On Sunday, April 28, one of the first Barn Quilts to be part of the Wabash County Quilt Trail was installed at the farm of Phil & Robin Dale. The Dale farm is located at 2575 W 700 N. in Wabash County. The Barn Quilt can be seen very easily from 300 W., just north of Highway 16 and can also be seen while traveling east on Highway 16.

Phil’s Grandparents, Lewis and Mable Dale owned the farm from 1941 until 1963. Then in 1985 Phil was able to purchase the farm and bring it back into the Dale family. The barn the quilt was hung on is over 100 years old.

by Brent Swan

After spending much of her first week on the job in the office, new Wabash County 4-H Youth Educator Angela Christopher is already looking forward to the 2013 Wabash County 4-H Fair. Christopher, a Wabash County resident and Southwood High School graduate, took over the position vacated by Pandora Woodward.

“I have lived here all my life,” Christopher said. “My husband David and I have two children, Jade, who is five and Clay who is three.”

Christopher, a former 10-year 4-H member, went on to graduate from Manchester College before completing her master’s degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. She then taught English for nine years at White’s and was in her second year of teaching sixth grade language at LaFontaine when she decided to apply for the job.

Spring clean-up in Wabash will begin the week of April 29, according to Scott Richardson, Wabash Street Department superintendent.

Pick up will be divided into four sections, following the same routes as weekly trash.

Items will be picked up from tree lawns and along City streets only. No pick-ups will take place in alleys.

Piles of items to be picked up show be no larger than four feet by eight feet. Also, items for pick-up should be separate from brush piles.

Brush will not be picked up the week of spring cleanup.

Local breast cancer survivor, Natalie Rager, founded the Hot Pink Mommas in 2009, and since then, the group has raised $78,967 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

“Being a breast cancer survivor means I get to be here each day with my family and friends, and that your health is priceless. My motivation to fight comes from wanting to be as healthy as I can be and to help find a cure for breast cancer,” Rager said in an email.

In October of 2008, at the age of 38, Rager was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after finding a lump herself.

“I did six months of chemotherapy and 40 rounds of radiation, followed by a bilateral mastectomy,” she said.

Rager finished radiation in May of 2009 and completed her first walk in June of 2009 in Chicago, Ill.

“The Chicago walk was life changing for me. Training for the walk helped me stay active and bonded me with amazing teammates. After going through this, I couldn’t have asked for better support,” she said.

The Wabash County Animal Shelter, Inc., will be holding their second free dog training on April 25, at the Paradise Spring Historical Park, Huntington Street Pavilion (lower level).   

by Brent Swan

On April 11, area business leaders and government officials met at the Charley Creek Inn’s Big Four Ballroom as the Economic Development Group (EDG) of Wabash County hosted its annual meeting.

EDG President and CEO Bill Konyha gave his opening remarks prior to introducing the keynote speaker, Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann.

“Our personal incomes in the region and in Wabash County have fallen steadily since about 1980,” Konyha said. “In the past three years, according to the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, the per capita in the region grew slightly more than nine percent. The per capita income in Wabash County has risen 14.3 percent. We are doing the right things.”

by Emily Armentrout

Recently, the culinary class at Heartland Career Center, instructed by Chef Brad Luzadder, has been working on preparing different types of meat. The beef council has visited the classroom and the Farm Bureau helped the students with their chicken fabrication, which is part of the state requirements for the course.

On April 9, Ian McFarland from Poole’s Meats went to Heartland Career Center to help the students learn how to fabricate different cuts of pork.

The Indiana Pork Board purchased a pig from Dawes and Dawes Farm, and donated it to Heartland Career Center to sponsor the pork fabrication in Chef Luzadder’s class.

A limited number of tickets are available for the Murder Mystery Dinner and Silent Auction FUNdraiser to benefit the Sarah Kaye Haupert Memorial Dance Scholarship Endowment.  The Event is scheduled for April 20 at 7:00 p.m., at the Wabash County REMC building.

Where else are you going to witness and solve a murder case in a few short hours, be served a scrumptious dinner, and enjoy a night of hilarious fun?  You arrive at what will be the “scene of the crime” and once all of the guests are seated at their tables, the comedy and dinner begin.  While you are being served a delicious meal, the actors perform an interactive murder mystery play – right there at your table.  Your only mission – if you choose to accept it – is to sit back, enjoy the fun and guess “whodunit.”