Relevance Date

Annual Jail Report Given To Council

In 2005 there were 3,946 people booked into the Kosciusko County Jail, according to Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine's year-end jail report. That figure is 7 percent less than 2004's booking number of 4,244. The annual report is a requirement in Indiana, made to the circuit court. Rovenstine also presented it to the county council Thursday. Failure to appear/comply (1,477) led the list of most common bookings.Alcohol-related offenses (1,415) were the second-highest number. There were no "in custody" deaths, escapes or attempted escapes in 2005. A digital camera recording system replaced the analog recording system last year. Continuing programs for inmates include: • In-house administration of GED exams offered by an Indiana Licensed Administrator through Warsaw Community High School.Classes are given weekly to prepare inmates for the exam.
TERESA SMITH Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Family Members Escape Blaze

PIERCETON - Five children, including a baby pulled from its crib through a window, escaped injury Thursday morning in a house fire on Sellers Lake. Pierceton fire officials said that the acts of two teen-age boys were "heroic."Neighbors Josh Heartline and Adam Clark called for the fire department after rescuing the child.The other children and an adult babysitter also got out safely. The house, owned by Darwin Shepherd and occupied by Dawn Straka, Wendy Kitchen and their three children, was destroyed.It was located at 5907 Woodlawn Lane on Sellers Lake.Three pets - a ferret, a snake and a parrot - perished in the fire. Pierceton Volunteer Fire Department fought the blaze for about three hours after receiving the call at 10:53 a.m.The firefighters received a full assist from the Sidney Fire Department and tanker assistance from both Winona Lake and North Webster fire departments.
Ruth Anne Lipka, Times-Union Lifestyles Editor- | July 28, 2016

No New Burglaries In Past Two Weeks

Even though local police are receiving calls about suspicious people and vehicles in and around Warsaw, the number of burglaries in the area hasn't increased in the past two weeks, according to authorities. A string of residential break-ins that began in May stopped on August 26; none has occurred since then, said Captain Steve Foster of the Warsaw Police Department. "As of 8 a.m.Friday, there have been no additional thefts or burglaries as related to this guy," Foster said. Thirty-six burglaries so far have been reported since May.In almost every case a house in an upscale residential area was entered, often at night while the residents were asleep and often through an unlocked door or window.Only small, easily carried items, such as cash, wallets or jewelry, were stolen.
Laurie Hahn, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Gun At School Brings Arrest

AKRON -ÊTwo students were removed from Tippecanoe Valley High School for allegedly having an unloaded gun at the school. According to a press release from the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation and information from the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, students and staff informed administrators that a student had a handgun in his locker at the high school Thursday. Jeremy Wayne Strayer, 17, of Akron, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 4:31 p.m.Thursday for dangerous possession of a gun and theft/receiving stolen property.His bond was set at $5,000. Charges are pending against another 16-year-old student who reportedly was involved in the incident.The student's name has not been released. After receiving information about the gun, school administrators and school resource officer Josh Spangle located Stayer and searched his locker.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Judge Rules No Trial In Lawsuit Against Milford, Town Marshal

Kosciusko Circuit Judge Rex Reed sided with the town of Milford and Town Marshal David Hobbs in a civil lawsuit concerning a 2004 false arrest claim. On Sept.18, Reed listened to arguments about the case from Ralph Fredderick "Fred" Fisher's attorney Thomas Leatherman and Hobbs' and Milford's attorney Michael Morrow.After reviewing the information presented in the hearing, Reed took the matter under advisement and made the decision the case will not go to trial. In 2002, Fred Fisher was arrested and went to trial for the murder of Kathy Vroman.He was found not guilty of the murder in March 2002. In 2004, Fisher and his wife Ramona filed suit requesting unspecified damages from Hobbs and Milford because they claimed Fred Fisher was falsely arrested.
JEN GIBSON, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Donation will fund spay, neuter program

SYRACUSE - For some time, Syracuse Animal Control Officer Dee Cotterman has wanted to start a spay and neuter program in Syracuse. Tuesday, Syracuse Town Marshal Tom Perzanowski announced at the town council meeting that Cotterman's dream will become a reality with a $10,000 donation the town received from the Mary Kuhns Foundation for the program. Cotterman told the council she has one veterinarian willing to work with this program now.She is trying to get a second veterinarian so people will have a choice. Up to 100 percent of the costs to spay and neuter a dog or cat can be paid, depending on the pet owner's need.
DAVID SLONE, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Education Summit Focuses On Security

Taking a somewhat different approach this year, the sixth annual Education Summit Tuesday tackled issues affecting school and community safety. According to chairman John Ganyard, the goal is to put programs in place to help kids in trouble before problems start. "This problem's ours and it's a problem in every community....Nothing's going to happen unless we get involved with the problems affecting our youth," Ganyard said."We will succeed.We will protect our youth." The Education Summits began in 1994 to bring together representatives from business, education and the community to develop programs that will help students become successful citizens. Past summits focused on life and career skills and education-to-career programs.The Gold Card, which is earned by students who maintain a C+ average and a 95 percent attendance rate, was a direct result of an Education Summit.
Laurie Hahn, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Sewer Dispute Puts Couple's Property Up For Tax Sale

NORTH WEBSTER - A dispute over a sewer hookup has led to a Muncie couple's Backwater Lake property being put up for tax sale. Charles and Goldie Bowen, who own a lakefront cottage on EMS W23 Lane, came before the North Webster Town Council Wednesday to argue the lien placed on the property by the town because they didn't hook on to the sewer system as required.That led to the real estate being listed for tax sale. Council members voted to deny making any adjustment to the bill since the Bowens have had four years to come into compliance.State law requires all developed properties to hook into a sewer system if it is within 100 feet of the real estate.The Bowens argued that the cottage was just a shack and didn't need to be on the sewer system. Clerk-treasurer Peg Lawrance said that many notices about the matter were sent to the Bowens and all went unanswered until now. The couple have until Oct.27 to redeem the property.
Ruth Anne Lipka, Times-Union Lifestyles Editor- | July 28, 2016

Mafera Resigns Community Center Director Post

LEESBURG - Sandy Mafera has resigned her post as North Webster Community Center executive director after a year of service. "We raised the money and it was a wonderful experience," Mafera said Tuesday from her Barbee Lake home."But I don't know about roofing and contractors.That's not my area of expertise." Fund-raising is her specialty, though.She served for many years as executive director of the Kosciusko County United Way. Over the course of the last 12 months, North Webster Community Center Inc.has raised more than $400,000 locally to match a $500,000 Indiana Department of Commerce Community Focus Fund grant to refurbish the building.If the group falls short of the half-million mark, the Community Focus Fund grant will match whatever the group raises. Mafera, a self-described bibliophile, said she plans to stay home and read.And volunteer at the Community Center.And publish a family tree on her mother's side of the family.
TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

K21 Foundation Donates Land For Greenway Project

Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation Inc.recently donated a parcel of wetlands to Warsaw. The property will be used for the Beyer Farm Trail segment of the Lake City Greenway project. A boardwalk, connecting the Kosciusko Community Hospital property with Pike Lake Park, will be constructed through the wetland. The project will highlight natural features of the site including native vegetation, wildlife and the function of the wetland with a series of informational markers.Construction is set to begin in March. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has contributed $100,000 for the wetlands boardwalk. Overall, the Lake City Greenway project will connect the communities of Warsaw, Winona Lake and several unincorporated areas in the county with a series of trails.
TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

State's 211 System Serves 1,000 Kosciusko Countians

The year-old 211 telephone help line has expanded across the state from six centers serving 22 counties to eight centers serving 39 counties.This means more than half of the state's citizens can dial 211 for help with food, counseling, employment, health care, support groups, housing, shelter, legal aid, clothing and education. The Kosciusko County United Way is part of the First Call For Help/United Way of Allen County service center.Information was provided to more than 20,000 regional callers last year.The other centers received more than 115,000 calls in the last 12 months. The system for calling the easy-to-remember number is designed to help people make connections with agencies that can help them with particular needs.
Staff Report- | July 28, 2016

Goodman Trio To Appear Saturday At Rodeheaver

Benny Goodman's clarinet helped define a whole style of music in the 1930s - swing. His recordings of popular songs and dance music still captivate today. "Swingin' the Benny Goodman Songbook," featuring clarinetist Allan Vache«, pianist Mark Shane and jazz vocalist Terry Blaine is the Lakeland Community Concert Association's first concert in 2006, the third of the 2005-2006 season. The concert is in Rodeheaver Auditorium, Winona Lake, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Staff Report- | July 28, 2016

Local Students Get Close Look At Moon Rocks

Students in Scott McClintock's fifth grade class have had a rare opportunity recently to get an up-close look at real moon rocks. McClintock, who has been certified by NASA to accept moon rocks on loan for a specified time, is teaching a unit on space and thought actual moon rocks would be a nice addition. "There are only 840 pounds of moon rocks on earth now - that's all there is," he said recently.And since the United States no longer has a rocket capable of going to the moon, the moon rocks now on earth are irreplaceable, he said. The rocks - breccia, basalt and anorthosite - are embedded in an acrylic plate along with samples of moon "soil" (actually dust, McClintock said, or "regolith").Because of the high iron content in the rocks, he said, exposure to the high moisture content in our air would turn the rocks red. The students' reactions to seeing the moon rocks are not as excited as those of previous generations, McClintock said.
Laurie Hahn, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Warsaw Man Sentenced In Cruelty To His Dog

A Warsaw man was sentenced to 14 days in prison and 300 hours of service at the animal shelter for cruelty to his dog. David W.Burgess, 34, of 3062 Old Road 30W, was sentenced to 180 days in prison, with 166 days suspended to probation, for allegedly locking his dog in a pet carrier and leaving it in a rented storage shed.Burgess reportedly said he put the dog in the shed because he didn't have a place to keep the dog. Burgess pleaded guilty Tuesday to the charge of cruelty to animals, a Class B misdemeanor. He also was ordered to serve 300 hours of community service at the Kosciusko County Animal Shelter, where his 1-1/2-year-old German shepherd, Kane, is still recovering.Custody of Kane was given to the animal shelter by the court. Burgess was ordered to pay a $100 fine and $125 in court costs, as well as the costs incurred by the shelter for caring for Kane.
TIFFANY SHAW, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Zoners Look At Walgreens Proposal Tonight

The proposed Walgreens Drug Store project returns before the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals at a special meeting tonight at 6 p.m.in city hall. The petitioner, Preferred Development Inc., Chicago, is requesting a use variance because retail development is not permitted in residential districts. The company intends to build a 14,560-square-foot building with 72 parking spaces on the block bordered by Center Street, Argonne Road, Market and South Roosevelt streets. The area has a mix of zonings: C-3, commercial to the north; R-2, residential to the south; R-2 and R-3 residential and office to the east and C-3 and R-2 commercial and residential to the west. There are six single-family houses and an empty commercial building on the block.Surrounding properties are zoned residential, to the east, south and west and commercial to the north and west.
TERESA SMITH, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

City Council Discusses Deer Overpopulation

John Sullivan, Indiana Department of Natural Resources officer, Monday presented the city council the possibility of conducting a deer hunt within Warsaw city limits. Mayor Ernie Wiggins said before Sullivan's speech that the presentation was merely for factual evidence on previous hunting situations in the state, and that no formal decision would be made during the meeting. In his speech, Sullivan stressed safety precautions if a hunt were to take place. "If the city were to allow a hunt, the main actions that have to take place are a proper announcement of the hunt and the city must allow only certified hunters into the area." Sullivan also suggested limiting the amount of ammunition for the hunters, saying the safest means of extraction would be to restrict hunters to carry only muzzle-loading weapons.This would prevent rapid fire by hunters and decrease the chance of dangerous ricochet in the city.Tree stands were encouraged to lessen this as well.
Joe Kirkendall, Times-Union staff writer- | July 28, 2016

Chamber Highlights 2 Businesses At Awareness Luncheon

The Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce highlighted two area businesses Thursday at its biannual Business Awareness Luncheon. The focus of the spring gathering was longtime Warsaw-based Hand Industries and the other was a newcomer to the Warsaw area, Herman & Goetz Inc.and its H&G Services. According to Christine Mills of H&G, the building services firm has been providing contractual service in Michiana since 1968 and have recently opened a satellite office in Warsaw.
DAVID A. BEALL, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Lincoln Elementary School Honor Roll

First Grading Period Honor Roll for Lincoln Elementary School
- | July 28, 2016

Grace Gets $1 Million Grant For Emergency Training Center

WINONA LAKE - The U.S. Department of Justice recently awarded Grace College a $1.07 million grant for he development of a new Integrated Community Response Training Center.
Tim [email protected] | July 28, 2016

Torture

Editor, Times-Union:You and I grew up thinking torture was something only bad guys did. Dictators and despots use torture, not the United States.
- | July 28, 2016
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