by Aaron Johnson

The Wabash County 4-H Fair is an event that many people in the county look forward to every year, and this year there are some special events added to the schedule. Each of the main events listed here begin at 7 p.m.

On Monday, July 7, the fair will end its opening night with a mud bogging event. mud bogging is a race through a mud pit whose victor is determined by the furthest distance travelled through the pit. Should more than one competitor cross the pit, the winner is determined by the fastest time to cross the finish line. For the 4-H fair, there will be multiple classes in which riders may compete and these classes are separated by weight of the vehicles. The classes will be divided into heats and the winner of each heat will move into the final round of that class. The victor of the final round will be crowned as winner of the class.

Tuesday, July 8, will feature a Tractor Pull, in which competitors will pull sledges across the arena. These tractor pull events will also be divided into classes and each tractor will pull the sledge as far as it can. The driver that pulls the sledge the furthest wins that class.

On Wednesday, July 9, another new event will come to Wabash: the autocross. This autocross will include all vehicles such as pickup trucks, vans, and derby cars. There is a mini-size class and a full-size class for the vehicles involved in this event. The Fair Association Council and the 4-H Fair Board will prepare an obstacle course with rolling hills through which the competitors will drive. There is a heat lap for each of the classes, and the top three from each heat lap go to the final for a 20-lap race.

Wild Hog Mud Wrestling will occur on Thursday, July 10, which is another new addition to the fair this year. Participants can sign up for one of 12 classes that are divided by age and gender. They are ages 8-11, 12-15, 16-18, and 19 and older. In each age class there are divisions for team members to be all male, all female, or mixed. The entry cost is $40 per team and registration is open until Wednesday, July 9. Admission to the event is $5, and kids five years and younger get in free. Competitors will have to attempt to catch and place the hog on a barrel with bare hands in one minute or less. The winning team will be determined by the time that they took to place hog onto the barrel. Mary Hollingshead, the organizer of the new events, took pride in the Hog Wrestling event as she thought it would be a great addition to the fair.

by Sandy Johnson

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently issued a Blue-Green Algae Advisory for Mississinewa Lake after samplings showed a level of blue-green algae high enough to warrant an alert. With the advisory, swimming and boating is still permitted.

Larry Brown, Mississinewa DNR Manager, advises visitors, “Do not drink the water, and shower after swimming.”

When an advisory is issued, pet owners should refrain from allowing their pets into the water where algae are present. Pets are more vulnerable to getting sick after swimming in lake waters because they tend to lick their fur clean, allowing the bacteria to enter their bodies.

Brown works together with Cyndi Wagner from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), who supervises the testing for Mississinewa Lake and other Indiana lakes. 

Brown told The Paper, “We have done a good job with communication and letting people know about the advisory. We have signs on beaches, and at boat ramps.”

Brown confirmed samplings would continue weekly until the blue-green algae levels drop. Mississinewa was scheduled for further testing on June 30. Results from the samplings should be documented by the next day.

Currently, Mississinewa is the only lake with an alert in the state. The IDEM and DNR continue to work together to keep everyone informed. If high levels of blue-green algae are found during IDEM testing on any Indiana lake, a notice is posted at algae.IN.gov and alert notices are placed on those beaches until cell counts drop to a safe level. State parks and reservoir websites also include ‘property advisories’ to keep the public informed before heading out onto the waters.

The City of Wabash along with Living Essentials will once again sponsor the July 4th fireworks display.
The event will take place Friday, July 4 at approximately 10 p.m. The rain date is July 5.
The public is invited to view the display at the Morrett Sports Complex.

NuStart by Dr. Jamie Lindsay announces that they have added three new lifestyle coaches to their staff. 

“The addition of the three coaches was necessary to meet the growing demand for our weight loss clinics in Marion and Wabash,” said Dr. Lindsay. “They are all very passionate about helping move patients towards better health and we are pleased to have them on our team.”

The new coaches are Christa Schuler, Angi Wolgemuth and Erica Cordes. 

Christa serves as Dr. Lindsay's assistant and as a wellness coach. She enjoyed physical activity in various sports and dance since childhood. She went on to play varsity volleyball at Manchester University where she was awarded First Team All-Conference. Christa earned a Master of Science in Athletic Training degree at Ohio University in 2012 and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Athletic Training at Manchester University in 2011. She also maintains the following certifications: Board Certified Athletic Trainer, IW-Wellness Coach, and American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED. In 2012, she joined the NuStart team. As a wellness coach Christa is committed to developing and implementing effective lifestyle strategies with her patients. She takes pride in balancing candor with care to help her patients move towards better health.

By Adam Smith

Rustic Charm, a local store that sells everything from candles to t-shirts, now shares its roof with the new auto detailing service, Pro Auto Detail.

Chris and Sarah Province opened Rustic Charm in February of this year and intended to open the detailing service from the beginning. The opening of the couple’s businesses follows their move to Wabash from Arkansas in October of last year. While living in Arkansas, Chris was an emergency medical technician, and Sarah was employed by a surgical group.

The stores are located at 235 Southwood Drive, the former location of Wabash Two-Way Radio. The fact that the store is located on the same property as a house was instrumental in the couple’s decision making process when it came to where they should move.

Chris said, “we wanted to work close to home” and be near their three children, Caleb, Amber, and Ashley.

When asked what sets Pro Auto Detail apart, Chris responded that his “eye for detail” gives the store an edge that can’t be found anywhere else. His experience in the business comes from the upkeep of a show truck that he used to take to shows in Arkansas and the surrounding states. The truck won several awards and was featured in a couple magazines.

By Adam Smith

While many may have found the summer solstice as a time to relax, some rose early and laced up their running shoes to be a part of the “Dash in the Bash” hosted by Wabash County YMCA. The race took place at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 22. This is the second year that the race has been held in Historic Downtown Wabash and it is well on its way to becoming a local tradition.

The main event of the “Dash in the Bash” was a 5-kilometer race that invited all participants to either walk or run a course that winds its way through the hilly landscape of Downtown Wabash. The Fort Wayne Track Club was present to time the race. They used a method of timing called “chip timing”. The runners had to wear a computer chip on their shoes that, when they ran across the mats at the finish line, recorded a precise time.

The overall winners for the males and females were Caleb Augustus and Erica Cordes. They will have a brick created with their names on it to be placed in the walkway in front of the Wabash County YMCA alongside last year’s winners and all of the donors who made the facility possible. Caleb completed the race in 16 minutes and 42 seconds. His time beat the record set last year for fastest time by Chris LaFree who ran the race in 17 minutes and 21 seconds. Erica completed the race with a time of 18 minutes and 30 seconds. She beat the time received by last year’s overall female winner, Brianna Martinez, of 19 minutes and 49 seconds.

Both young and old were present to participate in the race, the proceeds of which were donated to the Wabash County Health Initiative. The Health Initiative is striving to promote physical activity, better nutrition, and a tobacco-free lifestyle in the Wabash area. Event organizer Chris Sloane says that an important aspect of the race is to “engage the community in a healthy activity.” Runner Danielle Smith, a 5k race veteran, agrees and says she really enjoys that “the race is local and the people cheering you on are people you know.”

There were prizes awarded to the winners of each age division in the male and female categories. Everyone who was registered to run in the race was also entered into a raffle for the chance to win a door prize. Those registered also received a Dri-Fit t-shirt for their participation.

Before the runners even got to their marks, the Wabash County YMCA began a different aspect of the event: a pancake breakfast. Sponsored by Miller’s Merry Manor, for just five dollars, a person could get all the pancakes that they could possibly eat. There was also a mile-long “fun run” for the children who had come. A large number of these kids were a part of the SPARK camp at the YMCA. The purpose of the camp is to help children retain what they have learned in school over the summer, promote physical well-being, and fight a growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

Renowned, classically-trained musical group Time for Three will deliver the finale concert for the 2014 Charley Creek ArtsFest, which runs June 26 – 29 in Wabash. Time for Three will perform on Sunday, June 29 at 6 p.m.

“We are thrilled to be hosting Time for Three this year,” said Katie Beauchamp, ArtsFest committee member. “They are brilliant musicians who weave their classical training with other genres like pop and blues. Their style and technique is truly fun to watch and hear.”

The Charley Creek ArtsFest events take place at multiple venues throughout Wabash; however, most of it is in the city’s downtown. Now in its seventh year of bringing first-class artists and performers to the area for a weekend of hands-on art workshops, live music, theatrical performances, independent film screenings, a downtown gallery walk and a fine art show and sale, the Charley Creek ArtsFest is an opportunity for people of all ages to experience the arts in an intimate manner. 

On Friday, June 27, there will be a Richvalley Tenderloin Fundraiser in the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church, located on Cass St. in Wabash to benefit Blessings in a Backpack.

The fundraiser runs from 4-7 p.m. You can get a meal, which consists of two pieces of meat, applesauce and chips, or only meat at a discount price.

All proceeds benefit will Blessings in a Backpack, which is a local organization that sends food home on the weekend, throughout the school year, with children who qualify. Blessings in a Backpack currently serves Metro North, Southwood Elementary, and O.J. Neighbors.

If anyone is interested in helping with the costs associated with the fundraiser, checks can be mailed to Jenny Wilson at 499 S 475 W, lot 2, Wabash, with "Backpack Fundraiser" in the memo line. A tax-deductible receipt will be sent back immediately. Also, if you are interested in volunteering with Blessings in a Backpack during the school year, contact Jenny at 571-4001.