By JOY LEIKERjleiker@muncie.gannett.com

Now they wait.Inside a hospi-

tal room not muchlarger than a king-sized bed, Jeff and

Michelle Haughn are restless.Jeff’s up on his feet, moving

from one side of his son’s hos-pital bed to the other. He fusseswith thepillowsandmany tubesand wires. He jumps every timethe monitor beeps.Michelle is more calm, and

more accustomed to the rou-tine in this tiny box of a room.She’s curled up in a ball inthe brown leather recliner andspends hours on the computer,looking for a distraction.But nothing works. Reality

is staring at them like a bulletin a gun’s barrel. They knowit’s coming. They just don’twant to pull the trigger.Their son Connor is going

to die.Maybe today. Or maybe

weeks from now.They wait.Doctors can do no more for

the boy who’s a month awayfrom his sixth birthday. Nomore chemotherapy. No moreradiation. The tumor they dis-covered 11 months ago on his

brain stem, and the others thatgrew on his spine, combinedwith all the drugs, have ruinedthe kindergartner’s little body.Connor, who just five

months ago took a ride on theback seat of his grandfather’sATV, shakes his head “yes” or“no” to answer questions.He can only move his right

arm. Lying in a hospital bed,he flops it up above his headas if to say hello to the manynurses that care for him fromthe fifth floor of Riley Hospitalfor Children.He can’t walk. Or eat. Or

talk. Or open his eyes.

MU_MN_1ST_XX-XX_N_B_X_X_K

75¢

FRIDAYJanuary 15, 2010

WWW. T H E S TA R P R E S S . C OM

Muncie, Indiana

INDEXBusiness 1C

Calendar 5A

Classifieds 3C

Comics 7C

Editorial 7A

Horoscope 4D

Life 1D

Nation 8A

Obituaries 6A

TV guide 4D

Weather 4D

Volume 110, No. 334, ©2010The Star Press, A Gannett newspaper

The Star Press is printed onpartially recycled newsprint

Page designerKara St. Myer, 213-5841

Customer Service1-800-783-2472

BAD DAY FOR THE

BIG BOYSWrestling teams vie for county title

— and a JV squad beats them all | 1B

MU_MN_1ST_01-15_N_B_A_1_C

@THESTARPRESS.COMCheck out a Web page of storiesdedicated to all those arrestedin East Central Indiana.

By NICK WERNERnwerner@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — Delaware Countyhas earned another distinction itwould rather avoid.Its residential tax base shrank

more in 2009 than any of the 75other counties for which infor-

mation is currently available,according to a report this monthfrom the Department of LocalGovernment Finance.The county lost 7.1 percent

of its residential assessed valuecompared to the previous year.The drop will result in less prop-erty tax revenue for local govern-

ments in 2010,although justhow much is notyet known.Muncie City

Council memberLinda Gregoryworried thetax loss could result in deeperservice cuts. Muncie is alreadyrunning on a bare bones budgetbecause of property tax caps.

County a leader in tax base losses# According to a recent report from state government,Delaware County’s residential tax base shrank by7.1 percent in 2009.

KURT HOSTETLER / THE STAR PRESS

THE HARDEST PART

InsideA chart andnumbers onresidentialtax basegrowth | 2A

IS THIS LOCAL WOMAN A

MILLIONAIRE?Turn to Life to read her story | 1D

ABOUT CONNOR: This is the fourth in an occasional series of stories about Connor Haughn, a 5-year-old who a year ago was living a normal, active life at home

and preschool in Selma. Now, his family is waiting for him to die, and reporter Joy Leiker and photographer Chris Bergin are following his story.

" See TAX, 2A

PHOTOS BY CHRIS BERGIN / THE STAR PRESS

JEFF HAUGHN stands over his son Connor’s hospital bed at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis on Wednesday evening. FAR LEFT: Haughn touchesConnor’s nose. Connor has battled a rare form of brain cancer for the past 11 months, and doctors and family have now decided to stop all treatments.

CONNOR’S TREATMENTS STOPPED

How to helpThe Connor G. HaughnDonation Fund was establishedat First Merchants Bank.Contributions are accepted atany bank branch, and can bemailed to P.O. Box 792, Muncie,Ind. 47308." See CONNOR, 2A

By KEITH ROYSDONkroysdon@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE — The numbermight not be a complete sur-prise, but it stings nonetheless:More than 12,000 jobs have been

lost in Delaware County in thepast decade.A new study on trends in

local employment and earn-ings, released by Ball StateUniversity’s Center for Businessand Economic Research, con-

firms what longtime residentsalready knew by quantifying justhow bad the job loss — particu-larly in manufacturing — hasbeen.With that 18 percent job loss

came a 21 percent drop in localpayroll. Both the job loss andpay loss were driven by thedecades-long exodus of autoparts manufacturing locally,including layoffs and, ultimately,

closings of the local BorgWarnerAutomotive and Chevroletplants. Of about 11,000 localmanufacturing jobs in 1999, justover 6,200 — more than 50 per-cent — are now gone.“This is all about the decline

of manufacturing,” Ball Stateeconomist Michael Hicks said.“It’s amazing,” Roy Budd,

executive director of Energize-ECI, said Thursday when told

about the numbers.“They’re devastating num-

bers,” Delaware CountyCommissioner Todd Donatisaid.If there’s any comfort to be

found in the numbers, Hickssaid, it’s that the job loss prob-ably reached its nadir in themid-2000s.

12K local jobs lost in last decade# Delaware County lost more than 18 percent of its jobs— many of them in manufacturing — between 1999 and2008, a new Ball State University study confirms.

" See JOBS, 2A

TODAY’S FORECAST: Foggy this morning, cloudy the rest of the day. High: 40, Low: 29 | Details, Page 4D

MU_MN_1ST_01-15_N_B_A_2_K

Page designer: Chris Simons, 213-58532A • Friday, January 15, 2010 www.thestarpress.com FROM THE FRONT PAGE

INDIANADaily 3 Midday: 9-4-7

Daily 3 Evening: 4-9-8

Daily 4 Midday: 5-2-4-4

Daily 4 Evening: 4-5-8-2

Lucky 5 Midday: 8-11-19-29-32

Lucky 5 Evening: 1-17-19-24-30

Lotto (Wednesday):3-4-20-26-45-48 $2.5MPowerball (Wednesday):

8-11-15-32-50PB: 27 PP: 3 $40M

LOTTERIES CORRECTIONS &CLARIFICATIONS" The Star Press makes

every effort to publish fair andaccurate information, and it isour policy to acknowledge andcorrect errors promptly. Readersare urged to call mistakes to ourattention by telephone, 747-5754,9 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays, 3-10p.m. weekends and holidays.

“It’s hitting us in theface again,” she said.Assessed values for

real property — land andbuildings — are based onsales data from the previ-ous two years. So the 2009dip in the residential taxbase reflects a strugglingreal estate market in 2007and 2008.“It’s really starting to

catch up with us now,”Delaware County AssessorJames Carmichael said.So what happened in

those two years?To start things off,

potential homebuyerswere turned off by risingproperty taxes in 2007,according to Jim Kouns, aColdwell Banker Lunsfordreal estate agent whotracks local home sales.Delaware County was

among the communitieshardest hit by rising taxes.“It was like the perfect

storm there,” Kouns said.Concernsover taxeswere

compounded by the declin-

ing economy in 2008.Fortunately, the hous-

ing market is showingimprovement. Accordingto preliminary year-endfigures for 2009, unit salesimproved by about 9 per-cent and the average salesprice stayed about normal,Kouns said.David Taylor, another

Coldwell Banker Lunsford

agent, attributed the resur-gence to low interest rates,government incentives andgood deals.The next worst county

listed in the report wasHoward, home to the cityof Kokomo, which lostabout 3.8 percent of itsresidential assessed valuein 2009.Few counties produced

stellar growth figures lastyear in terms of residentialassessed value. The major-ity are still growing, buttheir growth rates haveslowed down compared toprevious years.About a quarter of coun-

ties, including DelawareCounty, are shrinking.Statewide, the resi-

dential tax base grew byonly 0.6 percent in 2009,according to the report.The report also

addressed the commercialand industrial tax bases.Delaware County’s com-

mercial tax base shrankby 2.3 percent, making itninth hardest hit in thatcategory.Delaware County’s

industrial base shrank by10.8 percent, making it theeighth hardest hit in thatcategory.The loss in the county’s

industrial base in 2009 isprobably due to the saleof equipment and otherpersonal property atBorgWarner, Carmichaelsaid." Contact news reporterNick Werner at 213-5832.

Residential tax base growthRanked according to the poorest performing counties in terms of residential assessedvalue change from 2008 to 2009. Delaware and surrounding counties are in bold

TAXContinued from 1A

Commercial tax base growthRanked according to the poorest performing counties interms of commercial assessed value change from 2008 to 2009.Delaware and surrounding counties are in bold.

1. Warren: -9.2 percent2. Scott, Fayette: -5 percent3. Pulaski: -4.7 percent4. LaGrange: -3.2 percent5. Noble: -2.9 percent7. Blackford: -2.5 percent

9. Delaware: -2.3 percent16. Henry: -1 percent37. Randolph: 2.3 percent42. Grant: 3.2 percent43. Jay: 3.4 percent

1. Switzerland: -70.8 ($10M par-cel removed from tax base)2. Howard: -21 percent3. Huntington: -15.7 percent4. Tippecanoe: -14.5 percent5. Fayette: -14 percent8. Delaware: -10.8 percent

19. Henry: -2.2 percent29. Blackford: 0.4 percent41. Jay: 2.7 percent50. Grant: 6.3 percent55. Randolph: 10.5 percentSource: Department of LocalGovernment and Finance

Industrial tax base growthRanked according to the poorest performing counties in termsof industrial assessed value change from 2008 to 2009.

On his best day, hesmiles.“I just think he’s a child

that doesn’t know how tostop,” Michelle said.That makes so much

sense. No one teacheschildren to quit. Theylearn to walk by taking astep, falling, and then get-ting up and trying again.They learn to talk by jab-bering and trying to mimicthe sounds and words ofthose around them.Even though his parents

have told him it’s OK toquit, Connor doesn’t knowhow to give up.“It’s in Connor’s hands,”

Michelle said.They wait.After spending more

than a week in inten-sive care — includingChristmas — he’s back onthe fifth floor of Riley,where’s he’s lived much ofthe last year. Tubes pushfluids and nourishmentand the basic medicineshe needs, but that’s all.A month ago his breath-

ing was so labored hesounded like a pantingdog. Now, he barely makesa sound. His breaths areso shallow it’s hard to seehis chest rising and fallingunderneath his Peanutsblanket.After months of

Michelle braving thishospital room alone withher son, Jeff is now here,too. He filed Family andMedical Leave Act papersat the beginning of thismonth.He hates to admit it,

but the clock is ticking.He has 12 weeks of paidtime off from work, and

hopes his son’s nightmareis over by then.When doctors last took

him off the ventilator, Jeffand Michelle signed a donot resuscitate order. Anytime one or both of themsteps out of the room,even for a sandwich, theywonder if it’s the last timethey’ll see their son alive.“Daddy and I don’t

want to be selfish becausewe want a couple morehours,” Michelle said.Some things must be

done. Over the New Year’sweekend, Connor’s entirefamily gathered aroundhim in the ICU to saygood-bye. Aunts, uncles,grandparents, his oldestcousin, plus his brotherGray, 13, and sister Sarah,who on Jan. 1 turned 7.It was only the second

time they’ve seen theirlittle brother since he was

last home in October. Andthis time, they were told itwould be the last.“Is he going to die?”

Sarah asked.They wait.It’s little comfort

that the doctors tell theHaughns they’ve done theright thing. They’re stillhoping for a miracle.“It’s different when your

kid achieves somethingand you’re proud and ‘ohyou’re great parents.’ Yourkids are on the honor rollor number one on the soc-cer team,” Michelle said.“But when someone tellsyou you’re good parentsnow, ... it’s not a successstory now.”

" Contact education reporterJoy Leiker at 213-5825.

CHRIS BERGIN / THE STAR PRESS

JEFF HAUGHN smiles at his son Connor, 5, as his nurse, Elisa Harris, adjusts some tubes at RileyHospital for Children in Indianapolis Wednesday evening. Connor still communicates with his family,but has battled a rare form of brain cancer for the past 11 months and doctors and family have nowdecided to stop all treatments.

“I think we hit bottomover a three-year period,”Hicks said, adding that itwas likely local employ-ment levels would bounceback after the most recentrecession and return tolevels we experiencedbefore 2007.“I don’t see us moving

back to the 2000 number,”he added.The Ball State study,

overseen by researchassociate Srikant Devaraj,notes that recent localemployment peaked in thesecond quarter of 2000,when more than 70,000jobs existed locally. Thatpeak makes for an evenlarger drop, of about 15,400jobs, but the most consis-tent range of employmentfor the longest period wasbetween 65,000 and 55,000from 2002 through 2005.The payroll drop was

particularly felt in the lossof manufacturing jobs.Total quarterly payroll formanufacturing dropped bymore than 61 percent, from$140 million in 2000 to $54million in 2008.The study shows that

employment sectors likehealth care and education— represented locally bytwo of the community’sbiggest employers, BallState and Ball MemorialHospital — were inclinedto shed few jobs.

Manufacturing can stillplay a role in local employ-ment, Hicks said, notingthe 450 jobs promised atBrevini Wind’s turbinegearbox plant and the 150-250-job expansion prom-ised at Twoson Tool.Budd said manufactur-

ing and assembly jobswere our best employmentprospects.“It’s going to be very

competitive, but that’sthe best hope we’ve gotto recapture that type ofhigh-paying job,” Buddsaid.Donati said job cre-

ation and retention effortslike the chamber of com-merce’s Vision programshave helped, but other-wise, he added, “I don’tthink we’ve been bring-ing in good-paying jobs.We’ve brought in Meijerand Walmart, but not thetype of jobs that are goingto take care of a family andput food on the table.”Donati said the commis-

sioners had taken recentaction to boost manufac-turing jobs at VAT, TwosonTool and Bell Aquaculture.Local officials also talked tostate legislators this weekabout establishing a CREDdistrict to help redevelopthe million-square-footBorgWarner plant, emptysince the last job endedthere in April 2009.

" Contact business editorKeith Roysdon at 213-5828. Fol-low him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/keithroysdon.

JOBSContinued from 1A

CONNORContinued from 1A

“I don’t think we’ve been bringing ingood-paying jobs. We’ve brought inMeijer and Walmart, but not the typeof jobs that are going to take care of afamily and put food on the table.”Todd Donati, Delaware County commissioner