When Rita walked into the Senior Center for the first time she saw a great little community. “To walk in here at age 84 and feel as if you are a part of a team, and that you are needed, is a wonderful feeling,” she said. “I don’t mind coming here alone, because once you walk in, you are never alone again.”

Many who come to the Senior Center share Rita’s feelings. They’ve found a new group of friends and opportunities in addition to the many programs, resources, and services offered at the Center located at 239 Bond St., Wabash. According to CEO Beverly Ferry, the Senior Center group is family for many who either don’t have family nearby or who enjoy fellowship during the day.

The marketing team at Halderman Farm Management and Halderman Real Estate Services was recognized for their award winning marketing efforts by placing first in two categories of a national marketing contest sponsored by the National Auctioneers Association and USA TODAY.

The competition comprises 63 categories in six divisions: Photography, Postcards, Brochures and Catalogs, Newspaper/Magazine Print Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing, Digital & Social Media and Auction Marketing Campaign of the Year.

by Kalie Ammons

sports@thepaperofwabash.com

School registration throughout the county is underway, and already the Wabash County Promise has exceeded their goal to have 50 percent of students in grades K-3 sign up for a CollegeChoice 529 savings account.

Nine hundred and thirty students in grades K-3 have signed up for the savings account, which equals approximately 60 percent of the students in those grades. The students signed up during registration from the following schools: Manchester; OJ Neighbors; Metro North; and Southwood. Students from St. Bernard’s and Emmanuel Christian have not yet been calculated into the results. The Y will hold an open house for three nights for those who were unable to attend school registration.

Sixty-seven percent of these 930 participants were from O.J. Neighbors and Manchester, with the other third coming from the county schools.

There were a total of 1044 students in all grades K-12 who signed up for the savings accounts.

by Emily Armentrout

Locally owned and operated, SonRise Communications LLC is a fairly new internet service provider out of rural Wabash, catering to surrounding rural areas, from Bippus to Disko, and heading to LaFontaine by the end of the month.

SonRise Communications is a wireless IP Internet provider that uses radio frequencies from their multiple facilities to transmit Internet to people who cannot get service otherwise. SonRise Communications Internet service allows their customers in rural areas to do more advanced things on the Internet beyond just checking your email. You can watch Netflix and Hulu. “Gamers really love our service. That is something I have heard a lot,” said owner Doug Brown.

Their client list is currently at just over 200 customers but it is growing. They have the capacity to have 2,000 customers and Brown says once they reach that number they will decide whether to expand or not. “Once you go beyond that number, I feel like we could lose some of that personal touch. We’ll have to make a decision when we get to that point I guess,” added Brown

by Emily Armentrout

news@thepaperofwabash.com

After moving his dental practice into its current location in the Shopper’s Mart two and a half year ago, Dr. John Conner, DDS, has found the new location for his practice at 556 N. Cass Street, an empty lot next to Peeble’s.

Dr. Conner had purchased Dr. Fuller’s dental practice across from Wabash High School with the plan to rebuild on that property. However, he was constricted when it came to space. Edward Jones took over that building at the beginning of the year after Conner purchased the lot on Cass Street. 

“The new location became available and it has better visibility and traffic. Overall, space was the issue and we will no longer be limited when it comes to space or parking,” said Dr. Conner.

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Democratic Party today announced that Chad Harris, Wabash, has been selected for the 2013 Emerging Leaders Project class, a group of 40 up-and-coming Hoosier Democrats under the age of 40 who will work together over the next year to grow their political leadership skills and ensure the long-term success of the party.

Harris, a native of Wabash, is the current President of the Wabash County Democratic Club, A vice—Precinct Committeeman for Noble 6, 2012 State Delegate to the Indiana Democrat convention in Fort Wayne, Wabash County coordinator for the John Gregg for governor Campaign, Harris has also served on the campaigns of Joe Donnelly, and Jill Long Thompson, and Many local campaigns.

A brief ceremony held in downtown Wabash at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, will dedicate a new mural at the northeast corner of Wabash and Canal Streets. The mural is part of a long-term plan to create a number of public art works here. The project includes new bike racks, benches and trash receptacles, which have already been installed in the downtown area.

The mural, the theme of which was inspired by elements of Wabash history, features a scene from a vintage postcard showing downtown Wabash Street from just south of its intersection with Canal Street.  Eric Schoening, Vertical Communications, drafted the design of the mural, which was then created by artist Rick Fischer of Deco Illusions LLC, Roanoke.

The Good Deeds Grant program of the Community Foundation of Wabash County distributes 50,000-75,000 dollars annually in small grants to nonprofits in Wabash County for charitable work. This fall, new grant guidelines will bring greater focus to the formerly broad program. While the Foundation’s grant program is open to all organizations doing charitable work in the county and will continue to be, the CFWC is focusing on the effectiveness of grants.

The Community Foundation will consider an application effective if it proposes to meet the basic needs of people in Wabash County and provide enrichment experiences for those with limited resources and opportunities. The Foundation will give preference to programs, projects, and organizations that address economic development, education, the arts, health, civic activity, as well as recreation as long as the grant provides opportunities for people with limited resources.