by Kalie Ammons

kalie@thepaperofwabash.com

Season 28 of the hit reality show “Survivor” has been anything but easy for contestants this season. Competitors are left to survive on an island with little supplies, all while competing in challenges before voting each other off of the island.

This season, castaways are in the Filipino province of Cagayan and split into three different tribes; Luzon, Solana or Aparri, otherwise known as Brains, Beauty and Brawn.

Lindsey Ogle, a Northfield graduate and Wabash native, competed in season 28 on the Aparri, or Brawn tribe. Ogle describes her traits that made her a good contestant for the show.

“It’s because I’m such a people person,” Ogle said. “I think that I’m just a social person. I work well with my hands and I’m a hard worker, I don’t think that’s really represented well during the episodes we’ve seen, but I really am a hard worker. Plus, I’m athletic. There was a moment when we were making the shelter and I was weaving a lot of the bamboo leaves and that probably made our shelter a little bit more secure and I couldn’t have done that if I didn’t braid people’s hair every single day"

by Emily Armentrout

emily@thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash City Schools held the latest board meeting at the central office on Monday, March 17. This meeting shed light on a bright and exciting future for the students, the staff and the administration.

Wabash High School principal Josh Blossom started the board meeting by presenting the Spirit of the Apache Award to Payten Keffaber, a junior at Wabash High School. Keffaber has been serving Wabash High School in volunteer roles since she was a freshman.

“Payten is not the kind of kid that asks for attention at all. She deserves a lot high praise for the leadership she shows at our school,” said Principal Blossom. “There is rarely an event at the high school that you would go to and not see Payten doing something.”

Keffaber’s latest endeavor was taking charge of a student-driven blood drive. Mr. Blossom gave Keffaber the reins, and she took the event from there.

“I don’t think I touched base with Payten until two days before the drive,” said Blossom.  “Sure enough, she had talked to everybody she needed to.”

Keffaber scheduled volunteers to help at the event. She made sure that students were signed up to donate, and she even had a set up and tear down crew assembled for the event. The result was 57 students donating to the blood drive. 

“For this blood drive and for everything that Payten does for our school, I’m to happy give the Spirit of the Apache Award,” said Blossom.

Nancy Hoffman the James M. Hammond III award on March 13 from the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (INARF). This award is presented to outstanding executives and administrators in the human services industry.

Hoffman graduated from Manchester University. Her first job after graduation was at Arc of Wabash County. She has been employed at Arc for 38 years. Nancy has performed many different job duties while working at Arc, and through her dedication and expertise, she has demonstrated compassion and determination towards serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Positions she has held are: Daily Living Skills teacher, Workshop Manager, Case Coordinator, Program Director, and Executive Director. While working at Arc, Nancy also taught Special Education classes at Manchester University. She was able to provide her students with a clear picture of the challengers and rewards a Special Education teacher may face in this field by sharing real life experiences she has had with people she has served in Wabash County.

Wabash County Chamber of Commerce Expo Committee Chair Jill Vigar announces Jody McCoart, Wabash, as the winner of the Expo Grand Prize. The package includes a two-night stay at the French Lick Springs Hotel in French Lick, breakfast for two in the Colonnade, a round of golf for two at the Donald Ross Course, and dinner for two in 1875, all donated by French Lick Resorts.

Other prizewinners and donors during the two-day event included Dana Jelenek, Peru, who won a five-night stay at the Hampton Inn at Daytona Beach donated by Lundquist Appraisals & Real Estate and Hoffman Nursery & Landscaping. Theresa Carroll, LaFontaine, won one-night stay, dinner for two, and show for two at Essenhaus at Middlebury donated by Randall Miller & Associates. Kristi Lundquist, Wabash, won a 50-inch Emerson LED TV and LG Blu-ray DVD Player donated by Wabash Valley Abstract.

by Eric Stearley

eric@thepaperofwabash.com

Just after 7 a.m. Friday morning, the Wabash Donut Shoppe got an unwelcomed surprise as Bruce Weatherspoon, 61, Marion, drove his black Chevrolet Trailblazer into the business’ front wall injuring owner Andy Phat.

“I just heard a loud bang and crash,” said Sam Phat, the owner’s son. “I thought that maybe the cooler fell down or something like that, because I heard glass. I saw my dad laying down on the ground, maybe 8 to 10 feet away from the wall. The trash can was knocked down in front of the showcase and I saw that the wall was broken down.”

Sam said that just seconds before the accident, Andy had walked in front of the building and entered through the main door.

“He saved himself from death by five seconds,” said Sam. “If he had been standing in that spot where he walked across the front, where the car hit the wall and came inside…that wall saved his life.”

Student performances (piano, vocal, band, and recorder music, dance, and martial arts) and student art displays, along with workshops featuring guest professional musicians, dancers, and visual artists will all be a part of the Wabash FAME Festival on Saturday, March 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Honeywell Center. This is the eighth year for a festival of this kind in Wabash. Admission to the festival and participation in most activities is free-of-charge. 

This year’s festival will spotlight the cultures of countries in Northwestern Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland. 

On Friday, March 14, the Wabash Drug Task Force made arrests on two subjects identified as Aaron Monroe and Curt Woodward, for dealing heroin. The arrests were the result of tips received and subsequent surveillance conducted by Officers of the DTF and a culmination of other facts and events, at a local hotel.

A search warrant was obtained and executed in the early afternoon hours, resulting in both subjects’ arrests. A large quantity of heroin was recovered along with evidence indicative of sales and use. The suspects were transported to the Wabash County Jail where an incident occurred involving Monroe attempting to escape, and additional evidence being recovered.

by Shaun Tilghman

On Monday, March 10, law enforcement officers from the Wabash County Sheriff’s Department (WCSD), North Manchester Police Department (NMPD), and Wabash Drug Task Force participated in a search of the residence at 351 N. 3rd Street in Liberty Mills.

As a result, five subjects were transported to Wabash County Jail with the following charges:

-Jamie Hall: Possession of a Controlled Substance, class D Felony; Possession of Methamphetamine, class D Felony; Maintaining a Common Nuisance, class D Felony; Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors with Intent to Manufacture a Controlled Substance, class D Felony; Unlawful Possession of Syringe, class D Felony.

-Kyle Davidson: Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors with Intent to Manufacture a Controlled Substance, class D Felony; Visiting a Common Nuisance, class B Misdemeanor; Resisting Law Enforcement, class A Misdemeanor.