Big Inning Leads Bulldogs To Win Over Tigers

The Warsaw Tigers came out swinging.The Crown Point Bulldogs responded with the knockout punch.In a high school baseball game on a windy Tuesday afternoon, the host Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Class 4A No. 8 Bulldogs scored 11 runs in the third inning and went on to a 16-5 victory in five innings.

David William Cotton

Max Sherman Gives Some Ideas Of What To Be Thankful For

Itching — A Diabolical, Peculiar, Often Unsolvable Problem

Many of us have had been plagued with some condition where itching occurs. In fact, relentless itching has been described as among the most distressing of all physical sensations.

Scorpions Are Scary, Nasty – And Have Much To Teach Us

Scorpions deserve multiple entries in the Guinness Book of Records; they are some of the biggest, meanest, longest-lived, most sensitive, most maternal, least fraternal, slowest and quickest creatures among the arachnids and insects.

Wawasee Schools Continues To Invest In Student Success

SYRACUSE - During its regular December board meeting Tuesday, the Wawasee Community School Board approved several measures that it hopes will continue the student support groundwork it has already built.

Barbee Conservancy Outlines Election Procedures

Although an election to dissolve the Barbee Lakes Conservancy District is scheduled for Dec.10, it may either be delayed or canceled by a lawsuit pending in Circuit Court. Area residents heard at Monday's board meeting that four people have asked for an official stay of the election.A hearing is set for 2:30 p.m.Dec.6. Citizens also complained board members are confusing the dissolution issue.A letter sent with the official ballots is thought to be misleading and indicates dissolution of the conservancy means the end of any possible sewer plans. Board member Dick Long said he resigned his position as president of the Barbee Lakes Property Owner's Association as of Nov.14. Long accused District Chairman Barry Hecker of misleading the association members, of not providing the proper figures for a sewer project and not upholding his oath of office.

Milford Town Attorney Explains Annexation Process For Ethanol Site

MILFORD - During Monday's meeting of the Milford Town Council, further input concerning the proposed ethanol refinery was the main topic of discussion. Town attorney Jay Rigdon presented research regarding the question of annexation of property, as it would pertain to the land for the proposed site.

Group Hears Options For Old North Webster Elementary

NORTH WEBSTER - Lakeland Youth Center and Kosciusko Community YMCA representatives believe they can work cooperatively in the elementary school. The school, which will close at the end of December when students move to a new facility, is being considered as community space. In addition to LYC and the YMCA, interested parties include the North Webster Day Care/Latchkey Program and the North Webster Tippecanoe Township Library. Additionally, a portion of the facility may be used by the Freedom Academy and Wawasee Schools as an alternative school. The North Webster Town Council also expressed a strong interest in moving town offices there. The organizations want the "new" portion of the building, according to Bob Murphy of R.P.Murphy and Associates, Larwill. Representatives met Monday to tour the facility and take another look at their spaces.MSKTD architect Brent Doctor was on hand to get a feel for everyone's wishes.

Mentone Eyes Uses For Saemann Building

MENTONE - Day care.A senior citizen center.Alternative education. Those are just a few of the ideas thrown out Thursday night at a meeting in Mentone concerning a feasibility study on the use of the Saemann Building. Bell Memorial Library is looking at the building as its new facility, but the building is too large to house just the library. The structure is 22,000 square feet, with preliminary plans to demolish the old portion of the building.That would leave 15,000 square feet of space.The library is about 1,000 square feet and a needs assessment conducted nine years ago shows that the library requires about 2,700 square feet.An updated needs assessment will likely not exceed 3,000 square feet, according to Tim Kelty of R.P.Murphy & Associates, Larwill, who is working with the library on obtaining a grant. This would leave about 12,000 square feet of unused space that could be made available to the town.

Zoning Board Approves Request To Operate Waste Removal Facility

Rick Weed's request to operate a waste removal facility in a residential district was approved by the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals Monday. Weed, who began operations in 1976 at 504 E.Baker St., installed two 3,000-gallon underground septic tanks in July.Weed explained Monday that the tanks serve as a temporary holding system, emptying collection tanks so they can return to service. He has a city permit to direct treated water to the wastewater treatment plant.The Indiana Department of Environmental Management issued permits to have two 1,000-gallon wastewater tanks installed in October 1999. Weed said the current IDEM permit will have to be denied before a new permit, including all the tanks, can be issued. IDEM inspectors have visited the property, recommended minor improvements and ordered installation of a flow meter.A fence is also to be installed around the tanks.

Tax Plan

Editor, Times-Union:Last week, the governor's property tax plan got forwarded to the full house without incurring the normal check and balances of debate or consideration of amendments. This bothers me.

Heaven Or Hell?

Editor, Times-Union:It seems people are living longer than years ago. I know a lady 102 years old and still going strong.

Patriotic Theme Chosen For Annual Red Ball Fund-Raiser

Planning for this year's Patriotic Red Ball is in its final stages and the excitement is growing. As a result of recent events, a patriotic theme was chosen for the Feb.16 event.The focus of donations will remain the American Red Cross; however, the purpose will be to show support and appreciation to all service personnel from Kosciusko County, including those who have already been deployed, and National Guard and other men and women who are ready to serve. Cathy Teghtmeyer, committee co-chairwoman, said, "Our primary concern is to show that this county is thinking about people from this county.It's showing that this county cares about its own, including supporting and utilizing the services of our local Red Cross." Most of the funds raised will be spent providing care packages to all local service people in various capacities.The Red Cross will serve as the official liaison with the service organizations.

Judicial Restructuring

Kosciusko County's court system is expanding in more ways than one, beginning today. After years of planning, the local court system will add a fourth court to handle a bulging caseload resulting from the county's increased population. But there are other changes, too.Consider the following: • - The new Superior Court will include a staff of about four people and cost about $120,000 annually in local tax revenues to operate. • - The prosecutor responsible for enforcing child support has been elevated from part time to full time. • - Two new victims' assistance employees will double the number of similar positions first established less than two years ago.The new positions will be paid through grant money and revenues from child support enforcement. "We've never seen anything like this," said Al Rovenstine, the county's sheriff of 14 years who has been familiar with the local judicial system for 26 years.

KCH Breaks Ground On Expansion Project

A new health care expansion project is under way in Kosciusko County. Wednesday a groundbreaking ceremony was held at Kosciusko Community Hospital for the Women's Health Center. "We're here to celebrate and we're very excited," said KCH Chief Executive Officer Wayne Hendrix in his opening remarks. The center is a culmination of more than four years of planning on the part of the doctors, nurses, board members and the community."This is a very much needed community resource," he said. KCH Chaplain Randy Packer gave the building dedication, and Dr.Erin Jungbauer, Provident Family Healthcare, spoke first. "It might be symbolic that I, as a woman, speak first, because (this center) is going to put women's health care in the forefront," said Jungbauer. She said the center will have a staff of 21 family physicians, two obstetricians/gynecologists and three pediatricians, with more expected to join the staff.

County Council Hears 2nd Round Of Budgets

Do county residents want to switch to Central Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Time? Opinions can be logged at the county administrator's office, either by telephone call, 574-372-2475, or by e-mail, [email protected] Commissioner Avis Gunter said Tuesday that calls will be taken for the next two weeks.The tally will be reported to the state. During their regular meeting, commissioners were introduced to K9 officer Justice, a Dutch Shepherd handled by sheriff's deputy Craig Bales. Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine said the dog and costs for training were made possible through a Homeland Security grant.The grant funds also provided for "weapons of mass destruction" training, anti-terrorism presentations, the development of planning programs for citizens and industry, and presentations of programs. County assessor Laurie Renier presented information on personal property software and requested the software and new computers for township trustees.

County May Start Scholarship To Honor Hochstetler

Scholarships and the 2005 budget highlighted the Kosciusko County Council meeting Wednesday. Kosciusko County Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine told the council Wednesday he wants to offer scholarships in memory of Detective Sgt.Phillip Hochstetler. On June 29, 1994, Hochstetler, 31, was shot to death by David Swearingen while Hochstetler was at the residence investigating Swearingen as a possible burglary suspect.Hochstetler, along with Swearingen's two young children, were killed that night.A three-day manhunt ensued and ended with a deadly shootout on Center Street and Swearingen's death.

City Deer Harvest Proposed

Warsaw's first regulated "urban deer harvest" may take place this fall if final details can be ironed out. A plan to hold a tightly controlled deer hunt that would also provide food to needy families is expected to be finalized within the next couple of weeks, Warsaw Mayor Jeff Plank told the city council Monday. "We have an awful lot of deer within the corporate city limits," Plank said.The deer are causing problems and spurring an increasing number of citizen complaints, he said. The city is working with a wildlife management resources group on allowing a limited number of bowhunters to harvest deer within specific areas of the city. "A modest, highly controlled program may be able to stabilize the problem," Plank said. The deer that are killed would be processed and kept in freezers, to be distributed according to a voucher system, Plank said.

Drainage Board Approves Wetland, Pond Petitions

Two petitions for wetland restoration and a petition for a pond construction were unanimously approved Thursday by the Kosciusko County Drainage Board. Devon Faulkner's petition was to restore a shallow water wetland within a tile arm of the Wyland Drain.Water would be impounded by construction of an earthen levee and water level would be controlled by means of a box structure at the outlet. The site is south of CR 450S and east of CR 400E in Monroe Township.All adjacent property owners were notified and had no objections. Kosciusko County Surveyor Dick Kemper said he saw no adverse effects with the proposed water levels on the adjacent property owners' land.He has inspected the site. Jeff Kiefer, U.S.Fish and Wildlife, was present as Faulkner's agent.The wildlife agency assists landowners when they want to do a shallow wildlife restoration, often at no cost.