The News Sun – October 23, 2013

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WEDNESDAY October 23, 2013

Fall Classic

Albion Improvements

Cards, Boston meet in opener tonight

Moving On

Council votes to apply for grant to pave street

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WN spikers win sectional opener

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Weather Chance of rain, snow before 11 a.m., then chance of rain. High 46. Page A6 Kendallville, Indiana

Serving Noble & LaGrange Counties

kpcnews.com

75 cents

‘The General’ gets 20 years for meth crimes GOOD MORNING Christmas Parade to be held Dec. 7 KENDALLVILLE — The 45th annual Kendallville Christmas Parade is set for Saturday, Dec. 7, with the theme of “Christmas Through the Years.” KPC Media Group and radio stations WAWK and The Hawk are the coordinating sponsors of the parade, which has been held in downtown Kendallville since 1969. The Main Street Business Association and the Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce also are supporting the event. The parade, which will start at 1 p.m. at North Side Elementary School and conclude at the American Legion Post 86 on South Main Street, is open to all groups and organizations in Noble County. Monetary prizes will be awarded in the categories of parade theme and most unique. Judges also will select a best overall unit. The East Noble Marching Knights and Santa Claus again will be among the participants. Parade applications are available at The News Sun, 102 N. Main St., or at the Kendallville Area Chamber of Commerce at 122 S. Main St., or online at kpcnews. com. The deadline for applications is Friday, Nov. 22. For questions, call Nancy Sible at 347-0400, ext. 173.

BY BOB BRALEY bbraley@kpcmedia.com

ALBION — A methamphetamine dealer known as “the General” will serve 20 years in prison for crimes involving his operation. Heath A. Smith, 34, of Kendallville was convicted and sentenced Tuesday in Noble Superior Court I on charges of dealing methamphetamine, a Class A felony; corrupt business influence, a Class C felony; and maintaining a common nuisance, a Class D felony. The charges stem from a raid by the Indiana Multi Agency Group Enforcement Drug Task Force on July 30 at Smith’s residence in the 400 block of

Pleasant Street, Kendallville. Smith’s father, under cross-examination while speaking for the defense, testified that he had reported a bottle of alprazolam, the generic form of Xanax, stolen before the raid. Noble County Prosecutor Steven T. Clouse said the bottle was found among items police collected at the scene. Police officers testified that Smith’s was one of the larger labs they ever have encountered. Among the 61 items recovered were 52 hydrochloric acid generators used in the one-pot method for manufacturing meth. An undercover IMAGE officer said Smith had moved to the house

Dec. 26, 2012. Smith had been given the nickname “the General,” the officer said, adding, “Heath was in charge of a methamphetamine production business, and he was in charge of the decisionmaking process.” Among the items recovered were a ledger sheet that showed who owed how much, the officer said. Some entries indicated the person owed a dollar amount or a certain number of boxes of pseudoephedrine, an ingredient used in making meth. Smith allegedly told the undercover officer the operation was so big, he had to take on a partner, and that there was at SEE METH, PAGE A6

Nuke errors made

In Topeka, Ellspermann said, she heard similar comments from LaGrange County business leaders and elected officials. “In agriculture, I heard there needs to be more amenities for young farmers in rural areas so they stay on the farms in the area,” she said. Asked what the state is doing to address the problem, Ellspermann mentioned the Indiana Regional Works Council initiative announced by Gov. Mike Pence and signed into law in April. Each region will bring educators and employers together to evaluate and develop career and technical education that meets the demands of employers in that region. Each

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twice this year alone, Air Force officers entrusted with the launch keys to nuclear-tipped missiles have been caught leaving open a blast door that is intended to help prevent a terrorist or other intruder from entering their underground command post, Air Force officials have told The Associated Press. The blast doors are never to be left open if one of the crew members inside is asleep — as was the case in both these instances — out of concern for the damage an intruder could cause, including the compromising of secret launch codes. Transgressions such as this are rarely revealed publicly. But officials with direct knowledge of Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile operations told the AP that such violations have happened, undetected, many more times than in the cases of the two launch crew commanders and two deputy commanders who were given administrative punishments this year. The blast door violations are another sign of serious trouble in the handling of the nation’s nuclear arsenal. The AP has discovered a series of problems within the ICBM force, including a failed safety inspection, the temporary sidelining of launch officers deemed unfit for duty and the abrupt firing last week of the two-star general in charge. The problems, including low morale, underscore the challenges of keeping safe such a deadly force that is constantly on alert but is unlikely ever to be used. The crews who operate the missiles are trained to follow rules without fail, including the prohibition against having the blast door

SEE ELLSPERMANN, PAGE A6

SEE ERRORS, PAGE A6

CHAD KLINE

Water department to flush hydrants

Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann, left, talks with Noble County EDC director Rick Sherck and Tom Ducheteau of Laketronics in Cromwell following a discussion with local industry an agriculture

KENDALLVILLE — The city water department will be flushing fire hydrants along city streets for the next several weeks, beginning today. Residents who notice a discoloration in their water should let the water run until it is clear, city officials advised. The flushing will be done from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.

Lt. Gov. Ellspermann talks of need for skilled workers

Banana paint job can stay on house WEST LAFAYETTE (AP) — The large yellow banana painted the full length of a two-story rental house near the Purdue University campus gets to stay. The banana was painted last spring on the house, and West Lafayette officials have questioned whether it violates a zoning ordinance that bans houses from being used as billboards. The mural doesn’t include any wording, but rental company Granite Management uses a banana as its advertising logo.

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

Index

Classifieds.................................B7-B8 Life..................................................... A5 Obituaries......................................... A4 Opinion .............................................B4 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A6 TV/Comics .......................................B6 Vol. 104 No. 292

BOB BRALEY

Heath A. Smith is escorted to the Noble County Jail to begin serving his 20-year sentence for dealing methamphetamine, a Class A felony, issued Tuesday in Noble Superior Court I.

BY DENNIS NARTKER dnartker@kpcmedia.com

KENDALLVILLE — “A sense of urgency” is how Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann described what she heard from local and area business leaders regarding their need for skilled workers. Ellspermann stopped at B & J Medical Inc., on U.S. 6 west of Kendallville, and the Noble County Courthouse in Albion Tuesday afternoon as part of her Listen & Learn Tour of Indiana’s 92 counties. At both sites, she listened to business leaders and elected officials to learn about the strengths, challenges and priorities of Noble County. She also visited LaGrange County Tuesday morning for a

businesses at B & J Medical Inc., as part of her Listen & Learn Tour of Indiana’s 92 counties Tuesday.

Listen & Learn session at Yoder Popcorn Co. in Topeka. LaGrange County and Noble County were the 70th and 71st counties on her six-month long tour. Ellspermann said one topic of her conversation with business leaders was the need to develop a skilled work force. “Beginning in the high school learning skilled trades that can lead to jobs in manufacturing and agriculture is something I heard a lot,” she said after the session. “They have the jobs, but need people with the skills.” She said it was “eye-opening” for her how desperate local and area businesses are for skilled labor.

Resource officer approved BY DENNIS NARTKER dnartker@kpcmedia.com

KENDALLVILLE — The city will create a new police officer position to provide a full-time resource officer for East Noble Middle School. The Board of Public Works Tuesday morning approved Police Chief Rob Wiley’s request to add the sworn officer position to the city’s 18-member police force, with the East Noble School Corp. reimbursing the city for 75 percent of the officer’s wages and benefits. The police department’s Sgt. Chris Shearer has been working about 20 hours a week as a part-time resource officer at SEE APPROVED, PAGE A6

LAUREN BISHOP

Smoky entrance A Tuesday afternoon fire damaged this duplex at 104 S. Grand Street in Ligonier. There were no injuries and only one half of the building was occupied when the fire started. Everyone was able to safely escape the building, said Lt. Shawn Cox of the Ligonier Fire Department. The cause of the

fire was not determined as of Tuesday night. One half of the duxplex suffered damage to the rooms and contents. The occupants of the other half were able to return to their home. Firefighters from the Sparta Township Fire Department in Cromwell also responded.


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The News Sun – October 23, 2013 by KPC Media Group - Issuu