Vol. 38, No. 30
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. September 16, 2015
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Mayor McCallen remembered as visionary
Park bomb threat still under investigation
By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com F o r m e r Wabash Mayor Robert McCallen Jr. is being remembered as someone whose love of Wabash will be felt for years to come. M a y o r McCallen passed away Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015, at St. Vincent Heart Center in ROBERT Indianapolis. He MCCALLEN JR. was 88. Mayor McCallen served in office from 1996-2000. His administration was instrumental in beginning the city’s downtown Streetscape program, and also moved Wabash City Hall from its former location at 101 S. Wabash St., to its current site, 202 S. Wabash St. He also was the driving force behind the Riverwalk in the lower level of Paradise Spring Historical Park. Mayor Robert Vanlandingham called the Riverwalk “a prime example of his vision for Wabash, and it will be enjoyed for many years to come.” “Mayor McCallen is gone but his legacy will live forever,” Vanlandingham said. “He worked hard at doing what he thought was best for his community both during his years as mayor and after. “Mayor McCallen will be missed but never forgotten.” Wabash Clerk-Treasurer Wendy Frazier also praised Mayor McCallen for the vision he brought to the city. “He brought imagination, wisdom and foresight to Wabash that was unprecedented,” she said. “I was very saddened to learn of his death and wish his family comfort and peace.” An Effingham, Ill., native, McCallen served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Following the war, he enrolled at studied at Eastern Illinois University before graduating with bachelor and master degrees from Indiana State University. Mayor McCallen’s career was extremely diverse. He ran a camp for crippled children in Springfield, Ill., taught (continued on page 2)
By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com
Firefighters remember 9/11 attacks By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Firefighters from around Wabash County honored their fallen comrades on Friday, Sept. 11. Representatives from eight local departments and one from Howard County spent the day climbing stair steppers the equivalent of 110 stories, the height of the World Trade Center buildings that were attacked and collapsed 14 years earlier. The program was done in honor of the 343 New York City firefighters who died in the collapse, as well as three local firefighters who died while in the line of duty here. The program, now in its third year, started as a challenge between Wabash firefighters Jeff Krom and Dennis Vigar. The pair, accompanied by family
members, were on the stair steppers at 7 a.m. The fellow firefighters began the process at 5 a.m. and continued through 7 p.m. in one-hour intervals at the Wabash County YMCA. Vigar and Krom completed their walk in full gear, complete with air tanks on their backs. “They didn’t have a choice,” Vigar said of the New York firefighters. “To truly honor them, I try to do the equivalent of what they had to.” Krom added, “It does make it tougher.” In addition to honoring their fallen brothers in uniform, the pair decided to raise money to help send a child to the Indiana Burn Camp in Battle Ground. Their goal was $1,100, and they believe (continued on page 16)
Last week’s bomb threat is still an open investigation, according to Sgt. Matt Benson, the Wabash City Police Department public information officer. At approximately 2:42 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Wabash County Central Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call stating that there were explosives located at the City of Wabash’s park on Hill Street. The caller did not identify if it was Wabash City Park or Hanna Park, localed on West and East Hill Street, respectively. Wabash City Police responded to both the City Park and Hanna Park to close and evacuate the vicinities, according to a press release. Additionally, the Dallas Winchester Senior Center was also evacuated as a precaution. Both parks remained closed until approximately 5:06 p.m. after K9 explosives detection units from Cass County and Howard County surveyed the areas. The Senior Center also was searched, as were the vehicles of Center employees that were left unlocked in the parking lot. No explosives were found at any of the sites. The call was traced on the day of the explosives threat, according to Benson. Wabash Police Capt. Jim Kirk is following up with the phone companies to try to identify the caller. Wabash City Fire, Wabash County EMA and Wabash County Sheriff ’s Department assisted at the scene.
Local 12-year-old attempts to raise $20,000 for cancer research By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com September is National Children’s Cancer Awareness Month and Karsyn Bratch is aiming to raise $20,000 to donate to the Jeff Gordon Pediatric Cancer Research Center at Riley Hospital for Children during the second annual Kick-It with Karsyn event on Saturday, Sept. 19. This year, more than 29 teams have signed up for the event to support Karsyn, a Wabash native who was diagnosed with optic glioma – a type of brain tumor that affects the eyes – in 2007 when she was 4-years-old.
The number of teams more than tripled since last year’s event and will include teams led by all three Wabash City mayoral candidates, Scott Long, Margaret “Boo” Salb and Wade Weaver, according to Larry Graff, national Kick-It organizer and Kick-It with Karsyn game organizer. “Last year, we only had eight teams so we’re going to be using all of the fields at the Morrett (continued on page 25)
Karsyn Bratch, a Wabash 12-year-old who was diagnosed with cancer at age 4, will be attending this weekend’s Kick-It with Karsyn event, aiming to $20,000 for pediatric cancer research. Photo provided