Wednesday March 10th, 2010
TRAFFIC WAS HELD UP FOR HOURS THIS MORNING ON I69 IN DEKALB COUNTY AS A FED EX TRUCK TIPPED OVER. IT HAPPENED IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANE JUST SOUTH OF THE WATERLOO EXIT AROUND MILE MARKER 133. LANES WERE CLOSED FOR MOST OF THE MORNING WHILE CREWS WORKED TO CLEAR THE ROADWAY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
OVER $22,000 OF STEUBEN COUNTY’S MAJOR MOVES MONEY WAS GRANTED BY COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HELP FUND A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE STEUBEN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS WORKING TO GATHER ENOUGH FUNDS FOR THE $52,000 PROJECT, HAVING ALREADY SECURED MONEY FROM MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY. THE MONEY ASKED FROM EACH MUNICIPALITY IS BASED ON POPULATION OF THE AREA, THEREFORE MOST OF THE MONEY WILL COME FROM THE COUNTY AND CITY OF ANGOLA.
A RURAL HOWE MAN IS FACING NUMEROUS DRUG CHARGES AFTER POLICE CHASED HIM DOWN IN LAGRANGE CO. AROUND 3:30 PM MONDAY AFTERNOON POLICE WENT TO A HOME IN RURAL HOWE. POLICE SAY AS THEY ARRIVED, 48-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH TRUSHEL RAN OUT THE BACK DOOR. OFFICERS CHASED HIM AND EVENTUALLY CAUGHT AND DETAINED HIM. OFFICERS SAY THEY CHECKED THE PATH TRUSHEL RAN AND FOUND METH MAKING SUPPLIES AND TWO ONE-POT METH LABS.
HE WAS TAKEN TO THE LAGRANGE CO JAIL. HE FACES THREE FELONY CHARGES RELATED TO DRUG POSSESSION AND MAKING METH. TWO LIGONIER RESIDENTS WERE ARRESTED MONDAY ON DRUG CHARGES. 37 YEAR OLD BONNIE HALL AND 41 YEAR OLD ROMAN CRUZ EACH FACE CHARGES OF POSSESSION OF COCAINE AND PARAPHERNALIA. HALL IS BEING HELD IN LIEU OF $20,000 BAIL AT THE NOBLE COUNTY JAIL. CRUZ IS BEING HELD IN LIEU OF $10,000 BAIL. NOBLE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES SAID THEY WENT TO A MOBILE HOME IN LIGONIER TO ARREST HALL ON A PROBATION VIOLATION, ONLY TO FIND HER HIDING IN A CLOSET WITH DRUG PARAPHERNALIA IN PLAIN VIEW. DEPUTIES ALSO CONFISCATED 2 GRAMS OF COCAINE AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF CASH.
A FIRE IN ANGOLA EARLY TUESDAY CAUSED AN ESTIMATED $60,000 DAMAGE TO A HOUSE. FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO A RESIDENTS ON EAST SOUTH ST. SHORTLY AFTER 4:30 A.M. TO FIND BLACK SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE HOME. THERE WAS HEAVY FIRE DAMAGE TO THE FURNACE ROOM, THE KITCHEN AND THE ATTIC AREAS, ACCORDING TO FIREFIGHTERS. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, AND THE CAUSE WAS LISTED AS ACCIDENTAL.
Tuesday March 9th, 2010
THICK FOG THIS MORNING IS BEING BLAMED FOR AT LEAST ONE CRASH IN STEUBEN COUNTY. AT LEAST ONE SEMI AND MULTIPLE OTHER VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH ON US 20 NEAR 350 EAST. NO SERIOUS INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
AN AUBURN NURSING HOME HAS COME UNDER CRITICISM FROM THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SO IT'S CHANGING SOME OF ITS POLICIES, ACCORDING TO THE STAR. GREGORY GEORGE WAS A PATIENT AT WESLEY HEALTHCARE WHERE HE SAYS STAFF MEMBERS FROM THAT FACILITY DUMPED HIM AT CAMERON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN ANGOLA AND LEFT HIM THERE FOR MORE THAN A WEEK. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FOUND THAT WESLEY WAS DEFICIENT IN THREE AREAS: IT FAILED TO RE-ADMIT A RESIDENT WHO WAS TRANSFERRED, STAFF DID NOT LET THE FACILITY'S ADMINISTRATOR KNOW THAT THEY'D DETERMINED A RESIDENT WAS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND THE FACILITY DID NOT HAVE A WRITTEN POLICY REQUIRING THE REPORTING OF ABUSE ALLEGATIONS. WESLEY HEALTHCARE IS NOW TAKING STEPS TO CORRECT THOSE PROBLEMS. GEORGE CURRENTLY IN A FACILITY IN MARION.
A FIVE MONTH LONG INVESTIGATION HAS LEAD TO THE ARREST OF A NOBLE COUNTY MAN ON CHARGES OF DEALING METHAMPHETAMINE, ACCORDING TO MEMBERS OF THE IMAGE DRUG TASK FORCE. 33 YEAR OLD JESSIE NAPIER OF ROME CITY, FACES A FELONY CHARGE OF DEALING IN METHAMPHETAMINE. NAPIER’S ARREST CAME AFTER UNDERCOVER OFFICERS AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS PURCHASED METHAMPHETAMINE FROM NAPIER. HE IS BEING HELD WITHOUT BAIL AT LAGRANGE COUNTY JAIL.
AN ASHLEY MAN WILL SERVE TWO YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR POSSESSING SUBSTANCES BELIEVED TO BE USED IN MANUFACTURING METH. IN COURT, JASON SCHWARTZ PLEADED GUILTY TO THE POSSESSION OF PRECURSORS. THE CHARGES CAME FOLLOWING A FIRE SCHWARTZ’S APARTMENT IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR WHERE POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS CAME UPON THE NUMEROUS METH RELATED ITEMS IN SCHWARTZ’S BEDROOM.
THE INDIANA STATE POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT HAS GOTTEN SEVERAL RECENT COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THEY'VE GOTTEN BOGUS CALLS FROM PEOPLE CLAIMING TO BE WITH THE POLICE AND LOOKING FOR DONATIONS. IN SOME CASES, THE CALLER SAYS THE MONEY WILL GO TO HELP SEND A CHILD TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT SUMMER CAMP. THE DEPARTMENT HAS ISSUED A STATEMENT REMINDING YOU TO SAY NO TO ANY SOLICITOR THAT YOU HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT.
AUBURN RESIDENTS HAD THE CHANCE TO TALK ONE ON ONE WITH THE MAYOR LAST NIGHT AS HE HOSTED THE FIRST OF TWO OPEN FORUMS. THE CITY HAS MANY UPCOMING PROJECTS AND PROPOSED IDEAS THAT NORM YODER SAYS CAN HELP BETTER THE COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHY HE IS NOW OFFERING HIS TIME TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND GATHER FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE YOUR CONCERNS OR IDEAS ON THINGS LIKE AES, NEW FIRE TERRITORIES, THE UPCOMING SEWER PROJECT, OR BRING TO LIGHTS ANOTHER ISSUE, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND NEXT MONDAY'S FORUM. IT WILL BE HELD FROM 6 TO 8 PM AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
Monday March 8th, 2010
A ROME CITY MAN WAS ARRESTED FROM HIS HOME FRIDAY NIGHT AFTER POLICE FOUND A METHAMPHETAMINE LAB THERE. A NOBLE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY WENT TO 28-YEAR-OLD STEVE BEECROFT’S RESIDENCE ABOUT 11 P.M. FOR A FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION, WHEN HE SMELLED METH COOKING. POLICE SEARCHED THE HOME AND FOUND METH LAB, ALONG WITH DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. POLICE ALSO FOUND TWO CHILDREN AT THE HOME. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SERVICES TOOK THE CHILDREN INTO CUSTODY, AND BEECROFT WAS TAKEN TO JAIL ON CHARGES OF POSSESSION OF METH, MANUFACTURING METH AND ON AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT. HE WAS BEING HELD WITHOUT BAIL.
FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO FREE A SOUTH BEND MAN FROM HIS CAR EARLY SATURDAY AFTER HE FLIPPED IT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE FLEEING POLICE IN LAGRANGE AND NOBLE COUNTIES. 43 YEAR OLD BRUCE STAHL WAS PASSING THROUGH DOWNTOWN WOLCOTTVILLE SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT WHEN THE PURSUIT BEGAN. POLICE SAY HE INTENTIONALLY TRIED TO FORCE A COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY BEHIND HIM TO CRASH. THE CHASE CONTINUED FOR ABOUT FOUR MILES ON INDIANA 9, AND ENDED WHEN STAHL LOST CONTROL AND ROLLED HIS CAR SEVERAL TIMES. HE WAS FLOWN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES. POLICE EXPECT HE WILL FACE CHARGES OF RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT, OPERATING A VEHICLE AFTER HAVING BEEN GIVEN A LIFETIME SUSPENSION AND OPERATING A VEHICLE WHILE INTOXICATED.
AUBURN RESIDENTS HAVE THEIR CHANCE TO VOICE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS TO THE MAYOR TONIGHT AS HE HOSTS THE FIRST OF TWO OPEN FORUMS. MAYOR YODER SAYS THERE ARE MANY PROJECTS UNDERWAY FOR THE CITY AND HOPES TO HAVE FEEDBACK ON ISSUES TO HELP BETTER THE COMMUNITY. THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND TONIGHT’S MEETING, OR NEXT MONDAY’S MEETING. BOTH WILL BE HELD FROM 6 TO 8 PM AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
CAMERON HOSPITAL RECENTLY RECEIVED IT’S LARGEST ANNUAL GIFT EVER FROM THE CAMERON HOSPITAL BENEFIT BALL COMMITTEE, AS THEY PRESENTED THE HOSPITAL’S FOUNDATION WITH A CHECK FOR OVER $53,000. THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO BUY A NEW FETAL MONITOR AND POSTPARTUM BEDS FOR THE GENESIS CENTER OBSTETRIC UNIT. MORE THAN $600,000 HAS BEEN RAISED FOR HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT OVER THE YEARS. THIS YEAR’S CAMERON BENEFIT BALL THEME WILL BE “LET IT SNOW”, AND THE EVENT WILL BE HELD DECEMBER 4TH AT POKAGON STATE PARK'S POTAWATOMI INN. FOR MRE INFORMATION, CALL JOEL STUCKEY AT 665-2141 EXT 2163.
IT WAS AN ACTION PACKED WEEKEND IN HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL AS THE BOYS SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS PLAYED OUT. DEKALB TOOK A TOUGH LOSS TO CARROLL WITH A FINAL SCORE OF 26 TO 48. THE EASTSIDE BLAZERS RALLIED AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME TO WIN THEIR SECTIONAL TITLE OVER CENTRAL NOBLE 51 TO 43. IT’S THE THIRD TIME IN THE SCHOOL’S HISTORY TO BE SECTIONAL CHAMPS. THEY MOVE ON TO PLAY WHEELER THIS SATURDAY AT 1PM AT NORTH JUDSON. YOU CAN CATCH LIVE COVERAGE OF THAT GAME ON FROGGY 106.7.
DEKALB SHOW CHOIRS TOOK THE STAGE IN COMPETITION ONCE AGAIN ON SATURDAY, THIS TIME AT CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL. SOUND SENSATION TOOK 1ST RUNNER UP IN THE WOMEN’S DIVISION, WITH BEST PERFORMER, ALLISON FOX. DEKALB WAS GRAND CHAMPION IN CLASS B WITH BEST VISUALS AND BEST VOCALS. AARON MILLER WAS BEST PERFORMER IN SHOW. OVERALL FOR THE DAY, DEKALB TOOK THIRD PLACE AT THE INVITATIONAL.