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G & K WELL DRILLING, INC. WATER SYSTEMS and WATER CONDITIONERS 2215 E. Paige Rd., Columbia City, IN 46725
BILL FRIES, OWNER 260-244-3453
For Service of System Call
October 19, 2017
Hollenbaugh returns home, joins EDC Staff reports
COLUMBIA CITY — A 2005 Columbia City graduate has returned home, ready to make a difference in the community. Riley Hollenbaugh recently joined the Whitley County Economic Development Corp. team and will serve as the director of workforce and community development. Prior to joining the EDC, Hollenbaugh
served as the executive director of Saline Main Street in Saline, Mich. During his time with Saline Main Street, Hollenbaugh grew and strengthened community partnerships, increased corporate sponsorship for the organization and grew the organization’s volunteer base. Under Hollenbaugh’s leadership, Saline Main Street was selected by the National Main
Street Association as one of the top 10 semi-finalists for the 2017 Great American Main Street Award. “As the EDC works to expand its focus on talent attraction and development. I am happy that we are able to find one of our own young people who was interested in returning home to help us grow and expand our communities,” said EDC President Jon Myers.
Hollenbaugh’s other work experience includes: serving as the executive director for the Grayling Downtown Development Authority, in Grayling, Mich.; serving as a preservation specialist for the Lake City Downtown Improvement and Revitalization Team in Lake City, Colo.; and Hollenbaugh also spent time in Gatlinburg, Tenn., See EDC, Page 2
CONTRIBUTED
Hollenbaugh
Giving it his all
KPC News Service
COLUMBIA CITY – The Three Rivers Running Co. is hosting the eighth annual Veterans Marathon Nov. 11 at the Courthouse Square in downtown Columbia City. The marathon is in honor of those who serve in the military and Three Rivers Running Co. teamed up with the Columbia City Parks and Recreation Department and Time-to-Run Professional Timing to present the Veterans Day event. The event will feature a marathon, half-marathon and 5K. The marathon and half-marathon will begin at 8 a.m. The 5K will be ran at 8:15 a.m. Race registration is now open and ends Nov. 8 at noon. Registration is online only. Any questions should be directed via email at veteransmarathon@3riversrunning. com.
INFORMATION INWhitley County 123 N. Main Street, Churubusco, IN 46723
Telephone: (260) 693-3949
Vol. 1 No. 29
nminier@kpcmedia�com
COLUMBIA CITY — It’s the little things that count. Michael Loper takes that phrase to heart when it comes to Columbia City athletics. Loper isn’t a player on the football field or the baseball diamond, but his behind-the-scenes work is making a difference, not only in the success of Columbia City athletics, but for the community as a whole. Loper was hired in July as the groundskeeper at Columbia City High School, and he’s given his new position his all. “I think he lives here,” Columbia City head football coach Brett Fox said jokingly. “I think they lock him inside the gate when we leave.” Keeping up with the outdoor maintenance is more than mowing the grass once a week. “Even during the week when there’s not a home game, I easily spend two hours on the field — mowing, picking up trash, blowing off the track — I’ll do anything to keep everything nice and clean,” Loper said. A winning record, increasing crowds at football games, peaked
NICOLE MINIER
Michael Loper cleans up the football field after Friday night’s game.
interest in the youth football program and a beautiful field — it all works hand-in-hand for the program. “When you mix in the crowds we’ve been getting and Michael taking care of things the way he
has, it’s helping us to build what we want here at Columbia City,” Fox said. “Our players see the pride he has taken in the field.” In three years there will no longer See LOPER, Page 2
Staff reports
LAFAYETTE —Two Whitley County 4-Hers fared well at the National Youth Engineering Challenge at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds in Lafayette in September. Sarah Palmer, daughter of Mike and Yvette Palmer, competed in the welding competition and finished Palmer in third place. Lincoln Electric, one of the event sponsors, awarded a brand new arc welder to all welding contestants. Palmer competed last year in the electric competition, finishing in first place. In the bicycle competition, Justin Johnson, son of Brian and Colleen Johnson, represented Indiana and Whitley County by winning the bicycle contest. He is See CONTEST, Page 3
Long road ahead as S. Whitley forms Redevelopment Commission By Tyler Roebuck troebuck@kpcmedia�com
SOUTH WHITLEY — Twenty years down the road, you may be surprised to find a bustling downtown, full of active young people, recreation facilities, infrastructure and business success in the small town of South Whitley.
This will not come about spontaneously. It will require hard work and many dedicated hands. At the Sept. 12 town council meeting, Councilmen Randy Cokl, Bill Boggs and Les Hoffman approved a second reading of an ordinance creating the South Whitley Rede-
INWhitley County
NEWS IN BRIEF
By Nicole Minier
123 North Main Street,Churubusco, IN 46723
888-616-1159
Loper’s work at Columbia City H.S doesn’t go unnoticed
Johnson wins national bicycle contest
velopment Commission. While the council is currently in the process of selecting members to appoint to the commission, Hoffman is excited for the future of the town. As he explains, the redevelopment of South Whitley is an integral part of Hoffman’s time as a councilman, and in fact was part of the reason he ran for office. “I looked at several things and why I should run and one of the things that kept coming up was that people would like to have businesses established downtown,” he said. “When you get down
to it, there were a lot of issues such as infrastructure that we’ve looked at, worked on things like potable water and the sewer. We’re looking at street paving and sidewalk improvements.” While Hoffman credits Jon Myers of the Whitley County Economic Development Corporation and Executive Director of Planning and Building Nathan Bilger for their contributions along the way, both men turn the acclaim back to him. Hoffman, they said, has been the one asking tough questions and driving the process along.
Vision for the future
South Whitley was once a booming town, with residents thriving. It is this glance at the past that drove Hoffman to take the lead on redevelopment. “I had the fortune of going to a meeting at the library where there was a film that showed [South Whitley] back in the 40s, and there were 50 businesses in South Whitley at that time,” he said. “People were bustling, you saw people walking up and down the streets very well dressed, very well attended.” See RDC, Page 3