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THE STAR
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kpcnews.com
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2013
YMCA launches ActivTrax AUBURN — ActivTrax, a technology-based exercise and nutrition planner designed to help members realize their fitness goals, is in “soft launch” at the YMCA of DeKalb County. ActivTrax includes online fitness tracking, a smartphone app and a Kiosk at the YMCA. ActivTrax will launch officially on Jan. 2. With assistance from the YMCA fitness staff, members can design a custom fitness program, establish goals, track progress, and change their fitness regimen anytime, anywhere, even when visiting more than 400 YMCA facilities across the nation that have the ActivTrax system. “Once a fitness program is designed, the ActivTrax program tells members which exercises to do, as well as the actual amount they need to lift or run,” said Lynn Shonka, operations director at the YMCA. She added, “ActivTrax provides ongoing feedback that prompts members to make appropriate fitness program changes to help them progress, and to be continually challenged.” ActivTrax is free for
Driver injured in rollover crash AUBURN — A New Haven man suffered a scratch on his leg when he crashed his vehicle Saturday at 7:31 a.m. on Interstate 69, DeKalb County Police said. James McHenry, 31, attempted to pass a semi near the 326 mile marker south of Auburn. While he was changing lanes, his 2001 Kia SSX struck the rear trailer guard of the semi in front of him, causing him to lose control of his vehicle. The vehicle entered the east ditch and rolled twice. Police estimated damage at $5,000. Auburn Police assisted investigating officer Deputy Aaron Long.
Officers arrest 15
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
YMCA operations director Lynn Shonka demonstrates the ActivTrax kiosk to YMCA member Michelle Edmands.
existing YMCA members. The first step to using the ActivTrax system is to make a FitStart appointment. When a member makes a FitStart appointment to use the ActivTrax system, he or she will receive a one-week
free pass that can be given to a friend or relative to try the YMCA. The YMCA also is offering gift certificates that can be purchased by nonmembers or current members who may wish
to give the gift of wellness and fitness. From Jan. 2-12, nonmembers can try the YMCA for free. Those who join as new members will be eligible to make a FitStart appointment and participate in the ActivTrax program.
Foundation gives loan repayment awards ALBION — Olive B. Cole Foundation Loan Repayment Award winners were announced Wednesday. Recipients must be recent college graduates working in northeast Indiana. These winners will receive $3,000 toward payment of their student loans incurred while attending college: • Jacob Cauhorn of Warsaw, a St. Francis University graduate and currently a social studies teacher at Warsaw
Police Blotter •
Community High School in Warsaw; • Samuel Tipton of Auburn, a Ball State University graduate and currently a fifth-grade teacher at J.E. Ober Elementary School in Garrett; • Tiffany Hass of LaOtto, a Purdue University graduate and currently a registered veterinary technician at Pine Valley Veterinary Clinic in Fort Wayne; and • Brooke Winebrenner of Wawaka, a Purdue University graduate and currently
a middle school science teacher at Central Noble Middle School in Albion. If they continue working in northeast Indiana, the award recipients will receive $3,000 each year for four years for a total of $12,000, said Margarita White of the Noble County Community Foundation. The foundation is administering the awards. All applicants for the competitive award were recent college graduates who were Cole Foundation scholarship winners while pursuing their degrees,
working in northeast Indiana (Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Kosciusko, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley counties) and with college debts of $6,000 or more. A committee of foundation judges considered the applicants’ academic achievements, letters of recommendation from their employers, their community involvement and written descriptions of future career goals and why each applicant thought he or she should receive the award.
State facing erosion of fiscal foundation INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s fiscal picture is looking good roughly one year after former Gov. Mitch Daniels left office with about $2 billion in cash reserves and a strong credit rating, but the next few years could leave the state in a fiscal pinch nonetheless. The state is continuing to crawl out of the recession, with depressed earnings by many residents and an improving, but persistently high unemployment rate. The State Budget Committee had to downgrade expectations last week, after state budget and tax forecasters came back with an expectation the state will collect $298 million less than expected over the next two years. The pinch will likely weigh most on Republican Gov. Mike Pence, who is heading into his second year with a potentially pricey legislative agenda. The governor’s plan to expand the state’s school voucher program to preschool-age children and teachers carries an unstated price tag. And eliminating the personal property tax, which accounts for about $1 billion in local revenues each year, would require some sort of backfilling of money, either by the state, local governments or some mix of the two. In particular, the personal property tax, which is levied on business equipment, has depressed economic growth in Indiana, he said. “It discourages companies from
investing in new technology and the expansion of their businesses. As the most manufacturing-intensive state in the nation, we are holding back new capital investment because of our business personal property tax,” Pence said in prepared remarks last week, laying out his case for the tax cut. The state’s fiscal footing is one of the best in the nation. Indiana has maintained a top credit rating from the major bond-rating companies, the state still has a cash reserve of close to $2 billion and lawmakers found money in the most recent budget to retire old debt and pay for some new capital projects without accruing new debt. But those tax cuts, combined with declining tax collections, are squeezing the pot of money leaders have to work with. If the business tax cut goes through, it will be the third consecutive session featuring a significant tax cut. Lawmakers started to phase out the state’s inheritance tax in 2012 and they signed off on further cuts this past session, including a portion of the income tax cut Pence asked for. Shortly before lawmakers received the grim budget news last week, the economist kept on contract by the state said Indiana should expect to see steady growth over the next few years. The state’s unemployment rate has continued a steady decline and auto parts makers have the potential to spur more growth.
“It’ll be difficult for lawmakers to rationalize additional spending or even budget cuts given the new revenue forecast.” John Ketzenberger Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute
All of it could keep lawmakers cautious during the upcoming session, say Indiana budget observers. “Although the economic forecast is optimistic, the state expects less revenue than when the budget was written last May,” said John Ketzenberger, an Auburn native and president of the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute, which tracks the state budget and other fiscal issues. “The improving economy’s just not producing as much tax revenue at this point and the conservative revenue forecast reflects that. It’ll be difficult for lawmakers to rationalize additional spending or even budget cuts given the new revenue forecast.” Pence has continued the tightfisted budgeting Daniels established, but unexpected downturns have still hampered some goals.
AUBURN — Local police officers arrested 15 people from Wednesday through Saturday, according to DeKalb County Jail records. Robert Lee, 50, of the 100 block of South Broadway, Butler, was arrested Wednesday at 1:18 a.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriffs Department for alleged failure to appear in court on Class B misdemeanor charges of battery and public intoxication. Kent Fell, 39, of the 200 block of Grant Street, Waterloo, was arrested Wednesday at 1:02 a.m. by the Waterloo Marshal’s Department on a charge of domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor. Bryan Ankrom, 38, of the 200 block of East Walnut Street, Waterloo, was arrested Tuesday at 10:59 p.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor, possession of paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor, and possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, a Class D felony. Angel Gonzalez-Garcia, 33, of the 3500 block of Barr Street, Fort Wayne, was arrested Wednesday at 4:24 a.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on a charge of driving while suspended with a prior conviction, a Class A misdemeanor. Katey K. Bowser, 28, of the 5400 block of C.R. 40, Butler, was arrested Wednesday at 8:14 a.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant charging her with possession of a controlled substance, a Class C felony. Andrea Lynn Ables, 25, of the 300 block of North
The
Dewey Street, Auburn, was arrested Wednesday at 11:36 a.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant charging her with battery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor. Michael Hughes, 35, of the 100 block of South Broadway, Butler, was arrested Wednesday at 5:41 p.m. by the Butler Police Department on charges of domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor, and strangulation, a Class D felony. Natasha L. Howard, 26, of the 5100 block of C.R. 75-A, Newville, was arrested Thursday at 8:56 a.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant charging her with check deception, a Class A misdemeanor. Denise R. Veeneman, 45, of Wyoming, Mich., was arrested Wednesday at 10:56 a.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on a warrant charging her with criminal deception, a Class A misdemeanor. Josh L. Hart, 22, of the 2100 block of Wayne Street, Auburn, was arrested Thursday at 1:48 p.m. by the Auburn Police Department on a charge of driving while suspended with a prior conviction, a Class A misdemeanor. Nicholas Huffman, 18, of the 400 block of North Main Street, Hudson, was arrested Thursday at 8:50 p.m. by the Auburn Police Department on a charge of possession of marijuana, hash oil, hashish, salvia, or synthetic drug, a Class A misdemeanor. Karry Joe Wagoner, 52, of the 700 block of Griswold Court, Auburn, was arrested Thursday at 11:42 p.m. by the Auburn Police Department on a charge of being a habitual traffic violator, a Class D felony. Joshua Crager, 43, of the 200 block of Campbell Street, Corunna, was arrested Friday at 2 p.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department for an alleged probation violation. Luke M. Bowers, 31, of the 6500 block of C.R. 427, Auburn, was arrested Saturday at 2:07 a.m. by the Auburn Police Department on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated at the Class A and Class C misdemeanor levels. Allison R. Shell, 26, of the 2800 block of S.R. 327, Corunna, was arrested Saturday at 3:52 a.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated at the Class A and Class C misdemeanor levels.
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