Friday International Syrian rebels shell neighborhood close to Assad PAGE 9
It’s Where You Live! www.troydailynews.com INSIDE
Daycare workers indicted BY WILL E SANDERS Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com
Egypt’s coup puts fearful Christians in a corner
TROY — A Miami County grand jury has indicted two directors at an Elizabeth Township daycare facility where authorities say they allegedly witnessed and knew of sexual abuse taking place, but did not report it as required by law. Karen A. Leffel, 61, of Troy, and Amy B. Hawkins, 43, of Casstown, who police reports identified as the directors of Walnut Grove Learning Center, 5760 E. Walnut Grove, have been charged with failure to report child abuse, which is a misdemeanor of the fourth-degree.
The Miami County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the case at the end of June after an ex-daycare worker reported the allegations of four occasions where the same child “was caught touching other students in a sexual manner,” sheriff’s reports state. Leffel, the owner of the business, and Hawkins will appear in Miami County Municipal Court at 8 a.m. Aug. 20 to answer to the charge, according to municipal court records. The child caught touching other children was 4 years old and he allegedly had touched three children, one as young as 3 years old, between April and the end of May on four separate occasions, sheriff’s reports state.
The former daycare worker who came forward to police stated in reports that Leffel and Hawkins wanted to keep the incidents “a secret” and the worker was later fired from the position, at which time she came forward to authorities, the reports also disclose. Leffel and Hawkins informed the parents of the child victims in most cases, but downplayed the nature of the allegations. One parent of a victim was “very upset” with how the incident was handled and told investigators that she felt like the daycare “lied to her about the incidents regarding her son and his safety,” according to the report.
Mumford & Sons stopover banners raised
ASSIUT, Egypt (AP) — It was nighttime and 10,000 Islamists were marching down the most heavily Christian street in this ancient Egyptian city, chanting “Islamic, Islamic, despite the Christians.” A half-dozen kids were spray-painting “Boycott the Christians” on walls, supervised by an adult. See Page 9
BY JOYELL NEVINS For Civitas Media jnevins@civitasmedia.com
Try this delicious goulash recipe The seventh month of 2013 is history already. Another year going by way too fast! I want the boys to pull the onions out of our garden today. See Page 6
INSIDE TODAY Business..................2 Calendar....................3 Entertainment.................8 Deaths.......................5 Gary J. Hime Pauline R. McMaken Dorothy L. Geer Opinion......................4 Sports........................13
OUTLOOK Today Chance of storms High: 81º Low: 67º Monday Chance of AM storms High: 80º Low: 63º Complete weather informaiton on Page 9 Home Delivery: 335-5634 Classified Advertising: (877) 844-8385
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Fire ordinance honors Garner
Staff Photo | ANTHONY WEBER
City of Troy Electrical Department employees, including Daryl Williams and Brian Ferree (not pictured), hang Gentlemen of the Road Stopover banners along the Adams Street and Market Street bridges as well as throughout the downtown area Thursday in Troy. The Mumford & Sons weekend-long tour is scheduled for Aug. 30-31 in Troy.
Celebrating their service Miami County Fair honors veterans with free admission and ceremony on Wednesday By Melanie Yingst Staff Writer myingst@civitasmedia.com
MIAMI COUNTY — If it wasn’t for the service and dedication of the U.S. Armed Forces, social gatherings such as the Miami County Fair would not be possible. On Wednesday, a full service honoring veterans and active members of the U.S. military branches will
be honored at the Miami County Fair during its “Salute to Veterans” ceremony, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the grandstands. “The veterans ceremony is always a highlight of the fair,” Miami County Fair Board member Diana Thompson said. Entertainment kicks off with a musical celebration by the Troy High School Marching Band. Presentation of colors by the
Troy VFW Post members’ color guard an begins at 6 p.m. Greg Martin will perform “Amazing Grace” on the bag pipes, followed by James Trzeciak’s singing of the National Anthem. Miami County Junior Fair Board President Kaylynn Young will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Thompson said this year’s
• See SERVICE on page 2
Fire damages apartment building No one injured; cause not released By Mike Ullery Civitas Media mullery@civitasmedia.com
TROY — Troy firefighters battled a fire in a six-unit apartment building in Troy late Wednesday. Firefighters responded to 523 Stonyridge Ave around 10:10 p.m. and arrived to find smoke and flames coming out
of the attic area of the building. An alert neighbor, Jacob Adams, was talking to his girlfriend on the telephone when, according to Adams, “I saw smoke rolling out of the ventilation window of the attic. So, I immediately hung up with her, called 9-1-1 and got everybody out of the their apartment and knocked on their doors and to see if they
• See FIRE on page 2
• See GARNER on page 2
Mixed martial arts to make debut at fair By David Fong Executive Editor dfong@civitasmedia.com
MIAMI COUNTY — There will be no demolition derby to close the Miami County Fair this year — but there will be no shortage of banging and bashing going on. Replacing the demolition derby — a fair tradition for many years — will be a mixed martial arts fight card. “I know a lot of people have said they are unhappy about the demolition derby going away — but Civitas Media | Mike Ullery once they see our fights,
Troy firefighters battle a fire in a six-unit apartment building in Troy at 523 Stonyridge Ave. around 10:10 p.m. Wednesday.
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE 2013 MIAMI COUNTY FAIR.
El Sombrero is located just north of the fairgrounds on County Rd. 25-A
Visit the Fair this week then visit El Sombrero for Lunch of Dinner!
“ THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD NORTH OF THE BORDER “
(Daily Lunch Specials Served from 11am to 3pm Mon-Fri)
Ellen Garner’s face is now memorialized on a Cincinnati city website that promotes fire-safe housing for college students. The Tippecanoe High alum passed away Jan. 14 due to injuries sustained in a Cincinnati house fire. She and fellow University of Cincinnati student Chad Kohls were trapped in a conv e r t e d attic bedroom when the fire o c c u r re d . There was an air cond i t i o n i n g Ellen Garner unit in the only window, and no other means of escape but the stairs. Both Kohls and Garner were discovered passed out on the stairway from smoke inhalation. Kohls passed away Jan. 8. Since then, Ellen’s parents, Rod and Ann Garner of Tipp City, and Chad’s parents, Greg and Anne Kohls of Centerville, have
• See DEBUT on page 2
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August 9, 2013
Volume 105, No. 187
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