INSIDE
wc wc
WhitleyCounty County Whitley inwhitleycounty.com
inwhitleycounty.com
News in Brief •
KPC NEWS SERVICE
Memorial Day activities planned WHITLEY COUNTY — Churubusco’s annual Memorial Day service is at 11 a.m. at Eel River Cemetery, hosted by American Legion Post 157 and VFW Post 3846. The event is to honor those who have died while serving our country. Following the ceremony, there will be a carry-in luncheon for the public. Sandwiches will be provided by the Legion, but attendees are encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert to share. The meal begins at noon at 115 S. Main St. The annual Memorial Day parade in Columbia City begins at 10 a.m. at Eagle Tech Academy, traveling through downtown Columbia City and ending at Greenhill Cemetery with a memorial service.
CityAutoMall.com 260-244-5111 DEALERSHIP 1-866-654-3424 TOLL FREE
Opinion �����������������6
Community Calendar �������������15
June 2018
Fun Night offers opportunity to try Camp Whitley CONTRIBUTED COLUMBIA CITY — Spending the night away from home at summer camp is a milestone in a child’s development and maturity — but knowing when a child is ready for camp can be difficult to assess.
To help families determine whether children are truly ready for camp, Camp Whitley in northern Whitley County offers a first-time campers overnight each year called Fun Night at Camp Whitley. This year’s overnight will be held
6 p.m. Friday, May 25. The trial-run will conclude at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 26. During this overnight event, first-time campers will have an opportunity to participate in many of the activities ordinarily enjoyed by campers —
but in a shorter time frame, enabling them to determine if they’re truly ready to spend a week away from home. “The one-night event for first time campers is great because you and your child can find out if they’re ready for the
Over 160 participate in local Lemonade Day BY NICOLE MINIER
nminier@kpcmedia.com
CHURUBUSCO — Churubusco High School’s and Columbia City High School’s annual awards ceremonies are Friday. Churubusco’s awards program is 1-3 p.m. in the Churubusco High School auditorium. The Columbia City High School Honors Convocation begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Columbia City High School gymnasium.
INWhitley County 123 N. Main Street, Churubusco, IN 46723
Telephone: (260) 693-3949
Vol. 2 No. 21
WHITLEY COUNTY — Hundreds took to the streets, neighborhoods, ball fields and shopping areas in Whitley County Saturday for the community’s first Lemonade Day, a nationwide event. The event, which intends to encourage entrepreneurialism in children, had 167 local young “business owners,” many who purchased lemonade and other treats from stands across the county. “I’m extremely thrilled and impressed to see so much of the community involved, as well as the children,” said Jenny Reffitt, who coordinated the event. Reffitt and her husband, Billy, own local businesses themselves. “It’s fun to see their young minds at work,” Reffitt said. Columbia City Mayor Ryan Daniel read a proclamation downtown Saturday SEE LEMONADE, PAGE 4
County Council approves new Courthouse employee BY NICOLE MINIER
nminier@kpcmedia.com
COLUMBIA CITY — The Whitley County Council approved the addition of an employee for Judge Doug Fahl and the Whitley County Superior Court at its meeting this month. Fahl approached the Council, requesting more help for his office which has seen an increasingly large case load in recent years. “I’m swamped,” Fahl said. Fahl reported a significant increase in criminal
cases, from about 730 in years past to 1,031 in 2017. “This year, we’re on track to surpass that,” Fahl said. The increase in cases is related to several reasons but, either way, Fahl requested help for his office staff. During Monday afternoon criminal court, Fahl brings two cases to the stand at once to try to save time and allow court to be over by 5 p.m. “My staff has not had a lunch on a Monday for months,” Fahl said. “They
INWhitley County
Information •
NICOLE MINIER
Jada Bower, Braycen Beazell, Gabe Swihart and Annabell Hoag, from Coesse Elementary School, are ready to greet customers at their lemonade stand in downtown Columbia City Saturday morning.
123 North Main Street,Churubusco, IN 46723
COLUMBIA CITY — A youth summer job fair is Friday at Columbia City High School, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The fair is open to high school students from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and college students may attend after 3:30 p.m. The event is jointly being presented by Whitley County Consolidated Schools, the Whitley County Chamber of Commerce and the Whitley County Economic Development Corp.
SEE CAMP, PAGE 3
Sweet success
Awards programs are Friday
Job Fair is Friday
challenge of being away from home in a new place for an extended period of time,” said Camp Whitley board president Tony Romano. “As a parent, this was helpful for my daughter to determine if she was really ready
have to get cases ready for 1:30 p.m. court.” Fahl requested another assistant court reporter. Currently, the court has a civil court reporter, criminal court reporter, bailiff and an assistant. The office is currently “getting by” with a temporary employee, but Fahl requested something more permanent. “Can you function with a temp employee through the end of the year?” asked Council President Thor Hodges. Fahl said he was willing
to take whatever the council could give him within the current budget, but preferred a full-time employee. “I’m a realist — I’m asking you saying it’s an immediate need, but I trust your decision. I’ll take what I can get,” Fahl said. When Fahl returned after several months of serving overseas with the military, he had to approve overtime and request additional funds for his office to get caught up on paperwork. “I see it in my staff — they’re getting stressed and burnt out,” Fahl said.
Whitley County isn’t alone in its increased caseload. Kosciusko County is adding an additional Superior Court to keep up with its cases. In total, Kosciusko County has five courts, one circuit and four superior, whereas Whitley County has two, one circuit and one superior. The new position is identical to his current assistant’s job description and salary at $35,000 per year. The council unanimously approved the new hire to begin July 1.