SATURDAY August 10, 2013
Board of Works Page A2 Auburn Police purchasing two new cars
PGA Page B1 Dufner shoots 63 to tie record
Weather Partly cloudy today. High 77. Low 57. A mix of sun and clouds Sunday. High 78. Low 58. Page A6
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Obama: NSA reforms ahead President wants
GOOD MORNING Spencerville launches community website SPENCERVILLE — The unincorporated town of Spencerville has a new website for community events — spencervilleindian a.com — organizers announced. The site’s main page features photos of the town’s historic 1873 covered bridge, a sign identifying Spencerville as the oldest settlement in DeKalb County and the Spencerville Community Club building. Other features are links to Spencerville’s history, a photo gallery, a store and information about the annual Supper on the Bridge event and Community Club activities. The annual Supper on the Bridge will take place Saturday, Aug. 17, with serving available at 5 and 7 p.m. For more information, visit the website or call 238-4532.
Jimmy Fallon: Baby born via surrogate NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Fallon says he and his wife had their baby daughter with the help of a surrogate. Winnie Rose Fallon, the daughter of the NBC late-night comic and his Fallon wife, Nancy Juvonen, was born July 23. Fallon said in a portion of a “Today” show interview broadcast Friday that the couple had been trying for a while to have a child before succeeding with the help of a surrogate. The couple kept it all a secret until Winnie was born.
Coming Sunday KidCity
Thousands flocked to the ninth annual KidCity event at the Noble County Fairgrounds August 3. See some of the many booths, games and activities from the event on Sunday’s C1 and C2.
Info • The Star 118 W. Ninth St. Auburn, IN 46706 Auburn: (260) 925-2611 Fax: (260) 925-2625 Classifieds: (toll free) (877) 791-7877 Circulation: (toll free) (800) 717-4679
Index
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Classifieds.................................B7-B8 Life..................................................... A5 Obituaries......................................... A4 Opinion ............................................. A3 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A6 TV/Comics .......................................B6 Vol. 101 No. 219
to restore confidence in the programs AARON ORGAN
Airport opens upgraded terminal Members of the DeKalb County Airport Authority Board, from left, George Wappes, Brad Hartz, Brad Moore and president Brad Stump, cut a ribbon Friday evening to officially open the airport’s redesigned terminal. Stump told a small crowd of family, friends and airport supporters that the airport
has an economic impact of $220 million on the region, and “first impressions and functionality are critical.” The airport will hold an open house for the public to view the terminal today from 8 a.m. through 2 p.m.
Historic mill closing Greenfield Mills is 167 years old BY PATRICK REDMOND predmond@kpcmedia.com
GREENFIELD MILLS — David Rinkel isn’t exactly sure just what his next move is. Rinkel, the owner of Greenfield Mills, a LaGrange County water-powered mill that has been part of the local landscape for nearly 170 years, said this week that he is shutting down the LaGrange County institution and putting it up for sale. Greenfield Mills, which has been producing New Rinkel brand flours and pancake mixes for generations, has been operated by the Rinkel family for over a century. Rinkel, 58, admits that shutting down his family’s business was not an easy decision to reach. “What are you going to do? It’s been in my family for 109 years, how do you shut down something like this?” he said, gesturing to the mill behind him. The mill was built in the northeast corner of LaGrange County not long after the first settlers started to arrive. It used the Fawn River to power the mill, and later to spin two water-driven turbines that generated enough electricity to run the mill, with enough surplus to create the state’s smallest power utility. Rinkel made the announcement about shutting down the mill on its Facebook page. He wrote, “It is with deep emotion and sadness that I write to inform you that Greenfield Mills will be closing, and is for sale. We have tried our hardest over the past 9 years to keep the Mill and legacy that it has going, but with the economy we just can’t make ends meet.” Rinkel, like his brothers and sister, grew up working in the mill with his mother and father.He left Greenfield Mills after high school to learn mechanics and spent more than 20 years away from home, working at various car dealerships in the area. He and his family — his wife
PATRICK REDMOND
David Rinkel, owner of Greenfield Mills, a 167-year-old business in LaGrange County, has announced it will be shutting down and closing its doors this year. Rinkle, whose family has run the mill for 109 years, said the mill no longer is making ends meet.
and two adult children — decided to return to Greenfield Mills nine years ago to take over the struggling mill from his mother. Several of the county’s larger bakeries have closed in the last two decades, forcing operations such as Greenfield Mills to look elsewhere for business. “This place was already upside down when I took it over,” Rinkel said. “We did everything we could think of to try and save it. I am the fourth generation of my family to operate the mill. I wanted to pass that on to the fifth and sixth generations.” The mill’s Facebook post went on to say, “The last 9 years that my immediate family has operated the mill have been the best in my life. The mill has taught us many things, and we have developed many friends through it. We truly appreciate each of our loyal customers and the support that you have given us over the years. We do hope that one day the mill will open back up so that others can learn the great amount of history that it has to offer.” Rinkel said mill’s store will remain open to sell products remaining in stock. The mill sits on 11/2 acres in the northeast corner Lagrange County. In addition to the mill,
PATRICK REDMOND
A bag of New Rinkel brand pastry flour sits on the counter of the Greenfield Mills store.
Rinkel operates a small, two-turbine power utility produces electricity for 15 homes, one barn and two Rinkel mills. Excess electricity is sold to NIPSCO. Much of the equipment in the mills is as old as the 167-yearold building and is described by Rinkel as “functioning artifacts that make Greenfield Mills a living history.” The building is constructed of white oak timber beams, cut in 1846, measuring as much as 50 feet long and 10 inches square. Rinkel said the competitive nature of the mill business has made it almost impossible for smaller operations such as Greenfield Mills to stay in business. “When the bank account is empty, what are you going to do?” he asked.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Responding to critics, President Barack Obama promised Friday to work with Congress on “appropriate reforms” for domestic surveillance programs that were thrust into the public eye by leaker Edward Snowden, saying he understands why Americans are skeptical about the collection of telephone and Internet information. “It’s not enough for me to have confidence in these programs,” the president declared at a White House news conference shortly before a scheduled departure on a weeklong vacation. ” The American people have to have confidence in them as well.” The president announced a series of changes in a program begun under the anti-terror Patriot Act that was passed in the wake of the terror attacks of Sept, 11, 2001. As for Snowden, recently granted temporary asylum by Russia, Obama said he is not a patriot, as some have suggested, and challenged him to return to the United States to face espionage charges. And on Russia, he said that given recent differences over Syria, human rights and Snowden, it is “probably appropriate for us to take a pause, reassess where it is that Russia is going … and recalibrate the relationship.” The hour-long news conference ranged over numerous issues, although the president became especially animated when the questions turned to Republicans in Congress. He said they would risk the wrath of the public if they vote to shut down the government this fall in an attempt to cut off funding for his signature health care program. He said that while he was receptive to House Republicans proposing an alternative immigration bill, his preference was for a vote on a Senate-passed measure that combines border security with a chance at citizenship for millions of immigrants living in the country illegally. He said he was “absolutely certain” such a bill would pass in the GOP-controlled U.S. House. Nor did he mince his words about the United States’ deteriorating relationship with Russia. He said President Vladimir Putin’s recent decision to grant asylum to Snowden was merely the latest in a series of differences between the two countries, including a response to the Syrian civil war and to human rights issues. “I’ve encouraged Mr. Putin to look forward rather than backward,” Obama said, evoking memories of relations between the United States and the former Soviet Union. The president, who just this week canceled a planned summit meeting with Putin, added, “It is probably appropriate for us to take a pause, reassess where it is
SEE OBAMA, PAGE A6
Postal service had $740 million third-quarter loss WASHINGTON (AP) — The Postal Service has trimmed its losses to $740 million over the last three months by consolidating processing facilities, cutting hours for workers and post offices and reducing workers’ compensation costs, the agency said Friday. Still, year-to-date, the Postal Service had losses totaling $3.9 billion, and the agency said that
without help from Congress its financial woes will worsen. The report for the financial quarter ending June 30 comes as Congress considers proposals to fix the agency’s finances. The agency lost $16 billion last year and is trying to restructure its retail, delivery and mail-processing operations. Over the first nine months of its fiscal year, the Postal Service said
104 mail processing facilities were consolidated, career employee work hours were reduced by about 41 million and operating hours at 7,397 post offices were reduced. The service wants to end most Saturday and door-to-door mail delivery. It also is seeking to reduce its congressionally mandated $5.6 billion annual payment for future retiree health benefits. The agency says ending
Saturday mail delivery would save $2 billion each year. Joe Corbett, the agency’s chief financial officer, said in a statement that “without comprehensive postal reform legislation signed into law, our hands are tied and we expect multibillion dollar annual losses to continue.” The third-quarter loss was far less than its $5.2 billion loss for the same period last year.