Proudly Serving Wabash County for 37 Years!
of wabash county inc. www.thepaperofwabash.com March 12, 2014 Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977 Vol. 37, No. 1
A profile of David John Mills The story of a young man with a bright future who robbed a bank and took his own life
by Eric Stearley eric@thepaperofwabash.com On Jan. 24, the First Financial Bank in North Manchester was robbed at gunpoint. The suspect, David John Mills, rode a bicycle to a parked truck. He got in the black Ford Ranger and drove through town, eventually turning onto State Road 13. John Hammons of the North Manchester Police Department caught up to Mills and followed his truck for less than five miles. It was not a high-speed pursuit. Followed by Hammons, the black truck crossed into Kosciusko County, and as they neared State Road 14, the truck stopped. Moments later, Mills fired a .380 pistol, taking his own life. The events of that day left many in shock, but none more so than those who knew David. His funeral was held on Jan. 31 at DeMoney-Grimes Countryside Park Funeral Home in Columbia City. His obituary reads like that of another person. It would cause anyone to do a double-take as they study the name and date of death to make sure that it describes the young man who cut his own life short after pointing a gun at a bank teller and fleeing with a backpack full of cash. His list of achievements and lack of criminal record suggest a bright young man on his way to a successful, fulfilling life. He graduated from IPFW with a bachelor’s degree in business law in May of 2013. He had recently applied to join the Navy, hoping to become an aircraft carrier pilot. On several occasions, he worked with kids in the Manchester Community School District. No one seems to know what motivated him to do what he did on that January evening. Some things, however, are known about the life of David Mills. While they don’t offer any explanation or insight into the events of that night, they do tell us a bit about David. In the years before his death, David attended Sugar Creek Fellowship. During his time at the church, he developed a strong relationship with Michael and Mary Beth Johnson, the church’s treasurer and administrative director, respectively. With permission from David’s mother, the couple shared their experience with the bright young man. “He was like a son to me, to be honest,” said Mary Beth. “I still haven’t been able to (continued on page 9)
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
Let them eat pancakes! by Mary Fuson-Stearley The batter hit the grill early Saturday morning to kick off the annual Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at the Wabash County Fairgrounds. The fundraising event drew a crowd of 1,000 people, packing the 4-H building wall-to-wall with pancake enthusiasts looking to support local community activities such as Wabash County Schools Reading Program and Special Olympics. Old and young gathered to enjoy a hearty breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and juice while watching the inaugural pancake-eating contest. Jordan Tandy, Pancake Day committee chair, was pleased with the turn out and the amount of money raised. Wabash
County has enjoyed the Pancake Breakfast for years, but the introduction of the pancake-eating contest was what really drew the masses March 8. Three competitions brought together familiar faces from around the community. To kick off the competitions at 10:30 a.m. was a bout between Northfield and Southwood football
teams. Four boys from each team were invited to compete in the mad dash to consume as many pancakes as possible in a matter of 3 minutes. A quiet hush fell over the crowd as the stopwatch started and the boys dug into their plates. As the time ticked on, it became apparent that each individual had his own unique strategy for consumption. For example, one boy from Southwood adopted a chipmunk-style food storage system with his cheeks, while others had a special tearing technique that allowed them to better consolidate the surface area of each pancake being consumed.
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MORE THAN 1000 WABASH COUNTY RESIDENTS showed up for the all-you-can-eat Kiwanis Club Pancake Day at the Wabash County Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 5, 2014. Center: BROOKS FLOHR WAS CROWNED “King of the Pancakes,” besting the competition by putting down 11 pancakes in three minutes. Left: STEAMING HOT PANCAKES were served in the 4-H Building between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Right: CLINT KUGLER, WHO TIED FOR SECOND PLACE, brought his own special syrup to the competition, which he claims gave him an edge in the competition. (photos by Mary Fuson-Stearley)
Stephens to replace Bussard as building commissioner
JOHN H. STEPHENS STANDS IN CITY HALL following Wednesday’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. During the meeting, Mayor Robert Vanlandingham announced that Stephens will be filling the city’s building commissioner position when Ron Bussard retires in late April. (photo by Eric Stearley)
by Eric Stearley eric@thepaperofwabash.com During the March 5 meeting of the Wabash City Board of Public Works and Safety, John H. Stephens was appointed to take over as Building Commissioner following Ron Bussard’s retirement in April. “I’ve been in the process of trying to find his replacement, and I’m happy to say here today that I have found one,” said Mayor Robert Vanlandingham. Spending most of his career in the field of land surveying, Stephens was most recently employed as a project manager for ForeSight Consulting, a land surveying and engineering firm with offices in Fort Wayne and Wabash. He is also the owner of his own private land surveying and civil engineering firm, John H. Stephens, R.L.S. Inc., located on Wabash Street across from the courthouse. Stephens worked as the Wabash County Surveyor for 14 years starting in 1989 and served as president of the Indiana County Surveyors Association from
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