Saturday, March 14, 2020 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com $1 S. Wells busing set to Out for a month continue Southern Wells Com - munity Schools will con - tinue to provide bus serv - ice for students from the Pennville area next fall. Southern Wells school board voted 3-1 this week to continue busing out - side of its district, which provides transportation into the school district for students from Mont - pelier and Warren as well as Jay County. After Pennville Ele - mentary School was closed in 2017 because of declining enrollment, about 40 Jay students opted to attend classes at Southern Wells. The loss of those stu - dents resulted in a loss of about $250,000 for Jay School Corporation in per-student funding from the State of Indiana. The Commercial Review/Riley Eubanks If Southern Wells had stopped sending buses Students head to buses Friday afternoon at Jay County High School. It marked the final time students will get on outside of its district, stu - buses for a month, as Jay School Corporation on Friday announced that schools will be closed through April 10. An extended dents outside of the dis - e-learning plan will be implemented along with using waiver days that were granted by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. trict could have continued to attend school there but would have had to provide transportation to the Jay Schools will be closed through April 10; school or to a bus pick-up site in Wells County. In February, the South - extended e-learning plan will be implemented ern Wells board proposed By RAY COONEY asked to have three days changing its policy of The Commercial Review of e-learning prepared. crossing county lines to Jay Schools will be Those will be implement - pick up students. But that closed for the next four ed Monday, Tuesday and proposal was shot down weeks. Wednesday. this week. Jay School Corpora - After that, a modified “I’m for the status tion, following a recom - e-learning schedule will quo,” board member mendation from Jay be implemented, incor - Mark Durham told the County Health Depart - porating some of the 20 Bluffton News-Banner. “I ment, announced just waiver days Indiana Gov. do consider the taxpayers after 1 p.m. Friday that Eric Holcomb made of Wells County (and) in-person classes will be available Thursday. most of the feedback is canceled through April Waiver days will be they want to keep it as it 10 as part of nationwide used Thursday and Fri - has been.” efforts to slow the spread day with the intention of Board member Kevin of coronavirus. A modi - allowing teachers time to Scott had originally fied e-learning schedule prepare extended e- favored dropping the bus will be implemented. learning plans. There service but changed his According to the Cen - will also be no classes mind after hearing from ters for Disease Control March 23 through 27, district residents. and Prevention, there which was already According to the state’s are 1,629 U.S. cases of Schools superintendent Redkey Town Hall will Thursday that all Ohio scheduled as spring public corporation trans - COVID-19, the illness Jeremy Gulley. “We both be closed to the pub - schools be closed from break. Part of the rea - fer report for 2020, 298 of caused by the virus. spoke — we speak fre - lic beginning Monday. the conclusion of the day soning for the length of Southern Wells’ 872 stu - There have been 41 quently — and it was Fort Recovery Local Monday through April 3. the closure was to give dents — about 34 percent deaths. determined that the Schools had announced Jay Schools adminis - families two weeks — are transfers from out “We, like everyone, can school closure made Thursday that it would trators and staff spent before returning to of the district. Losing just see how dynamic and sense given the environ - close following classes the week planning for a school after spring break half of those transfer stu - fluid this spread of the ment.” Monday. Ohio Gov. Mike potential long-term clo - trips. dents would have cost coronavirus is,” said Jay Portland City Hall and DeWine mandated sure. Teachers were See Out page 2 Southern Wells about $1 million in state funding. Adams judge charged An Adams County judge is facing disciplinary charges. The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications announced Friday that it has filed disciplinary charges Commission alleges abuse of against Adams Superior Court Judge Patrick R. Miller. authority and violation of The seven-member commis - sion, which investigates alleged Code of Judicial Conduct ethical misconduct by judges, alleges that Miller committed three counts of misconduct. The allegations stem from his actions related to a legal dis - sue additional civil or criminal regarding Sickafoose was over pute between Adams County contempt charges against the whether she was a contract and Adams County Drug Court Adams County Auditor, the employee entitled to benefits or coordinator Kelly Sickafoose. Adams County Board of Com - an independent contractor with The charges allege that missioners, or the Adams no benefits, according to court Miller offered legal advice and County Council if county offi - documents. strategies regarding a legal dis - cials did not accept Respon - Indiana Supreme Court has The Commercial Review/Riley Eubanks pute, abused his authority and dent’s settlement offer that the final authority over such violated the Code of Judicial county pay Sickafoose a $20,000 charges of misconduct. It can Conduct. The commission settlement on her private legal dismiss charges, accept or Still spinning alleges that Miller improperly claim,” court documents say. reject a disciplinary agreement Barb Kendall (left) and Becky Haws spin attempted to influence a matter Adams County and the drug between the commission and alpaca fur Friday at the Jay County Fiber Arts from which he had disqualified court coordinator were the judge, appoint a panel of Festival. Alpaca is one of the nearly dozen fibers himself, improperly offered involved in a legal dispute judges to conduct a hearing, spun by enthusiasts at the festival, which continues legal advice and strategies to related to her employment sta - impose a fine or impose sanc - today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sickafoose and “gave the tus and payment of benefits. tions ranging from a reprimand appearance to the Adams Coun - The original dispute from to a permanent ban on holding ty Attorney that he would pur - 2016 and ’17 in Adams County judicial office. Deaths Weather In review Coming up Jay County had a high tem - Nina Lee Hecko and perature of 50 degrees Friday. Friends will perform a free The high will top out at 39 Monday — The latest local concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight at today with a mixture of light news regarding the coron - Martha Rees , 91, Redkey Arts Place. Hecko is a former rain and snow in the after - avirus pandemic. Kenneth Blunk , 89, pianist for First Presbyterian noon followed by snow show - Ridgeville Church in Portland and is pur - ers tonight. Skies will be Wednesday — A look at Details on page 2. suing master’s degrees in sunny Sunday with a high of Harmony Players’ production piano performance and bas - 45. of “Charley’s Aunt.” soon performance at Ball State See page 2 for an extended University. outlook. The Commercial Review Page 2 Local Saturday, March 14, 2020 Obituaries Martha Rees eled to Wisconsin for many years Funeral Home, 200 S. Hartford Anchor Hocking before his way; and several nieces and July 2, 1928-March 12, 2020 where they did a lot of bass fish - St., Eaton, with Pastor John retirement in June of 1988. nephews. Martha Elizabeth Rees, 91, ing. Martha enjoyed being out - Clark and Robert Farris officiat - Kenny was the loving husband He was preceded in death by passed away peacefully on doors, the beauty of nature and ing. Burial will follow at Gar - of Maxine (Lively) Blunk, who his parents; wife Maxine; three March 12, 2020. especially working among her dens of Memory Cemetery. he happily married on Nov. 6, brothers, Roy, Ray and Marvin; She was born on July 2, 1928, to flowers. One of her favorite Visitation will be prior to serv - 1949, and sadly lost in 1998. He three sisters, Ferol, Ruby and Oren A. and Marie R. (Sodders) things to do was sit in her porch ices from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. was a member of the sympathy Elsie; and two grandchildren, Shultz of Redkey, Indiana. glider, enjoying her family and Memorials may be made in club. He was a quiet and easy Jeremy and Brandy. Martha graduated with the class friends whom she dearly loved. her name to Redkey Church of going man who enjoyed wood - Friends are invited to call of 1946 at Redkey High School She was preceded in death by the Nazarene, 801 W High St., working, bowling, BINGO, cross - Monday, March 16, 2020, from 11 and then married her husband Melvin Rees; her Redkey, IN. word puzzles, Solitaire, Sudoku, a.m. to 1 p.m. at MJS Mortuaries her high school parents Oren and Marie Shultz; card games, gardening, working – Ridgeville Chapel. Funeral sweetheart, and a sister, Wilma Humphrey. Kenneth Blunk in the yard, watching NASCAR, services will follow at 1 p.m. with Melvin A. Rees, at Martha leaves to cherish her April 4, 1930-March 11, 2020 Vanna White on Wheel of For - Pastor Steve Conner officiating. the home of her memory two sons, Rick (Linda) Kenneth L. Blunk, 89, of tune, Victoria Principal on Dal - Burial will follow in Hopewell parents on July Rees of Vincennes and Larry Ridgeville, Indiana, passed las, sitting on his porch enjoying Cemetery near Farmland, Indi - 27, 1946, in Redkey.