Archive - Oct 2010 - News Article
October 29th
Seventy people waited to hear their names called with the familiar phrase, âCome on down!â Thursday at the Woodlands Senior Center in Columbia City, but only six lucky contestants made it on stage for âThe Price is Right.â
âBobbyâ Barker, aka Kristy Maloney from Sycamore Village, hosted the pared down version of the popular game show, with the lovely Ann Louise Baas, a senior center volunteer, as her assistant. Calling the contestants to the stage was Tim Leonard, another volunteer.
Three young teens on the construction crew for the Alexander More familyâs new barn in the late 1800s, were kept on the property during construction as travel of the time was difficult at best. This was the tradition of the day and the site, on the De la Balme Road in Whitley County was near a property that was touted to be haunted.
Showing off their bravery over their dinner, the young men from nearby South Whitley discussed taking a trip over to the haunted Hazel Cot Castle.
âIâve missed him a lot this year,â said Columbia City High School English teacher Tom Lough of a colleague who died unexpectedly in April â Bob Brittain.
Brittain was an icon in the speech and debate department at CCHS for years. And he was known not only in Indiana, but throughout the U.S. and beyond.
His former competitors, debate coaches from northern Indiana including Plymouth, Chesterton, Fort Wayne schools and South Bend schools, passed the hat and purchased a tree in Brittainâs memory which has been planted near the library at the high school.
October 28th
Races for political office in Whitley County range from uncontested shoo-ins to hotly-debated battles for office in both county government and in the townships.
The Post & Mail sent out candidate comment forms to candidates in all county races. Some candidates did not respond.
Circuit Court Clerk
Clerk of the Circuit Court Debbie Beers faces challenger Janet Middlebrook.
âI pledge my personal accessibility to the public and will continue to provide a friendly, professional and efficient office,â said Beers.
Janet Middlebrook could not be reached for comment.
County Auditor
After nine decades in Columbia City, a local car dealership will carry on without its longtime family name.
Effective Wednesday, Thomsonâs Whitley County Motor Sales became City Chevrolet.
The dealership changed hands after the retirement of Tim Thomson and the purchase of the company by Glenbrook Automotive of Fort Wayne.
âObviously, Tim wanted to retire and weâre actually going to keep all their employees and hopefully increase sales through improved marketing and a larger presence on the Internet,â said Doug McKibben, president of Glenbrook Automotive.
More plaintiffs and defendants have been added to the lawsuit filed Tuesday against entities in the county government.
In a lawsuit filed against the Whitley County Council by Cleveland Townshipâs Steve Sickafoose in response to an alleged illegal meeting in July, Sickafooseâs twin brother Stan, along with Doug Reiff and Dale Haupert have been added to the list of plaintiffs.
Joining the Whitley County Council as defendants are the Whitley County Board of Commissioners and county attorney Daniel J. Sigler.
October 27th
COLUMBIA CITY â Parents, teachers, and interested community members met in the high schoolâs auditorium Tuesday evening to hear five of the nine candidates for the WCCS School Board tout their views, motivation and experience that will make each of them the best candidate on Nov. 2.
Hosted by Rick Kreps of The Post & Mail and September McConnell of the Whitley County Community Foundation, Don Armstrong, Chris Bechtold, Timothy Bloom, Eric Horvath and Brooks Langeloh introduced themselves, briefly answered two of 12 possible questions, and made closing remarks, all in about an hourâs time.
By RUTH STANLEY
Managing editor
Two tornadoes touched down in Whitley County Tuesday morning leaving millions of dollars in damage, but no loss of human life, in their wake.
Officials with the National Weather Service said a tornado that landed near county road 400 S was an EF1 twister, capable of winds between 86 and 110 mph. A second tornado was an EF0 in southwestern Whitley County. Winds in an EF0 tornado measure 65 to 85 mph.
Both tornadoes were on the ground for approximately two miles.
COLUMBIA CITY â Mayor Jim Fleck and the Columbia City Common Council honored census takers at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
A plaque was presented to Dick Buchanan, Chairman of the Complete Count Committee of the 2010 Census by the mayor in recognition of work done by those working to get an accurate head count throughout the county.
âIt (the census) is important because so much of the revenue you make at the state levels depends on the number of people you have,â said Fleck.
âThe census is extremely important as we determine the cost of services and our taxes.â
A lawsuit was filed in Whitley County Circuit Court Tuesday against the countyâs common council in response to an alleged illegal meeting in July.
The suit alleges a meeting by a majority of the council members July 28, thrown together just minutes after a scheduled meeting, was in direct violation of the Indiana Open Door Law.
At stake â a proposed tax levy on the residents living inside the Whitko School District.
