KOKOMO, Ind. (WISH) — A 32-year-old Logansport man died Friday morning in an “industrial death” at a Kokomo manufacturer, the Howard County Coroner’s Office says.
He was identified as Seth Russell Badger.
The Kokomo Fire Department and medics from Ascension St. Vincent were called just after 8:15 a.m. Friday to Haynes International, 2000 W. Deffenbaugh St. in Kokomo. Badger was taken to Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo hospital, where he died about an hour later in the emergency department.
News 8 has reached out to the the manufacturer, the Kokomo Police Department and the Howard County Sheriff’s Office for more information to find out what led to Badger’s death. The law enforcement agencies and the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the death, the coroner’s office says.
Haynes International makes products with nickel- and cobalt-based alloys for use in high-temperature and corrosion applications, according to its website.
Dr. Steven J. Seele, the Howard County coroner, says a forensic pathologist will conduct an autopsy later Friday.
The coroner’s office asked anyone with information on the death to call the Howard County Coroner’s Office, 765-456-1186 or the Kokomo Police Department at 765-456-7017.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — The city of Logansport is being considered for a new zinc oxide facility from Mexico-based Zinc Nacional SA. The company says the planned facility is part of a two-phase expansion that also includes a new facility in Mexico.
Zinc Nacional did not specify how much it is investing in the new facilities or how many jobs they would create. The company says the new U.S. facility, which is the second phase of the expansion, would have the capacity to generate about 10,000 tons of zinc oxide per year.
The company says the new location will be fed with recycled zinc units from the $110 million Waelz Sustainable Products zinc recycling facility in Logansport, which is expected to begin operations next month. The WSP is the result of a joint venture between Indianapolis-based Heritage Environmental Services and Zinc Nacional.
“We are carefully studying the location of this operation according to our customers’ needs,” said Antonio Carrandi, vice president of sales for ZN. “We are confident the timing is right for such an investment since the markets have shown quick recoveries, and we are very optimistic of medium and long-term growth in the industries we serve.”
The company is also considering Millport, Alabama for the new U.S. location. Zinc Nacional expects the facility to be operational in the first quarter of 2023.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (WISH) — The first of three murals to honor Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez was completed Sunday at the place he once worked.
Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, was among 13 U.S. military members killed in the Aug. 26 suicide bombing at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport.
The Logansport Art Association will paint the murals. Jane Williams, the group’s president, told News 8 that Sanchez was a student of hers in elementary school, and a classmate to her daughter Ali. Both women helped paint the first mural at the Logansport McDonald’s restaurant at West Market and South Cicott streets.
The first mural depicts him with a soccer ball because he played for the Logansport High School Berries varsity team. Sanchez was among 17 members of his Logansport High School class who joined the military after their 2017 graduation.
“It was a work of heart for us, and we are very proud of him!” Williams said in a message to News 8.
The other two murals will be put at the city’s other McDonald’s, on East Market Street, and at Thumper’s Attic, a thrift store in downtown Logansport.
Gundrum Funeral Home & Crematory in Logansport says Sanchez’s body will be transported home on Sept. 12. Details are still being finalized on services.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- Marine from Logansport among service members who died in Kabul attacks
- Friends remember Indiana Marine killed in Kabul airport bombing
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Logansport Municipal Utilities says it is moving forward with plans to demolish the city’s former electric generating plant and water treatment plant, which have sat vacant for several years. The utility says the project will help pave the way for more economic development in the city.
The power plant closed in 2016 after generating electricity for more than 120 years. LMU says the decision was made to distribute electricity from NextEra Energy Inc. after the plant was deemed too inefficient and costly to continue operating.
The water treatment plant was built in 1954 and decommissioned in late 2013 after the city determined the facility was outdated. The city now provides water from a well field distribution system.
The city says the demolition project had previously been considered too costly until the pandemic began. As the cost of construction materials spiked, prices for the reclamation of steel and scrap brick also rose, forcing contractors to adjust their demolition proposals.
The demolition of the generating plant alone was previously estimated at $6 million. Now, the city says the cost to demolish both facilities is an estimated $1.6 million total.
The city says it has applied for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, which will help offset the costs of the power plant’s demolition, including asbestos removal.
The entire project is slated to be complete by the end of March 2022.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A Chicago-based real estate developer has announced plans to build a single-family housing project on the northeast side of Logansport. Park Development LLC is already developing The Junction at the former Logansport Mall, and plans to build 52 homes near the development.
The developer says the homes in Lexington Village, which will be built north of the mall property along High Street and Yorktown Road, will range in size from 900 square feet to 3,000 square feet. Prices for the neighborhood are set from $165,000 to the low $200,000’s.
Logansport/Cass County Planning Department Executive Director Arin Shaver says the project has been “on the back burner” for several years.
“After reviewing housing studies and completed surveys, the city tapped Park Development to make it a reality. The next step is to approve the subdivision plat and finalize the construction document. We hope to see these approvals done by March, so marketing and construction of these homes can start happening this spring,” said Shaver.
Shaver says with construction beginning this spring, the homes could be completed by fall.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (WISH) — A 13-year-old boy is in critical condition in an Indianapolis hospital after being struck by an object as a train passed Thursday afternoon, the Logansport Police Department said.
Police were called on a report a train had struck a juvenile about 4:10 p.m. Thursday in the 800 block of East Melbourne Avenue. That’s in downtown Logansport near the Wabash River.
The boy, who was not named by police, was awake when police arrived. He was flown to Riley Hospital for Children.
A witness told police the boy was walking east on the track as the eastbound Norfolk Southern train approached. The boy exited the tracks and went into the adjacent track bed as the train approached, and was hit by an unknown object.
Anyone with information was asked to call Detective Flaude Dillon at 574-725-2826.
Logansport is about 50 miles north of Indianapolis.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A large auction of 962 acres of agricultural land in Cass and White counties will be held later this month northwest of Logansport. Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company of Columbia City will offer six tracts, ranging in size from three to 312 acres. Schrader says the land includes 47 acres of woods and approximately 132,500 bushels of grain storage.
The farm on the southern end of the property has two productive tracts of 252 and 113 acres, with the larger tract having more than 210 tillable acres. The auction company says the north farm has four tracts, with more than 500 tillable acres.
“This is a real opportunity for operators and investors alike, combining productive cropland with grain storage. On the wooded land, pre-closing hunting privileges are available to the buyer,” said R.D. Schrader, president of the company.
The live auction begins at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at the Rogers Event Center in Royal Center. Online bidding will be available for those who register here.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — Another major component is being added to The Junction in Logansport. The redevelopment of the former Logansport Mall property will now include a 99-room Hampton Inn by Hilton, which will be built at the site of what used to be a JCPenney store.
The hotel is being developed by Sulai Hospitality, which operates several hotels in Indiana. Financial terms of the project are not being disclosed.
“We were quick to jump on board when we heard about this project,” said Mitesh Patel, director of Sulai Hospitality. “We have sister properties in Wabash and Marion, so we’re familiar with the market and we were not going to let anything keep us from being a part of this project.”
The hotel will feature meeting and board room space, as well as an indoor swimming pool and fitness center. Patel says the Logansport/Cass County Chamber of Commerce is assisting the development company with funding options and a formal presentation will soon be made to the Logansport Redevelopment Commission.
“The COVID-19 virus gave us pause and has impacted all aspects of the hospitality industry,” Patel said. “The construction and development pieces are no exception. But the City of Logansport has really helped us feel comfortable about moving forward.”
Construction on the new hotel is slated for completion in the spring in 2022.
The Junction is being developed by Chicago-based Park Development LLC, which acquired the mall property in February.
The firm says the redevelopment effort will include nearly 144,000 square feet of retail space, including the existing Dunham’s Sports and Dollar Tree locations. Last month, Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT) signed on as a tenant with plans to occupy space in the former Sears store.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – The redevelopment of the former Logansport Mall has named another new tenant. New Hampshire-based Planet Fitness (NYSE: PLNT) says it will open a new location at The Junction, occupying 15,000 square feet in the former Sears, Roebuck and Co. retail space.
Planet Fitness says it plans to open the new fitness center by January and expects to hire 15 new employees.
“Planet Fitness caters to the 85% of people who don’t work out,” adds Baker. “We love helping people recapture their health in a safe environment. And we do it in a comfortable, non-intimidating atmosphere which we call our ‘judgement free zone.’”
Earlier this month, Chicago-based developer Park Development LLC received approval to redevelop the Logansport Mall property. Plans for the reimagined shopping plaza will include 144,000 square feet of retail space and three outlots. The area will include a Walmart Supercenter, a Home Depot and easements for smaller retail shops between the anchor stores.
Park Development and the city of Logansport are partnering with Buxton, a Texas-based analytics company, to scout prospective businesses for the redevelopment project.
“In today’s competitive environment, having the right data to tell the story of your community is essential to reaching economic development goals,” said Chris Briggs, senior vice president at Buxton. “We look forward to helping Park Development and the city of Logansport bring their vision to life.”
According to Buxton, the Logansport market is in definite need for additional clothing, electronics, and hobby stores as well as restaurants, medical facilities, and family entertainment.
“This area is rich for growth and development,” said Brian Demers, senior retail analyst at Buxton. “Our research found many residents are driving 30 minutes and more to get to the retail they need. We’ll be reaching out to big national brands to discuss these voids and increase retail traffic into Logansport.”
(CNN) — Tyson Foods will be discounting prices on certain products for the remainder of this week.
The price reductions will vary, but Tyson told CNN some beef items sold to grocery stores, restaurants and other customers could be discounted by 20% to 30% through Saturday.
“We’re doing this because we want to help keep beef on family tables across our nation, especially as our beef plants return from reduced levels of production,” said Gary Mickelson, the company’s senior director of public relations.
Tyson’s announcement comes as American grocery store price tags are soaring. Overall, the price of groceries grew 2.6%, including seasonal adjustments, in April. That was the biggest increase from one month to the next since 1974, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Tyson said the discounts will be on items such as chuck and round roasts, as well as some other ground beef products.
“We believe the move will also benefit other segments of the supply chain, including the cattle producers, since the objective is to help maintain beef consumption as our plants return to more normal levels of production and work through the backlog of available cattle,” Mickelson said.
Prices at the supermarkethave beenrising sharply because coronavirus has disrupted the food supply chain: When restaurants shut down, Americans started cooking at home, and demand for groceries shot up. But food producers and farmers didn’t have the ability to quickly shift their food deliveries to grocery stores.
Thousands of Tyson Foods meat processing plant workers have tested positive for COVID-19, and several have died. The company has had to shut down more than half a dozen plants — including one in Logansport, Indiana, which has reopened — for various periods of time due to outbreaks. More than 1,000 of the employees at the recently reopened Tyson pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, tested positive for the virus.
— David Goldman contributed to this report.