INSIDE
Business.............12 Community Calendar....... 18-19
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Camp Whitley readies for 90th season CONTRIBUTED COLUMBIA CITY — Registration is open for the 90th season of summer fun and enjoyment at Camp Whitley. Camp Whitley, located on the shore SEE CAMP, PAGE 4
Information • INWhitley County 123 N. Main Street, Churubusco, IN 46723
Telephone: (260) 693-3949
Vol. 2 No. 24
NICOLE MINIER
BILL FRIES, OWNER 260-244-3453
For Service of System Call
June 14, 2018
COLUMBIA CITY — The Old Settlers Day Association’s Red Coat members are among some of the most prestigious members of the Whitley County community. That makes Ralph Bailey a perfect candidate for the recognition. The board voted to have Bailey serve as the Old Settlers Day president. “It’s an honor to be named a Red Coat out of all the people who have been named in the past
that I’ve looked up to. It was quite exciting,” Bailey said. Bailey was most recently an interim superintendent at Smith-Green Community Schools, retiring at age 85, and has served 11 different school districts in his career, including all three Whitley County districts. Bailey spent most of his career as superintendent of Columbia City schools and made such an impact that the school’s main office is named after him, the Ralph Bailey Administration
Center. He began his career at Coesse school as a teacher in 1951. Two years later, he became the elementary principal at Etna-Troy, then was a principal at Cromwell school before taking on his superintendent position. Bailey served 23 years as Columbia City’s superintendent and then went onto serve a variety of roles, including interim principal, college classes at Manchester University and interim superintendent for multiple districts, SEE BAILEY, PAGE 2
CCHS hosts 138th graduation commencement BY WHITNEY WRIGHT
for IN|Whitley County
COLUMBIA CITY — Columbia City High School students stood together in groups outside of the gymnasium, laughing and chatting excitedly as they waited to be directed inside for the 138th graduation commencement on June 8. The bleachers inside the gym were packed with family and friends and buzzing with conversation. Promptly at 6 p.m., the band played the processional music and the graduating Class of 2018 filed into the gymnasium. After the Pledge of Allegiance and the national
anthem, Principal Jennifer Reiff took to the podium to deliver a thank-you to the staff and board members of Whitley County Consolidated Schools. She then introduced superintendent Patricia O’Connor, who offered congratulations to the graduating class, thanked all of the parents for entrusting the school with their children and offered a few words of encouragement for the students. “Graduates, be whatever you want to be,” O’Connor said. “Do whatever you want to do. Go wherever you choose to go. But be good. Be a good person.” SEE CC GRADUATION, PAGE 4
Columbia City High School celebrated its graduates Friday evening.
WHITNEY WRIGHT
Churubusco’s Turtle Days set for 2018 festival BY NICOLE MINIER
nminier@kpcmedia.com
CHURUBUSCO — Sometimes, when
new leaders take over managing a festival, especially one as important as Turtle Days,
it may take a year to get their feet under them. That wasn’t the case for new Turtle Days Associ-
HEADWATERS PARK Downtown Fort Wayne
FRIDAY JUNE 15 SATURDAY JUNE 16 SUNDAY JUNE 17 www.bbqribfest.com
INWhitley County
Bart’s Car Store Columbia City
Ralph Bailey is this year’s Old Settlers Day president.
123 North Main Street,Churubusco, IN 46723
(W.A.C. or with approved credit)
2215 E. Paige Rd., Columbia City, IN 46725
Bailey is 2018’s OSD president
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ation President David Murphy and his wife Brittany. The Murphys attended
a Turtle Days Association meeting in September, SEE TURTLE DAYS, PAGE 2