In aiming to address recent police vacancies, Cambridge City’s council conducted a special meeting to hire two police officers.
During the brief Oct. 21 meeting, council approved hiring Kain Wadsworth and Shelby Hintz. Hintz’s job offer was pending, requiring completion of a final requirement.
They will each be paid $55,500 annually.
Police Chief Richard Roberts said he was excited to get both officers hired.
They will join Garrick Sweet, who recently took over one of the department’s two school resource officer positions.
Sweet has years of experience as an SRO, along with a background in firefighting and EMS. In announcing Sweet’s hire, CCPD said the high-energy officer walked 5 miles on his first day.
Wadsworth, Hintz and Sweet are replacing former officers Jeramiah Lawson, who served as an SRO, plus Cody Frame and Scott Stover.
The vote was 3-0 as councilors Jim McLane and Jim King were absent.
Cards for cats
A few weeks after Cambridge City’s catastrophic flooding, the town’s donation-funded trap-neuter-release program has resumed seeking support.
Staff from the nonprofit Animal Care Alliance clinic on Richmond’s southwest side rescued more than 20 cats from floodwaters. ACA is currently caring for them, but several need spay/neuter surgeries or medical care. Most of the donations allocated for stray care have already been spent in TNR blitzes earlier this year.
One way to contribute is to purchase stationery featuring paintings by Betty Cole, including barn, downtown and Christmas scenes, and birthday candles. The cat painting was the last she completed before her Alzheimer’s disease progressed.
Postcards ($2.50), birthday cards ($4) and Christmas postcards (10 for $12) are available, plus sets of blank note cards ($20). They are available at Allen Antiquities and Curiosities, 124 W. Main St., Cambridge City.
Her son, Gary Cole, who has had the cards printed, is one of two town councilors coordinating the TNR project along with Animal Care Alliance staff. So far, $150 has been raised toward the cause through stationery sales.
Donations of all amounts are welcome. They can be sent to the town hall address (127 N. Foote St., Cambridge City, IN 47327) or made at the temporary town hall (519 Queen St. in Pershing), indicating they’re for the cat fund, or dropped into special boxes around town.
Michael Amick and Gary Cole are now delivering handmade wooden donation boxes to additional locations, including Lakeview Restaurant (1219 National Road W.) and Golay Community Center (1007 E. Main St.).
During the meeting, council approved a $50 donation from Sharon Benedict for the town’s feral cat fund.
Council also amended minutes from the Oct. 12 meeting to correct the amount of the donation from Marilyn Lyons toward the cat fund. Lyons’ gift was $250.
A version of this article appeared in the October 28 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
