Kokomo Magazine October 2024 by Towne Post Network, Inc.

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KEY CONTRIBUTORS

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OCTOBER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

DOWN

1. Benchley classic

2. “Could I interrupt?”

3. Figure of interest?

4. Long Island university

5. Bro’s sibling, maybe 6. Mandela’s org.

7. Child’s ammo

8. Certain helicopter 9. Filming locale 10. It tests the water 11. Worn out 17. Court call 19. Take a bough?

22. Little spasms

23. Brown ermine

25. Referee’s guideline

26. Administered with a spoon, say

ACROSS

1. Pantry container

4. “By yesterday!”

8. Kind of sax

12. “I see!”

13. Partake at a feast

14. Combine, as resources

15. Anti-prohibitionist

16. Intensified

18. Common sense?

20. Wine adjective

21. Takes one’s pick

24. More than just ache

28. Pencil filler

32. Capital of France?

33. Flock member

34. Desktop pictures

36. Highland boy

37. Non-alkali

39. Ferociously

41. Journalists, collectively

43. Proof goof

44. Club appearance

46. Hunt illegally

50. Praiseworthy

55. Pride partner

56. Debatable, as a point

27. Soul mate

28. Dieter’s measure

29. Heat, at times

30. In the center of

31. A deadly sin

35. Military trench diggers

38. You can count on them

40. Baby syllable

42. Make known

45. Golden ___ Bridge

47. A bit cracked

48. Revolver innovator

49. Hoopla

50. Band aid

51. Forest female

52. Do some yard work

53. Life story, in brief

54. Novelist Deighton

57. Grandstand section

58. Matterhorn, for one

59. Chapel fixtures

60. Many millennia

61. Abbr. on a road map

Writer / Natalie Platt

Nichole Duff has been with the Kokomo Fire Department for over two decades23 years to be exact. She is currently an EMT at Station 1, but has taken several fire classes and received certifications in various disciplines over the course of her career. Duff is also involved in the Pink Heals Tour and Goodfellows of Kokomo, and also serves as the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) coordinator for the local Fill the Boot campaign - a role she has occupied for 20 years.

“Early on in my firefighter career, the then-MDA coordinator asked if I would help with the campaign by delivering meals and picking up the money bags from all the stations,” Duff says. “Ever since then I’ve been hooked, and became the MDA coordinator the next year.”

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Since 1954, firefighters across the country have collected critical funds in the community, $1 at a time, as part of the Fill the Boot program, to raise money for the MDA, which Duff plays an integral role in for the Kokomo Fire Department. The partnership between MDA and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) began when the IAFF signed a proclamation designating MDA as its charity of choice, vowing to continue raising awareness and funds to ensure effective treatments and therapies are found. The dollars raised through Fill the Boot fund the MDA’s mission of empowering people living with neuromuscular disease to live longer, more independent lives.

“MDA is the number-one voluntary health organization in the U.S. for people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases,” Duff says. “This program raises funds to support MDA’s mission to empower people with neuromuscular diseases to live fulfilling and independent lives. Contributions to Fill the Boot fund groundbreaking research for promising treatments and therapies, and provide families with the highest-quality care from the best doctors and medical teams in the country.”

Duff picks three consecutive days in August for each platoon to collect, while still making fire and medical calls. Before the collection dates, Duff goes into the community to receive donated food for lunch and dinner for all three days for the platoons. After each day, she takes the money collected to a local credit union to count, making it a friendly competition between each station and platoon. When all of the money has been counted, the

Kokomo Fire Department presents a check to an MDA family.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the partnership between the IAFF and the MDA. The Kokomo Fire Department has been collecting for over 50 years, and this year collected a record-breaking $40,000 in three days (August 21, 22 and 23) with six different locations in the city. Last year saw $39,195 collected, ranking Kokomo number-one in the state in terms of fundraising dollars. Fill the Boot has raised over $700 million dollars since 1954, making firefighters the top fundraisers in MDA history.

“The reason the campaign is successful is because of my brothers and sisters at the Kokomo Fire Department,” Duff says. “They have always been 100% engaged in the Fill the Boot campaign, with every single one of our members taking the time to get out in the streets and collect. It’s always nice to engage with the community in a nonemergent scene.”

Duff also looks forward to the MDA summer camp every year. It’s an event for kids and young adults to gain independence, try new things, build confidence, and spend time with peers who understand what it’s like to live with a neuromuscular disease. Duff attends firefighter day at the camp one day a year, to see all of the campers’

smiling faces. “This makes a huge impact on why I continue to be the MDA’s Fill the Boot coordinator,” Duff says. “The most rewarding part of my job is being able to help others and give back to the community. Once you hear the stories of how MDA has helped them, it gives you a sense of purpose of what this is all about and why we do Fill the Boot every year.”

Duff is proud of her role in the Kokomo community.

“It’s a privilege, humbling, and an honor to wear the badge and represent the Kokomo Fire Department,” she says. “I enjoy being able to help others and make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.”

Rescue 1 crew 1st Platoon Captain Lipinski, Chauffeur Duff, FF J. Shaw

The Sound of Strength

Writer / Julie Yates Photographer / Autumn Jackson

Local country singer-songwriter

Keyton Romero has a powerful voice and the ability to play a rousing fiddle. Fans delight in catching her performances around Kokomo in venues such as the Alehouse and the Country Palace, but also at places like the Haynes Apperson Festival and various county fairgrounds. Her love of music inspires her to keep perfecting her craft. However, her career accomplishments are also driven by a dream that was once her mother’s.

Pursuing that path is something Romero feels she was meant to do. No stranger to being on stage, her singing debut was as an angel in a Christmas play at age 5. Romero knew then that she wanted to be a performer, but after her mother, Aimee Romero, tragically died in March 2021, she felt she didn’t have a choice.

“Before I was born, my mom lived in Nashville and was an emerging country artist when she met my dad,” she says. “She had settled there after leaving her teaching job in Kokomo when she divorced her first husband. Her career was progressing; she recorded with Reba McIntire and Martina McBride, and was well on her way when she had me. Family was everything to her, and she decided to give up her singing career and move back to Kokomo to be close to family.”

“My mom always made us feel protected and told us my dad would never hurt us,” Romero adds. “They were in the process of getting a divorce and he had recently learned that the only contact he could have

with me and my siblings were 10-minute phone calls. My mom’s life was taken by my father and then he chose to take his own life. Every day is a different challenge, but I feel it is my duty to finish what she started.”

Although her home base is Kokomo, once a month Romero travels to Nashville and meets with her team, comprised of songwriters and a producer. During her time there she stays with her godparents, Robin and Jimmy Disney. For the past four years she has attended the County Music Association Awards (CMAs) and has a role in prepping the performers backstage. Romero shares that the songwriting sessions are a routine she doesn’t want to break.

“I love writing solo, but I enjoy the collaboration of co-writing more,” she says. “I get to hear all the ideas in the room,

but I also can read the vibe in the room when I present something. I was driving down to Nashville when I got a thought; when parents pass away, you don’t hear your middle name anymore. When I was in trouble, my mom would say, ‘Keyton Grace!’ I took the idea to the session, and we wrote the heck out of it! It’s called ‘Middle Name’ and it’s a kicker.”

Romero is a graduate of Eastern High School, and she grew up doing beauty pageants. She followed in her mother’s footsteps by being crowned Miss Howard County 2021, an honor held by her mother in 1994. From middle school to her junior year, she participated in show choir and musicals, and is grateful for the guidance of Choir Director Karol Evenson. She also appreciates the knowledge she gained from her orchestra teacher, Christian Starnes, who happens to be the bass player in her current band.

As a junior and senior at Eastern, Romero was the first-chair concert master for the violin section. She again held this position as a freshman and sophomore at Anderson University, until she transferred to Indiana University Kokomo. While she was at Anderson she had voice lessons. She also made the jump from playing classical violin to country fiddle.

“Mom made me take violin lessons when I was 8,” she says. “At the time I hated every ounce of it. Now it’s my escape. In the school orchestra we typically played a lot of Beethoven, Mozart, and some contemporary pop music by composers

like John Williams. I taught myself to play country fiddle by watching YouTube videos. Once you have classical training, it’s easy to dance around an instrument.”

Romero and her aunt, Abbee Summers, initiated Aimee’s Hope, a foundation that aids individuals involved in domestic violence situations. Each year the organization sponsors the Aimee Romero Memorial Cupcake 5K Run. Funds raised benefit the Aimee’s Hope Foundation Scholarship, and enable much-needed items to be gifted to agencies such as the Howard County domestic violence shelter.

“I use my music as a platform for raising awareness of domestic violence,” Romero says. “I have been a speaker at Arise Mental Health Ministry Conference. People come up to me and talk because they know my story. COVID was a time when people were locked in situations. Now individuals need to know there is help available to get out of an abusive situation.”

In the future, Romero hopes that her work in Nashville will attract attention of a major record label. In the meantime, she is a cowriter on songs performed by rising stars such as Megan Barker. Romeo’s recorded performances and upcoming schedule can be found on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Sharing that there is “No joy like singing gospel,” Romero volunteers her time by helping to lead worship at her church. She

credits her strong faith and belief in Jesus as the source of her strength in her journey. Her other sources of support stem from her husband and sound man, Dylan Clark, and the presence she feels from her mother when she is writing songs.

“Dylan and I got married March 1, 2024,” she says. “He is my rock, my biggest supporter, my best friend and the love of my life. My mom was the best mom

in the whole world. I feel it’s my job to finish her legacy, but it’s not a job; it’s my love. My faith in Jesus pushes me every day. I know with Jesus everything will be alright and everything is possible. Every trip to Nashville is an aha moment. I learn something new and meet the most fabulous people. When I watch people perform at the CMAs, I feel it. I know this is going to be me.”

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SOLIDARITY COMMUNITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

Amy Benner’s favorite quote, by former head coach of the esteemed University of Notre Dame football program, Lou Holtz, may be the foundation for her success in the Kokomo community:

“Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.”

Benner has surely done that. As the current president and CEO of Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union, she exemplifies profound commitment to both career and community. A Hoosier native, Benner earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business management from Ball State University in Muncie 1994. A Howard County resident since 1995, Benner is strongly rooted in faith and family. She attends Chapel Hill Church and has been married to her husband, Scott, for 29 years. They have two grown children, Brooke and Chase.

In 1998 she began her career at Solidarity as a part-time floating employee. She continued to build upon her education and financial service experience throughout the next 24 years with Solidarity and was named president and CEO in April of 2022. Two years into the role, it’s apparent more than ever that Benner’s leadership and expertise has been key to Solidarity’s management team.

Solidarity continues to build on the strong, communityfocused reputation that members have always been able to count on, with strong leadership in Benner. Her extensive management background and business development acumen, which has been pivotal for Solidarity, helps to build community partnerships, aids in developing strategic initiatives, grows community collaboration and continues the credit union’s growth.

With that, Benner is excited to share great news. “Starting October 1, Solidarity will reduce overdraft fees from $32 to just $19, we will eliminate the fee if the item is less than $5 and we will no longer charge an overdraft transfer fee of $3, further solidifying our commitment to our members’ financial well-being,” she says.

Solidarity aims to empower members to achieve financial stability and success, whether through lower fees, higher savings rates, or personalized financial guidance. They are here to support you every step of the way.

“It’s an honor to serve the residents of Howard, Tipton, Clinton, Carroll, Cass, Miami and White counties,” Benner says. “Our talented team puts us in a strong position in this ever-changing world. You

can always expect excellent service from us at Solidarity.”

Benner loves being involved in the community as well.

“My favorite experience while working here has definitely been the community involvement that we’ve done - the car show and the Kokomo Beach party we do for the kids,” she says. “The community involvement has been great.”

When Benner isn’t at work, you can find her volunteering with United Way, or taking in a Kokomo Jackrabbits, Colts or Cubs game. She also loves golfing and enjoying dinner at her favorite restaurant, the Foxes Trail.

Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union has two locations in Kokomo to serve Howard, Tipton, Clinton, Miami, Cass, Carroll and White counties. Solidarity offers financial services including checking and savings accounts, mortgages, personal loans, and more. Since its founding by Delco Electronics employees in 1954, Solidarity has been invested in the communities it serves.

CONNECT

Writer / Natalie Platt

Pawpular Pets

BANDIT

BETTY

ELLA

FRANK

JULIET

KALUA

LILO AND STITCH SADIE

SNOOPY WAYLON

WITTLE BUDDY ZELDA

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SCHoLArSHIp CAnDIDATES

EACH SHOWING FIRMNESS OF SPIRIT WHILE FACING ADVERSITY

Writer / Julie Yates

Last month, Kokomo Magazine readers were introduced to the nominees for its first Fortitude Scholarship contest. Nominated by their teachers and school administrators, each candidate has worked through challenges. They have used the experience to grow, and the knowledge gained in their journey has given them a pathway to their future. Instead of turning to self-destructive behaviors to fill a void, these teens rose to the challenge. The following is the second part of their inspirational stories of fortitude.

BrooKE MCKoon

TAYLOR HIGH SCHOOL

In the fall of her freshman year of high school, Brooke McKoon lost her older brother in a tragic car accident. Jonathan McKoon was thrown from the back seat of a car during a crash. The 16-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene in the early hours of a Saturday morning in September of 2021.

Now, three years later, McKoon states, “Most days we are getting through it. I’m always telling my friends to be careful when they are driving somewhere. I tell them to make sure they put on their seat belts.”

She remembers the days after Jonathan, who

was a well-liked football player and wrestler, died, saying, “The school was so supportive. There was a vigil held on the football field Sunday night after he died. A bunch of family and friends came.”

Even with the embrace of the community, she found it hard to return to school.

Initially she didn’t want to go back. It was hard not to just give up. “It was the push of my parents to stay on track that kept me going,” she says. “They knew Jonathan wouldn’t have wanted me to fall behind. He would want me to stay in school.”

“My best friend, Brinn, was very

supportive,” she adds. “Her mother had passed away and she knew what I was going through. Together, she and my mom helped me.”

In the fall of 2025, McKoon sees herself heading either to Indiana University Kokomo or Ball State University. She is setting her sights on a criminal justice degree. Since she has received support from the community, her goal is to be on the other side, and in a position to help people.

“I just take it day by day,” she says. “Even though Jonathan isn’t around anymore, I must keep living. And I must live for him.”

TALIAH WrIGHT

KOKOMO HIGH SCHOOL

When asked about herself, the first thing Taliah Wright mentions is how close she is with her family. When her younger sister, Bella, unexpectedly passed away last January, it hit her hard. Since Bella suffered from Dravet Syndrome, a rare and serious form of epilepsy, the family expected her life span to be short. However, she had been very healthy leading up to her death.

“Bella couldn’t walk, talk or do anything by herself,” Wright says. “My brother, Reece, sister, Addie, and I spent a lot of time with her. We had our own way of communicating. My mom is the director of Head Start and Bella went everywhere with her. It was hard. She died at home. We woke up on a Wednesday morning and saw that she had passed on. I decided to go back to school on Friday. It was awkward at first, but school is my safe place. I could be myself and I didn’t have to be the older sister.”

Wright admits that she had some bad days, but it has gotten better. She credits the support of her church youth group at Grace United Methodist, her friends, and caring adults who made the effort to reach out to her. She is grateful for her friend, Karlee, and Karlee’s family, who were there for her in the

days after her sister’s passing. She also names her color guard coach, Mrs. Wideman, as someone who checked in on her.

Her plan after graduating is to become an education major. She would like to follow in her mother’s footsteps and teach. At the present time she is leaning toward attending Indiana University, but she is still visiting other schools.

Wright’s advice to people faced with a loss is to “open up to others. Don’t just keep it in. That can make it worse. My friends have been important to me. It helps to know you have people on your side.”

SopHIA poE

WESTERN HIGH SCHOOL

During her freshman and sophomore years, Sophia Poe was diagnosed with chronic health conditions that caused her to miss a great deal of school. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), polycystic ovary syndrome, and losing the sight in her right eye are responsible for her lack of attendance. At one point she missed six weeks in a row.

“One Wednesday morning of my sophomore year, I couldn’t see out of my right eye,” she says. “I went home after third period and went to the eye doctor who couldn’t find anything wrong. A few days later I couldn’t hold my head up. My mom took me to the ER of Riley Hospital for Children. Numerous specialists ordered an MRI and spinal tap. I went home with a horrible headache but no answers.”

“It has impacted me,” she adds. “With POTS, I can’t overly exert, and I can’t do stairs because if I overheat, my blood pressure drops and my heart rate becomes high. The fear that I will pass out is so awful.”

Poe shares that she is determined to maintain her grades. She must remind herself to push through by asking lots of

questions. When she is tempted just to lay in bed, she sets her mind to be strong.

“I love my friends; they will carry me if I need them to,” she says. “My mom has helped me by talking me through bad times. She reminds me that there are others that have it worse and that I am strong. I won’t let my medical stuff get in my way.”

In the future, Poe would like to become an animal ophthalmologist. She hopes to attend Purdue University. She’d like to help animals with eye conditions.

“It helps to let the teachers know about my illnesses,” she says. “All my teachers have been wonderful, especially Mr. Bowers, who teaches French, and Vice Principal Lewis. A lot of people struggle with things. Don’t give up; push through.”