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AKRON - Tippecanoe Valley High School's homecoming bonfire Thursday night has raised concerns about animal cruelty.
The Kosciusko County Animal Shelter received several phone calls Friday from upset area residents who heard that live chickens were thrown into the homecoming bonfire as part of a yearly ritual.
TVHS principal Charlie Mills said the majority of his students didn't see anything because it all happened pretty quickly.
"A lot of students have heard about it though, so it's gotten out of proportion," he said.
Mills said he was at the bonfire Thursday night and was the last person off the field. He said he didn't see the chicken incident and he didn't hear about it until Friday morning.
Mills confirmed that one chicken was thrown in the fire.
"There was a chicken and we have received one name for the student responsible," Mills said Friday. "But we have yet to interview that student."
Mills also said TVHS FFA adviser Lisa Paxton, a janitor and a substitute teacher also were at the bonfire. He said Paxton and the janitor saw nothing, but the substitute teacher witnessed the incident and was upset that nobody did anything about it.
"But she didn't do anything either," Mills pointed out.
Paxton said Friday she did not see a chicken go into or come out of the bonfire. Paxton and her FFA students build the homecoming fire each year.
Kosciusko County Animal Welfare League employee Shannon Wesco said "everybody is really upset" over the chicken incident.
Wesco said several callers claimed they called TVHS to find out if there was any truth in what they were hearing.
"Everyone said they've called the school and talked to students and they all said it is true," Wesco said. "One caller said her daughter was at the bonfire and came home and told her."
Wesco also said another caller said she talked to two different students who confirmed that chickens were indeed thrown into the fire.
Wesco said, "I don't know that we can do anything about it, (but) I've been telling them to call animal control and ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)." She said, "Everybody's really upset about it."
As to the number of phone calls the animal shelter has received, Wesco couldn't even venture a guess: "Oh, my gosh. The phone hasn't stopped ringing since about 9 a.m. this morning," Wesco said Friday.
She said callers claimed that high school students informed them that throwing live chickens in the bonfire is a ritual that happens every year.
Despite all the rumors of several chickens being thrown into the fire, there was only one. Even so, Mills isn't ignoring the issue.
"Even though it's only one chicken, we're still not condoning it," Mills said of the incident. "We are aware and we are going to deal with the issue."
Wesco advises those concerned with the treatment of animals to call animal control at Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department or ASPCA toll-free at 888-252-7387.
Fire Destroys Barn Near Pierceton
Staff Report
PIERCETON - An estimated $50,000 damage resulted from a Sunday afternoon barn fire near Pierceton.
Pierceton Fire Department was called to the Blake and Deb Neeley residence, 791 Ind. 13N at 2:50 p.m. Sunday, and volunteers arrived to find the structure fully engulfed in flames.
According to Pierceton Fire Chief Gene Burkett, the Neeleys were able to remove five show calves from the barn prior to the arrival of fire personnel. However, two cars and a tractor inside the barn were destroyed.
The fire is believed to have started at an extension cord on a freezer in the barn.
An estimated 70 men were at the scene of the fire, including crews from North Webster, Warsaw and Leesburg fire departments. Also at the scene were ambulance crews from Pierceton and North Webster emergency medical services. No injuries were reported.
