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Wednesday, June 11, 2014
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Herald-Argus erald-A erald-A The La Porte County
Gas main break leads to evacuations La Porte residents were able return to their homes Tuesday night
Photo by Matt Fritz
Superintendent candidates Mark Francesconi and Theresa Mayerik address audience question on Tuesday.
By Matt Fritz, Gabrielle Gonzalez and Amanda Haverstick
Board has yet to name new LP schools head
Staff writers
LA PORTE — Downtown La Porte residents found themselves displaced from their homes Tuesday after a 4-inch steel gas main located behind City Hall broke. According to NIPSCO spokeswoman Kathleen Szot, NIPSCO crews were dispatched to the 700 block of Jefferson Avenue at about 3:15 p.m. after a contractor struck the gas main. “Their first task (was) to isolate the damage so they can begin repairs,” said Szot. “We have to make sure we follow all our safety precautions.” Szot said gas was shut off at about 7 p.m. NIPSCO crews, said Szot, performed a walk-through of buildings in the affected area before residents were allowed to return. “The repairs will continue throughout the evening,” Szot said, adding that residents and businesses will be without service during that time. Emergency responders and NIPSCO crews initially blocked off the area to vehicle and pedestrian traffic from Lincoln Way to Harrison Street and Indiana Avenue to Monroe Street. The perimeter was later expanded from Lincoln Way to Osborne Street and Clay Street to Madison Street. Sites evacuated included City Hall, the La Porte County Public Library, the La Porte County Family YMCA and area apartments including the Rumely Historic Apartments. A handful of businesses were also evacuated including Temple News Agency, PNC bank and Indiana Deli. La Porte firefighters helped evacuate the Rumley and most of the City Hall employees walked to the La Porte County Courthouse. Evacuees were bussed to Lincoln Elementary School where Rumely residents were housed in classrooms. Children that attended the YMCA day care were sent to the school’s library. Many residents were sitting on city benches and gathered on sidewalk corners prior to being transported. At the corner of Jefferson and Indiana avenues, Temple News Agency owner Joe Whicker was waiting with some of his customers
By MATT FRITZ
Staff writer 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13887 mfritz@heraldargus.com
Photos by Matt Fritz
ABOVE: The site of the gas leak behind City Hall in La Porte. BELOW: Rumely Historic Apartments residents John Thart, left, and Bob Lane, along with his dog “Harvey,” wait outside their apartments following an evacuation in downtown La Porte.
La PORTE — Although school board members were expecting to come to a consensus Tuesday night on who would be the next superintendent of La Porte Community Schools, no public decision was announced following a forum on the issue. During the public forum, finalist candidates Mark Francesconi and Theresa Mayerik introduced themselves to members of the La Porte Community and answered a series of questions about their plans for moving the district forward. Francesconi, the current
Staff writer
MICHIGAN CITY — A 5-year-old boy who died at a local day care Monday had his death ruled accidental following a forensic autopsy Tuesday. The boy died as a result of asphyxi-
See BOARD, Page A2
Man arrested in connection with abduction and employees, as well as residents from the Rumely, as the evacuation went on. His shop, located on Jefferson Avenue by City Hall, was one of the ones closed down. “The evacuation hurts business,” he said. “But it’s best everyone gets safe.” Whicker said he heard the leak when the pipe first ruptured, but thought it was just someone sand blasting, or one of the giant vacuums the street department uses to clean the drains. Then he Photo by Gabrielle Gonzalez went outside to check things Rumely Historical Apartments residents were transported to Lincoln Elementary School, away from the gas leak behind La Porte See GAS, Page A3 City Hall on Tuesday afternoon.
KINGSBURY — Michigan City police responded on June 4 to a report that a woman had escaped confinement in the truck of a man who was driving to La Porte. The city’s Fugitive Apprehension Street Team arrested Kenneth Manley, 51, of 310 Chestnut St., on Friday on four criminal charges relating to the incident. The arrest took place at Manley’s place of employment in Kingsbury Industrial Park. Detective Jason Costigan spoke to the alleged victim, who said that a man tied her up when she tried to leave a tryst at a house in the 800 block of Fern Street, the MCPD recounted in a press release. The man put the woman in his truck after she tried
Five-year-old’s death at local day care ruled accidental By ADAM PARKHOUSE
assistant superintendent of La Porte Community Schools, said he wanted to be a stand-up superintendent who wasn’t afraid to be the face of the corporation, answering the tough questions and making the tough decisions when necessary. He said the corporation has done a great job in sending students to college, but noted that nationwide, less than 25 percent of students complete their four year degree. “How about the students who come back with no skills?” he said. “What good does a year of college do them?” So he said he wanted to
ation due to hanging, according to La Porte County Coroner John Sullivan. Amareon Williams of Michigan City died after somehow hanging himself from a jump rope that was tied to a piece of playground equipment. The incident occurred at Tricia’s
Playhouse and Daycare, 1824 E. Michigan Blvd. “Somehow the rope got around that kid’s neck and he asphyxiated himself,” Sullivan said. “That rope probably shouldn’t have been there, but it was.” Sullivan went on to say he can’t remember seeing a
manner of death quite like this. “Not even anything close in recent memory,” Sullivan said. “This is just a tragic accident that nobody ever wants to see happen.” Sullivan said the autopsy was performed in South Bend by Dr. Joseph Par-
hlow, a pediatric forensic pathologist. His body was transported to ColemanHicks Funeral Home, where arrangements are pending. Monday at 12:14 p.m., members of the Michigan City Police Department, See DEATH, Page A3
to escape. The woman also tried to escape from the truck on the way to La Porte, and a witness observed the incident. Costigan named Manley as a suspect after the investigation, which included gathering a description of the vehicle. The alleged victim claimed that the man impersonated a police officer. Police charged Manley with the felonies of criminal confinement, using a motor vehicle for this confinement and impersonating a public servant. Police also charged him with the misdemeanor of patronizing a prostitute. Manley’s bond is $15,000 in cash. MCPD encourages anyone with information to call (219) 873-1488. – From Staff Reports
THURSDAY WEATHER HIGH LOW 78 56 FEW SHOWERS
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Local | State
Central Indiana city mourning loss of 2 teenagers FRANKLIN (AP) — Ribbons in a central Indiana high school’s colors have been put up around the city by friends of two teenagers who lost their lives while trying to rescue a classmate who was swept over dam while they were swimming. Blue ribbons were first put up around Franklin Community High School along U.S. 31 and in Franklin to mark the death of 17-year-old Jason Moran, whose body was found by a diver Sunday near the base of the small dam on Big Blue River at Edinburgh. The white ribbons began going up Monday as word spread that 16-year-old Michael Chadbourne had been declared brain dead after being in critical condition since Friday’s accident. Chadbourne remained on life support Tuesday until his organs were donated, Marion County coroner’s office manager Marchele Hall told The Associated Press. Chadbourne was rescued after he, Moran and two other Franklin students tried to save 16-year-old
Sarah McLevish, who had been caught below part of the dam. The two others escaped on their own from the river about 30 miles south of Indianapolis McLevish remained in critical condition Tuesday at an Indianapolis hospital. Friends of Moran and Chadbourne said the loss was difficult to accept. “They’re just considered heroes to the city, just everybody in Franklin,� student Adrian Reynolds told WTHR-TV. A public memorial service for Moran was scheduled for Wednesday at the 1,700-student high school. School officials also set up a fund to accept contributions for the families of the three students. School officials have talked regularly with the teens’ families since Friday to offer their help, high school Principal Doug Harter told the Daily Journal. “We’re in the kid business,� he said. “So when kids are suffering and kids are in need, people are going to jump in and provide that support and services that are needed.�
Ind. trooper hurt when car hits pole NEW ALBANY (AP) — Police say a state trooper was hurt when his squad car went off a southern Indiana road and struck a utility pole. State police Sgt. Jerry Goodin says Trooper Scott Parkes was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash about 5 a.m. Tuesday in New Albany.
DEATH
From Page A1 Michigan City Fire Department and La Porte County EMS were dispatched to Tricia’s Playhouse and Day Care, 1824 E. Michigan Blvd., in reference to
Goodin says that for unknown reasons Parkes’ car went off the right side of the road and he overcorrected, crossing the roadway and running into the utility pole. The crash smashed in the front passenger-side door and shattered the patrol car’s windshield. Goodin says Parkes wasn’t on an emergency run at the time of the crash.
GAS
From Page A1 out and saw what he described as a “giant plume� back where the construction work was being done behind city hall. At this point, he said he and his employees were just waiting around to make sure the Rumely residents were OK. His employee Liz Starkey later helped them as they got onto the bus to take them to Lincoln. Watching all the action of the evacuation from across Indiana Avenue was Tasha Akins of the Monroe Street Apartments. Akins said she was walking home from Wendy’s when she heard all the noise and commotion from the gas main break and learned that she couldn’t return to her apartment and retrieve her three cats. Nine months pregnant and due to give birth this coming Friday, she said she was worried about being stuck outside, walking on the streets. But she was soon alerted by La Porte Mayor Blair Milo that a bus was taking people to Lincoln. Milo said a worker from H & G struck the gas line behind City Hall. She said he was doing reconstruction work on the city’s parking lot. She was in City Hall while it happened. “I looked out the window and saw the construction workers rushing with their cell phones in their hands and knew immediately something was wrong,� she said. She said within 15 seconds, she and her assistant were evacuating City Hall. Within a minute and half, they were rushing from door to door evacuating the adjacent residents and businesses as NIPSCO and the La Porte Fire Department were being called down. Milo said she was not sure if the gas line was properly marked, so she didn’t know who was to blame yet.
Photo by Matt Fritz
La Porte firefighters wait on standby as NIPSCO workers try to stop a leaking gas pipe behind City Hall on Tuesday. Szot said the incident will go through an investigation. Local real estate appraiser Adam D. Vince of Vince Associates LLC was in his office at 804 Monroe St. at the time of the incident and reported hearing a loud bang. “The city lot is right next to our building and we have become accustomed to hearing work,� said Vince. “We didn’t think anything was wrong, just typical construction sounds. But then I heard someone yell, ‘Hey drop it, let’s go!’� Vince and his office staff and tenants were evacuated. Vince said he had parked along the 700 block of Monroe and was able to start his car and leave. He gave his mother, who also works at their firm, a ride as her SUV was parked at 804 Monroe St. The firemen, he said, would not let her start the car for fear of igniting the gas in the air. “As we made our way down the alley and towards Michigan Avenue, I looked to my left and saw the blast of air and dust behind the medical building on Jefferson,� he said. “I could smell the gas in the breeze that was blowing toward
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noting that the gas didn’t show up on the meters outside that day, and at only low levels inside. “Luckily we have a pretty good wind, so the gas is dissipating pretty quickly.� Pressler said had it been a calm day, it could have been very bad. And even though the levels were low, Pressler said the gas still posed a risk of combustion, so it was important that people not light their cigarettes outside. City workers were asking people to put their cigarettes out. Milo said all the emergency responders acted professionally during this situation, and she was happy so many people were willing to help. “It’s a dangerous situation,� she said. “I’m really impressed with everybody that stepped up to the plate.� A number of agencies responded to the scene Tuesday including: La Porte City Police, La Porte City Fire, the La Porte County Sheriff’s Department, La Porte County EMS, the La Porte County Emergency Management Agency, La Porte County HAZMAT, the Red Cross and the La Porte Street Department.
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the PNC Bank building.� Vince commended the performance of the firefighters and police. “The evacuation was calm and orderly and we always felt like the situation was under control,� he said. “We should all be proud of their service to our great city.� Milo said rescue personnel and city employees had the safety part of the situation under control. Because gas levels were reportedly low, she said some rescue personnel were escorting residents to their homes to retrieve emergency supplies, like medication. She said there had been no reported injuries. Assistant La Porte Fire Chief A.C. Pressler said six to nine square blocks were evacuated through the efforts of the police and fire departments and City Hall workers. He noted that many businesses and residents evacuated on their own. He said the gas was at levels well below the danger zone. He said the smell was pungent so that people would know it was there and call for help. “You can smell it and it might not even show up on our meters,� Pressler said,
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