THE PAPER
of Wabash County Inc.
www.thepaperofwabash.com
May 4, 2011
Proudly Serving Wabash County Since 1977
Walk for Kroft Construction continues remodel of Commissioners’ Meeting Room healthy babies
March for Babies will be back in Wabash on May 7 at Paradise Spring Park. Bank Day will be held May 4, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Wells Fargo Bank. Turning in your money on bank day leaves more time for fun on walk day. We will have lots going on this year. There will be clowns, magic, balloon animals, face painting, clowning around and of course our big walk! Dan Gray, from the Wabash Tobacco Free Coalition, will be there with Smokey Susie to show pregnant mothers the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. This year we are taking donations for the Life Center also. Anyone who brings one of the following items will be eligible for a special drawing: diapers size 4-6, baby wipes, Gentle Ease formula, baby food, and cereal, and pre-natal vitamins. Join us at 8 a.m. for breakfast snacks. You also need to get your team registered and have a team picture (Continued on page 7)
In Memoriam Pamela Coble, 48 Virginia Dean, 84 Glen Fry, 87 Jessica Harris, 39 Jennifer Mahan, 36 Cathy Mendoza, 58 Bertha Pennycuff, 82 Janice Powell, 77 Norma Smith, 79 Charles Southwick, 71 Robbie Watson, 72 Trever Williams, 17 Mary Young, 93 Deloris Young, 99
by Danielle Smith Kroft Construction began the demolition of the Commissioners’ Meeting Room, located on the second story of the Wabash County Courthouse, approximately four weeks ago and construction is progressing well. The project was originally expected to take six to eight weeks to complete and cost nearly $60,000. The first payment, totaling $21,081, has already been made. The commissioners, along with County Coordinator Jim Dils, are currently exploring different options for the desk at which the commissioners will sit. They are attempting to find a way to incorporate use of the desks they already have in order to complete the project in the most economical fashion. It is also necessary for the room to be capable of recording the weekly meetings of the commissioners so different technological options are also being explored. In response to the remodel of the room, an auction of surplus
county property will be held June 17. Items from various county departments will be available for purchase including the pews that were formerly used in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room. More information about this auction will follow. Until the project is completed, the weekly meetings of the commissioners are being held in the EOC room, located on the lower level of the Courthouse. At their May 2 meeting, Wabash County Sheriff Bob Land informed the commissioners that 79 inmates are currently being housed at the Wabash County Jail. He also reported that he is currently in the process of hiring two sheriff ’s deputies. He has received 51 applications and will continue accepting applications until May 26. He hopes to complete some interviews this week. Jeff Hobson, C o m m u n i t y Corrections, presented a grant contract from Department of Corrections. County
THE COMMISSIONERS’ MEETING ROOM, located on the second level of the Wabash County Courthouse, is currently being remodeled by Kroft Construction. The project began one month ago and is slated to take another month to complete. Weekly meetings of the commissioners are being held in the EOC room, located in the lower level of the Courthouse. (photo by Danielle Smith) Attorney Steve Downs will review the contract prior to the commissioners’ signing. Central Dispatch and Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Bob Brown reported the water levels for various rivers and lakes around the area. As of the morning of May 2, the Eel River is at a depth of 6.63 feet
and the Wabash River is at 9.23 feet. C o u n t y Coordinator Jim Dils presented correspondence from Mike Howard, Wabash County Plan Commission, regarding a request for assistance with driveway maintenance. Roger Grossnickle’s driveway, which is located between 2nd and 3rd streets in Liberty
by Shaun Tilghman On April 26, Christina Smith, executive director of Questa Foundation for Education, met with several Wabash community leaders to discuss bringing the
Questa Scholars Program to Wabash County. EDG of Wabash County President and CEO Bill Konyha, MSD of Wabash C o u n t y Superintendent Dr.
Sandra Weaver, Wabash City Schools Superintendent Dr. Celia Shand, and Wabash County Chamber of Commerce President Kim Pinkerton attended the meeting,
which was held in the Cloud Club of the Charley Creek Inn, Downtown Wabash. The Questa Scholars Program was begun in 2007 in Allen County and is the only college debt
Classifieds................28-31 Community News ........20-23 D & E.........................9-10 Sports Shorts ................19 Weekly Reports ........12-14
PO Box 603, Wabash, IN 46992 (260) 563-8326
Gifford, county health officer, whose resignation will take effect May 31. Downs will check the proper procedure for filling the position. He plans to confer with Marilyn Custer-Mitchell, chief executive officer of Wabash County Hospital, for her recommendation for the appointment.
Wabash community leaders consider partnership with Questa Foundation
Index
Vol. 34, No. 7
Mills, is used by two M a n c h e s t e r Community Schools buses and various County Highway vehicles. County H i g h w a y Superintendent John Martin will further investigate the request. Dils also informed the commissioners that they must appoint a replacement for Dr. J. Dean
GOT GAS? Customers were lined up past the pumps at Swifty Gas & Foods, 111 N. Wabash St., on May 2 in attempts to fill their tanks while the price was still $4.17 per gallon. At several other stations around Wabash the price for regular unleaded gasoline had already increased to $4.29 per gallon. (photo by Shaun Tilghman)
forgiveness program increasing talent of its kind. Through retention of college this program, quali- graduates in NE fied high school grad- Indiana; and helping uates were granted students who desire the opportunity to to live and work in NE have up to 50 percent Indiana after college of their Questa to graduate with less Scholars loan (up to debt. $20,000 over four According to data years) forgiven if they provided during the graduate college with p r e s e n t a t i o n , a minimum GPA of Northeast Indiana 2.75 and choose to live has experienced a and work in decline in annual per Northeast Indiana for capita personal at least five years fol- income (from 96.2 perlowing graduation. cent in 1994 to 77.4 In 2011, Questa percent in 2009), while Foundation expanded its students are gradthe program to uating with higher DeKalb, Huntington, college debt ($25,246 Kosciusko, and compared to the Whitley counties, national average of with plans to include $24,000). Also, as of all 11 counties in NE 2010, NE Indiana’s colIndiana by 2013. The lege attainment rates goals of the Questa were dipping (26.5 Scholars Program percent compared to include: increasing the state’s 31 percent college attainment and the nation’s 39 rates in NE Indiana; (Continued on page 6)