This picture of Josh Houghton shows how he looked before he got into drugs. He was an athlete and in his freshman year made varsity in football and wrestling. He got good grades in school. As a sophomore he played football in the fall, begam arguing when it came time to wrestle, but did play baseball that year. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his father.
    Marcy said that summer he began to get into fights and it was never his fault. His attitude changed. They couldn’t believe anything he said. They searched his room and found capsules and syringes. They put him in drug rehab a couple of times. When he got arrested, he would be released in 48-72 hours. One drug rehab sent him home saying he didn’t have a problem. He conned them.
    It seemed all the things they tried just wouldn’t work. As he was nearing his 18th birthday and his coming of age, Marcy felt like he hated her for all the times she had been hard on him and tried not to fight anymore. He left and they didn’t see him for the whole month of April. In May she saw him and could tell his arms were tracked as she is a phlebotomist. She threw a scene, but he didn’t come home with her. Two days later he did come home.
    For two weeks he went through withdrawal. He seemed to want to change. He had a GED but began working on a diploma at the Fine Center so he could enter the military. It was on June 30th, her mother and father’s anniversary, when they received a call he was in jail in Dayton. They felt he should stay there and think about what he was doing and get off the drugs, but within 72 hours he called and asked them to come pick him up.
    They spent July and August searching his arms and testing him for drugs before letting him drive the car. In September they learned he had gotten back into drugs and using "tough love" asked him to leave.
    Josh stayed with his grandparents just down the road. His grandfather told me he had just told Josh what a pleasure it was to have the "old Josh" back and to have him stay there. On October 14th, they came home to find him dead from an overdose of heroin. Josh’s father, Bill, said, "Taking drugs is like playing Russian Roulette. You may not get hurt the first time, but you never know when you will get that fatal bullet."
    Drugs can affect any family - rich, poor, good, bad.It has no constraints. It’s time for all of us to take a stand against this killer. Marcy is trying to get the DARE program started in the Jr. High and High School as this is when the kids face the most peer pressure. Last Saturday Marcy stood on the corner holding this sign. As people passed, many joined her and her father made his own sign. There is going to be a rally the 31st from 10-4 in Hagerstown where they will meet at Gas America and line Main Street to Washington St. Everyone who is concerned about this problem can join them. Drug deals happen day and night. Will it be your child or grandchild next? Will it be in your town?
    If you would like to get a t-shirt or sign to use, contact Josh McFarland, Evolution Design, at 765-238-2156.
    Drugs are not just a problem in Hagerstown, Cambridge City, Richmond, etc. They are a problem in all of our communities, large and small. Marcie told me that there have been 10 overdose deaths in Wayne County since the first of this year. There have been 60 other cases in which people recovered from the overdose. This is not acceptable. Perhaps if we stood in front of the houses and businesses where drugs were being sold holding a sign like the one above, people would be less likely to buy them. If there isn’t any market, they will go away.
    As we see crime and drugs escalating in our communities, we need to step up to the plate and ask what we can do to help. We have a lot of good folks in the area, but don’t forget those who are lost in drugs.

Sen. Paul: Help Available for Heating Homes This Season
State Program Offers Financial Assistance to Hoosier Households

   Low-income homeowners can take advantage of the state’s Energy Assistance Program this winter season to warm their homes, State Sen. Allen Paul (R-Richmond) said.
    Paul said the program, managed by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, offers low-income households financial assistance to continue utility services during the winter heating season.
   "Community Action agencies implement the program throughout the state," Paul said. "These agencies have outreach offices in every county. Homeowners can contact these offices with questions regarding how the program works and the application process."
   Contact information for the Community Action Agency outreach offices in this area include:
    Jay County (CFS)521 S. Wayne St. Portland, IN 47371(260) 726-9318
    Randolph County (CFS)324 S. Oak St. Suite 104Winchester, IN 47394(765) 584-1250
    Wayne County (CAECI) 1845 W. Main St.Richmond, IN 47374(765) 966-7733
    For more information on the Energy Assistance Program, homeowners can visit the program’s Web site at www.in.gov/ihcda/2523.htm, Paul said.
    Senator Paul represents Senate District 27, which includes Jay, Randolph and Wayne Counties.

Educator Stuart Shipman Served His Community Well

   Stuart Shipman has been active in his community not just during the years he taught and was an administrator, but he stayed active following his retirement.
    One of his biggest accomplishments was his ability to get the school rebuilt following a devastating fire which destroyed Cambridge City’s High School in 1955. He was efficient and prudent in his management of the building of the new school which is now two schools, Parkway Junior High and Lincoln High School, holding costs to a minimum.
    He was able to get the buildings finished and ready for occupancy in 18 months and to bring normalcy to the scattered classes.
    Stuart was a good judge of character and during his tenure hired many teachers who still praise his administration of the school saying he made it a great place to work.
    Those working with him knew when they asked for help it was forthcoming and they would get the guidance and necessary items to get the job done.
    He was a man of integrity and loved his family, community, and his job.
    Following her parent’s example, his daughter, Miriam Zimmer, is now a teacher in the school system he once ran. She is the Music teacher at Western Wayne Elementary.
    Stuart was a veteran and served in the U.S. Army in World War II. He was the recipient of four Battle Stars and a Bronze Star.
    At 98 years of age, he was still able to live alone until a recent fall which hospitalized him. He was at church regularly, attending the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Richmond. His daughter and son-in-law, and his grandson were his helpers, his care-givers and his pride and joy.
    We will miss your smile and quiet manner, but know that when you meet the Lord he will say "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Time Changes at 2:00 a.m. Nov. 1. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back.