NOBLE COUNTY 4-H JR LEADERS

TAKING FLOWER ORDERS
The Noble County 4-H Jr Leaders are offering geraniums, petunias, impatiens, and hanging baskets for sale again in 2010. 
You may order red or fuchsia geraniums for $1.25 each. They will come to you in 4 in. pots. 
Petunias offered are a Spirit Mix (red/white/blue colors) only, $10.00 per 48 plant flat, or $5.00 per half flat.
 Impatiens will be available in Dark Mix (vivid colors) only, $10.00 per 48 plant flat, or $5.00 per half flat.
Purple OR Pink Wave Petunias, Boston Ferns and Red OR Fuchsia Geraniums, each in a 10 in. hanging basket will be offered for $10.00 each.
You may pick up your flowers at the Noble County Extension Office in Albion on April 30, 4 PM to 7 PM, or May 1, from 9 AM to 12 Noon.
Orders may be made by calling the Noble County Extension Office at (260) 636-2111 or 1-800-601-5826.  Orders must be placed by April 23. Be sure to get your order in early!

United Way Hosting

American Idol Competition
Followers of the popular reality show, “American Idol,” will want to get their tickets early for a very special event coming to Noble County on Saturday, May 1.  

United Way of Noble County, in partnership with WAWK – The Hawk Radio, will be hosting its very own version of the show, titled “American Idol – Noble County” to raise money for United Way’s partner agencies.

According to United Way Executive Director, Kristen Johnson, “There is a tremendous amount of talent here in Noble County, and United Way felt this would be a great way to showcase that talent, while raising money for a worthy cause.” 

WAWK Program Director, Scott Pawl, and radio station owner, Don Moore, are also looking forward to the event.  According to Moore, “It is a great way to showcase all of the talent in Noble County, as well as get some of our local artists on the radio.

The competition will work much like the original show.  It is designed for vocal talent only (versus that other popular show, “America’s Got Talent”), and therefore only vocal performers will be eligible.  There will be two divisions competing for prizes – one for youth singers (ages 10-16), and one for adult singers (ages 17 and up). 

Auditions are being held throughout Noble County between March 29 and April 15 for the first Noble County Idol contest. Call to schedule yours today! (260) 636-8929. Finalists in both Junior (ages 10-16) and Adult divisions (ages 17+) will compete Saturday, May 1, at the Kendallville Event Center. Because this is a fundraiser, a one-time entry fee of $15 is required.

Once the initial round of auditions is held, there will be one “elimination round.”  During that round, celebrity judges will ultimately decide who the top 10 performers will be in each division.  Those top performers will go on to compete at the final event on May 1 at the Event Center in Kendallville.

Entry fee is due at time of audition. All competitors will be reviewed by a panel of judges, and finalists will be selected based on performance; including appropriate dress, musical ability, confidence, song choice and overall star quality. One overall winner in both the junior and adult divisions will be selected. Participants must be a resident of Noble County, and must provide proof of residency at the time of the audition. Only non-professional performers are permitted to participate. Paid performers are not eligible to compete for prizes. For a complete list of rules and regulations, please contact United Way of Noble County, 260-636-8929, or visit our website at: www.uwnoble.org. All proceeds from this event to benefit United Way of Noble County and its partner agencies.

“One of the most exciting features of this event is that we will be able to air the performances live on the radio the night of the event so people can call in their votes, just like the real show,” says Moore.  That’s because WAWK will be adding its current music format to the FM radio dial very soon.  Not only will listeners be able to catch WAWK-The Hawk radio at AM station 1140, but they will also be able to tune in to station 95.5 on the FM dial.  By adding the FM station, WAWK-The Hawk will be able to air its programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including the live broadcasting of Idol performances.  Votes made by phone will be counted for the “People’s Choice” award.

Contestants will be competing for a bevy of prizes, including $500 cash, studio time at Studio K in Grabill to record an original song of their choice, which will be aired on WAWK-the Hawk Radio, scheduled performances around Noble County in 2010, and much more! 
There are some rules and restrictions on who can try out.  For example, participants must be a current resident of Noble County, and cannot be a professional (paid) performer.  Also, because this is a fundraiser, each contestant will be charged a one-time entry fee of $15.

For a complete list of rules, to schedule an audition, or to order advanced tickets to this event, please call the United Way office at (260) 636-8929, or send an email to kristen@uwnoble.org.

Gett's trial on felony sexual misconduct charges starts Dec. 10 in Steuben County court

Angola – A former Steuben County Community Corrections Officer was arrested Thursday, Sept. 3, on felony sexual misconduct charges resulting from an investigation by the Indiana State Police and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department.

Getts' trial is scheduled to start Thursday, Dec. 10.

Jennifer J. Getts, 36, of Kendallville, was charged with three counts of sexual misconduct, a Class C felony, for allegedly having sexual intercourse with an offender under lawful detention on three separate occasions between April 1 and June 30, 2009.

Getts had been assigned to monitor Ryan J. Wildermuth, who was serving the remainder of his sentence on home detention from a previous felony conviction in DeKalb County. Getts was terminated from her position as corrections officer on Aug. 27 by Steuben County Community Corrections.

This investigation was initiated by State Police and Steuben County Detectives after Getts and Wildermuth were stopped on August 14th in a boat on Hamilton Lake by an Indiana Conservation Officer. As a result of that stop, Wildermuth was charged with operating a boat while intoxicated while on home detention.

Getts voluntarily surrendered to Detectives at the Steuben County Jail where she is being held under $60,000 bond pending her initial court appearance.

Arrested and charged: Jennifer J. Getts, 36, Kendallville, Indiana.

--Sexual Misconduct by Service Provider, Class C felony (3 counts)

A Class C felony is punishable by a sentence of up to eight years imprisonment and up to a $10,000 fine.

Information at your fingertips;
at www.inspire.IN.gov
by State Rep. Matt Bell, Avilla

The Indiana State Library has numerous resources and collections, but due to its location in Indianapolis, these resources have not always been easily accessible to all Hoosiers. Now, thanks to the Internet, location is no longer an issue. Information is available at the touch of your finger tips.

INSPIRE is Indiana’s virtual library that provides Hoosiers unlimited access to a collection of academic databases, magazine and journal articles, Web sites, pamphlets, images, almanacs, library catalogs and more. This resource is accessible to Indiana residents who have Internet access at school, home, in their library or at their place of business. It is available free of charge.

The database is broken down in several different sections including, Kids Search, Student Research Center, Indiana Memory, Indiana State Library and Net Library.

If you are looking for the online collection for the Indiana State Library, Net Library is your one-stop shop. Here you can find over 3,000 e-books available at the click of a mouse.

Kids Search and Student Research Center are designed to help with homework. Both areas feature multiple subject areas and subcategories, allowing the user to focus on the needed information. Help guides, training and tutorials are also available for teachers via this site.
For history buffs, the Indiana Memory section is a must see. It is dedicated to preserving our state’s history through archives, memorabilia and photos. Included in the archives is information on laws of the Indiana territory, election returns, pay and receipt rolls for the Indiana territory militia and the documents leading up to Indiana’s statehood. The collection is a collaboration of efforts of academic libraries, public libraries, historical societies and museums, reflecting Indiana’s cultural heritage.
Another special feature is What Tree is That? It includes a guild to identify trees, a glossary of tree terms, tutorials, and will even tell you what tree to plant where.
INSPIRE is 24/7 access to a plethora of information that can be easily obtained at www.inspire.IN.gov. This link can help you with everything from landscaping to your child’s homework. It is a wonderful resource for Hoosiers of all ages, and I hope you will take advantage of it.