Vol. 38, No. 37
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
of Wabash County Inc. November 2, 2015
www.thepaperofwabash.com Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Early voting has large turnout
Emilie remembered as ‘fun, loving kid’ Southwood volleyball player succumbs to injuries
By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
By Emma Rausch emma@thepaperofwabash.com Southwood High School volleyball player Emilie Harnish, 17, is being remembered as a typical teenager who enjoyed life. On Thursday, Oct. 28, Miss Harnish succumbed to injuries sustained in a two-vehicle accident on Saturday, Oct. 24, just two hours before her volleyball team was to face Rochester High School in the IHSAA Volleyball Sectional finals. According to the Wabash County Sheriff ’s Department, Miss Harnish was southbound on County Road 100 West when she failed to yield to a vehicle at the intersection of State Road 124 and was struck by a vehicle driven by Maureen C. Hall, 57, McComb, Ohio. Miss Harnish and Hall were then flown by Lutheran Air and Samaritan helicopters to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. As of The Paper’s deadline on Friday, Hall was still in critical condition, according to Lutheran Health Network. Hall’s passenger, Vivian Schmidt, 21, Findlay, Ohio, was seven months pregnant and also sustained injuries. She is in good condition but, according to sources, lost her unborn child. Southwood Principal Tim Drake told The Paper of Wabash County that Miss Harnish brought a lot of smiles to people. “I used to help coach youth volleyball and so I got to spend quite a bit of time with her that way so I knew her before I was principal,” Drake said. “She was a fun, loving kid. She was an ornery kid who just liked to have a lot of fun.” Southwood volleyball coach Tom Finicle called Miss Harnish “a unique personality” who “walked to her own drum beat.” “She instantly brought energy to a room when she walked into it,” he continued “Her playful eyes were full of life and her smile always had a mischievous glint to it. Her laugh was loud and everyone knew she was in the room. “She knew no strangers. She would talk to anyone and everyone.” On the volleyball court, Finicle said, she was a true competitor.
Emilie Harnish, a Southwood High School senior and volleyball player, passed away Thursday morning, Oct. 29, after succumbing to injuries she sustained in a two-vehicle accident. Miss Harnish is remembered for her “unique personality” who “walked to her own drum beat,” according to her volleyball coach Tom Finicle. Photo by Emma Rausch “She believed in herself and her abilities,” he said. “She was versatile. She was a big time competitor. And, she loved the big stage. In fact, the bigger the stage the more she like it. She thrived for the pressure situation where her team needed her to come through. “She was hard on herself when she did not per(continued on page 26)
Nearly 300 voters have cast ballots in early voting for the municipal elections in the City of Wabash and the Town of LaFontaine. Wabash County Clerk Elaine Martin said that as of Friday morning, 295 people have voted. “Voting has been going pretty good, although I would always like to see more people take advantage of early voting hours,” she told The Paper of Wabash County. In the 2011 General Election, there were 165 early votes. Voting in the 2015 election has already surpassed that number and, as of this writing, there were still three more days of early voting possible. Martin believes the amount of early voting may also surpass the 2015 Primary Election. “This past 2015 primary we had a total of 302 early votes, so I know we will go beyond that number,” she said. “We would like to see at least 400 to 500 early votes, hopefully that will happen.” Two key races are driving the
Where to vote Where to cast ballots for the Municipal Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3: In Wabash First United Methodist Church 110 N Cass Street Wabash IN 46992 Wellbrooke of Wabash 20 N. Kissinger Drive (SE corner of Alber and 24) Wabash IN 46992 Zion Lutheran Church 173 Hale Drive Wabash IN 46992 In LaFontaine Liberty Township Fire Department 12 S Wabash Ave La Fontaine IN 46940 Voting hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. A photo ID is must be presented before voting.
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Mayoral candidates discuss issues By Joseph Slacian jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com Wabash’s mayoral candidates discussed a variety of issues, during a recent debate at the Historic Eagles Theatre. The candidates – Republican Scott Long, Democrat Margaret
“Boo” Salb” and Independent Wade Weaver appeared in the only debate together prior to the election on Oct. 7 in an event sponsored by the Wabash County Chamber of Commerce and The Paper of Wabash County. (continued on page 11)