By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Wabash Marketplace Inc. will receive one of three awards to be presented Sept. 15 by Indiana Landmarks.

The group will receive the Servaas Memorial Award in the non-profit category. It also will receive $2,000.

“We are thankful to receive the 2018 Servaas Memorial Award from Indiana Landmarks,” WMI Program Coordinator Tyler Karst told The Paper of Wabash County. “Hundreds of individuals have spent countless time and money on the continued beautification of our historic downtown. We will continue to do all that we can to attract businesses and tourists to our unique downtown, and we are thankful for the continued support of so many businesses and individuals to continue these efforts."

Founded in 1981, WMI makes preservation a priority in its work to revitalize historic downtown Wabash.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

A potential eyesore along North Miami Street is being turned into a thing of beauty, thanks to homeowner Rod Morrison.
Morrison commissioned custom wood carver Ryan Frauhiger to turn a dead tree stump in his front yard into a statue featuring a bald eagle, three racoons and a squirrel.

For the last two weeks, weather permitting, Frauhiger has been atop a scaffolding at Morrison’s home, either carving the creatures into the stump or staining and painting portions of the statute.

Morrison said his tree was dead, noting limbs and branches were constantly falling to the ground. He knew it had to come down, but before it did, he asked the crew felling the tree to leave a portion of it standing so he could create the statue. About 15 feet of the tree remains in Morrison’s front yard.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Officials at AgVenture McKillip Seeds hosted farmers from throughout the region on Friday, Aug. 24, during its annual field day.

“I appreciate every one of you for being here and for your business,” Dennis McKillip told the gathering during opening remarks. “We are celebrating our 85th year as far as being an independent company. That’s what I’m so proud of. We survived this.

“We’ve had our ups and downs and stuff like that. We’re in business to stay.”
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

The proposed cleanup at the former GDX property at One General Street cleared its first hurdle on Thursday, Aug. 16.

The Wabash Board of Public Works and Safety approved a Development Services Agreement for the site between the city and Luckett & Farley Development Services of Louisville, Ky.

“We’ve been working on this for approximately 18 months,” Mayor Scott Long told the board. “They’ve been here twice and looked at the site, and they believe it’s a viable site for them to develop, to be cleaned up and developed.”

The next step in the process is to present the agreement to the Wabash City Council for approval. That will take place at the Aug. 27 council meeting. Luckett & Farley president Timothy Pitcher will be at the meeting to answer and questions Council may have.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

LAFONTAINE -- Less than a week after Cindy Erb resigned as the town’s clerk-treasurer, a new one has been named.

Wabash County Republican chair Barbara Pearson announced Monday morning that she appointed Diana Heath to the position. The GOP chair appointed the replacement because Erb was a Republican.

Heath was selected from a field of six candidates, Pearson told The Paper of Wabash County.

Erb’s resignation, which took place at 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 13, caught the Town Council by surprise.
 

By Josh Sigler
Jsigler@thepaperofwabash.com

Brent McKillip bounced around from one agricultural sales job to another in the mid-2000s.

He’s worked selling new and used agricultural equipment, but knew the used side was what he was passionate about. So, in June he created McKillip Machinery, a company which buys, sales, trades and consigns agricultural construction equipment.

“It’s going really well,” McKillip said. “Better than I expected. I kind of felt the need to do something like this after my previous employment with Pefley’s.”

He started out in 2004 as a parts handler for Plevna Implement, which is owned by his aunt and uncle. Then in January of 2005, he went to work for the local John Deere store, McKillip Equipment, which was owned by his dad and four other family members.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

An ordinance governing the use of city credit cards was approved on first reading Monday night, Aug. 13, by the Wabash City Council.

The move was made even though the City of Wabash does not yet have any credit cards.

“Currently, we don‘t have a city credit card,” Mayor Scott Long told Council. “There’s a potential for some travel in the near future, that it may be needed, so I wanted to draft an ordinance on the usage of credit cards.”

Under the ordinance, the mayor will apply for the credit cards, which will be held, maintained and monitored by the mayor and the clerk-treasurer. The two will ensure a proper accounting system or long is maintained for the card usage, and the clerk-treasurer is authorized to revoke cards that are in violation of the city’s policy.
 

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

The annual Mike’s Great Giveaway will take place Saturday, Aug. 25, at Christ United Methodist Church.

The event, in memory of Mike Drook, will take place from 8 a.m. to noon at the church, 477 N. Wabash St.

Drook was a church member who passed away in June 2007. Mike had a big heart and a concern for the community. The giveaway was his dream.

Anyone can come to the church to see if there are items they need, organizers said. Those attending can take anything and there is no cost.