Vol. 39, No. 2
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. March 23, 2016
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Weekend accident claims two lives Area teen succumbs to injuries received in March 13 crash
By The Paper staff The Indiana State Police is investigating a two-vehicle crash that occurred late Saturday night, March 19, and claimed the lives of two Grand County women. Meanwhile, a Huntington teenager, Connor Lynch, who was injured in a March 13 accident in Wabash County, has died from his injuries, Sheriff Bob Land reported
The accident, on State Road 15, one-half mile north of County Road 900 S, occurred at approximately 10 p.m. According to a news release from the Indiana State Police: Trooper Michael Biggs reported that a 2006 Toyota SUV driven by Emily J. Bowyer, 27, of Wabash County, was traveling north on State Road 15 when for an unknown reason, it traveled left of center. Bowyer’s vehicle struck a southbound
2015 Lexus SUV head-on. As a result of the crash, passenger Barbara J. Dryer, 69, was fatally injured and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Lexus, Phillip E. Stephenson, 70, and another passenger, Sharon K. Stephenson, 67, were transported to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. Stephenson died from her injuries early Sunday morning. (continued on page 12)
Vietnam vets receive honor By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
LAKETON – Vietnam veterans from around the area were honored Friday morning during a veterans town hall meeting at The Wabash County Chamber of Commerce honored the Curless family on Tuesday, March 15, as the 2015 Farm Family of the Year. Following the award banquet, the Curless family posed for a photo with Chamber members and the Salute to Agriculture Board. Those posing for the photo include (front row, from left) Curt Campbell, Kim Pinkerton, Toni Benysh, Jeannette Renbarger, Anne Curless, Brenda Curless Burkholder, Debbie Curless, Randy Curless, Howard Halderman, Jay Vanderburg, (back row, from left) David Smith, Larry Curless, Todd Reyburn, Tom Holloway, Kayla Oyler Nolan Holloway and keynote speaker Robbie Hummel. Photo by Emma Rausch
Curless family honored at Salute to Agriculture By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com The Wabash County Chamber of Commerce honored the Randy and Larry Curless family on Tuesday, March 15, as the 2015 Farm Family of the Year. The family was honored at the sixth annual Salute to Agriculture, an event that commemorates achievements in agriculture both locally and globally. In today’s agriculture, a farming operation is like a manufacturing facility,” according to Howard Halderman, event emcee. “They’re a multi-million dollar operation and they operate like some of these manufacturing facilities you drove by coming out here this evening,” he told the audience Tuesday night. In recognition of National Agriculture Day, Halderman cited agricultural facts and how it’s important to all communities.
“Agriculture contributes $44.1 billion to Indiana’s economy, creates 190,000 jobs,” Halderman told the audience. “I know in Wabash we’re pretty excited if we get an employer that brings 100 or 200 jobs. Agriculture is 190,000 and I can tell you if you added up the whole farm operations in the county, we’d be up (in jobs).” In 1902, a U.S. farmer fed 19 people, he continued. “So we’ve got around 130 people here tonight. Nineteen of you one farmer would have fed in 1902,” he said. “In 1970, the U.S. farmer fed 26 people, so that 37 percent increase over a long period of time. Today, one U.S. farmer feeds 155 people, more than the people we have in this room, and that’s over the last, basically, 43 years. A 496 percent increase in the last 43 years. “That’s a testimony of the technology in agri(continued on page 11)
Related story Page 24 the Laketon American Legion Post. Michael Stephens, director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Indianapolis Regional Office, presented about 30 veter(continued on page 12)
VA official Michael Stephens presents a lapel pin to Vietnam veteran Jeff Brooks. Photo by Joseph Slacian
Election Board tests county voting machines By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com The Wabash County Election Board met on Friday, March 18, to check out the voting system to be used in the May 3 Primary Election. Board members Mary Brane, Betty Hamlin and County Clerk Elaine Martin, along with Deputy Clerk Teresa Ehret, cast a variety of ballots on machines set up in the clerk’s office at the Wabash Judicial Annex. The test is necessary prior to the election to make sure the machine and vote-recording sys(continued on page 12)
Election Board member Betty Hamlin tests the voting machine with thehelp of County Clerk Elaine Martin. Photo by Joseph Slacian