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THE PAPER April 10, 2019
Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Emmanuel’s Ritzema tabbed for Australian tournament
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of Wabash County Vol. 42, No. 4
Bill could help curb overcrowding at county jails
By Josh Sigler jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com Emmanuel Christian junior Preston Ritzema has been part of the basketball program’s last three state titles. Now, he will have the chance to showcase his talents in Australia. Ritzema has been invited by Down Under Sports to represent Indiana on the organization’s boys basketball team. Ritzema will depart for Queensland, Australia, on July 14 to compete down under for individual honors and a team championship title. Each participant must raise money to cover the cost of the 10-day Australia tournament package. Ritzema explained that the school received a letter saying he was chosen to represent Indiana in the Down Under Sports annual basketball tournament. “It means a lot to represent the community,” Ritzema said, “and to be able to show my basketball abilities for Indiana in the tournament.” Ritzema said that playing basketball has helped him develop his leadership skills, as well as his ability to represent Christ. Ritzema’s teammates will be from other states in the U.S., which will be competing against other teams from Austrailia and around the world. Down Under Sports was founded in February 1989, based upon the dream of a New Zealander by the name of George O’Scanlon. O’Scanlon fell in love with athletics, especially American football, growing up in his native country of New Zealand. His desire over the years has been to promote football, not only to the people of New Zealand, but also to Australia where he lived for many years.
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Barricades block Alber Street, just north of Euclid Street. Photo by Joseph Slacian
Work underway on Alber Street project By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com The second phase of the Alber Street project began on Wednesday, April 3. Barricades were put into place Wednesday. “(Alber) street will be closed from Euclid north to John Kissinger Drive and then from John Kissinger Drive to U.S. 24 during two phases,” Mayor Scott Long said. “The detour is currently Cass Street to Harrison Avenue to Alber Street.” Work on the street will include creating a parking lane on the east side of Alber, as well as adding a sidewalk adjacent to the parking lane. Crews also will install new
curbs, gutters and a sewer system from Euclid Street north. The project is expected to cost $1.097 million, with the city paying 20 percent of the cost, or roughly $219,441, Long said. The majority of the funding is through a grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation. Broken into two phases, the city received grant money for Phase I of the project in February of 2010. Phase I is the larger of the two phases and includes the area between Cass Street and Euclid Street. Work on that phase took place in 2014. Between the two phases, INDOT gave the city nearly $4.5 million in grants. (continued on page 4)
By Josh Sigler jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com
A bill that is being sponsored by Indiana State Rep. Andy Zay (R-Huntington) could help overcrowding issues facing facilities like the Wabash County Jail. The bill, House Bill 1078, passed the full senate by a vote of 46-2 last week. In a press release, Zay’s office explained that the bill would allow a court to relocate a Level 6 felony offender from a county jail to the Indiana Department of Corrections if the person is a violent offender or has two prior unrelated felony convictions. Officials in Wabash County have long highlighted that the county needs a new jail facility. Sheriff Ryan Baker, at the weekly County Commissioners meeting Monday, explained that the jail was housing 114 total inmates, but had to send 56 inmates to Miami County and another 13 to Elkhart County, meaning the county was responsible for 182 inmates total over the past week. Wabash County Jail, built in 1979, has only 72 beds with a capacity for 112 inmates, is over capacity 100 percent of the time. (continued on page 4 )
State Supreme Court to hear case here By The Paper staff The Indiana Supreme Court will travel to the Honeywell Center in Wabash County on Thursday, April 18. The Court will hold oral argument in a criminal case addressing the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. The argument is in the case of Katelin Seo v. State of Indiana. The Court holds approximately 60 oral arguments at the State House in Indianapolis each year. Occasionally, it schedules arguments outside the capital to allow students, press, and pub(continued on page 4)
The Indiana Supreme Court. Photo provided