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2017 4-H Fair begins next week Staff reports

COLUMBIA CITY — The 2017 Whitley County 4-H Fair runs June 14-20 at the fairgrounds in Columbia City. This year’s fair will have several new features, including a rodeo with cash prizes. Follow IN|Whitley County on social media to keep up with fair events.

Whitko boosters ready to hand out prizes to golfers

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July 6, 2017

Kids set for success in Whitley County

County exceeds in education, childcare and low poverty rates By Tyler Roebuck troebuck@kpcmedia�com

COLUMBIA CITY – Whitley County’s children are exceeding in education, childcare and there are low percentages of children living in poverty, relative to other counties in the state, according to the Indiana Youth Institute.

The findings are accompanied by an historically low unemployment rate. Combined, this means fewer Whitley County children are living in poverty than the state average. The Indiana Youth Institute presented this information during a May 30 discussion about its

annual report on the state of children in Indiana, and specifically within Whitley County. Central Indiana Outreach Manager Kevin Enders led the session, which was broken down into several segments: population, education, poverty, child care, mental health, violent

relationships and child maltreatment. In Whitley County, the population of children has been following the statewide trend of decreasing. Children under 18 years of age qualify in their survey, and the percentage of children per household in Whitley County has declined 5.8 percent since

By Nicole Minier nminier@kpcmedia�com

Staff reports

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Vol. 1 No. 14

COLUMBIA CITY — “Even bad publicity is publicity.” Ty Murphy, the man who spearheaded downtown Columbia City’s newest memorial, a tribute to Vietnam War veterans, took last week in stride after a photo of the memorial went viral on social media. The memorial, which lies on a pentagon-shaped cement pad, features two 2,000-pound stones that list the names of Whitley County natives who died while serving in the Vietnam War. Alongside the large stone are two benches — one with an unfortunate misspelling. One of the benches was supposed to read, “War on Terrorism,” but rather read, “War on Terriorism.” A photo of the bench was taken on social media and spread across northeast Indiana, drawing attention from radio and television stations. “I was so worried about making sure the names on the memorial were spelled correctly, I checked those several times, that I just glanced at the benches,” Murphy said. The company out of Marion will replace or fix the misspelling on the $500 bench at See VIETNAM, Page 10

Man who led police on nearly 24-hour manhunt in northwest Columbia City appears in court By Nicole Minier nminier@kpcmedia�com

COLUMBIA CITY — A Columbia City man who allegedly caused a business and home lockdown June 28 appeared in Whitley Superior Court for his initial hearing Monday. Skyler Roff is accused of leading police on a

nearly 24-hour chase, involving multiple agencies from three counties. He was taken into custody at about 4:30 p.m. June 29. In addition to his initial warrant in Whitley Superior Court that led to his warrant, Prosecutor D.J. Sigler is also charging Roff with possession of

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American Legion Commander Dick Stark and Ty Murphy, the man who spearheaded the project for the newly installed Vietnam War memorial in downtown Columbia City, pose for a photo in front of the monument, which is in the northwest corner of the Courthouse lawn.

123 North Main Street,Churubusco, IN 46723

INFORMATION

See SUCCESS, Page 10

Man who spearheaded memorial wants people to focus on what’s important

17-year-old injured in Whitley County off-road accident COLUMBIA CITY — A 17-year-old boy was hurt June 27 in an off-road vehicle accident. At 6:10 p.m., first responders answered a call at a private property in the 4000 block of North 50 West in Whitley County. The boy attempted a jump on a dirt bike and crashed, according to a Indiana Conservation statement. He reportedly broke both arms and was taken to the hospital via EMS.

2001. “Most of Indiana’s population growth has been in urban areas,” Enders said. As far as the distribution of these children is concerned, 71 percent of children in Whitley County live with a married

Taking it in stride

Staff reports

SOUTH WHITLEY – Local golfers have a shot at becoming a millionaire this summer. The Whitko Athletic Boosters is hosting its 13th annual golf scramble Aug. 12 at Sycamore Hills in North Manchester. Participants will have the opportunity to play for $1 million dollars and other prizes such as watches and drivers. The cost is $240 per a team of four, and includes dinner. All proceeds will benefit Whitko athletic programs and events. Participants are encouraged to bring extra cash to play other games, purchase mulligans and tip the beverage and food carts.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

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two or more chemical precursors with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, a level 6 felony; resisting law enforcement, a level 6 felony; criminal mischief, a class A misdemeanor; driving while suspended, a class A misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor. His warrant was for failing to appear at court on an unrelated criminal case in Whitley County. Columbia City Mayor Ryan Daniel issued a statement the morning of Roff’s arrest, giving information about the incident

– quelling rumors that were circulating. He said the CCPD was informed of Roff’s whereRoff abouts and attempted to capture him due to a warrant for misdemeanor charges. Prior to his capture, Roff allegedly fled from the Marathon gas station near Armstrong Drive and U.S. 30. He ran west on Connexion Way, turning north on Lincolnway.

Police say Roff drove his car into a cornfield and fled on foot. Officers chased him, but were unable to capture him before he entered a wooded area. “At that point, parameters were established and the lock down was determined as a precautionary measure,” Daniel said. “The rationale for the lockdown was because the suspect was a known drug user with identified paraphernalia in the car, and there was enough evidence to suspect he was carrying a firearm. Furthermore, See ROFF, Page 10

A2 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

For quality of life, property and conservation Lifelong Tri-Lakes residents fear losing it all; join together for preservation By Tyler Roebuck troebuck@kpcmedia.com

WHITLEY COUNTY – “We’ve been living next door to [family farms] for years. They fertilize, the smell goes away after a couple days, nobody complains. But if they’re jeopardizing our property values and water and health, that’s a whole different deal,” said Doug Driscoll, a vocal representative for Whitley Water Matters. Whitley Water Matters is a “grassroots organization” of residents around Shriner Lake and others in the Tri-Lakes area. “We’re concerned that the terrain of northern Whitley County, with its rolling hills, is not conducive to factory farming,” said John O’Connell, another leading member of the organization. Whitley Water Matters formed directly in response to a proposed confined feeding operation permit that would allow the current operation of the Hinen Family Farms to expand to a total of 1,300 head of cattle. “Right now, it’s got maybe 100 cattle in there at any given time,” Driscoll said. “When you drive by, it smells, it’s not pretty to look at, but no one is complaining. Nobody has a problem with it. I imagine even Ryan Cook who lives across the street from them hasn’t really had a problem with it at all even though he’s got to drive by it and look at it every single day. “But you multiply it by a factor of 13, that’s a stench, that’s vectors (insects) and that’s going to affect all of his (the farm’s) neighbors. We’re his neighbors.” O’Connell emphasized that the organization is not anti-farm. “I am not against

farming. I eat beef. I eat hot dogs. I understand that America has a need for larger factory farms to fuel the rising demand. I am not personally against a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation).” O’Connell said. “I am against it a mile and a half from a lake-residential community.” Both CFOs and CAFOs are classified as animal feeding operations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, Indiana has two distinctions based on the size of an operation, with a CAFO being larger than a CFO. Dan Howey, a retired physician and lake resident who was not a member of the organization at the time of printing, concurs with O’Connell’s sentiment. “I mean, my heart goes out to the farmers, we’ve been there, we know about it, but I think this passes reason,” Howey said. Cleanliness of the lake

The landscape of the area has changed and the number of residents living around the lakes has increased, Howey noted. “When I was a kid, about 10 percent of the houses were year-round residents. Today, it’s 40 percent,” Howey said. Howey’s family has lived on Shriner Lake since the 1940s. From Howey’s time living on the lake, he has seen significant change in the quality of the lake. “[The lake] was a lot more green before,” he said. “Most people at the time pumped water out of the lake for washing. A lot of these houses around here had septic tanks out front, which was a really bad idea. The water had times where it was cloudy and you could maybe see down four or five feet.”

PHOTOS BY TYLER ROEBUCK

An English bulldog enjoys a sunny walk on his owner’s dock on Shriner Lake last week.

Shriner Lake today has restrictions imposed in order to maintain the cleanliness and keep it healthy. For example, speed boats are only allowed to run from 1-4 p.m. Even though the conditions are better with Shriner, it still is not back to a fully healthy lake. “This lake, in the deepest parts, has problems with oxygen. There’s not enough oxygen in the lower parts of the lake, and that’s left over from the previous runoff,” Howey said. Quality of life

“If [manure runoff] is really flowing this way, then you’re getting a lot of bacteria and antibiotics

from the animals,” Howey said. “Then there’s going to be a high chance of antibiotic resistant bugs getting into the water, and I think that’s a very strong argument.” According to the Center for Disease Control, “animals can carry harmful bacteria in their intestines. When antibiotics are given to animals, they kill most bacteria, but resistant bacteria can survive and multiply.” Resistant bacteria can spread to the environment through manure, according to the CDC website. Ryan Cook lives on the opposite side of State See LAKE, Page 11

Dan Howey and grandson Miles fish from the end of their pier. Howey and his family have lived on Shriner Lake since the 1940s.

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Whitley County • July 6, 2017

Family farms, not factory farms Whitley County farmers aim to educate the public on practices By Nicole Minier nminier@kpcmedia.com

WHITLEY COUNTY — “We’re all passionate about Whitley County. The farmer want to stay here, we want the lake people to stay here. We’re what makes our community. It shouldn’t be about conflict.” Kelly Sheiss spoke to a group of about 40 Whitley County farmers who attended an Indiana Farm Bureau meeting last week. The farmers gathered to work together after increasingly feeling that their livelihood is under fire. “We have to be proud and loud about what we do,” Sheiss said. “It’s vitally important to continue educating the general public about what we do.” While there has been about 30 Confined Feeding Operations in Whitley County for the past several years, most of which were approved without conflict, several farmers have struggled recently due to push-back from neighboring property owners. Farmers in the group want to disspell rumors and educate the public, especially those who serve on decision-making boards. All in the family

“We want to continue agriculture for everyone,” Sheiss said. “We want to protect it for you, for our children, our grandchildren. We’re a special group that protects earth’s resources and feed a lot of people in the process.” The group wants people to know that most farms

PHOTOS BY NICOLE MINIER

A group of about 40 farmers gathered at the Indiana Farm Bureau last week to discuss recent events in the farming community.

are multigenerational, many with fourth generation farmers. Because the industry is changing, farmers are looking to CFOs to share resources within the family and ensure the farm will be profitable for years to come. Shady Grove Farms, owned by the Johnson Family near Churubusco, began in 1947 and has continued to grow as new generations grow. Now, the farm is owned by six family members, farming over 5,000 acres and producing about 20,000 finished hogs per year. “We came together as a family and decided we wanted to keep this as a family farm,” Mark Johnson said. “We could either have six individual farms, or stay as a family

and work together.” The Johnsons have had no issues with approval of their CFO permits, one of which took place just before the Lopez Farm had conflict when trying to grow its chicken operation. Being good neighbors

Though some neighbors have been upset with CFOs, the Johnsons said their relationships with neighbors have been mutually beneficial. “We want to be good neighbors,” Johnson said. “They moved to the country to live in the country — they don’t want more houses around. By us farming all of this land, there aren’t new houses being built around them. “We have a lot of

animals here, and they know that. We do what we can to be good neighbors to them.” Many have cited concerns with groundwater, lake water and farm smells for being opposed to CFOs, however, the Johnsons said many who visit their farm barely smell an odor unless they venture far off the roadway to the hog barns. The Johnsons use manure from the thousands of hogs raised as fertilizer for their crops. Many farmers use soil tests and GPS technology to track where and when manure should be spread, based on what crops will occupy the fields. “It’s a valuable resource. We aren’t just dumping it. We want the crop to be at its fullest potential,”

Johnson said. Hinen Family Farms has been under fire after applying for a CFO in northern Whitley County, on State Road 9 near Tri-Lakes. Some of the proposed manure spreading areas for the CFO are near Tri-Lakes, which caused concern by lake residents, forming the group Whitley Water Matters to combat the

CFO approval. However, farmers argue that they too care about surrounding lakes and groundwater. Farmers with CFO status are especially held accountable for manure handling and are closely monitored by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. See FARMS, Page 11

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Whitley County • July 6, 2017

Trok & Krider wins championship Tobey Krider hits walkoff to win long boys major league title game By Nicole Minier nminier@kpcmedia.com

COLUMBIA CITY — In the longest lasting Columbia City youth baseball game of the season, Trok & Krider beat Holzinger Seed in an extra-inning battle for the major league title, 9-8. After 2.5 hours of play, the game was one batter away from being over June 29, when the umpire spotted lightning. The game was delayed to July 1, two days later, and finished in less than 10 minutes after Tobey Krider stepped up and hit a walk-off single to break the tie and sent his teammate, Evan Peconge, home for the winning run. “We told him to have fun and wait for his pitch,” said head coach Brian Krider. Tobey was up against one of his friends on the mound, Eli Platt. “Usually when those two are against each other, one is makes the other one laugh. Today, they went up and battled,” coach Krider said. Tobey had two strikes against him when he knocked the ball to first base, sending his teammate home from third base. Due to baseball’s rules for the youth major league, both teams started the seventh inning with a runner on second. Holzinger Seed’s runner made it to third base, but Trok & Krider pitcher Landyn Iden struck out all batters to end Holzinger’s chance at scoring. “Landyn has been one of the top pitchers in the league all year,” Krider said. “He did exactly what we asked him to do. He did an outstanding job.” Trok & Krider took on the seventh inning with one of its best base runners, Peconge, on

PHOTOS BY NICOLE MINIER

Trok & Krider won both the tournament championship and the regular season titles in Columbia City Parks boys Major League. Pictured in the front row, from left are: Lucas Buechler, Evan Peconge, Dylan Anspach, Alexander Hamilton and Klayton Warner.

starting on second base. He quickly stole third. The first batter, Nathan Hodges, was in the middle of his turn at the plate when the umpire spotted lightning. When the game resumed Saturday morning, Hodges struck out, then Tobey Krider took to the plate to hit the game-winning RBI. Leading up to the seventh inning, the game was a back-and-forth affair, with each team taking turns with the lead. “They got ahead, then

we got ahead — almost every inning there was a lead change,” said Holzinger Seed coach Jeremy Platt. “We couldn’t have asked for a better game to finish the season. It was unfortunate to lose, but both sides played well.” One moment early in the game showed the competitiveness and perseverance of the players, especially Alexander Hamilton, who took a pitch to the elbow from one of the fastest See MAJOR, Page 5

Second row: Tobey Krider, Landyn Iden, Nathan Hodges, Dominic Chacon and Jesse Robbins. Coaches in back are Matt Warner, Brian Krider and Thor Hodges. Not pictured is Ryker Himes.

Tobey Krider celebrates after batting in the game-winning run.

Teammates and coaches congratulate Evan Peconge after he scored the game-winning run.

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Holzinger Seed was runner up in the boys major league tournament at Morsches Park last week. Pictured in the front row, from left are: Sebastian Cripe, Jackson Geiger, Tyler Wirick, Kolby Tonkel, Alex

Huston and Eli Platt. Second row: coach Courtney Judd, Tyler Eubank, Marcel Harris, Preston Watkins, Camdyn Judd, Chris Bartol, coach Jeremy Platt and coach Phil Bell.

INwhitleycounty.com • A5

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

Christmas in July

Turtletown Players to hold Ice cream eating contest is fundraiser for Whitley County Toys for Tots fundraiser concert By Nicole Minier nminier@kpcmedia.com

COLUMBIA CITY — It’s Christmas in July for Toys for Tots of Whitley County. The organization that provides Christmas presents for local children is hosting a fundraiser in partnership with Dairy Queen and Columbia City’s First Friday. Anyone who donates a new, unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots can enter into a Dairy Queen ice cream eating contest, which will be held downtown Aug. 4, during the city’s First Friday event. The contest begins at 6 p.m. Participants may bring their gifts to Dairy Queen anytime during the month of July. DQ will have a special visitor, Santa, 1-3 p.m. July 14. Several people will judge the contest, including Columbia City Mayor Ryan Daniel and Columbia City Police Officer Gary Archbald. Whoever eats a bowl

KPC News Service

NICOLE MINIER

Those leading the ice cream eating contest/fundraiser for Toys for Tots pose for a photo in front of a Christmas tree at Dairy Queen from left are: Tammi Woodward, Gary Archbald and his K-9 Cas, Tiffany Careins and Vicki Darr.

of ice cream the fastest in each category will win an ice cream cake. Consolation prizes will be provided to all participants. Tiffany Careins, who is in charge of Whitley

County’s Toys for Tots program, said she’s pushing the toy drive in July to get a head-start on donations. “At Christmastime, you’re hit by so many things,” Careins said.

“Also, people don’t want to do an ice cream eating contest in December.” Last year, Toys for Tots in Whitley County helped 375 local children have gifts on Christmas. “Everything collected at

this event stays in Whitley County to help Whitley County kids,” Careins said. Each child in the program receives five to seven toys, including a book.

CHURUBUSCO – “Celebrate Indiana,” a concert to honor Indiana’s birthday, will be presented by the Turtletown Players 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 9, at the Churubusco United Methodist Church. All music and readings will be by Indiana composers, authors or artists. The concert will feature vocal soloists, ensembles, readings, piano solos and duets and comments. Among those performing are Melissa Baughman, Richelle Bock, Aaron Childress, Val Cakins, Julianne Edwards, Dan Hile, Sue Lough, Gloria Parish, Shania Ramsey, Debra Rhorer, Alissa Schoon, Jacob Skinner, Cheryl Stucker, Lisa Waterman and Cindy Zollinger. A free offering will be taken to support the Churubusco History Center.

Holzinger Seed players run across the field to shake hands with Trok & Krider at the completion of the game.

MAJOR from Page 4 pitchers in the league, Chris Bartol. “It started swelling up right away, so I called for some ice, but Alexander ran off and took his base,” Krider said. “His next time up to bat, I asked him if he would be able to swing. He said, ‘only halfway.’ He went out there and knocked in an RBI to help put us into position to tie the game.” For the first half of the season, Krider preached to his kids to believe in each other. For the second half of the season, he pushed the kids to believe in themselves. “This team has come from behind to win over half of our games,” Krider said. Trok & Krider ends the season with an 8-2 record, losing to Holzinger Seed and Western’s Garage, but

PHOTOS BY NICOLE MINIER & JUSTIN HUNTER

winning the league with the best regular season record — on a team that didn’t have players selected in the draft. Krider found out the day before the draft that he was going to be the head coach of his own team — he thought he was going to be an assistant coach for Holzinger Seed. “I wasn’t able to be there for the draft. I gave them a list of players I wanted, but it was up to the other coaches to give me my team,” Krider said. “Once I got the roster, I looked to parents to help me coach. Everyone really stepped up to help these boys out.” Krider was excited for the way the season ended, with a close game, even though it spanned over several days. I would have rather lost

Alexander Hamilton was given a game ball by the Trok & Krider coaches after he played through an injury from a wild pitch.

Chris Bartol throws in a ball from the outfield during warmups Saturday morning.

the championship by one than to win 11-3,” Krider said. “Every player was intent, watching every pitch, every run — they learned so much from this game.”

Holzinger Seed’s Eli Platt delivers a pitch in the Saturday morning completion of the championship game that was postponed due to lightning.

Holzinger Seed coach Jeremy Platt gives his team a pep talk in the sixth inning of the championship game.

OPINION

A6 • INwhitleycounty.com

YOUR VIEW Several conversations have taken place on social media about Confined Feeding Operations in Whitley County. Last week, Doug Driscoll submitted a letter to the editor about the topic, and several people commented about the letter on the IN|Whitley County Facebook page. Here are some of those comments: Lauren Gates: So what about these small family farms in this buffer zone? Does it mean that they can no longer farm their own land? Heather Coffelt: Sad that when people move into the country they get to decide what happens to the farmer. The reason the farmers moved out to the country was to farm. Why is OK for the money to come in, see why the country life is so nice and change it. Karen Western: What this man says is so true. No one at the lakes are trying to stop farming in Whitley county. And there are many areas in Whitley county where these kinds of operations would not be a problem. I would suggest anyone wanting to have one to purchase property away from the lake area of Northern Whitley county. Allyson Maxwell: You expect farmers to purchase land away from land they ALREADY have purchased or handed down through family? Are you gonna

pay for that extra land? Why don’t we just call it for what it is, and that’s y’all want the country life but don’t wanna actually be a PART of the country life, which includes the smell of manure! If you truly wanted to support farmers and farming then you would’ve come to the farmers and educated yourself before taking it to the lengths that this has gone because the Lakers didn’t have a problem with coming to our neighbors house, asking to put a sign there and when declined stated, and I quote, “we can’t let them put those there cause of the smell”…..no mention of the safety of water….the same water that boats dump gas and oil into but that’s OK? The hypocrisy is killing me cause if this statement is the mentality of the ones who are complaining then that’s about as selfish as anyone can get. Lauren Gates: We live on this land too. We care what we put in the ground and into the water. We drink the same water, we swim in the same lakes. And we are more than happy to answer questions. I am saying this as a young woman that has grown up in Whitley County and married into a family that has been farming for over 100 years. So please ask questions. Don’t take the words of one man, you could destroy generations of family farming with this rezoning.

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

School funding will be an issue for awhile

The issues surrounding school funding in the Hoosier state are likely not going to be resolved anytime soon. It seems like every “fix” that’s been approved brings along with it another problem for a school district somewhere in the state. Such is policy. In the meantime, Whitko’s school board will continue its finance study as it debates how to best use its resources, Churubusco will move forward with its $2 million bond to pay for projects and Columbia City will begin paying down its debt service connected with its new high school under construction. But what would help local schools, based on current funding formulas, are more students. No business can survive if the output dwindles year after year. If you look at the economics of a school, when the kindergarten classes are smaller than the ones graduating high school, a school is losing inputs and, thus, the output is declining. Like any business, there’re economies of scale as an operation gets bigger. But in a small

Our view

district with shrinking funding, a shrinking student body could eventually push a school like Whitko and Churubusco, in particular, to make difficult cuts. Currently, there is a tug and pull on talent and students across county lines. This isn’t healthy for the region, but it’s a battle that has ensued as rural school districts, such as those in Whitley County, struggle to fund their programs. For example, if a southern Noble County resident attending Smith-Green schools in Churubusco transfers to Central Noble, one public district has picked up funding at the expense of another.

Fifty-three of Indiana’s 92 counties saw a decline in population from 2015 to 2016, according to an Indiana Business Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. A zero population growth rate is typically around 2 percent for developed countries and can be more than 3 percent in developing countries. But in the past six years, within northeast Indiana, several counties have seen a decline in population. Whitley County is barely holding its own with population gains of 0.3 percent. But 0.3 percent is the state’s growth rate overall. While we’ve focused in the past on the importance of growing our population so feed the local workforce – given the historically low unemployment rate – that state of school funding highlights another reason our communities need to actively bring more people into the county. The future of our communities and schools are riding on our ability to bring in new families with skilled workers and students for our schools.

Gov. Holcomb, Hoosiers face hard times ahead Gov. Eric Holcomb was riding shotgun in his black state-owned Chevy Tahoe Wednesday afternoon downtown when a pickup truck pulled up beside him at a stoplight. We looked over and the man gave him an emphatic thumbs-up. My immediate question for evolving political realities: Has anyone flipped you off? “Not yet,” said Holcomb, though he’s realistic enough to believe that it’s only a matter of time. The affirmation continued in a downtown Richmond McDonald’s, the rookie governor’s fast-food stop of choice. A small parade of folks came over to say hello. One was a Brink’s armored truck guard. Others were just regular joes who wanted to say, “You’re doing a great job.” Eighteen months ago, the first Republican state chairman to be elected governor was a relatively obscure former staffer to former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, Gov. Mitch Daniels and Sen. Dan Coats. He pursued a U.S. Senate

nomination in 2015 and 2016, then was given a more conspicuous station when then-Gov. Mike Pence chose him to replace Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann in February 2016. Six months later, with Pence joining the Donald Trump presidential ticket, Holcomb won a 12-day, 22-vote state committee caucus for the gubernatorial nomination, then waged a 106-day, $7 million campaign in which he saddled on to the Trump/ Pence wave to victory. On Saturday, July 1, Hoosiers experienced a 10-cent a gallon gas tax increase. Holcomb signed on to what he calls a “data driven” 20-year road and infrastructure plan forged by House Speaker Brian Bosma and House Transportation Chairman Ed Soliday. But in the mode of Gov. Daniels, Holcomb expended his own political capital to bring it to reality. Conventional wisdom — since 1988 when Vice President George H.W. Bush uttered the words “Read my lips, no new taxes” — was that

revenue increases can be a political death knell. But Holcomb is banking on the notion that upgraded roads and bridges will be welcomed in this pock-marked state after years of Hoosiers losing hubcabs and busting axles. During his first six months in office, the general notion is that Holcomb is off to about as good a start as any modern governor. When he appeared in Democratic Gary recently, he was widely cheered. When he finished speaking at the Richmond Chamber forum, he received a standing ovation. Part of this is the contrast to Gov. Pence, who ignored the 1,000 displaced East Chicagoans due to a lead water crisis; refused to pardon a man proven innocent; who forged a bad state cell tower lease that was supposed to fund the state’s bicentennial celebration; and oversaw a misguided and poorly managed I-69 public/ private partnership that has clogged the approach to Bloomington while

littering the highway with car accidents and injuries. Holcomb reversed BRIAN course on HOWEY them all. Holcomb may have steered through an easy stretch. The reason he came to Richmond was to sign four bills dealing with the state’s heroin/opioid epidemic. “When businesses put signs up saying ‘we don’t drug test,’ we have a problem,” Holcomb said. “When parents love their drugs more than they love their children, we have a problem. We didn’t come this far just to come this far. We have a long way to go.” When I pressed people like state Rep. Cindy Ziemke, who has battled heroin addiction with her two sons, and with Katrina Norris of the Fayette Regional Health System in Connersville, this became apparent: The state is going to

have to make a serious investment if it wants to get the heroin/opioid crisis under control in a five-year time frame the governor laid out. Not only are county jails filling up with addicts, emergency rooms are getting swamped, and over dose deaths are accumulating. Norris said that public schools are not equipped to deal with the coming wave of opioid-addicted babies. Ziemke said there aren’t enough treatment options nor is there the aftercare infrastructure. As we drove across eastern Indiana on an at-volume I-70, barely going over 65 mph, I asked Holcomb if the General Assembly will have to grapple with the kind of investment it just did with the 20-year road and infrastructure program that will cost close to $30 billion. “That’s the tide that’s coming ashore,” Holcomb said. “When you look at the percentages of babies being born who are addicted, that is jaw-dropping. We better throw everything we have at it right now.”

Is he willing to expend the political capital to find revenue? “You’ve gotta use it,” Holcomb said. “There will be similar funding challenges” compared to the road plan of the 2017 session. “I’ll be prepared to do that.” There are no cost estimates of what the state will need, with Holcomb saying that before he seeks revenue, the data has to be “crystal clear what the investment needs to be. So this is a funding decision. Let’s have the discussion.” There are hard days ahead for Hoosiers and their new, pragmatic governor. Thumbs up may turn into the rude bird. In the coming weeks, I’ll report more on the heroin/opioid dynamic, which is evolving into the cultural story and greatest challenge of our time. It will test all of us, including Gov. Holcomb. BRIAN HOWEY is publisher of the Howey Political Report, a weekly briefing on Indiana politics. Contact him at 317-5060883 or at howeypolitics. com.

Have an opinion? Send letters to the editor at nminier@kpcmedia.com

INwhitleycounty.com • A7

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

“Team Bea” surprises local woman in Old Settler’s Parade By Tyler Roebuck troebuck@kpcmedia.com

COLUMBIA CITY – “She had no idea,” Mattie Snow said. “She was completely surprised.” “She” was Bea Vaughn, a local grandmother and mother who was caught off-guard by her supportive daughter Snow’s plan to take her through the Old Settler’s Day Parade. “We love her dearly and when we found out last year that she has cancer we wanted to do something in her honor,” Snow said. “Our family, my sister lives in Arizona and my other sister in Rensselaer, decided we were going to team up and do a ‘Team Bea.’”

As one of Bea’s grandchildren wrote, “our heroine is Beatria Vaugn. She is known to most as Grandma Bea. She is the hardest worker, most resilient and kindest soul we have ever known. She has had many trials yet never gives up and hardly slows down. She is a role model and mentor and clown. Her family couldn’t love her more. As she battles cancer she maintains grace and never complains. Her family would like her to know that they are 100 percent Team Bea and she is truly our hero.” The original intention was to enter a team in the Old Settler’s Run, which was cancelled for

this year. “It worked out better to be in the parade with her anyways,” she said. Snow and her sisters reached out to friends and family, ordered T-shirts, and organized a group to be in the parade with Bea as the star of the show riding a decorated golf cart. About 20 friends and family walked alongside her Saturday at the parade. “She was startled to say the least, looking around at all the yellow T-shirts and the golf cart all decorated,” Snow said. “She was surprised and it brought tears to her eyes, just a little overcome with everybody being there to support her.”

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Bea is led along in the parade by “Team Bea,” who honored their “heroine” to match the parade theme.

A Grand Canyon adventure By Tyler Roebuck troebuck@kpcmedia.com

Bright Angel Campground which is located at the Colorado River,” Kathy Cramer said. In order to stay in the Bright Angel Campground, which is tent camping, the couple needed to secure a Backcountry permit. “The National Park Service utilizes a lottery system to issue the backcountry permits due to the high demand” Kathy Cramer said. “Hikers can submit their applications four months prior to the start of their hike. For instance, to request campground permits for a hike in May, ensure your request is received between Dec 20 and Jan 1.” After requesting permits for three consecutive nights between May 15-31, the Cramers “received notification on Jan. 6 that we were lucky enough to be granted a permit as requested beginning on Friday, May 26.” So began the immense planning for travel logistics, packing, and

people rescued by the National Parks Service each year. “One sign indicated that there are 250 people rescued from the depths of the Grand Canyon each year. A surprising majority of those rescued are males between the ages of 18 and 40.” The rest of their hike was uneventful, but full of memories from their previous two trips to the Grand Canyon in 2011 and 2013. Accompanied by breathtaking views and a nice gentleman from New Jersey, the Cramers completed their rim to rim hike in the morning of their fourth day and traveled back by shuttle to their van, which was parked on the North Rim. “Would we do some things differently if we had to do it again? Yes, certainly but all in all, I am very glad we made the hike,” said Kathy Cramer.

Churubusco – At the end of May 2017, Kathy Cramer and her husband, Dave, completed a rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon. The 24-mile hike took the couple four days and three nights to finish. “Preparing for a rim to rim hike at the Grand Canyon is a daunting task,” Cramer wrote in a letter to the Churubusco News. “There are so many things to decide. How long should we allow for the trip? Where CONTRIBUTED should we stay? What do The Cramers traverse a narrow passageway on a trail through the Grand Canyon. we need to take with us? Can we make this hike training to be ready for potential 120 degree days cold-weather gear via on our own or should their arrival at the North within the same trip. donkey to the South rim we join a guided group? Rim on May 25. Even For the first half of their to retrieve it later. How will my body react though the Cramers are hike, they realized they Phantom Ranch is the to the higher elevation? experienced hikers, they had over-packed as Dave last operating mail-byHow far in advance do I were unprepared for that Cramer’s hips and knees donkey facility in the need to start training?” their trip had in store. had started aching. nation. The Grand Canyon in “We had never done any Thankfully, they had After Dave Cramer Arizona has two different overnight tent camping seen the last of the began aching, the couple rims; a higher elevation on our hikes. We needed cold, so after arriving took their trip at a slower North Rim and more everything,” Kathy at Phantom Ranch, they pace. They did not want popular South Rim, at Cramer said. sent 19lbs worth of their to be one of the many which the visitor’s center The unique climate is located. A rim to rim differences presented hike is difficult a task a challenge in what to Honoring the very best in northeast Indiana business. that many people do pack, as they had to be annually. Although the Innovators and leaders. prepared for snow and National Parks Service The cream of the crop. advises against it, some of these hikers do the People and businesses that get it done every single day. nearly 11-hour hike in Having a Garage Sale? Place your ad in IN|Whitley County and reach over 13,000 homes in Whitley County. one day. Due to the extreme difference in elevation between the north and Have a news tip? Call your IN|Whitley County newspaper at (260) 693-3949 south rims, the north is only open from May 15- Oct 15 so that hikers are not there while FWBUSINESS.com Events County. IN|Whitley and businesses under in Whitley everything is frozen. County is direct mailed to over 13,000 homesVisit An interesting problem unique to a rim to rim Dinner November 2, 2017, 5:30 PM Sponsored by: hike is deciding on MemorialinColiseum Conference which rim to start. IN|Whitley County is the largest weekly circulation publication Whitley County.Center “We elected to go with Official venue for all 2017 Business Weekly events the majority of hikers CONTRIBUTED and start our hike from Outstanding sponsorship, marketing Kathy Stahlhut Cramer and husband Dave Cramer the North Rim on the pose for a photo at the trailhead of the Southern and tribute packages available. www.inwhitleycounty.com is averaging over 40,000 visitors each month already! North Kaibab Trail to Rim of the Grand Canyon. The couple completed a Events@kpcmedia.com or 260/426-2640 x 3324 Phantom Ranch and the rim to rim hike in late May.

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A8 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

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INwhitleycounty.com • A9

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

Whitko Community Schools announces new website KPC News Service

SOUTH WHITLEY – Whitko Community Schools announced the launch of its new website on Friday, June 30, via its Facebook page. The new website will feature events on the calendar, up to date news when Whitko makes headlines, a video archive, daily lunch schedules for all schools and more. Returning students will find a simpler, more user-friendly registration system for school through

the “Back to School” section. Students will be able to access a copy of this year’s suggested school supply list. Families with new students interested in attending can check out the “Enroll Now!” link and start the enrollment process to Whitko Community Schools. Whitko also used the new site to expand its search for top talent to join its staff by making it easier for site visitors to apply online for jobs.

Page visitors in search of a position within Whitko schools will find more information on the “Employment” page of the website. The new site works well with cell phones, tablets and personal computers, and will also be instrumental in helping Whitko to make major announcements including school closures, weather delays, or alerts for parents and students in the event of an emergency.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

The front page of Whitko Community Schools new website promises easier access for all. Visit the website at www.whitko.org

Local expert talks ticks If you’ve ever had a tick on you, you know that you wanted to get it off right away! Not only do ticks induce the “heebie-jeebies” in many people, but there are potential human health issues associated with some of the ticks we may come in contact with. My following article will contain excerpts from the Purdue Extension publication, “Ticks,” by Timothy J. Gibb, Extension Entomologist. Several species of ticks occur in Indiana. The most frequently encountered outdoor species is the American dog tick, also known as the eastern wood tick. Occasionally, one may also find the lone star tick or the deer tick in outdoor, wooded areas. Another species, the brown dog tick, may sometimes become a problem indoors, primarily in association with an indoor-outdoor dog. Ticks have four life stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. Some of our ticks serve as vectors (carriers and transmitters) of human disease pathogens. The American dog tick is normally found in woods, uncut grassy fields, parks,

and other areas with wild vegetation. Adults are dark brown to black, with white markings on the dorsal (top of back) side. They cling to vegetation until they can attach themselves to animals that pass by (not just dogs). This tick is considered the most important vector of Rocky Mountain JOHN E. Spotted WOODMANSEE Fever in the U.S. Early detection and diagnosis is important, and your doctor may prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics. The lone star tick is commonly found in moist, wooded areas, especially in areas with established deer populations. The adult female has a distinct single white spot on its back. This tick feeds on a wide variety of mammals (including humans) and groundfeeding birds. In Indiana, these ticks are more frequently found in wooded

areas in southern Indiana. These ticks are suspected in the transmission of tularemia, RMSF and Lyme disease, but they are not considered important vectors of these diseases. The deer tick, or blacklegged tick, is a tick of concern because it serves as the primary vector of Lyme disease. Deer ticks are found in similar habitats as the two previously described ticks. They are small and dark brown in color, with no white markings on their dorsal side. Female black-legged tick adults have a black head, legs, and scutum (a plate-like structure behind the head). U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the size of unfed adults of this species as “approximately the size of a sesame seed.” That’s about 3-5mm in length – pretty small compared to other ticks. Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete (spiralshaped motile bacteria) the deer tick carries. Early symptoms can be mild and overlooked. Flu-like symptoms, chills, fever, and fatigue are often experienced. A first

unique symptom is a red, expanding rash. More than one rash may appear, and they do not always occur at the site of the tick bite. In fact, they may occur anywhere on the body, even in inconspicuous places such as the armpit, groin, or back of the knee. More severe symptoms may appear weeks, months or even years after the tick bite. These may include severe headaches, arthritis, and nervous system or cardiac abnormalities. For recommended treatment, a doctor should be consulted. Of course, the earlier, the better! I know people afflicted with this disease; it should be taken very seriously. The brown dog tick differs from other ticks in that they feed almost exclusively on dogs. They are found around pet bedding areas. After feeding, they drop off their host and hide in a crack or crevice. They have a strong tendency to climb, and may be found behind moldings or window frames, and in furniture. For preventing outdoor tick exposure, Gibb suggests to avoid tick-infested areas, wear

Going Local: An evening to benefit TROY school Staff reports

‘Local food, local brew, local band, local cause’

protective clothing, stay on established trails, and avoid brushing against vegetation. Wear light colored clothing, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts, tucked in. Pull your socks over your pant cuffs. Apply an insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin to your shoes, socks, and pants. Inspect for ticks after coming indoors, and take a shower. Inspect pets periodically. If you are bitten by a tick, do not panic. Carefully remove the tick, including its mouth parts, from your skin using tweezers or blunt forceps. Take care not to squeeze, crush, or puncture the tick. Disinfect the bite site and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water. Monitor your health the following days. Consult

a physician immediately if a rash or flu-like symptoms develop. It might also be wise to save the tick in a sealed plastic bag for reference. According to the CDC, if a tick is attached to your skin for less than 24 hours, your chance of getting Lyme disease is extremely small; however other tickborne diseases may be transmitted more quickly. For more information, find Purdue Extension’s publication on ticks (with pictures included), plus related publications, online at The Education Store: mdc.itap.purdue.edu. John Woodmansee is an extension educator in Whitley and Noble counties.

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I’m April. A beautiful young tortoiseshell female with green eyes. At less than one years old I have a lifetime of love to give.

Hawkeye is my name. A handsome Foxhound-mix about 2 years old. I am a Good Boy! I’d be a great addition to your family.

Humane Society of Whitley County Inc. 951 S. Line Street, Columbia City, IN 46725 (260) 244-6664 Hours: Tues. Wed. Fri. 12-5, Thurs. 12-7, Sat. 11-4 Closed Sun. & Mon. www.hswc.org SPONSORED BY:

school for grades 6-12 raised over $63,000, with ROANOKE — The that has served more than all funds going to support farm at Joseph Decuis will 900 students and their student scholarships. host this year’s benefit families. Business sponsors for TROY School, 6 p.m. “TROY is the best include Parkview Whitley Aug. 11, at the farm, 6755 chance for students who Hospital, Sweetwater Corey Fairchild E. 900 South, in Whitley mayin notIN|Whitley thrive in a tradi- County Sound,and Parkview Physi-over 13,000 Having a Garage Sale? Place your ad reach homes in Whitley County. County. tional school,” said Nicole cians Group, Chapman’s Professional Pet Grooming “Going Local” is the Trier, director of TROY Brewing, Petroleum 10% off 1st Grooming theme and features local School. Traders, More Farm funds to provide 16 extra Multiple dog & referral discounts food from the farm, Tickets are $125 each Stores, Spring-Green, student scholarships at the 3575at E 550(260) S-57 Churubusco, IN 46723 Have news tip? Call your IN|Whitley County newspaper 693-3949 desserts prepared by local aschool. and can be purchased Micropulse, Star Bank, 260-693-0157 chefs, local brew provided at troyalternativeschool. Weigand Construction, TROY is an acronym www.coreyspetgrooming.com by Chapman’s Brewery, com. Tickets are limited Pyromation, Vera Bradley, for Teaching and Reaching facebook.com/corey.fairchild.58 dancing to the music of and required to attend the Pizza Hut, Joseph Decuis, Our Youth. TROY was @coreysgrooming in Whitley County. IN|Whitley is direct mailed homes “The Iconics” and more.County event. to over 13,000 Shindigz, the North and End, businesses founded in 1997 and is This year’s goal is to raise Last year’s benefit event La Dolce Vita and more. an accredited, alternative

IN|Whitley County is the largest weekly circulation newspaper in Whitley County.

A10 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

Shearer recognized by state senator O’Connor touts middle school teacher as ‘tremendous’ By Nicole Minier nminier@kpcmedia.com

COLUMBIA CITY — Indian Springs Middle School social studies teacher Amy Shearer was recognized by State Sen. Andy Zay for her hard work and dedication to students. Zay recently hosted a luncheon with other teachers and administrators from the area. “She’s a tremendous teacher who works tirelessly to create real world lessons for

VIETNAM from Page 1 no charge. “I’m sure they aren’t very happy about it either,” Murphy said. “I don’t mind people picking on it a little bit, but this memorial is what is important, not the bench.” The memorial features the names of 15 men killed in the war: Reino Panula, James Parrett, Terry Wright, Rodger Egolf, Lynn Harris, Stephan Himes, Robert Wilfong, Dale Mills, Gary Archibald, Max Johnson, Everett Culp, Avery Nye III, Rickey Scott, Lyle Smith and Roy Prater. Murphy said he got the idea for the project on Memorial Day in 2016. “My wife and I went to look at cemeteries, then decided to go downtown to look at the Vietnam memorial, and we realized there wasn’t one downtown,” Murphy said. “I later found out about the one at Morsches Park. Not many people know that it’s out there. I really wanted to get something downtown.” Murphy spearheaded the project with the help of the Community Foundation of Whitley County. He got permission from the Whitley County Commissioners, then started raising money. Initially, the project was going to be one small stone with a cost of about

her students,” said Patricia O’Connor, Whitley County Consolidated Schools superintendent. “She has high expectations for herself and her students.” O’Connor noted Shearer’s work with the Community Foundation of Whitley County, as she developed and implemented the Charitable Champions program, where students are able to write grants and understand the value of philanthropic endeavors.

$10,000. “I always thought we could grow from there… we did,” Murphy said. Murphy raised over $20,000. “The support surprised me,” he said. He said there’s a long list of donors, probably over 100 people, including the VFW with its beef and noodle dinner, the American Legion, Am Vets in South Whitley and even a local hockey team that hosted a hog roast in Tri-Lakes. “We’ve received donations from $5 to over $3,000,” Murphy said. “Every little bit helped.” The extra money allowed Murphy to grow the project into what it is today, two large stones, two stone benches and a concrete pad that’s wheelchair accessible. “It’s three times the size of what we planned when we started,” Murphy said. “It’s a nice place where people can sit down and reflect.” The memorial has been well-received by many in the community, especially veterans. Murphy said he heard a touching story about a veteran who stood at the memorial, stopped and saluted it before going on with his day. “A lot of people know

Zay also hosted State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick as a special guest speaker. Among Shearer’s many accomplishments, she was nominated to the Evansville University Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and was a scholar athlete. She also won a Heart of Gold award from the Community Foundation of Whitley County. Shearer also serves as Columbia City High School’s varsity girls basketball coach.

someone who has been to Vietnam,” Murphy said. Murphy was drafted to serve in the war just five months after graduating from Columbia City High School, in 1968. The names engraved on the stone are special to him and many others who served with or knew the fallen soldiers. “I went to high school with some of the people on the memorial — some of them I knew pretty well,” Murphy said. Roy Prater, one of the men on the memorial, served in Vietnam twice. He spent a tour overseas for more than three years as a U.S. Marine, then wanted to go back, so he served another tour with the U.S. Air Force. He was a crew member on a helicopter that was sent to rescue soldiers who were trapped in the field, but the helicopter was shot down. “Every one of them have neat stories behind them,” Murphy said. “There’s more to it than their names.” Murphy isn’t clear exactly when the misspelling will be fixed, but expects it to be taken care of before the dedication ceremony Nov. 11. The memorial was placed June 27 on the northwest corner of the courthouse lawn.

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CONTRIBUTED

Indian Springs Middle School teacher Amy Shearer was recognized by State Sen. Andy Zay.

ROFF from Page 1 he had made multiple threats in the past that he was willing to do whatever it took to stay out of custody.” For multiple hours, officers searched the area on foot, utilized three drones, three K-9 units and other tools to look for Roff. The lockdown was canceled at about 7:45 p.m. after police believed Roff was no longer a threat to the public. “We believed to have him locked down within the perimeter,” Daniel said. “Unfortunately, after multiple additional hours of searching, we were unable to find the individual.” Daniel used social media to encourage the community to contact police if they had information on Roff’s whereabouts.

SUCCESS from Page 1

couple. Single mother homes make up 20 percent and single father families account for 6.4 percent. The rest are in foster programs or living with non-relatives. The other trend is not so positive. In terms of mental health, Indiana ranks third out of the 36 states studied in percentage of high school students who have seriously considered suicide, and third of 34 sates for those who have made a suicide plan. Each year, the percentage of depressive episodes in Indiana teenagers aged 12-17 has been steadily increasing compared to the national standard since 2010. Previously, Indiana was below the national average. “At both the state and national levels, depression is growing in teens,” Enders said. “Suicide is the second leading cause of death in Indiana [for teens and youth].” An important component ofand the problem in over County reach Whitley County specif-

“We request you to urge him to turn himself in peacefully,” Daniel said. Multiple police units were called to the 6000 block of North County Road 300 East, where Roff was detained. While en route to the jail, the police unit transporting Roff pulled off the road in the area of Linker Road and State Road 9. According to police scanner traffic, the officer said Roff was coming in and out of consciousness and he believed Roff was dehydrated. Roff was then transported by EMS to Parkview Whitley, where he will be held until being booked in the Whitley County Jail. Assisting Columbia City’s Police Department were: Whitley County

ically is a low ratio of mental health care providers. The average number of Hoosiers per provider is 710. Each individual provider in Whitley County has 1,760 people to care for. That is nearly two and a half times more people per provider within the county than the state. Indiana also has the third highest rates of dating violence in the U.S., with 7.1 percent of teens experiencing dating violence in 2015, 12.6 percent with sexual dating violence and 10 percent having had forced sexual intercourse. “A vast majority of sexual assault is perpetrated by someone known to the victim, whether acquaintance, friend, dating partner or family member,” Ender said. “Approximately 86 percent nationally.” Underneath these negatives lie several methods the general public can help improve these numbers in Whitley County. For starters, if it homes seems like in 13,000 someone is having a

Sheriffs Department, Whitley County Sheriff’s Dispatch, Columbia City Police Dispatch, Noble County Sheriffs Department, Warsaw City Police Department, Avilla Town Police Department, Indiana State Police, Department of Natural Resources, ATF and the Whitley County Emergency Management Agency. Roff was arrested by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department June 15 for criminal mischief. He bonded out in the same day. He was also booked in the jail in May for failure to appear, failure to comply, driving while suspended prior and possession of paraphernalia, and was arrested in November 2016 for battery causing bodily injury.

tough time, the institute and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, (800) -273-TALK, encourage people to not be afraid to ask if someone has had thoughts of suicide. “There is no evidence that talking to someone about suicide makes them more likely to commit suicide,” Ender said. The institute encourages people to know the signs of suicidal behavior. Signs include changes in behavior that:Exist across a variety of settings; Significantly interfere with everyday life; Last more than two weeks; or Are sudden and drastic. If any of these become evident, the institute urges following the simple three step process of question, persuade and refer. For more information on this method, visit QPRinstitute.com. Statistics from the institute become available to the public each February, and are collected throughout the year. All of their statistics are available Whitley County. on their website.

Have a news tip? Call your IN|Whitley County newspaper at (260) 693-3949

INwhitleycounty.com • A11

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

Sade receives six awards for writing

FARM from Page 3 “We are not going to do something to harm our farmland,” Sheiss said. Lucas More, a local farmer, noted that there are other factors causing issues with drinking water, such as the county’s former landfill, also in the northern part of the county. The landfill reportedly caused arsenic to be in the drinking water at Northern Heights Elementary School. Another concern is lawn fertilizers, which aren’t always used correctly and often end up running off lawns and into lakes and rivers. Education effort

Local farmers have created a Facebook group, “Whitley County Farmers Matter,” to network with each other and formulate a plan to educate the public. “We need to get people to our farms — put faces with names,” Sheiss said.

“I know we have a lot of work to do. We need to have face-to-face discussions and talk to the people who are making the decisions. They need to make an educated decision.” Whitley County is a state, national and world leader in youth agriculture programs. Columbia City High School’s FFA livestock judging team recently traveled overseas for an international contest after winning the national title. Several 4-Hers have been successful at the state fair. Whitley County farmers want the public to know their farms aren’t “factory farms;” they’re family-owned farms that often run generations deep. Eighty-five percent of Whitley County is zoned agricultural. As of a 2014 census, there were 30 CFOs recorded in Whitley County, which contained over 50,000 animals total.

Includes coverage of Whitley Co. case Staff reports

NICOLE MINIER

Fourth generation Johnson farmers are, from left: Mallory, Jeff, Zach, Olivia, Isabelle, Maggie and Austin.

Whitley County farmers fear the current climate and pushback local farmers are receiving will discourage future generations from staying in Whitley County. “There has been a lot

of talk about retaining young people in Whitley County, but we’re telling a whole segment of our population that we don’t want them,” Sheiss said. “The kids won’t wait, they’ll go somewhere else that they’re wanted.

“We’re a quiet, proud industry. We do what we need to do to follow the rules and we do what we need to do to produce, but we have to have our voices heard. We have a lot of people in Whitley County who support us.”

LAKE from Page 2 Road 9 from where the expanded farm would sit. His wife’s family has run family farms for years, including on his property. Yet, standing in his yard along the road are four “No CAFO” signs. “Why I am against it is because it’s right across the street,” he said. “No matter what they do, the smell’s going be bad. We live here, and we have a very nice place. “I’m concerned about the water too, since I’ve got the water table right across the street. I don’t want my water table and my pond to be contaminated.” Property value

Studies show that farm properties within and around an animal feeding operation increase in value when the size of the livestock is increased, said Driscoll. However, he believes the opposite affect will take place on residen-

TYLER ROEBUCK

Ryan Cook’s property lies across State Road 9 from the proposed CFO, where he displays one of Whitley Water Matters’ new signs.

tial properties. “Just the fact that it’s going in here a mile and a half away will probably take 10 percent off everybody’s property value, no matter what happens,” he said. Times have changed

since the current zoning round the lakes went into effect. Around the time Driscoll moved into the neighborhood, most of the houses were uninsulated cottages. Now, property values of the houses around Shriner Lake exceed

$200,000. The drop in property values would be considerably more noteworthy than 30 years ago, he argues. “If you’re going to jeopardize those property values by putting in high-intensity farming all around

it, you’re not devaluing a bunch of cottages any more” Driscoll argues. “You’re devaluing high cost houses that people have sunk tons of money into.” O’Connell is also concerned, because of the accessibility of the Tri-Lakes to common people. “These lakes, because they are small size and their fishing and recreational lakes, are affordable to the average guy like me who wants to have some property on a lake,” he said. “I worked very hard to get that and to afford this little plot of heaven here, and if it gets damaged, I lose all my property value. “ In the end, Whitley Water Matters hopes for county zoning to create a larger residential buffer zone between the lake communities and farming or other industries.

RISING SUN — Vivian Sade, former editor of the Churubusco News, was one of five who were recognized at the Women’s Press Club of Indiana’s spring awards luncheon. Sade earned four firstplace awards and two second place honors for her work with the Churubusco News and Fort Wayne Journal Gazette. Her awards are as follows: first, writing: “Duke Researcher, Surgeon invents Lifesaving Device”; first, writing: “Puberty on Hold for 60s Child”; first, writing: “Victim of Violent Crime Faces her Attacker”; first, personal blogs: “How Liberals and Conservatives are Born”; second, writing: “Construction Trades Face Worker Shortage”; second, writing: “Family Celebrates Small Wins Over Autism.” Other winners were Natalie Hoefer, Indianapolis; Elizabeth Granger, Fishers; Marion Garmel, Indianapolis; and Kendal Miller, Rising Sun. Seven high school students from Bishop Chatard High School and Carmel High School were honored and received cash awards in the Best of the Best in High School Journalism Contest. Longtime WPCI members who were recognized included Joan Bey, who has been a member for 65 years, Helen Corey and Ruth Chin, 55-year members and Wilma Taylor and Barbara Ralls, 25-year members.

Fort Financial robbed; FBI seeks help to I.D. suspect Staff reports

robbed the credit union CHURUBUSCO — The 9:15 a.m. Wednesday FBI and Indiana State morning. Police are asking for help He reportedly left the identifying a man and scene in an older model his vehicle involved in Honoring those in northeast Indiana who go above and beyond dark-colored Ford Taurus. an armed robbery at Fort Anyone with inforto provide the best health care possible. Financial Credit Union in mation should call the Churubusco last week. Indiana State Police at Police say the suspect, 432-8661 or the FBI at described as a black male, (317) 595-4000. approximately 5-foot-8The same Churubusco Having Garagecredit Sale? your ad in IN|Whitley County and reach over 13,000 homes in Whitley County. inches tall, with aathin unionPlace was robbed Visit FWBUSINESS.COM Under Events build. He was wearing two years ago, November dark pants, a white T-shirt 2015, by two men, one Awards Dinner 6:00 PM Outstanding sponsorship, marketing and long-sleeved shirt identified as wearing a Thursday, October 26, 2017 and tribute packages available. SuspectIN|Whitley photo or jacking with a fishing The case Memorial Coliseum Conference Center Have asafari-style newshat. tip? Call your County newspaper at (260) 693-3949 events@kpcmedia.com or 260/426-2640 x 3324 Official venue for all 2017 Business Weekly events style hat. He allegedly was never solved.

2017

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A12 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

Old-Fashioned Meat Counter To Serve You Better!

GRILLING SEASON IS HERE!

New York Strip Steak $ 99

lb.

PROPANE EXCHANGE HERE!

Two In Pack

Boneless

Pork Tenders $ 79

Roast Beef

lb.

189

lb.

Hot Dogs

99¢

Yoder’s

Mustard Potato Salad

Eckrich Reg., Bunsize, Cheese or Jumbo

Virginia Ham

lb.

Self-Serve Case

Eckrich

lb.

Chicken Breast $ 69

Only Deli in Town Eckrich

Boneless

Top Loin Pork Chops $ 79

lb.

Baby Back Ribs $ 79

Eckrich

Smoked Sausage

259

six pack

lb.

Yoder’s

Macaroni Salad

Eckrich

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lb.

239

White or Yellow

American Cheese

Mishler

Pork Burgers

239

6 lb. boxes

14 oz.

479

lb.

609 S. MAIN ST., CHURUBUSCO • OPEN 7 A.M. TO 10 P.M. EVERY DAY • 260.693.2909

INwhitleycounty.com • A13

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

Prairie Farms

Orange Juice

Ice Cream

1/2 gal.

Prairie Farms

Cottage Cheese

259

gal.

24 oz.

IGA

Water

6 oz.

2/$

IGA

2% Milk

2/$

Prairie Farms Old Recipe

799

Yogurt

199

Diet Pepsi, Mt. Dew or

Pepsi

699

Diet Pepsi, Mt. Dew or

Pepsi

899

3/$

24 pk.

6 pk.

Kraft

Yoder’s Colby, Colby-Jack, Mozzarella, Pepper-Jack or Cheddar

Lay’s

24 pk.

Potato Chips

Diet Coke, Sprite or

219

Coke

799

24 pk.

American Singles

12 oz.

Fresh Produce 69¢

2/$

lb.

8 oz.

799

Strawberries

189

Charcoal

Pure Leaf Tea

Fresh

Chunk Cheese

Kingsford

Lipton Sweetened or Unsweetened

Fresh

Green Cabbage

15.4 lbs.

Pringles

2/$

59 oz.

16 oz.

Seedless Watermelon

Idaho Russet Potatoes

whole

5 lbs.

399

2/$

Raspberries, 6 oz. Blackberries or 16 oz. Blueberries

Snow White

6 oz.

Cauliflower

Bakery Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns

8/$

Cake Donuts

219

6/$

199

2/$

BAKERY WINDOW OPENS AT 6:00 AM DONUTS & COFFEE TO GO

Hershey’s

Chocolate Syrup

6 pk.

24 oz.

399

Bush’s

Baked Beans

189

28 oz.

Country Time

299

All Regular Cookies

★ We bag & carry your groceries to your car ★ Name brands you know & trust

2/$

Ritz

Crackers

299

IGA

Hunt’s

Pudding Packs

5/$

IGA

Sugar

Mustard

4 lbs.

89¢ 20 oz.

IGA

199

19 oz.

$ 59

399

13/$

2/$

Duncan Hines

Brownie Mix

S’MORES

Lemonade Mix

Apple Pies

Hershey’s

Chocolate Bars

IGA

Fudge Bars

239

12 pk.

Sweet Relish

139

Ketchup

149

32 oz.

16 oz.

PRICES EFFECTIVE 6/26/17 TO 7/9/17

We reserve the right to correct printed errors

A14 • INwhitleycounty.com

SPORTS

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

YourPromoPeople finishes undefeated No losers in tight Columbia City minor league championship game By Justin Hunter jhunter@kpcmedia.com

COLUMBIA CITY – Sometimes a great pitching battle can be found in the score itself. YourPromoPeople. com edged Knetter Tree Service 2-1 to finish undefeated and win the minor-league championship game last week at Morsches Park. The two teams had some interesting matchups this season. YourPromoPeople won twice, and the teams tied once. Knetter was the only team to tie them this season. “We knew it would be intense,” said head coach Ryan Yates. “They (Knetter Tree Service) have a great team. They have been our number one opponent all season. We were looking for a fight, and that’s what it was. It was great.” YourPromoPeople’s pitcher Jack Junk struck out three batter in the first inning, but his walk given to Cruz Chacon allowed him to eventually score off of Arrow Mullinax’s bunt. Knetter Tree Service took an early 1-0 lead, and would prove to be there only run of the game.

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN HUNTER

YourPromoPeople.com pose after winning the minor league championship 2-1. Pictured in front, left to right, are Mason Schuckman, Eli Jones, Cole Langley, Mason Straub and Ian Davis. Middle row: Lucas Kuhmichel, Ethan Yates, Keagan Born, Jack Junk and Kaleb Junk. Back row: Head Coach Ryan Yates, Tim Schuckman and Adam Straub.

YourPromoPeople had a man on third and second base with no outs in the bottom of the first. Player No. 1 was able to score to even the game 1-1, despite Chacon striking out three batters in a row to end the first inning. Knetter’s Ethan McIn-

tosh hit a single and advanced to second off an error, but was caught stealing third. Junk put away a pair of batters to avoid any runs. YourPromoPeople went three up three down due to three straight strikeouts from Chacon. The game winning run

came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mason Straub scored off of Kaleb Junk’s RBI. Knetter missed an opportunity in the top of the fifth inning. Logan Francis was left stranded on third base, after a laid bunt didn’t work out, as the batter was out at first

base. Knetter had another chance to tie the game in the final inning. Lucas Wagner, Garrison Price and McIntosh loaded the bases, but a pop out to Lucas Kuhmichel ended the game. YourPromoPeople held on to win the big one.

Chacon recorded 11 strikeouts, while YourPromoPeople recorded 9. “I had a great coaching staff,” said Yates. “The kids worked hard and performed outstanding as well, all while playing with great sportsmanship.”

YourPromoPeople gathers in for a huddle before the last inning of play.

Looking for talented

CARTOONISTS! If you have a knack for drawing and the gift of observational humor IN|Whitley County is looking for local contributors of cartoons relevant to Whitley County.

Email samples to nminier@kpcmedia.com

Minor League runner-up Knetter Tree Service pose after the game. Pictured back row from left to right is Coach James Wagner, Head Coach Chad Anderson and Coach Joel McIntosh. Middle row: Garrison Price, Arrow Mullinax, Ethan McIntosh, Dorian Anderson and Jaden Bechtold. Front row: Kyle Hoag, Mason Hammond, Logan Francis and Cruz Chacon.

COLUMBIA CITY

1080 Spartan Drive, Suite A, Columbia City, IN 46725

P: 260-248-8608 F: 260-248-8679 columbiacity@goinpostal.com

Arrow Mullinaz rounds second to head home.

SPORTS

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

INwhitleycounty.com • A15

AllStruct Construction play like All-Stars Team captures coaches pitch championship in 11-6 win over NAPA By Justin Hunter jhunter@kpcmedia.com

COLUMBIA CITY – AllStruct Construction defeated NAPA Auto Parts 11-6 last week to capture the coaches’ pitch championship. “Our kids came out to play today and hit the ball; played the field well to beat a good NAPA team,” said AllStruct head coach Chad Steinke. AllStruct got into the grove of things right away. Kalieb Walter, Ryan Geisler, Isaiah Clark, Ricky Geisler, Chase Laliberte and Holden Hamilton all scored to grab a 5-0 lead. NAPA was unable to score any runs in the first inning. AllStruct could not send any players home in the second inning. NAPA was able to capitalize on the opportunity by scoring three runs. Kolten Shepard, Brenton Wood and Jonathon Pratt were all able to reach home to make the score 5-3 after the second inning. AllStruct made up for the last inning by scoring four runs in the top of the third. The first four batter of Ryan Geisler, Clark, Ricky Geisler and Laliberte scored to take a 9-3 lead. Gage Coyle scored for NAPA to cut the deficient, 9-4. Walter scored the fourth inning’s lone run for AllStruct as they led 10-4 after four innings. Aiden Good scored AllStruct’s only run in the final inning to take a 11-4 lead. NAPA had to hit in the majority of their batter’s order to win the game, which they could

PHOTOS BY NICOLE MINIER & JUSTIN HUNTER

Allstruct Construction pose with their 1st place trophies. Pictured in the front row, from left is Chase Laliberte, Isaiah Clark, Noah Hasty, Holden Hamilton, Evan Delaney and Brayden Schuchman. Middle row: Ricky Geisler, Kalieb Walter, Ryan Geisler and Aiden Good. Back row: sponsor Wes Geisler, Crystal Steinke, head coach Chad Steinke, Zac Steinke and Luc Steinke.

not pull off. They did however score a pair of runs in Matthew Peppler and Dakota King. The AllStruct baseball team celebrated after the third out. “Every team improved a lot of the course of the season,” said Steinke. “I like to see all the kids get better and keep growing, and that’s why we’re here for. Winning the championship is great, but ultimately, we just want to see the kids get better and enjoy the game.”

Wes Geisler poses with her sons Ricky and Ryan Giesler.

Gage Coyle pumps his fist as he receives his second-place trophy at Morcshes Park.

Having a Garage Sale? Place your ad in IN|Whitley County and reach over 13,000 homes in Whitley County.

Have a news tip? Call your IN|Whitley County newspaper at (260) 693-3949 Kalieb Walter, left and IN|Whitley County is direct mailed to over 13,000 homes and businesses in Whitley County.

Ryan Geisley, right run towards their teammates Noah Hasty lifts his in celebration after first-place trophy NAPA Auto Parts pose as runner-ups in the coaches’ pitch league. Pictured in the front row, from left is winning the championship in celebration at Brenton Wood, Reid Snyder, Kolten Shepard, Zander Ziliak, Caleb English and Gage Coyle. Middle row: IN|Whitley County is Pratt, theZachary largest weekly circulation publication Whitley County. game in Columbia City Morcshesin Park last Mattew Peppler, Andrew Furthmiller, Jonathon Furthmiller and Dakota King. Back row: Coach last week. week. Chris King, Coach Zach Ziliak, Head Coach Ryan Peppler, Coach Derek Coyle and Jaren English. JUSTIN HUNTER

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SPORTS

A16 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • July 6, 2017

NAPA wins battle of the pinks Girls win 13-9 game in lob ball championship vs. Kelly Buick GMC at Morsches Park By Justin Hunter jhunter@kpcmedia.com

COLUMBIA CITY – One may think nothing is intimidating about the color pink, but a pair of lob ball softball teams proved doubters wrong by advancing to the championship game. NAPA Auto Parts defeated Kelley Buick GMC 13-9 last week at Morsches Park. The players in the league range from ages seven to nine. “We just wanted to come out here and have a good time,” said NAPA Head Coach Jason Elkins. “We lost to them (Kelley Buck GMC) three times this season. They have a really good team, and talented girls. We just told our girls to play the best they can, and we’re just glad we won.” Ella Peppler hit an RBI single to let the lead off runner, Isabelle Lane score. Then Miley Grigsby hit an RBI to let Avery Elkins come home. Ainsley Richmond drove Grigsby and Jaden Newkirk in to take a 4-0 lead. Kelley Buick had the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, but NAPA’s defense held on to prevent any runs. NAPA added to its lead by scoring a pair of runs in the second. Peppler hit another RBI single, allowing Lane to score. Gigsby stepped up again, and hit an RBI. Elkins scored to make the score 6-0. Kelley Buick found themselves in scoring position once again, but NAPA made two plays at home plate to once again hold Kelley to zero runs. NAPA led 7-0 due to Richmond reaching home off Lane’s sacrifice RBI.

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN HUNTER

NAPA Auto Parts’ team poses after winning the lob ball softball championship at Morsches Park. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Claire Davenpart, Maddie Arnold, Jaden Newkirk, Ella Peppler, Kelsey Nicodemus and Avery Elkins. Middle row: Miley Grigsby, Ainsley Richmond, Juliana Starkey, Isabella Lane and Alyssa Hohenstein. Back: Coach Justin Arnold and Head Coach Jason Elkins.

Kelley got on the board in the bottom of the third inning by scoring three runs. Grace Wood scored off Lacy Friend’s hit. Madison Hiss also reached home, due to Ava Waybright’s sacrifice hit. Amanda Clark advanced to second off a NAPA error, and Friend was allowed to score. NAPA led 7-3 after the third. NAPA scored five runs in the fourth inning, to take a cushioned 12-3 lead. Kelley scored three runs to cut the lead in half, 12-6. NAPA’s Peppler scored to make the lead 13-6 in the final inning. Kelley showed a lot of fight in the fifth

inning, but needed to hit the entire batting order in to force extra innings. Kelley’s Waybright and Layla Daniels scored, but NAPA’s defense recorded their third out, before Kelley could tie it. NAPA’s hard work paid off as they celebrated near their own dugout. “From day one, our girls worked very hard,” said Elkins. “They all tried to be the best they could be. They all improved leaps and bounds as the season went on, and we couldn’t be any prouder of them. They couldn’t even hit our first practice, now single of them comes out hitting and playing the field.”

RECOGNIZING

The Kelley Buick GMC team poses after becoming runner-ups in the softball lob ball championship game. Pictured in front, from left to right, are Ava Waybright, Jaycee Sims, Layla Daniels, Meredith Hindbaugh and Madison Hiss. Back row: Amanda Clark, Mackenzie Taulbee, Carys Hale, Grace Wood, Lacie Friend and Evie Smith.

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