WEST NOBLE’S BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM KEEPS ON WINNING. DETAILS ON P. 6
The
Advance An edition of THE NEWS SUN
THURSDAY JANUARY 9, 2014
Leader
75 cents Ligonier, Indiana, USA On the web at: kpcnews.com Vol. 129, No. 2
The big chill of 2014 Area hit by foot of snow then subzero temperatures BY BOB BUTTGEN bbuttgen@kpcmedia.com
LIGONIER —Day-to-day life in the West Noble area came to a virtual standstill this week as the entire upper Midwest was hit by heavy snowfall over the weekend, followed by subzero temperatures on Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday the temperatures rose to the teens. The weather was so extreme that nearly everyone was homebound on Monday and Tuesday except those people whose jobs were considered essential. City workers, including street, water and sewer department crews, police officers and firefighters were on duty, with the street department working around the clock to clear the streets. The storm started Saturday night and snow fell all day Sunday, making roads impassable. Ligonier received reports of seven to 12 inches snow with slightly higher levels in some spots. On Monday night and Tuesday, temperatures were recorded as low as minus 15 degrees with windchill factors making it feel like 30 and 35 below zero, according to the National Weather Service. All Ligonier city offices were closed Monday and Tuesday but reopened on Wednesday. Most businesses, including restaurants, remained closed on Monday as the both the city and Noble County declared a weather emergency. Patty Fisel offered high praise for city employees who worked through the night, from Sunday to Monday, plowing virtually every street in the city. “All of our streets are cleared,� she said Monday morning. “Our crews did an unbelievable job, working through the night.� “Ligonier has a super plowing crew to respond to a weather emergency like we are now experiencing,� she added on Tuesday. “We are fortunate to have department supervisors who work together daily, utilizing each departments equipment and expertise. So when we face emergency situations they put
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
Up to a foot of snow, and more in some places, fell in the West Noble area from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning. The area was then socked by a polar vortex that sent temperatures plunging to
their action plan together and the citizens benefit. They have done, and are continuing to do a great job.� The city’s recreation center also was closed because of the mayor’s
minus-15 degrees on Monday and Tuesday. The bottom photo shows city workers clearing away snow from the area around the fire department. More snow is forecast for today.
order issued Sunday night. Owen’s Supermarket, the only full-size grocery store in Ligonier, closed at 9 p.m. Sunday but reopened at noon Monday. Store manager Chris Fought,
a member of the Ligonier City Council, said his store was waiting for deliveries of milk and bread, but they were expected to arrive by late Monday. More trucks came Wednesday morning, carrying
supplies for the store. West Noble canceled Tuesday’s school day which was to be the first day back for students following the Christmas break. Classes were also called off for Wednesday and Thursday, primarily because of road conditions. (See related story on state waiver for schools on this page.) Vickey Hochstetler, manager of the Pak-A-Sak store in downtown Ligonier, said her store was able to remain open during the entire storm. “I went in at 4:30 Sunday morning and got to go home Monday around 2 p.m.,� she said. “Thanks to my employees I had Tuesday off, but the street and water and police and fire departments. were the real heroes; they kept going. The streets in Ligonier were awesome.� Noble REMC reported one power outage on Monday night that lasted for about two hours and affected 1,150 customers in the Ligonier and Cromwell areas. Power was stored at about 11:45 p.m. Monday. The utility reported a few smaller outages this week. The forecast for the rest of the week called for temperatures in the 30s and maybe 40s today, Friday and Saturday, but more snow was expected today with rain forecast over the weekend.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Ligonier City Council member Chris Fought clears snow in his neighborhood this week.
Snow also a big WN will apply for waivers headache for county on missed school days Kendallville hit with 14 inches
ALBION — Cleanup from what some are calling the “Winter Blast� Sunday is proceeding slowly due to the sheer volume of snow, a Noble County official said Monday. “The highway department is making some progress, but there’s still a lot of work,� said Noble County Emergency Management Agency executive director Michael Newton. The National Weather Service had no final storm snowfall total available for Noble County, but did show Kendallville as having received 14 inches at 9:35 p.m. Sunday and southwest Noble County with a total of 9.8 inches at 7 p.m. Sunday. Newton said most of Noble County received about a foot
of snow during the storm, with numbers varying a bit around the county. Noble County’s Red Level 1 Warning snow advisory, restricting travel on county roads to emergency vehicles only, continued overnight, Newton said. The commissioners ordered all county office buildings closed to the public Tuesday afternoon. They met briefly Wednesday at 10 a.m. to address claims and payroll, and deal with all other items from their agenda from Monday’s canceled meeting Jan. 13. The Noble County Highway Department’s work clearing the roads has been complicated by high winds, Newton said, adding, “There’s still a lot of drifting out there.�
The Advance Leader P.O. Box 30 Ligonier, IN 46767 Phone: 894-3102 • Fax: 894-3102
LIGONIER — Indiana schools that canceled classes because of weather on Monday, Jan. 6, and Tuesday, Jan. 7, won’t need to make up the lost time, according to the state department of education (DOE). George Frampton, director of the office of accreditation for the education department, confirmed Monday that state superintendent Glenda Ritz has authorized schools to apply for a one-day waiver from the required 180 days of instruction. Later in the day, Ritz’s press secretary, Daniel Altman, said the waiver will be offered to schools for Tuesday as well. “This is based on the cold and the danger to kids,� Frampton said Monday afternoon. West Noble will apply for a waiver for any days that the DOE will allow, superintendent Dr. Dennis VanDuyne said Wednesday. West Noble canceled classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and today. Officials were not sure how many more days the state may excuse school districts from having to
make up. West Noble has two make-up days built into the calendar for snow days but the waiver will allow the corporation to keep those in reserve. Many roads in the rural part of Noble County were still not passable for school buses as of Wednesday morning. “The county highway department has done a tremendous job but roads are far from ideal,� VanDuyne said. “Many places were single lanes, a few roads were not plowed at all. The intersections are still bad and all turn-a-rounds need work in order for the buses to have the room they need.� As for the state’s decision on waivers, Ritz made the decision on Sunday after consulting with her staff. Superintendents of Indiana schools were notified that a waiver was available for Monday on Sunday afternoon, via email or an automatic calling system, Frampton said. The waiver means that schools can escape the “very severe financial penalty� they would
otherwise incur by canceling one day of instruction, he said. This waiver has been used before, but rarely. “In the last 15 years, this may have been used maybe three other times,� Frampton said, adding that he believes the waiver was last used in 2007 or 2008. He said the waiver has been used in the past to allow schools to make up just part of several missed days due to weather — like having just five makeup days for eight snow days. Altman said Ritz decided just before 3 p.m. on Monday to also offer a waiver allowing Indiana school districts to cancel school on Tuesday without penalty. The waiver applies to all public and non-public schools in the state.
Weather affects sports schedules West Noble athletic events were hampered by the weather. Reports on make-up dates or postponements can be found on pages 5 or 6, or check kpcnews. com or West Noble’s page.
'RQ¡W IRUJHW WR %XQGOH 8S WKLV ZLQWHU ,QWHUQHW 7HOHYLVLRQ 7HOHSKRQH DOO RQ RQH ELOO IRU RQH ORZ SULFH &DOO RU VWRS LQ WRGD\ WR 6LJQ XS 6 &DYLQ 6W /LJRQLHU ,Q Š Š ZZZ OLJRQLHUWHOHSKRQH FRP