SOUTHWOOD LADY KNIGHTS CLAIM SHARE OF TRC CHAMPIONSHIP See page 18 for game summary
of wabash county inc. January 23, 2013
LARRY HOOVER • 22
Hoover retires from Chamber board Larry Hoover retired from the Wabash County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors after serving for over 15 years. Read more about Hoover’s tenure on page 22.
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Vol. 35, No. 45
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Vote Center Draft Plan open for review to the public by Ashley Flynn features@thepaperofwabash.com On Jan. 15, a public hearing was held at the Wabash County Courthouse with the purpose of presenting to the public a proposal put together by the Vote Center Study Committee and answer questions. The Vote Center Study Committee, formed in the spring of 2011, has been meeting regularly to discuss the possibility of vote centers replacing the traditional precinct based voting within the county. Currently, there are 26 precincts at 20 locations throughout the county, and voters are required to vote at their assigned precinct, which is determined by where the voter lives.
In July 2011, Indiana passed a law allowing each county to decide if they wanted to switch to a vote center system, which would allow Wabash County citizens to vote at any vote center in the county that is most convenient to them on Election Day. Indiana had three pilot counties – Wayne, Cass and Tippecanoe – test out the vote centers. These counties found that voters enjoy the vote centers and it increased voter turn out. Wabash County leaders decided to propose the vote centers based on these results, and they also believe it would save taxpayers money because it would decrease the amount of supplies used, cut down on office time and require just 63 poll center workers instead of the current 152.
The estimated start up costs for vote centers totals at $57,000, but the total estimated savings per year is $15,000 countywide. With the savings, the county should make the start up costs back within three to four years. There are currently 20 voting locations, but if the change were to occur, there would be nine, which is still well over the required limit for Wabash County. Indiana law states that there must be one voting location per 10,000 registered voters. Wabash County has approximately 22,500 registered voters, which, by law, requires just three voting locations. The Vote Center Study Committee is proposing one Vote Center in each of the seven townships but three in the City of Wabash. Elaine Martin, a member of
Hoffman’s Nursery and Scott’s Landscape Services Announce Merger Companies Combine to Better Serve Customers and Communities by Shaun Tilghman North Manchester News Journal On Jan. 1, a merger occurred between Scott’s Landscape Services (302 Strauss Provimi Rd., North Manchester) and Hoffman’s Nursery &
Landscaping Inc. (4170 W. 200 N., Wabash), in order to allow different divisions of the respective companies to focus primarily on their specialty, thus resulting in better service for all customers. In 2003, Brian Hoffman became the third generation to join the family business at Hoffman’s Nursery. Brian’s grandfather, Robert, founded
the original company in 1938, and Brian’s father, Larry, got involved in 1972. Larry’s wife, Cindy, joined the business in 1978, and the couple purchased it in 1983. Brian’s younger brother, Darin, also returned to the business in 2007, after serving in the U.S. Navy. Scott Manges founded Scott’s Landscape Services in 1975, fol(continued on page 5)
SCOTT’S LANDSCAPE SERVICES, in North Manchester, recently merged with Hoffman’s Nursery & Landscaping Inc., in Wabash, to provide superior customer service through increased focus on specialty areas. Pictured at the North Manchester location are: (from left) Larry Hoffman, Cindy Hoffman, Brian Hoffman, and Scott Manges. (Photo by Shaun Tilghman)
the county election board, sees no reason why the proposal will not get approved. She said the only hindrance would be that some people just do not like change. The biggest benefit of voting centers is convenience. Voters can choose to vote at whichever Voting Center they want. Wabash County will continue to use Microvote Infinity Machines, which will allow voters to go to any vote center and retrieve the correct ballot style
electronically. In addition to the convenience of choosing where to vote, the committee has proposed to increase voting hours. Two Saturdays prior to Election Day, satellite vote centers will be open, which would allow any voter in the county to vote early absentee-in-person. The two proposed satellite locations are in LaFontaine and North Manchester. The proposal is open to the (continued on page 6)
Steven Satterly to plead guilty to attempted murder by Brent Swan Wabash County Prosecutor Bill Hartley reached a plea agreement Jan. 14 with Wabash resident Steven Satterly in connection with a 2010 stabbing at 692 Columbus St., Wabash. Terms of the plea agreement state Satterly will plead guilty to the attempted murder of Holly Honeycutt. On March 24, 2010, officers from the Wabash City Police Department responded to a call from Honeycutt stating she had been stabbed by her child’s father, Satterly, and that he had fled from the scene in a gray Oldsmobile Bravada. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Honeycutt standing at the front door bleeding profusely from the neck. Honeycutt was immediately transported by Wabash City Fire Dept. Paramedics to Wabash County Hospital where she was later flown to Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne. At the time of the incident, Honeycutt was at home with her one-year old child and her aunt, Melanie Honeycutt. Melanie stated to authorities that she was helping Holly out at the time of the incident as Holly was pregnant, when she heard Holly scream from the bedroom. When she went to see what was wrong, Melanie witnessed Satterly standing in the bedroom and Holly run out of the room bleeding. Melanie also stated to Wabash City Police Officers that she attempted to call 911, but that Satterly stated, “No
STEVEN SATTERLY one is calling 911.” Melanie then grabbed the one-year old child and ran out the front door to get help. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Holly told WPD Officer Craig Blocher that Satterly had stolen her Bravada after holding a knife to her neck. Authorities were able to learn of Satterly’s movements through phone calls to his mother prior to his apprehension in California on March 29. On March 29, a California Highway Patrol officer attempted to stop Satterly for speeding on Interstate 15, near San Bernardino. Satterly then led California Highway Patrol Officers on an 80-mile long, high-speed pursuit, before running into backed up traffic in Burbank, Calif. As officers approached the vehicle, Satterly attempted to flee again, after swerving to (continued on page 6)