Mike Marturello

ANGOLA — The legalization of marijuana in Indiana presents opportunity and challenges, it was concluded by Trine University senior business students who released results of their semester-long study on Monday.

ANGOLA — Phase I is going to remain just that, Phase I, when it comes to the Sheets Family Park.

ANGOLA — Taking care of Sheets Family Park once it's built is well underway.

ANGOLA — A Pleasant Lake woman was arrested for trafficking with an inmate for allegedly trying to sneak a glass drug smoking pipe into the Steuben County Jail that was inserted in her vagina.

The winter solstice marks the Northern Hemisphere's first day of winter and the day with the fewest hours of sunlight. It usually occurs around December 21st, like this year, and has been celebrated worldwide since ancient times. A variety of plants have been used to celebrate this change of seasons.

My eyes welled up a bit on Wednesday morning when I read two different news accounts about the execution of Joseph Edward Corcoran. Not because he was put to death necessarily, though that weighed in, but because this man fought mental illness perhaps most of if not all of his life.

ANGOLA — The Steuben County Sheriff's Office conducted a sweep of arrests of men who allegedly were in violation of sex offender registry requirements.

Steuben County Sheriff's Deputy John Araque has been taken off administrative leave and cleared to return to work by the Steuben County Sheriff's Merit Board. The action was taken Tuesday by the board in light of evidence presented by the Indiana State Police. Araque, who was shot in a shootout with killer Kevin Noles, said he plans to return to administrative work after the first of the year. He expects to return to active duty in about six months after recovering from his wounds. The Merit Board, which is responsible for personnel matters for the Sheriff's Department, ruled Araque, 31, acted within law and standard operating procedures when he returned fire upon Kevin Noles, 36, Angola, after being shot himself on the morning of Nov. 21 after Noles had opened fire on five individuals at a Lake James apartment, killing three.

PLEASANT LAKE — The Indiana Christmas Train that was a big hit when it debuted in 2023 was huge this Christmas season.

ANGOLA — People on Mayor Dave Martin's Christmas card list received a special slice of Angola this year.