Friday SPORTS
Vikings’ postseason run ends with 6-0 loss to the Rockets PAGE 15
May 31, 2013 It’s Where You Live! Volume 105, No. 129
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INSIDE TROY
Laura man guilty of sex charges
Strike comes despite pledge of transparency The drone attack that killed a Pakistan Taliban deputy leader this week was a clear signal that despite President Barack Obama’s promise last week of new transparency in the drone program, the CIA will still launch secret attacks on militants in north Pakistan and the administration will not have to tell anyone about it.
Sentencing hearing set for July 22
See Page 8.
Staff report
STAFF PHOTOS/ANTHONY WEBER
Effort to recall Arpaio fails A campaign to force a recall election against the polarizing sheriff of metropolitan Phoenix failed on Thursday after recall organizers said they couldn’t collect enough voter signatures to bring the lawman to the ballot again. Organizers of the recall effort against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio needed to turn in more than 335,000 valid voter signatures by 5 p.m. Thursday to force a recall election. See Page 11.
Let’s show our hospitality this summer I don’t know why Southerners were crowned kings of hospitality — us Midwesterners are pretty darn friendly, too, if you ask me. Last weekend I traveled with my good friend Swanky to the Windy City – good ol’ Chicago. I’ve been to California, New York City, Boston and a few other major U.S. cities, but there’s something so warm and welcoming about Chi-town.
See Page 4.
INSIDE TODAY Advice ..........................9 Calendar ......................3 Classified ...................12 Comics.......................10 Deaths .........................5 Eleanor J. Wilhelm Paul D. Wogaman Frank Benham Horoscopes ...............10 Arts ..............................6 Opinion ........................4 Sports ........................15 TV ................................9
OUTLOOK Today Storms likely High: 83° Low: 66° Saturday Storms likely High: 82° Low: 67°
Abigail Slider, 8, left, Evan Loyd, 6, center, Nathan Slider, 6, and Cortney Loyd, background, along with Rebekah Slider and Ella Slider, 2, (not pictured), pick strawberries at Fulton Farms Wednesday in Troy. According to Cortney Loyd, the group likes to come to Fulton Farms every year to pick strawberries, and then they make another trip in the fall for the produce.
Farm experiencing a ‘berry’ good season BY NATALIE KNOTH Staff Writer nknoth@civitasmedia.com hanks to a moderately warm spring, Fulton Farms’ visitors are enjoying the sweet success of a plentiful, timely strawberry crop. Joyce Fulton, owner of Fulton Farms with her husband Bill, said she couldn’t be more pleased with the family farm’s strawberry crop. “It’s so much better than last year in terms of mental spirit,” Fulton said. “We’ve got a smile on our faces.” Berries were ripe about a month early in 2012, recalled field manager John Akins, meaning the best of the batch had already had their time in the sun before the festival. The season can last about four to six weeks. “At the beginning of the season, they’re biggest, and as the season goes on, they get smaller. Most people don’t want to pick the smaller berries,” Akins said. The ideal weather conditions are about 75 to 80 degrees during the day and around 50 degrees at night, he estimated. “If it gets really warm and stays really warm, they ripen really quickly,” he said. “If it’s a hot season, it’ll be short. But if it’s warm days and cool nights, we could have about six
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Carter Loyd, 4, of Kettering, gets a taste test while picking strawberries with his family Wednesday at Fulton Farms in Troy. buy pre-picked berries to make food for the festival. It isn’t uncommon for patrons to pick several weeks.” buckets worth, Akins Fulton Farms opened noted. its fields to u-pickers on “We had a group of four Monday, May 27, after the gals that picked 17 buckets field workers had already of berries in under an begun picking berries for hour,” he said. the marketplace for a few The u-pick field will be days. Akins has found that closed Friday, Saturday most people keep the and Sunday for the festiberries fresh, freeze them val, but regular season or make freezer jam. Of course, pies and cakes are hours will begin Monday, June 3. Hours Friday common delicacies, and many groups either pick or through Sunday are
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8 a.m. to 5 p.m. U-pick strawberries are $8 for a four-quart bucket, plus an extra dollar to purchase the bucket. Visitors may bring their own container, but it must be the same four-ounce size. In addition to strawberries, major crops for Fulton Farms include sweet corn, asparagus, pumpkins and Christmas trees. For more information and a crop report, call Fulton Farms at (937) 3356983.
A Miami County common pleas court judge found a Laura man guilty this week on 12 counts of pandering child pornography. Lee D. Hodge, 24, will enter a courtroom next on July 22 for his sentencing hearing on the dozen child porn felony convictions. Until then, he was released on his own recognizance. Hodge was found guilty on 12 counts of pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor, which are all felonies that carry possible prison time for e a c h charge a n d carry s e x offender regis- HODGE tration for a period of 15 years, possibly longer. Authorities say Hodge accessed, downloaded and stored the pornography on a home computer where he used an Internet file-sharing website to download the pictures. Law enforcement began investigating the case after they noticed suspicious Internet activity originating from Hodge’s residence, according to a sheriff’s report. A Miami County grand jury indicted Hodge on the sexual felonies following an Oct. 31 search warrant conducted at his residence that stemmed from “large volumes of child pornography” that was being downloaded from a computer IP address traced back to Hodge, according to the search warrant. Sheriff ’s reports indicate Hodge, arraigned on the charges in February, possessed “thousands of child pornography files” on his personal computer equipment and other media storage devices that were confiscated and forensically examined by authorities.
Troy Public Access to televise festival events
that the parade was coming back, I got a ‘Whoo hoo!’” Dorsten said with a laugh. Complete weather BY MELANIE YINGST Festival Manager Heather Dorsten said this year’s parade phone calls, information on Page 11. Staff Writer Dorsten, more than 130 bands, will boast up to eight local bands, emails and myingst@citivasmedia.com floats and organizations on the most bands in recent festival Home Delivery: public patrol will begin to waltz down history. 335-5634 inquiries The streets of Troy will come the streets beginning at South “There will be lots of music, about the Classified Advertising: alive as the traditional Troy Market Street and Ridge return of the lot of fun,” she said. “We are real (877) 844-8385 Strawberry Festival Parade Avenue, around Public Square hometown parade since last year’s excited about the number of returns at 9 a.m. Saturday to kick and carry on through West Main parade was canceled due to the bands we have coming.” off the festival’s opening in grand Street, ending on Monroe Well before the first float hits Adams Street bridge closing and style. Street. the festival’s move to downtown. Dorsten said she has fielded According to Troy Strawberry • See TELEVISE on Page 2 “Every time I told someone 6 74825 22406 6
Parade set for 9 a.m. Saturday
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