WEDNESDAY October 23, 2013
Learning Link Page A3 Education teams report progress
No More Talking Page B1 Cards, BoSox open World Series tonight
Weather Chance of rain and snow this morning. High 46. Showers likely tonight. Low 31. Page A8
GOOD MORNING Waterloo school hosting harvest party WATERLOO — Waterloo Elementary School and the Waterloo Elementary PTO will host the Waterloo Community Harvest Party on Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the school, 300 E. Douglas St. “Students, families, and friends will be treated to a ‘fright-free’ evening of family-fun activities, including a ‘fright-free’ costume contest, a trunk-ortreat walk, games, popcorn and free drinks,” said school Principal Nicole Veit. “The event will benefit the Warm-A-Heart Food Bank.” For admission, parents and community members are asked to bring coats, hats, gloves or canned food items. Prior to Friday, the PTO is asking for candy donations for the trunk-or-treat event. Donations may be dropped off at the school office. Candy or treats must be store-bought, individually wrapped and sealed. For more information, contact the school at 920-1016.
Indy chamber fights gay marriage ban INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Efforts to defeat an upcoming bid by Indiana lawmakers to add a gay marriage ban to the state constitution received a major boost Tuesday when the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce said it will oppose the ban. The Indianapolis chamber said its board of directors voted Tuesday to adopt a position to work with “other business, faith and community organizations to defeat (the ban) at the Statehouse and, if necessary, to participate in any voter referendum on the issue.” “The Indy Chamber is in the business of strengthening our economy and attracting top talent to our region,” board Chairman John Thompson said in a statement. “The proposed marriage amendment does nothing to help show the nation that Indiana is a place that welcomes all, not just some, and we must be mindful of how actions such as this will impact our competitiveness on a national and global level.”
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Classifieds.................................B7-B8 Life..................................................... A5 Obituaries......................................... A4 Opinion .............................................B4 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A6 TV/Comics .......................................B6 Vol. 101 No. 292
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Police seize meth labs, arrest two FROM STAFF REPORTS
BUTLER — Butler Police confiscated methamphetamine labs in two separate incidents Sunday, Police Chief James K. Nichols said. Around 3:15 p.m. Sunday, police encountered what Nichols described as a “very dangerous situation” involving what he described as a mobile meth lab. Police received a report of a suspicious man in the 500 block of West Main Street. When Assistant Chief Matt Traster and Detective
Matt Tamez arrived, they found Bruce L. Jones, 26, of Northcrest Mobile Home Park, carrying a small backpack. Jones gave police consent to search the backpack, and police allegedly found several items commonly associated with the manufacture of meth, Nichols reported. “This subject was basically carrying a mobile meth lab on his back at the time he was talked to by our officers,” Nichols said. Jones has been charged with possession of two or more precur-
sors with intent to manufacture methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a park or school, a Class C felony. Later Sunday, police responded to a residence in the 200 block of East Main Street to continue an investigation that began Saturday night. Tamez found two active, one-pot meth labs on the property. Police evacuated the property and called the Indiana State Police Clandestine Lab Team to dismantle the labs. “We had to shut U.S. 6 down
for a brief amount of time at the request of Indiana State Police” due to the serious nature of the meth labs, Nichols said. Police arrested Brandon Rhodes, 20, of the 200 block of East Main Street, Butler, on a charge of dealing in methamphetamine, a Class A felony. “Detective Matthew Tamez and Assistant Chief Matt Traster worked very hard, and the fruits of their hard work are three more meth labs off the streets of Butler,” Nichols said.
Budget fight hit hiring U.S. employers held off during federal shutdown WASHINGTON (AP) — A dim view of the U.S. job market emerged Tuesday with a report that employers cut back on hiring in September just before a partial government shutdown began. CHAD KLINE Just 148,000 jobs were added Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann, left, talks with Noble industry and agriculture leaders at B & J Medical last month, a steep drop from County economic development director Rick Inc. of Kendallville Tuesday. The visit was part of August’s gain, though they were Sherck and Tom Ducheteau of Laketronics in her Listen & Learn Tour of Indiana’s 92 counties. enough to lower unemployment Cromwell following a discussion with local to 7.2 percent from 7.3 percent in August. The report bolsters expectations that the Federal Reserve will maintain its pace of bond purchases for the rest of 2013 to try to keep long-term loan rates low. The government’s release of the September jobs report had been delayed 2½ weeks by the Ellspermann said one topic of tive announced by Gov. Mike shutdown. Temporary layoffs BY DENNIS NARTKER dnartker@kpcmedia.com her conversation with business Pence and signed into law in during the 16-day shutdown will KENDALLVILLE — “A sense leaders was the need to develop a April. Each region will bring probably depress October’s job of urgency” is how Lt. Gov. Sue skilled work force. educators and employers together gain. That means a clear picture Ellspermann described what “Beginning in the high school to evaluate and develop career of the job market won’t emerge she heard from local and area learning skilled trades that can and technical education that before November jobs figures are business leaders regarding their lead to jobs in manufacturing and meets the demands of employers issued in December. need for skilled workers. agriculture is something I heard in that region. Each region is “The economy is too fragile Ellspermann stopped at B & a lot,” she said after the session. responsible for preparing a for the Federal Reserve to touch,” J Medical Inc., on U.S. 6 west “They have the jobs, but need comprehensive report for the Sung Won Sohn, an economist at of Kendallville, and the Noble people with the skills.” governor and the education California State University, said. County Courthouse in Albion She said it was “eye-opening” roundtable by Nov. 1. “The shenanigans in Congress Tuesday afternoon as part of her for her how desperate local and State Rep. David Ober, have hurt confidence and increased Listen & Learn Tour of Indiana’s area businesses are for skilled R-Albion, attended both sessions. uncertainties, most likely hurting 92 counties. labor. He supported the creation of both consumer and business At both sites, she listened In Topeka, Ellspermann said, the Indiana Regional Works spending as well as hiring.” to business leaders and elected she heard similar comments Councils and the evaluation of Average U.S. job growth has officials to learn about the from LaGrange County business available career, technical and fallen sharply in the past three strengths, challenges and priorileaders and elected officials. vocational education opportunimonths after a promising start ties of Noble County. “In agriculture, I heard there ties for high school students in this year. The economy added an She also visited LaGrange needs to be more amenities for the area. average of 143,000 jobs a month County Tuesday morning for a young farmers in rural areas so Concerns at the government from July through September. Listen & Learn session at Yoder they stay on the farms in the session included the loosening That was down from the 182,000 Popcorn Co. in Topeka. area,” she said. of controls on some funds so average gain during from April LaGrange County and Noble Asked what the state is doing they can actually be used, and through June and well below County were the 70th and 71st to address the problem, Ellesper- the bureaucracy created through the 207,000-a-month pace from counties on her six-month long mann mentioned the Indiana the Department of Local Govern- January through March. tour. Regional Works Council initiament Finance. SEE HIRING, PAGE A6
State’s No. 2 tours local region
Ellspermann hears of need for more skilled workers
Butler council approves water main project BY JEFF JONES jjones@kpcmedia.com
BUTLER — A major Butler waterworks improvement project moved one step closer to reality Monday. Acting on earlier recommendations from the Board of Works and Public Safety, the City Council approved measures to proceed with the project and sell municipal bonds to pay for it, not to exceed $1.4 million. The project calls for replacing approximately 2,000 feet of water main in the 100 and 200 blocks of South Broadway and approximately 1,000 feet of water
main along East Green Street near Eastside Junior-Senior High School and the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks. City officials believe the South Broadway water main is at least 100 years old. It has been repaired many times, particularly in the past several years. In other business, the City Council approved: • final reading of an ordinance to rezone the Walter Prosser property along C.R. 61 from industrial to agricultural use; • renewal of a lease with DeKalb Health for EMS quarters at the Butler fire station. The
monthly lease will remain at $650; and • a request from the Butler Police Department to participate in Operation Pullover. Off-duty officer salaries will be paid with a grant. Leaf pickup service has begun in Butler, according to Mayor Ron Walter and Clerk-Treasurer Angela Eck. Residents are asked to rake leaves to the curb, but not into the street. The Butler-Wilmington Fire Territory board will meet Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the fire station. In a Board of Works meeting Monday, city planner Steve
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Bingham reported he and Butler’s building inspector identified several properties that need attention and may require action by the board’s unsafe building committee. One vacant industrial property — the former Engineered Materials building — and several residential properties were identified. While he was not present Monday, street superintendent Ted Miller is “not happy” that API Construction has delayed street paving until early November, Eck said. Street work was scheduled to begin Oct. 14.
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