County Hears Change Requests, Mattress Costs For New Jail

Mattresses for 302 beds in the expanded Kosciusko County Jail will cost $47,000 or 155.60 each, according to county administrator Ron Robinson. Robinson advised county commissioners of this cost at the tail end of Tuesday's meeting, after four proposals costing a total of $33,619 also were approved. The commissioners requested two changes, one to the lobby stairway at a cost of $14,615 and another regarding the front entrance doors for $1,368.The two other proposals concerned an upgrade to metal ceilings in the cell blocks for $8,000 and $9,636 for installation of two doors to allow for better access in the cell block area and additional storage. Commissioners Avis Gunter, Brad Jackson and Ron Truex approved a land vacation as requested by Dan and Rebecca Conkling, despite a lack of support from the Area Plan Commission. The area in question concerns the esplanade adjacent to lot 11 in the Hiners South Park addition located east and south of EMS W20 Lane.

Mentone May Form Building Department

MENTONE - Hoping to crack down on unsafe and unsightly buildings, the Mentone Town Council Monday heard from state representatives on creating a building department. Donald LeBrun is a code official for the Code Enforcement and Plan Review Branch of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security Division of Fire and Building Safety. He said he could help the town get the department started and provided the council with a sample building code. Councilman Roger Long said Mentone does have a part-time building inspector, but wants to give the inspector "more bite." By statute, LeBrun said, Mentone doesn't have a building department.If Mentone approves an ordinance, it will be approved by the state and Mentone can create its building department.There is "lots of home rule" the state won't meddle with. "The scope of the ordinance is just to regulate construction in the area," LeBrun said.

U.S. Senator's Regional Director Hears Local Constituents' Concerns

It was a busy two hours. Eight people sought assistance corresponding with federal agencies Tuesday morning, and Sen.Evan Bayh's regional director, Mark Meissner, took notes, gathered papers and assured citizens they'd hear from the office soon. Meissner, set up in the former courtroom of the Kosciusko County courthouse, talked to citizens about Social Security, income taxes, the Veterans Administration and a U.S.visa issue. There were no set appointments and the materials gathered will be presented to case workers in Bayh's Indianapolis office. "Most calls and letters go to Washington, D.C., and Indianapolis," Meissner said."A letter from the senator to an executive director usually speeds up response time." Meissner schedules office hours in 20 counties representing Bayh and is on the road most of the time. He works out of the senator's Fort Wayne office pretty much by himself.An intern works in the office two mornings per week.

Wawasee Board Looks At New School Plans

SYRACUSE -ÊFloor plans don't always make it easy to picture a building as three dimensional. Tuesday, Wawasee school board members didn't need to imagine what the new North Webster Elementary School will look like in 3-D as the architects presented 3-D images of the school. Gary Watkins, of Barton-Coe-Vilamaa Architects & Engineers Inc., Fort Wayne, presented the board with floor plans and 3-D images of the building.Included were the mechanical plans of the building. Entry to the building would be on the east side.The media center is centrally located, with the gym and cafeteria on the west end. If the building is locked down, Watkins said, the front door is the only entry and anyone who enters the building will have to pass by the administration window.This, he said, will provide better security for the school. The gym includes two full basketball courts, cross-court. The classroom sizes vary from 925 square feet to 1,100 square feet.

Hey, Hey! Davey Jones Coming To Park

Activity director Janelle Wilson of the Warsaw parks department announced Davey Jones of the Monkees will be the Classic Rock Concert headliner June 18.Jones' appearance is part of a series of Friday night concerts sponsored by the department and area businesses scheduled throughout the summer. Wilson's announcement came during Friday's Warsaw Board of Works meeting. The streetscape project was tentatively awarded to Cluney Landscaping of Huntington.The company's bid came in at $186,085, more than $55,000 less than other bidders. LandPlan Architects recommended the company for the bid, but a signature page was missing from Cluney's packet for acceptance.The item was tabled until all the paperwork could be secured. The springtime project will include the addition of plantings and benches on Center Street from High Street to Washington Street. In other business the board: • Approved a taxicab permit for five vehicles for David Cesaretti.

Carry On: High Court Upholds 2ns Amendment

It was nice that the U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling on gun ownership.

City Won't Ban Booze; Offers Other Suggestions

Warsaw City Council Monday night did not approve a recommendation from the park board to ban alcohol on all park property.

NOTICE OF SUIT - MF-922 - SLAVEN

Remember When 5.21.2009

10 Years Ago May 21 1999 MENTONE - Eric Prater may have been exhausted and out of breath, but he had just enough energy to let his coach, Terry Screeton, know that the baton in his had would be marked as a piece of history at Tippecanoe Valley High School. Prater ran the anchor for Valley's 1,600 relay team that gave the Vikings their first Three Rivers Conference boys track and field title in 20 years. The team of Kevin Hileman, Noah Silveus, Adam Smith and Prater ran a winning time of 3:32.8. 25 Years Ago May 21 1984 Janell Sheaks of Bourbon and Susan Ross of Tippecanoe were named Triton High School valedictorian and salutatorian of the class of 1984. Sheaks is the daughter of Glenn and Teresa Sheaks and Ross is the daughter Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ross. 50 Years Ago May 21 1959 North Webster Mermaid Festival officials reported that Judi Ahrns, 17-year-old Milford High School senior, and Brenda Kay Stabler, 16-year-old Syracuse High School junior, have been selected by their schools to compete as "Miss Milford" and "Miss Syracuse" respectively at the 14th annual Mermaid Parade and "Queen of Lakes" contest. 75 Years Ago May 21 1934 C.L. Manwaring, manager of the White City Egg farm of Mentone, won the Indiana state championship in the Leghorn class at the recent Purdue chick show. Manwaring's two entries won first and second prizes, thereby securing the red and blue ribbons, as well as the silver cup which he displayed at the Times-Union.

Marcus - Ryan Doesn't Help Romney

WASHINGTON – In the matter of Mitt Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to be his running mate, I keep flashing on images of Wallace Shawn in “The Princess Bride”: Inconceivable!

Dupuy: A Review of Dueling Conventions

The Republican National Convention (RNC) in Tampa was a post-Apocalyptic dystopia of what the world could be if Republicans were completely in charge: Scared (mostly) white people in a militarized labyrinth of blockades in strategic dead ends

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION - MF-22 - LONG

Motions for Milford School Resource Officer Die at Meeting

MILFORD – Town Council President Doug Ruch made two motions Monday to temporarily provide for a school resource officer for Milford School, but both died on the table.

Remember When 3.25.2013

10 Years Ago    The Grace College men’s basketball team made a valiant run for the National Christian College Athletic Association championship in Frankfort, Kentucky, before falling to number one seed Tennessee Temple in the title game, 74-60. For the Lancers, five athletes completed their careers at Grace. Matt Abernethy, Daniel Bucher, Jordan Bender, Lee Compson and Barry Meisel are all seniors. Abernethy was named first team NCCAA and NAIA All-American, while Bucher was named to the all-tournament team. Grace finished its season with a 24-11 record.25 Years Ago      Warsaw Community High school’s basketball player Angie Johnson picked up another post-season honor recently as she was selected to the all-area team picked by the South Bend Tribune. By being picked she was eligible to play in the Sunburst All-Star Classic to be played at the Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center on the campus of Notre Dame University. Because she was a sophomore she was not allowed to play. Only seniors are allowed to play in post-season all-star games. 50 Years Ago    Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Stevens and son, Mike, and Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Minear, all of Warsaw, attended the regular meeting of the Indiana Appaloosa Association at Kokomo recently. The group has arranged for six horse shows to be given during summer months.     Grace College officials are planning dedication of a new dorm for August. Students will be housed in new structure starting 1963-64 school year.75 Years Ago    Whoever gets the job of postmaster at North Webster, announced by the postoffice department today as vacant, will have more “social security” than his predecessor, under terms of a bill now before congress. The bill would guarantee a minimum salary of  $160 a year to the smallest fourth-class postoffice’s postmaster, and would give all fourth-class postmasters fixed annual salaries. North Webster is a fourth-class office. If the bill fails to pass, then the new North Webster postmaster will have to take his pay on the basis of stamp cancellations and money order sales at the office.  

Brown - LightSquared Another Pay-for-Play Deal?

Generally speaking, generals do not tell lies. Nor are generals in the practice of concocting stories before congressional committees.

Parker - Support for Santorum Will Grow

New Gallup polling shows the clearest picture yet of the great divide in the Republican Party that has been pushing former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum to the head of the class.

Reeves - Obama Approaching Bush's Numbers on Deportations

It may not rank highly in polls of voters’ priorities compared to the jobs and the economy, yet immigration has taken on a central role in the 2012 presidential campaign drama.

Manchester Netters Edge Whitko

NORTH MANCHESTER – What could have been a very dramatic ending to the boys tennis match between Manchester and Whitko didn’t come to pass when the Squires won three matches in short order.

My Thoughts After A Long Weekend

After a busy Labor Day Weekend, in both the sports world and my little corner thereof, I took the chance to gather my thoughts on the former and be thankful for the latter...

Commissioners Address Concerns About Snow Emergencies

The Kosciusko County Commissioners met Tuesday morning and publicly addressed the county's protocol during winter storms.