Tuesday
Our View Page A2 State’s school grades raise many questions
Early Christmas Celebrations Pages B1-2 Garrett, Eastside boys, DeKalb girls win
& Wednesday, Dec. 24 & 25, 2013
HOLIDAY EDITION Weather Partly clear today. Chance of snow Christmas Day. Page A8
GOOD MORNING No newspaper on Christmas Day This newspaper will not publish an edition on Christmas Day, so that our employees may enjoy the holiday. We will resume publication with our Thursday, Dec. 26, edition.
Fish can breach electrical barrier DETROIT (AP) — Schools of small fish are capable of crossing an electrical barrier designed to keep Asian carp from using the Chicago ship canal to enter the Great Lakes, according to a new research report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There is no evidence that Asian carp are bypassing the barriers, which were established to prevent billions of dollars in potential damage to the Great Lakes fisheries, according to the report released by the Army Corps’ Chicago office. But the research shows that passing vessels can pull the fish past the barriers while also causing fluctuations in the electrical field, the report said. It was released Friday. “Initial findings indicate that vessel-induced residual flows can trap fish and transport them beyond the electrical barriers, and that certain barge configurations may impact barrier electric field strength,” the report said.
Collector finds chips from long-ago casino BEDFORD (AP) — A southern Indiana collector has come across a great find. Lonnie Graves of Lawrence County bought more than 2,400 Prohibition-era illegal casino chips that could be worth as much as $100 each to the right buyer. Searching eBay recently, he found some listed for sale. The Herald-Times reports he bought 100 and called the seller in Paoli to arrange to get them. When Graves asked if he had had any more, the seller produced a box full of them. They were from an illicit casino that thrived inside the old Brown Hotel in French Lick until the government shut it down in 1949. A friend’s grandparents had operated a store in French Lick, and when the hotel was demolished in the 1960s, they pulled the chips from the rubble.
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Airport president loses his post Commissioners want to bring situation under control BY AARON ORGAN aorgan@kpcmedia.com
AUBURN — In a move designed to “get the attention” of a DeKalb County Airport Authority deemed rogue, the county commissioners Monday voted not to reappoint the authority’s president to his seat. Instead, commissioners voted 3-0 to appoint retired engineer John Chalmers of Auburn to the Airport Authority, replacing longtime member and current President Brad Stump of Garrett. A motion to reappoint Stump failed 1-2.
The commissioners discussed the appointment for 45 minutes and called the decision one of the toughest they have ever had to make. On one hand, they said, Stump has the knowledge and experience to lead. On the other, the airport has veered “out of control,” they said. “I do not want to run the airport as commissioners through our appointees,” said Commissioner Don Grogg. “They basically thumbed their nose at us and said, ‘We’re going to do what we want to do — we have the right.’ And it turns out they do, but Jim (Mason)
told us, ‘If you don’t like it, don’t appoint us.’” He referred to the late Jim Mason, who died last year while serving as president of the Airport Authority. “This is the only control we have over them; the council has control of their purse Chalmers strings,” Grogg said about the commissioners’ power to appoint Airport Authority members. “I do feel the airport feels they can do whatever
“It’s our chance to make our opinions known, that we’re not just going to roll over and play dead.” Don Grogg DeKalb County Commissioner
• they want, when they want, and I feel this is our chance to reel in a little bit on their authority. It’s our chance to make our opinions SEE AIRPORT, PAGE A8
Grace period given Health insurance shoppers get one extra day
well as throughout the rest of the year. By Dec. 17 the pantry had served 317 families and 1,270 individuals in DeKalb County during the month. Of those, 19 families and 79 individuals were new to the pantry, said RSVP executive director Patti Sheppard. RSVP is grateful to the numerous organizations and individuals that donate items and money the pantry can redistribute to those in need, Sheppard said. This holiday season, DeKalb Central school bus drivers organized a “Stuff-A-Bus” food and coat drive. Nonperishable food donations, monetary contributions and new or gently used coats were collected and donated to RSVP’s food bank. “A lot of civic groups and churches donate,” said RSVP
CHICAGO (AP) — Anticipating heavy traffic on the government’s health care website, the Obama administration effectively extended Monday’s deadline for signing up for insurance by a day, giving Americans in 36 states more time to select a plan. The grace period — which runs through today — was the latest in a series of pushed-back deadlines and delays that have marked the rollout of the health care law. But federal officials urged buyers not to procrastinate. “You should not wait until tomorrow. If you are aiming to get coverage Jan. 1, you should try to sign up today,” said Julie Bataille, a spokeswoman for the federal agency in charge of the overhaul. Bataille said the grace period was being offered to accommodate people from different time zones and to deal with any technical problems that might result from a last-minute rush of applicants. The HealthCare.gov site had a disastrous, glitch-prone debut in October, but the government reported on Twitter that it was running smoothly Monday morning. It had no immediate estimates of how many people visited the site. Monday had been the deadline for Americans in the 36 states served by the federal website
SEE CHARITIES, PAGE A8
SEE GRACE, PAGE A8
OCTAVIA LEHMAN
Hailey, left, checks the price on the blanket she picked out while shopping with her Big Sister, Tina Reighter, far right, at the Auburn Walmart store Dec. 17. Eaton Corp. of Auburn donated money for a shopping spree for DeKalb County
community-based matches in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana program. Nearly 28 children in the program were given $100 each to spend.
Charities make season bright RSVP food pantry sees high demand BY KATHRYN BASSETT kbassett@kpcmedia.com
The generosity of others is allowing northeast Indiana organizations to spread blessings this holiday season. “Everybody has really pitched in and helped with the needs,” said Richard Yoder, board chairman of the LaGrange County Christmas Bureau, a holiday charity operated by the Clothes and Food Basket of LaGrange County. This year the bureau expected to serve a few less families than in previous recent years, Yoder said. As of Dec. 16, the bureau had helped 400 families in the 11 days it had operated since Dec. 2. While the number of people seeking assistance has dropped slightly, the needs of the bureau
remained great. “The Lord has really blessed us,” Yoder said. Donations of money allow the bureau to purchase food from Community Harvest for 19 cents a pound. “It gives us the buying power,” Yoder said of monetary donations. He said he has been sharing this information with various groups and organizations and they seem to be responding. This season the bureau has purchased 250 turkeys to distribute to families. Yoder said the bureau also provides toys, which families appreciate at this time of year. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program’s Community Center of Caring food pantry has seen high demand this holiday season, as
Info •
Blaze damages vacant house
The Star 118 W. Ninth St. Auburn, IN 46706 Auburn: (260) 925-2611 Fax: (260) 925-2625 Classifieds: (toll free) (877) 791-7877 Circulation: (toll free) (800) 717-4679
Index
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Classifieds.................................B6-B8 Life..................................................... A4 Obituaries......................................... A3 Opinion .............................................B4 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A8 TV/Comics ......................................B5 Vol. 101 No. 353
AUBURN FIRE DEPARTMENT PHOTO
A fire damaged this house in southwest Auburn late Sunday night, the Auburn Fire Department said.
AUBURN — Fire damaged a vacant house in southwest Auburn late Sunday night, Auburn Fire Chief Mike Van Zile reported. An Indiana State Police trooper was traveling down Auburn Drive when he saw the two-story house on fire at 11:43 p.m. at 1309 W. Ensley Ave., west of Grandstaff Drive. Auburn firefighters arrived to find a two-story house fully involved in flames on the first and second floors. It took them 36 minutes to bring the blaze under control.
No one was injured. The Auburn Fire Department is investigating the cause of the fire. Neighbors told firefighters the home has been vacant for approximately two months, Van Zile said. As of Monday morning, the fire department had not determined who owns the house. The Garrett and Waterloo fire departments, Auburn Police Department and DeKalb EMS assisted Auburn firefighters at the scene. The Butler Fire Department stood watch at Auburn’s Fire Station 1 during the incident.