On Saturday, Feb. 27, a house fire at 13475 South Miami County Road 300 East, resulted in the deaths of three children ages 18 months, 5 years and 6 years.  

According to Sgt. Tony Slocum of the Indiana State Police, at approximately 10:48 a.m., a 911 call was made to the Miami County Central Dispatch Center reporting a possible fire at a home at 13475 South Miami County Road, 300 East. The caller, Laura Gingerich, 27, a resident of the home, reported heavy smoke and that her three children were trapped inside the residence. The first extinguishing fire unit arrived 16 minutes after the 911 call came into central dispatch. Fire units made a quick entry into the home and recovered the three children in a second-floor room that contained heavy smoke.

   The children were all found unconscious and not breathing. Police officers, multiple firefighters, and paramedics started life-saving measures including Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Miracle Gingerich, 6, was transported by ambulance to a Kokomo hospital. Steven Gingerich, 5, and Wilma Gingerich, 18 months, were transported by ambulance to Dukes Memorial Hospital. All three children died.

LAFONTAINE -- Janice Dawes began as the librarian at Troyer Memorial Library, LaFontaine in 1981 following the retirement of Hazel Young. Young had been the librarian since the library’s opening in 1973, so Dawes had some big shoes to fill, and she has been filling those shoes for 40 years, before retiring this year. 

“When I was offered the position in 1981, I couldn’t refuse because I loved books, loved to serve my community, enjoyed interacting with people, and wanted to help fulfill Mr. Troyer’s dream,” Dawes told The Paper of Wabash County.
Chester E. Troyer and his wife, Cleo, had moved from their farm southwest of LaFontaine in 1960 when the Army Corps of Engineers purchased their land for the Mississinewa Reservoir project. 

They built a home in LaFontaine and lived there several years before donating it to the town of LaFontaine because Troyer wanted everyone to have the opportunity to read.

Troyer was known as the “World’s Corn King,” after winning corn competitions at the International Grain Shows for four years.  He believed reading books, hard work, and long hours contributed to his success.  He began the library collection with his own personal six thousand books.  Mrs. Troyer died in 1972 and Chester Troyer died in 1975, but their legacy lives on.

Officials from Visit Wabash County have announced that Corinne Kugler, a Wabash High School junior, has joined the organization as the Visitor Services Intern. 

The internship with Visit Wabash County includes greeting and helping visitors, assisting with the oversight of the Welcome Center, merchandising, aiding with Visitor Guide distribution, and restocking brochure racks.

“I have been very impressed with Corinne’s work ethic and what she has been able to accomplish so far,” said Katie Jones, Creative Lead at Visit Wabash County. “She is an excellent addition to our team, and I am excited to see her grow and develop in this position.”

The members of the Wabash City School board met on Tuesday Feb. 16 to conduct business.

During this meeting the board:

Approved the recommendation to add a 3-year-old preschool classroom at L.H. Carpenter for the 2021-22 school year.

Approved Angela Satterthwaite to fill the maternity leave for Christin Hoppes beginning March 2, 2021 through the end of the school year at a rate of $14 per hour.

Approved Tristan Vigar for the paraprofessional position in Mrs. Hoppes’ classroom beginning March 2, 2021 through the end of the school year at a rate of $11 per hour.

Members of the MSD of Wabash County School Board met to conduct business on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

During the meeting the board approved donations totaling $1,800.

Also, during the meeting, the following staff and students were recognized from each school.

Both Northfield High School and Southwood High School received an IHSAA Exemplary Behavior Notification for their great sportsmanship in the first round of the Girls’ Basketball Sectional.

Congratulations were given to the Lady Norse Varsity Basketball team on winning the TRC this year along with the IHSAA Sectional. This is the fourth TRC championship in a row for the Lady Norse and third Sectional in a row. Emma Hoover and Kearston Stout were also congratulated for signing to continue their education and basketball careers at Trine University.

The pair signed to play at Trine on Monday, Feb. 8

Friendship Hill, the city’s inclusive playground, could be shut down later this year for repairs.

That was the word the Wabash Park Board received Wednesday, Feb. 10, from Park Superintendent Adam Hall.

The colorful rubber mat that surrounds the playground is coming up and must be repaired.

“We will most likely have to close the park,” Hall told The Paper of Wabash County following the meeting. “People must stay off the rubber surfacing while it cures, and it is hard to keep other sections open.

“However, I’m only speculating at this point. I will know more once I have more meetings with the designers and company.”

The problem was discovered last winter, Hall said.

“As it got colder, we noticed the surfacing started to raise in areas around the playground,” he said.

A pair of local sisters took advantage of last week’s snowfall to bring a smile to their grandmother’s face.

Chrissy Chamberlain and Kimberly Baer, along with Kimberly’s daughter, Karmyn, went to Bickford Cottage to build a family of snow buddies outside the room of their grandmother and great-grandmother, Martha Chamberlain.

Mrs. Chamberlain, 92, recently moved to Bickford, and family members say she is quite lonely, having recently lost her husband of more than 70 years, Orville Chamberlain.

“When Grandma moved into Bickford, we knew it would be hard for us to have visits with her, especially with the great-grandkids,” Chrissy Chamberlain told The Paper of Wabash County.

When the snow arrived, she contacted Kimberly and asked if she and Karmyn would like to meet at Bickford to build “a big snowman for Grandma.”

“We gathered some fun supplies and met there Tuesday,” she continued. “I went to the door to ask if it was OK (to build the snowman), and one of the employees said that would be wonderful.”

The Cancer Society of Wabash County met on Sunday, Feb. 7 to kick off the annual Tree of Caring fundraiser.

During the meeting, guests were able to look at the Tree of Caring which has tags of people’s names who are either currently fighting cancer, have battled cancer and survived, or who have passed away as a result of their cancer.

Also, during the meeting, Brian Chamberlain gave a faith-based message and prayed for the society, fundraiser, and all who have been affected by cancer.