TUESDAY September 24, 2013
Lawmaker Mourned Page A2 Colleagues remember Rep. Phyllis Pond
Baron Girls Rule Page B1 Volleyball, soccer teams post wins
Weather Sunny and clear today. High 70. Low tonight 50. Partly cloudy Wednesday. High 72. Page A6
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Ribbon For New Road
Siege end in doubt
GOOD MORNING
Kenyan officials make last push to free hostages
OCTAVIA LEHMAN
Samantha Hunt was crowned Miss Dekalb County 2013 Monday night at the DeKalb County Free Fall Fair.
Samantha Hunt named fair queen AUBURN — Miss DeKalb County 2012 Madison Seifert passed the crown to new royalty Monday night at the DeKalb County Free Fall Fair. Samantha Hunt, a sophomore at Ball State University, was named Miss DeKalb County 2013, among a field of 12 contestants. Hunt also received the Miss Congeniality award. She is the daughter of Dan and Sharon Hunt of Auburn. Kerissa Lockwood, Butler, was named first-runner up. Second runner-up was Michaela Scherer of Garrett, and third runner-up was Molly Wilhelm of Garrett. Farrah Wilson, senior at DeKalb High School, received fourth runner-up. Wilson also received the People’s Choice Award. Akeisha Meyer, a sophomore at Garrett High School, won the talent award.
Extra police officers work during fall fair AUBURN — The Auburn Police Department will have additional officers working this week during the DeKalb County Free Fall Fair, said Police Chief Martin D. McCoy. Officers will be monitoring the midway, fairgrounds, concerts, parades and temporary parking restrictions, he said. “Police are asking everyone to obey the temporary parking signs, not block driveways, sidewalks or fire hydrants and reminding everyone that vehicles found in violation are subject to tow,” McCoy said. “Police also remind everyone to remove valuables from their vehicles and make sure the doors are locked.”
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Index
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Classifieds.................................B6-B8 Life..................................................... A5 Obituaries......................................... A4 Opinion .............................................B4 Sports.........................................B1-B3 Weather............................................ A6 TV/Comics .......................................B5 Vol. 101 No. 263
AARON ORGAN
DeKalb County commissioners cut a ribbon Monday to officially reopen C.R. 11-A west of Interstate 69. The road had been closed several months as crews reconfigured it for better traffic
flow. From left are Commissioner Randy Deetz, former commissioner Don Kaufman, Commissioner Don Grogg, former commissioner Chuck Ort and Commissioner Jackie Rowan.
Truck repair shop draws fire BY AARON ORGAN aorgan@kpcmedia.com
AUBURN — A heavy-truck-repair operation on land not zoned for that activity has drawn the ire of neighbors and prompted county officials to take action. Three residents approached the DeKalb County commissioners Monday to discuss land on C.R. 59 where a resident is operating a semi repair business on land zoned A-2 agricultural. The residents — Kelley and Keith Likes and Doyle L. Marr — said semi tractors travel the county road at all hours
and apply jake brakes as they pull into the business. The issue arose when the land owner, J.D. Yoder, applied for and was granted a permit to build a pole barn on the land. With the barn came numerous semis and an apparent business, the residents and county officials said. The county plan commission earlier this year filed the operation as a “truck freight terminal,” said planning director Clint Knauer. After informing Yoder he could not operate such a business in the zone, the
commission then filed a notice of violation against him in May. More recently, the county fined Yoder $7,500, Knauer said. Knauer said the county has taken all the steps it can to handle the issue short of court action. “It’s a process,” said Knauer, acknowledging the neighbors’ frustration. “I don’t have machinery, I don’t have the right to trespass. I can’t just go take his stuff without due process.” Kelley Likes asked the county commissioners to file an injuncSEE TRUCK, PAGE A6
Skills needed for mid-level jobs BY SUE CARPENTER scarpenter@kpcmedia.com
GARRETT — The largest and fastest-growing segment of Indiana’s skills gap comes from middle-skill jobs, those that require at least a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree, said a report released Monday by the Indiana Skills2Compete Coalition. The findings were offered at a news conference by coalition co-chairs Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, and Jessica Fraser from the Indiana Institute of Working Families at Group Dekko’s Garrett plant, one of several northeast Indiana manufacturers with firsthand knowledge of the skills gap. The report concludes the skills gap is an adult problem that will require adult solutions. Fraser noted Indiana’s unemployment rate is stuck above 8 percent and more than 44 percent of Hoosiers between the ages of 18 and 65 have no post-secondary education at all, meaning that more than 1.8 million Hoosier adults currently lack the skills attainment to be competitive in the workforce. Middle-skill jobs account for more than 550,000 job openings
SUE CARPENTER
Production-line workers at Group Dekko near Garrett assemble lighting fixtures.
in Indiana — half of all openings through 2020. That number has increased by almost 63,000 jobs over the number of mid-skill jobs projected from 2006-2016, according to the report. While 54 percent of all jobs in Indiana are classified as middle-skill, only 47 percent of the state’s workers have the skills and credentials for the jobs. Although Indiana policymakers
have emphasized the skills gap in recent workforce development and education efforts, the report shows the skills gap won’t be filled without adult solutions. The coalition selected four policy priorities for 2014 that focus on middle-skill attainment for Indiana’s adult workers: • Increasing access to financial aid for part-time students, many of SEE SKILLS, PAGE A6
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan security forces battled al-Qaida-linked terrorists in an upscale mall for a third day Monday in what they said was a final push to rescue the last few hostages in a siege that has left at least 62 people dead. While the government announced Sunday that “most” hostages had been released, a security expert with contacts inside the mall said at least 10 were still being held by a band of attackers described as “a multinational collection from all over the world.” The expert, who insisted on anonymity to talk freely about the situation, said many hostages had been freed or escaped in the previous 24-36 hours, including some who were in hiding. However, there were at least 30 hostages when the assault by al-Shabab militants began Saturday, he said, and “it’s clear” that Kenyan security officials “haven’t cleared the building fully.” Flames and dark plumes of smoke rose Monday above the Westgate shopping complex for more than an hour after four large explosions rocked the surrounding neighborhood. The smoke was pouring through a large skylight inside the mall’s main department and grocery store, where mattresses and other flammable goods appeared to have been set on fire, a person with knowledge of the rescue operation told The Associated Press. The explosions were followed by volleys of gunfire as police helicopters and a military jet circled overhead, giving the neighborhood the feel of a war zone. By evening, Kenyan security officials claimed the upper hand. “Taken control of all the floors. We’re not here to feed the attackers with pastries but to finish and punish them,” Police Inspector General David Kimaiyo said on Twitter. Kenya’s Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said the evacuation of hostages had gone “very, very well” and that Kenyan officials were “very certain” that few if any hostages were left in the building. But with the mall cordoned off and under heavy security it was not possible to independently verify the assertions. Similar claims of a quick resolution were made by Kenyan officials on Sunday and the siege continued.
Choirs taking stage tonight at free fair AUBURN — The DeKalb County Free Fall Fair moves into its second day today with activities on the fairgrounds, midway and main stage in Auburn. Tonight’s free entertainment features choirs from local schools. on the main stage at Tenth and Union streets. Elementary and middle school choirs will perform at 6 p.m. The show features choirs from DeKalb Central elementary schools, J.E. Ober Elementary School of Garrett, Garrett Middle School and the Midpointe choir from DeKalb Middle School. DeKalb Dynamix, a group of selected members of DeKalb High
School show choirs, will take the stage at 7:10 p.m. High school choirs from Garrett, Eastside and DeKalb will perform beginning at 7:30 p.m. Choirs from the three schools will rotate on stage, including the defending state champion DeKalb Classic Connection mixed show choir. Old Settlers Day at the fair will take place Wednesday at the First United Methodist Church, 1203 E. Seventh St. It will begin at noon with a meal sponsored by Smith Farms Manor. A program after lunch will feature entertainment by the DeKalb High School show SEE CHOIRS, PAGE A6
AARON ORGAN
Dee Degitz warms up her Morgan horse, Sadie, in the fairgrounds arena on Monday, opening day of the DeKalb County Free Fall Fair in Auburn. Degitz will show Sadie in multiple events this week, including the speed and pleasure competitions.