WEDNESDAY November 13, 2013
Just Barely IU one better than LIU-Brooklyn
Cleaning Up
Tough Opener
Ligonier seeks grant to raze former factory
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CN girls hoops team falls to Whitko
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Weather Sunny, high 38. Low tonight 27. Sunny and warmer Thursday, high 47. Page A6 Kendallville, Indiana
GOOD MORNING Research at Purdue could eliminate need for passwords WEST LAFAYETTE (AP) — Some Purdue University researchers are working on technology that could see all those passwords that computer users must punch in replaced with steps such as iris and fingerprint scans. The basement lab of Purdue University’s International Center for Biometrics Research is where such emerging biometric technologies are tested for weaknesses before going mainstream. Iris and fingerprint scans as well as facial and voice recognition are just a few of the tools that can improve security while making lives easier, said Stephen Elliott, the center’s director. That technology can allow someone to log into a computer or activate a smartphone simply by swiping their fingerprint over a sensor — and eliminate the need to frequently change passwords. “I think the average person would tell you they have too many passwords and it’s a hassle to change them all the time, and therefore they use the same password for lots of things, which inherently makes that easier to break,” Elliott said. Research into new uses of biometrics is blossoming as universities enlist the technology for tasks ranging from paying for meals to restricting access to high-security facilities. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has even studied using sensors in special “bio-soles” that measure the unique gaits and foot pressure to identify people. Soldiers in Iraq carry handheld devices that allow them to scan fingerprints, retinas and faces and compare them with a database filled with hundreds of thousands of identities. Biometrics is already in use at a KFC restaurant in West Lafayette, where workers punch in by putting their finger on a fingerprint scanner attached to their cash register.
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Index
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Classifieds.................................B7-B8 Life..................................................... A5 Obituaries......................................... A4 Opinion .............................................B4 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A6 TV/Comics .......................................B6 Vol. 104 No. 313
Serving Noble & LaGrange Counties
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Commissioners OK bridge contract BY BOB BRALEY bbraley@kpcmedia.com
ALBION — The Noble County Board of Commissioners Tuesday voted to take a step toward resurfacing six bridges in 2014. The commissioners voted 3-0 to enter into an engineering and construction inspection contract for six bridges that need to have deck surfaces removed, decks sealed and new surfaces applied. The contract is projected to cost $54,650. Noble County highway engineer Michael Fitch said the engineering work could be done over the winter months, with a
possibility of bids for the project being let in April 2014. The total projected cost for work on all six bridges is $245,000, he said. The bridges to be resurfaced are: • Bridge 62 on C.R. 330N between C.R.s 350W and 250W; • Bridge 63 on C.R. 350W between C.R. 330N and Albion Road; • Bridge 65 on C.R. 525N between C.R.S 350W and 550N; • Bridge 66 on C.R. 900N between C.R.s 250W and 125W; • Bridge 69 on Rochester Road between Union Street East and
Ball Road near Ligonier; and • Bridge 80 on C.R. 100S between Wolf Lake Road and C.R. 150W. Fitch also told commissioners that the county’s recent bridge inspection showed Bridge 82 on C.R. 600S between S.R. 9 and U.S. 33 needs to be replaced. He recommended the commissioners pursue federal funding for that project. If federal funding to replace Bridge 82 is approved, the federal government would pay about $714,000, while Noble County’s match for the grant would be about $142,800, Fitch said. The county’s
share would be paid over a four-year period from 2014 through 2017, with the bulk of the money due when construction would take place in 2017, Fitch said. Also Tuesday, commissioners: • approved 3-0 an equipment purchase for the Noble County Surveyor’s Office to replace a needed rover and data collector. The rover and related software and accessories will cost $11,231, Noble County Surveyor Randy Sexton said. It would be paid for from this year’s budget. The data collector’s cost of $4,818 would SEE BRIDGE, PAGE A6
More need statins BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The nation’s first new guidelines in a decade for preventing heart attacks and strokes call for twice as many Americans — one-third of all adults — to consider taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The guidelines, issued Tuesday by the American Heart Association and American College of PATRICK REDMOND Cardiology, are a big change. They use a new formula for estimating someone’s risk that includes many factors besides cholesterol, the Girls from LaGrange Scout Troops 315 and 316 collecting items such as razors, magazines, soap main focus now. They take aim at gather and package items to be sent to troops and other personal items as part of a service strokes, not just heart attacks. And serving overseas. The girls spent two weeks project. they set a lower threshold for using medicines to reduce risk. The definition of high cholesterol isn’t changing, but the treatment goal is. Instead of aiming for a specific number, using whatever drugs get a patient there, the advice stresses statins such as as drafting a memorandum of the county discovers dealing with Lipitor and Zocor and identifies BY PATRICK REDMOND predmond@kpcmedia.com understanding that outlined the the human resources needs of four groups of people they help the LAGRANGE — Members plan to share the cost of hiring LaGrange County is not a full-time most. of LaGrange County’s Human a professional to oversee the job, LaGrange County still could “The emphasis is to try to treat Resources Committee Tuesday human resources needs of both offer the services of its profesmore appropriately,” said Dr. Neil morning ended speculation that counties. sional to Steuben County. Stone, the Northwestern University LaGrange County was interested That proposal died a quick Council president and doctor who headed the cholesterol in creating a joint human resources death Tuesday morning when committee member Peter Cook said guideline panel. “We’re going to department with their counterparts committee member and LaGrange while the initial idea seemed to be give statins to those who are the in Steuben County. County Councilman Mike that a joint office would save each most likely to benefit.” Instead, the committee opted Strawser said he doubted the idea county money, he now believes Doctors say the new approach to start the process of looking would save LaGrange County any LaGrange County needs its own will limit how many people for a full-time human resources money in the long run. human resources professional. with low heart risks are put professional to oversee LaGrange “I’d be more in favor of trying “That’s not a 17 1/2-hour job,” on statins simply because of a County’s nearly 200 employees. to find somebody to be our own he added. cholesterol number. Yet under Nearly a month ago, officials HR professional. That way, we Strawser went on to say that the new advice, 33 million from Steuben and LaGrange could get this set up and get boots while a recent proposal to share a Americans — 44 percent of counties gathered in the LaGrange on the ground by Jan. 1,” Strawser community corrections department men and 22 percent of women County Courthouse Annex and told the rest of the committee. is a good idea, since that depart— would meet the threshold to seemed to share a vision of Fellow committee member and ment has no part in setting policy, consider taking a statin. Under creating a joint human resources commissioner Jac Price went on to a joint human resources departthe current guidelines, statins are department, a move they said suggest LaGrange County should ment ultimately would not benefit recommended for only about 15 would benefit the bottom lines of move forward with the new plan either county. percent of adults. each county. and set up a new human resources “I just don’t see it working,” Some doctors not involved in SEE STATINS, PAGE A6 The two counties went as far department. He suggested that if Strawser said.
Girl Scouts support our troops
LaGrange handling own HR
Aid coming too slowly for typhoon survivors TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) — Desperately needed food, water and medical aid are only trickling into this city that took the worst blow from Typhoon Haiyan, while thousands of victims jammed the damaged airport Tuesday, seeking to be evacuated. “We need help. Nothing is happening. We haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon,” pleaded a weeping Aristone Balute, an 81-year-old woman who failed to get a flight out of Tacloban for Manila, the capital. Her clothes were soaked from a pouring rain and tears streamed down her face. Five days after what could be the Philippines’ deadliest disaster, aid is coming — pallets of supplies and teams of doctors are waiting to get into Tacloban — but the challenges of delivering the assistance means few in the stricken city have received help. “There is a huge amount that we need to do. We have not been able to get into the remote
communities,” U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in Manila, launching an appeal for $301 million to help the more than 11 million people estimated to be affected by the storm. “Even in Tacloban, because of the debris and the difficulties with logistics and so on, we have not been able to get in the level of supply that we would want to. We are going to do as much as we can to bring in more,” she said. Her office said she planned to visit the city. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said relief goods were getting into the city, and the supply should increase now that the airport and a bridge to the island were open. “We are not going to leave one person behind — one living person behind,” he said. “We will help, no matter how difficult, no matter how inaccessible.” Tacloban, a city of about 220,000 people on Leyte island, bore the full force of the winds and the tsunami-like storm surges
AP
Typhoon survivors jostle to get a chance to board a C-130 military transport plane Tuesday in Tacloban, central Philippines. Thousands of typhoon survivors swarmed the airport on Tuesday seeking a flight out, but only a few hundred made it.
Friday. Most of the city is in ruins, a tangled mess of destroyed houses, cars and trees. Malls,
garages and shops have all been stripped of food and water by hungry residents.