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2 charged in man’s Group to present on SW baseball tops death go to court women’s voting rights Whitko at home Area State Page 3 Page 1a Sports Page 6 The News-Bannerwww.News-Banner.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2021 BLUFFTON, INDIANA • Wells County’s Hometown Connection $1.00 Board hires firm to design park plans Firm that designed downtown plaza project gets picked over low bidder By GLEN WERLING Engineering Resources has been hired to perform preliminary civil engineering and landscape archi- tectural design services for the city’s Lancaster Park project. Bluffton Board of Public Works and Safety members John Whicker, Roger Thornton and Scott Mentzer agreed on a 3-0 vote to retain the Fort Wayne firm, even though it’s quote for the services — $6,000 — was slightly higher than the quote of $5,500 submitted by A&Z Engineering, also of Fort Wayne. Pictured above are the Turnaround recipients, from left, Alexis Schmidt, Keshaun King and Jayden Kirby. Pictured below, from Director of Bluffton Park and Recreation Bran- left, are the top ICE students, Simon Jones, Jacelyn Kinsey and Haillie Welch. (Photos by Jessica Bricker) dy Fiechter explained that she was recommending the quote from ER over A&Z for several reasons, including that ER engineers will meet with the city as often as needed, while A&Z specified only two Challenge meetings in its quote; ER can meet the May 24 dead- line for the design, A&Z could have a draft ready by the deadline with final changes to be made. She was also impressed by the work they did with the court- house plaza. accepted She added, though, that both companies did a fine job with their offerings but she was more com- fortable with ER. Annual Turnaround Thornton observed that the prior work of A&Z on Awards presented the park was, in his words, “inflated” in a number of areas and the company was not responsive to what during luncheon the city needed. Moreover, Thornton said that ER’s offering of a By JESSICA BRICKER (Continued on Page 2) Three Wells County students are being celebrated this spring for turning their lives’ trajectories around and overcoming obstacles. The annual Turnaround Awards luncheon was held Tuesday at Tim- County sets ‘22 ber Ridge Golf Club, during which the stories of the students were than other students and making the “Jayden is a very bright young man, shared. right choices when faced with cross- so even with his absences, he did not Alexis Schmidt of Southern Wells roads. fail a class, but he did earn grades that budget hearings High School was introduced by Janel “She met these challenges and has were lower than his potential,” the pro- Franks, family and consumer science become the fine young person with a gram said, By JESSICA BRICKER teacher. fantastic future in front of her that we During his sophomore and junior It’s almost that time again. The loss of Schmidt’s mother after know today,” the event’s program said. years, his grades started improving — The county’s fiscal body will begin receiving and acting her freshman year of high school She plans to study social work at and so did his attendance. He missed on the 2022 budget in early August. led her to become more mature and Manchester University after gradua- 10 days each of those years. Auditor Lisa McCormick said she distributed a calen- become a role model for her brothers, tion. But this year, he has missed only dar with the the usual appointments set for this year. The Franks said. She’s participated in stu- Jayden Kirby of Bluffton High two days and has become a role model all-morning appointments with department leaders will be dent council and has kept her grades School was introduced by Assistant for other students. That’s the difference Tuesday, Aug. 10. up. Principal Stacy Morrison. between when school leaders were try- Then the council will hold special meetings at 6 p.m. Her story isn’t one about turning her Morrison said Kirby started his high ing to just get him in the door. Aug. 12, 17 and possibly Aug. 19 to make decisions on the path around, Franks said, but rather it’s school career out hating it, missing 34 Kirby plans to attend Purdue Uni- budget requests. one about overcoming more obstacles days his freshman year. (Continued on Page 2) In other business during Tuesday’s council meeting, the full council: • Approved an additional appropriation request of $67,400 out of the Statewide 911 fund from 911 Director Mike Miller, who explained he oversaw a system equipment refresher project through Frontier that his predecessor began Woman gets 55 years in slaying talking about last spring. The request is for the first-year PORTLAND, Ind. (AP) — A ing death of Shea Briar, 31. Court records show Stephen and installment costs. judge sentenced an eastern Indiana Court documents said Stephen Briar were in a custody battle over • Approved an additional appropriation request of woman to 55 years in prison Tues- and 19-year-old Shelby Hiestand a child. Briar intended to establish $99,000 from the Bridge 106 fund for the bridge project day after a jury convicted her of picked up Briar at his Portland paternity for the child, petitioned near Rockford. This is a state reimburseable fund that has murder in the shooting death of her home and drove him to a rural for child custody, and filed to pro- money it it; funds need appropriated by council to use it. child’s father bridge. Once there, Stephen dis- vide support, parenting time, and a • Approved a transfer request in Wells Circuit Court of A jury found Esther J. Stephen, tracted Briar while Hiestand shot name change for the child. $925 from pauper attorney to psychiatric services to cover a 30, of Portland guilty of murder in him in the back with a .22-caliber Hiestand is set to stand trial Aug. negative balance in the fund due to invoices. March in the Jan. 12, 2020, shoot- rifle. 9. • Heard there are 73 inmates in the Wells County Jail, including 21 pre-trial holds from Wells Superior Court, 20 (Continued on Page 2) Indiana governor vetoes bill limiting local health orders By TOM DAVIES Republican Gov. Eric public health authorities.” recovery and work to vacci- any local public health quently cited in defending Associated Press Holcomb wrote in a veto “Right now it is critical nate many more Hoosiers.” orders more stringent than his decisions lifting various INDIANAPOLIS (AP) message that the ability of that we maintain our local Legislative Republican one issued by the governor statewide travel, crowd size — Indiana’s governor local health officials to act health expertise, flexibility supporters said the bill was go before elected county and business restrictions. vetoed a bill on Tuesday that quickly has been critical and all the tools needed to meant to provide a “check commissioners or city coun- The state Senate voted would limit the authority of to the state’s COVID-19 respond,” Holcomb said. and balance” protecting the cils for approval. Holcomb’s 37-12 and House members county or city health depart- response. The governor said “We must not do anything rights of business owners coronavirus-related execu- voted 65-29 in favor of the ments by allowing local he believed it was “prudent that jeopardizes this as our following complaints about tive orders over the past year bill two weeks ago. Indi- elected officials to block to avoid any unnecessary heroic local health officials COVID-19 orders closing have allowed local officials ana legislators can override public health orders issued disruption or wholesale remain critical in the months or limiting businesses. to establish tougher regula- Holcomb’s veto by a simple during emergencies. changes to our existing local to come as we accelerate our The bill would require tions — an authority he fre- (Continued on Page 2) Inside Outside Online DETAILED DENTAL CARE How to contact us: • General Dentistry Call us: 824-0224 Local/Area • Sedation Dentistry or 1-800-579-7476 Follow us on Facebook! Obituaries. 3 • Root Canal Fax us: 824-0700 Police Notebook . .3 Go to www.facebook.com/ newsbanner • Immediate Dentures [email protected] ————— On the Web: Opinion • Wisdom Teeth Mostly sunny today but Place Your Classified Removal www.news-banner.com Jessica Bricker. .4 rain could return Ads 24/7 Follow us at: Today Thursday Friday Call Dr. Hott! twitter.com/newsbanner Also... High 58 High 62 High 60 Vol. 92 No. 156 706 N. Main St. Sports. 6-7 Low 39 Low 37 Low 36 Blu ton, IN Classifieds . 2a-3a WEDNESDAY Diversions . .4a More Weather on Page 2 May 5, 2021 260.824.2442 • hottfamilydentistry.com Page 2 • The News-Banner • WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 2021 LOCAL/NATION Board hires firm Weather (Continued from Page 1) the site for a Memorial Day Clerk-Treasurer Tammy The city had relied on the IT Wednesday, May 5, 2021 three dimensional-rendered commemoration May 31. Runyon. Budgets must be expertise of Adam McCart- (24-hour observations at 7:22 p.m. Tuesday) plan could be beneficial in As part of the request, submitted by department ney at the police department, High: 66; Low: 53; Precipitation: 0.04” raising funds for the park’s Washington Street will be heads by June 1. As part but McCartney left to accept Wabash River Level (at the Main Street bridge): 2.71 development. closed to through traffic of the budget discussion, a position elsewhere.