THURSDAY January 16, 2014
State of the State Page A2 Local lawmakers react to Pence speech
Tournament Success Page B1 Eastside boys, Garrett girls advance
Weather Snow showers, 1-2 inches possible. High in the lower 30s. Tonight’s low 20. More snow Friday. Page A8
GOOD MORNING Soup, chili cook-off to benefit food bank AUBURN — The Downtown Auburn Business Association will sponsor a soup and chili cook-off Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise money and food donations for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program Community Center of Caring food pantry For a one-time monetary or nonperishable food item donation, the public may visit participating downtown businesses to sample soup and chili and vote for their favorites. Businesses signed up to participate as of Wednesday are: Blue Fruit Jar, Busy Brush, Moe’s Bikes and More, Dot’s Eatery, Lyn-Maree’s, The Olive Twist, Peeker’s, Pippy’s, Outof ThisSwirled and Unique Pieces.
Three Republicans sign up for election AUBURN — Three Republicans filed as candidates for the May 6 primary election at the DeKalb County clerk’s office late Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday: • Joe Laher of Auburn has filed as a candidate for DeKalb County coroner. • Mark Jennings of rural Butler has filed as a candidate for Troy Township trustee. • Charlotte Dohner of rural Auburn has filed as a candidate for state convention delegate. Candidates for the 2014 primary election have until noon Feb. 7 to register.
Committee approves adoption tax credit INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers are lending early support to a bill that would create a tax credit for adoptive parents. Legislation approved by a House committee Wednesday morning would create the tax credit to help offset adoption costs. Gov. Mike Pence said in his State of the State address Tuesday that he wants to make Indiana the nation’s “most pro-adoption state.”
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Classifieds.................................B7-B8 Life..................................................... A6 Obituaries......................................... A3 Opinion .............................................B5 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A8 TV/Comics .......................................B6 Vol. 102 No. 15
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State grades school districts DeKalb Central boosts rating from C to B FROM STAFF REPORTS
INDIANAPOLIS — Two northeast Indiana school districts earned A’s, and three showed improvement in quality grades released Wednesday by the Indiana Department of Education. The grades apply to entire school districts. They are being issued four weeks after the state released grades for individual schools in December. Fremont Community Schools repeated its A grade from 2012. The Prairie Heights school district improved to an A for 2013 after earning a B in 2012. DeKalb Central schools and the Metropolitan School District of Steuben County both improved to B grades after C’s in 2012. Two school districts — Lakeland and Garrett-Keyser-Butler — dropped to C grades for 2013 after earning B’s in 2012. Seven other local school districts received
the same grades for 2013 as for 2012. Earning B’s for the second year in a row are Westview and East Noble. Earning C’s for two consecutive years are DeKalb County Eastern, Central Noble, West Noble, Hamilton and Smith-Green school districts. “The A-F system is simply one tool used to measure our local schools. We continue to utilize numerous measures at the local level, which truly measure student growth,” said Tonya Weaver, an administrator for GarrettKeyser-Butler schools. Hamilton Community Schools Superintendent Jon Willman said the district is generally pleased with its score. Willman, who previously has criticized the state’s scoring method, saying it doesn’t tell the whole story, repeated that sentiment and said a new system would be beneficial. DeKalb Central administrators could not be reached for comment on their district’s grade.
Weaver said the Garrett-Keyser-Butler School accountability grades system has reviewed the individual school grades the entire school district, analyzing Thesefor grades for local school corporations thewere formula usedbybythe theIndiana Department of released Department Education and Wednesday. dissecting each of Education Thecomponent. grades are She said district was pleased based on athe 4-point scoring system.by grades issued last month showing J.E. Ober Elementary School raised its2013 grade2013 to a 2012 B and 2012 Garrett School High School improved to an A. grade points District grade points “TheseEastern increases have result2.90 of the DeKalb C been 2.92a C hard work by our students, staff, B and parents,” Garrett-K-B C 2.85 3.39 Weaver DeKalbsaid. Central B 3.44 C 2.88 She added, “The A-F Prairie Heights A formula 3.63 Bremains 3.09a point of confusion to many.” Westview B 3.31 B 3.29 The district also has Lakeland C analyzed 2.40 Bthe perfor3.04 mance of Noble Garrett Middle Central C School, 2.28 Cwhich 2.29 dropped from an A-rated in one East Noble B school 3.16 to B a D3.19 year. West Noble C 2.49 C 2.68 “It is interesting toAnote3.65 that the Fremont A formula’s 3.78 design enables a few students impact2.70 a Hamilton C 2.50to C school’s letter grade dramatically,” MSD Steuben B 3.12 C Weaver 2.86 said. “Even with this being said, C instructional Smith-Green C 2.72 2.88 strategies have been put into place to bring our SOURCE: INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION middle school back to the A status. Our data
House passes budget Stutzman votes in favor of plan WASHINGTON (AP) — Party leaders pushed a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill for this year through the House on Wednesday, shunning the turmoil of recent budget clashes with a compromise financing everything from airports to war costs and brimming with victories and concessions for both parties. The huge bill furnishes the fine print — 1,582 pages of it — for the bipartisan pact approved in December that set overall spending levels for the next couple of years. With that decision behind them, the measure sailed through the House with no suspense and little dissent — fueled additionally by lawmakers’ desire to avoid an election-year replay of last fall’s widely unpopular 16-day federal shutdown. Approving the legislation “is showing the American people we actually are capable of working in a bipartisan manner,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. He praised the bill for holding down spending and said passage would be “the responsible thing to do. It’s the thoughtful thing to do.” The measure was approved by a one-sided 359-67 roll call, with virtually all opposition coming from Republicans. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., of Howe, voted in favor of the bill. “While this bill isn’t perfect, it cuts discretionary spending to
AP
House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio leaves the House chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday after the final vote on a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill. The measure sailed through
the lowest level since fiscal year 2009, returns to a regular-order budget process, and ensures that disabled veterans and surviving families receive the benefits they’ve earned,” Stutzman said, adding, “this is not a permanent solution, but it does give Congress Stutzman an opportunity to work on ending ObamaCare’s pain, saving entitlement programs from bankruptcy, and fixing our nation’s broken tax code.” By its sheer size and detail, the measure had plenty for liberals and conservatives to dislike.
the House with no suspense and little dissent — fueled additionally by lawmakers’ desire to avoid an election-year replay of last fall’s widely unpopular 16-day federal shutdown.
“... this is not a permanent solution, but it does give Congress an opportunity to work on ending ObamaCare’s pain, saving entitlement programs from bankruptcy, and fixing our nation’s broken tax code.” U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman Republican from Howe
• Some Democrats said they would support it but only reluctantly, complaining that despite some increases, spending for education, health and other programs would still be too low.
“With this bill, we are waste deep in manure instead of neck deep in manure. Hooray, I guess,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. Reflecting those mixed SEE BUDGET, PAGE A8
Waterloo advised to expand tax district BY AARON ORGAN aorgan@kpcmedia.com
WATERLOO — The town of Waterloo is considering expanding its tax increment financing district to generate more revenue. Currently, the town’s TIF district covers primarily the northwest side of the town. A map presented to the Town Council Tuesday night by town consultant DeWayne Nodine proposes stretching the district along U.S. 6 throughout much of the town’s heart, including land that is the site of businesses Charleston Metal Products, R.P. Wakefield, Subway and Dollar General. It also would extend the district south to include the planned expansion of metal recycler MetalX. Nodine told the council that a larger TIF district would allow the town to subsidize future community improvement projects. “Done right and put in the right areas, (TIF districts) can
really be a great source of revenue for infrastructure-related projects, especially related to economic development,” Nodine said. He said projects such as a new Amtrak station and major sanitary sewer work potentially could be funded from TIF revenue. The town will consider developing a parcel list, a legal description and an economic development plan necessary for the TIF district expansion. The council agreed to pay Sturtz Public Management Group $8,000 to work on the project, which has a March 1 deadline. In other business Tuesday, the council held its annual reorganization meeting, with previous officers remaining in place. President Candi Surber and Vice President Bill Hubartt both were re-elected. The council also: • agreed to serve as the applicant on a grant call-out for
the federal Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation home improvement project. Representatives from Community Action of Northeast Indiana approached the council to suggest applying for the grant, which awards towns as much as $350,000 to distribute for $25,000 home improvement projects around the town. • agreed to erect signs at each of the town’s five cul-de-sacs to prohibit parking when snow accumulates above 2 inches. Street superintendent Ben Parker approached the council after experiencing troubles turning his plows in cul-de-sacs. The signs will order motorists to move their vehicles or risk being towed. The council ordered town attorney David Kruse to draft an ordinance for the plan. • will pursue applying for federal reimbursement for expenses claimed during last week’s major winter storm.
“Done right and put in the right areas, (TIF districts) can really be a great source of revenue for infrastructure-related projects.” DeWayne Nodine Consultant to Waterloo
• The town was notified by DeKalb County Homeland Security director Roger Powers that counties can apply for aid for expenditures accrued during the 48 hours that the county was under a snow emergency. Parker told the council he spent more than $1,000 on fuel alone during the storm.