? Is the current infrastructure adequate to support new businesses and industries?

US 27 south going ‘Super Two’?

Decatur Daily Democrat:

What is "Super Two"?

(A) The final teams in the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments?
(B) A new comic book hero duo?
(C) An improved style of highway?
(D) The numeral between Super One and Super Three?

The answer, as reported by Adams County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Larry Macklin to the commissioners on Monday, is C.

Macklin said a potential project for US 27 from where the four-lane ends near Monroe all the way to Portland is the "Super Two" concept, which makes a two-lane highway more like a four-lane superhighway, with wider lanes, wider berms, and ditches redesigned to be safer.

Northwest students will visit Speedway

Decatur Daily Democrat:

Northwest Elementary School in Decatur will take part this year in the eighth annual Indianapolis 500 Education Program Study (EPS) trips.

Local fourth graders will be part of 10 trips to the 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway next Tuesday. Fourth graders are chosen because it is in that grade that students are taught Indiana history.

This year, 321 schools across Indiana are taking part in the trips, with almost 24,000 students involved.

Westenfeld latest effort of Swiss Village to expand rehab servic

Berne Tri-Weekly News:

Officials at Swiss Village are anticipating the completion of a new short-term rehabilitation center by late spring or early summer, says executive director Daryl Martin. The unit will emphasize rehabilitation from cardiac, orthopedic and speech needs, the director noted.

"This unit will especially emphasize short term therapy services," Martin said. "We take pride in serving our community, and are committed to offering the care and support needed to achieve the most complete recovery possible."

Council to have at least four new faces come this January

All seven seats on the Huntington Common Council are up for election this year, and the council is assured of having at least four new members in January.

Four current council members chose not to seek re-election. Two have instead set their sights on the mayor's office, and two have decided to retire from the council. A fifth council member faces opposition in his primary race.

The May 3 primary election has action only on the Republican ticket for the council seats, with contests for the party's nomination for the first, second, fourth and at-large seats.

Students feel pain of alcohol's consequences

South Adams student Lindsey Graber sat in a convocation play on Wednesday afternoon acting out a mock funeral for fellow students Sam Amstutz and Kylie Cisney, whose lives were fictitiously taken in a video made by Substance Abuse Awareness Council students designed to challenge peers about the danger of drinking and driving.

Local law enforcement officials and medical transport personnel assisted "victims" in depicting a serious accident that occurred when students, under the strong influence of alcohol, crashed into a light pole in the South Adams parking lot.

Monroe home is lost to fire

The Decatur Daily Democrat:

A fire that started in an attached garage spread to the one-story William and Carolyn Schindler home in Monroe on Wednesday evening, destroying both structures.

Neither of the occupants was injured, but all their belongings were lost, including two vehicles parked in the garage.

Monroe Fire Chief Russell Cook said this morning that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Commissioners declare leaky roof at jail ‘emergency situation,’ repairs to come from ‘rainy day’

Huntington County Tab:

A leaky roof at the Huntington County Jail will soon be repaired, after the Huntington County Commissioners voted on Monday, April 4, to declare the problem an "emergency situation."

Shad Paul, Huntington County building inspector, said that by declaring the repair an emergency, the county will be able to use money out of its rainy day fund to fix the roof.

Earlier this year, the jail's gutters froze, causing water to pool and leak through the roof. However, further investigation revealed a host of issues with the integrity of the roof drains, mostly resulting from temporary repairs that had never been properly corrected.

Now, as the weather warms and snow changes to rain, the need for roof repair is essential, the commissioners say.

Switzer is Lilly Scholarship recipient

The Decatur Daily Democrat:

Robert Switzer, a senior at South Adams High School in Berne, has won a Lilly Endowment college scholarship.

The Lilly scholarship was announced by the Adams County Community Foundation (ACCF), which notes that such winners get full tuition to the Indiana college or university of his or her choice plus an $800 annual stipend to buy books and equipment.

Adams County farmers donate crops for needy around the world

The Berne Tri-Weekly News:

It's been six years since local businessman Phil Eicher received information from a customer in the Grabill area concerning the Food Resource Bank program and its potential to help the needy around the world.

"It sounded very interesting to me at the time," said Eicher. "I didn't realize that there was already a project associated with this at Pleasant Dale Church of the Brethren. It was suggested that we get a group of ag and business people together to discuss the possibility.

City will seek grant to raze old light plant

The Decatur Daily Democrat:

A 116-year-old city-owned building has a wrecking ball in its future, and the sooner the better for Decatur Mayor John Schultz.

The mayor asked for and received permission from city council Tuesday night to seek a grant to demolish the huge, decaying building behind the Fifth St. police station and near the city swimming pool.

Built in 1895, the building once housed the city's electric utility. In later years, it was home to the street department. Three or so years ago, as the structure became unsafe, the street department moved into the former Baker & Schulz building complex on Elm St. after that complex was purchased by the city.

Food study shows Blackford has high food insecurity rate

The Hartford City News Times:

A new study of hunger puts a Blackford County “food insecurity rate” at 18.4 percent, meaning there are 2,440 people in the county who are “food insecure.” The rate is above the state average of 16.2 percent.

Cowan excited about opportunity to pass on life lessons

The Berne Tri-Weekly News:

Adams Central graduate Drew Cowan is the first to admit that it wasn't easy facing some difficult family circumstances when he was a child. However, these days he is bent on sharing life coping lessons that he learned during that time with area youth, some of which are faced with similar circumstances.

"Through some of the family circumstances that I went through when I was younger, I can feel what these kids are going through," said Cowan, the new director of Mentoring Adams County Kids (MACK) through the Boys and Girls Club program.

Old Photos sought for 175 Celebration

The Decatur Daily Democrat:

The Decatur 175 Committee, which is organizing a celebration in August of the city's anniversary, are seeking old photographs of Decatur that will be considered for inclusion in a souvenir book for the event.

The photos will be scanned this Saturday during the Spring Has Sprung promotion of the Decatur Small Business Association. The scanning will be done at The Next Page Bookstore and More at Second and Monroe Sts. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.