On Thursday, March 20, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Wabash County will officially get underway as event volunteers and participants gather at the Beacon Credit Union Administration Building beginning at 6 p.m. for a kickoff celebration to launch their fundraising efforts for the year.  The committee will be recognizing the efforts of many teams from 2013 and highlighting what’s new for 2014.

Although the Relay for Life of Wabash County is more than four months away, now is the time to get involved. One in every 100 Americans participates in this fundraising event that has become a global phenomenon. Residents are invited to attend the kickoff celebration to learn more about the upcoming event and how they can become part of an exciting overnight event that will pave the way to a world with less cancer and more birthdays.

Tiede Metz & Downs, a downtown law firm with a long history in Wabash, recently announced that attorneys Jordan Tandy and Josh Petruniw have been made partners in the firm.

Managing partner, Steve Downs, made the announcement. “These are two very engaging, articulate, and intelligent young men, and our firm and community are very fortunate to have them here. They will both fit into our community very well and will be extremely successful in the practice of law.”

by Emily Armentrout

emily@thepaperofwabash.com

W.A.T.E.R. is derived from Wabash students cAre for The watEr in AfRica. This fundraiser was started by former Wabash Middle School 7th grade World History teacher, Justin Vail, and is being continued by the current teacher, Adam Hall.

Hall assigned his students as essay focusing on the children in Africa. The idea behind the essay was not only to learn about the lives of African children but to also write an essay so convincing that anyone that read it would want to help those children.

by Eric Stearley

eric@thepaperofwabash.com

On Jan. 24, the First Financial Bank in North Manchester was robbed at gunpoint. The suspect, David John Mills, rode a bicycle to a parked truck. He got in the black Ford Ranger and drove through town, eventually turning onto State Road 13. John Hammons of the North Manchester Police Department caught up to Mills and followed his truck for less than five miles. It was not a high-speed pursuit. Followed by Hammons, the black truck crossed into Kosciusko County, and as they neared State Road 14, the truck stopped. Moments later, Mills fired a .380 pistol, taking his own life.

The events of that day left many in shock, but none more so than those who knew David. His funeral was held on Jan. 31 at DeMoney-Grimes Countryside Park Funeral Home in Columbia City. His obituary reads like that of another person. It would cause anyone to do a double-take as they study the name and date of death to make sure that it describes the young man who cut his own life short after pointing a gun at a bank teller and fleeing with a backpack full of cash.

by Eric Stearley

eric@thepaperofwabash.com

During the March 5 meeting of the Wabash City Board of Public Works and Safety, John H. Stephens was appointed to take over as Building Commissioner following Ron Buzzard’s retirement in April.

“I’ve been in the process of trying to find his replacement and I’m happy to say here today that I have found one,” said Mayor Robert Vanlandingham.

Spending most of his career in the field of land surveying, Stephens was most recently employed as a project manager for ForeSight Consulting, a land surveying and engineering firm with offices in Fort Wayne and Wabash. He is also the owner of his own private land surveying and civil engineering firm, John H. Stephens, R.L.S. Inc., located on Wabash Street across from the courthouse. Stephens worked as the Wabash County Surveyor for 14 years starting in 1989 and served as president of the Indiana County Surveyors Association from 2001-2002. He received the association’s Presidents’ Award in 1999. He earned the Distinguished Surveyor Award from the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors, serving on the board of directors from 1998 to 2005.

by Emily Armentrout

emily@thepaperofwabash.com

After traveling to Mexico on a mission trip, Wabash local, Jenny Wilson, knew that there was a mission waiting for her somewhere. Knowing she could not travel to Mexico every year to serve, Wilson set out on a search for a mission she could begin in Wabash County.

“I wanted to do something that would help our local kids and I just started researching,” Wilson told The Paper.

Wilson found Blessings in a Backpack, a national program that “provides elementary schoolchildren who are on the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal Program with a backpack of food to take home for 38 weekends during the school year,” according to blessingsinabackpack.org. Wilson approached the principals of the three younger elementary schools in the area, O.J. Neighbours, Southwood Elementary and Metro North, and she was met with great enthusiasm.

Indiana has long been recognized as a leader in soil health, visibly evident by widespread adoption of cropping systems that reduce soil disturbance, maximize residue, increase diversity and provide continuous living roots.

Indiana's leadership was recently recognized by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) by a decision to move their summer board meetings to the landscape after 10-12 years of location in Washington, DC. In 2014, the meeting will be held in Indianapolis. According to Earl Garber, NACD president, Indiana is "on the forefront and cutting edge of soil health."

Indiana 4-H is kicking off a new healthy living campaign, which includes a greater focus for 4-H members, families, volunteers, and community members on making healthy choices.  The state 4-H is working to rollout updated health and foods project curriculum with a greater emphasis on exercising and cooking healthy. 

As part of the kick off for this new initiative, there will be color runs in every county in the state between now and July. The first annual Wabash County color run will be at the Field of Dreams on March 29. Check-in will be between 8-8:45 a.m., with a 1-mile fun run/walk at 9 a.m. and a 5k at 9:30 a.m.