Portland Teen Died in Fire
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Saturday, February 20, 2021 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com $1 Winter Wild removal grant awards issued Foundation funding totals nearly $285,000 Local organizations will be receiving nearly $300,000 in grants. The Portland Founda - tion announced Friday afternoon that it has awarded $282,485 via its winter grant cycle and $2,346.76 in teacher creativ - ity mini grants. The largest of the 22 grants, from a total of 26 applicants, was $40,000 to Jay County 4-H on a $1 to $1 matching basis for the ren - ovation of the 4-H build - ings at Jay County Fair - grounds. John Jay Center for Learning was awarded $31,800 to cover tuition costs for Jay County High School students to partici - pate in the SkillsTrac The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney Industrial Maintenance Program. It also received This black bear is one of a group of animals, owned by an Ohio man, that were confiscated from a Jay County $5,000 each for its robotics property Friday. The United States Department of Agriculture and staff from Wild Animal Sanctuary of Colorado removed the and STEM camps, its sen - animals with assistance from Jay County Sheriff’s Office. Sanctuary officials said the animals were taken because Sawmiller ior learning series and its speakers series and sympo - was not following USDA guidelines for housing them. sium. A Better Life – Brianna’s Hope and Jay Community Center each received USDA, animal sanctuary confiscated Ohio man’s $30,000. The former will use the funds for addiction bears and mountain lion from a Jay Co. property treatment and the latter for By BAILEY CLINE its Boomer Sports pro - tuary staff, he was not following gram. The Commercial Review the USDA guidelines for hous - Seven bears and one cougar. Arts Place was also ing them. He also owns two awarded a total of $30,000 That’s how many wild ani - other large cats at the premises mals were confiscated Friday — $25,000 for its Music - that were not removed because Works program and $5,000 from an Ohio man housing them they were not suffering, said for a post-pandemic cele - on a Jay County property. sanctuary founder Pat Craig. bratory community per - Representatives from the In Indiana, it is legal to own a formance at the Hudson United States Department of variety of traditionally wild ani - Family Park amphitheatre. Agriculture, staff from Wild mals, such as bears and moun - Jay County Drug Pre - Animal Sanctuary of Keenes - tain lions, with the correct per - vention Coalition received burg, Colorado, and local offi - mit. Ohio, however, has had a $25,000 to fund its peer cials worked together for about law since 2012 that denotes such recovery coaches. five hours beginning about 10 creatures as “dangerous ani - “As always, The Portland a.m. Friday to remove a combi - mals” and prohibits any owner - Foundation is very pleased nation of grizzly and black ship. to be able to award these bears, as well as one mountain Sanctuary staff worked on the grants,” said Doug Inman, lion, from the property. property on the east side of executive director of The The animals formerly county road 150 West between The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney Portland Foundation. “The belonged to Ohio native Robert county roads 400 north and 500 funds would not be possi - Sawmiller, who leases space to north, coaxing the animals from Staff from Wild Animal Sanctuary use a forklift to ble if not for the countless house them at the 4200 N. 150 their enclosures and into cages. gifts from Jay County citi - East property owned by David They used a forklift to transport transport a cage holding a black bear to a trailer Friday at zens over the last 70 years. and Emma Eicher. the cages down the driveway 4200 N. 150 East, Portland. The animals were owned by These programs help sup - Sawmiller’s animals were and to the road, where they were Robert Sawmiller of Ohio. It is legal, with the proper permits, port our mission; to removed Friday because, then placed in a large trailer. to own such animals in Indiana, but Ohio law prohibits enhance the quality of life according to Wild Animal Sanc - See Wild page 2 ownership deeming them “dangerous animals.” for the people in Jay Coun - ty.” See Grant page 2 Retrospect Portland teen died in fire Tragedy struck on Port - assistant chief Gary John - father, said he had stepped land’s southeast side 25 years ston reported that fire had outside to clean out her car. ago this week. already engulfed the house When he went back for a vac - The Feb. 20, 1996, edition of when he arrived on the uum he saw a wall of smoke The Commercial Review scene. and heard her cry for help. included coverage of a fire “All I know is what we try “I couldn’t even walk that morning that took the to do is rescue first, but when inside,” he said. “The smoke life of 17-year-old Carrie it’s fully involved there’s pretty much hit me in the Patch of Portland. nothing we can do,” John - face. I stepped back and Patch’s home at 1303 Mas - ston said. “I pulled right up heard Carrie screaming. sachusetts Ave., Portland, here and it was too hot — I “I hollered her name a cou - caught fire about 10 a.m. that could feel the heat. ple times. I tried to tell her to The Commercial Review/Ed Balint morning. Patch was trapped “My feeling was there was get out of the window. I car - Fire took the life of Carrie Patch, 17, Portland, on in an upstairs room. She was no way we could get in the ried a ladder to get around a pronounced dead by Jay home. It’s tough,” he added, window and there was the morning of Feb. 20, 1996, when her 1303 Massachusetts County coroner Mark Bar - his voice trailing off, eyes already smoke coming out of Ave., Portland, home caught fire. She was trapped in an nett just before 11 a.m. moistening. it and I couldn’t hear her upstairs room. Pictured, a Portland firefighter sprays water at Portland Fire Department Randy Patch, Carrie’s step - anymore.” the front of the house. Deaths Weather In review Coming up Jay County had a high tem - Fort Recovery High perature of 21 degrees Friday. School’s production of “And Mable Holcomb , 91, Port - Today’s forecast calls for a Then There Were None” con - Tuesday — Results from land chance of flurries early fol - tinues this weekend. Shows the JCHS boys swim team in Anthony VanNote , 68, lowed by partly sunny skies are 7 p.m. tonight and Sun - today’s sectional meet. Lynn and a high of 24. Wind chill day, as well as Feb. 26 and 27 Marilyn Smith , 71, St. values may approach minus in the Fort Recovery Elemen - Thursday — An update on Marys Township, Ohio 10. Sunday’s high will be 36 tary/Middle School audite - the ongoing coronavirus pan - Details on page 2. with snow and rain expected ria. There will also be a mati - demic in Jay County. in the evening. See page 2 for nee at 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets an extended outlook. are $6. The Commercial Review Page 2 Local Saturday, February 20, 2021 Wild ... Continued from page 1 opportunities –– like they In total, the organization has ago and opened its Keenesburg like these guys up on rock cliffs Other than temperatures always do,” Craig explained, about 80 employees and 160 vol - location to the public about 20 or in valleys, up on trees, and reaching the low teens, Wild noting that the USDA had unteers. years ago for educational pur - just watching the site. It’s just Animal Sanctuary CEO Ryan informed Sawmiller of the nec - Sheriff Dwane Ford and poses. The organization spays so much better than what (they) Clements said, the process went essary changes several times deputy Brad Wendel joined the and neuters each incoming were in.” smoothly. It did take a while to before seizing the animals Fri - group Friday for extra assis - creature to avoid reproduction. The staff made visits to the declutter the area and coax the day. His organization has taken tance. Ford, a former conserva - He and his staff –– such as Greater Wynnewood Exotic animals into portable cages, he ownership of the animals and tion officer, talked about how Clements, who has been there Animal Park formerly owned added. will be keeping them at his Kee - the team worked efficiently, and nine years –– have picked up by Netflix series star Joe Exot - Clements estimated their nesburg sanctuary about 40 he emphasized the importance animals from all over the Unit - ic, also known as the “Tiger enclosures at the Jay County miles northeast of Denver. of the public following proto - ed States, as well as Canada and King.” Craig said he and his property were 20 feet by 20 feet With about 10,500 acres of cols. Mexico. staff have confiscated animals for three bears. Craig said the land and more than 600 lions, “There’s just laws that you “We just want them to live three or four times from the animals were living in a space tigers, bears and wolves, Wild have to follow and go by,” he out the rest of their lives as franchise, which was taken providing little shelter from the Animal Sanctuary’s three facil - said. “No matter what you’re happy, healthy and natural as over by Jeff Lowe, renamed cold weather and with no bed - ities (two in Colorado and one doing.” they would in the wild,” “Tiger King Park” and moved ding.