CONGRATS, GRADS! Homer-Center, Marion Center, Penns Manor, Purchase Line. Page 3
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THURSDAY JUNE 2, 2016
34 pages — 3 sections Vol. 112 — No. 280
75 cents
www.indianagazette.com
BLAIRSVILLE BOROUGH
Residents want answers on flooding “THIS IS a major concern and this has happened a number of times now.�
By ELLEN MATIS
ematis@indianagazette.net
TOM PEEL/Gazette
THE WALLS quadruplets — from left, Caleb, Levi, Noah and Shyloh — will graduate tonight from United High School. They are holding a photo shot by Gazette photographer Tom Peel when they started kindergarten, superimposed digitally in the same order onto a frame.
Quads bid farewell to school just like they began — united By MATTHEW BURGLUND
mburglund@indianagazette.net
S
ince the moment they became parents a little more than 18 years ago, Joe and Jacinda Walls have never really experienced a quiet house, nor have they known what it was like to just relax on a weeknight with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Quite simply, there has been nothing simple about their life together. Things won’t change overnight, but gradually their nest will start to
empty, and in a few years the Walls will suddenly find everything has changed. Things will probably be quiet, and there won’t be any more functions to go to. They’ll just have each other. But first, the first four of the Walls’ six children — quadruplets Shyloh, Caleb, Noah and Levi — are about to graduate from United Senior High School, starting the next phase in the family’s life. To say Joe and Jacinda are ready, though, isn’t quite true. “It’s a bittersweet feeling,� Jacinda Walls said. “I’m very proud, but
I’m very sad that this chapter is coming to an end.� That chapter ends tonight at commencement, when the quadruplets say farewell to their classmates at United High School and look toward their next move. That’s something the parents are reluctant to deal with right now. “It’s emotional to even think about it,� Jacinda said. The quadruplets were born about a minute apart on April 3, 1998, and to call tonight’s ceremony a commencement is apt — it’s Continued on Page 8
BLAIRSVILLE — Blairsville officials have been left with a mess on their hands after heavy rains spurred flooding in various locations over the weekend and caused even more problems in an area affected by a landslide earlier this year. Members of the Blairsville community, specifically those who live on South Walnut and Spring streets, came to a special municipal meeting Wednesday to seek answers from borough officials regarding the progress being made to fix the damage incurred in the past few days. According to Blairsville Borough Manager Tim Evans, on May 23, the borough saw about an inch of rain within 20 minutes that caused erosion of a sewage line at North Spring Street, where a large landslide had occurred in March. What started as a small hole where Sulfur Run travels next to North Spring Street turned into a 40-foot slide — which has just gotten bigger. On Friday, the sewer line that runs through the slide area broke. The Blairsville Municipal Authority at that time brought in backup pumps for wastewater. On Saturday, Blairsville got another 2½ inches of rain with-
FDA issues new guidelines on consumption of sodium By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is pressuring the food industry to make foods from breads to sliced turkey less salty, proposing long-awaited sodium guidelines in an effort to prevent thousands of deaths each year from heart disease and stroke. The guidelines released Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration are voluntary, so food companies won’t be required to comply, and it could be a year or more before they are final. But the idea is to persuade companies and restaurants — many of which have already lowered sodium levels in their products — to take a more consistent approach. It’s the first time the government has recommended such limits. Sodium content already is included on existing food labels, but the government has not set
Ab Dettorre,
borough council member
in 40 minutes that caused more erosion. “Friday night we tarped it, and Saturday night when the storm came ‌ the tarps were shredded, pulled away from it and more of that tank was eroded,â€? said Kenneth Smith of the municipal authority. “The catch basin on the bottom of Spring (Street) broke off and damaged the well even farther.â€? As a result, residents in the area saw what was described by one resident as “a volcano of nothing but fecesâ€? coming into their basements. “I had a finished basement ... and now I have nothing. It’s just unusable space,â€? Mary Lou Tripodis, of South Walnut Street, said at the meeting. Another resident, Samantha Griffith, said her insurance company won’t cover the cost of any of the damage caused by the weekend flooding. Her hot water tank and furnace both need to be replaced. Continued on Page 8
HISTORY
Salt intake Daily milligrams recommended by the FDA
Average milligrams consumed by Americans a day
specific sodium recommendations. The guidelines suggest limits for about 150 categories of foods, from cereals to pizzas and sandwiches. There are two-year and 10-year goals. Health officials from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said overwhelming scientific evidence shows that blood pressure increases when sodium intake increases, increasing the chances of heart disease and Continued on Page 8
TOM PEEL/Gazette
DEMOLITION HAS begun on Keith Hall on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus. Constructed in 1939, the building long housed the campus laboratory school, in which children from the community were instructed by IUP student teachers. Upon hearing of plans for razing the building, former students reminisced at a reunion in fall 2014.
INDIANA COUNTY
County excise tax increases 2 percent By RANDY WELLS
rwells@indianagazette.net
Most overnight accommodations in Indiana County will become a little more expensive next month, and the additional money spent will benefit
tourism efforts, and indirectly, economic development, in the county. The county commissioners Wednesday agreed to increase the county’s excise tax from its current 3 percent to 5 percent, effective July 1. The excise tax is
added to the fees for hotels, motels, cabins, bed-andbreakfast establishments and similar facilities that offer temporary occupancy. The excise tax does not apply to several other types of facilities, including charitable institutions, university student residence halls, educational or religious institution camps for children and nursing homes. The revenue from the excise tax goes to the Indiana Continued on Page 3
Index Calendar .......................10 Classifieds ...............20-22 Comics/TV....................12
Nap’s Weekend Special: Grilled Swordfish Stauffer’s Country Store. For This Week’s Sale Items, See Page 11. Big Savings.
Dear Abby .....................14 Entertainment ..............13 Family .............................5 Lottery.............................2 Sports.......................15-19 Today in History...........14 Viewpoint .......................6
Pikel’s BP Inn: Friday: All You Can Eat Fish Dinner 4 -8:30 p.m., Saturday: Metro/ Unbridled. Indiana Gazette Online
Commissioners seek $3 million grant to add asphalt on runway By RANDY WELLS
rwells@indianagazette.net
On the recommendation of the Indiana County Airport Authority, the county commissioners Wednesday authorized the filing of a grant application to the state for up to $3 million to
add at least 2 more inches of asphalt to the runway at the Indiana County/Jimmy Stewart Airport. Airport manager Tom Robertson told the commissioners that PennDOT’s Bureau of Aviation recommended the additional layer of asphalt as a preven-
Deaths Obituaries on Page 4
63 79 A thunderstorm tonight. Partly sunny Friday. Page 2 Strawberries, Strawberries, Strawberries! Picked Fresh Daily. Yarnick’s Farm (724) 349-3904
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tive maintenance initiative. The airport authority will cover the local match that may be required for the grant. “This is not county money whatsoever,� Robertson said. In an update on efforts to Continued on Page 3
Inside NEED TO GET AWAY? Our special publication included in today’s paper spotlights a number of interesting destinations that are just a car trip away. Wet Basement? Call ITG Basement Systems Today For Free Estimate. (877) 576-1193 Your Water Proofing Structural Specialists.
SHOOTING ON CAMPUS A murder-suicide Thursday brought a massive police response and widespread fear of an active shooter on the UCLA campus. Page 9 You Pick Strawberries. Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, 8:30 - 4:30. Yarnick’s Farm (724) 349-3904