Mom charged in A visit to Geneva’s BHS track is 2nd lice infestation Limberlost Cabin at South Adams Area State Entertainment Guide Page 9 Sports Page 6 The News-Bannerwww.News-Banner.com SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021 BLUFFTON, INDIANA • Wells County’s Hometown Connection $1.00 U.S. job growth slows in sign of hiring struggles By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer Wells’ WASHINGTON (AP) — The recovery of Amer- ica’s job market hit a pause jobless last month as many busi- nesses — from restaurants rate at and hotels to factories and construction companies — struggled to find enough 3.4% in workers to catch up with a rapidly strengthening eco- nomic rebound. March Employers added just By DAVE SCHULTZ 266,000 jobs in April, sharp- The unemployment ly lower than in March and numbers for northeast far fewer than economists Indiana continue to had expected. With viral be low, according to cases declining and states statistics released this and localities easing restric- week by the Indiana tions, the recovery from Department of Work- Doggone entertaining the pandemic recession has force Development. been so fast that many busi- The preliminary Mark Smith and Emily Wentland brought Summit City nesses have been caught numbers for March Disc Dogs to Southern Wells Elementary School Friday. show that Indiana’s Above left, Kadie leaps over Smith for a frisbee, while flat-footed in the face of above right, Gunner dances with Wentland. At right South- surging consumer demand. Economic Growth ern Wells third grade students Aubree Neuenschwander, Last month’s hiring slow- Region 3, which left, and Payson Rickard cheer the antics of Kadie, Gun- down appears to reflect a includes Wells and 10 ner, Lucy and Gucci. Because of the pandemic, the third host of factors. Nearly 3 other northeast Indi- grade students at SWES did not get to go to the Shrine million people are reluctant ana counties, is the Circus this year, so Southern Wells did its best to bring to look for work because only one of the state’s the circus to the students Friday. they fear catching the virus, EGRs with no coun- (Photos by Glen Werling) according to government ty above the state’s surveys. More women also unemployment rate. dropped out of the work- Allen County had the force last month, likely to highest unemploy- care for children, after many ment rate in EGR3, of them had returned in the at 4.7 percent, which previous two months. matched the state’s In addition, construction level Kelley House- companies and manufactur- Adams and holder, center, LaGrange counties has led Com- ers, especially automakers, munity Care of have been left short of parts were two of three Wells County for as a result of clogged supply counties at 3.0 percent, five years and will chains and have had to slow the lowest number in retire effective production for now. Both the March preliminary June 1. Taking his sectors pulled back on hir- unemployment rates position in leading ing in April. And some busi- released by the DWD. the agency will be nesses say they believe that Daviess County is the Christine Walker, a $300-a-week jobless ben- third county at 3.0. left. Assuming her previous efit, paid for by the federal Wells County has position at Grace government, is discourag- the third-lowest unem- and Mercy Transi- ing some of the unemployed ployment rate in EGR3 tional Housing is from taking new jobs. at 3.4, tied with four Andrea Dimond, Still, companies have other counties at that right. (Photo pro- added jobs for four straight number. Other EGR3 vided) months, the Labor Depart- counties are Whit- ment said Friday, though ley, 3.5; DeKalb and the government lowered its Steuben, 3.7; Hunting- Leadership changes at Community Care estimate of job growth for ton and Wabash, 3.8; February and March by a Noble, 4.2; and Grant, 4.4. Community Care of Wells County enced not only the current, but future Andrea Dimond, the new opera- combined 78,000. The resumption of hir- Two counties that will be under new leadership starting generations in ways we can only imag- tions manager at Grace and Mercy, border on Wells Coun- next month. ine,” Householder said in a statement. brings her experience and knowledge ing has encouraged some Americans to start looking ty but are not in EGR3, The faith-based non-profit orga- “God’s continued blessings.” in the area of law enforcement and Blackford and Jay nization has announced that Kelley On June 1, Christine Walker, for- recovery. for jobs, which means they are newly counted as unem- counties, had prelimi- Householder will retire June 1. mer operations manager at Grace and Grace and Mercy houses up to 13 nary March rates of Householder has been the execu- Mercy Transitional Housing, will be women plus children during a six- to ployed if they don’t immedi- ately find work. This is what 4.9 and 3.9. tive director leading the organization’s assuming the position of executive 12-program stay. (Continued on Page 2) ministries — Connecting Center, Man director for the organization. The agency’s “transitional housing happened in April, when the Up Transitional Housing, Change Up “Chris’s passion is to see families provides healthy, safe and secure liv- unemployment rate ticked Thrift Store and Grace & Mercy Tran- thrive through the CCWC organiza- ing environments, equipping families up from 6 percent to 6.1 per- sitional Housing — for the past five tion channels and integrate out through to make healthy and productive life cent. Other tell-tale signs of labor years. support systems within the community changes,” the release said. Employers are now post- shortages have emerged as “The momentous support for Com- of churches, employment and housing For more information, visit www. ing far more jobs than they well: Average hourly pay munity Care’s four ministries has structures and area support agencies,” cc-wc.org or email office.community- did before the pandemic, rose 0.7 percent in April to changed lives for the better and influ- the agency’s press release said. [email protected] and “help wanted” signs dot $30.17, which the govern- many restaurant windows. (Continued on Page 2) Public Safety Task Force will shift gears at Monday night’s meeting By DAVE SCHULTZ er and the members of the Bluff- the space now devoted to the fire in preparatiion to work with Ele- would then meet in early June to The Bluffton Public Safety ton Common Council — that two department after the BFD occu- vatus Architecture. receive a progress report and pro- Task Force will resume its meet- fire stations be built, one on the pies new quarters. “I am hopeful that at the con- vide guidance (and) seek clarifica- ings Monday night, but its mission north side of the city and one on Monday night’s meeting — at clusion of Monday’s meeting, we tion before moving forward.” will be different. the south side of the city. It also 7 p.m. in the city courtroom in the will all be comfortable with Kyle The task force also has commu- The group spent six months recommended adding full-time Police-Fire Building — will fea- and Andrew moving ahead with nity meetings scheduled May 17 looking at the needs of the Bluff- firefighters to the BFD’s roster. ture the BPD’s leadership, Police initial planning with the architect,” and 18 to explain its work and the ton Fire Department and has given Now the attention will turn to Chief Kyle Randall and Deputy Roger Thornton, the task force’s necessity for the fire department a recommendation to the city’s the Bluffton Police Department Chief Andy Ellis. They will pres- chairman, said in a letter sent out upgrades. leadership — Mayor John Whick- — particularly, what to do with ent what the department will need to the committee’s members. “We [email protected] Inside Outside Online How to contact us: Call us: 824-0224 Local/Area or 1-800-579-7476 Obituaries. 3 Follow us on Facebook! Police Notebook . .3 Go to www.facebook.com/ Fax us: 824-0700 newsbanner [email protected] Opinion ————— On the Web: www.news-banner.com Saturday Sub . .4 Frost this morning; then, Place Your Classified Also... a sunny but cool day Ads 24/7 Follow us at: Sports. 6-7 Today Sunday Monday twitter.com/newsbanner Classifieds . 10-11 High 59 High 50 High 57 Vol. 92 No. 159 Diversions . .8 Low 42 Low 38 Low 35 SATURDAY More Weather on Page 2 May 8, 2021 Page 2 • The News-Banner • SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021 LOCAL/NATION Wells’ jobless Weather (Continued from Page 1) reflect the effects of the coronavirus. get vaccinated and hopefully the vari- Saturday, May 8, 2021 An analysis of the numbers by “That was captured starting in the ants are kept at bay, we should see a (24-hour observations at 8:22 p.m. Friday) Purdue University-Fort Wayne and April unemployment data so the dra- return of normalcy so long as employ- High: 57; Low: 36; Precipitation: 0.09” (rain) Northeast Indiana Works notes that matic differences will show up in next ers can find the workers they need.” Wabash River Level (at the Main Street bridge): 2.07 the area has 2,000 more people in the month’s LAUS release,” the statement “Employers continue to find it feet at 10s:45 p.m. Friday labor force in March 2021 than it did said. challenging to hire workers and have in March 2020, but the difference is “The labor market remains in stepped up recruitment efforts, includ- accounted for by more people looking flux a year into the pandemic,” said ing returning to in-person hiring events Wells County forecast for work than more people working.