Wabash High School principal Kyle Wieland and City Council member Doug Adams show ott the award Adams received from school officials. Photo by Joseph Slacian

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash City Council member Doug Adams received accolades Monday night from Wabash High School principal Kyle Wieland.

Wieland presented Adams, a longtime coach in the Wabash County Special Olympics program, a plaque honoring him for his help in creating a unified track team at the high school. He also presented Adams a Face of Sportsmanship pin available from the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

“One of the things I’m very proud about what we did this year at Wabash High School is we started unified sports,” Wieland said in making the presentation. “It allows students with cognitive disabilities to compete alongside with students without them. It’s a great opportunity.

“Some of our students, as teenagers, still hadn’t really had the opportunity to see what competitive athletics was like, what it was like to be a part of a team and all the things that come along with that.”
 

Dr. Neil Bever cuts the ribbon while his wife and daughter, Raelyn and Solveigh, look on. Also watching are Mayor Scott Long, Jason Callahan, Grow Wabash County board chair, and members of Bever's family. Photo by Joseph Slacian

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Hoosier Chiropractic celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, June 10.

The new facility, owned by Wabash native Dr. Neil Bever, is located at 60 W. Hill St.

Bever has practiced chiropractic care for the last two years in Logansport, but has always dreamed about bringing his practice back to Wabash. With the birth of his daughter, Solveigh, he thought the timing was right.

“My adjusting is very similar to every other technique you might be used to, but besides adjusting, my passion is preventative care,” Bever said. “Taking the time to do the appropriate exercises and stretches for you will not only keep you from needing to get in and get adjusted, but also lead to a longer, healthier life.

“From factory workers, to athletes, to pregnant women and also people spending long hours in a sedentary job, there are many ways to cause stress to your body. For most people, the answer is in learning how to move properly.”
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Portions of the Wabash Street bridge along the River Walk will receive a new look, thanks in part to a project from Wabash Marketplace Inc.

The Wabash Park Board on Wednesday, June 12, granted WMI permission to paint a mural on portions of the underpass that is owned by the City of Wabash. It was unclear if that included the portion immediately beneath the bridge, or if that was owned by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

A new site has been proposed for a possible Storywalk.

Wabash Park Superintendent Adam Hall and Brian Campbell, president of the Wabash Board of Parks and Recreation, met with Wabash Carnegie Library representatives and suggested placing the Storywalk near the Huntington Street parking lot at Paradise Spring Historical Park.

In April, library officials broached the Storywalk with the park board.

A storybook walk consists of a series of posts with a display in which a page from a storybook is featured. The concept behind the project is to entice families with young children to stroll through the walk and read each page of the storybook. When the walk is finished, the book will have been read.
 

By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash City Schools recently announced plans to start an Ambassador Program, which according to the school, is an engaging, year-long learning experience for select Wabash community leaders and school district parents to enjoy a deeper understanding of Wabash City Schools.

“Our vision statement is really important to us,” Superintendent Jason Callahan said. “It’s building a legacy of opportunity for all students. We think the ambassador program helps build out those opportunities for our kids.”

The program is designed to better engage the Wabash Community in the work that’s going on at Wabash City Schools, specifically around the district’s pillars of relationships, innovation, academics, wellness and safety, and global citizenship.
 

By Josh Sigler
jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

Purdue Extension educator Mindy Mayes was on hand during the Wabash County Commissioners meeting Monday morning to deliver the commissioners the Extension’s annual report and remind them of a couple of important upcoming dates.

Mayes led off the brief meeting.

Mayes said the Wabash County Fair is from July 12-20 this year, while the Extension’s farm management tour is June 27 and 28.

A handout Mayes presented showed that Wabash County 4-H increased enrollment by 3.5 percent in 2018, creating a two-year increase of 7 percent.
 

By Eric Christiansen
echristiansen@nmpaper.com

A North Manchester native and lauded college band director will return to the area for one night only to lead a local band.

Mike Leckrone recently retired from the University of Wisconsin as the Director of Marching Band and Director of Bands after 50 years at the helm. He will join the Mississinewa Valley Concert Band, a community band out of Marion, for its Patriotic Pops Concert Thursday, June 27 at Honeywell Center's Ford Theater.

Mississinewa Valley Concert Band director John Brane has been instrumental in bringing Leckrone back to the area for the concert. Brane started the community band out of Marion in 2000 after retiring from Eastbrook School Corporation.

Both from Wabash County, Leckrone and Brane both attended the Jordan College of Music of Butler University in Indianapolis where they met.
 

By David Brinson
news@thepaperofwabash.com

After their wedding two years ago, Sam and Amanda Hann knew immediately they wanted to start a family. Their road to becoming parents has turned into a long, expensive adoption process, blocked with endless fees and disappointment.

However, June 20, from 5 to 8 p.m., many of Wabash’s small business owners are rallying around the Hanns by donating 10 percent of their sales to the couple.

The businesses participating in the event include Tiny Threads Children’s Boutique, Eclectic Shoppe, Wooden Ivy Boutique and Floral, Center Court Barber Shop, Bash Boutique, Nick’s Hotdog Cart, Wabash’s Pizza King and more. Prizes for donating are available, which were provided by other businesses throughout Wabash, like the Auto Laundry and Charley Creek Wine Shop.