Editor, Times-Union: Has anyone looked at their property bill lately? If you have, you should notice that your taxes have gone up even if you’ve done nothing to the property. When the state amended the Constitution to limit the property taxes, it put counties in a bind as they could only tax the property 1-3% the gross assessed value of the property depending on the type of property in question. Assessors got around this by inflating the values of property. If you have made no improvements to the property, do you honestly think it’s worth an additional 25K? You don’t, but the government thinks so.

Editor, Times-Union: The recent petition for rezoning agricultural land to heavy industrial was unanimously denied by both the Area Plan Commission and our County Commissioners. The decisions were made following their research, study, and consideration of viewpoints from all concerned.

Editor, Times-Union: Thank you, Warsaw! What a wonderful community we live in! What a great feeling it is to see people lined up outside the Pavilion at 10:30, waiting on us to open the doors at 11. It makes all our hard work worthwhile, when we see all the smiling faces coming in. You would think we were giving away free steak dinners, instead of selling a bowl of soup, a sandwich and a piece of pie.

Editor, Times-Union: As a lifelong resident and engaged citizen, I am writing to express serious concerns about the continued existence of the Turkey Creek Dam and Dike Conservancy District (TCDDCD), a special tax district originally formed for the limited purpose of repairing a single dam and a single dike. Those projects are now complete. Yet the tax remains.

Editor, Times-Union: Oregon’s Hillsboro Herald printed this article on April 16th. It is titled, “190 years of Farming ends as Latest Massive Data Centers and Factories Expand in Hillsboro.”

Editor, Times-Union: I’ve heard folks say I have prime farmland. What I haven’t heard mentioned are the eleven towers scattered across it - eleven towers that you have to till, plant, and harvest around. Heaven forbid you hit one. Planes that spray my fields can’t hit the full area because of these obstacles. I’ve got four irrigation units running to irrigate the best I can, where normally two would suffice.

Editor, Times-Union: It is disturbing to find out that our rural KREMC co-op signed a nondisclosure agreement with Prologis long before it was announced that they were seeking farmland in the middle of an agriculture zoned area. Dalton Caley, “representing” KREMC, spoke in favor of the farmland being rezoned to I-3. I am sure this wasn’t supported by the membership of the co-op since no communication was ever done about the proposed project.

Editor, Times-Union: It took 250 years to build a nation that was the envy of the world. It took four months to tear it down. Countries that once admired, envied, and emulated us … countries that had our backs and gave their support and spilled their own blood defending us in our times of need … now unite against us in fear, disappointment, and disbelief. Countries that once were our greatest adversaries now laugh at us and relish our downfall and weakness. America is no longer first in anything; it is alone.

Editor, Times-Union: There are some residents in our county that are not even aware of the current land use conflict. Why are the farmers so upset with spot zoning? This is just a fight between farmers and progress, right? Nothing like that could happen where I live - Or could it?

Editor, Times-Union: My husband and I live a mile west of the proposed data center. I spent quite a bit of time reading the Forward Kosciusko County Comprehensive Plan. Nowhere in this document of visioning the future for Kosciusko County does it say we will destroy highly productive farm land for heavy industry. Instead, the Goals and Objectives section states, “We will balance the needs of our county’s agricultural industries by protecting prime farmland from incompatible development.” Statements such as this are found throughout plan that stresses the importance of protecting our agricultural heritage.

Editor, Times-Union: In northeast Kosciusko County, nestled at the north end of Lake Wawasee, sits the town of Syracuse. What began as concerns over bookkeeping has erupted into statewide controversy, the alleged misappropriation of public funds. For this sleepy, summer resort community, the news is deeply troubling.

Editor, Times-Union: I grew up in Nappanee in the ’80s and ’90s. Because our town was home to lots of working class families like mine, our schools received extra money from the federal Department of Education (DOE) called Title I funds. I can’t say with certainty how our district used those funds, but I’d bet they created room in our budget for things that made school feel like home to me.

Editor, Times-Union: If you look in a Kosciusko County plat book from the 1800s, you will find some familiar names. You’ll find Anglin, Hall, Powell, Stookey, Boggs, Bishop and Moneyheffer scattered throughout Prairie and Jefferson townships.

Editor, Times-Union: The county commissioners are going to be voting on a 554-acre heavy industrial rezoning request. Let me be clear: The Area Plan Commission already reviewed the Prologis data center project, exercised zoning scoring, and unanimously shot it down. Now it’s on you to finish the job and protect the Leesburg community from a reckless land grab that threatens our way of life.

Editor, Times-Union: In Tony Fleckenstein’s April 8 letter, he defends the current administration’s service-cutting policies as mere attacks on waste, fraud and abuse, while making use of biblical references (“oh, ye of little faith,” “doubting thomas”) to chastise those who place little trust in this White House (and even less in the unelected Elon Musk).

Editor, Times-Union: When you drive down the road and see and see fields of corn what do you think? Have you ever considered the economic development that each acre of corn supports?

Editor, Times-Union: Prologis says they “appreciate the agricultural community.” Does the world’s largest builder of data center really understand Leesburg, Indiana? Do they really understand our agricultural industry? It is based in San Francisco, California. That is just not out-of-state, that is another country. Prologis does understand the resources they need, where they are, and how convenient it is to build on flat ground.

Editor, Times-Union: I appreciate the Area Plan Commission’s (APC) unanimous vote against the spot zoning of farmland to heavy industrial. Thank you! The APC followed the Comprehensive Plan and realized the best use of 330 LESA rated farmland was to continue its sustainable, renewable work … to feed people.

Editor, Times-Union: I start by saying it amazes me of how many doubting Thomass's are about. And the quote, "Oh, ye of little faith." Unless I see I will not believe protesters last weekend. Speculation is what I call the doubters’ thoughts.

Editor, Times-Union: I have been reading about the proposed data center. I do not share the fear of bringing one to the area.

Editor, Times-Union: When patients come through our doors at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital and our outpatient clinical care sites, it is our privilege to provide quality, compassionate medical care to help them get well and live healthier. As a part of Lutheran Health Network, we are proud to play an important part in the health of Northeast Indiana and the larger region with a collective impact in 2024 of approximately $935 million.

Editor, Times-Union: The current owners of the land for the proposed data center are fine people who have contributed to our community. However, the question is whether a data center is in the best interest of our community.

Editor, Times-Union: Property owners - be aware of spot zoning. Spot zoning gives a zoning classification that is drastically different from the surrounding area.

Editor, Times-Union: As the 2024-25 basketball season has wound down to its conclusion, I would like to share my observations on a phenomenal season for the program.

Editor, Times-Union: Dear Readers, If you have already re-cycled Thursday's newspaper, pull it out and re-read the article by Cal Thomas on why no person should be deprived of liberty without due process.