Fall is here, and I have this overwhelming feeling that I should coincide with nature and enjoy every single minute of it, because I know a harsh winter is right around the corner. Using your slow cooker is the perfect way to simplify your week night meals and free you up in the kitchen so you can enjoy this beautiful season. I think my Crock-Pot is my favorite and most used small appliance. From my mom's avocado green Crock-Pot of the 1970's to the digital slow cookers on the market today, you must admit the slow cooker has come a long way, baby! There are a few tips you will want to keep in mind when using a slow cooker.

1. Avoid taking the lid off during the cooking process. Few recipes will require you to stir. When you take the lid off, it takes 20 minutes to recover and reach cooking temperature.

2. Go easy on adding liquids. Very little evaporation occurs with a slow cooker.

3. When purchasing a slow cooker, make sure it has a " warm " setting. The warm setting will keep your food hot but not continue to cook it.

For the next several weeks, I will share some of my most loved Crock-Pot recipes with you. So, with this in mind, pull out that Crock-Pot, dust it off, and let’s make some delicious, hearty meals for the fall. This recipe for pepper steak is especially tasty. I serve this over a bed of white rice, making this a fantastic weeknight dinner.

By Shaun Tilghman

On Sept. 30, Timbercrest Senior Living Community held a Tree Dedication Ceremony in honor of Administrator David Lawrenz’s 40th anniversary. A crowd of residents, staff, friends, and family gathered at the North Manchester institution to surprise Lawrenz and to celebrate his milestone of service.

Timbercrest Associate Administrator Ted Neidlinger, Timbercrest Board President Gene Sloop, and friend Steve Hammer each offered kind words about Lawrenz during the ceremony.

“All of the literature in the long-term care field agrees that a primary indicator of the quality of a facility is the length of service of the organization’s administrator or CEO,” said Neidlinger. “By that measurement, it is no surprise that Timbercrest is known to be one of the best retirement communities in the State of Indiana, and I would say in the country. David has served Timbercrest for 40 years, beginning his career here on Sept. 30, 1974; his impact on the organization, though, is much, much greater than mere stability.

“David did not start his career as a CEO or even as an assistant administrator or manager – he began as an orderly. He began as a caregiver and has remained a caregiver. His dedication to the organization is grounded in his concern for the residents and the staff. We could probably figure it out from old records, but I cannot imagine how many persons who have lived here he has known, befriended and cherished; how many residents have looked to him for assurance that they would be taken care of regardless of how long they lived here.”

by Eric Stearley

eric@thepaperofwabash.com

On Friday, Sept. 26 at 10:12 p.m., the Wabash Police Department received a report that a female resident at Vernon Manor Children’s Home reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a male paramedic in an ambulance on the way back from a doctor's appointment in Carmel.

After an investigation by Detective Jim Kirk, Kyle Meyers, 31, Muncie, was arrested and placed in the Wabash County Jail on a 72-hour hold to await charges. At the time, Meyers was an employee of Heartland Ambulance Service, a private ambulance transport company with 5 locations in Indiana.

“We don’t know where it happened,” said Kirk. “It could have been Hamilton County, Tipton County, Howard County, or here in Wabash.”

Since the crime was reported in Wabash, the Wabash Police Department took the case, and the investigation has been completed. After reporting the crime, the victim was taken to the Fort Wayne Sexual Assault Treatment Center to be examined by a forensic nurse.

“We were looking for DNA evidence, and that stuff’s done anytime we have a victim like that,” said Kirk. “All of our sexual assault cases, we take them to a forensic nurse in Fort Wayne. “

The victim is an adult, and was described as "mentally capable, but physically challenged."

“We’re just sickened by this,” said Heartland Ambulance Services Owner Ken Jackson. “He hasn’t been with our company long. He was a really ideal employee; always on time, we never had any problem with him. He’s done an exceptional job, and I’m just flabbergasted.”

by Emily Armentrout

emily@thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash Family Medicine at Wabash County Hospital recently welcomed Dr. Jamie Broekhuizen, D.O. to their practice.

Dr. Broekhuizen has been in practice for the past six years in Michigan and Illinois. She is a family physician who studied at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., followed by med school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Penn. Dr. Broekhuizen did her rotations outside of Detroit before completing her residency in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Dr. Broekhuizen has five children and resides in Fort Wayne with her family. “I like working in smaller communities. I’ve always worked in Michigan or Illinois and they were all kind of small, farming communities,” Dr. Broekhuizen told The Paper. “The opportunity arose to come here, so I did.”

Dr. Broekhuizen is currently taking new patients at Wabash Family Medicine, located in the basement of Wabash County Hospital. “I am taking new patients. People can call the office and they will receive a packet to fill out. I also offer a 15-minute meet and greet appointment for people who might like to meet me first. I won’t give them any medical advice; there’s no prescriptions written but they can come in and talk to me to see if it might be a good fit for them,” said Dr. Broekhuizen.

If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Broekhuizen, you can contact her office at 260-569-2302.
 

The Wabash Kiwanis Club has named Judy Ward as its 2013-2014 Kiwanian of the Year.

The announcement came at the club’s weekly meeting on Tuesday, September 30th.  Outgoing club president Ware Wimberly said “Judy has been a great servant of the children of this community, both through the Kiwanis Club as well as the many other organizations she’s involved with.”

Originally from Brazil, Indiana, Ward taught elementary music in Wabash for 40 years before her retirement three years ago.  She is actively involved in the community, as the coordinator for the Visual and Performing Arts programs for Wabash County.  She has also been the Wabash director for FAME (Foundation for Art and Music in Education), which presents multicultural programs with a one-day festival each spring.

“Judy is a great choice for Kiwanian of the Year,” said incoming club president Jordan Tandy.  “She does so many great things for our club, including a lot of behind the scenes things that she doesn’t always get credit for.  She is truly deserving.”

Ward is also the music director at the Wabash Christian Church.  She is a board member of the Wabash Area Community Theater and the Wabash Unit of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Association.  She is a member of Tri Kappa, Delta Kappa Gamma teacher honor society, Sigma Alpha Iota international music fraternity, and the Wabash Retired Teachers Association.

Her son Ed Norris resides with his wife Angellyn and their three children in Fishers.

by Emily Armentrout

emily@thepaperofwabash.com

Every year the Wabash Historical Museum holds their annual campaign to raise funds to operate the museum. As their fall campaign kicks off, the museum is not only looking to raise funds for the day-to-day operations but they are looking to add two new exhibits for the community to enjoy. They will be adding an education center and a National Science Foundation exhibit.

“While it is important to raise funds for the day-to-day operations, the exciting part is we have these two large exhibits going in, plus the caboose, so there’s just a lot of opportunities for donors to get involved this year and to support the museum,” Mitch Figert, Executive Director of the Wabash County Historical Museum, told The Paper.

The annual campaign along with donations throughout the year is what keeps the museum funded. “We’re not county funded, we’re not through tax levies. We really do rely on the communities support,” continued Figert. The museum operates on just short of $300,000 a year. “We want the local residents to understand how valuable the museum is not only as a tourist destination but also as an educational resource and to encourage them to support the museum this year.”

The museum will be closing in January to accommodate the installation of the two new exhibits and will reopen in February. The education center will be a 1,500 square foot area on the second floor that will be highly interactive for families. “This change was driven by our strategic vision to involved new generations in the museum and provide high quality educational programming that focuses on teaching local history,” said Figert. The education center will include a village area, featuring a barn, store and home, along with learning tables, a science center, a dramatic play area, which will have different costumes for children to play with, a large play structure, a train table and a constructed reading hive.
 

Indiana Conservation Officers arrested Mark Barber, 22, LaFontaine, for shooting road signs near the intersection of 1050 South 50 East in Wabash.

Indiana Conservation Officer Jerry Hoerdt was patrolling the area for poachers last night just before ten o’clock when he witnessed a vehicle stop and fire two gunshots. This time conservation officers did not find any poached wild game but instead found that a road sign had been vandalized. Nonetheless, Officers arrested and charged Mark Barber with criminal mischief, operating a vehicle without ever being issued a driver’s license, and shooting from a public roadway.

Even though shooting road signs may not seem to be that serious an offense to some, when you fire a gun without a proper backstop that round may end up hitting a home or worse a person. It is imperative that everyone follow safe firearm practices especially as many of us will be entering the woods this hunting season is search of game. Indiana Conservation Officers will be watching to make sure everyone follows the rules this fall.

All charges are merely allegations. All suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

USDA recently announced key dates for farm owners and producers to keep in mind regarding the new 2014 Farm Bill established programs, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). The new programs, designed to help producers better manage risk, usher in one of the most significant reforms to U.S. farm programs in decades.

Dates associated with ARC and PLC that farm owners and producers need to know:

*Sept. 29, 2014 to Feb. 27, 2015 - Land owners may visit their local Farm Service Agency office to update yield history and/or reallocate base acres.

*Nov. 17, 2014 to March 31, 2015 - Producers make a one-time election of either ARC or PLC for the 2014 through 2018 crop years.

*Mid-April 2015 through summer 2015 - Producers sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop years.

*October 2015 - Payments for 2014 crop year, if needed.

USDA leaders will visit with producers across the country to share information and answer questions on the ARC and PLC programs.