Vol. 37, No. 47
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
Tuesday, Jan. 27th Swimming Manchester vs. Wabash 5:00pm
Friday, Jan. 30th Boys Basketball Tippecanoe Valley vs. Manchester 7:30pm
of Wabash County Inc.
January 28, 2015
www.thepaperofwabash.com
Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Kevin Cordes and family honored as 2014 Farm Family of the Year By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com The Kevin Cordes family was named 2014’s Farm Family of the Year by the Wabash Chamber of Commerce for their involvement in and contributions to the community. The Cordes’s family farm has been in operation since 1958 when Cliff Cordes, Kevin’s father, originally purchased the land. Since then, Kevin has lived at his 1000-acre farm in Roann for 57 years, taking over the operation in the late 1970’s after college. Recently, he welcomed his son Jared’s family into the operation, converting ten acres into a blackberry field. Kevin’s wife Peggy said she was honestly surprised they were chosen for the award. “We’re kind of a small farm compared to today’s standards,” she said. “I give my husband a lot of credit, because of his farming methods and work.” As a long-time friend and supervisor, as well as vice chairman of Wabash County, and regional director for state association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Bobby Hettmansperger has known the family for years and has been involved with Kevin’s endeavors to care for the soil and educate farmers. He said that there is a very good reason why Kevin and his family are being honored with this award. “Kevin realizes there is more to agriculture than planting and farming. He is a true steward to the soil that we tem(continued on page 5)
The Kevin Cordes Family was selected as 2014 Farm Family of the Year for their community contributions and soil-considerate farming practices. The Cordes family includes (front row) Cole and Janna holding Corban and Faye, (middle row) Peggy, Isaiah, Michael, Paul, Olia, Kevin, and (back row) Lena, Jared holding Teresina, Erica, and Linda. Not pictured are Jason, Lindsay, Levi, and Myles. (photo by Emma Rausch)
Former exchange student helps his Cost of housing inmates increases ‘American mother’ celebrate birthday By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Wabash County Jail was below its capacity of 72 inmates just 13 days in 2014, Sheriff Bob Land reported to the Wabash County Commissioners on Monday morning. The figures were part of a year-end wrap-up Land presented to both Commissioners and the Wabash County Council on Monday. “Last year’s average daily population was 81.78,” the sheriff said, giving the annual report which is required by state statute. “That is up slightly from 80.11 in 2013.” To help ease overcrowding at the Wabash County Jail, local inmates are routinely housed at the Miami County Jail. To do so, Wabash County must pay Miami County a per diem for each inmate incarcerated there. “In 2014 we spent a little over $50,000 more than we did in 2013,” he said. Last year, the cost was $188,895, the sheriff told The Paper following the meeting. In 2013 the cost was $138,455. He said he, like sheriffs around the state, are waiting to see if revisions (continued on page 29)
By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Ever since he was a foreign exchange student at Northfield High School in 1969-70, Ernie Cortabarria made sure to contact his host mother, Mary Schenkel, on her birthday. This year, to celebrate Mrs. Schenkel’s 86th birthday, Cortabarria gave her a very special present. He and his family – wife, Mariatiela, son, Santiago, and daughter, Matilde – spent four days in Wabash as part of a trip to the Ernie Cortabarria (left) and his foreign exchange “mother” Mary United States from Schenkel look through a scrapbook during his visit to Wabash last their native Uruguay. weekend. Photo provided On Friday morning, Cortabarria and his NHS principal Mike Keaffaber, who is family toured Northfield High School. Schenkel’s brother-in-law. They were joined by Ron Schenkel, who “Seeing everything is almost new to me,” was a Northfield student during Cortabarria told The Paper following the Cortabarria’s visit 45 years ago, Tim tour. “So many memories that don’t match Grossman, who lived down the road to the with what I see now. It’s like getting to Schenkels and befriended Cortabarria, and (continued on page 5)
Harvey Industries hit with $1 million class action lawsuit By Eric Stearley eric@thepaperofwabash.com A class action lawsuit has been filed against Harvey Industries following the layoff of 143 workers on Dec. 31. The case was filed with the United States District Court’s Northern Indiana district on Jan. 16. On Jan. 2, Harvey Industries announced the layoff of two-thirds of its employees due to “unforeseeable business circumstances,” namely the loss of two large contracts with General Motors and Modine, two of the company’s largest clients. The lawsuit cites Harvey Industries’ failure to comply with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires companies to give workers 60 days notice of an impending mass layoff or plant closing. The plaintiffs, represented by Philip J. Gibbons Jr. of Gibbons Legal Group, P.C., based in Indianapolis, are seeking damages in the amount of 60 days’ pay and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) benefits, totaling more than $1 million. Court documents also indicate that 50 employees were laid off on Dec. 19. In the Dec. 19 letter, employees were told that the layoffs would be permanent. These employees were later included in a notice sent to the Department of Workforce Development as part of the 143 employees laid off on Dec. 31, which stated that call backs were expected. Court documents also brought into question the company’s claim that the loss of contracts with GM and Modine were unforeseeable. The plaintiff alleges that Harvey Industries learned in late 2013 or early 2014 that Modine, which assembles parts manufactured by Harvey Industries before sending them to Ford Motor Company, was going to lose a contract with Ford for one of the jobs involving Harvey-supplied parts. A new company, Borg Warner, successfully bid for this contract and was pursued by Harvey in hopes that they could continue to manufacture these parts for Borg Warner. The plaintiff alleges that Harvey found out it would not be awarded any contracts with Borg Warner as early as October 2014. Furthermore, court documents indicate that GM voiced concerns over quality issues throughout 2014, cancelling a return audit set for October 2014. Harvey Industries stopped shipping orders to a GM facility located in Australia in November 2014 and stopped shipping orders to facilities in (continued on page 28)