➤ MAN SENTENCED FOR DAMAGING Spencerville bridge, MORE ON PAGE 7 ➤ THURSDAY DECEMBER 27, 2012
The Garrett Clipper An edition of The
VOL. 126 ISSUE #103 On the web at: kpcnews.com
75 cents Garrett, Indiana Established in 1885
Board balks at buying police car By Sue Carpenter suec@kpcnews.net GARRETT — The Garrett Board of Works and Public Safety has stalled a request from Police Chief Keith Hefner to buy an additional squad car by the end of the year. At last Tuesday’s meeting, Hefner told the board there is enough money left in his budget to purchase a new vehicle to replace a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria squad car. The department formerly used a pool of cars, but is in the process of changing to a take-home program for officers. Hefner’s 2013 budget includes the purchase
NEWS IN BRIEF
of another vehicle, as well. Hefner said he has more than $70,000 remaining in his 2012 budget, some of which was saved through moving to central dispatching. Board member Mark Fogt said he wants to wait to make sure there are no other year-end expenses in the police budget and questioned the sense of urgency to buy the additional vehicle. “Is two weeks going to make a difference?” Fogt asked. “There’s $70,000 I haven’t spent. I lived within my budget,” Hefner said. Hefner added that the 2003 Ford has maintenance issues. He
noted the take-home program has allowed officers to respond to calls more quickly, and the vehicles are kept in better repair. Fogt said his preference would be to buy two cars next year. “I would like to see the yearend report first,” he said. The city purchased four Dodge Chargers and two Ford SUV models for the police department in 2012. In other business, the board approved a resolution for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance for the city. The measure, which is nonspecific, says the city is including ADA compliance in upcoming budgets
and projects such as curbs and sidewalks. The board approved repairing the roof on City Hall for a cost not to exceed $46,000. The Redevelopment Commission must approve of the plan first. The repair is the result of a study done earlier this year that said the roof needs to be fixed before heavy snow adds further damage. The front parapet is also a concern, according to the report. “We have been advised (of the possible danger),” said city attorney Dan Brinkerhoff. “We need to act.” The board considered an option to rent or purchase scaffolding to
A NEW HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Hamilton Lions sponsoring polar dip
Chandra Ellis, left, and her children, Michael, Brayden and Camrella, stand in front of their Christmas tree at their new home on Park Avenue in Auburn after a dedication Sunday. The home was the last project of the year for Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Indiana, and it was finished in time for the family to move in by Christmas.
HAMILTON — The Hamilton Lions will sponsor the second Annual Jack D. Gibson Memorial Scholarship Polar Bear Dip on Monday at 2 p.m. at the public beach on Hamilton Lake. Lions members will be distributing “observers” badges for donations to the scholarship fund. Those wishing to participate in the dip are asked to register at the Hamilton Real Estate office just south of the beach. Donations also may be sent to Hamilton Lions Club, P.O. Box 412, Hamilton, IN 46742. Checks should be made payable to Hamilton Lions Club. For more information, call Lion Bob Howard at 488-2357 or email bdhoward1@yahoo.com.
Parent meetings planned for grades 2-6 GARRETT — An informational meeting is planned Thursday, Jan. 10 for parents of second through sixth grade students in the GarrettKeyser-Butler School District regarding taking iPads home. Two meeting times will be offered to parents who need to attend only one session at either 10 a.m. or 6 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Topics will cover iPad usage at school and at home, security features that have been put in place on the iPads, and how parents can monitor usage, and internet safety.
Red Cross plans three blood drives The American Red Cross has scheduled three blood donation drives in DeKalb County next week: • Tuesday, Jan. 8, from noon to 6 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 1203 E. Seventh St., Auburn; • Tuesday, Jan. 8, from 8 a.m. to noon at the YMCA, 533 North St., Auburn. Each donor at this site will receive a one-day guest pass and be entered into a drawing for three sessions with a personal trainer; and • Wednesday, Jan. 9, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Judy A. Morrill Recreation Center gymnasium, 1200 E. Houston St., Garrett. People who are at least 17 years old (16 with parental permission in Indiana and Ohio), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Each donor should bring a Red Cross blood donor card or other form of positive identification. To schedule an appointment to donate, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org for more information.
The Garrett Clipper P.O. Box 59 Garrett, IN 46738 Phone: 925-2611 ext. 45 Fax: 925-2625 attn: Garrett Clipper
Octavia Lehman
Habitat for Humanity puts family under roof By Octavia Lehman olehman@kpcnews.net AUBURN — Her children dashed around the house with joy, and Chandra Ellis did not know how to thank people more, as her family received the best Christmas gift — a brand-new home just in time for Christmas. Ellis stood in her new kitchen thanking the volunteers of Habitat for Humanity. “Now we can sit down and have dinners together,” Ellis said. “I can’t thank you enough.” Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Indiana dedicated its fourth project of the year to the Ellis family Sunday afternoon, handing over the keys to the home and praying a blessing of peace upon the home and the family. Chandra and her husband, Brad, of Garrett, and their five children will begin moving into their home at 1621 Park Ave. this week. Ellis said her family is already prepared. “We’ve got the van packed and ready to go. We just have to
wait until people leave,” she said with a laugh. Brad was unable to make it to the dedication. He had to work — or forfeit holiday pay— which is precious to a family beginning mortgage payments. The Ellis family became the 53rd partner family with Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Indiana. Families who partner with Habitat make their mortgage payments to the organization. The mortgage money is then put into a revolving fund that helps finance projects for other families. Habitat builds the homes modestly with donated labor and material through local community organizations and businesses to make it more affordable for families who otherwise would not be able to buy homes. The recently retired director of Habitat, Don Cross, said Habitat is not a handout, but a hand up. “We are willing to help families who are willing to partner with us,” Cross said.
The Ellis home began only a little more than six weeks ago. Because of good weather conditions, Cross said, it was one of the smoothest projects he has seen. The project also had an outpouring of community support, according to development director McKenzie Redmond. “We had the most volunteers we’ve seen yet,” Redmond said. The day the project began, Habitat needed only 25 volunteers, but 47 showed up. The community involvement easily surpassed Redmond’s volunteer goals. “It really tells you a lot about a community,” she said. The journey to get a new home began when Ellis heard about Habitat through the Garrett Head Start, where she sent her youngest daughter to preschool. The hardest part, Ellis said, was sticking with the program when it did not look like she would make it. However, ➤Habitat, Page 7
be installed in front and on the south side of City Hall in the short term, in case the parapet should fall away from the front of the building. Any long-range decision on rehabilitation or replacement of City Hall will take at least 6-12 months, due to bond issues, bidding and other issues, Brinkerhoff said. Street superintendent Jeff Knott reported his department is getting snow removal equipment ready, and is running the street sweeper through town one more time. Work is continuing to build a sledding hill in Ocker Park, Knott said.
Police arrest 2 in armed robbery By Matt Getts mattg@kpcnews.net AUBURN — Police arrested two men Saturday afternoon in conjunction with an armed robbery early Saturday morning at an Auburn convenience store. Taylor D.E. McBee, 22, and Derek W. Rowe, 26, were booked into the DeKalb County Jail on charges of armed robbery, a Class B felony, according to Auburn Police Department Detective Stacy Sexton. Both are being held on $10,000 bond. McBee had been living in the Auburn area, but originally lived in Florida, Sexton said. Rowe is from rural Auburn. A witness told police that at 3:15 a.m., a man went into the Valero/Auburn Pride convenience store, 1902 S. Wayne St., and brandished a silver, chrome or nickelcolored revolver. The man McBee demanded cash and left the store with a small sum of money, Sexton said. Shortly before noon Saturday, someone reported two suspicious people at Martin’s Tavern, 115 N. Randolph St., Garrett. Officers from the Garrett Police Department Rowe went to the tavern and found McBee and Rowe. Garrett officers called Auburn Police and said one of the men had a nickel-colored revolver in his truck. Auburn Police Department Patrolman Jeremy Heffelfinger went to Garrett and received consent to search the truck. Inside the truck, Heffelfinger found clothing allegedly used in the armed robbery. Sexton interviewed both suspects. Police allege McBee went into the convenience store with a gun, while Rowe served as the driver and lookout. McBee allegedly told Sexton that the pair originally planned on robbing the Morningstar Truck Stop off U.S. 6 near Waterloo, but decided against it because there were too many customers. The two then went to Auburn. Sexton credited good communication between police departments with helping solve the case so quickly. “This could not have happened without cooperation between police agencies,” Sexton said. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department also assisted in the investigation.
Appeals court upholds Malloch conviction BY KATHRYN BASSETT kathrynb@kpcnews.net INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a Garrett man who was found guilty of child molesting. Steven Malloch, of the 800 block of C.R. 54, Garrett, was found guilty of the Class A felony by a DeKalb Superior Court II jury in September, 2011. The case was retried after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict in June 2011. Malloch was convicted of
molesting a child under age 14 between June 1, 2004, and March 30, 2005. In January this year, Judge Monte Brown sentenced Malloch to 28 years in prison for the offense. Malloch appealed his conviction, arguing: the court abused its discretion by denying Malloch’s motion for a continuance made three days before trial; the court erred by admitting Malloch’s statements in two videotaped interviews in which Malloch ultimately confessed to the crime; the court erred by allowing,
without admonishment, a detective’s repeated assertions of Malloch’s guilt during the videotaped interviews; the court erred by admitting Malloch’s apology letter to his victim; and that the state committed prosecutorial misconduct throughout the trial. The court of appeals filed its decision upholding the conviction on Dec. 21. During his trial, Malloch testified he had been asleep when he touched the girl and said he suffered from a condition
commonly called “sexsomnia.” Malloch said he felt “backed into a corner” when he confessed to DeKalb County Sheriff Don Lauer that he was awake when he touched the girl. At the time of Malloch’s arrest in January 2010, Lauer was a detective who investigated the case and interviewed Malloch. Malloch told the jury his confession was false, and he came to the conclusion he had to tell Lauer what he wanted to hear. ➤Malloch trial, Page 7