Brian Chamberlain, lay speaker at Urbana Yoke Parish, reads the names of the individuals listed on the Wabash Cancer Society Cancer Tree on Sunday afternoon at the Wabash County Courthouse. Photo by Joseph Slacian

By Joseph Slacian

About 20 people gathered Sunday afternoon at the Wabash County Courthouse to participate in the Wabash County Cancer Society's Cancer Tree Ceremony.

Brian Chamberlain, lay-speaker from the Urbana Yoke Parish read the names of the 72 individuals remembered on the tree. He also discussed how life is like a race. Some lives are sprints, while others are marathons. Many lives are like hurdles, with all the ups and downs individuals have. In the end, he said, the Father will be there to greet individuals as the cross the finish line.

The Lightning Thief is a musical adaption of the nationally known children’s novel, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.” The story follows Percy and his half blood companions as they battle their way to Hades to rescue Percy’s mom, stop a war between the gods, and prove to their Olympian parents that they’re worthy to be their children. Photo by Emma Rausch

By Emma Rausch

On Feb. 17, elementary and middle school students from seven rural northern Indiana counties packed the Honeywell Center Ford Theatre to watch Percy Jackson and his friends stop a war among the gods in the Theatreworks USA non-for-profit musical “The Lightning Thief.”

Schools from Wabash, Miami, Cass, Fulton, Huntington, Grant, and Koskiusko counties left not one seat unattended at the 10 a.m. showing and still filled the theatre for a second showing at noon.

As part of the center’s Educational Outreach program, author Rick Riordan’s best-selling children’s novel “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” was brought to life through song and sword fights by a six-person acting crew.

“The goal of our Page-to-Stage Student Matinees is to bring the literature students are reading in the classroom to life,” Educational Outreach Manager Teresa Galley told The Paper  of Wabash County.

J & K’s Mega Pet! joined the Wabash community in 1990. On Feb. 28, the pet store will hold an open house to celebrate its 25th anniversary complete with a cookout and door prizes. Photo provided

By Emma Rausch

In 1990, J & K’s Aquarium opened in downtown Wabash to bring the community a local fish-specialized pet store. On Feb. 28, the firm will celebrate its 25th anniversary and its development into J & K’s Mega Pet!, a one-stop shop for all pet needs.

Originally founded by Jeff Figert, John Huston and his wife, Lisa, took over the business in 1992, making a few changes.

By Joseph Slacian

Some Wabash residents will receive an income survey from the Region III-A Development and Regional Planning Commission. The survey, which will be mailed to about 700 households around Feb. 23, is part of the city’s Stellar Community project.

The information from the survey is required to ensure the city qualifies for the various Community Block Development Grants associated with the Stellar Award, including the Eagles Theatre Community Center project.

“This step is necessary for various grant opportunities in the CDBG Stellar Program,” Mayor Robert Vanlandingham said. “We know we have a Stellar Community already, now we need local residents to rally with us to help achieve our strategic goals outline din the Stellar Strategic Plan.”

By Joseph Slacian

A local family is in Washington, D.C., to be reunited with their son, a former Northfield star athlete who is fighting for his life after taking ill while serving with the U.S. Army in Kuwait.

Joseph Ross, 19, was flown to Germany from his military base in Kuwait after coming down with a mysterious illness in recent days. On Sunday, he became stable enough to be flown from Germany to Washington where he will undergo further treatment.

After treatment in Washington, he will next be sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, for further treatment.

Doctors believe Ross came down with some type of bacterial infection, his mother, Jill Ross, told The Paper of Wabash County. Mrs. Ross and her husband, Joe, were to travel to Washington to be with their son.

By Emma Rausch

Feb. 21 marked the beginning of National FFA Week, a weeklong tradition that began in 1947. Since the organization’s founding in 1928, National FFA has changed and adapted with the times to meet today’s needs for farming and agriculture education, however, not all the changes are for the better, according to one local Wabash County FFA advisor.

Today the organization spans all 50 states and two U.S. territories, totaling in 610,240 FFA members and 7,665 chapters.

“FFA is an excellent opportunity for students to discover and create their own type of leadership skills,” said Gwen Mize, Manchester High School’s FFA chapter advisor. “I feel very fortunate to work as an FFA advisor and agriculture teacher every day.”

By Joseph Slacian

Christine Flohr, executive director of tourism for Visit Wabash County, will serve as interim director of Wabash Marketplace, Inc.

Mayor Robert Vanlandingham made the announcement during the Wabash City Council meeting on Feb. 9.

She will temporarily replace WMI Executive Director Patrick Sullivan who resigned the post in January.

“We (named Flohr to the post) so we don’t miss a beat on the Stellar Community Grant,” Vanlandingham said. “We didn’t want someone to come in and relearn everything.

By Emma Rausch

Unvaccinated people in Wabash County could be at risk for measles, said Lori Foust, Wabash County Health Department public nurse.

As of Feb. 13, there were 141 measles cases reported across 17 states, including Michigan and Illinois, most relating to one outbreak linked to Disneyland in California, according to a CDC release.

Although it is classified as a preventable disease, with a rise in parents opting out of vaccinations, the disease has made a comeback in recent years, scoring a record high of 644 cases in 2014, according to the CDC.

“Potentially, everyone who is not vaccinated against the (measles) is at increased risk to contract the disease,” said Dr. Joan Duwve, Indiana State Health Department chief medical consultant.