Rochester residents enjoy living in former Athens train depot
on Lake Manitou, from Bill and Barb Hardesty.
which Addie Lawson said she be lieves dates to the 1970s.
The Athens train depot may once have served people’s travel needs, but now supports a couple’s at-home ones.
Addie and Dustin Lawson and their two cats call the former depot their home. The couple rents the property located at 2305 West Side Road, Rochester,
According to Fulton County records, the original structure dates to 1900.
Gayle Bishop, who owned the house with her husband, Mike Bishop, before the Hardestys did, said she heard the depot was moved over to Lake Manitou to be a fishing cottage.
It’s been updated as a home with a second story addition,
She noted the 942-square-foot building has runners underneath it, which made it mobile.
“There’s two really pretty trusses on the outside that I’m assuming they’re (in) the original paint ... where as the rest of the house has been sided,” said Addie Lawson.
The structure also contains many old windows.
previous owners put a sign on the home reading “Athens Depot.”
“It’s as pretty as an old train station can be,” she said.
Addie Lawson called living in a piece of history “really cool.”
She noted it’s ironic that she’s living in the home because she’s a Purdue University graduate.
“So I’m a Boilermaker living in an old train station.”
LIVING IN AN OLD TRAIN STATION Addie, left, and Dustin Lawson live in the former Athens train depot, which has been converted into home. It’s located at 2305 West Side Road, Rochester.
K now Y our n eighbor
Kohls enjoys serving others through job, outside activities
By LEAH SANDER Staff Writer
Donnie Kohls says service was instilled in him at an early age.
“Growing up in a family of 11 kids, we were just made to be a part of service to others,” he said. “We were in a country setting of neighbors helping neighbors.”
Kohls, of Rochester, serves others through his position as funeral assistant at Zimmerman Brothers Funeral Home and through outside activities.
He’s the current president of the Rochester Kiwanis Club and on the Fulton County Community Corrections Board and United We Stand Ministries of Akron Board.
Kohls is also an interim pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church and has been involved with Gideons International for 17 years.
He said it was his mother, Betty Kohls, who served as an early model to him of helping others.
Kohls said she worked at an assisted living facility.
“I would ride my bicycle at the age of 14 the five miles into town just to be in the assist-
ed living (facility) where she worked, kind of helping her, so that gave me the desire (to serve others),” he said.
Kohls is originally from Cadott, Wis. When he was in high school, his family moved to Minnesota, where he graduated from Crosby-Ironton High School.
Kohls said his family moved back to Cadott after he graduated high school. After the return to Wisconsin, Kohls said he started dealing with some personal issues, which he thought he could escape by moving away.
He met a family in Cadott originally from Delong.
“I came on a vacation with them down here to Indiana,” said Kohls. “When I came down here to stay, I fell in love. The people were friendly.”
Kohls moved to Rochester in 1986. His first job in the county was as a certified nursing assistant at Life Care Center of Rochester. He next became Life Care’s activities coordinator.
Kohls’ other jobs before Zimmerman Brothers included driving a school bus for Rochester Community Schools, working at Lifeline Youth and Family Services in Kosciusko
County, and doing marketing and being an activities director for Peabody Retirement Community in North Manchester.
“In 2007, I came back to Rochester to work as a community corrections officer (under then-Fulton County Sheriff Walker Conley),” he said.
Kohls then became co-commander of the Fulton County Jail with Mary Williams.
“I then went to work for Wynnfield Crossing (of Rochester) ... from 2014 until 2021,” he said.
Kohls started working for Zimmerman Brothers part time in 2017, becoming full time in 2021.
He said his previous service jobs prepared him for working with families of people who have passed away due to teaching him “compassion.”
Kohls’ tasks at Zimmerman Brothers include helping Zimmerman Brothers Funeral Home Director Darin Beeker with preparing people’s bodies, although Kohls can’t actually embalm a body himself.
He also does the memorial videos and cards, helps set up for visitations and funerals, cleans up afterward and assists at the gravesites.
FEDCO announces spring business planning course
Fulton County Economic Development Corporation, or FEDCO, announces the Spring 2025 NxLevel Business Planning and Management course, a business training course that enhances entrepreneurial skills for startup and existing businesses. This course will help small business owners, or those who plan to open their own business, learn the skills needed to create, develop, and strengthen successful business
ventures. The course covers various areas of business ownership, including testing the feasibility of a business idea or expansion before preparing a business plan. Students will learn about marketing, financial statements, business financing, and real-life, proven business-management principles while drafting their own business plan.
Past graduates of the class had this to say about their experience:
“This class seriously helped more than I could have ever imagined. This was the best step in starting my business.”
”As an existing business owner, I was not sure what to expect from the class, or even sure if it could help me. But I honestly learned new ways to grow my business and each class kept my attention.”
“Very beneficial. I wish other communities were as proactive about small business.”
This five week course will be from 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays, on the following dates: April 2, 9, 23, 30 and May 7. Graduates of this course are eligible to apply for reduced-interest loans. The cost for the course is $199 and includes a textbook, workbook, a sample business plan and all handouts. All classes will be held at the Fulton Economic Development Corporation office, 822 Main St., Rochester.
To register for the class, complete the registration form at surveymonkey.com/r/FedcoSpr25; or contact Amy Beechy of FEDCO at (574) 709-7955 or at amy@projectmattersllc.com. Registration deadline is Wednesday, March 26.
Kohls works at Zimmerman Brothers’ locations in Rochester and Fulton and at McClain Funeral Home in Denver, as Beeker also serves as the funeral director there.
“I’m glad for the things I’ve done,” he said. “I’m glad for the people that God has put in the path of my life that have shaped my life. This job here, I wish I got into this field early on. This
has just been phenomenal.”
Kohls has been married to Jayne Kohls for 35 years.
He has a daughter, Shelly, and a granddaughter, Ada, who live in Rochester; as well as a stepson, George, daughter-inlaw, Erin, and grandchildren, Geo and Rosie, who live in South Bend.
In his spare time, he enjoys golfing.
Fulton County Chamber’s Coffee and Conversation is Thursday, March 13
The Fulton County Chamber of Commerce will have its next Coffee and Conversation for chamber members on Thursday, March 13.
It starts at 7:30 a.m. at Rochester Dining, 835 SR 25, with
the cost free and breakfast available for purchase.
People should register for the networking event by contacting Kellie Scobie at the chamber at assistant@fultoncountychamber.com.
Women’s euchre scores for February
A women’s euchre group has released scores for February’s euchre games.
First Group, Women’s Sunday Scores for the women’s Sunday group are: Claudia Hartzler/Pat Howell, 835; Carolyn Wagoner/Liz Robinson, 734; Karen Notz/Liz Kelsey, 706; Joyce Ginther/Janet Cox, 681; Janelle Smith/Rhonda House, 654; Charlotte Miller/Stephenia Barkman, 578; Kim Zartman/Elaine Swisher, 558; Sandy Summe/ Kathy Anderson, 530.
Second Group, Women’s Monthly Scores for the women’s monthly group are:
FUNERAL ASSISTANT Donnie Kohls of Rochester is a funeral assistant at Zimmerman Brothers Funeral Home. Photo by Leah Sander.
Lake Manitou resident shares concern about water quality
By LEAH SANDER Staff Writer
One Lake Manitou resident said he’s concerned about declining quality on the Rochester body of water.
Ray Dausman, who’s tested Lake Manitou’s water as a volunteer through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Clean Lakes Program for about nine years, said he believes clarity has declined to 1.5 feet and will continue to go down based on his previous readings and data on the lake’s previous clarity.
Dausman said he usually tests the water several times a month between May to August. He uses a Secchi disk to check the clarity, lowering the object into the lake and writing down the number of feet at which it can no longer be viewed.
He noted based on data from the Clean Lakes Program, regarding the at least 70 lakes that are part of it, that Lake Manitou is in “the lower 10%” for water quality.
“Over 52 years, there’s a constant trend (downward regarding water clarity),” he said.
Dausman believes the Lake Manitou Association has removed too many plants from the lake through dredging and chemical treatments.
He said the LMA started asking for permits from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to spray on the lake to eliminate excessive plant life.
Dausman said the DNR also de-
CONCERNED ABOUT LAKE MANITOU Lake Manitou resident Ray Dausman said he’s concerned about the water quality of the Rochester lake. Photo by Leah Sander.
veloped a plan to treat the invasive plant species, hydrilla, on the lake.
He believes the chemical treatment used on Lake Manitou for hydrilla also killed off other plants as well as the hydrilla.
Dausman said he also thinks that excessive boating on the shallow lake has harmed native plants via sediment being stirred up and blocking off the light plants need for growth.
He said the lack of plants disrupts the amount of oxygen in the lake as plants naturally release oxygen during the photosynthesis process. With oxygen being reduced, fish and other smaller organisms can die.
Let’s Study The Bible —
Indiana DNR Biologist Courtney Weldon, whose District 1 coverage area of the state includes Fulton County, noted the DNR’s last measurement of water clarity at Lake Manitou in 2021 also was at 1.5 feet.
She said there was an algae bloom at the time, which obscured clarity.
Weldon said other plants did get killed off during the past treatments of hydrilla, but that the DNR had observed plant life returning. The DNR also found that dissolved oxygen was good for 15 feet, supporting wildlife, she said.
The LMA couldn’t be reached for comment.
Heaven, father and prayer
(Read: John 14:1-14)
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
First, Jesus tells us about heaven (John 14:1-6). Jesus speaks of heaven as a real place, not merely as a state of mind.
By
He pictured heaven as a loving home where the Father dwells.
“Mansions” in the Greek is actually “abiding places,” speaking of the permanency of our heavenly home. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. Jesus “the Carpenter” (Mark 6:3) is building a heavenly home for all who have trusted him. And he will return to receive his own to himself.
Paul later amplified this promise in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” Had Jesus remained on earth, he could not have prepared the heavenly home for his own.
How can sinners ever hope to get to heaven? Through Jesus!
Read Luke 15:11-24, the story of the Prodigal Son, in connection with John 14:6. Like the sinner, the boy was lost (Luke 15:24), ignorant (Luke 15:17—“came to himself”), and dead (Luke 15:24). But he came to the father! (Luke 15:20) He was lost, but Jesus is the way; he was ignorant, but Jesus is the truth; and he was dead (spiritually), but Jesus
is the life! And he arrived at the Father’s house when he repented and returned.
Second, Jesus revealed the Father (John 14:7-11). Philip seemed to have trouble with his eyes: he wanted to see. Almost his first words in John 1:46 are, “Come and see!” Philip saw the great crowd in John 6 and decided that Jesus could not feed them (John 6:7).
The Greeks who came to Philip said, “We would see Jesus” (John 12:21). Jesus made it clear that seeing him is seeing the father. “From now on you know him,” He promises in verse 7. It’s by faith that we see the father as we come to know Jesus Christ better.
Third, Jesus granted us the privilege of prayer (John 14:1214). While he was with the disciples, Jesus supplied their needs (see John 16:22-24); now that he was returning to heaven, he gives them (and us) the
privilege of prayer. He promises to answer prayer that the father might be glorified.
To pray in “his name” means to pray for his glory, asking for whatever he himself would desire. The “greater works” spoken of in verse 12 refer to the wonderful miracles and blessings the disciples experienced as recorded in the Book of Acts (see Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:4).
The works Jesus does through us today are “greater” in the sense that we are mere human vessels, while he was God incarnate ministering on earth.
“Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14).
Read Ron Purkey’s Bible study outlines free at rcpbibleoutlines.com. Purkey has been an ordained Baptist minister for 50 years.
THE REV. RON PURKEY
O B ituaries
Daniel D. Smith Retired Teacher
Daniel D. Smith, 90, Rochester, and formerly of South Bend, passed away at 6:50 a.m. Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Peabody Retirement Community, North Manchester. In Daniel Smith style, the alignment of the planets graced his pathway to the Heavens.
On March 27, 1934, Daniel Douglas Smith was born in Atwood, to Howard and Ruth Pinkerton Smith. Growing up he shared his childhood with a brother, Stanford; and a sister, Jane. In 1952, he graduated from South Bend Riley High School with his class. After high school, Dan pursued his dream to become a teacher at Manchester College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education. Further professionalizing himself at Indiana University, with a Masters of Science in education. Dan later earned an additional Masters of Earth Science, at University of Notre Dame.
On Dec. 20, 1960, Dan and Mary Charlotte Hiatt were married. This followed a courtship that began at Manchester College. They shared nearly 59 years of life’s adventures. Sadly, she passed away on May 7, 2019. From their union came two wonderful children, Janneane and Monty. The family tree continued to grow with the added blessings of his grandchildren.
For 39 years, Dan worked for the South Bend Community School Corporation. Many of those years he specialized in the teaching of astronomy and serving as the director of the planetarium. Over the years, he enjoyed building relationships with his students, while coaching basketball and baseball. He retired in 1994. In addition, Dan was a 20-plus year member of the Bremen Conservation Club and is a founding member of the Michiana Astronomical Society. He also spent many years working with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Arriving in Rochester, Charlotte and Dan were devoted, active members, of Community Presbyterian Church. An avid outdoorsman, Dan enjoyed fishing. To relax he watched the Cubs and Indiana University Basketball. He was known for his spirited style of playing euchre.
Dan will be lovingly remembered by a daughter, Janneane Veger (Joseph), Rochester; son, Monty Smith (Maya), Santa Barbara, Calif.; granddaughter, Natalia Emily Smith; grandson, Carl Joseph Veger; and brother, Stanford Jon Smith, Clearwater, Fla.
Preceding Daniel in death are his parents; beloved wife, Charlotte; grandson, Riley Howard Veger; and sister, Jane Stallings.
A celebration of the life of Daniel Douglas Smith will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at Chapel at Peabody Retirement Community. Chaplain J. P. Freeman will officiate. Friends may visit with the family from 12:30-2 p.m. Thursday, at Peabody Chapel.
Interment will be at 2 p.m. Sunday March 30, in the Rochester IOOF Cemetery. Pastor John Oerter will officiate the graveside service.
Memorials may be made to Community Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 1033, Rochester, IN 46975 or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023.
Electronic expressions of sympathy may be made to his family at goodfamilyfh.com.
John Cale Walker
Airmarking Owner/Operator
John Cale Walker, 83, Rochester, passed away at 6:58 a.m. Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Parkview Regional Medical Center, Fort Wayne.
John was born on Dec. 2, 1941, in Streator, Ill., to Cale and Mildred “Billye” (McConnell) Walker.
John was raised with his three sisters, Sue, Nancy and Mary Lou. He graduated from Rochester High School in 1959. John spent his summers working for his father painting air markers. He traveled to many states in the Midwest through this job.
After several years pondering his future plans, he went to Indiana State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English and business. He taught English in Logansport, where he met Carol A. Hoover. They married on Oct. 28, 1967, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rochester. They moved to Rochester and taught at Caston Schools. John went to Ball State University where he earned his master’s degree in English.
After a brief move to Houston, Texas, they returned to Rochester. John’s father wanted him to work with the Airmarking company. John eventually bought the company, becoming the owner/operator.
John attended St. Joseph Catholic Church. He belonged to the Elks, Moose, and Eagles Lodges and the Knights of Columbus. He served on the Rochester Community School board from 1990-2000. John enjoyed living on Lake Manitou, and he loved playing golf and boating. He spent time working around the house and walking.
John and Carol traveled to all 50 states, Canada and Mexico, doing so first with their sons, Tim and Brett, then with their grandchildren, Kaylee, Caeden and Eryn. Kaylee wanted to swim with the dolphins in the Caymans, Caeden wanted to see the tall trees and Eryn wanted to see San Francisco. John really enjoyed cruising and eating out with family and special friends. His favorite places were Alaska and the National Parks in the West.
Survivors include his wife, Carol A. Walker, Rochester; sons, Tim (Leslie) Walker, Palm Harbor, Fla., and Brett (Angie) Walker, Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Kaylee (Braxton) Walker Mollett, Rochester, Caeden Walker and Eryn Walker, both of Palm Harbor, Fla.; great-grandchildren, Callyn Mollett and Oliver James Mollett, both of Rochester; sisters, Nancy Zimmerman, Syracuse, and Mary Lou (Tom) Leavell Bernett, Southern Pines, S.C.; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Sue Walker Coffee Smith; brothers-in-law, Tom Leavell and Rick Zimmerman; and father-in-law and mother-in-law, Lewis and Doris Hoover.
Mass of Christian Burial took place at 11 a.m. Monday, March 10, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Rochester.
Burial was in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Rochester.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Rochester High School Scholarship Fund or to St. Joseph Catholic Church. Online condolences may be expressed at zimmermanbrosfh. com.
Opal Marie Mathias
Eaton Controls Retiree
Opal Marie Mathias, age 96, formally of rural Roann, died at 5:10 p.m. Monday, March 3, 2025, at Peabody Retirement Community, North Manchester, where she resided for 10 months.
Paislee Grey Wadkins
Leighandra and Noah Wadkins, Rochester, are the parents of a daughter, Paislee Grey, born at 12:33 p.m. Monday, March 3, in Woodlawn Health. She weighed 7 pounds, 10.5 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long. She joins sibling Emberlee, 2.
Aenomaus DeVere Abshire
Corina Eby and Austin Abshire are the parents of a son, Aenouma-
us DeVere, born at 1:19 a.m. Sunday, March 2, in Woodlawn Health. He weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, and was 20 inches long.
Maternal grandparent is Samantha Huffman.
Paternal grandparents are Heather Berry and Bill Berry.
Maternal great-grandparent is Wannita Eby.
Paternal great-grandparent is Lynn Stan Filson.
Opal Marie Mathias was born on Jan. 18, 1929, in Miami County, to William James and Mary Gertrude (Shambarger) Wright. Marie graduated from Macy High School in 1946.
On Jan. 20, 1951, she married Malcom Dean Mathias in Macy, and lived her lifetime in the Macy area. Marie worked and retired from Eaton Controls, North Manchester.
She attended the Pleasant Hill Community Church, Macy. Marie raised chickens and enjoyed gardening and baking. She enjoyed making noodles for the church.
Surviving Marie are two daughters, Rita Hughes, Macy and Virginia (spouse, Steve) Kurtz, South Whitley; one son, Ray (spouse, Lisa) Mathias, Roann; nine grandchildren, Doug, Beth and Maria Carter, Ryan Hughes, Travis and Justin Kurtz, Amy Libertowski, Rachel Hester and Brooke Mathias; 15 great- grandchildren.
Preceding Marie in death are her parents; husband, Malcolm in 2001; one daughter, Donna Carter and husband Mike; two grandsons, Randy Hughes and Jamie Carter; four sisters, Alice Teel, Gladys Dale and husband, Bob, Frances and husband, Charles Wilhelm, Garnet Wildermuth and husband, Joe; one brother, John Wright; one son-in-law; Roger Hughes; three half brothers, Fred, Lowell and Kenneth Wright; and one half sister, Iola Kamp.
Services were held Saturday, March 8, at the Earl-Love Funeral Home, 811 E. Rochester St., Akron, IN 46910.
Interment was in the Gilead Cemetery, Gilead.
Memorial contributions may be made to Pleasant Hill Community Church, 5506 E. 1300 N., Roann, IN 46974, or to the Randy Hughes Scholarship Fund, Northern Indiana Community Foundation, P.O. Box 807, Rochester, IN 46910.
Online condolences may be sent to earllovefuneralhome.com.
Joshua M. Emmons
Joshua M. Emmons, 39, Silver Lake, died Friday, March 7, 2025, at his residence.
He was born on Aug. 24, 1985.
He is survived by his son, Joshua Emmons Jr.; mother, Jenny Emmons, both of Silver Lake; father, Mike (Deanna) Emmons, Akron; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; and his bulldog, Brutus.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Keith Boller and Ellis and Daisy Manns; and several cousins.
Funeral services will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, at Hartzler Funeral Home, 305 W. Rochester St., Akron, with Pastor Terry Bradford officiating.
Interment will be in Akron Cemetery, Akron.
Friends may visit two hours prior to services in the funeral home. Donations can be made to the funeral home.
Online condolences can be shared with the family at hartzlerfuneralservices.com.
Diana Sue Anderson Diana Sue Anderson, 81, Argos, died Monday, March 10, 2025, in her home.
She was born on Sept. 11, 1943. On Feb. 23, 1962, she married Phil Anderson; who survives.
Additional survivors are her daughter, Shelley Mitchell; two sons, Greg (Sheila) Anderson and Steve Anderson; five grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
A private family interment will take place in the Mentone Cemetery, Mentone.
Arrangements have been entrusted to King Memorial Home, 101 N. Tucker St., Mentone.
Peder ‘Pete’ Christian Pedersen
Peder
“Pete” Christian Pedersen, 84, Mentone, died at 7:45 p.m. Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital, Warsaw.
He was born on Feb. 16, 1941. In 1991, he married Joyce Laughlin; who survives.
‘PETE’
Additional survivors are her sons, Jeff (Anna) Peters, Bend, Ore.; and Scott Peters, and girlfriend, Terri Hagler, Hamlet; six grandchildren; and two sisters, Judy Taylor, Indianapolis and Anita Hueber, Mineral Wells, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Joyce Nicholson; and two grandchildren, Aaron and Arien.
A memorial gathering will be held from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, March 16, at the American Legion Post No. 424, 202 S. Main St., Bourbon. Military honors will be performed at 3 p.m.
Arrangements have been entrusted to King Memorial Home, 101 N. Tucker St., Mentone.
Online condolences can be shared with the family at hartzlerfuneralservices.com.
DANIEL D. SMITH
OPAL MARIE MATHIAS
JOHN CALE WALKER
JOSHUA M. EMMONS
PEDER
CHRISTIAN PEDERSEN
Charlotte K. Givens, 75, Akron, passed away at 4:15 a.m. Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Hickory Creek, Rochester. This followed a brief yet valiant battle with cancer.
On Aug. 9, 1949, Charlotte Kaye Nicodemus was born in Woodlawn Hospital, Rochester. She was the treasured daughter of Peter A. and Frances Morgan Nicodemus. Growing up on a farm near Akron, she graduated from Akron High School with the class of 1967. Remaining a proud Akron Flyer through the years, she played a vibrant role on the planning committee of the class reunions.
At the Akron Church of God, Charlotte and Larry Wayne Givens were married on Dec. 22, 1972. They shared nearly 20 years of life’s adventures. Sadly, he passed away on Oct. 3, 1993. From their union came two beautiful daughters, Charlene and Larissa, with the blessings of another generation being added to the family tree with four grandchildren, Miranda, Sam, Max and Eli.
A woman of diverse interests, Charlotte possessed skills of adaption. Over the years she was a talented seamstress at HartSchaffner-Marx. Following HSM closing, she worked a stint at Wen Products, Akron. More recently, she worked at Akron School as an instructional assistant with special needs children and at Heartland Farms, Gilead. Over the years she tended to the chores for the animals. She loved the pigs, chickens, canines and felines.
To relax, Charlotte enjoyed creating gifts of warmth by crocheting and knitting. Paramount in her life was her family. Charlotte was always there for them. She possessed a heart of gold, an amazing sense of humor, great loyalty to friends and was very proud of her family.
Left to cherish Charlotte’s memory are her daughter, Charlene Musselman, and favorite son-in-law, Ryan Musselman; four grandchildren, Miranda Kaye Dotson, Sam, Max and Eli Musselman, all of Akron; special cousins, “Bow” Bowman (Deb), Judy Sayger and Susan Jennings. Her treasured pets, the Shih-Tzus, Bucky and Gypsy; and her feline, Maggie, the black and white domestic long hair.
Preceding Charlotte in death are her parents, Pete and Frances Nicodemus; beloved husband, Larry; precious daughter, Larissa Kaye Givens, in 1989; and her Shih-Tzu Rowdy.
Charlotte’s family wish to express their sincere appreciation and love for the staff of Rochester’s Hickory Creek for the compassionate, professional care of their beloved mother and grandma treating her like family.
A celebration of the life of Charlotte Kaye Givens will be at noon Thursday, March, 13, in the Good Family Funeral Home, 1200 W. 18th Street, Rochester. Her family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until the hour of the service.
A private family burial will take place at the Athens-Hoover Cemetery.
Online expressions of sympathy may be made to her family at goodfamilyfh.com.
Grace Richardson
Grace Richardson, 75, Macy, died at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at Woodlawn Hospital, Rochester.
She was born on Oct. 9, 1949. On July, 1, 1966, she married Ken-
neth W. Richardson; who preceded her in death on May 31, 2017.
She is survived by her daughters, Mindee (Mike) Turner, Logansport and Wendy (Dale) Green, Culver; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sister, Patty (Chris) McGuire, Mexico.; sister-in-law, Renee Dawalt, Twelve Mile; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and brother, Dave Dawalt.
A celebration of life service will be held from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at Manitou Moose Lodge, 1911 Westside Road, Rochester, IN 46975.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Ebenezer Church.
Court News
Circuit Court
The following petitions have been filed in Fulton Circuit Court, Judge Arthur Christopher Lee presiding: Complaints
Discover Bank v. Austin Bunton, Rochester, $7,849.12; Christian Van Ham, Kewanna, $8,340.87
Superior Court
The following petitions have been filed in Fulton Superior Court, Judge Gregory L. Heller presiding: Complaint
Mariner Finance v. Tony Homburg, Fulton, $7,311.78
Mortgage Foreclosure
U.S. Bank National Association v. Gary Randall, Rochester, and Tonya Randall, Rochester, $76,587
Traffic Violations
The following fines and levies were paid in Fulton County courts:
Driving while suspended — John Buxton, Sheridan, $164.50
Driving while suspended, speeding — Jeremi Brooks, Elkhart, $189.50
Federal motor carrier safety regulation violation — Surajpreet Singh, Elmont, N.Y., $175
Hunting wild animals, fishing, or trapping without a license — Ian Dunno, New Haven, Idaho, $164
Open alcoholic beverage container during operation of a motor vehicle — Anthony Ashmore, Indianapolis, $174.50
Operating a motor vehicle without financial responsibility — Dillion Parker, Rochester, $175
Operating with expired plates — Corey Jackson, Lyndhurst, Ohio, $164
Nicholas Fleischauer, Chesterton, $154.50; Elinso Aviles Bravo, Indianapolis, $154.50; Jose Vicens, Holland Mich., $175; Zoey Bailey, Brownsburg, $164.50; John Steffens, Grand Rapids, Mich., $175; Michael Mattison, Portage, Mich., $164.50; Carlos Salazar, Mishawaka, $164.50; Karson Hobbs, Maineville, Ohio, $175; Jonnathan Dominguez Garcia, Wyoming, Mich., $64.50; Hunter Gillen, Owosso, Mich., $154.50; Jerale Shepherd Jr., Elkhart, $175; Nolan Weaver, Noblesville, $180.25; Tosheena Shute, Indianapolis, $175; Noah Tanguay, Kalamazoo, Mich., $164.50; Lakesha Gates, Indianapolis, $164.50; Marcella Bearickz, La Porte, $154.50
Marriage
Licenses
The following couples have applied for marriage licenses in the office of Fulton County Clerk of the Court: Hattabaugh-Henderson Jesse Dale Hattabaugh, 56, Roch-
ester, and Chasity Henderson, 48, Rochester. Garpow-Cavender
Gage Garpow, 27, Winamac, and Kazie Cavender, 23, Rochester. Gonzalez-Gomez Juan Gonzalez, 28, Rochester, and Tyrena Gomez, 27, Rochester.
Marriage Dissolutions
The following couples have filed for marriage dissolutions in Fulton County courts: Skiles — Jeremy Skiles, Rochester, and Carla Skiles, Rochester. With minor children.
Newman — Alex Newman, no address listed, and Breanna Newman, Akron. No minor children.
Speeding — Tina Eldridge, Peru, $164.50; Lesley Cole, South Bend, $175; Larry Smith, Indianapolis, $154.50; Michelle Finnegan, Knox, $155; Ashleigh Hendry, Kokomo, $164.50; Michael Roth, Carmel, $154.50; Norvis Davila Montilla, Noblesville, $154.50; Asurim Plata, South Bend, $164.50; Michael Malguarnera, Noblesville, $175; Herbert Moon, Michigan City, $164.50; Sisy Chen, Chicago, Ill., $154.50; Joseph Bruno, Carmel, $154.50; Koby Copley, South Bend, $175175; Sierra Thomas, Louisville, Ky., $164.50; Clay Linn, Madison, $164.50; Hunter Browning, Peru, $164.50; Mason Textor, Dyer, $175; Tim Batalis, Granger, $175; Douglas Blanton, Rochester, $164.50;
CHARLOTTE K. GIVENS
GRACE RICHARDSON
First pitch by FEDCO will be from 9-11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 13, at the Geneva Center, 5282 N. Old Highway 31, Rochester. Six business pitches, three schools competing. Public welcome.
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There will be a blood drive from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, March 14, at Talma Community Building, 6853 IN-25, Talma. Call (800) 733-7267 or visit RedCrossBlood.org to schedule an appointment.
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Make your own leprechaun trap and display it at Akron Carnegie Public Library, 205 E. Rochester St., Akron. Design your trap, use your own supplies, make your trap and bring it to the library for display by Friday, March 14.
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The next commissioner’s meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday, March 17, in the Fulton County Annex Building, 125 E. Ninth St., Rochester.
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County council meeting will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, in the Fulton County Annex Building, 125 E. Ninth St., Rochester.
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Rochester Fire Department will offer a First aid, CPR and AED training course from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the fire department, located at 2006 E. SR 14, Rochester. Call (574) 223-6113 to sign up.
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The Northern Indiana Mobile Food Truck will have a food bank for 150 families at 11 a.m.
Thursday, March 20. It will be at the former Mary & Jerry’s Food Pantry, 10072 W. 600 S., Mentone.
Bring a box, line up, open your trunk and drive through. If you qualify for any food pantry, you may attend this event.
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There will be a free breakfast for veterans at 8 a.m. Thursday, March 20, at Life Care Center, Rochester. This event is open to all local veterans. Call (574) 223-4331 to register.
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Board of works meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 21, in the Rochester City Building Complex, 320 Main St., Rochester.
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Mother and son dance will be from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, March 22, in the Akron Community Center, 815 Rural St., Akron. Ages 3 to 8th grade. Must be accompanied by mother, grandma, aunt or special someone. Tickets can be purchased from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, at Akron Elementary, 202 Rural St., Akron. Pre-sale only, tickets are not available at the door.
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Pancake and sausage breakfast will be from 6-10 a.m. Saturday, March 22, at the 4-H Fairgrounds, 1009 W. Third St., Rochester. Proceeds benefit Rochester girls softball and Fulton County soccer. Adults $8 and under 12 $4.
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The Moore family cancer benefit will be from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March, 23, at the Fulton County Museum, 37 E.
375N, Rochester. There will be a spaghetti dinner, live auction at 1 p.m., bake sale, 50/50 drawing and raffles. Dinner to benefit the family of Mark Moore.
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Area planning meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, March 24, in the Fulton County Annex Building, 125 E. Ninth St., Rochester.
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Fairground clean-up day will begin at 6 p.m. Monday, March 24, at the Fulton County Fairgrounds, 1009 W. Third St., Rochester. A light meal will be provided for anyone who helps. Bring your yard tools.
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There will be a city coun-
Valley Board’s next public meeting set for March 17
The Tippecanoe Valley School Board has its monthly public meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, March 17, at Tippecanoe Valley High School. It also has two executive sessions upcoming, with one at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 13, in the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. central office, and the other following the public meeting on March 17 at the high school.
Kewanna Cemetery announces spring clean up
Spring cleanup of the Kewanna Citizens IOOF Cemetery, Kewanna, is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 16, and volunteers are welcome. A short annual meeting of the cemetery association will follow. Persons with grave decorations they would like to save should remove them prior to the cleanup. All old and faded decorations will be removed. All cemetery decorations and containers, such as vases, must be mounted on the memorials or memorial foundations. Live plants, flowers, shrubs, trees and decorative rocks around memorials and foundations are not permitted. To donate toward the upkeep of the cemetery, send contributions to Kewanna Citizens IOOF Cemetery, P.O. Box 224, Kewanna, IN 46939.
cil meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the Rochester City Building Complex, 320 Main St., Rochester.
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If you are a victim of domestic abuse, The Beaman Home is available to help. Assistance will be available from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, at the Recovery Cafe of Fulton County, 715 Main St., Rochester. Reach
out if you need help. —o—
BZA meeting will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, in the Rochester City Building Complex, 320 Main St., Rochester.
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Redevelopment Commission meeting will be at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 26, in the Rochester City Building Complex, 320 Main St., Rochester.
choice questions about the flag correctly, and who had the best essays out of their peers, were selected as winners from each school. Shown are Riddle Elementary School’s winners, Gweth Tindi, left, and Margaret
RIDDLE FLAG EDUCATION WINNERS Fourth graders from Fulton County elementary schools recently participated in American Legion Post 36 of Rochester’s flag education program. One boy and girl who answered multiple
Helt, right, with Legion member Monica Clennon, who helps run the program. Photo provided by Monica Clennon.
RETIRED Rochester Police Officer Ed Haines, left, retired from the Rochester Police Department on Thursday, March 6. Here he’s shown with RPD Chief Andy Shotts. Haines started at the RPD in 1998, previously working for the Akron Police Department. Photo provided by the RPD.
Fulton County Libraries to host free pastel still-life workshop
The Fulton County Public Library Makerspace will host a free pastel still-life workshop at each FCPL branch in March. The workshop will be led by FCPL Makerspace Director Erica Coffing, and all materials will be provided, including Sennelier soft pastels, which participants will use to draw a fruit still-life.
The workshops will be held at the following times and locations. Please register using the phone numbers provided:
1-3 p.m. Thursday, March 13, Fulton Branch, 7420 Liberty Ave. (574) 857-3895.
3-5 p.m. Monday, March 24, Rochester Branch, 320 W. Seventh St., in Meeting Room B. (574) 223-1015. Registration is open to ages 16 and above. Space is limited. For more information, call the FCPL at (574) 223-1015.
This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County and the Indiana Arts Commission, which receives support from the State of Indiana and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Fulton-Liberty Lions club will host fundraiser
Fulton-Liberty Lions club is having a laundry soap and trash bag sale March 17-28. Order forms are available at the Fulton Library, 7420 Liberty Ave., and the the Fulton Post Office, 7382 Liberty Ave., both of Fulton.
up date is 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 5, at the Fulton Community Center, 204 E. Dunn St., Fulton. For more information, contact Beth Burton at (574) 857-6750 or Janet Tuley at (574) 857-6750.
Rochester Library hosts ‘A Random Poetry Workshop’
Fulton County Public Library Literacy Director David Hazledine and the Rochester branch’s Teen Oasis will host a free poetry workshop at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 18.
The workshop will explore different ways poets, as well as visual artists, musicians and others, use the element of chance to break free from preconceptions, cliches and writer’s block.
Participants will learn how the element of chance can be applied to written materials using collage, cut-ups, writing games and journaling to create new and surprising metaphors and juxtapositions. They will
also see examples of these techniques in the work of writers/ artists through history.
Attendees are encouraged to bring journals, past works, works in progress and/or visuals to use as reference or source material. Materials will also be provided.
While this workshop is teen-focused, it is also open to those over 18 who wish to participate.
To register or for more information, contact the FCPL Literacy office at (574) 223-1008 or send an email to dhazledine@ fulco.lib.in.us.
The FCPL Rochester Branch is located at 320 W. Seventh St.
by FCPL.
AMERICAN LEGION RECEIVES CHECK
City Councilman precinct 5, John Garrett; Post Commander, Rob Beckman, American Legion Post 36; and Fulton County Honor Guard member, Steve Fishburn. Photo by Lori Carr.
Heart to Heart Church is March county warming center location
Heart to Heart Church of the Nazarene, 1987 Southway 31, Rochester, is serving as warming center in Fulton County for March.
It will be open for intakes from 8-10 p.m. through Monday, March 31, for people to come to spend the night. People may sign in after 10 p.m. to stay the night if they have a referral from law enforcement.
Those staying may get dinner as well as a bagged breakfast. People are also welcome to stay at the local library, as well as The Cross Church, 100 W. Third St., Rochester. The Cross is open at the following times: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; and 8:30-11:30 a.m. Sundays.
Heart to Heart should be open daily in March unless canceled by the Fulton County Emergency Management Agency. Temperatures also have to be 45 F or less for the center to be open.
Cancellations will be done no later than 3 p.m. each day, with people able to check Fulton County EMA’s Facebook page for cancellation information.
Caston School Corporation to hold public works session
The School Board of Trustees at Caston High School will hold a public works session for strategic planning of the Caston School Corporation
at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, in the Caston Administration Building, Bruce Cress board room, 9815 S. SR 25, Rochester.
Fulton County and Rochester receive road-funding grants
Fulton County and Rochester have received money to repair roads via the Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings Matching Grant Program.
That’s according to a press release from State Sen. Stacey Donato.
Fulton County is getting $1,000,560, with Rochester receiving $658,477.17.
The CCMG, established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2016, aims to advance community infrastructure projects, strengthen local transportation networks and improve Indiana’s roads and bridges. Since its enactment, the program has awarded more than $2 billion in state matching funds for local construction projects.
“The Community Crossings Matching Grant Program provides funding to help improve travel for Hoosiers and visitors to our great state,” Donato said. “I am glad to see our community leaders taking advantage of this program so we can ensure our local infrastructure is maintained.” Through the program, the Indiana Department of Transportation matches up to $1.5 million annually when localities invest in road and bridge repairs. Counties with populations fewer than 50,000 and cities and towns with populations fewer than 10,000 receive a 75%/25% match, while counties with populations greater than 50,000 and cities and towns with populations greater than 10,000 receive a 50%/50% match.
— American Legion Post 36, Rochester, recently received a check for $3,000. The funds will be used to purchase flags and markers as needed for Memorial Day. Flags are bought for the Rochester and Kewanna VFW, and the American Legion, Rochester. Presenting the check from left is
Breathe easy, sleep tight: The unseen
By KEN SEMONIS, RRT RPSGT
Editor’s Note: Ken Semonis is employed by Woodlawn
Health
Breathing is an elemental aspect of life, yet its connection and impact on sleep quality is often missed. Normal breathing not only ensures that our bodies uptake oxygen necessary for life, but plays a critical role in maintaining restful and restorative sleep. Not only knowing, but understanding the connection between breathing and sleep quality can help us to adopt healthier habits and improve overall well-being.
Breathing is an autonomic process controlled by the respiratory centers of the brain, for the purpose of supplying oxygen to the body, while expelling carbon dioxide from the body. Oxygen is used for every cell in the body to “breathe” while carbon dioxide is a byproduct of body metabolism and must be expelled from the body through the lungs. Normal breathing involves using the diaphragm, a muscle located below the lungs to “pull” air into the lungs. Known as diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing, this normally requires very little energy to perform and can also promote relaxation.
Sleep is a natural state of rest for the body during which consciousness is temporarily suspended. This state is critical for the physical maintenance of the body as well as rest and restoration of the brain. Sleep is denoted by a series of physical and mental changes such as reduced movement, altered brain activity and slower breathing. Sleep is essential to various bodily functions such as, memory consolidation, immune support, and overall mental well-being.
Normal, easy breathing is essential in being able to maintain
a healthy sleep state. Yet there are several factors that can throw this normal state out of balance, such as sleep disorders related to breathing. There are several sleep disorders that impeded this normal breathing dynamic, the most common of which is obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA; a chronic condition where the airway becomes partially or completely blocked during sleep, causing breathing to stop and start repeatedly. With each stoppage of breathing the brain partially awakens, (arousal) to reopen the airway to get air flowing again. This constant recurrence of sleep and arousals can prevent the body from progressing through the different states of sleep, inhibiting the body’s ability to perform proper memory consolidation, perform cellular repair and support overall mental well-being.
Symptoms of OSA include snoring, gasping for air during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Left untreated, sleep apnea can significantly impact overall health and quality of life. It is important for those with these symptoms to discuss them with their doctor.
Likewise, chronic lung disease can also impair the normal breathing process and impede the ability to maintain healthy restful sleep. Diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, COPD, or Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, IPF, can cause chronic inflammation of the airways. This chronic inflammation can predispose people with these diseases to have obstructive sleep apnea. In turn, poor sleep can exacerbate symptoms of chronic lung disease, leading to more frequent flare-ups. Quality sleep assists the body in combating inflammation while lack of sleep can worsen inflammation, lead-
District 2 mobile office hours set for March
Republican U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym, representing Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District, has announced the schedule of mobile staff office hours for March throughout the district. Mobile office hours allow Yakym’s staff to assist constituents with questions.
“Mobile office hours are designed to be respectful one-on-one conversations with the congressman’s team, primarily for federal
casework assistance. These are not town halls and disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated,” Yakym’s office wrote in the March news release.
Fulton County
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays, Rochester District Office, 709 Main St., Rochester Pulaski County
12:30-2 p.m. Monday, March 24, Pulaski County Public Library, 121 S. Riverside Drive, Winamac
ing to more symptoms and more flare-ups. These flare-ups, in turn, can cause increased sleep disturbances, creating a repeating cycle.
Using medications to treat these chronic diseases properly, identifying when an exacerba-
tion is likely and self-treating to avoid it can help improve sleep quality through the reduction of the symptoms associated with chronic lung disease.
We take the simple action of breathing for granted and tend to think of sleep as an optional commodity. Yet, the connection between breathing and sleep is not only undeniable but essential to a healthy life style. Likewise, knowing when this connection is impaired and what to do about it is also important to overall well-being. Sleep tight.
We aren’t an advertising venue that people click, swipe, delete,
PREVENTING SUICIDES The Support Cafe Executive Director Pat Brown speaks at an informational and callout meeting for a suicide prevention task force in Fulton County on Wednesday, March 5, at the cafe in Rochester.
The Support Cafe organizes suicide prevention task force
Text and Photos
By LEAH SANDER Staff Writer
A group meant to start “a broader conversation” regarding suicide prevention got its start on Wednesday, March 5, in Rochester.
The Support Cafe, which works to help people facing addiction and other mental health needs, had a callout and informational meeting for a suicide prevention task force then.
Those at the meeting included representatives with 4C Health, Woodlawn Hospital and the Fulton County Health Department.
Among them was Helen Burden. Her father killed himself last
year, and due to his not having homeowners insurance, Burden had to clean up the scene.
Her searching for help after the fact and getting into contact with The Support Cafe Executive Director Pat Brown helped spearhead the task force, said Brown.
He started off the meeting by listing three objectives of the group: prevention, support and community standard.
“The first is how in the community we are going to come together to do better to address prevention, find people when they’re in crisis but before it gets to the end of the crisis,” said Brown. “Support (is) for those people who have survived suicide attempts, because a lot of
times they carry lifelong scars with them, and also support for the people who’ve lost loved ones.”
Brown added that community standard refers to helping others do such things as clean up after their friends or family kill themselves.
He said toward the beginning of the meeting he hoped the task force could get “workaday people, people who have no connection with any type of medical or intervention or trauma (programs) to get trained.”
“They don’t have to do a full QPR training, but they could,” he said. QPR stands for Question, Persuade and Refer and is meant to dissuade those consid-
ering suicide.
Brown noted “Issue No. 1” for the group was determining adequate resources.
Several of the 4C Health representatives highlighted their resources, including offering free QPR training and their mobile crisis team.
Regarding the latter, people may call (800) 552-3106 any time of the day at no charge with volunteers responding to the scene in the seven counties 4C serves: Cass, Fulton, Miami, Pulaski, Howard, Tipton and White.
Fulton County Public Health Nurse Denise Ostafin noted the health department has received special funding through Health First Indiana, which could be
used to pay for someone to clean up the scene after someone has died by suicide.
In its second year, Health First Indiana was created by the state to improve the physical and mental well-being of Hoosiers. Counties agreed to opt into the program. They have to follow certain rules, but can shift their allotted funding to their specific community needs.
The Support Cafe Licensed Therapist August Cox noted she provides counseling at no charge for anyone in the community due to grant funding.
Those who are interested in getting involved with the task force should call the cafe at (574) 223-2233.
LISTENING People listen at the meeting at The Support Cafe.
Rochester winter sports update: Zebras
lose to No. 3 Manchester
Manchester boys basketball coach Eli Henson saw the film from Rochester’s 64-51 win over Eastern (Greentown) in the sectional quarterfinals Tuesday, March 4.
By VAL TSOUTSOURIS Guest Writer
He saw Drew Bowers shoot over and run around and through the Eastern defense for 34 points.
Stopping Bowers had to be the focal point of their strategy, and the Squires held Bowers scoreless in the first half and went on an 15-2
DREW BOWERS
run covering the first and second quarters as they went on to beat the Zebras 71-46 Friday in a Class 2A, Sectional 38 semifinal at Wa-
bash Friday, March 7.
No. 3 Manchester, in search of their first sectional title since 1995, improved to 21-2 and advanced to
Indiana Supreme Court weighs legal recourse following alleged BMV error
By WHITNEY DOWNARD
Indiana Capital Chronicle
An Indiana man maintains that an agency error cost him a job opportunity, over $1,000 in fines and a night in jail — but state attorneys argued last week that the Bureau of Motor Vehicles isn’t responsible for any damages, instead directing him to an administrative review process.
“Even if there is an error, even if the bureau received accurate information from the courts and still did not accurately reflect that on the driving records, there’s still no private right of action to sue for damages,” said Frances Barrow, a deputy attorney general with the state.
Barrow, on behalf of the BMV, appeared before the Indiana Supreme Court last week and urged the justices to dismiss the case, as a trial court had already done.
But the Indiana Court of Appeals disagreed with the lower court’s findings, ruling that because Chris A. Kelly wasn’t challenging a driver’s license suspension — but rather the state’s failure to maintain accurate records — he qualified for judicial relief.
“Moreover, we note that if the BMV fails to accurately maintain individuals’ records as required by statute, it is not a mere technicality. Such a failure has real-life consequences, especially for the many individuals such as Kelly who have livelihoods that are dependent upon being able to legally drive a vehicle,” the three-judge panel ruled.
ALLEGED BMV ERROR An agency error allegedly cost a Marion County man a job opportunity. Indiana Supreme Court justices are now weighing whether the state should — or even could — provide him relief.
Whitney Downard with the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
Following the ruling, the BMV petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene, though justices seemed wary of state arguments and unsure whether the law written by the General Assembly allowed for any remedy.
“Your client was very much harmed. He was arrested, (had) lots of fees (and) lost a job based on what you’re saying the BMV should have done,” Chief Justice Loretta Rush said to Kelly’s counsel. “… (But) how do we come up with, ‘BMV, you should keep your records in a way that doesn’t harm Indiana drivers?’” Case Background
Kelly, a Marion County resident, was pulled over in August 2020
the sectional final against Oak Hill.
“I knew coming in we needed to play well,” Rochester coach Rob Malchow said. “And we needed them to have a little bit of a hiccup. But they didn’t. They came out, and they played really well and put us on our heels, and we just couldn’t get any rhythm. And Drew especially the way they defended him.”
Ethan Hendrix not only had the primary defensive responsibility on Bowers but also hit five 3-pointers without a miss and scored a gamehigh 23 points.
Gavin Betten, Manchester’s 6-6 center and a Grace College recruit, added 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Betten, who is already the school and Wabash County career scoring leader, scored his 2,000th point on a hook in the first half to give Manchester a 21-8 lead.
Tallon Torpy added 12 points.
Bryce Baugher hit four 3-pointers and led Rochester (17-6) with 14 points. Bowers had seven, and Tanner Reinartz and Jack Reffett had six each.
Rochester averaged 58.2 points per game for the season. Only twice in their previous 23 games were they held under the 46 they scored in this game, and one of those games was a 70-45 loss at Manchester in their conference meeting Jan. 24.
Bowers, Reinartz, Baugher, Owen Prater and Xavier Vance are Rochester’s graduating seniors.
Manchester went on to beat Oak Hill 70-38 Saturday, March 8 to win their first sectional title since 1995.
Bowers was again a Comet killer
against Eastern.
The point guard for the Rochester boys basketball team outscored the entire Eastern (Greentown) team 22-19 in the first half and finished with a game-high 34 points as the Zebras rolled to a 64-51 win in a Class 2A, Sectional 38 quarterfinal at Coolman Gymnasium.
Bowers’ output was his second most in a game. His career high of 48 came against Caston Jan. 28. Caston, like Eastern, is nicknamed the Comets.
Baugher added 15 points, and Reinartz hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter as part of an 11-point night for Rochester.
The win was Rochester’s first in a sectional game since 2021. Seniors scored all 64 points.
“These guys haven’t tasted a sectional win,” Malchow said. “So it’s nice for these guys to get a win and know what it feels like to move on after three seasons.”
Colton Lindsay, a 5-11 junior guard and the nephew of coach Dr. Brad Lindsay, led Eastern (10-13) with 25 points. His backcourt mate Kyan Hannah added 11.
“They’re 17-5 for a reason,” coach Lindsay said. “They’re good. They’re experienced. They’re very well coached. They’re strong. They’re fast. It just causes us mismatch challenges. That being said, I’m very proud of our guys. I thought they fought hard. Through most of the first half we were there. Second half, we were always chasing them.”
Eastern’s only lead was 2-0. Rochester led by as many as 16.
for two “minor traffic infractions,” as outlined in a January 2023 complaint. A Marion County prosecutor twice sent SR16 records to the BMV to delete his related conviction and restore Kelly’s driving privileges around November of 2020 and February of 2021.
Still, law enforcement pulled Kelly over multiple times and the suspended license showed up on Kelly’s record, costing him a job for an outside sales position. Kelly reported paying more than $1,000 in tickets, at least 30 calls to the BMV alongside letters, emails and an in-person visit.
Rush and the rest of the justices didn’t indicate when to expect a ruling.
Bird flu outbreak resulted in even more dead poultry than usual
By SETH MILLSTEIN Sentient
Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration
Sometime in the 2010s, chicken surpassed pork to become the most widely produced meat in the world. As of 2022, tens of billions of chickens are killed every year to feed humanity’s growing appetite for bird meat.
With the rise of avian flu, the number of chickens dying of illness — and being killed en masse preventatively — is even higher.
Ever since late 2021, when the ongoing bird flu outbreak began, chicken farmers around the world have been killing off entire flocks in an attempt to prevent the virus from spreading.
But while this strategy has been effective at combatting zoonotic disease in the past, it’s been strikingly ineffective this time around, Maurice Pitesky, a faculty member and researcher at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, tells Sentient.
“Historically, that’s been a very effective way to get rid of disease,” Pitesky says of these mass euthanizations. “But for some reason, for this outbreak, it doesn’t seem to be working.”
The average person eats almost twice as much meat now as they did in the mid-20th century.
Every year, 75 billion chickens around the world are slaughtered for meat by the poultry industry, including 9.5 billion chickens in the U.S. alone. This comes out to around 206 million chickens every 24 hours.
How Has Bird Flu
Affected Chicken Slaughter?
Avian flu itself is nothing new, having first been documented as far back as 1878. But the current outbreak is unusual, as it’s both the deadliest and longest in history. It was first detected in the U.S. in 2022, and since then, it’s spread to several non-avian species, including humans.
Avian flu’s death toll, at least insofar as birds are concerned, stretches far beyond the number of animals directly infected with the virus. That’s because it’s standard practice for farmers to euthanize
an entire flock if even one chicken is found to be infected, in order to prevent the disease from spreading. In fact, as a disease prevention strategy, the federal government actually pays farmers to cull their flocks in such situations.
This makes it extremely difficult to determine, when looking at overall bird flu deaths, how many chickens died because they were actually infected with the virus, and how many died simply because they were part of an infected flock and were then culled.
At the end of 2024, the United Nations announced that avian flu had “caused the deaths” of over 300 million birds worldwide. This encompasses more birds than just chickens, however, and it’s unclear whether this number includes birds who were culled as a precautionary measure, or only those who died directly from the virus itself.
According to the USDA, almost 163 million birds in the U.S. have been affected by avian flu since the outbreak began in 2022; in this context, “affected by” means that the birds were part of a flock, or lived in a facility, in which the virus was
detected. CBS News reports that 148 million birds have been ordered euthanized due to avian flu over the same period.
Scientists still don’t know why this strain of bird flu has been so resilient to mass chicken culling, and Pitesky says that additional approaches may be required.
His research is focused on a practice that he refers to as “habitat shifting,” which aims to prevent avian flu from reaching commercial poultry farms in the first place by assessing, managing and potentially relocating the natural reservoirs in which avian flu incubates.
Eating Less Poultry And Eggs
The animal death toll from avian flu highlights the sheer number of chickens and eggs humans eat on a regular basis. The American diet is highly dependent on chickens as a protein source.
“Poultry is the most consumed animal protein on the planet,” Pitesky says. “If we have another oneand-a-half to two billion mouths to feed in the next few decades, poultry is probably going to be part of that solution at some level, unless we can’t get a hold on this, and keep
on having these kinds of outbreaks.”
Despite the egg shortages, there has been little discussion of intentionally cutting back. But it may end up happening organically, as some farmers and grocery stores have limited how many eggs consumers can buy.
Putting Numbers In Perspective
For one disease to kill 300 million chickens — or any animal, really — over the course of three years is staggering. And yet it pales in comparison to the 81 billion chickens we kill annually, as a matter of course, simply as a function of our food systems. Even in the U.S. alone, the 9.5 billion chickens slaughtered every year dwarfs the number of birds killed by this wave of avian flu.
To put it differently: The massive number of chickens who’ve died from this wave of bird flu, either directly or through culling, is still significantly less than the number of chickens who are slaughtered for meat every 48 hours. In other words, 300 million may sound large, but it’s actually only a blip for an industry that has long been remarkably productive and profitable.
Leaders discuss state SB 1 during Fulton County Legislative Breakfast
Text and Photos
By LEAH SANDER Staff Writer
Fulton County leaders are concerned that a proposed Indiana Senate property tax relief bill could cut too much into funding for local government.
Rochester Mayor Trent Odell and two of the county’s commissioners, Rick Ranstead and Dave Sommers, were the featured speakers at the last Fulton County Legislative Breakfast of the year on Saturday, March 8, at the Fulton County Public Library’s Rochester branch. The breakfast series is put on by the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce and Fulton County Farm Bureau.
Sommers, the commissioners’ new president, testified against the bill last week at the Statehouse, with Ranstead also joining him.
“Everybody wants lower property taxes, but if you take that away, you have to replace it with something, and that’s the problem that I know we have on the county government side, and the schools are concerned as well as the library,” said Sommers.
He said later on that if the bill were passed as is, the county, between local government, schools and other entities, would lose $810,000 next year, with that growing in later years.
Sommers added the county was already “pretty well maxed out” on several special local taxes it had implemented.
“We’re at our peak of what we
can use to raise funds,” he said. “There’s some counties that (hadn’t) used (any extra taxes), but for us, the smaller counties, it’s very difficult.”
Sommers said the Fulton County Public Library’s three branches would lose $70,000 next year if the bill goes through as is, with Rochester Community Schools losing about $122,000 and county government itself $210,000 for the next year.
“I know every business, every homeowner, every farmer would like to see their property taxes reduced, but we have to have the taxes that we’re currently bringing in for our county and city governments to operate, for our schools to operate, for our libraries to operate as well as our townships,” said Sommers.
Ranstead said commissioners spoke with Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith about the motivation behind the bill, with Beckwith giving the example of people buying a home for $200,000, with the home’s valuation and thus property taxes increasing over time and people then struggling to retire with their increased property taxes.
Prisoner Funding
The state being behind on paying the Fulton County Jail for its housing state prisoners also came up during the breakfast.
Farm Bureau President Stephen Williams asked the commissioners about it.
The commissioners had Fulton County Sheriff Travis Heishman answer the question.
Heishman noted the state
owed the county about $20,000 as of Jan. 1 for housing prisoners that need to be transferred to the Indiana Department of Corrections.
“When their budget re-ups, they’ll reimburse everybody, then they’ll be out of money eight months into their new budget cycle,” he said. “They were talking about raising the premium this next year for counties holding
state inmates, but again that’s up to them.”
County, City Affairs
Ranstead, Sommers and Odell also gave updates on city and county affairs.
Ranstead noted the county’s new partnership with Parkview Health for ambulance service seemed to be going well.
Regarding the jail, he said the county was housing some out-of-
county prisoners, which generated extra revenue for helping pay off the jail.
In his city update, Odell stated his desire to work on “a transitional facility that we aim to bring a lot of resources in.”
He said he wanted “to have something in place by the winter of 2026-27, but we’ll see.” The place would help people rebuild their lives, including getting jobs.
GOVERNMENT UPDATE The Fulton County Commissioners and Rochester Mayor Trent Odell were the speakers at the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce and Fulton County Farm Bureau’s last Legislative Breakfast of the year on Saturday, March 8, at the Fulton County Public Library’s Rochester branch. From left Commissioner Rick Ranstead speaks as Odell and Commissioner Dave Sommers listen.
