IN|Whitley County March 15, 2018

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March 15, 2018

Safe and sound

By Bridgett Hernandez bhernandez@kpcmedia�com

When Columbia City’s early warning system sirens sound for testing twice a month, the wail is loud enough to irritate people for miles around but, for

one group of volunteers, it’s music to their ears.

The Whitley County Siren Test Group is a group of volunteers, most of them amateur radio operators, who assist the city with testing the early warning

system at noon on the first and third Monday of each month.

The group started in 1995 when the city added five more sirens in addition to the one at City Hall.

Dan Dahms has been a

Why Miracle-Ear?

Amateur radio operators volunteer to test sirens member of the group since the beginning and serves as its coordinator. Previously, he served as the director of Whitley County Emergency Management Agency and as a volunteer firefighter.

Like others in the group,

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260-482-8503 NEWS IN BRIEF Historical Society to host annual banquet KPC News Service COLUMBIA CITY — The Whitley County Historical Society’s annual banquet will be Saturday, March 24, at the Whitley County Agricultural Museum, located at 680 W. Squawbuck Road in Columbia City.

Come early to enjoy the museum and the Art Silent Auction Fundraiser, featuring artwork of local historical buildings and places, along with animals and scenes painted by Jeanette Brown.

The Art Silent Auction begins See BRIEFS, Page2 INWhitley County 123 N. Main Street, Churubusco, IN 46723

Telephone: (260) 693-3949

Vol. 2 No. 11

he developed an interest in radio after monitoring public safety communications. He later got his license in the early 1990s.

Other members became interested in radio because See SOUND, Page2

NICOLE MINIER

Stacey Keily, a dog trainer, gives one of the rescued German Shepherds a bath at the Whitley County Humane Shelter last week. The dogs were found in “filthy” conditions, some covered in feces and urine.

COLUMBIA CITY — Rehabilitation is underway for 14 dogs allegedly found in filthy conditions at a property near Churubusco two weeks ago.

The German Shepherds, ranging in age from six months to 11 years, were found in cat carriers and small cages in a horse trailer, covered with a tarp.

The dogs were taken to the Whitley County Humane Shelter, where they are receiving the treatment they need — baths, leash training, socialization and proper nutrition.

Last week, shelter employees were just over

halfway through the first round of baths for the dogs, most of which were found dirty. Because the dogs’ cages were stacked on top of each other, the animals were covered in feces and urine.

“We’re still on round one of baths,” said Abbi Ogden, the shelter’s registered veterinary technician. “A couple will need a second bath.”

The dogs’ fur was very matted in some places, and some of the pups had ear infections, which made it painful to clean up around their ears. Overall, they’re much cleaner than when they first arrived.

“They’re cleaning up See DOGS, Page5

Program gets students in the habit of showing up

By Bridgett Hernandez bhernandez@kpcmedia�com

“Eighty percent of success is showing up,” is a common saying. To that end, a new program at Indiana Springs Middle School is tackling chronic absenteeism.

The program, which provides incentives for students to come to school,

was created by Meggan Hoag, a teacher at Little Turtle Elementary School who is working on a master’s degree in administration.

Indian Springs principal Janet Boylen began implementing the program in mid-October and described it as a “tremendous success.”

The program targets 11

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students who were identified as chronically absent. In the program, each morning, the students come to school, they put a sticker on a chart in Boylen’s office. If they come for a consecutive week, they can choose a reward.

Rewards include ice cream; picking music to listen to during class; a water

BRIDGETT HERNANDEZ

Janet Boylen, principal at Indian Springs Middle School, is seeing improvements with a new attendance program being implemented at the school.

fountain pass; eating lunch with a staff member; getting

dismissed early to the bus, See PROGRAM, Page2

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Whitley County • March 15, 2018

SOUND from Page 1 of family and friends who had their amateur radio operator license. Several members said it was an interest in technology that led to the hobby. For some, that hobby inspired a career – the group has two engineers in their ranks. “[In terms of modern communication,] most of the technology that was developed was because of amateur radio,” Dan said, noting the internet has roots in radio.

Test prep Preparation for the EMS siren/PA test starts about a week ahead of time when Dan assigns volunteers to the six locations.

On March 5, Dan and his wife Melanie, who is also an amateur radio operator, monitored the siren near the intersection of W. Lincolnway and Depoy Drive.

“This one has been known to be a problem child,” Melanie said, eyeing the towering siren.

However, the siren functioned properly, rotating while sounding a threeminute-long wail that can travel as far as a mile on a still day.

At noon, a city dispatcher

inside their house, but that’s sounds the sirens. After the the point, volunteer Edward test, each volunteer radios Scott said. He also serves as in with a status report from the deputy Whitley County their location. In addition to Emergency Management making sure that the sirens Agency director. are working, volunteers “The also assess purpose is to the physical get people integrity of who are the site to outside to make sure that it’s know that clear of any something is obstructions going on and like tree to go inside, branches. turn your Malfunccomputer tions aren’t on, turn your unheard of phone on and figure out – sometimes what’s going the sirens on,” he said. don’t shut off when they’re BRIDGETT HERNANDEZ Tuning in supposed to, Volunteer Melanie After the batteries have Dahms monitors an siren test, exploded in early warning system volunteers the past and siren near the intersecmeet up for sometimes tion of Lincolnway and lunch at a the siren Depoy Drive. local restausounds sluggish, Melanie said. rant, usually Richard’s.

The volunteers also “When we walked in interact with curious today, the manager made members of the public, she a comment that she knew said. They get questions we were coming because including: “Why is the siren the sirens were going off. going off?” and “Did you Some of the regular staff set that off?” here will get the table set People often say that they up for us when they hear can’t hear the sirens from the sirens go off,” Scott

said.

Melanie said the siren test is a good opportunity to support public safety and utilize their skills.

“It’s helping out the community, and we get to exercise our skills as radio operators,” she said.

“It’s also nice to get together as a group of friends and grab lunch afterwards.”

The amateur radio operators share a sense of camaraderie, checking into nets, or on-air gatherings, each Wednesday and Sunday.

When individuals get their license, they are assigned a unique call sign that they use to identify themselves during communication.

“You might learn a person’s call sign before you ever learn their name,” Melanie said.

Amateur radio operators can also apply for a vanity call sign, much like a custom license plate. Melanie adopted her grandfather’s call sign. He had been an amateur radio operator since the 1940s.

After he passed away, she was able to apply for his call sign.

Getting involved Volunteers often bring their spouse, children or grandchildren along for siren testing. You don’t necessarily have to be an amateur radio operator to assist in some way, Melanie said.

Getting licensed to become an amateur radio operator involves studying up on your own or taking a class to prepare for an examination on applicable regulations, electronics, radio theory and radio operation. Locally, tests are

administered at the Peabody Public Library.

There are also several local clubs that amateur radio operators can get involved in, including the Whitley County Amateur Radio Club, which gathers for general meetings 6-8 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Peabody Public Library.

General meetings are open to the public. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ groups/445281282513824.

ations where mornings are rough, she said.

“So they come into school and they see a friendly face and it helps,” she said.

On a Wednesday morning, several of the students in the program trailed through her office to put a sticker on the chart. Making sure they feel welcome is part of the program, and Boylen greeted each of them warmly.

“Good morning! How are you doing today? It’s so good to see you,” she said.

The attendance program has been simple, but effective, she said. Out of 11 students, only one student’s attendance declined and one student’s attendance remained the same. All of the other participants have improved their attendance by 2-33 percent.

One student increased his attendance from 58 percent to 90 percent. Another student increased her attendance from 67 percent to 100 percent.

It has been exciting to measure the students’ progress, Boylen said. She hopes to expand the program in the future.

The program is helping form habits that will help them succeed in the future, she said.

“You want the kids to learn the skills that they need to be successful in life.

Businesses are saying they want kids who come to work every day, so we want to enforce that,” she said.

BRIDGETT HERNANDEZ

Whitley County Siren Test Group gathered March 5 to test Columbia City’s early warning system sirens.

Pictured from left to right are John Wasmuth, Dan Dahms, Jane Wasmuth, Melanie Dahms, Edward Scott, Joe Doyle, Ted Tahmisian and Ewing Potts.

Not pictured are members Tami Pence, Mike Wright and Chasity Roser.

PROGRAM from Page 1 jumping to the front of the lunch line; sitting in the chair of their choice; a positive call or email to home; eating lunch with three friends in a staff member’s room; and eating popcorn at their lunch table.

“They really enjoy that because everyone at their table gets it, so it’s peer encouragement. They have buddies who say, ‘Hey, make

sure you’re coming because we like the popcorn,’” Boylen said.

The rewards aren’t costly, but they’re still motivating for the students, she said.

Some kids just need a little push to get them in the door.

Like most people, middle school students don’t always feel great in the morning – it’s easy to hit the snooze button and sleep in. She

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wants students to learn that just because they feel tired in the morning, it doesn’t mean that they will feel that way all day.

It can also be hard to go back to school after several days off with the flu, she added.

“Our goal is to get them coming to school on their own because they start getting in the habit and really like it,” she said.

In addition, some of the kids come from home situ-

BRIEFS from Page 1 at 11 a.m.

Enthusiastic historian Clay Geiger will be the guest speaker. Geiger is a Whitley County native, farmer, retired teacher and local historian.

His topic is titled, “Etna,

Town of Dreams.”

Dinner will be catered by Jill Daniel Catering and the cost per person is $20. There will be an award ceremony and prizes will be given away. All are welcome. For reservations, call the museum at 244-6372.

Tornado drill set for March 20 KPC News Service A statewide tornado drill will take place at 10:15 a.m. March 20 as part of Indiana’s Severe

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Weather Preparedness Week (March 18-24).

Columbia City Communications and the Whitley County Siren Test Group will activate and monitor the six early warning system sirens located within the city limits, as well as the outdoor public announcement system located at City Hall.

While the drill will be sent using live tornado warning coding, this is only a test and will be postponed to March 21 if weather conditions warrant.

The goal of Severe Weather Preparedness Week is to better educate people about the hazards of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, and to help everyone be prepared when severe weather occurs.

INwhitleycounty.com • A3

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Master Gardeners host symposium KPC News Service LIGONIER — The Whitley County Master Gardeners hosted their fifth symposium last month, with over 150 people attending the meeting and an additional 21 vendors participating.

While a portion of the attendees were other Master Gardeners from other counties across the state, there was a substantial number of non-MGs that have similar interests, and expressed how informative the symposium was and the general positive atmosphere that pervaded the meeting.

“Master Gardeners are not know-it-alls as the title might imply, but through the camaraderie that group has we learn a lot from each other and of course if no one has an answer, there is always Google,” said Master Gardener Johan Bernard.

The theme of the symposium was “The Good, The Bad and the ugly.” The good: tomatoes and the literally hundreds of varieties are available and grown for specific tastes and functions; speech given

by Patricia Knott.

The bad: pests in the garden, talks given

by Cliff Sadofs and John Woodmansee, and injuries sustained through repetitive motions and how to correct this, speech given by Cynthia Ruich]. The ugly: Cliff Sadof showed some graphic videos of pests being disposed of by beneficial insects and animals.

Some nice and non-committal ways to get acquainted with the Master Gardeners are as follows: • On Saturday, June 23, the Master Gardeners of Whitley County will be holding their annual Garden Walk9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Tickets are $8 pre-sale and $10 on the day of the event. They can be purchased at the Extension Office in Columbia City, 115 S. Line St. • Every first Thursday of the month, the Master Gardeners meet at Parkview Whitley Hospital, Classroom B at 7 p.m. for an approximately half hour educational gardening presentation, which the public is welcome to attend.

“Master Gardeners — an absolutely wonderful group to belong to,” Bernard said.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Attendees of the Master Gardener’s symposium listen to a speaker in the cafetorium at Indian Springs Middle School.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Master Gardener Garry Hill examines a brochure at the Purdue Extension booth.

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Master Gardeners Janice Klophenstein and Terri Christl bag up some items.

Susan Farris and Judy Wright, Master Gardeners, converse during the symposium.

If your interests run in their direction and you have free time available to become a Master Gardener and join the group, contact Woodmansee at 244-6751.

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Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Salvation Army hosts first in class series Donate to organization’s sock drive KPC News Service COLUMBIA CITY — With the help of the Purdue Extension Office, the Salvation Army of Whitley County hosted its first free class of the season.

On Feb. 23, Christine Scroggs, of the Salvation Army, and Cindy Barnett, of the Purdue Extension Office, presented Crockpot Cookin’.

This was the first class offered by the Whitley County Salvation Army in a few years, and it was well attended, Scroggs said.

“I was very pleased with the turn out and the enthusiasm,” she said. “Those who attended were excited to learn, to jump in and get involved.”

Attendees were from different age ranges and different cooking skill levels

— men and women.

“It was a blast,” Scroggs said.

The next class to be offered will be a gardening class.

Scroggs has arranged for Master Gardener John Woodmansee to teach “Gardening in Small Spaces: Growing Veggies in Containers.”

This class will be offered in May. Watch the Salvation Army Whitley County Facebook page for information and registration closer to time, or call Scroggs at the Salvation Army office at 248-1711. Office hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Salvation Army of Whitley County asks you to “Sock it to Us!” Kids go through socks left and right, and if we can give

each student a couple pairs to help when we give out shoes, it’s just a perk that helps moms and dads.

Who doesn’t love getting silly, warm, fuzzy colorful socks? The Salvation Army of Whitley County is seeking assistance from the community.

One of the Salvation Army’s programs every year is the Tools for Schools program and Sole Purpose (shoe vouchers), which help school children in the community start the school year.

This year, we are hoping to add to those items and provide socks to students too. For the entire month of March, the Salvation Army is collecting donations of new socks for school aged kids from pre-K thru 12th grade.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

The Salvation Army of Whitley County put on a Crock-Pot cooking class at the Extension Office in Columbia City.

Shoe Sensation is giving a 20-percent discount for any socks purchased for the Salvation Army sock drive.

“If you can help, pick up a package or two of socks

WHITLEY COUNTY JAIL BOOKINGS KPC News Service The following people were booked into the Whitley County Jail:

possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, OWI controlled substance and OWI per se controlled substance.

• John Rogers, 30, of Claypool, was arrested March 2 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with violation of suspended sentence.

• Mary Finney, 27, of Fort Wayne, was arrested March 2 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with escape.

• Jesse Kincaid, 57, of South Whitley, was arrested March 2 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with domestic battery.

• Joshua Hoover, 25, of Fort Wayne, was arrested March 2 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with possession of parapher-

• Jennifer Polly, 43, of Churubusco, was arrested March 1 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with battery causing bodily injury.

• John Dale, 50, of Columbia City, was arrested March 1 by the Columbia City Police Department, charged with driving while suspended.

• Michael Houck, 21, of Pleasant Lake, was arrested March 2 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of hypodermic needles.

• John Sawicki, 20, of Columbia City, was arrested March 2 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with

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nalia and possession of marijuana.

• Beau March, 21, of South Whitley, was arrested March 3 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

• Kenneth Furness, 33, of Chesterton, was arrested March 3 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with OWI controlled substance, OWI per se, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.

• Jajuan McCord, 25, of Gary, was arrested March 3 by the Indiana State Police, charged with possession of marijuana.

• Amy Miller, 43, of Larwill, was arrested March 3 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

• Tyrone Stamps, 37, of Decatur, was arrested March 3 by the Whitley

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PHONE (260) 693-3949 (USPS 009-385) Periodical Postage Paid at Churubusco, IN 46723 Nicole Minier, Editor Located at 123 N. Main Street, Churubusco, Indiana 46723. www.inwhitleycounty.com Articles appearing in the INWhitley County do not necessarily represent the views of this paper.

INWhitley County is a FREE direct mailed newspaper delivered to over 13,000 homes and businesses in Whitley County.

The paper is mailed to addresses in Columbia City, Larwill, and South Whitley. While we are a

free paper for local businesses and residents, we do charge a mail subscription fee to those out of our area. This fee must be paid in advance and is as follows: InState $26 one year, Out-of-state $39 one year.

You may also call our office during regular business hours to subscribe at (800) 717-4679.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: INWhitley County, P.O. Box 39, Kendallville, IN 46755.

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County Sheriff’s Department, charged with driving while suspended prior, possession of marijuana, OWI controlled substance, OWI per se and maintaining a common nuisance.

• William Morris, 55, of Columbia City, was arrested March 4 by the Columbia City Police Department, charged with failure to comply.

• Gerald Tyrrell, 53, of Columbia City, was arrested March 5 by the Indiana State Police, charged with maintaining a common nuisance, possession of marijuana, dealing marijuana and dealing a controlled substance.

• Gerald Tyrell II, 29, of Columbia City, was arrested March 5 by the Indiana State Police, charged with maintaining a common nuisance, possession of paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

• Adrian Lukasik, 24, of Warrenville, Ill., was arrested March 6 by the Columbia City Police Department, charged with possession of marijuana and visiting a common nuisance.

• Jordan Bernardini, 20, of Aurora, Ill., was arrested March 6 by the Columbia City Police Department, charged with OWI controlled substance, OWI per se controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

• Gary Seibert, 37, of Churubusco, was arrested March 6 by the Indiana State Police, charged with being an habitual traffic violator.

• Andrew Caudill, 29, of Churubusco, was arrested March 6 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, charged with probation violation.

and drop it into the laundry baskets at the Whitley County Salvation Army office, Shoe Sensation, or the Whitley County Chamber of Commerce, and help

Whitley County students start the 2018-2019 school year foot-loose and fancy free,” Scroggs said. “Thank you, Whitley County for your help and support.”

Wilson sentenced for burglary

By Bridgett Hernandez bhernandez@kpcmedia.com

A South Whitley woman charged with burglary appeared for formal sentencing as part of the Whitley County Circuit Court proceedings March 5.

Destiny Wilson, 20, of South Whitley, previously pleaded guilty to burglary, a level-one felony. In December, she and Gavin Ulshafer, 19, of Liberty Mills, allegedly broke into a property and stole $250, a handgun and several other objects.

At the sentencing hearing, Wilson appeared with public defense attorney Zach Baber.

He asked Judge Matthew Rentschler to consider several mitigating factors, including Wilson’s young age and cooperation with authorities.

In response, prosecuting attorney D.J. Sigler agreed that Wilson was cooperative and that “she’s of a tender age,” but said that she’s also an adult and knows better.

In a prepared statement, Wilson apologized to the court and victim and thanked her family for their support.

Judge Rentschler sentenced Wilson to three years with half to be served at the Whitley County Jail and the other half to be suspended, noting that she is eligible for the work release program. Wilson was also ordered to repay the victim and get her GED as a condition of her probation.

In other Whitley County Circuit Court news: Judge Rentschler denied a motion to revoke bond for Jordin Shoda, 26, of Columbia City.

Shoda is charged with three counts of child

molesting.

The motion to revoke Shoda’s bond came after the defendant and a woman, who is involved in the case and has a civil protective order against him, allegedly ran into each other in the parking lot of a tavern in Columbia City. According to the woman’s testimony, the two exchanged words and she took a swing at him and missed.

Shoda’s attorney Travis Friend said his client did nothing to violate the civil protective order.

“The only thing he did was duck when she pulled a swing at him. That’s it.

That’s not a violation of the civil protective order,” he said.

After hearing witness testimony and arguments from both sides, Rentschler said that he didn’t think that the nature of the incident was something that was planned out or intended.

“I think you ran into each other and you both reacted,” he said.

However, he cautioned Shoda that future incidents would be judged in light of this past incident.

Bradley Schuman, 46, of Columbia City, appeared for an initial hearing on a battery charge, a level-five felony punishable by up to six years incarceration.

Schuman entered a preliminary plea of not guilty and will appear in court again April 9.

Mary Finney, 27, of Fort Wayne, appeared in court for an initial hearing. She is charged with escaping from the work release program.

She will appear in court again April 9.

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

OBITS

Annette Wolfe

COLUMBIA CITY — Annette Sue (Bardey) Wolfe, 49, of London, Ohio, died Sunday, March 4, 2018, at her residence.

Funeral services were Saturday at Smith and Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City. Interment was in Jefferson Chapel Sandbank Cemetery.

Alfred Baatz COLUMBIA CITY — Alfred Carl Baatz, 86, of Columbia City, died at 8:12 a.m.

Friday, March 2, 2018 at Parkview Whitley hospital.

Funeral services were Sunday at Smith and Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City. There was a private family burial.

Memorials are to the Columbia City Rotary Club or the Whitley County 4-H.

Raymond Sheets COLUMBIA CITY — Raymond L. Sheets, 83, formerly of Larwill, died Friday, March 2, 2018, at his home in Warsaw.

Funeral services were Friday at Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City. Burial was in Eberhard Cemetery.

Memorials are to Kosciusko Home Care and Hospice.

Edna Sampson COLUMBIA CITY — Edna C. Sampson, 87, of Columbia City, died at 10:14 a.m.

Friday, March 2, 2018 at Parkview Regional Medical Center, Fort Wayne.

Services were Wednesday at Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City. Burial was in the South Park Annex Cemetery.

Memorials are to the Church of the Nazarene, Columbia City.

Obituary Policy INWhitley County does not charge for death notices that include notice of calling hours, date and time of funeral and burial. An extended obituary, which includes survivors, biographical information and a photo, is available for a charge.

Deadline for funeral homes to place obituaries is 9 a.m. Tuesday. The email address is: obits@ kpcmedia.com.

Submitted obituaries must contain the name and phone number of the funeral home.

For information, contact Kathryn Bassett at 260-347-0400, ext.

2526.

INwhitleycounty.com • A5

Do you have aliens in your evergreens?

My title may conjure up images borne from science fiction movies, and I’d like to “make you JOHN E. look.”

WOODMANSEE There is a pest that may be lurking in your evergreen trees, and from now through early May is a good time to scout for it. If a problem exists, you can employ a simple, non-chemical control strategy. But, it will take some time and effort.

The pests are called bagworms. These illusive pests can kill evergreens, their primary target. These caterpillars, named for their habit of living in leaf-covered silken bags, are most commonly found in dense plantings of evergreen spruces, pines and arborvitae. They damage these trees by stripping their needles or leaves. Occasionally it can even attack some deciduous ornamental trees.

However, Purdue Extension entomologist Cliff Sadof said in a recent Purdue Landscape Report article that the evergreen bagworm may have been killed by the cold weather we had at the end of December and early January.

“Evergreen shrubs, like juniper, red cedar, falsecypress, spruce, arborvitae, fir and pines can be killed when they

lose more than half of their leaves to this pest,” Sadof said. “Although deciduous trees like maples, elms, birch, crabapples, willows and poplars are more likely to survive when they lose their leaves, affected trees are unsightly and repeated defoliation is likely to kill these trees.”

The non-chemical strategies that can be employed now to combat this pest are inspection and physical removal of bags.

Inspection involves removing a random sampling of a few of the larger bags from last year. These contain last year’s females, and inside her body are the eggs. See if the eggs inside are a healthy creamy color. If they are, they survived. If everything inside is brown and brittle, the eggs did not survive.

Each female bag can produce over 1,000 bagworms.

If some of the bags contain live eggs, then picking off the bags and drowning in soapy water is the next step.

Alternatively, they can be burned.

“Unlike many insects who insulate themselves from the cold by burying below the soil surface, bagworm eggs dangle in bags from branches, well above the soil,” Sadof said. “Also, they lack the protective mechanisms that many other insects have to protect their tender tissues from ice crystals that form during the freezing process.” Sadof said research conducted at Purdue shows that most bagworm eggs can die when they are kept below -0.6 degrees

Fahrenheit for 24 hours.

So, if the daily high temperature is less this temperature you may not have a bagworm problem.

“Bagworms hatch from old bags, filled with eggs in late May or early June,” Sadof said. “Young caterpillars crawl out of the bags and either crawl to new leaves, or are blown on silken strands to new plants.” Sadof said the caterpillars continue feeding through August when winged male bagworms fly out of their own bags to mate with wingless females.

Bags of mature females can be up to 2 inches long and are often mistaken for pine cones.

“If you do live in areas where it was colder than 0 degrees, you should check your bagworm infested plants for new bags starting in late May,” Sadof said.

When I have observed young bagworms in evergreens in early June, it almost appears like a piece of fuzz stuck between needles – but it moves! If these young bagworms are observed on your trees, it is the prime time of the year to employ a chemical control, if you so choose. Typically, this is around mid-June in northern Indiana.

Find Sadof’s complete article at purduelandscapereport.org. For more information on bagworms, search for Purdue Extension publication E-27-W, Bagworms, at Purdue Extension’s Education Store, mdc.itap.purdue. edu.

— John Woodmansee is an extension educator in Whitley and Noble counties.

Smith to deliver sermon Collins United Methodist Church in Columbia City will welcome Curtis Smith, former chief meteorologist for 21 Alive and current director of community outreach for Parkview Health, as a special guest speaker

March 18.

Smith will deliver a sermon titled “Beyond Your Imagination!” at Collins UMC’s 10:1511:30 a.m. Sunday service.

Snacks will be provided before the

service, 9:45-10:15 a.m. All are welcome to join. The church is located at 5524 E. Darland St. Smith

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pretty nice and look a lot better,” Ogden said.

Another priority for the shelter is getting the dogs properly fed and watered.

When the canines were first picked up, the dogs were severely dehydrated.

Many were underweight.

“They’re finally slowing down and not eating like they’re starving to death,” Ogden said. “They’re gaining weight, only a couple of them are below 40 pounds still. We’re on the right track.”

Being trapped in small cages causes kennel stress, or kennel craze, in dogs. Symptoms include tail chasing, bed chewing, lethargy, shivering or shaking and pacing.

“We have a couple that still spin, but most have settled down,” Ogden said. “Being in those small cages literally drives them insane.”

The dogs are being socialized with each other and humans.

“They love human attention and being around other dogs,” Ogden said. “This morning, it was neat, we had them in playgroups.

You could tell they were happy to be with each other.”

Among the 14 dogs are several 6-month-old littermates, who have been reunited with each other.

Another important part of their rehabilitation is leash training.

“They’d never been on a leash before,” Ogden said. “They’re getting a lot better.”

The dogs haven’t shown any aggression, and Ogden thinks they will make good pets someday.

“Considering the conditions they were living in, they’re very social dogs,” Ogden said.

The dogs are not up for adoption at this time, as the case remains part of the Whitley County court system. Their owner, Ronald Drudge II, 45, was arrested March 6 by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department. He appeared in Whitley Superior Court for his initial hearing Monday.

Drudge faces five counts of animal cruelty, Class A misdemeanors.

Legal issues will need to be resolved before they can be adopted, along with the continued rehabilitation.

“We have no clue when that would be,” said Ogden. “It could be days or it could be months.”

The shelter has already received eight adoption applications for the dogs.

“If they become the shelter’s property, we will let the community know,” she said.

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A6 • INwhitleycounty.com

OPINION LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Citizens weigh in on referendum Dear Editor, Both of our daughters went to Smith-Green Community Schools from K-12 and they have long-since graduated.

My husband and I are more or less retired now.

We don’t have children or grandchildren in the school system, nor are we likely to. Nevertheless, we both very much support Smith-Green Community Schools and we will both vote “Yes” on May 8 for the referendum to fund the schools.

I believe this community will fail if it does not have its school system at its heart, and while they don’t put it quite that baldly, I believe that that is what the future holds if the school system isn’t funded. We all cheer when our state taxes are cut, but when the state then cuts its funding to our institutions, we cringe at making up the shortfall.

Smith-Green Community Schools have made deep budget cuts in order to manage under the state’s funding formula for schools, which ties funding to enrollment.

Even though our schools have attracted students from outside the district,

it has not been enough to make up for declining enrollment due to the demographics of the county. The school is operating in the red and changes will have to happen by next summer, either through a tax increase sufficient to support it, or by drastic and painful cuts to staff, programs and athletics, with possibly even worse scenarios to follow.

The primary election is May 8. Before that, the deadline to register to vote is April 9. You can confirm that you are registered at indianavoters.in.gov, and you can register there, as well. If you don’t want to choose a party ballot in the primary, you can ask for a ballot for just the referendum.

We all choose to live in this rural community, and I expect that we are all proud of the accomplishments of our community’s students and the school.

Smith-Green Community Schools can boast excellent academics, as well as athletic, fine arts and FFA programs to be proud of. Churubusco High School has a graduation rate of 96 percent, and over 30 percent of its students graduate with honors diplomas. It

offers the same number of dual-credit courses as Southwest Allen County, and 30 percent of CHS graduates leave with a number of college credits to their name already.

This heart of our community is a treasure to be proud of. And we could lose this treasure — it is in jeopardy. Smith Township, Green Township, we’re all needed to protect what we have. It could all go away. It is time to step up on May 8 to Save Busco Schools.

— Jeanne Raines Churubusco Dear Editor, My family moved from Fort Wayne to the Churubusco area in 1985 to get our two young daughters into a small school and away from Fort Wayne busing. It also gave us the opportunity to live on Blue Lake for 20 years.

We now have two of our five grandkids attending Smith-Green schools. As much as we have come to love the Churubusco community and SmithGreen schools, we are against the upcoming tax referendum. We will not pay an additional $500-$1,000 per year.

It is not our fault or any other citizen of Smith and Green townships that

the school board made mistakes in their budget with blind numbers and hopes that weren’t there.

There is an organized group of non-Churubusco residents trying to force this on us, even though the leaders don’t live here. There isn’t time for the rest of us to organize, but we need to get out and vote “no.” They even made the statement that people who are against something don’t bother to vote, which is why they are organizing to get their members to vote “yes.”

Many of their members have kids that attend Smith-Green, but do not live in the Smith-Green township, so they won’t have to pay the proposed tax.

Our youngest grandkid will graduate in five years. Smith-Green will still be there and they will be able to make the decision to stay or move as they see fit.

We know we are going to catch some flack for this letter, but so be it.

Just remember this, this tax increase is for a long time, unless they decide this is not enough, and then they may go for an increase. We vote “no.”

— Dan and Erna Maurer Churubusco

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Community benefits from volunteerism There are many things in Whitley County that happen behind the scenes, making our community a better place thanks to volunteers. Some are more obvious than others.

This week IN|Whitley County published an article about the group of amateur radio operators who, several times a month, volunteer their time to make sure Columbia City’s tornado sirens are operating properly. Tornado sirens are sometimes taken for granted. They aren’t needed on a daily basis, but when they’re needed — they’re needed.

Without assistance from the volunteers who report siren issues back to the city, the city would likely have to utilize its own resources for the siren test.

There are many other examples of volunteerism benefiting the community as a whole, such as the Whitley County Humane Shelter. The shelter only has three employees. The rest of the functions are carried out by volunteers.

A few weeks ago, some of those volunteers braved “filthy” conditions to rescue more than a dozen German Shepherds from an

Our view area home.

Another example is the Whitley County 4-H Fair, which wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of volunteers. Nearly all jobs at the fair are carried out by volunteers — from manning concession stands to hauling manure.

Some of us don’t have extra money to donate to causes, but we can still help the community by volunteering our time. Excited by the work being done at our local nonprofits? Ask if you can lend a hand. For some, even giving an hour of your time might make a tremendous difference.

“Wherever you turn, you can find someone who needs you. Even if it is a little thing, do something for which there is no pay, but the privilege of doing it. Remember, you don’t live in the world all of your own.” — Albert Schweitzer.

Anti-trade talk, tariffs alarm rural Indiana Trump Country in Indiana is the country, the rural areas that former radio host Mike Pence used to describe as the land of the “amber BRIAN waves of HOWEY grain.”

In Adams County Donald Trump won with 73.9 percent of the vote in 2016, in Benton County it was 70.6 percent, Clinton County 71.7 percent, DeKalb County 71.7 percent, LaGrange County 74.9 percent, Whitley County 73 percent and Daviess County, a whopping 79.6 percent..

And it was that way across most rural counties without a city of more than 15,000 population. While Mitt Romney won rural Indiana by a two-to-one margin in 2012 against President Obama, Trump won it by a three-to-one margin. Part of that uptick was Gov. Mike Pence

on the ticket. The other was a loathing of Hillary Clinton.

Patrick Pfingsten, then with the Corydon Group, noted in a November 2016 column for Hoosier Ag Today that “Trump is no force on agriculture policy.

He made a statement in favor of ethanol prior to the Iowa caucus, that he read from a prepared text.

He’s also made no mention of how he would approach a Farm Bill, which will likely be negotiated during his term. The most striking thing may truly be his fierce opposition to trade. Agricultural trade is essential for farmers from Indiana and the entire U.S. We simply grow more than we can use, so it has to go somewhere. That’s why so many farm groups work so hard to grow trade markets around the world, and why many were so quick to support the Trans Pacific Partnership.”

And he wrote this gem: “It’s not because of Trump’s deep understanding of agriculture or rural areas. In fact, singing the ‘Green Acres’ theme song during the Emmy Awards in 2005 may be the closest Trump has ever

come to a farm.”

The Manhattan billionaire’s draw in 2016 was the economic populism that resonated across rural America, because, as Pfingsten wrote, “Commodity prices are low, inputs are high, jobs are leaving, kids aren’t staying home after college, schools are struggling and infrastructure is crumbling.” Or as Public Opinion Strategies pollster Gene Ulm, who surveyed in 2016 for WTHR and Howey Politics, observed, Hoosier folks were wondering why their grown children were still living in their basements.

Pfingsten made this prescient observation: “Moving forward, farmers and small town residents may be happy with the populist economic message of the new president-elect, but they must speak up to elected officials on important agriculture issues.”

Fast forward to last week when President Trump, described as isolated, raging and “unglued” after his fifth communications director Hope Hicks bolted, abruptly used the steel

and aluminum tariffs to lash out at his own West Wing demons who argued mightily against the tariffs. It was so unhinged that most federal agencies who deal with import/ export issues had no time to prepare. Top economic adviser Gary Cohn has resigned, and while Vice President Pence, once an ardent free trader, is publicly supportive of the Trump tariffs, Politico reports that he is quietly conveying alarms to President Trump from Hoosier Republicans.

The potential impacts are creating a shudder in Hoosier Trump country. Bob Kraft who headed the Indiana Farm Bureau’s government affairs, wrote in his Howey Politics Indiana column, “Concern that those tariffs may trigger retaliatory tariffs on American products by key international trading partners is generating apprehension throughout Indiana’s agricultural community. In spite of the pride many Hoosier farmers take in our Indiana brand, it doesn’t mean much in the international market for raw

bulk commodities such as soybeans and corn which comprise the majority of the state’s agricultural exports.”

There are concerns that Trump’s pulling out of the Trans Pacific Partnership and his threats against NAFTA are exacerbating the anxiety. The American Farm Bureau Federation projected the TPP to increase Indiana annual crop cash receipts and net imports by $196 million and $98.3 million respectively.

Indiana Corn Growers Association President Sarah Delbecq of DeKalb County said if the U.S. pulls out of NAFTA it “would be particularly catastrophic for Indiana corn farmers.” Purdue University has estimated that corn prices would fall as much as 50 cents a bushel a year without NAFTA. If the alarms bells were ringing conspicuously after Trump pulled the plug on the TPP, giving China an easy route to fill that void, they were in full clang when Reuters reported on Feb. 22 that Mexican imports of Brazilian corn jumped 970 percent —

yes, 970 percent — over 2016 in the last quarter of 2017.

“We bought from Brazil for two reasons,” Edmundo Miranda, commercial director of grain merchant Grupo Gramosa, told Reuters. “One, because it was competitive. Two, to see how practical and profitable it was to buy from Brazil or Argentina given the possibility of trade tariffs because of NAFTA renegotiations.”

The reality is that Trump campaigned conspicuously throughout 2015 and 2016 against TPP, NAFTA with many of his speeches filled with anti-free trade rhetoric. Many in rural Indiana readily chanted “build that wall.”

As other nations, many of them U.S. allies, prepare to retaliate on the tariffs, it will be American consumers picking up the tab. The emerging reality is that the wall being built may be around Hoosier exports.

— Brian Howey is publisher of the Howey Political Report, a weekly briefing on Indiana politics. Contact him at 317-506-0883 or at howeypolitics.com.

INwhitleycounty.com • A7

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Rotary auction provides for community

By Nicole Minier nminier@kpcmedia.com

CHURUBUSCO — Over the past 74 years, the Churubusco Rotary Club auction has provided many opportunities for the community.

The Rotary’s motto is “service above self” and Churubusco’s club exemplifies that through its contributions to many different entities.

Over the past 20 years, the Churubusco Rotary Club has provided over $250,000 in scholarships

to Churubusco High School seniors, and about the same amount of money is spent on the community and school, helping fund many projects.

In the past year, the rotary has contributed to the library, several school groups, the Churubusco Youth Foundation, Churubusco Town Park, Toys for Tots, food pantries, child care and nursery school scholarships and Junior Achievement.

The club sent a local student to Leadership Whitley County and two students to Rotary Youth Leadership training.

The club sent a student to Girls State, assisted Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Turtle Days, and the club holds a banquet every April for Churubusco High School students.

Rotary Clubs are located in almost every country of the world.

Worldwide membership totals 1.2 million. The

local club was chartered in 1944 — the 75th anniversary is coming in up in 2019.

The Churubusco Rotary Club will host its 25th annual auction at Churubusco High School’s cafeteria Wednesday, March 21. A free-will offering meal will be offered starting at 5:45 p.m., followed by the auction at 6:30 p.m. This year’s auction has over 180 items up for bid or offered in the raffle and tip boards

Event is March 21

sales.

This year, a request has been made from the fire department for some needed items.

“With a successful auction, we hope we can contribute some funds to them,” said Chuck Jones, of the Rotary Club.

In addition to the club’s annual auction, it also hosts a golf outing each year. Last year, the club raised $7,500 from the outing. Last year’s auction netted $19,500.

Much of the Rotary

Club’s money comes from generous donations from local businesses and individuals, and those who purchase items from the auction. The local club has 25 members who come from the business community. They meet at Churubusco St. John Catholic Church’s basement at noon every Tuesday. Members pay their own national and district due to participate; that money does not come out of funds raised by the community.

change would decrease the tax rate by two cents.

After leading the Churubusco boys basketball team to an 11-11 season and sectional runner-up finish, Dennis Hoff resigned his basketball position. Churubusco had been under the direction of Hoff for the previous six seasons.

Donald Gering, of Churubusco, retired after 33 years of service with Northern Indiana Public Service Company, NIPSCO. The Mayor’s Spring Small Business Conference was planned for the Lehmberg Medical Building on the grounds of Whitley County Memorial Hospital. Columbia City’s mayor was Jim Teghtmeyer.

50 years ago The town of Churubusco released its development plan. The plan called for new streets, parks and an urban renewal project for the town.

Stan Schenher was named the Churubusco boys basketball team’s most valuable player, with a per-game average of

19.7 points.

The Office of Traffic Safety put into law that all slow moving vehicles must display a new triangle-shaped safety sign.

It was equally effective at night as it was by day, and was expected to save numerous lives.

BANGS store in Churubusco offered $1.99 women’s purses, Easter cards for 5 cents and miniature cars for 57 cents.

60 years ago Franklin Geiger became head of the Rotary Club, replacing Hubert Nichter.

Blumenthal’s “goingout-of-business” sale started with prices of mens suits at $29.88 and bedspreads at $4.44.

The Whitley County Department of Health reported 100 births and 38 deaths during January and February, its first two months of operation.

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Kilworth announced the birth of their daughter, Linda Sue. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Johnston announced the birth of their daughter, Melissa Sue.

YESTERDAY One year ago Smith-Green Community Schools’ board of trustees was considering three candidates for an open board position that was vacated by Carey Jacquay: Sharon Bertrand, Jeremy Hart and Brenda Saggars.

46 Graphics renovated a former C&A Tool building to move its business to downtown Churubusco.

The company provides a variety of services, such as screenprinting, embroidery, signage, vinyl lettering and wraps, and photo canvases.

Churubusco’s boys basketball season came to an end at the regional in North Judson. It was the first regional game in the history of the school.

IGS Energy reported Whitley County saved $7,400 in five months by using its company rather than NIPSCO. 10 years ago Whitley County’s Republican party planned a candidate forum for the Whitley County Commissioner candidates in upcoming primary election. Candidates included incumbent Commissioner

Jim Pettigrew, who was challenged by Mark Roach and Don Amber.

Bob Allman, of the Churubusco News, and Chuck Mathieu, collaborated to create the Churubusco History Calendar, which netted a $1,855 donation to the Churubusco Public Library.

Michael and Kimberly Sajdak announced the birth of their daughter, Marilyn Rose.

The Smith Township Fire Department responded to a house fire at County Road 450 East, four miles west of Churubusco. Chief Roger Bennett was first to arrive and reported a single story residential structure with heavy fire and smoke coming from the structure, and that all occupants were out.

15 years ago Members of the Churubusco Women’s Literary Club presented Dr. Russell Gillion, Dr. Dionne Hladin and Dr. Richard Zollinger with a basket of children’s books for their lobby. The literacy group, which was 98 years old at the time, had been holding meetings

in the dentist office for many years.

New members of the National Junior Honor Society from Churubusco Middle School were inducted. Those were: Chelsea Roth, Kerry Stauffer, Taylor Oler, Lance McParlan, Scott Marr, Brock Egolf, Kelsey Gibson, Tom Zumbrun and Nathan Wyss.

Little Victories of Whitley County’s First Steps/Step Ahead kicked off Disabilities Awareness Month with a luncheon and awards program.

September McConnell, director of the Whitley County Community Foundation, emceed the event.

Bringing another life science company to northeastern Indiana, recently Precimed announced its intentions to install its first U.S. production facility in Columbia City.

The Churubusco American Legion euchre tournament was a success.

There were 24 players with Amy Thomas as the top winner.

STAR Financial Bank named Robin Wright as regional president. The

region president position was left vacant after the retirement of 38-year STAR Financial banking veteran, Bob Smith.

25 years ago The Churubusco Fire Department was working together with the Churubusco Chamber of Commerce for a plan which would save time, money and lives. Chamber Director Julie Miller said the fire department would be surveying chamber businesses and giving a report for a “business plan” that would be fed into the fire department’s computer for use during fire runs.

A talent show for Whitley County teens was planned by the Columbia City and Churubusco Campus Life programs. A $50 prize would be given to the winner.

The Smith-Green Community Schools’ Board of Trustees quickly acted on market conditions, allowing them to refinance the last building project bond issue. The board negotiated a savings of over $78,000 over the term of the lease. The

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A8 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Sorority celebrates Valentine’s Day

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Kris Richey displays an antique Valentine which she shared with the group during its March meeting.

Contributed COLUMBIA CITY — The Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Eta Fine Arts Sorority met in February to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Hostess Carol Pfeiffer set a festive Valentine red and white table, serving heartshaped frosted cookies, chocolates, nuts, a vegetable platter and dip, iced peach tea and coffee.

Members continued the “Let’s Celebrate” theme by sharing gifts.

These included homemade cookies, truffles, pens, dried snack assortments, candy hearts, gift bags, Valentine tattoos, individualized limerick

Valentines and an original poem. DiAnna Weiss shared several short quotes and Kris Richey showed a vintage Valentine that has come down in her family of a girl with a jukebox. The girl raises her arm to put the nickel in the machine.

Guest speaker Jeff Wike shared information about the mission and programs of the Center for Whitley County Youth on Market St. Starting in 2005 with an empty building, staff and volunteers provided an after-school program for middle school students.

This continues and has expanded to programs

for high school ages.

Students volunteer and mentor others learning life skills. Activities include homework help, games and activities and option times when community people bring activities which vary greatly: baking, arts, model rockets, crocheting and computer programming, for example.

Meals are provided five nights a week, with the Forklift Free Community Meal served on Mondays.

One of the Center’s job skill training experiences is the youth running all aspects of a cafe.

Students are also hired in the summer to run the

center ice shaved ice business. A benefit cook-off will be held April 19 at the First Church of God to help fund The Center.

The Center is not affiliated with any one church, but many churches help with various programs.

Wike has been with the Center since its inception.

Mary Helfrich directed chorus practice, accompanied by Susan McClish.

President Janelle Smith conducted the business meeting. Plans were discussed for performances in April and June.

Marilee York, long-time Epsilon member, was honored with a flower recently at her funeral.

Whitley County recognized at conference KPC News Service INDIANAPOLIS — More than 400 Hoosier young farmers traveled to Indianapolis this past weekend for the annual Indiana Farm Bureau Young Farmer Leadership Conference. Several farmers and county young farmer programs were honored for their accomplishments in 2017, including Whitley

County.

Whitley, Putnam and Fulton county Farm Bureaus received the Awakening Award.

The Awakening Award was started in 1998 to encourage growth and momentum with new and developing county young farmer programs.

Programs that are new or have not applied for the contest in the

last three years were eligible.

Spencer County Farm Bureau’s young farmer program was recognized with the Outstanding County Young Farmer Award, given to the top program in the state.

One young farmer representative from the county will receive an expenses-paid trip to the American Farm

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Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Leadership Conference in Reno, Nevada, in February.

Jasper and Fulton counties were runners-up.

Morgan County Farm Bureau was recognized as the Most Improved Young Farmer Program this year. This is based on a comparison of activities of the past three years and how the activities and programs of that county’s young farmer program have improved.

Three county young farmer programs were recognized for their contributions to Feeding America, a nonprofit with a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and more. Bartholomew County Farm Bureau donated the most money to Feeding America, collecting $4,000, and Jasper County Farm Bureau donated the most non-perishable food items, a total of 420 pounds of food.

Bartholomew County

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Last month, the Whitley County Farm Bureau Young Farmer program was awarded the Awakening Award by the Indiana Farm Bureau. The award is given to counties that have shown growth and momentum with new and developing Young Farmer programs.

Pictured from left, Kelly Snipes, outgoing Indiana Farm Bureau Young Farmer Committee chair, presents Awakening Award to Dane Drew, Whitley County Farm Bureau President and Megan Rawles, Whitley County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Chair.

Farm Bureau also donated the most time, with 780 hours.

Conference attendees also raised money for two other special causes, the Indiana 4-H Foundation and the FFA Foundation. Attendees voted with their wallets to see which INFB member would be asked to kiss a skunk from the Silly Safari entertainment show. The People’s Choice Award winner was new INFB Young Farmer Committee chair Aaron Chalfant from Randolph County. All proceeded benefited the foundations. A live auction on Saturday raised the total funds donated to $5,816 for the agriculture youth organizations.

Winners of the state’s two collegiate Farm Bureau chapters’ Discussion Meets were also recognized.

Vincennes University Discussion Meet winner Derrik Osborne, of Knox County, and Purdue University Discussion Meet winner Kayla Hoenert, of Posey County, will compete against other collegiate winners from around the country at the American Farm Bureau Young

Farmer & Rancher Leadership Conference.

Young farmers who recently competed at AFBF’s annual meeting in Nashville received recognition as well.

Those were: • Deidra Gottbrath, of Washington County, competed in the AFBF Discussion Meet and advanced to the Sweet 16 round of competition.

• Jeff Demerly, of White County, competed in the Excellence in Agriculture Award, which recognizes young farmers who do not receive the majority of their income from a production agricultural operation that they own, and placed in the Top 10 in the nation.

• Matt and Brianna Chapman, of Henry County, competed in the Achievement Award, which recognizes young farmers whose farm management techniques and commitment to their communities set a positive example for everyone involved in production agriculture.

For more information on programs and conferences sponsored by Indiana Farm Bureau, visit infb.org.

INwhitleycounty.com • A9

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Whitko February CC father, son arrested with 16 pounds of drugs Students of the Month Multiple firearms, $14K seized Leininger.

Jared Ritchie, South Whitley Elementary School “Jared has made tremendous progress since coming to South Whitley Elementary in October.

He is a delightful young man who uses great manners.

He is PHOTO CONTRIBUTED often the first one to Ritchie say please and thank you. He is quick to help others when they need it.

Jared is a wonderful friend who is kind and shares.

Jared is a hard worker who works well with others and gives everyone a chance.

He has a wonderful sense of humor and is a pure delight to have in our first grade class.” Ritchie was nominated by teacher Tammy Datzman.

Breawynn Neer, Pierceton Elementary School “Breawynn has such a heart for people.

She is very considerate and constantly looking out for PHOTO CONTRIBUTED the needs Neer of others.

She treats all kids with kindness and patience. Her smile will brighten anyone’s day.”

Neer was nominated by teacher Megan Downs.

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KPC News Service COLUMBIA CITY — A father and son are facing multiple felony charges after police arrested them for alleged possession of 12 pounds of marijuana, four points of hallucinogenic mushrooms, multiple firearms and more than $14,000 last week in Whitley County.

In early March, officials intercepted what was thought to be a significant amount of marijuana being sent through the U.S. mail. The package was tracked to its destination, and law enforcement officer executed search warrants at two properties in Columbia City.

The search warrants were obtained by the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office following an investigation by the Indiana State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspector.

Arrested in the raid were Gerald L. Tyrell Sr., 54, and Gerald Tyrell Jr., 29, both of Columbia City.

Whitley County Prosecutor D.J. Sigler praised the collaboration between local and state police agencies.

“We continue to see outstanding teamwork between law enforcement in our collective effort to stop the flow of illegal drugs into our communities,” he said.

“Today, we kept a significant amount of drugs from making it onto our streets and into our

schools.”

The father was charged with dealing in a controlled substance, a Level 2 felony; dealing in marijuana, a Level 5 felony; and maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony. He remains incarcerated in the Whitley County Jail on a $150,000 surety bond.

The son was charged with aiding in dealing marijuana, a Level 5 felony; possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. He has posted

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Tyrell Jr.

Tyrell Sr.

a bond of $15,000. Both face initial hearings in Whitley County Monday.

Level 2 felonies are punishable by 10-30 years in prison; Level 5 felonies are punishable by one to six years in prison; and Level 6 felonies net jail

terms between 6 months and 2.5 years.

The investigation and execution of the search warrants were conducted by the Indiana State Police, Columbia City Police Department and Whitley County Sheriff’s Department.

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Josh Reynaud, Whitko High School “Reynaud shows up every day in Spanish to work hard and extend himself by confidently reading, writing and speaking Spanish with no PHOTO CONTRIBUTED fear of Reynaud making mistakes.

Josh demonstrates grit on a regular basis in that he gives 100 percent all the time. If every student gave the effort that Josh gives all the time, every student would be a success story.”

Josh was nominated by Spanish teacher Mr. Larry Schuh.

Audra Brandenburg, Whitko Middle School “Audra is very conscientious about her classwork and holds herself to very PHOTO CONTRIBUTED high Brandenburg standards.

She often contributes to class discussions and is an advocate for herself as well as her peers, by making sure that learning is taking place and that students are being respectful in class. Brandenburg was nominated by teachers Sheila Gillett, Erik Hisner and Rochelle

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SPORTS

A10 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Murphy works toward NFL bid

By Travis Stahl for IN|Whitley County

COLUMBIA CITY — Nearly every kid that ever plays football in a backyard or vacant lot dreams of making it to the National Football League.

They start out in flag football and work their way up to put on pads and play in middle school. The transfer to high school is tougher and the select few have the opportunity to play at the college level.

The best of the best receive the rare chance to step on to the field for an NFL team and play on Sundays. Former Columbia City High School wide receiver is closing in on his dream of playing in the NFL. Murphy graduated from Columbia City and went on to a career at the University of Miami of Ohio. From 2014 through this past fall, Murphy appeared in every game, all four years, including nine starts in the 2017 season.

In his career at Miami, Murphy tallied 158 receptions for 2,083 yards and 13 touchdowns. As a senior, Murphy was awarded the Redhawk’s Offensive Skill Player of the Year award.

With his college career over, Murphy has his sights set on the next phase of his playing days. In order to make it to the NFL, Murphy is keeping his sights set firmly on his next task.

March 27 is the University of Miami Pro Day, where Murphy and other Redhawks will get to work out for NFL scouts and personnel

directors.

“Right now, my only focus is to control what I can control by performing well at pro day,” said Murphy. “I’m very confident in how I will test and how my testing numbers will match up with the other prospects in the 2018 draft.”

The NFL is typically a league in which teams copy the success of each other. Right now, the most successful wide receivers in the league are smaller receivers who can get in and out of routes quickly. Pass catchers like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola for the New England Patriots have created a niche for players like Murphy to step in and make an immediate impact in the league.

Murphy graduated from Miami in December. Now, his time is spent working with AWP Sports to prepare for the upcoming NFL draft in April. Players who go undrafted are then invited to training camps by teams who believe their skill set might give them the opportunity to make the 53-man active roster.

Murphy said he has heard some feedback from teams who are interested in bringing him in as an undrafted free agent if he doesn’t get his name called at the draft.

“I just hope to fulfill my life-long dream and get an opportunity to go play in the NFL,” said Murphy.

Murphy’s name is still written all throughout the Columbia City High

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Jared Murphy is a Columbia City High School graduate and is preparing for “Pro Day” at the University of Miami in Ohio.

School record book. He holds the record for the most receptions in one season with 57. Murphy also holds the record for most receiving yards in a season (732) and in a career (1,363) while scoring 12 touchdowns on receptions.

As an undersized receiver, Murphy knows the road to the NFL won’t be easy. But players like Murphy have made it before in the NFL and as quick, smart receivers are now the trend in the league, more teams are in search of players just like Murphy. That bodes well for the former Columbia City receiver as he closes in on his dream of playing on Sundays in the National Football League.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Columbia City’s Jared Murphy had a strong career playing for the University of Miami in Ohio and is now working to hone his skills before the NFL draft.

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SPORTS

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

INwhitleycounty.com • A11

Mabie wins state Hoop Shoot contest

By Travis Stahl for IN|Whitley County

COLUMBIA CITY — Some say the free-throw is the most difficult shot in basketball to make.

Standing 15 feet from the basket, toes on the line, with everyone watching, can bring unbearable pressure. For two young ladies from Whitley County, hitting free-throws is no problem.

At the Elks Hoop Shoot State Finals in New Castle, Niya Bell was the state runner-up in the 10-11-year-old age group, and Mackensy Mabie won the state championship in the 12-13-year-old bracket.

Both Bell and Mabie won their spots at state finals through local and district competitions. Those competitions were

held in Columbia City. Mabie made 24 of 25 free-throws in the county finals and went 23 for 25 in the district competition.

Bell sank 18 of 25 at the county shoot and went on to make 16 out of 25 for the district.

At the state meet, Mabie started out strong and put the pressure on the other shooters. In round one, each of the players receives 10 attempts.

Mabie sank all 10 of her shots and was the only one to complete that task. The other players began feeling the pressure and Mabie ended up hitting 22 of 25 from the line to take home first place.

Mabie became the first player to win the state hoop-shoot title from Whitley County since Darby Maggard.

Bell sank 16 of her

25 free-throws at the state competition.

Bell’s mother, Nealy, said her daughter was a little disappointed in how it turned out, as Niya would routinely hit 24 of 25 shots in practice from the foul line. However, overall, it was a great experience in only her second time in the competition.

The girls also experienced some of Indiana basketball’s most historic sites.

The Friday evening before the competition, they visited the Indiana Hall of Fame in New Castle. The actual Hoop Shoot competition took place in the New Castle Fieldhouse, which is the largest high school gym in the world.

After the competition, the awards ceremony took place in Knightstown at the Hoosier

Gym where the movie “Hoosiers” was filmed.

Next up for Mabie is the Regional Hoop Shoot which is March 17 in Angola. Shooters who won state competitions in Michigan and Ohio will also be there vying for the chance to move on to the national meet which will be held in Chicago in April.

“She’s pretty pumped about it,” Mabie’s mother, Twyla, said regarding the upcoming regional match in Angola.

Maggard made it to the national competition. That is now the goal for Mabie - to sink enough shots in Angola to move on to the final round.

The pressure will be on as Mabie stands 15 feet away from the hoop and tries to put in enough shots to be the best shooter around.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Niya Bell, left, and Mackensy Mabie, right, pose for a photo with Jeff Mullendore of the Columbia City Elks Lodge.

Line had successful coaching career

By Travis Stahl for IN|Whitley County

COLUMBIA CITY — For every great athlete, there is a spark that sets them on their path — a moment they can look back on and point to as the beginning of something great.

For Columbia City High School graduate Mark Line, his path to wrestling greatness started off grappling with his cousin Todd Deutsch on mattresses.

From high school to college, and on in to coaching, Line has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in Indiana high school wrestling.

Last month, Line was honored for his work in the sport, as he was inducted into the Indiana State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame.

“We didn’t have middle school wrestling then,” said Line, who was only in eighth grade when Deutsch approached him about wrestling. “I fell in love with it and it took off from there.”

After graduating from CCHS in 1983, Line spent a year wrestling at Anderson. He then transferred to the University of Indianapolis. After an injury, Line was asked to work as a graduate assistant for the college team.

The experience was immediately rewarding and Line realized what his future would hold.

Line went to work showing kids in the western part of the state how to be successful wrestlers and people. He coached at Knox High School, Lowell High School, North Newton High School and Valparaiso High School.

Line’s team won a state title while at Lowell in 2000. His career coaching record stands at 427 wins and 237 losses. Line has coached teams to five conference titles, four sectional crowns and six regional

runner-ups. He has had three wrestlers claim individual state wrestling titles.

“I’ve been very fortunate that wrestling has provided me with a great opportunity,” said Line. “I never imagined getting here.”

With all the titles and wins Line said his most memorable accomplishment was coaching his own son, Austin. But the state title in 2000 would be second on his list as the coach said he still keeps in touch with wrestlers from that team.

Being a successful head coach to line was a pretty simple

formula, leave it better then you found it. Line set high standards for his teams and expected them to work hard on the mat and in the classroom. If the coaches and wrestlers could reach those goals good things were bound to happen even if the wins and losses didn’t fall the way the team wanted them to.

One of the most remarkable things about the legacy Line has left is he has encouraged his former wrestlers to stay with the sport. Nine of Line’s former wrestlers are now coaching somewhere, carrying on the tradition. And,

it’s a legacy that Line says should continue.

“We’re not done yet,” said Line, who wants to continue coaching.

“We’re going to make some more memories for kids.”

From wrestling on mattresses to the hall of fame, Line’s career has been one of greatness. There are countless kids across the state who just need one chance encounter to set them off down a similar path.

Line is the kind of wrestling coach who could provide that spark to a young student and lead them all the way to a state title.

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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

’Busco grapplers compete in weightlifting event Churubusco winners from the 2018 Northeast Corner Conference weightlifting meet held Feb. 24 at Lakeland High School. The Eagles’ team finished second behind Angola and ahead of Lakeland. Pictured from left to right are: Reese Wicker, 216-241 underclass overall champion; Case Lemper, 150-169 underclass overall champion; Sam Wood, 150-169 underclass power clean champion, new power clean record holder; Parker Sturtz, 149 and under upper class power clean champion; Nathaniel Keener, 150-169 upper class overall champion; and Joe Rennaker, 242 and up upper class overall champion, new squat record holder, new weight total record holder.

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SPORTS

A12 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Lady Eagle sophomores named All-NE8

KRISTY DITTMER

Carly Mabie was named second-team All-NE8.

KRISTY DITTMER

Grace Schrader earned honorable mention status.

Class of 2018

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KRISTY DITTMER

Columbia City’s Olivia Shearer was named first-team All-Northeast 8 Conference.

Leitch works to compile all CC statistics

By Travis Stahl for IN|Whitley County

COLUMBIA CITY — Columbia City Athletic Director Kelly Leitch has become a modern-day statistical archaeologist.

Leitch is currently in the process of trying to find statistical data for all of the CCHS sports and make sure it is documented for moving forward.

“I’ve been trying to hunt down all the records here,” said Leitch. “I think it’s important.”

Columbia City, like every other school, kept track of records on paper for decades. All-time records for some sports were then transferred to computer files and some were not. Over time, records were lost as head coaching positions changed. Paper files were stowed away in folders and, as a result, not much has been done to make any of the historical data digital.

Leitch is trying to change all of that.

The Columbia City athletic director has contacted all of his coaches in an effort to get that information all gath-

ered together.

Leitch just received the stats for boys basketball.

Some sports, such as wrestling, swimming and track and field have been easier to keep tabs on, as those records are all listed on big boards.

Leitch would like to see all of the sports handled that way.

“My goal is to have them on a big board for every single sport we have when we get to the new school,” said Leitch.

“I’m confident we will get hold of everything.”

Leitch would like to also have a digital file of all of the records. That would make the task of updating information much easier. And, having all of that information in one central location would decrease the likelihood of it being misplaced again.

When Columbia City gets all of the statistics compiled it will give fans a look into the past like never before. Basketball fans will be able to see which former girls player has the most rebounds.

Track fans can look at times and figure out who had the fastest time in the

100-meter dash for the Eagles. Having statistical information isn’t just about the past, though.

If all of that information is available to Leitch and the head coaches, they will all know when a record is about to be broken. When a softball pitcher is about to set a new career record for most strikeouts, her accomplishment can be celebrated.A centralized database will allow players to be recognized for their athletic milestone while it is happening, not afterwards.

Leitch did acknowledge that some of the statistical information may already be in the school.

He hopes to start working through the filing cabinets full of paper files this summer to begin piecing the puzzles together for the different sports.

Once Leitch has all of the information, fans will have a full look at the great athletes of Columbia City’s past.

Those records will also serve as motivation for future athletes to someday have their names on the big boards.

INwhitleycounty.com • A13

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Whitko celebrates NHS members Contributed SOUTH WHITLEY — A 92 percent graduation rate, one-to-one technology and service to two counties is no small feat. Adding to that list of accomplishments this year, Whitko has been recognized by the Indiana Department of Education as a Performance Qualified High School.

What does it take to be a Performance Qualified High School? According to the Indiana DOE: “In order to be eligible for the performance qualified program, a high school must receive an A for the previous school year. A high school remains designated as a qualified high school until it either receives a C or lower for one school year, or receives a B or lower for two consecutive school years.”

Whitko High School has been an “A” rated school four of the last five years.

WHS recently recognized National Honor Society inductees and celebrated the graduating class of 2018 seniors. During the cere-

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Senior and NHS President, Austin Nettrouer swears in the new inductees by leading the official pledge.

mony, new inductees took a pledge demonstrating their commitment to the program.

As is their tradition, exiting seniors shared memories and each recognized an esteemed faculty, staff or significant leader within the community who had impacted their life throughout their education at Whitko. The service concluded with refreshments in the WHS foyer.

Principal John Snyder took the stage to congratulate the students.

“I said it out in the hallway, and I know all of you heard it, but I want to say it in front of your

parents, I’m proud of you.

I’m proud of your hard work, but mostly, I’m proud of your character. I’m proud of who you are. And tonight, the senior’s testimonies just speak to the heart of what we try to be here at Whitko,” he said.

Students who are a part of the National Honor Society are taught the four pillars which include: leadership, scholarship, character and service. Students must have a GPA of 8.75 or higher on a 12.0 scale. Many of the students this year had exceeded the service requirement of 15 community

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

After the ceremony, WHS student Angelica Moyer celebrates with her mentor Danni Blackburn of Youth For Christ.

service hours easily with 38 members contributing over 1,200 hours. Six members alone had over 50 hours each.

To this, Snyder challenged next year’s NHS members to beat that number of 1,200 hours next year.

“I don’t say that as just a goal to beat a number, because it’s only a number,

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Whitko High School Principal John Snyder welcomes a new inductee to the National Honor Society after they sign their names into the official register.

but the reason I say that is because I challenge you to make a bigger difference in the community. And knowing you, and knowing your hearts, I’m sure you can make that happen,” Snyder

said.

The NHS at Whitko is led by senior President Austin Nettrouer under the instruction and supervision of WHS teachers Molly Maish and Brandy Smith.

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A14 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

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INwhitleycounty.com • A15

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

Community Calendar donation, the meal includes chili, hot dogs, corn muffins and dessert. All profits from the event will go to the 2018 Relay for Life of Whitley County, which will be held June 23, 4-10 p.m., at Churubusco High School. The church is located at 13733 Wesley Chapel Road, Churubusco.

Include news of your group, too

Send news of your group to nminier@kpcmedia.com. Items will be selected and edited as space permits.

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March 14

• Members of the clergy and religious leaders in the Smith-Green Township area are invited to attend a discussion with Dan Hile, superintendent of Smith-Green Community Schools, on the upcoming school referendum and why the school board is requesting it. The talk will be 8-9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall at Churubusco United Methodist Church, 750 N. Main St. March 16

• The 13th annual Whitley County 4-H Fun Night is 4-7:30 p.m. at the 4-H Center.

The all-you-can-eat fish and tenderloin meal begins at 4 p.m. and will be served while supplies last. The cost is $10 for adults, $7 for children ages 5-10 and free for children 5 and under. The menu includes breaded fish and tenderloin, grilled tenderloin, baked beans, potato salad, applesauce and drinks.

The dinner will be held in conjunction with the 4-H Council’s silent auction and the 4-H leaders’ Fun Night. The auction traditionally has more than 100 items for sale, with proceeds going to fund trips for kids and other activities throughout the year. Fun Night activities will feature games put on by several 4-H clubs. The 4-H Center is located at 680 W. Squawbuck Road, Columbia City.

• Smith Township Fire Department’s fish fry is 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at American Legion Post 157 in Churubusco. The cost is $9 for a dinner of $6 for a basket, served with french fries and applesauce. A sandwich is $3.50. There also will be baked goods available for purchase, and orders of five or more can be delivered. Carry-outs also available.

• John Ikert, one of the nation’s leading experts on sustainable agriculture, will speak on the environmental and economic impact of large scale industrial farms, 7 p.m. at the Rhinehart Music Center at Purdue Fort Wayne. The event is free and open to the public, and sponsored in part by Whitley Water Matters. For more information, contact John O’Connell at oconnelj@ ipfw.edu.

• Whitley County Chamber of Commerce will host Business Buzz at 8:15 a.m. at Brew’ha.

Participants can promote their business, nonprofit, community interests and network with others at this casual, conversational meeting.

• Whitley County Chamber of Commerce will host “Chamber on the Road” at noon at Brevin’s in Churubusco. This meeting gives participants an opportunity to promote their business, nonprofit, community interests and network with others.

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March 17

• A free presentation titled “Understanding Depression and How to Help Those Going Through It,” will be hosted by Cross Connections and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Columbia City, 9-11 a.m. Guest speaker Megan Beeching is a licensed counselor at Cross Connections Counseling in Fort Wayne, and will cover basic information about depression, new genetic testing for depression, various ways to manage the symptoms of depression and how to best walk alongside those who are suffering. A light breakfast will be provided. Call the church at 244-3712 or e-mail deaconessintern.stjohns.com by March 10 to RSVP. • A Community Breakfast Buffet will be held at Saturn Christian Church, 8-10:30 a.m.

The menu includes sausage gravy and biscuits, scrambled eggs, pancakes, ham, hash browns, fruit, cereal, donuts, coffee, milk and juice.

The meal is a free-will offering event and is sponsored by the Christian Men’s Fellowship.

Fellowship Hall is handicap accessible. The church is located at 6731 E. County Road 800 South in Jefferson Township.

• Wesley Chapel Warriors’ Chili Supper, pie auction and bake sale is 4-7 p.m. For a free-will

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cyber crimes unit specialist Cathie Bledsoe will deliver the presentation. Whitley County Consolidated School families and agencies are welcome to attend.

• The Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center will host a women’s lunch series “What can WEOC do for you?” at noon at the Whitley County Chamber of Commerce, 128 W. Van Buren St. The center offers women entrepreneurs business growth coaching, training and entrepreneurial education, connectivity and access to capital. The lunch is free, but space is limited, so RSVP to the Chamber at (260) 248-8131 or office@whitleychamber.com.

March 18

• The 24th annual benefit breakfast hosted

by Jefferson Center Fire Department, is 7 a.m.-1 p.m. at Crossroad Inn, at the corner of State Roads 9 and 14. The meal is $8 for adults and $4.50 for children 12 and under. The on the menu is biscuits and gravy, sausage and scrambled eggs, or pancakes and sausage.

March 19

• Whitley County Drainage Board meets 9 a.m. at the Whitley County Government Center in Columbia City. The board meets on the third Monday of each month.

• Whitley County Commissioners meet 1 p.m. at the Whitley County Government Center in Columbia City. The commissioners meet on the first and third Monday of each month.

March 21

• Churubusco Rotary will hold its annual community and scholarship auction in the cafeteria at Churubusco High School. The dinner buffet will start at 5:45 p.m. (a free-will donation will be accepted) and the auction begins at 6:30 p.m.

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March 22

• Kindergarten round-up will be held for Whitley County Consolidated Schools.

Round-ups will be held at each elementary building. Morning and evening sessions are available. Each session is about 90 minutes.

Any child who will be 5 years old before Aug. 1 is eligible to enroll for the 2018/2019 school year. Families should bring their child, the child’s original birth certificate and updated immunization records to round-up.

Parents should call the appropriate office to register. For Coesse, call (260) 244-3351; for Little Turtle, call (260) 244-3343; for Mary Raber, call (260) 244-5857; and for Northern Heights, call (260) 691-2371.

March 24

• The Whitley County Historical Society’s annual banquet dinner is 11 a.m. at the Whitley County Agricultural Museum, 680 W. Squawbuck Road in Columbia City. Come early to enjoy the museum and the silent auction fundraiser, featuring artwork of local historical buildings and places, along with animals and scenes painted by Jeanette Brown. The silent auction begins at 11 a.m. Enthusiastic historian Clay Geiger will be the guest speaker. His topic is titled, “Etna, Town of Dreams.” The dinner will be catered by Jill Daniel for $20 per person.

All are welcome. Call the museum at 244-6372 for reservations.

March 27

• Turtle Town AA & Al-Anon will hold its 35th anniversary carry in and speaker meeting at Churubusco United Methodist Church. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m.

Speakers Don and Sue G. start at 7:30 p.m. A meat dish and drinks will be provided. Please bring a covered dish and your own dinnerware.

• A Royal Tea will be hosted at South Whitley Community Public Library at 6:30 p.m. The event is inspired by popular television shows “Victoria” and “The Crown.” At the tea, guests will enjoy a variety of teas, along with scones topped with orange marmalade or lemon curd jams, and a trifle. Guests will also play a trivia game related to Queen Elizabeth, a bingo game relating to Queen Victoria, and other parlor games. Register for the free program by visiting the library or calling 723-5321.

March 28

• Indian Springs Middle School will host “Parent University” 6:30-8 p.m. The presentation will include information about cyber bullying, sexting, dangers of technology and social media. The Indiana State Police’s

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April 14

• JFK and the Beatles at the South Whitley Community Public Library begins at 1 p.m. with a presentation by world-renowned Beatle scholar Aaron Krerowicz. The program is entitled “From the Shadows of JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America.”

April 25

• Whitley County Chamber of Commerce will host a “Thanks a Bunch Lunch” for Administrative Professional Day at Eagle Glen Event Center. This event gives employers an opportunity to honor their administrative assistants, personal assistants, volunteers and others with lunch, door prizes and more.

Tickets for this annual event are just $20 per person. To make reservations, contact the Chamber at (260) 248-8131 or office@whitleychamber.com. Deadline to RSVP is noon April 20.

April 28

• Wine and Jazz will be held at the Old Train Depot in Pierceton, 6:30-9 p.m. The event is hosted by the Pierceton Chamber of Commerce, and will include a silent auction with items donated by the community. The Chamber will use funds raised for upcoming festivals, local parks and other town expenses.

Tickets are available in advance for $30 each or $35 at the door. Email visitpierceton@ yahoo.com or call (574)367-5069.

Ongoing

• The Churubusco Lions Club meets every second and fourth Tuesday of each month at Papa’s Place at 6:30 p.m.

• AA and Al-Anon meetings Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. at the Churubusco United Methodist Church.

• A support group for families of children with special needs meets 3-5 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at Choices & Changes, 360 N. Oak St., Churubusco. The meeting March 17 will focus on community supports. The topic for April 20 is grieving and growing. For more information, contact Chris Garau at (260) 255-0708 or Christy Garau at (260) 255-0707.

• The Whitley County Humane Shelter is doing an Easter-themed fundraiser. The shelter will send a customized letter from the Easter Bunny along with a small gift to a child for a $5 donation. Submissions are due March 13.

For more information, contact the shelter at events@whitleycountyhumaneshelter.com.

• C3 Youth Group meets with youth pastor Brad Millikan 6-7:30 p.m. Sunday at Christ Community Church, 316 N. Main St., in Churubusco. Students in grades 6-12 are welcome to join.

• Churubusco Elementary School is registering all-day kindergarten students. Call (260) 693-2188 to schedule a registration time May 24 or 25 and a registration packet will be mailed to you. Students must be 5 years old by Aug. 1. The school is also accepting transfer students.

• Churubusco United Methodist Nursery School is accepting registration for the 20182019 school year. Children should be 3, 4 or 5

by Aug. 1. Enrollment is $50 and monthly fees will be $80 for the three-day program (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Morning sessions are 9-11:30 a.m. Afternoon sessions are 12:30-3 p.m.

For more information, call the office at (260) 693-2154.

A16 • INwhitleycounty.com

Whitley County • March 15, 2018

WHERE FOOD AND FRIENDS BECOME FAMILY

THURSDAY NIGHT All-You-Can Eat Spaghetti FRIDAY NIGHT All-You-Can Eat Fish SATURDAY NIGHT Dinner Specials Breakfast Served ALL DAY EVERYDAY 602 S. Main Street, Columbia City

(260) 244-6388 Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Mon.-Wed. 5:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Thurs.-Sat. 5:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Sun. 5:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Watch for exciting new things to come at G’s!

As our hearts overflow with emotions and after having many sleepless nights of thinking, we would like to announce our decision to sell Downtown On the Square.

We cannot THANK our employees, family, friends, and community enough for the last 6 years of love and SUPPORT that we have received. It’s been a great journey for us but we feel it’s time to put our focus back on Big G’s.

The doors to the business will not be closing but simply switching ownership. Our last day was Sunday, March 4th. New owners, Carmin and Trent Hammons, took over on Monday, March 5th.

Thank you again for all the LOVE and SUPPORT!!!

See you at Big G’s!

Gary and Heather Parrett