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Serving the Steuben County 101 lakes area since 1857
Video on CCC features interview with Pokagon State Park naturalist
Weather Mostly cloudy today. High 28. Low 18. Snow possible Saturday. Page A9
Page A2 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2012
Angola, Indiana
GOOD MORNING Man arrested on counterfeiting charges in Angola FORT WAYNE — An Angola man set to go to trial next week for forgery has been charged with counterfeiting in federal court. Scott D. Silvers, 47, is charged in federal court with using counterfeit “access devices,” or credit cards, counterfeiting, passing counterfeit money and possessing “device-making equipment,” say federal court documents. The charges stem from a raid on Silvers’ apartment in October. Officers allegedly found him sitting at a table, printing counterfeit money. They also allegedly found multiple printers, linen business paper, a manual embossing machine, a creditcard making machine and paper with copies of bills. Silvers also allegedly had other people’s birth certificates, driver’s licenses and credit cards. The investigation began when a woman tried to buy a gift card with counterfeit $10 bills at an Angola big box store. In Steuben Superior Court earlier this month, Silvers told Judge William Fee he gave the fake bills to people who were down on their luck. Silvers plans to represent himself Thursday against chief deputy prosecutor Travis Musser. Public defender Robert Hardy has been retained as stand-by counsel. Silvers faces up to 22 years in the case that includes a Class C felony forgery charge, a Class D felony counterfeiting charge and a potential designation of habitual offender. A pretrial conference is scheduled for today at noon in Superior Court.
Fremont trash, recycling services on holiday delay FREMONT — Trash will be picked up a day late this week and next in Fremont due to the Christmas and New Years holidays. Trash pick up will be on Friday and Friday, Jan., 4. Recycling pick up is also a day late this week. It will be on Saturday. The recycling schedule is the second and fourth Friday of the month. Fremont has a new color calendar with highlighted dates for 2013 for trash and recycling pick up available at the Fremont Town Hall.
MOVIE REVIEW What did KPC movie critic Jenny Kobiela-Mondor think of ‘Les Miserables’? kpcnews.com Vol. 155 No. 357
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County tables airport issue Air board president could be replaced BY JENNIFER DECKER jdecker@kpcnews.net
ANGOLA — After nearly a one-hour discussion on whether to re-appoint Dr. R. Wyatt Weaver to the Steuben County Board of Aviation Commissioners, the Steuben County Board of Commissioners tabled the issue for more fact finding Thursday. Weaver currently serves as the aviation board’s chair. The board oversees the operations of the Tri-
State Steuben County Municipal Airport. The appointment is for a fouryear term. Don Stuckey, the county’s attorney, said appointments to the four-member board and removals are made by the commissioners. Other than that, the county has no control over the board, he said. Currently, Rick Shipe, Steuben County councilman, serves as the county’s liaison on the board and
attends every meeting, but is not allowed to vote. “In my opinion, I’d like to have our county representative have a vote on county spending,” Commissioner Loretta Smart said. There was some discussion of having Shipe replace Weaver on the board. Stuckey said he didn’t think state statute prohibits a public official from serving on a board such as the aviation board. Ron Smith, president of the Steuben County commissioners, said he received a number of
emails and phone calls in support of re-appointing Weaver to the board. John Kline, airport manager, spoke in favor of Weaver. “It all seems to stem from minimum standards at the airport,” Kline said, and added those standards are mandated by the state and the Federal Aviation Administration. Kline said the airport created rules and standards to meet those requirements, but those were rejected by the FAA.
SEE COMMISSIONERS, PAGE A9
Leaders to meet on ‘cliff’ President invites top lawmakers to White House talks JUDY OXENGER JOHNSTON
Perfect snow for snow angels The beautiful sunshine found Bella Dangerfield, left, and Conner and Brianna Slee making snow angels in their yard along South Clear Lake Drive T hursday
afternoon. The fluffy snow was perfect for a variety of winter activities.
REMC helps out in time of need BY JENNIFER DECKER jdecker@kpcnews.net
ANGOLA — A few Steuben County Rural Electrical Membership Corp. linemen spent Christmas away from home helping provide power to those in need in Michigan. A severe snowstorm swept over much of Michigan over the weekend. Thousands were left without power. A cry for help reached Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives. They then reached out to Steuben County REMC. A crew of two linemen, Terry Dowell and Rod Allen, packed up their tools and headed north on Saturday. They braved extreme winter conditions of snow and ice. “The snow was so bad, it stood 4-6 inches thick on some of the poles,” Dowell said.” You could reach up and grab the cables (that hung down because of the weight of the snow).” Dowell and Allen drove to the northern part of the mainland to assist Presque Isle Electric & Gas Cooperative. According to the coop’s website, “an estimated 21,752 services lost power after a foot or
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Journeyman lineman/lead man Rod Allen, left, and journeyman lineman Terry Dowell pose with a two-track vehicle that was used to work on hard-to-access rights of way in deep snow .
more of heavy snow fell across the region late Friday morning.” By Saturday evening, the
Steuben County linemen were on the job working throughout the
SEE REMC, PAGE A9
WASHINGTON (AP) — A deadline looming, President Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders at the White House on Friday in search of a compromise to avoid a yearend “fiscal cliff” of across-theboard tax increases and deep spending cuts. The development capped a day of growing urgency in which Obama returned early from a Hawaiian vacation while lawmakers snarled across a partisan divide over responsibility for gridlock on key pocketbook issues. Speaker John Boehner called the House back into session for a highly unusual Sunday evening session. Adding to the woes confronting the middle class was a pending spike of $2 per gallon or more in milk prices if lawmakers failed to pass farm legislation by year’s end. Four days before the deadline, the White House disputed reports that Obama was sending lawmakers a scaled-down plan to avoid the fiscal cliff of tax increases and spending cuts. Administration officials confirmed the Friday meeting at the White House in a bare-bones announcement that said the president would “host a meeting.” An aide to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said the Kentucky lawmaker “is eager to hear from the president.” A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner issued a statement that said the Ohio Republican would attend and “continue to stress that the House has already passed legislation to
SEE CLIFF, PAGE A9
Cameron announces leaders for the new year FROM STAFF REPORTS
ANGOLA — Cameron Memorial Community Hospital has announced board officers and medical staff leadership for 2013. David Goodwin, retired Metropolitan School District of Steuben County superintendent, has bee elected chairman of the board. He replaces outgoing
Classified . . . . B5-B8
The excitement is BUILDING!
Deaths. . . . . . . . . A4
Goodwin
chairman Ken Dunlap, who will serve on the board as immediate past president. Dr. Thomas Miller has been selected by the medical staff to continue as chief of staff. Other board officers elected include Jeff Posendek, former Trine University athletic director, vice chairman; Dr. Berry Miller, physician, Miller
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Sports . . . . . . B1-B3
secretary; and Barbara Short, DAS Services Inc., treasurer. Dr. Larry Watkins was also elected to serve an additional three-year term on the board. In addition to Dr. Thomas Miller, Watkins was named vice chief of staff; Dr. Jonathan Alley is treasurer; and Dr. William Smith is secretary. “Cameron Hospital is very pleased to have such an excellent group of people leading the organization as we go forward in 2013,” said Greg Burns, Cameron president and CEO.
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TV, Comics, Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . B4