Courthouse damage could top $10,000 - Likely lightning zaps electrical equipment

Decatur Daily Democrat:

While Saturday's storm didn't cause any structural damage to county buildings, plenty of electrical equipment was zapped by an apparent lightning strike.

Dave Meyer, of building maintenance, told the Adams County Commissioners Monday that he checked on the courthouse after he failed to receive a routine status email Sunday morning.

Meyer said when he got to the building he discovered the second floor air conditioning unit, elevator, emergency alarms and panic alarms were not working. Meyer called Bleeke Electric to fix the problems and as of Monday all systems, except the air conditioning unit, were operating again.

Bean crop to benefit most from weekend rain

Berne Tri-Weekly News:

It was like "grant money from the heavens" on Saturday evening and Sunday morning when between two and four inches of rain fell on area fields. Millions of dollars dropped on the parched Indiana crop with a special blessing for the state's bean crop.

Locally, rainfall amounts varied, ranging from two inches in the southern parts of the county to nearly four inches in the Monroe area, and three inches reported in the extreme eastern part of the county. Regardless of the amount, all farmers were speaking in terms of "great blessing" as they gathered in the foyers of their churches before worship on Sunday morning.

The rainfall was actually a product of three storm complexes. A quick forming line of thundershowers passed over the area late in the afternoon, dropping anywhere from a couple of tenths of an inch to nearly a half inch in some areas. Then, later in the evening, a much stronger punch hit the county, this time with one to two inches of rain accompanied by strong gusty winds that included a tornado warning for the central part of the county for a few minutes.

Ebony’s new life is under way August 6, 2012

Decatur Daily Democrat:

To see seven-year-old Ebony Fawcett, with her thousand-watt smile and fairylike giggle, playing in her hot-pink room, it's difficult to imagine the hardships this Decatur girl has endured during her short life.

In 2006, when Ebony was little more than a year old, she was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, a children's cancer that develops in the nervous system, most commonly in the abdominal and chest area, and is associated with the adrenal glands.

Even before her diagnosis, Ebony's life was far from ideal. She was living with her biological family when her illness was discovered after the Department of Children and Families came to investigate the conditions of her home.

Club calendar

Wednesday, Aug. 8

• Poplar Grove Club — Corner Depot; 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Aug. 11

• Korean War Veterans Assoc., Indiana Chapter One — VFW at 2202 W. Main Street, Fort Wayne; 10 a.m. Lunch following meeting. Friends and spouses welcome to attend the event. 260-485-7627.
• River Terrace Estates — Tab Beechler playing piano and singing; 3 p.m. in Healthcare.

Sunday, Aug. 12

• LifeTree Café — Brew Ha! in Ossian; 6-7 p.m. Topic: “Lonely: Secrets learned in solitary confinement.” 260-622-4632.
• River Terrace Estates — Art Beer, Esther Mowery and Denver Morrow; 2:30 p.m. in ALD.

Are you ready for some fireworks? Hgtn. fireworks display set for Aug. 4

Huntington County Tab:

The annual Fourth of July Huntington fireworks display, postponed this year due to the burn ban, is set to commence at last this Saturday, Aug. 4, off the grounds of Huntington North High School at 10 p.m.

Dan Fisher, chair of the fireworks display for American Legion Post 7, has been involved with fireworks displays since 1982 and can't remember a display ever facing "more than a day or two delay."

Fisher, however, is quick to praise Leon Hurlburt, deputy chief and fire marshal with the Huntington Fire Department, for his decision to delay the show.

PD dispatch center closed

Decatur Daily Democrat:

The dispatch center at the Decatur police station on Third St. was officially closed down on Wednesday.

Now, calls to the police department's telephone number, 724-3123, will be answered by an electronic operator, and the caller will be asked to hang up and call 911 if it is an emergency or to call 724-5345 for all other calls. The call to 724-5345 will be answered by someone in the communications center in the Adams County Jail

All dispatches to city police now come from the communications center at the county jail.

Community and nation turn out to celebrate life of Taylor

Berne Tri-Weekly News:

By 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning, multitudes of area residents were lined up in the hallway leading to the South Adams Gymnasium, waiting for doors to open to the funeral site of Nicholas (Nick) Taylor, veteran and hero of the local community whose life was taken in Afghanistan on July 16.

And while the community came out in mass, it wasn't only Berne or Adams County people that paid tribute to the community's fallen hero. Hundreds of motorcycle riders from the Indiana Patriot Guard stood by with flags saluting the young soldier and his grieving family. Dignitaries such as State Senator Travis Holdman, Governor Mitchell Daniels, Adjutant General of Indiana National Guard General Umbarger, U.S Representative Dan Coates, U.S. Representative Mike Pence and State Representative Matt Lehman all paid tributes to Taylor's military service.