Ryan Potter presents Northfield's Dick Leming with the 50 years of coaching award at the IATCCC banquet Friday in Indianapolis. Photo provided

By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

Dick Leming had a lot of goals over the years as it pertained to his teaching and coaching career.
Longevity was never on that list.

Not bad for a guy who’s been coaching at Northfield High School for half a century.

Leming received the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches’ 50-year coaching award Friday, Feb. 2 at the Sheraton Hotel at Keystone at the Crossing in Indianapolis. He’s only the fourth ever coach to receive the honor.
 

By David Fenker
david@nmpaper.com

NORTH MANCHESTER -- Manchester University celebrated the 50th anniversary of a historic speech at its North Manchester campus Thursday, Feb. 1.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave an address to a packed auditorium at Manchester College Feb. 1, 1968, and the university has celebrated the anniversary of that speech since.

The celebration on the North Manchester campus began at 2 p.m. with a groundbreaking ceremony for the university's new Jean Childs Young Intercultural Center.
 

By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

A Wabash man was sentenced to two years in prison on Jan. 29, for possession of child pornography Jan. 29 in Wabash Circuit Court.

Dennis R. Case, 68, pled guilty to the charge on Nov. 17, in a case dating back to 2016. A charge of child exploitation was later dismissed.
 

By The Paper staff

Several events are planned in February at the Dallas L. Winchester Senior Center in Wabash.
On the calendar are:

Matchbox Valentines Workshop with Jeanie Cooper:  Wednesdays, Feb. 7 and Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. at the Center, 239 Bond St. in Wabash. Free with supplies provided; Registration required. Call 260-563-4475.
 

By The Paper staff

LoCash, with special guest Gunslinger, will perform at the Honeywell Center’s Ford Theater on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. 

The singer/songwriting duo of Chris Lucas, of Baltimore, Md., and Preston Brust, a Kokomo native, fuse modern country with classic rock which results in a uniquely identifiable edgy blend. 
 

By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash City Schools can’t say for sure what the cause is illness-wise, but the school system has seen a pretty significant rise in absences this winter, school nurse John Davis said.

“I don’t know the exact percentages,” Davis said. “It varies day-to-day, week-to-week. It’s not all from the flu though. But, we’ve definitely seen an increase in absences due to that.”
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

The Wabash County YMCA is one of 38 organizations around Indiana to receive a 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program for Cohort 9 grant from the Indiana Department of Education.

The YMCA will receive $100,000 to be used toward the SPARK summer learning loss prevention program at the Manchester Elementary School, according to Kendall Hoover, YMCA Communications Specialist & Brand Advocate.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash County Council member Matt Dillon filed candidacy paperwork last week to retain his third district seat on the council.

By doing so, he created the second GOP race for major seats in the May Primary Election.

Dillon will square off against fellow Republican and former sheriff, Leroy Striker, for the council post.