MERRILLVILLE | Achievement took center stage at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza on Friday when five local business legends were enshrined inthe Northwest Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame.

The Times Media Co. and its BusINess Magazine sponsored the annual awards ceremony, which recognizes accomplished business people for theirleadership, community involvement and determination.

The 2014 Hall of Fame class included Thomas Katsahnias, former general manager and chief operating officer of Inland Steel in East Chicago; Jim McGill, former owner of McGill Manufacturing Co. in Valparaiso; Fred Halpern, a co-owner of Albert's Diamond Jewelers in Schererville and Hobart; Adela Ortega, owner of Professional Locomotive Services in East Chicago; and O'Merrial Butchee, entrepreneur, author and director of Ivy Tech's Gerald I. Lamkin Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center. Butchee received the inaugural public service award.

"Everybody wants to know how you started out,"Halpern said. "I inherited a store with two employees. I had to tell them to wait to cash your check a little later. I had to tell the water guy, 'Please don't turn off my water,' and the electrical guy, 'Please don't turn off my electricity.' I told them I will pay you eventually, and obviously those bills got paid because I'm here now. I lived at home with my family for five years and never took a penny out of the store.

"It wasn't easy is the point I'm trying to make. Everybody has to get paid before you do because you have to have credibility," he said. "After you take care of your help and bills and you have any money left, buy some more inventory."

Hundreds of people applauded the inductees Friday at the Radisson Hotel Celebrity Ballroom, where Gov. Mike Pence gave the keynote address.

"The Times Business and Industry Hall of Fame is filled with brilliant and distinguished people,"Katsahnias said, after thanking his late wife for making him the person he is. "It's an honor to be put in such company. I probably don't deserve it, but I'm not going to give it back."

Katsahnias credited his Greek immigrant parents for teaching him the value of hard work, faith, personal responsibility, perseverance and education. He said such values guided him well through a long and varied career that included running Ancilla Health Systems and being chairman of the board of Calumet College of St. Joseph.

Ortega credited her colleagues and family for helping her build up her locomotive manufacturing company, which employs 28 workers in East Chicago. She only had two employees a mechanic and an electrician when she founded the business 18 years ago.

"The next time I come back here, I want to have 1,002 jobs, then 3,000 jobs the time after that," she said. "I would like to hire people who enjoy what they're doing, and continue down the path of growth."

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Northwest Indiana Business and Industry Hall of Fame welcomes 2014 class

Sept. 16, 1933 April 2, 2014

Robert D. Alonzo, an actor, director and set designer in local community theater, died Wednesday in his Lancaster home after a short illness. He was 80.

Born in Attica, he was a graduate of Attica High School and served in the Navy during the Korean War.

Returning from service, he earned degrees in speech and dramatic art from Syracuse University, where he was a member of the Boars Head Dramatic Society and Tau Delta Phi and Sigma Tau Rho fraternities.

Mr. Alonzo acquired his Actors Equity card in 1958 and acted in off-Broadway productions in New York City with Hermione Gingold and Jessica Tandy. He also worked in professional summer stock as a master electrician, technical director, stage manager and in minor acting roles.

He returned to the Buffalo area in the 1960s and operated his own business, then was a general manger for Delta Sonic Car Wash in the 1970s before becoming an agent for Benderson Development Co.

After he retired in 1997, he worked part time for Lauer-Manguso & Associates Architects.

Mr. Alonzo was a member and past president of the Lancaster Regional Players, formerly the Lancaster-Depew Community Theater, since 1976 and directed numerous productions.

He also was a member of the Amherst Players and the Aurora Players.

His most recent directorial effort was the Aurora Players production of the comedy Run for Your Wife Feb. 28 to March 16.

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Robert D. Alonzo, active in community theater

ST. PETERS Its taken five years, but now Larry Sachse believes he has a good idea about what killed his 81-year-old mother.

On Feb. 4, 2009, around noon, Marie Sachse was driving her 2004 Saturn Ion home from a casino, when she inexplicably veered off Highway 67, striking a tree. Sachse died that night from internal injuries.

The details of the wreck match those outlined on Tuesday by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., as one of at least 13 fatalities linked to a faulty ignition switch on millions of General Motors vehicles.

McCaskill did not name the victim, but the accidents specifics, gleaned from GM and the National Highway Traffic Saftey Administration, left little doubt in the minds of Marie Sachses children.

Everything was the same, said Larry Sachse, a retired electrician who lives in St. Peters. Thats when we put two and two together.

Now he finds himself at the center of one of the most significant safety crises in the history of U.S. auto manufacturing.

Sachse said he hoped the scrutiny of GM would provide a clearer picture of the cause of the accident that has puzzled the family for five years.

Marie Sachse liked to play the slots, and the path from the casino to her home in north St. Louis County was one she knew well. The roads were dry. So what would have caused her to drive off the highway? And why didnt her air bags deploy?

It didnt make any sense to me whatsoever, said Lisa Warfield, Marie Sachses daughter, who lives in Atlanta. She wasnt sick. She was healthy.

Sachses children retained lawyer James M. Dowd, who has an office in Webster Groves. Dowd hired Chris Caruso, an automotive safety consultant, who spent years working on GM air bags, Dowd said.

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North St. Louis County woman's death linked to faulty ignition switch on GM vehicles

(PRWEB) April 01, 2014

Founded in 1975, Alba Electric has launched a new easy-to-use website (http://alba-electric.com) to re-introduce its multifamily, residential, Industrial and Commercial electric services to residents and businesses of New York City (NYC) and the surrounding areas. The companys professional team of electricians even perform 24/7 emergency service and emergency response.

Alba Electric has been master troubleshooters for years and is fully equipped for any project requiring specialized equipment. The company has successfully completed projects for general contractors, plant managers, homeowners, real estate management firms, lighting designers, building managers and energy conservation consultants in the past 39 years. They have provided electric services for new construction, remodeling projects and for the installing of track lighting, low voltage lighting, recessed lighting, electric scaffolding and lighting and power for sidewalk sheds.

About Their Master Electrician Services

They are NYC licensed master electricians and can diagnose any problem and repair it in a short period of time, which is ideal for homeowners, tenants and business owners. They can also upgrade a home by coordinating the entire process including permits and timing so clients arent left in the dark.

The professionals at Alba Electric also can install an automation system that can be controlled by a customers smartphone. These easy to use and versatile systems can be efficiently installed in a reasonable amount of time. This allows their customers to save on their energy bills and add to their security of their home when theyre not there.

New construction or renovation projects or the installation of indoor or outdoor lighting also are common projects handled by Alba Electric. Whether an emergency situation or just a lighting project that needs to be done in the interim, their professionals are never more than an hour from any Greater New York home.

Home generator installation allows homeowners to have a back-up power system during a power outage. The team at Alba Electric will select the system, install and program it properly and get the required permits to do the project. After the installation, their professional electrician team will even instruct clients on how to care and use their new generator.

Other projects include rewiring a home or business, energy management systems, electric troubleshooting, remote or temporary power, transformer change outs, power conditioning or card access control systems for security doors of businesses or apartment buildings.

The full service indoor and outdoor lighting company primarily conducts business in the five boroughs of New York, Nassau County, Westchester County and Putnam County. They are committed to onsite safety and property protection and are fully insured. For more information on their services, visit their website http://alba-electric.com/ or call 914-356-2267 to talk to their professional team.

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NYC Master Electrician Alba Electric Launches New Website

WARREN, Ohio - A basement full of marijuana is discovered in what authorities describe as a "fairly quiet neighborhood" on the Southeast side of Warren.

After receiving a tip the residents at the home may be growing the drug, police went to the home for what they call a "knock and talk."

"When they knocked on the door, the resident here opened it and the officer immediately smelled the odor of raw marijuana coming out of the house," said Warren Police Chief Eric Merkel.

Police then asked the man who answered the door to exit the home while they secured a search warrant.

"So, they are not flushing any drugs or trying to get rid of it while we're in the process of trying to get the search warrant," explained Merkel.

Within the hour, police had the paperwork needed, and entered the home.

"Approximately about two-thirds of the basement is loaded with marijuana grow," said Merkel.

It's not clear how many people live at the home, and whether or not anyone there was selling the drug.

"The neighbors have never mentioned that there were cars coming in and out of here, so I'm assuming the answer is no at this point but we don't know ," said Merkel.

No one has been charged at this point. Police will weight the marijuana and wait for lab results.

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Warren police seize about 100 marijuana plants

Stephen A. Neal, 55, of Darrington; Bill Welsh, 66, of Arlington; Linda L. McPherson, 69, of Arlington; and Kaylee B. Spillers, 5, of Arlington have been identified asvictims of themudslide near Oso,according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiners Office.The cause of death for each was blunt impact, the Medical Examiners Office said.

Neal was a contractor who was doing plumbing work at Amanda Lennicks house in theSteelhead Drive neighborhood at the time of the mudslide. He owned his plumbing business for about 30 years, said son, Ryan Neal, of Marysville. Lennick remains missing.

Ryan Neal described his father as someone always concerned about others.

He was definitely out to help other people, Ryan Neal said.

Welsh was an electrician who planned to meet Stephen Neal at Lennicks house to install a water heater. The two were friends at Whitley Evergreen, where Welsh worked as the head of the electrical department and Neal sometimes worked as an independent contractor. Welsh, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War, had worked for 25 years for the Marysville modular commercial-building manufacturer, said general manager Larry Dobrota.

He was 66. He was ready to retire. I told him, No, I wont let you. He was a very good worker. He knew everything about this place, Dobrota said.

McPhersons death had previously been confirmed by family members. McPherson and her husband Gary Mac McPherson were reading the newspaper Saturday morning, separated only by a living-room end table, said daughter Kate McPherson. He was able to grab a stick and dig himself out of the mud.

Even if the dangers of the areawere known, her daughter said, McPherson likely wouldnt have moved to a different area.

She loved the land, Kate McPherson said. That was her home. She was never going to leave.

Kaylees father, Billy Spillers, 30, sister Brooke, 2, and brother Jovon Mangual, 13, are missing. Her brother Jacob, 4, was rescued from the mud. Billy Spillers and the children were watching television when the mudslide hit. Her mother, Jonielle Spillers, wasnt home at the time. The family moved to the Oso area from Seattle about two years ago.

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Medical examiner: 4 more confirmed dead from mudslide

The abandonment of an 80-year-old mentally challenged woman reportedly by a police team attached to the Vanitha police station at midnight in the city recently once again brings to focus the need to sensitize police personnel on compassion and human values.

The incident caused a public outcry resulting in the Kerala State Womens Commission registering a case and the Additional Director-General of Police (North Zone) N. Shankar Reddy seeking a report. Subsequently three police personnel including two women were suspended by the Commissioner of Police based on an inquiry report.

However, it has to be pointed that the Koyilandy Circle Inspector C.R. Haridas came forward as a Good Samaritan to help the woman.

He along with two other police personnel who were on their way to Koyilandy in plainclothes were eyewitnesses to the incident.

The woman had to be sheltered at the Koyilandy police station at night. Later her relatives were informed and she was taken home the next day. The inquiry found that local people had handed over the woman who was roaming in the city to the Vanitha Police station so that she would be dropped at her home.

Many feel that the police department regardless of coming up with various projects, including the Janamaithri Police Scheme (Community Policing Scheme) to refurbish its image, has not been gender sensitized and made people-friendly.

A study report on women victims of crimes in Kerala 2012-13 conducted by the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi, for the State police Chief says that crimes against women in the State are found in all the regions, among all religions and among women of all age groups in proportion. All the crimes which were reported in earlier times still occur, while new ones are coming to light due to the technological advances.

Incidentally, records with the police reveal that cases of atrocities against women have been on the rise in Kozhikode city for the past five years.

As many as 654 cases of atrocities against women were registered in 2013. The figures were 525 (2012); 556 (2011); 425 (2010) and 409 (2009).

Gone with the power

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A force with compassion

ST. CHARLES COUNTY Rodney Zerr, St. Charles Countys former emergency management director, filed Tuesday as a Democratic candidate for county executive.

Zerr, who was laid off in 2010 during a budget crunch, said hes an alternative to career politicians.

He said that includes incumbent Steve Ehlmann, a former state legislator and circuit judge, and Ehlmanns Republican primary opponent state Rep. Doug Funderburk, who previously was a county councilman.

I have a concern with career politicians staying in office for extended lengths of time, jumping from one office to another, said Zerr, 61. It goes for both.

Ehlmann, of St. Charles, disputed Zerrs characterization. Politics has been my third career, Ehlmann said.

He said he was a teacher for nine years, then a lawyer in private practice while serving part time in the Legislature. His full-time government jobs began when he was elected judge 14 years ago. The executives post also is full time.

Funderburk also expressed irritation, pointing out hes been a part-time county and state lawmaker while an electrician at Boeing Co., where hes worked more than 30 years. In contrast, he said, Zerr was a full-time government employee for decades.

Zerr, who lives near OFallon, said he didnt enter the race out of spite against Ehlmann. When he was laid off, Zerr said, the emergency office he headed was part of the sheriffs department. Earlier his agency was under the executive.

Zerr held professional public safety jobs for 32 years, including 12 years as emergency director. His brother, Rick Zerr, is a GOP circuit judge first elected as a Democrat. Their first cousin is married to state Rep. Anne Zerr, R-St. Charles.

Tuesday was the last day to file for the Aug. 5 primary.

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Former St. Charles County emergency director enters executive race

Bright future gone when man walks outside home, hit by stray bullet

The stray bullet that killed Francisco Martinez went through a neighbor's mailbox first.CLIFFORD OTO/The Record

STOCKTON - Paco Martinez had a bright future as an electrician. Despite growing up in a neighborhood besieged by gun and gang violence, the 21-year-old Stockton native would have none of it.

He had completed San Joaquin Delta College's rigorous general electrician certification program and recently earned his certification. He had his second-round job interview scheduled this week with Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the same week as his funeral.

Francisco "Paco" Garcia Martinez, the third of four brothers who lost their father in June, was the victim of a stray bullet that crushed into his chest during the minute or so he walked outside his south Stockton home. That was around 7:30 p.m. March 10, and he was just going to check out a friend's car.

Stockton police say Martinez was an unintended victim, hit by a single gunshot. It was one of more than a half-dozen shots fired from the corner of Anne and East Eighth streets by an unknown shooter apparently toward a house across the wide street from the Martinez home, according to what the family has learned.

"He just walked outside. He wasn't even out there for two minutes," older brother Alfonso Martinez said Friday. "He grabbed his chest and laid himself down."

The youngest Martinez brother, Jesus, 15, witnessed what happened to his brother. Before the bullet struck Martinez, it went completely through a mailbox. A neighbor who is a nurse ran over to apply pressure on Martinez's chest until paramedics arrived. Police reported that Martinez died after being taken to a hospital.

Alfonso Martinez described Paco as shy, a good student who graduated from nearby Merlo Institute of Environmental Technology high school, went straight off to Delta College and held down a part-time job to help the family with expenses.

He was particularly attentive to his mother, Lourdes, and baby brother Jesus following the death of the family patriarch, also named Alfonso Martinez. He regularly collected Sunday offerings at St. Linus Catholic Church, and he and his mother would often bring the sacramental bread and wine up to the altar during Mass.

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Tragic timing takes life

Political parties are trying to gain as many votes as possible during the open campaign period ahead of the April 9 legislative election, including fielding celebrities to secure a 3.5 per cent electoral threshold at the House of Representatives.

In a move seen as upping the ante, a number of political parties are fielding sexy models, not just simple celebrities, as legislative candidates. Their candidacy has been met with mixed reactions from the public, ranging from approval to strong opposition.

Destiara Talita, 26, a former adult magazine model, is running for a legislative seat for the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI), vying against other candidates in Electoral District West Java VIII, which comprises Cirebon and Indramayu regencies as well as Cirebon city.

In addition to Destiara, who studies law at Indonusa Esa Unggul University, the PKPI has also nominated dangdut singer Camel Petir.

Destiara is not the only legislative candidate with a controversial career running for election. Angel Lelga, a B-movie actress and swimsuit model, has recently also been in the spotlight for her candidacy with the Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP).

PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali said Angel wanted to join the party because she wanted to complete her understanding of Islam and associate with Muslim communities.

However, she faced public criticism after she gave stuttered responses to questions posed by a talkshow host on a private TV station.

Celebrities seeking election draw various responses from the public, from welcoming such lawmakers with racy backgrounds to outright rejection.

Fisella Mutiara, who comes from a corporate legal background, said as long as long as the candidate did not rely solely on a sexy image to win the seat, she would not question her candidacy.

Meanwhile, electrician Temor said even though he could accept a celebrity legislative candidate, he would not vote for those who used to be sexy models.

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Mixed reaction to Indonesia's celebrity candidates