The Butler Bulletin - December 3, 2013

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BASKETBALL: Eastside boys open season with win over Garrett, MORE ON PAGE 3

TUESDAY DECEMBER 3, 2013

THE

Butler An edition of

The

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Bulletin

Humane shelter plans open house BUTLER — The DeKalb County Humane Society will host an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Visitors can enjoy cookies and punch while touring the facility and meeting the canines and felines. The shelter is at 5521 U.S. 6, west of Butler.

Veterans’ questions to be addressed BUTLER — DeKalb County veterans’ service officer Brian Lamm will visit American Legion Post 202, 118 N. Broadway, from 6-8 p.m., the second Monday of every month to answer questions regarding benefits and issues. This is open to any area veteran or widow of a veteran.

Church plans soup kitchen Dec. 14 BUTLER — Seabreeze Ministries, 404 S. Federal St., will host a community soup kitchen from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. The event will take place at the church, located just south of the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks, between Depot and Walnut streets.

Helping Hands Ministry open BUTLER — Helping Hands Ministry is an outreach ministry of Christ’s Church at Butler assisting needy families in the Butler area. Monetary contributions and donations of new or gently-used clothing and bedding items are accepted during business hours. Individuals may visit and shop for bags of items priced at $3-$5 each. Helping Hands is located at 136 W. Main St. and is open Tuesdays 4-6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon. A food pantry is open the second Tuesday of each month from 4-6 p.m.

Historical photos wanted to print Do you have old photographs of the Butler, St. Joe, Spencerville, Newville, Concord, Orange, Moore or Artic areas? Please allow us to scan and print them so we can share them with readers throughout the year. Photos will appear periodically in The Butler Bulletin and online. Photos can be scanned and returned while you wait by visiting the Star office, 118 W. Ninth St., Auburn, during business hours. Photos can be old schools, street scenes, athletic teams, community bands, railroads, river or bridge scenes to name a few. We ask that you provide some information about the time period, location and people in the photo. THE

Butler Bulletin P.O. Box 39 Butler, IN 46721 PHONE: 868-5501

On the web at: kpcnews.com

75 cents Butler, Indiana ESTABLISHED IN 1866

Auburn woman dies from injuries

READING BUDDIES

Blood drive planned for Dec. 18 BUTLER — The American Red Cross will conduct a blood drive in Butler from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18 at American Legion Post 202, 118 N. Broadway. People who are at least 17 years old (16 with parental permission in Indiana and Ohio), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Each donor should bring a Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive identification.To schedule an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org for more information.

147th YEAR — ISSUE #49

Jeff Jones

Eastside basketball player Ashley Steffen, center, reads to fourth-grade students Travis Garrison, left, and Kierra Crow at Riverdale Elementary School Nov. 27. Basketball players, coaches and managers visited Butler and Riverdale students, and will make periodic visits to the schools to read and exchange electronic pen pal messages. In conjunction with the Butler Public Library, fourth-grade students will be recognized as readers of the week at future basketball games.

AUBURN — An Auburn woman has died from injuries she suffered in a motorcycle crash Oct. 13. Connie K. Cossairt, 59, died Saturday at DeKalb Health hospital in Auburn. She was one of two people injured when a motorcycle struck a railroad crossing gate arm Oct. 13 at 5:35 p.m. southwest of Butler, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department reported. Cossairt had injuries to her head and face. The driver of the motorcycle, Michael Powell, 56, of Spencerville, had injuries to his head, face and right shoulder. The Samaritan helicopter flew them to Parkview Regional Medical Center at Fort Wayne for treatment. Powell was in fair condition

after the crash, but Cossairt was listed in critical condition, according to a hospital spokesman. Police said the 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle was traveling south on C.R. 59, approaching the Norfolk Southern railroad crossing south of C.R. 42. The crossing arms were down, with red lights flashing. Powell told police he did not see the crossing arms immediately, because the sun was shining in his eyes. When he saw the crossing arms were down, he applied the brakes but slid, striking the southbound crossing arm with the front of the motorcycle. Police said neither Powell nor Cossairt was wearing a helmet. An obituary brief for Ms. Cossairt appears in today’s edition.

SDI sewer work approved BY JEFF JONES jjones@kpcmedia.com BUTLER — The Butler Board of Works hired an Indianapolis-based engineering firm for an equipment replacement project near the Steel Dynamics complex southwest of Butler Monday. For a guaranteed maximum price of $950,635, Bowen Engineering will oversee all aspects of the project, which includes replacing a pump station and approximately 1,800 feet of occluded force main near the complex. That force main eventually ties into Butler’s sewer system.

Bowen’s responsibilities include hiring contractors for the work, after consulting with the City of Butler’s engineers, Mayor Ron Walter explained after the meeting. “It eliminates a lot of steps,” he said. “They’ll hire the electricians, welders, and excavators they want. There has to be some sort of energy savings mechanism. On that project, it may have to do with the pump station at SDI.” Bowen will be required to pay common-wage rates, Walter added. Steel Dynamics will reimburse the City of Butler for $950,635 cost, city

officials said. Any cost overruns not approved by Butler officials will be Bowen’s responsibility. A pre-construction meeting will take place Jan. 13, after which time a notice to proceed may be issued, according to consultant Dave Wagner of Millennium Environmental. Walter and board member Eric Johnson cast votes in favor of the Bowen contract. Board member Tammy Davis abstained, citing a conflict of interest as she works for Steel Dynamics. Later, by 5-0 votes, the Butler City Council approved additional

Lauer seeks re-election AUBURN — DeKalb County Sheriff Don Lauer this week announced his intention to seek re-election to a second term in office in the May 6 Republican primary election. “I am very proud of the accomplishments that we’ve achieved in the past three years,” Lauer said. He attributed his success in office to his professional, dedicated staff. “My commitment will always be to serve the citizens of DeKalb County and to provide the ethical leadership worthy of the office of sheriff,” Lauer said. “My staff and I are committed to providing a professional,

efficient, community-focused sheriff’s office. The community has been extremely supportive during my first term in office. I ask for your continued Lauer support as I seek another opportunity to continue to serve you.” Lauer said he is most proud of these accomplishments: • reduced spending by introducing cost-cutting ideas and reducing the budget; • improved maintenance and upkeep to the jail in an attempt

over the past 14 years, including: settlement, net assessed values, tax increment financing districts, abatements, annual abstract, property tax refunds, corrections of errors, deductions and

Bauman

➤ Approved, Page 6

THANKSGIVING MEALS

to increase the building’s life expectancy; • improved inter-departmental relationships; • introduced programming for jail inmates to reduce the likelihood of reoffending — at no taxpayer expense; • improved school safety by adding a third school resource officer and initiating daily school patrols; • increased security in the courthouse; • increased patrols to smaller communities; and • continued commitment to successful investigation and prosecution of sex crimes against children.

Bauman will run for auditor AUBURN — Jan Bauman has declared her intention to run for DeKalb County auditor in 2014. Current Auditor John Fetters will complete his second term at the end of 2014 and cannot seek a third term. Bauman began working in the auditor’s office in 1999 handling accounts payable. She said she has added many other responsibilities

appropriations of up to $40,000 for the Butler Fire Department and up to $10,000 for Thompson Building renovations. The fire department will pay off an air-pack lease early, and use the remaining funds for an electronic sign. Some new windows will be installed in the Thompson Building, and the fire alarm system will be repaired. A recent storm caused the panel to trip repeatedly, Clerk-Treasurer Angela Eck explained.

exemptions and capital assets. Bauman has earned Bachelor of Science degrees in business and education. She is a member of the DeKalb County Republican Women and is the group’s treasurer-elect for 2014. She has been married to her husband, Mark, for 20 years. They have one daughter and reside in Auburn.

Photo contributed

Butler Assistant Police Chief Matthew Traster is shown delivering some Thanksgiving cheer. Butler Police adopted four families this year. Traster and Police Chief Jim Nichols delivered complete turkey dinners with all the fixings to the four families Nov. 27 so they would have everything in time for Thanksgiving. “I was glad that we could brighten things up for the families this year,” Nichols said.

Community garden harvest grows success BY KATHRYN BASSETT kbassett@kpcmedia.com AUBURN — With the produce now harvested and the soil tilled, DeKalb County Resource Garden chairman Dave Bassett rates the garden as a success. “For the first year, I think it went really well,” said Bassett. “I think it’s something that’s good for the county.” The garden was planted in a one-acre site on the south side of the Northeast Indiana Solid Waste Management District’s composting site on C.R. 36-A, northwest of Auburn. Labor such as planting, weeding, watering and harvesting was carried out by DeKalb County Community Corrections clients who were required to complete community-service hours. Produce from the garden was used to feed inmates at the county jail and given to local food banks.

Community service workers were under the supervision of mentors who were responsible for telling them which tasks to complete and giving gardening advice. Community Corrections staff made periodic visits to monitor the workers. The garden season ran from May 18, when the first vegetables were planted, to the end of September, when the ground was tilled and composted. During the season more than 1,000 pounds of food were harvested. Vegetables grown at the garden included tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, peppers, lettuce, potatoes, melons and cucumbers. A total of 46 community service workers spent 649.75 hours during 50 days working at the garden, according to Community Corrections program coordinator Lisa Culler.

Bassett credited the garden’s success with the support it received from numerous partners. The DeKalb County Commissioners awarded $10,000 to establish the resource garden program. Community Corrections was responsible for the labor force, and the DeKalb County Extension office provided guidance, volunteer recruitment and organization. The DeKalb County Council on Aging also assisted with recruitment and management. The DeKalb County Surveyor’s Office defined the garden’s boundaries, and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department transported and prepared the produce. DeKalb High School students grew the starter plants, and the Northeast Indiana Solid Waste Management District provided the garden location, a well, power, and many other extras, Bassett said.

Steel Dynamics, Inc. donated material for a driveway base, and TFC Canopy provided a shade and rain canopy. Kaufman Well Drilling installed a well. Garden Gate assisted with seeds and supplies, and Home Depot assisted with tools and equipment. Signature Construction and Eaton Clutch set up the canopy. Speedway Redimix provider concrete and Seiss Construction carried out the concrete work. Walmart Distribution Center provided bottled water for workers. “Though our first year was met with some challenges, including turning a hard farm field into a garden, lots of rain early in the season, needing a few more volunteers and a dry mid-season, we persevered and stayed well under our budget,” Bassett said. Next year, Bassett said, soil ➤ Garden, Page 6


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