The three men charged were (photos appear in descending order) Zachariah J. Hunter, Tyrion McNair and Charles St. Clair. Photos provided

By The Paper staff

Two Fort Wayne men and one Angola man are facing drug and counterfeit charges following a Wabash Police Department traffic stop on Saturday, Dec. 16.

According to a press release provided by Cpt. Matt Benson, Wabash Police Department public information officer:

At approximately 5:35 p.m. on Saturday, Wabash Police Officer Drew Bender initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle near Vernon Street and Hale Drive. Bender alleged that the vehicle did not its headlamps on.

Emma Rausch (right) poses for a photo with her mother, Rebecca Rausch, during Christmas 2013. That holiday season Emma presented a special gift to Rebecca, who was undergoing chemotherapy treatments at the time. Photo provided

By Emma Rausch

Gifts, garland and glitter galore, Christmas creates smiles and memories each year it passes. The best holiday memories, though, typically aren’t picture perfect.

I hardly remember the gifts I received as a child or the wrapping paper or the decorations. What I do remember though were those imperfect moments that made the season memorable.

Not all of these moments were happy nor did they go as planned, but they were worth living all the same.

My favorite Christmas memory actually started the night before Halloween, on Oct. 30, 2013.

The MSD Board of Trustees discusses withdrawing from the Studies for Advancement Phase II on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Photo by Emma Rausch

By Emma Rausch

MSD of Wabash County withdrew from the Studies for Advancement Tuesday night, Dec. 12, following an hour long discussion that concluded in a 3-2 vote in favor of withdrawing.

Specifically, the board voted in favor of a motion that withdrew the district from the Studies for Advancement Phase II and "instead take the lead to pursue an independent third-party feasibility study that includes not only consolidation but alternatives for consolidation," according to Todd Dazey, MSD board member.

Mayor Scott Long (second from left) and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch show off the certificate she presented the mayor during a ceremony at the Wabash Business Complex proclaiming it an Indiana Site Certified Prime. Joining in the ceremony were City Council President Doug Adams (from left), Keith Gillenwater, Grow Wabash County president and CEO, and Jodi Golden, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs executive director. Photo by Joseph Slacian

By Joseph Slacian

The Wabash Business Complex is now a Prime Site Certified location.

Lt. Gov. Susan Crouch bestowed the honor on the city during a brief ceremony Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 12, in the conference room at Brodbeck Seeds.

Wabash Elks Exalted Ruler Keith Walters presents multiple checks to six Wabash-based service organizations. Photos by Joseph Slacian

By Joseph Slacian

It’s the season of giving, and the Wabash Elks Lodge No.471 have been doing just that.

In November and December, the Lodge has donated to, or pledged to donate, more than $20,000 to local causes and organizations.

The giving isn’t just limited to the last two months of the year. From April to October, the first seven months of the organization’s fiscal year, the local Lodge donated more than $53,000 to causes and organizations, bringing the nine-month total to nearly $74,000.