By Joseph Slacian

Wabash City Council member Bonnie Corn made history at the Jan. 26 City Council meeting.

Corn was elected the council’s vice president. She is thought to be the first person to have ever held the spot in the council’s history.

“I guess we made history, didn’t we,” she said, rhetorically. “It’s probably something that needed to be done.”

As vice president, Corn will fill in whenever Council President Doug Konkle is unavailable.

Coles Hughes, 11, O. J. Neighbours Elementary School, plays the glockenspiel as he reads over the composition piece he wrote. Hughes is one of 19 local Wabash and North Manchester fourth graders to participate in the FAME Festival project composition. Photo by Emma Rausch

By Emma Rausch

Local fourth graders composed a concert piece for the 2015 Foundation for Art and Music in Education (FAME) Festival, announced Director Judy Ward.

On Jan. 16, Jan. 24, and Feb. 6, Indiana Wesleyan University Professor of Music Composition Dr. Todd Syswerda met with 19 Wabash and North Manchester fourth graders at O. J. Neighbours Elementary School for “composium” or composition sessions.

“I love the education process and seeing their work turn into something.” Syswerda said. “Really my hopes for this class, I just wanted to get the kids thinking about music at a different level and I think they did.”

By Emma Rausch

Nettleton Educational Services, a tutoring and educational therapy business, is now accepting clients in Wabash. Originally establish in North Manchester, the tutoring service expanded to Wabash in early January.

Prior to establishing her tutoring service with her husband, Matt Nettleton in 2007, Co-owner and Chief Education Instructor Diana Nettleton taught at Manchester Elementary School and work with special education for 11 years until her multiple sclerosis (MS) got progressively worse.

It was much too difficult to continue working at the school, Diana Nettleton said.

By Joseph Slacian

Voters in Wabash, North Manchester and LaFontaine will participate in a Primary Election on May 5.

With the filing deadline passed at noon Feb. 6, three races shaped up in Wabash, while one will take place in North Manchester and one will take place in LaFontaine.

Republican voters in the City of Wabash’s first and fifth City Council Districts will choose candidates in the Primary. Meanwhile, Democrat voters will choose a mayoral candidates.

The Relay for Life of Wabash County kicked off its first meeting Feb. 5 at the Beacon Credit Union Administration Building on Wabash Street. The meeting discussed changes to this year’s program, including a shortened walking schedule and craft bizarre. Over five team captains were in attendance including captains for Team Kroger and Wabash High School. Photo by Emma Rausch

By Emma Rausch

The 2015 Wabash Relay for Life walk has been shortened to a 12-hour event instead of the usual 24-hours, members of the Relay for Life of Wabash County Committee announced at its kick-off meeting on Feb. 5.

The committee decided to reduce the walking schedule in the hopes that it will encourage more participation, event chair Amanda Wiley said.

By Joseph Slacian

INDIANAPOLIS -- State Representative Dave Wolkins, fellow legislators and staff wore sneakers at the Statehouse Thursday in support of the “Suits and Sneakers” challenge to raise awareness of the fight against cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), in 2012, 35,000 Hoosiers were diagnosed with cancer, and of those, 13,000 lost their lives to the disease.

The Suits and Sneakers challenge is an annual event sponsored by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to help raise cancer awareness and support those affected by it.
 

State Rep. David Wolkins makes a point Saturday morning, Jan. 31, in the Third House Session Legislative Forum at the Wabash County Chamber of Commerce. He and State Sen. Amanda Banks met with about 30 constituents during the  hour-long forum. Photo by Joseph Slacian

By Joseph Slacian

Senate Bill 1 dominated the conversations on Saturday Jan. 31 during the Third House Legislative Forum at the Wabash County Chamber of Commerce.

The bill, State Sen. Amanda Banks explained to the more than 30 people present, “seeks to fix the impasse with the State Board of Education.”

Boy Scouts and Club Scouts fill the former Honeywell Center gymnasium, now Legacy Hall, during a Lincoln Pilgrimage from the 1950's. The 75th annual Pilgrimage will take place Feb. 7-8. Photo courtesy of Wabash County Historical Museum & Wabash Carnegie Public Library.

By Joseph Slacian

Scouts from around Central Indiana will converge on downtown Wabash on Sunday, Feb. 8, for the 75th annual Lincoln Pilgrimage.

Activities will actually begin on Saturday, Feb. 7, when scouts will hike from Mt. Olive United Methodist Church in Marion to the LaFontaine Community Building.

They will arrive in LaFontaine about 5 p.m. and will have a chili supper and sleep overnight at the community building. After a breakfast of biscuits and gravy Sunday morning, the group will continue the nine-mile trek to Wabash, arriving at the Honeywell Center about noon for the start of Pilgrimage activities there.

Pilgrimage organizer Tom Chekouras said the hike is something that had taken place at past Pilgrimages, but has not taken place in recent years.