By Joseph Slacian

Nearly 400 school children from around Wabash County will be returning to school over the next two weeks with new backpacks and other supplies, thanks in part to The Access Youth Center and the community.

The Access’ annual school supply program distributed 392 backpacks filled with various supplies on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 2-3.

By The Paper staff

J.M. Reynolds Oil Co. will be honored as the Business of the Year during the 2018 Grow Wabash County Celebration Dinner on Thursday, Oct 11, 2018, at the Honeywell Center. 

James McCloud Reynolds, founder of J.M. Reynolds Oil Company, Inc. began his endeavor in 1946 after serving in World War II. As a Standard Oil agent, Reynolds delivered fuel oil and gasoline to the local community of Wabash County for 38 years.

By The Paper staff

Two area organizations received grants last week from the Pauline Barker Education Trust Fund.

Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne received $32,500, while The Learn More Center received $37,500 from the trust.

Ivy Tech will use the funding to provide adult education to adult residents of Wabash. The proposed project is aimed to eliminate barriers in enrollment, persistence, and completion for Ivy Tech students taking classes at the Wabash County Community Learning Center.

By Joseph Slacian

Hearings on two Wabash homes were continued for various reasons Thursday by the Wabash Board of Public Works and Safety.

A hearing on a home at 131 E. Maple St. was continued until the board’s Sept. 2 meeting.

Cheryl Mettler told the board that the family is using the home for storage, and would like some time to find another place to store the items kept in the structure.

By Joseph Slacian
 

The Wabash Plan Commission on Wednesday, Aug. 1, amended the city’s Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district resolution, adding several parcels to the measure.

The move, part of a multi-step process, was done to help raise funds for $200,000 loan for 10X Manufactured Engineering.

Added to the TIF District was the former Spiece warehouse, where 10X is locating, as well as the medical office building near the new Parkview Wabash Hospital, the Lutheran Hospital medical facility, and two sites at Paperworks.

By David Fenker
david@nmpaper.com

On June 27, Parkview Wabash Hospital moved into its new location, and the county morgue in the old Parkview Wabash closed.

On June 28, a fisherman found a decomposing body in rural Wabash County. After 12 days of investigation, Indiana State Police identified the remains as those 20-year-old Alexis Serrano, of Indianapolis, reported missing in early June.

Part of the delay in identifying the body was due to the state of decomposition. Part of the delay was the lack of a morgue facility in Wabash County capable of handling a body in that state.

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com

Production could begin in January or February at 10X Engineered Materials, a company official said Thursday afternoon.
Jake Vaillancourt made the comments following a ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new industry, the former Spiece Warehouse at 1162 Manchester Ave.

The parent company, WasteHub LLC, closed on the warehouse on June 29. There are some existing tenants in the building, and they must be moved out by July 31, said Vaillancourt, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of WasteHub and a member of the 10X board of directors.

By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
and
David Fenker
david@nmpaper.com

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of deaths in Americans under the age of 50.

That startling information was shared Thursday morning, July 26, by Jim McClelland, Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment and Enforcement in the office of Gov. Eric Holcomb during a Rural Opiod Symposium at the Heartland REMC community room. The daylong event was sponsored by the Indiana Rural Health Association and the AgriInstitute.

“It’s not a question that it’s a public health problem here,” McClelland told the nearly 50 people at the event. “Indiana … our death rate from overdoses is 15th highest in the nation.”