THURSDAY October 17, 2013
Be Will-Prepared Page A2 Free seminar offered Tuesday in Auburn
Moving Ahead Page B1 Baron soccer girls to play for title
Weather Chance of showers today. High 55. Low tonight 40. Cloudy Friday. High 60. Low 41. Page A6
GOOD MORNING Steel Dynamics profits rise sharply FORT WAYNE — Steel Dynamics Inc. on Wednesday announced net income of $57 million, or 25 cents per diluted share, on net sales of $1.9 billion for the July-September quarter. The results showed sharp improvement over the third quarter last year, when net income was $13 million, or 6 cents per diluted share, on net sales of $1.7 billion. SDI’s performance also improved on the April-June quarter of this year, which showed net income of $29 million, or 13 cents per per diluted share, on net sales of $1.8 billion. President and CEO Mark Millett of Auburn gave credit to stronger prices for steel and increased steel shipments. The company’s steel mill production utilization rate was 89 percent in the third quarter, up from 83 percent in the previous three months. SDI operates a steel mill southwest of Butler. “We are optimistic, as the demand for high-quality steel products continues to improve,” Millett said in a news release. “The automotive market remains strong, and manufactured goods continue to strengthen. … We are confident that with our exceptional team and our superior, low-cost operating culture, we are uniquely prepared to capitalize on the opportunities ahead.”
Manufacturers upbeat about future INDIANAPOLIS — An annual Indiana manufacturing survey found the industry is continuing to recover from the recession and is upgrading capabilities to prepare for increased demand. The survey was commissioned by the certified public accounting firm of Katz, Sapper & Miller. More than 70 percent of the manufacturers responding to the survey reported they had resumed investment in capital and labor, and less than 5 percent said they were continuing across-the-board cuts.
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Police identify man killed by train BY DENNIS NARTKER dnartker@kpcmedia.com
KENDALLVILLE — Anthony Sills, 41, of Kendallville was killed Tuesday when he was struck by a train while crossing the Main Street railroad tracks in a battery-powered wheelchair. Investigators don’t know exactly what happened and hope video from a camera mounted on the train’s lead engine will provide them with answers. Was he trying to cross before the train passed, or could he have
been stopped on the crossing for some reason and could not escape in time? These are among the questions investigators hope to answer after Sills reviewing the video. Sills often traveled on city sidewalks and crossed the Main Street tracks in his powered wheelchair.
Police Chief Rob Wiley said Wednesday the investigation is continuing, and results from the video may be available in about a week. Sills died from blunt-force trauma from the train hitting him, Noble County Coroner Joan Cripe reported Wednesday. No autopsy is scheduled. Emergency responders were called to the scene at 5:18 p.m. The westbound freight train had stopped, blocking the Main Street and Riley Street crossings. Sills’
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body was found along the north side of the tracks, just west of the Kendallville Pawn Shop at 211 N. Main St. Witnesses told police the crossing gates were down, red signals were flashing and a bell was ringing indicating an approaching train when Sills attempted to cross the tracks. Kendallville Police and Norfolk Southern Railroad police investigated the incident. Mr. Sills’ obituary appears on Page A4.
In the nick of time Senate, House pass bill to avoid default, open government
OCTAVIA LEHMAN
Members of the DeKalb boys soccer team join DeKalb Health CEO Fred Price, center, Tuesday afternoon with balloons and notes for patients at the hospital. The team took a break from practice
to visit with patients and give away the balloons. Coach Jed Freels said the activity was a step to creating a relationship for future community service.
Soccer squad sets higher goal AUBURN — Players from the DeKalb High School boys soccer team took a break from the practice field Tuesday to visit DeKalb Health hospital. The young men passed out balloons and personal notes to patients at the hospital, saying the team would “keep (the patients) in positive thoughts.” The boys also took notes to the employees thanking them for their service. “We’re trying to establish a relationship with the hospital,” said coach Jed Freels. “There’s
more to life than winning championships.” Freels and his team will face Fort Wayne North Side tonight at 7:30 in the regional semifinal at Carroll High School. DeKalb will be seeking to defend its 2012 regional title. The Barons soccer program has won 11 sectional championships, but Freels said he wants to teach his players about “the bigger picture.” “Hopefully, you have something more to stand on than wins,” Freels said. “We want to do
Cold wave bringing threat of early snow
what we can to be involved in the community.” Making a partnership with DeKalb Health seemed like a natural idea, Freels said. “DeKalb Health is good to the school,” he added. “We spend too much time in the emergency room.” As the soccer players dispersed into the halls of DeKalb Health — some to the emergency room and others to inpatient care — Freels reminded his team of the mission. “Don’t come back with any notes or balloons,” he said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Up against a deadline, Congress passed and sent a waiting President Barack Obama legislation late Wednesday night to avoid a threatened national default and end the 16-day partial government shutdown, the culmination of an epic political drama that placed the U.S. economy at risk. The Senate voted first, a bipartisan 81-18 at midevening. That cleared the way for a final 285-144 vote in the Republican-controlled House about two hours later on the legislation, which hewed strictly to the terms Obama laid down when the twin crises erupted more than three weeks ago. The legislation would permit the Treasury to borrow normally through Feb. 7 or perhaps a month longer, and fund the government through Jan. 15. More than 2 million federal workers would be paid — those who had remained on the job and those who had been furloughed. After the Senate approved the measure, Obama hailed the vote SEE BILL, PAGE A6
Early Midwest snow? AccuWeather.com is predicting snow for the upper Midwest this weekend. While the forecast for snow doesn’t quite reach Indiana, it is possible that snow could fall in the coming week.
ONLINE POLL What will be the long-term result of the government shutdown? kpcnews.com
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Index
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Classifieds.................................B7-B8 Life..................................................... A5 Obituaries......................................... A4 Opinion ............................................. A3 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A6 TV/Comics .......................................B6 Vol. 101 No. 286
BY MIKE MARTURELLO mmarturello@kpcmedia.com
ANGOLA — Say it ain’t so. Say it ain’t snow. The sad reality is at least one weather forecasting outlet is calling for possible snow in nearby parts of the Midwest this weekend. Weather maps do not show snow in Indiana’s future — at least not yet. AccuWeather.com reports as waves of colder air sweep southward from Canada, the first snowflakes of the season are possible for some locations in
northern portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. The combination of progressively colder air and weak disturbances will set the atmosphere up to produce chilly rain showers over the Upper Midwest starting this weekend, predicts AccuWeather. com, which provides weather for our website, kpcnews.com. The warm waters of the Great Lakes will warm the air slightly but, at the same time, will add some moisture to the air and make some of the showers heavier.
ACCUWEATHER.COM
SEE SNOW, PAGE A6
Adventure Homes expanding, could hire 25 BY SUE CARPENTER scarpenter@kpcmedia.com
GARRETT — The Garrett Common Council Tuesday approved a declaratory resolution to give a tax break for an expansion project of F & H Associates LLC, a holding company for a building occupied by Adventure Homes. Co-owner Walt Fuller told the council he plans to add an 18,180-square-foot expansion valued at $375,000 at the plant’s facility at 1119 Fuller Drive in
Garrett’s industrial park. The proposed expansion is needed to lengthen the plant’s assembly line area in order to install and paint drywall in the manufactured homes. Fuller said he hopes to be able to add 25 jobs in the next three years, starting with 10 each in the first and second years and five in the third. Fuller and his partners purchased the plant in 2009 when Fleetwood Homes announced it would close and its 65 workers would be out of work.
“I am asking for a little help, We don’t make the money I’d like to make,” Fuller told the council. Ken McCrory from the DeKalb County Economic Partnership told the board the company pays good wages and plans to add employees. City attorney Dan Brinkerhoff reminded the council the abatement would not apply to taxes paid on the current assessed value of the facility and would affect only the increased valuation of improvements. Under the city’s tax abatement formula, the
project qualifies for an eight-year abatement. Brinkerhoff estimated the base taxes would be $50,000, saving the company about $40,000 over the eight-year period. A public hearing on the measure is planned at the Nov. 5 council meeting. Three wage and salary ordinances were introduced and passed on first readings, giving across-the-board 3 percent raises for police department and volunteer fire department members SEE EXPANDING, PAGE A6