Serving the Steuben County 101 lakes area since 1857
List of 2014 primary election candidate list continues to grow with new filings
Weather Snow expected today with highs in the mid-20s. Low in the teens. Page A6
Page A2 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2014
Angola, Indiana
Hamilton principal to leave
GOOD MORNING Great Lakes cleanup funded by Congress TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A spending bill crafted by congressional leaders would allocate $300 million to a Great Lakes cleanup that had been threatened with a massive cut during last year’s budget fight, supporters said Tuesday. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is a program dealing with some of the lakes’ most serious environmental problems such as invasive species, loss of wetlands and other wildlife habitat, toxic pollution and runoff that causes algae blooms. It has gotten around $300 million in most years since funding began in 2010. But last year, a House subcommittee proposed slashing the 2014 allocation to just $60 million — an 80 percent cut that Great Lakes advocates said would gut the program, which has bipartisan support in Congress.
Sweet Adelines holding open house ANGOLA — The Little River Chapter of the Sweet Adelines will hold an open house on Monday for women interested in singing in an a cappella choir. The choir meets every Monday at Fairview Missionary Church, 525 E. C.R. 200N, 6-9 p.m. The open house is a chance for women of all ages to meet the members and find out what the Sweet Adelines is all about. For details, call Sandra Shuman at 475-5482.
A big bunch of bull gets loose in Noble KENDALLVILLE — An escaped rodeo bull charged members of the Kendallville Fire Department on a frozen lake surface before it was killed Monday, the Noble County Sheriff’s Department said. READ MORE ON PAGE A3
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Contact Us • The Herald Republican 45 S. Public Square Angola, IN 46703 Phone: (260) 665-3117 Fax: (260) 665-2322 Classifieds: (toll free) (877) 791-7877 Circulation: (800) 717-4679
Index • Classified.............................................. B7-B8 Life.................................................................A5 Obituaries.............................................A4, A6 Opinion ........................................................B4 Sports.................................................... B1-B3 Weather........................................................A6 TV/Comics ..................................................B6 Vol. 157 No. 14
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kpcnews.com
BY AARON ORGAN aorgan@kpcmedia.com
MIKE MARTURELLO
Angola Common Councilman Dave Martin, standing, talks about a proposed food and beverage tax with the Steuben County Council on Tuesday morning. Most agreed that if a food
and beverage tax were implemented, it should be fairly distributed among government units in the county.
Food tax on the table Officials discuss how to spread bounty if bill passes BY MIKE MARTURELLO mmarturello@kpcmedia.com
ANGOLA — Officials from throughout Steuben County agreed that adding a new tax might not be palatable but might be necessary with a possible elimination of the business personal property tax in Indiana that’s pending before the Legislature. Served up at a meeting of the Steuben County Council
was discussion of the food and beverage tax, something that’s currently an option available locally. At the same time, Angola is included in pending legislation that would create food and beverage taxes for a number of municipalities. Rick Shipe, president of the County Council, said in Tuesday’s meeting if the tax is enacted, the distribution of the receipts should
be fairly distributed between the county and municipalities, a point shared by many. “It’s got to be equitable for all the towns and the county,” said Brent Shull, Hamilton town manager. On the table in the Legislature is a bill that would allow Angola and about a dozen other cities to enact a local, 1 percent food and
SEE HAMILTON, PAGE A6
SEE TAX, PAGE A3
Pence tries to sell 2014 agenda INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican Gov. Mike Pence held close to a carefully scripted message for 2014 during his second State of the State address, prodding lawmakers for a business tax cut and education items while asking them to take action on a controversial marriage amendment this year. Pence offered little in the way of new details Tuesday, sticking to what has become a defining hands-off approach with lawmakers and his legislative agenda. Instead, he asked them for a second year largely focused on continuing the same strategy of cutting taxes and expanding sweeping education changes. “We’ve made progress in jobs and schools, but with still too many Hoosiers out of work,” Pence said. “With our state lagging behind in per capita income and health and too many kids in underperforming schools, I believe we must remain relentless,
AP
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence walks to the podium to give his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the Statehouse Tuesday in Indianapolis.
bold and ambitious to keep our state moving forward.” Although Pence left a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage out of his formal agenda, he asked lawmakers to put the issue to rest in 2014. “Let’s have a debate worthy of our people with civility and respect. Let’s protect the rights of Hoosier employers to hire who they want and provide them with benefits that they earn. And
HAMILTON — Hamilton Junior-Senior High School principal Christy Haupert will leave her position at the end of the school year, school district officials said Monday. The school board accepted Haupert’s resignation at its meeting Monday night. It is effective June 30, 2014 — the end of Haupert’s two-year contract. Superintendent Jon Willman would not comment on Haupert’s resignation, saying the district does not discuss personnel matters. Willman said it is “her desire” to resign. Haupert usually attends board meetings, but was not present Monday night. The school board hired Haupert in July 2012. It completed a restructuring of the administration that saw former K-12 principal Barbara Weber reassigned as elementary principal and the hiring of current Athletics Director and Assistant Principal Jesse Webb.
then let’s resolve this issue this year once and for all,” he said, to applause from the assembled lawmakers, a majority of whom are Republicans. Pence spoke before a joint session of House and Senate members held in the House chamber. Just one day earlier in the same space, a key House panel delayed a vote on the marriage amendment following hours of SEE SPEECH, PAGE A3
Cameron hires fund director
ANGOLA — Kevin Jones of Angola has been named the new fund development director for the Cameron Hospital Foundation, it was announced Tuesday in a Cameron Memorial Community Hospital news release. Jones began work Jan. 8. Jones will direct and oversee all the fundraising activities of the Cameron Jones Foundation. He will work with the foundation executive director to establish a comprehensive fundraising campaign and set both annual and project goals. “We are very happy to have Kevin join the Cameron team,” said Laura Lutterbeck, Cameron Foundation executive director. “He brings a wealth of experience, which will help us move forward as we plan for the future.” Jones comes to Cameron with more than 12 years of experience in planning, executing and overseeing major gifts, planned giving and capital campaigns. “This is an exciting time at Cameron, and I am happy to be a part of a vital team that is not only building a new hospital, but bringing updated healthcare to the people of Steuben County and beyond,” said Jones. “Involving the community and securing their support is a challenge I welcome.” Jones and his wife Kasey live with their son in Angola.
Air board readies to submit capital plan BY JENNIFER DECKER jdecker@kpcmedia.com
ANGOLA — Despite the Tri-State Steuben County Airport’s $1.6 million hangar-terminal project in 2012, the Federal Aviation Administration wants to see more capital improvements. In fact, the FAA encourages it and requires airports to write a five-year capital campaign plan. The Steuben County Board of Aviation Commissioners discussed the required plan at Tuesday’s meeting. Mike Evans, project manager with consulting firm Woolpert, Indianapolis, informed the board
the plan’s draft is due Feb. 3. “You don’t get to do one project and stop,” he said. “You’re part of a national air system. This is an industry and a transportation hub.” Evans said some of the board’s priorities are: • Two construction projects: small crack repair and rehabilitation of 30-year-old pavement around the west T-hangar. • More taxi-way lighting. Evans said the FAA doesn’t require it. • A perimeter wildlife fence. The airport has not been given a date when it’s required to be installed. The FAA has established
fence requirements, but has not mentioned financing. “The FAA says the airport has a wildlife problem,” Evans said. “The FAA is very concerned about wildlife strikes. It doesn’t take much to destroy a $1 million airplane.” Discussion turned to building a community T-hangar. Dr. R. Wyatt Weaver Jr., chair of the aviation board, said it would be a matter of financing and other factors. “We don’t want to be a landlord,” he said. The board also discussed leasing airport property to corporate entities. A certain area of the property along the apron
allows for it. Weaver said one company is interested in locating a demonstration lab on or next to airport property. That company strips airplanes without any damage to aluminum. Weaver said the airport property would be convenient and serve aviation customers near U.S. 20. “Nothing is set in stone,” Evans said. “This is their road map. You have to maintain your CIP to keep yourself in good graces.” The board will revisit writing the plan at a future meeting. Once the plan is written, it will SEE AIR BOARD, PAGE A3