Participating in the groundbreaking on Wabash Street were (from left) Wabash Street Superintendent Scott Richardson, State Sen. Andy Zay, Mayor Scott Long, Gregg Koppelmann of E&B Paving, and Brian Campbell of Randall Miller & Associates. Photos by Joseph Slacian

By Joseph Slacian

Work on the Wabash Street expansion project was scheduled to begin this week.

Ground was broken during a brief ceremony on Friday, July 7, near the Wabash Apostolic Church. Mayor Scott Long, State Sen. Andy Zay and representatives from E&B Paving and the city’s Street Department turned spades of dirt while standing under a tent during a steady rain.

Long said equipment was likely to be put into place on Monday, July 10, and work on the project was to begin in earnest by mid-week.

North Manchester Police Department Sgt. Nate Birch plays fetchwith his K9 partner, Strider, at their home in North Manchester. Photo by David Fenker

By David Fenker

North Manchester Police Department is looking to the community to help support and grow its K9 team.

NMPD’s K9 unit, Strider, lives with Sgt. Nate Birch, his wife Jennifer and their two dogs in their North Manchester home. While the department pays for Strider’s food and any veterinary expenses, the cost of entertaining, comforting and treating the dog falls on the Birches.

“Chief [Jim Kirk] came up with the idea to set up collection jars at local businesses. How long they’ll stay out, I don’t know. It was just an idea we tossed around, and a couple stores said they’ll do it,” Birch said.

A sculpture of a white oak leave was recently erected in front of Cordier Auditorium on the Manchester University campus. Photo by David Fenker

By David Fenker

Visitors to Manchester University’s campus may notice a new sculpture on the university’s mall.

Thanks to a gift from a donor, a 12-foot-tall polished bronze oak leaf installed on a new patio in front of the university’s Cordier Auditorium starting Tuesday, June 27.

“The sculpture is a white oak leaf, designed specifically for Manchester because the oldest tree on our campus is a white oak,” Thelma Rohrer, dean of the MU College of Arts and Humanities, said.

Members of the Wabash High School Class of 1972 inspect the boulder after it was put in place Monday morning. Photos by Joseph Slacian

By Joseph Slacian

A 50,000-pound granite boulder was delivered Monday morning, July 10, to the Wabash High School.

The boulder will soon be turned into a legacy gift from the WHS Class of 1972 to the Wabash City Schools.

WHS Assistant Principal Jeff Galley said class representatives contacted the school to see about making a donation.

At first, those involved discussed possibly planting a tree. However, school officials had always wanted to set up a type of memorial at the intersection of Alber Street and Harrison Avenue, just northwest of Alumni Field.