THURSDAY January 2, 2014
Cow’s Choices
Inside Comment
Hannah forecasts weekend winners
Time capsule filled with variety of items
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Roses Turn Green Michigan State tops Stanford in showdown
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Weather Snow expected all day, high 19. Low tonight 2. Partly sunny Friday. Page A6 Kendallville, Indiana
Serving Noble & LaGrange Counties
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Projects will make 2014 busy for EN GOOD MORNING Snow, cold make for slower holiday It was a relatively quiet New Year’s Eve and holiday across the four northeast counties despite the dumping of snow, emergency personnel reported Wednesday. Still, extra precautions were advised during travel. The Indiana State Police said there were no accidents to report, but a winter advisory remains in effect in the district. The Noble County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch said there were accidents resulting from snow-covered roads, but no news releases were issued. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said there were no slide-offs to report, but roads were getting worse. Slow and steady was how the LaGrange County Sheriff’s Department described conditions there, with no major problems to report. Roads were also snow covered in Steuben County, the sheriff’s department reported, but no accidents or injury reports had been made. The National Weather Service reported the below normal temperatures will continue through the weekend with highs in the 20-degree temperature range. Snow will continue today with more on the way Saturday and Sunday.
Widowed Indy woman loses daughter in fire INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indianapolis woman whose husband died last February is now dealing with the house fire death of one of her daughters. Neighbor Connie Touroff said she’s stunned by the deadly fire because Donnetta Waling’s family “has been through so much tragedy.” After Waling’s husband died last February from cancer, neighbors rallied behind her, buying her food, shoveling her driveway and helping her in other ways. But now Waling is now mourning the death of her disabled 35-year-old daughter, Janice Waling, who was killed Monday night when a fire hit Donnetta’s home. Waling’s other daughter, 22-year-old Audrey Waling, had tried to save her sister, who used a wheelchair. Audrey Waling was listed in serious condition at an Indianapolis hospital.
Info • The News Sun P.O. Box 39, 102 N. Main St. Kendallville, IN 46755 Telephone: (260) 347-0400 Fax: (260) 347-2693 Classifieds: (toll free) (877) 791-7877 Circulation: (260) 347-0400 or (800) 717-4679
BY DENNIS NARTKER dnartker@kpcmedia.com
KENDALLVILLE — Two major capital projects started by the East Noble school district in 2013 will carry over into 2014. East Noble Superintendent Ann Linson announced the school corporation intends to renovate or remodel East Noble Middle School or build a new middle school at a different location. Seeking East Noble patrons’ opinions about the multi-million dollar project, Linson led
community meetings in November at Avilla and Rome City elementary schools and East Noble Middle School to explain the problems with the existing middle school building complex and the need to do something about them. Portions of the building are nearly 100 years old. Last month, an architect gave school trustees cost estimates for remodeling the building, tearing down the oldest portion and renovating the other portions of the building or constructing a
new middle school at a different location. One possible location is 36 acres the school corporation owns on Sherman Street extended, across from South Side Elementary School. The East Noble school board may decide this year what direction to take to replace the building. Upgrading the high school athletic complex began last year and is expected to continue this year. A fundraising campaign for
Oh My, That’s Cold!!
the campus beautification project kicked off in September. Plans were announced to improve the athletics stadium facilities with landscaping, a plaza filled with commemorative bricks, a new ticketing center and main gate, relocation and upgrade of the concession stand, a new tailgating area and flagpole tribute to veterans. Nearly 80 trees were planted and stones laid down near the football field’s south end zone area.
Part of health law out Supreme court blocks birth control mandate
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has thrown a hitch into President Barack Obama’s new health care law by blocking a requirement that some religion-afCHAD KLINE filiated organizations provide health insurance that includes birth The cold water hits hard as participants react ment Polar Plunge Wednesday. Snow filled the control. to the temperature as they rush in to the frigid air as temperatures hovered around 15 degrees. Justice Sonia Sotomayor late waters of Bixler Lake in Kendallville during the The water temperature was a balmy 32. Tuesday night decided to block annual Kendallville Park and Recreation Departimplementation of the contraceptive coverage requirement, only hours before the law’s insurance coverage went into effect on New Year’s Day. Her decision, which came after federal court filings by BY DENNIS NARTKER Catholic-affiliated groups from dnartker@kpcmedia.com around the nation in hopes of KENDALLVILLE — “Get in delaying the requirements, throws and get out fast.” a part of the president’s signature That was Albion resident law into temporary disarray. At Katrina Richter’s strategy for least one federal appeals court surviving Wednesday’s annual agreed with Sotomayor, issuing Kendallville Park and Recreation its own stay against part of the Department Polar Bear Plunge in Affordable Care Act, also known Bixler Lake’s west beach. as Obamacare. A few minutes after the experiThe White House on ence she was drying off inside a Wednesday issued a statement van. saying that the administration is “That was so cold I couldn’t confident that its rules “strike the feel anything. I couldn’t feel my balance of providing women with toes and fingers. I couldn’t feel free contraceptive coverage while anything,” she said. preventing non-profit religious Richter was among an organizations with religious estimated 150 men, women and objections to contraceptive children who entered the icy coverage from having to contract, 32-degree water with blowing arrange, pay, or refer for such CHAD KLINE snow in their faces and the air coverage.” David Ward of Kendallville, Phil Osbun of Waterloo, and Ryan temperature at 17 degrees at the 4 Sotomayor acted on a request Rowe of Kendallville hang out in the icy cold waters of Bixler Lake. from an organization of Catholic p.m. start for the event. “We’ve always wanted to do nuns in Denver, the Little Sisters something like this. It was on my for their first Polar Bear Plunge. four hours using chainsaws and of the Poor Home for the Aged. Its bucket list,” said Melinda Love of Park maintenance staff and a backhoe to cut and remove 5 request for an emergency stay had Albion, who joined three friends volunteers worked for about SEE SPLASH, PAGE A6 been denied earlier in the day by a federal appeals court. The government is “temporarily enjoined from enforcing against applicants the contraceptive coverage requirements imposed by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” Sotomayor said in the order. DENVER (AP) — Crowds “I’m going to frame the receipt drug offenders. Sotomayor, who was in New were serenaded by live music as when I go home, to remind myself Just on the first day, prices had York Tuesday night to lead the they waited for the nation’s first of what might be possible: Legal already risen to more than $500 final 60-second countdown and legal recreational pot shops to everywhere,” musician James an ounce, but it’s too soon to say push the ceremonial button to open. They ate doughnuts and Aaron Ramsey, 28, who did some whether that will hold. signal the descent of the Times funnel cakes as a glass-blower time in jail for pot possession in Washington state will open its Square New Year’s Eve ball, made smoking pipes. Some Missouri and played folk tunes pot industry later this year. Both gave government officials until tourists even rode around in a with his guitar for those in line. states programs will be watched 10 a.m. EST Friday to respond to limo, eager to try weed but not so Activists hope he’s right, and closely not just by officials in her order. A decision on whether eager to be seen buying it. that the experiment in Colorado other states, but by activists and to make the temporary injunction And when the sales began, will prove to be a better alternative governments in other countries permanent or dissolve it likely those who bought the drug to the costly American-led drug because the industries will be the emerged from the stores, receipt war, produce the kind of revenue first to regulate the production and won’t be made before then. “The government has lots of held high and carrying sealed that state officials hope and save sale of the drug. SEE COLORADO, PAGE A6 SEE COURT, PAGE A6 shopping bags, to cheers. the government costs in locking up
Hardy start year with splash
Colorado starts legal pot sales
Index
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Classifieds.................................B7-B8 Life..................................................... A3 Obituaries..................................A4, A6 Opinion .............................................B5 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A6 TV/Comics .......................................B6 Vol. 105 No. 1
Woman dies from injuries in I-69 accident FROM STAFF REPORTS
FREMONT — A woman who was involved in a wreck Monday afternoon on Interstate 69 in Steuben County has died, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Kevin Kane said in a news release. Jane C. Legaj, 63, Marysville, Mich., succumbed to internal injuries and was pronounced as deceased at approximately 11:30 p.m. Monday at Parkview
Regional Health, Fort Wayne. “Steuben County Coroner (Bill) Harter is working with the Allen County Coroner’s office and determined the cause of death attributed to massive internal injuries sustained in the crash,” Kane said. Legaj was trapped inside of her vehicle for more than an hour following a wreck on I-69 near the Indiana Toll Road interchange Monday.
Several people called Steuben County Communications to report a northbound 2011 Chrysler van had crashed and was lying in the ditch. Legaj had struck a guard rail head on prior to landing in the ditch, Kane said on Monday. After Legaj was freed, she was taken from the scene by Lutheran Air Ambulance to Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, for treatment of severe lower body and leg injuries. Northbound traffic was shut
down while officials worked to free Legaj from her van. Legaj was wearing a safety belt, which officers said reduced her injuries. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, which is still under investigation by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. Assisting at the scene were officials with Fremont Police, Indiana State Police, Steuben County Emergency Medical Service and Angola Fire Rescue.