The Paper of Wabash County - March 11, 2015

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CELEBRATING 38 YEARS, THANK YOU WABASH COUNTY! Vol. 38, No. 1

PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326

of Wabash County Inc.

www.thepaperofwabash.com

March 11, 2015

Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977

Local farmers voice concerns about Duke Energy power line installation

alternative route for the line, away from the fertile soil and work with Duke Energy’s needs. Duke Energy’s plans to install The farmers’ press release a five-mile-long transmission line addressed concerns that included will negatively impact local the following: farmers north of U.S. 24, accord— Local seed companies caning to the group of farmers not accommodate Duke Energy’s affected by Duke’s development planned diagonal route. Seed proplans. duction machinery must work in The 70- to 80-foot steel pole straight lines or risk cross conpower line would run from the tamination and render seed Wabash Chippewa Substation to crops useless. a new junction on County Road — The transmission line would 100 East and affect approximately cause trouble for fields if it is not 1,000 acres of farming land. The carefully planned. The steel poles transmission line would create a would allow invasive weeds to “loop,” or alternate route, to grow that would require constant reroute power incase of problem supervision and control. The would arise with the original development may also result in power line. Duke Energy’s planned transmission line, a five-mile-long 69-kilovolt power line, would run from the broken drain tile if proper topog“Demand for power has grown Wabash Chippewa Substation diagonally to a new junction on County Road 100 East. The proposed route raphy and tile information is not in Northern Indiana and Wabash would impact approximately 1,000 acres of fertile land. The committee of affected farmers has suggested researched for each field. County is no exception,” Duke alternative routes that would run across US 24. Photo provided — The line would interfere Energy announced in a project with the effectiveness and operadecrease the reliability of the line. Also, tion of farming technology, including the press release. “We’re responsible for farm land and still get the loop.” Duke Energy Communications there are more restrictions when build- use of drones and crop dusting with keeping up that demand and providing reliable service to the communities we Manager Angeline Protogere said the ing along a state road as compared to a planes. company understands the farmers’ con- county or city road.” serve.” — Duke’s proposed route runs just Protogere said that Duke Energy north of U.S. 24. The community should The affected landowners formed a cerns and discussed a variety of options, “unified committee” to stand against the including a route along U.S. 24 and south appreciates the landowner’s input and be concerned with the aesthetic aspect of plans to research alternative routes. development as a team, said Bob Shultz, of 24. what motorists will see while driving “We did explain to the land owners “Whatever route is pursued, we want through our county? one of the committee’s representatives. However, the group recognizes the need that we need to keep the line north of to work with the landowners to minimize — The group and community as a for additional power in the county and is U.S. 24 for several reasons,” Protogere any impact,” she said. whole wishes to attract young families The farmers sent out a press release and promote a lucrative, well-planned, willing to work with Duke Energy to find said. “Power lines generally need to be as close as possible to the source of energy with a list of its concerns to governing and healthy environment. a different option. bodies including Mayor Robert “We’ve asked Duke Energy to please demand. The group stated that it sees the need “Also, there are issues related to follow- Vanlandingham, the Wabash County to add a substation, especially with consider an alternate route,” Shultz said in an interview with The Paper of ing roadways, like U.S. 24. When we fol- Planning Commission, and State Sen. Wabash County Hospital now affiliating Wabash County. “We’re trying to accom- low a roadway, it often creates a lot of Amanda Banks in hopes to that the gov- with the Parkview Health System and plish two goals: Stay out of the prime angles and curves in the line, which can ernment would also work to suggest an (continued on page 4) By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com

NM man facing charges in shooting By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

A 24-year-old North Manchester man is still incarcerated in Wabash County Jail and is facing several charges after allegedly shooting a relative during an altercation Wednesday afternoon at a home on County Road 950 N. The man, Joshua Lee Wright, 24, is preliminarily charged with attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a weapon and possession of chemical precursors in association with manufacturing methamphetamine. Formal charges are pending after review by Wabash County Prosecutor William Hartley Jr.’s office. According to a release Thursday afternoon from the Wabash County Sheriff ’s Department: About 3:49 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, the department received a call from Wright about the shooting at 1014 W, 950

N. Wright told dispatchers that his grandmother was driving the JOSHUA LEE victim, T. WRIGHT Larry Lane, 56, North Manchester, to Parkview Wabash Hospital with a gunshot wound to the face. Lane, who is Wright’s great-uncle, was transported to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne, and is listed in stable condition. According to police, Wright surrendered without incident at the home. A preliminary investigation, according to Sheriff Bob Land, shows Lane and Wright were in an altercation and Wright retrieved a .22 caliber rifle from his bedroom and shot Lane in the face. Land said the Indiana State Police (continued on page 4)

Angling Road to receive stop sign By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Changes are coming to the intersection of County Road 300N and Angling Road at Ind. 15. Wabash County Commissioners on Monday, March 9, approved County Highway Superintendent John Martin’s request to place a stop sign on Angling Road. Currently, he said, only 300 N has a stop sign. “A couple of people have almost gotten hit there at that intersection, because Angling Road does not stop at 300, and it should,” Martin said. He later told The Paper of Wabash County that he has received a couple of complaints about the intersection. “It’s been a problem for a long time and it needs to be addressed,” he added. Commissioners approved the request and instructed County Attorney Steve Downs to amend the country traffic ordinance to reflect the change.

For the time being, Martin said, CR 300 N will continue to have a stop sign at the intersection. In another matter, commissioners signed a lease agreement with Crossroads Bank to finance two new cars for the Wabash County Sheriff ’s Department. The agreement, for $49,214, carries a 2.5 percent interest rate over three years. In another department-related matter, Commissioners learned that there were 86 inmates in the Wabash County Jail as of Monday morning. Another 19 inmates were housed in the Miami County Jail. The average daily population for last week was 84, with a peak of 85 people. There also were 23 new book-ins, and five individuals were transported to the Indiana Department of Corrections. Land continued, noting that Community Corrections had 30 individuals on electronic home detention, (continued on page 4)


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