Archive
February 28th, 2011
Suzanne “Susie” Heingartner, 77, passed away Friday, Feb. 25, 2011 at Parkview Memorial Hospital in Fort Wayne. Born in South Whitley, she was a bookkeeper with Columbia Liquor and Sears retiring in 1996. She was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and was an avid IU fan.
Family requests all public attending to wear IU or red and white apparel to the funeral service.
Edwina L. Feighner, 80, a former resident of Thorncreek Township and more recently of Fort Wayne, passed away at 11:50 a.m. Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, at Renaissance Village. She had been a patient there for the past two years.
Mrs. Feighner was born near New Haven Sept. 8, 1930, a daughter of Howard E. and Emma Lucille (Ladig) Dawkins. She spent her formative years near New Haven and later in Spencerville and Fort Wayne.
Lucy L. “Sis” Ickes, 93, a resident of Churubusco and widow of Churubusco businessman Eugene V. Ickes, passed away at 12:55 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011 at her home. Although she had been in declining health, her death was unexpected.
Mrs. Ickes was born Aug. 26, 1917 in LaOtto, a daughter of Peter Charles and Bessie Ann (Rosenogle) Bryie. She graduated from LaOtto High School, and was honored as the Onion Queen as a young lady.
COLUMBIA CITY — The suspect charged with drug crimes has dismissed his public defender and hired independent counsel.
Travis A. Wonderly, 21, was in Whitley County Circuit Court Monday for a pre-trial conference after being arrested by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department in January and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of chemicals with the intent to manufacture, maintaining a common nuisance and neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
In court last month, Wonderly was assigned Public Defender Brad Baber by Circuit Court Judge James Heuer.
COLUMBIA CITY — Several weeks after hearing a presentation by local electronics company J & K Communications, Columbia City’s Common Council listened to a sales pitch from the Columbia City-based company’s main competitor.
Brian Reilly of Motorola addressed the board during its regular meeting Tuesday and touted the abilities of the APX 7000, a radio designed to help the city’s emergency personnel transition to 800 MHz technology.
COLUMBIA CITY — Whitley County Engineer Brandon Forrester presented plans last week to the county commissioners for county bridges in need of repair or replacement.
“Every two years I come to you and present a plan,” said Forrester who handed out the county’s bridge plan for 2011-2015.
“(Bridge) 36 is at the top of our list,” he said.
Bridge 36, located on County Road 550 South near Collamer, had an initial estimated cost of $200,000, according to Forrester.
COLUMBIA CITY — Two men were arrested Sunday evening after the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department found marijuana in their rental truck.
Jonathon Aranburo, 24, and Archie Joseph Brady, 20, of Fort Wayne were pulled over while driving a U-Haul truck, rented by Aranburo, to move the pair to Warsaw.
After receiving a tip on the vehicle, the truck was pulled over by Sergeant Mike Engle for unsafe lane change at the Marathon parking lot on Armstrong Drive and U.S. 30.
COLUMBIA CITY — Rising gas prices and this season’s heavy snowfall are causing more than just a nuisance for drivers this winter.
The Whitley County Highway Department is taking blows to their budget every time gas prices jump, every time snow falls.
Not only do jumps in gas prices provide more cost to run the trucks, the highway department’s funds come out of gas tax.
“Most people think our money comes from property tax, but our money comes from gas tax,” Whitley County Highway Department Superintendent Mike Barton said.
COLUMBIA CITY — Teachers got a chance Saturday to let their state representative know exactly what they thought about some education-related legislation making its way through the General Assembly.
Rep. Kathy Heuer (R-Columbia City) represents the 83rd District, which includes parts of Whitley, Noble and Allen counties, and sits on the education committee.
About 90 educators from schools across her district took up Heuer on her invitation to a public forum to share with her what they thought was wrong with education-reform bills.
NAPPANEE — Not only did Friday night’s 51-44 win at NorthWood end a three-game losing streak for the Whitko boys’ basketball team but it changed the record books.
Another Wildcat joined the best to play basketball as a Wildcat.
With his 13-point performance against the Panthers — including a crucial three-point play with 47.9 seconds left — senior Zac VanDeWater joined the elite 1,000 point club at Whitko High School.
