By The Paper Staff

The Metropolitan School District of Wabash County board approved a recommendation to accept the donation of Unger Mountain from the family of Shawn and Natalie Unger at its meeting on Jan. 9.

Unger Mountain is a climbing wall created by the Unger family. It sat on the family’s property and the family planned to run the wall as a business, but the Wabash County Plan Commission denied the family’s request.

The next idea they had was to donate the wall to Southwood High School.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

An adjunct assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School is one of several Democrats seeking the party’s nomination for the U.S. House of Representative’s 2nd District seat in the May Primary Election.

Pat Hackett is facing fellow Democrats Mel Hall and Yatish Joshi for the right to meet Republican incumbent Jackie Walorski in the November General Election.

Hackett was in Wabash on Wednesday, Jan. 10, to speak to the Wabash County Democrat Party. Before her talk she spoke with The Paper of Wabash County about her campaign and some of the issues she believes important in the 2018 campaign.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Maggie Wimberly, executive director of Wabash County Habitat for Humanity, has been elected to the Habitat for Humanity board of directors.

“Maggie is a standout leader in the Indiana Habitat for Humanity community, bringing passion, creativity and commitment to the mission,” said Gina Leckron, Habitat for Humanity of Indiana state director.  “She understands the power of board leadership to transform organizations and the importance of collaboration among peers and external partners.”

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Dr. Michael Oetken comes to Parkview Wabash Hospital from Community Memorial Health System, Ventura, Calif., where he has been since 2013.

From 2013-2014, Oetken completed his orthopedic surgery internship, and he is now in the final stages of his orthopedic surgery residency. He will begin here in August.

By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

Going by the numbers, 2017 was a big year for the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department.

Sheriff Bob Land released the department’s crime statistics for the year on Jan. 9, and the numbers are up nearly across the board from a year ago.

“It was a very good year, and my guys worked their tails off,” Land said. “If you look the numbers, everything is up except for three or four (categories), and some of those we can’t (do anything about).”

By David Fenker
david@nmpaper.com

NORTH MANCHESTER -- Manchester Community Schools will remain with an interim superintendent for at least the next year.

The MCS board of school trustees voted 6-0, with board member Brice Bedke absent, to delay the start of its superintendent search until January 2019.

Miriam Sparling laughs at a remark in conversation while showing off some of her quilting and cross-stitching creations. The 93-year-old spends 10 hours a day on average quilting and cross-stitching. Photo by Josh Sigler

By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

Diane Guenin likes to surprise her 93-year-old mother Miriam Sparling.

A few weeks ago, she took her mother back to the house she was born in on Columbus Street in Wabash.
“My daddy was the first principal at Linlawn (school), but he preached too,” Miriam said, “and (Diane) took me to one of the churches he preached in east of Urbana.”

Diane chimed in: “I’m running out of things. I think, ‘What can I do for her?’”

Thursday, Jan. 11, Diane delivered another surprise, as she arranged for The Paper of Wabash County to come interview Miriam about her quilting and cross-stitching hobby.
 

By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

Does Wabash County have a homelessness problem?

The answer to that question is often times more complex than just a simple yes or no.

According to Dale Bliss, Executive Director of Advantage Housing, it’s a multi-faceted issue because some people don’t want to be counted or discovered as homeless for various reasons. Maybe they have children and don’t want to get Child Protective Services involved. Maybe it’s because they’re a felon and don’t want to have to talk to anyone about their past.