Ms. Kristen Gebhart Dr. Jamie Lindsay
797 S Wabash St. • 260-563-0700 • NuStartHealth.com
of wabash county inc. August 14, 2013
www.thepaperofwabash.com
Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Vol. 36, No. 19
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
Wabash man sheds nearly half his body weight by Ashley Flynn features@thepaperofwabash.com Over the past 15 months, Josh Steele, a Wabash resident, has lost 245 pounds, almost half of what he weighed. Josh graduated from Wabash High School where he participated in track, tennis and cheerleading. When he graduated, the 6 foot 9 inch man weighed 260 pounds, which is healthy for his height. Within eight years he gained over 300 pounds, making his heaviest weight 579 pounds. Josh began gaining weight in college after he stopped playing sports and started attending more college parties. “It catches up to you so quick you don’t even realize it,” Josh told The Paper of Wabash. “I got to the point in the 400s where I just quit caring. I would just sleep, and I had no energy.” Being so tall, Josh has always stuck out in the crowd. He loves making people laugh and being surrounded by family and friends, but his weight made him depressed. “I stopped doing things I used to. I would tell my friends I didn’t want to go out. I didn’t want to go to JOSH STEELE HOLDS HIS TRAINER JAKAE friends’ weddings because I didn’t FRANCIS, the owner of F.I.T. Personal Training. have nice clothes to fit me,” he said. Jakae took Josh on as a free client, and Josh has lost “I noticed that clothes were getting 245 pounds in 15 months. (photo provided)
smaller, and I kept having to go up a size, but I was oblivious that there was a problem.” Josh’s eyes opened after a family friend pulled him outside a bar one night and started crying. “He said he was worried about me, and I’ve never seen this guy show emotion. That made me look at myself,” he said. Josh had tried diets, weight loss pills and lifting weights, but nothing was working for him. He lacked the confidence in himself to make a real change. While watching the Biggest Loser with his mother, he noticed they were casting for season nine and decided to give it a shot. Josh made his video on his own because he didn’t want others to know how he felt. He got a call back, but did not make the show. He kept trying every season, but never made it. “I wanted a change, but I thought the only way I could do it was with a TV show. I wanted instant gratification,” Josh said. Later, Josh received a call from Extreme Weight Loss, a newer show. They invited him to a casting call in Chicago, and picked 35 people including Josh to fly to LA. They asked people to lose weight (continued on page 5)
Wabash County Promise exceeds goal
by Kalie Ammons sports@thepaperofwabash.com School registration throughout the county is underway, and already the Wabash County Promise has exceeded their goal to have 50 percent of students in grades K-3 sign up for a CollegeChoice 529 savings account. Nine hundred and thirty students in grades K-3 have signed up for the savings account, which equals approximately 60 percent of the students in those grades. The students signed up during registration from the following schools: Manchester; OJ Neighbors; Metro North; and Southwood. Students from St. Bernard’s and Emmanuel Christian have not yet been calculated into the results. The Y will hold an open house for three nights for those who were unable to attend school registration. Sixty-seven percent of these 930 participants were from O.J. Neighbors and Manchester, with the other third coming from the rural schools. There were a total of 1044 students
in all grades K-12 who signed up for the savings accounts. “This is phenomenal response and each school did an amazing job. The success is a result of our countywide collaborative, Presenting Sponsor, Beauchamp & McSpadden, Inc and Enrollment Sponsor, Parkview Health,” Clint Kugler, YMCA CEO, said in a press release. The Wabash County Promise is in its pilot for this 2013/2014 school year. The Promise states, “Wabash County will support all youth in the development of their college and career identity through college and career discovery, academic readiness and educational savings.” All students in grades K-3 are eligible to participate in the program, which even includes a communitymatching grant. The CollegeChoice529 savings account is just a small step in the overall Promise. While the money is help- A LITTLE GIRL SMILES as she receives her ful to the child’s cause, the Promise first document while signing up for the Wabash County Promise, her first step on her way to college. (photo provided) (continued on page 5)
Takin’ it to the Streets sidewalk sales, Herb Fest and Kunkel Cruise-In taking place this weekend If you are looking for something to do this weekend, be sure to check out what downtown Wabash has to offer. Local businesses are holding their annual Takin’ it to the Streets sidewalk sales, starting on Friday, Aug. 16 and ending Saturday, Aug. 17. These sales will be taking place rain or shine, all day Friday and Saturday. You can stop by Dorothy-Ilene, Market Street Bar and Grill, Make it Your Own Studio, Ellen’s~A Dress to Impress, Precious Gems & Metals, Charley Creek Inn, Borders & Beyond, Stinson’s Trading Post, Pizza King, Helping Hands, the Welcome Center and gift shop, and Thirftalicious to check out the sales. Also, at the Honeywell Center starting on Aug. 17, you can visit the Kunkel Cruise-In to check out all the cars and motorcycles the show has to offer. The Wabash Cannonball will take passengers to other historic sites and events. The Kunkel Cruise-In at the Honeywell Plaza will host cars ranging from Model-Ts to the latest in super cars. Dr. James Ford Historic Home will be free self-guided walking tour of the gardens with an admission fee for house tours. Charley Creek Gardens will be free self-guided tours of formal and natural gardens, waterfall, stone labyrinth, evergreen maze and an Educational Resource Center. The community will also be able to tour the historic Charley Creek Inn and visit its boutique shops for treats and souvenirs. Wabash Herb Fest and Chair Affair and Auction is Saturday, Aug. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Paradise Spring Historical Park located in downtown Wabash. The vendors will be selling herbs, crafts, painting demonstrations and unique garden related items. There are several free educational seminars on herb and garden topics starting as early as 9 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. All four seminars will qualify as Educational Hours for Master Gardeners, but anyone with interest in herbs or gardening are encouraged to attend. This year’s seminars are: Herbal Uses in the Middle Ages; Fairy and Miniature Gardening; Common Weeds that are Great Herbs; and Raising Honey Bees. The Chair Affair Contest voting will be until 2 p.m. with the auction starting at 2:30 p.m. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to local charities. Your entire family can spend an inexpensive day discovering the lovely downtown sites and events in Wabash.