Vol. 38, No. 2
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. March 18, 2015
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
‘Mom led the way for Dad’
Local couple passes away within hours of each other By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com
On Wednesday March 11, James William “Bill” Owen and his wife of 68 years, Joan, passed away within 17 hours of each other. Joan was the first to pass at 2 a.m. at Autumn Ridge Rehabilitation Centre. Bill followed later that evening at 7:30 p.m. in his home in Wabash surrounded by family and loved ones. “The real story of their love was how they decided to leave together I think,” said Nancy Barton, the Owens’ second daughter in an interview with The Paper of Wabash County. “It’s just uncanny and perfect timing. A divine hand in things that had we tried to plan it any better we couldn’t.” The couple had passed away after Joan’s health had steadily declined from a 12-year battle with Alzheimer’s and Bill’s prostate cancer recently resurfaced. Through the
years, however, no matter their health issues, the pair was “an incredible team,” a means of endearment for each other by working together, according to their daughter. “When they travelled, my dad did not know how to read a map well and to navigate well, but my mom had an impeccable sense of direction from my grandpa who was the pilot, the early barnstormer,” Mrs. Barton said. “So Mom was always the navigator and I feel that, (on Wednesday), that Mom navigated the way. She led the way for Dad.” I take thee to be my lawfully wedded Born in 1925, Bill lived in Gary until he was 10-years-old when he moved to Lincolnville to live with his grandparents and help them with daily chores, including plowing the family farm. Wabash couple Bill and Joan Owen passed away within 17 hours of each Joan Rettig was born in 1926 in Wabash. other on Wednesday March 11. The pair’s second daughter Nancy Barton said One day, her father, George Rettig, one of that her parents showed their love for each other by always working as a team, the first barnstormer pilots in Indiana, flew with both daily chores and parenting their three children. Photo provided (continued on page 4)
School funding dominates legislative update By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Preliminary figures in the Indiana budget show that MSD of Wabash County and Manchester Community Schools could see slight funding increases the next two years, while Wabash City Schools could see funding cuts. That was the word Saturday morning, March 14, from State Sen. Amanda Banks, who was speaking at a legislative update sponsored by the Wabash County Chamber of Commerce and the Wabash County Farm Bureau. “This is very preliminary and this is based off the House budget,” Banks, RColumbia City, told about 30 people gathered at the Chamber conference room. “Overall, MSD of Wabash County is going to be up 2.3 percent in the first year and 3.3 (percent) in the second. “Wabash City is down 2.9 in the first, 2.7 in the second year, and Manchester is up 1.2 in the first year and 3.1 in the second.” Lawmakers, she said, are in the process of adjusting the school funding formula, noting they are trying to come up with a “fairer” way of determining the funding amount. “Right now they are considering basing it off the number of students receiving a free lunch, as opposed to a free or reduced lunch,” Banks said. “Or free text books, which were more
recently used. If that was adjusted you might not see that go down as much for the schools here.” Full-day kindergarten could also play a factor in funding. “The other line item that I understand the House didn’t do a lot of work on is the career and technical education,” Banks continued. “Those numbers are primarily going down in this budget, but the Senate is really the ones doing the work on that to figure out what the numbers should be. So it’s almost like a placeholder right now.” State Rep. David Wolkins, R-Warsaw, said overall there is more state funds in education. “The question is who gets it?” he asked, rhetorically. “Do the growing school corporations which have been penalized in the past get it? Or, do schools that are losing students get it?” Schools are likely to receive more funding per student, but those schools that are seeing a decrease in enrollment with see less state funding, he said. Some educators in the audience spoke out on the funding issue. Wabash City Schools teacher Randy Lepage thanked the lawmakers for their efforts in trying to reduce the number of hours needed for ISTEP testing. But, he asked, what the lawmakers (continued on page 15) (continued on page 4)
Not guilty pleas entered for shooting suspect By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Preliminary pleas of not guilty were entered Tuesday afternoon, March 10, in Wabash Circuit Court for Joshua L. Wright. Wright, 24, is facing charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery and illegal possession of chemical reagents or precursors. The charges stem from the March 4 shooting of Wright’s great-uncle, Terry Larry Lane, at a home in rural North Manchester. During the hearing, Judge Robert McCallen III read a description of each charge to Wright, who said he under-
stood the c h a r g e s against him. In addition to entering the preliminary p l e a s , McCallen appointed Marion attorney Craig Persinger as Wright’s pauJOSHUA LEE per counsel. WRIGHT B e f o r e appointing the attorney, the judge had to (continued on page 5)
Somerset local selected as 500 Festival Princess By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com Somerset resident Jenna Schmidt was chosen to be a 2015 500 Festival Princess, officials with the 500 Festival Committee recently anno unced.. Schmidt and 32 other women across Indiana were named princesses and will serve as ambassadors of the 500 Festival and Indiana now through May. “For more than 50 years, the 500 Festival Princess Program has recog(continued on page 14)
Jenna Schmidt, a local Southwood High School graduate, was chosen as a 500 Festival Princess alongside 33 other Indiana, college-aged women. Schmidt is currently studying a dual major in Special and Elementary Education at Purdue University. Photo provided