THE PAPER January 25, 2012
Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Sheriff’s Department investigates threats to Northfield Jr./Sr. High School by Danielle Swan DSmith @thepaperofwabash.com
After being evacuated twice in one week due to written bomb threats, Northfield Jr./Sr. High School has been declared clear and safe for students. On the morning of Jan. 17, a custodian discovered a bomb threat written on a toilet paper dispenser in the boys’ bathroom in the athletic area. The Wabash County S h e r i f f ’ s Department was notified immediately, and students were evacuated. A bombdetecting dog was sent in from the Howard County S h e r i f f ’ s Department’s canine unit. “Every single area was sniffed by a dog that is trained to do this,” said Dr. Sandra Weaver, superintendent of Metropolitan School District of Wabash County. This includes the interior and exterior of the building. Dr. Weaver and her fellow school officials operated under the advice of the law enforcement agencies regarding what was the safest and quickest way to remove the students from the building, ultimately resulting in their decision to move them to Sharp Creek, where they waited for the investigation to be completed. “We knew we had to get students out of the building. We knew it was going to be for hours. We didn’t want them standing outside, not only because of a safety concern, but it was too cold. We worked with the Sheriff ’s Department and the
dog handler, who is trained in bomb detection. They gave us their opinion, and we did exactly what they told us to do because this is their area of expertise.” After a few hours, the building was declared safe and students returned to their classes. Two days later, a second bomb threat was discovered written on the wall of the girls’ bathroom in the athletic area. This time, when the law enforcement agencies were notified, school officials were made aware that there was not a nearby canine unit. “We were going to have to wait over two hours just for the dog to get there and then it takes several hours to do the search, so we knew that we wouldn’t have any time for schooling,” Dr. Weaver said. In light of that fact, the decision was made to release students for the remainder of the day, and busses arrived to take them home. That day will be made up at a later date, but the second threat cost more than just one day of summer. Running an extra bus route comes at a high expense to the district. “When you think of fuel and paying drivers that extra cost, you’re into the thousands of dollars mark,” Dr. Weaver said. The Wabash County Sheriff ’s Department is conducting the investigation of the two threats. Sheriff Bob Land feels that the threats were made by two different indi-
viduals, based primarily on the fact that the handwriting is different. “We really can’t point the first threat toward the school because there was a basketball game and a wrestling match and other activities going on at the school, so we really can’t pinpoint it to Northfield,” Land said. He went on to inform The Paper that they have followed up on several leads and conducted interviews with a few young adults, but no arrests had been made as of press time. “It is a felony charge to make false reports such as this so if we do find out the person responsible, I’m sure there will be charges filed,” Land said. Dr. Weaver confirmed that fact, “Whoever did this, we will absolutely prosecute.” This week, Dr. Weaver plans to call a meeting for the assistant superintendent, Dr. Brian Dawson; the director of building and grounds, Steve Holley; and the principals of Northfield and Southwood high schools to evaluate the school’s reaction to this situation. She advised that if they make any decisions on how to differently handle these types of situations, as a safety measure, that information will not be shared with the public. “We are going to be assessing the situation and making recommendations for the future and we hope we don’t ever have to use them,” she concluded.
Index Classifieds ....................29-31
Weekly Reports ............10-12
D&E ....................................9
Community News 8, 13, 17-18
NORTHFIELD JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL was evacuated twice last week due to written bomb threats found in bathrooms at the school. School officials are working with the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department on this case. (photo by Brent Swan)
Miami Correctional Facility escapee apprehended after chase An escapee from the Miami Correctional Facility was apprehended in Wabash County after a pursuit that led officers from several different departments on a 20-mile chase that began in Grant County. At approximately 10:26 p.m. on Jan. 20, Wabash County Central Dispatch received a call that the Converse Town Marshal was behind a stolen vehicle, northbound on SR 13 in Grant County. A traffic stop by Grant County officers initiated the pursuit and discovered the vehicle had been reported to the Miami
County Sheriff ’s Department as a stolen vehicle. The vehicle failed to stop and the pursuit entered Wabash County. Deputies from the Wabash County Sheriff ’s Department responded to the call as the pursuit continued northbound on SR 13 near Vernon Street as the chase entered the city of Wabash. The vehicle eluded officers and was involved in an accident with a vehicle from the Sweetser Police Department. The vehicle then continued into the city where officers from the Wabash City Police Department
picked up the chase. The vehicle then headed southbound on SR 15 with officer in pursuit. Near Cr 700 S, the vehicle, a 1992 Chevy pick-up, left the roadway and continued through farm fields, before finally stopping near CR 850 S and Meridian Road. The suspect then fled on foot. Wabash City Police Officers John Krhin and Josh Prater, along with Wabash County Sheriff ’s Deputy Dustin Hurst, continued to pursue the suspect by following footprints in the snow. The suspect, later identified as Donald
In Memoriam Doris Beck, 85 Shirley Bidwell, 62 Ricky Coburn, 55 Rev. Robert Gatchel, Sr., 91
Aera Hall, 82 Kathleen Hippensteel, 63 Charles Purdy, 74 Janelda Schwan, 85
L. Sorrell, 38, was apprehended by three officers in a farm field just south of CR 850 S near Cr 50 E. Further investigation revealed that Sorrell, sentenced in 2009, was an escapee from the Miami Correctional Facility serving a 20-year sentence for a series of armed robberies in Wayne, Hendricks and Howard counties. The investigation into the escape is still ongoing and is being conducted by the Miami Correctional Facility.
Vol. 34, No. 45
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326