BLAZER BASKETBALL: Eastside boys defeated at West Noble, MORE ON PAGE 3
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 8, 2014
THE
Butler An edition of
The
Bulletin
148th YEAR — ISSUE #1 On the web at: kpcnews.com
75 cents Butler, Indiana ESTABLISHED IN 1866
Winter storm slams county BY JEFF JONES jjones@kpcmedia.com After a winter storm dumped approximately 10 inches of snow over DeKalb County, an Arctic blast ushered in sub-zero temperatures Monday night and Tuesday. As a result, all of DeKalb County was placed under emergency travel restrictions. All school districts and many factories closed or suspended work shifts. Travel restrictions were lifted Tuesday afternoon, but main roads remained snow- and ice-covered. Most motorists who did venture out used caution on the extremely slippery roads. Monday, areas of western and northern Indiana were under blizzard warnings for wind gusts or sustained winds of 35 mph or more. No northeast Indiana counties were impacted by blizzard conditions, but most roads were buried under snowdrifts. The winter storm warning for northeast Indiana extended into Monday afternoon, and an accompanying wind chill warning lasted into late Tuesday as high
‘Freeze of 2014’ sees temperatures plummet temperatures noon Monday were at minus-9 in Auburn and minus-13 in Fort Wayne. Tuesday was a little better as temperatures at least approached zero. Southeast firefighters — Concord Township and Spencerville — made one weather-related rescue at 10 a.m. Monday when a DeKalb Eastern school district maintenance employee attempting to repair a vent on the roof at Riverdale Elementary School was overcome by the frigid temperatures, Concord Fire Chief Mike Georgi said. Firefighters were able to help the worker off the roof and got him inside a fire truck to warm up, Georgi said. The unnamed employee declined medical treatment.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
“It was pretty miserable out there then,” Georgi. “Thankfully it’s been pretty quiet.” In Butler, street crews began plowing snow around 3:30 p.m. and had the streets largely cleared Monday. Superintendent Ted Miller hoped to have snow piles removed as soon as possible. Miller estimated 10 to 12 inches of snow fell in Butler. Miller asked residents to assist city crews by digging out fire hydrants in their neighborhood. Butler’s City Council and Board of Works meetings scheduled for Monday were canceled due to weather. Approximately 10 firefighters spent Sunday night and Monday at Butler’s fire station to be available ➤ Storm, Page 6
4-H air rifle meeting rescheduled
WINTER’S BEAUTY
Butler Bulletin printed one day later this week BUTLER — This weekend’s winter storm accomplished something even the Blizzard of 1978 couldn’t do — delay production and publication of The Butler Bulletin. The regular schedule of Monday production and Tuesday printing and distribution will resume with the Jan. 14 edition.
Have winter storm photos to share? Did you happen to capture an interesting nature photo from the winter storm? Please share them with us! Please provide a description of your photo — the names of any people, where and when it was taken and any other pertinent information. Photos and information can be sent to jjones@ kpcmedia.com. If the photos don’t make it in print, they can be viewed online at our website, kpcnews.com.
United Way annual meeting set for Jan. 21 AUBURN — The United Way of DeKalb County will hold its annual meeting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21 in the conference room of the United Way office, 208 S. Jackson St., Auburn. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please RSVP at 927-0995.
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.
Submit your news BUTLER — Do you have news to be published in The Butler Bulletin? Churches, clubs and community groups are invited to share their news items and photos. The new email address is jjones@ kpcmedia.com. News items may also be faxed to Jeff Jones at 925-2625. THE
Butler Bulletin P.O. Box 39 Butler, IN 46721 PHONE: 868-5501
Jeff Jones
Butler resident Alan Willibey guides his tractor into position to clear snow from his driveway. This weekend’s winter storm deposited several inches of the white stuff over DeKalb County and sent temperatures well below zero.
Jeff Jones
While Mother Nature dumped piles of snow over northeast Indiana, her work also provided some beauty in this Butler tree.
AUBURN — The DeKalb County 4-H Shooting Sports program has rescheduled its 2014 4-H air rifle sign-up meeting for Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall on the fairgrounds in Auburn. The program is open to any youth in grades 4-12 during the 2013-2014 school year. Parents/guardians are asked to attend this meeting in order to have a better understanding of the requirements of this program, and to sign permission forms. The cost for the program is $35 for beginners and $30 for advanced participants, which includes the use of equipment, lesson materials, and insurance.
Certified air rifle instructors will be on hand to explain the program and answer any questions. Gun safety skills and individual shooting skills are the focus of the air rifle program, which is taught in a very controlled situation. Completion of first year air rifle or air pistol (program held in the fall only) is a requirement for both .22 rifle and muzzle loading, which is offered in the summer. Shotgun requires two years of air rifle and/or air pistol. If a child needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, parents may discuss ➤ 4-H, Page 6
Taking a look back at 2013 BY JEFF JONES jjones@kpcmedia.com BUTLER — 2014 has ushered in a winter storm and with it, an Arctic blast of bone-chilling temperatures. This article may give you a warm feeling looking back at events that made the news from May to August 2013. The final 2013 retrospective article will appear in a future edition.
May Two Butler Police officers received promotions. Detective Matt Traster, a 14-year member of the department, was named the new assistant chief. Matt Tamez, a two-year member of the department, was promoted to detective. Eastside juniors Josh Firestine
The year in review
2013 and Whitney Gearhart were crowned king and queen at the school’s prom, held at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. Butler’s plan commission voted unanimously to vacate two empty lots on the east side of Maple
Butler man’s sentence upheld BY KATHRYN BASSETT kbassett@kpcmedia.com INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the seven-year prison sentence of a Butler man convicted of possession of methamphetamine. Harold Evans, formerly of the 100 block of East Main Street, pleaded guilty to the Class C felony as part of a plea agreement filed in May 2013 in DeKalb Superior Court II. According to the court of appeals decision filed Dec. 31, Evans originally was charged with a more serious Class B felony, which was amended as part of the agreement. A charge of visiting a common nuisance, a Class B misdemeanor, as well as four additional criminal charges in pending matters, were
dismissed as part of the agreement. Sentencing was left to the discretion of the court. In upholding the seven-year sentence, the court of appeals noted Evans has a 39-year criminal history that began with a juvenile delinquency adjudication in 1974. Evans’ adult criminal history includes three felony convictions, numerous misdemeanors and the dismissal of “countless” additional charges as parts of various plea agreements. “Despite being given the grace of probation on several occasions, the record reveals that Evans has violated the terms of probation time and time again,” the court of appeals said in its ruling. ➤ Sentence, Page 6
Street to make way for the DeKalb Eastern school district’s plan to rebuild the street connecting Main Street (U.S. 6) and Green Street in front of Eastside Junior-Senior High School. The plan called for three lanes at each end of the new street, to improve traffic flow to and from the school. Eastside’s softball team won three games to capture the LaVille Queen of Diamonds tournament. The Blazers scored at least 10 runs in each of its wins. It was Eastside’s first championship in the nine-year history of the tournament. Rosemary “Rosie” Sprunger was recognized at a Butler City Council upon her retirement as clerk for the Butler City Court. Sprunger served as a clerk since 1994.
Approximately 30 seniors earned at least one scholarship at Eastside’s academic awards program. Ninety-one seniors received diplomas at graduation. Four members of Eastside’s boys track team — P.J. Dean, Jesse Eck, Ty Lockhart and David McCallister — qualified for the regional meet in the 4x100 relay. Lockhart also qualified in the 100and 200-meter dashes.
June Fourth-grade students at Riverdale Elementary School helped dedicate a wood carving of Abraham Lincoln on the St. Joseph River Greenway. The carving, made by Spencerville resident ➤ Review, Page 6
WINTER WHITEOUT
Jeff Jones
A driver carefully navigates a Butler street in near whiteout conditions during the winter storm Sunday evening. DeKalb County was under emergency-only travel conditions until Tuesday afternoon.