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March 3, 2021
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Model Train show to benefit Light Up! Peru For the first time, Miami County will have a model train show. Light Up! Peru organizer, Paul Forman has come up with an idea to raise money for Light Up! Peru, that will appeal to train fans as well as every member of the family. The event will be held Saturday, April 3, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Miami County Fairgrounds 4-H Project Buildings, 1029 W 200 N., Peru. There will be over 14,000 square feet of floor space with nearly 100 vendors ready to display their goods. Parking for the event is free. The cost to enter the event is $3 per person or no more than $10 for an entire family. The show will have O, O27, S, G, HO and N scales dealers. There will be Lionel, Scale
Trains, Overland and other Brass and all top name HO and N scale brands being sold. There will be books and memorabilia available. “This is an all-ages show and fun for the whole family. We will have vendors for everyone to enjoy,” Forman said. Although the event is called the 2021 Miami County Model Train Show and Swap Meet, there will be all kinds of vendors at the show. Vendors such as Scentsy, Color Street, Paparazzi, food vendors, matchbox cars and more will be there to appeal to every member of the family. With Peru being an old railroad town the idea of having a model train show sounded like a great idea to Forman. He said, “There are current In the photo is a sample of the type of models that will be at the first Miami County Model Train Show and Swap Meet Saturday, April 3 at the Miam County See Trains, Page 4 Fairgrounds. Photo by Michelle Boswell
Three Miami County children die in house fire over the weekend By Michelle Boswell mboswell@thepaperofmiami.com
The children were all found unconscious and not breathing. Police officers, multiple firefighters, and paraOn Saturday, Feb. 27, a house fire at medics started life-saving measures including Cardiopulmonary 13475 South Miami County Road 300 Resuscitation (CPR). Miracle East, resulted in the deaths of three Gingerich, 6, was transported by children ages 18 months, 5 years and 6 years. ambulance to a Kokomo hospital. According to Sgt. Tony Slocum of the Steven Gingerich, 5, and Wilma Gingerich, 18 months, were transIndiana State Police, at approximately ported by ambulance to Dukes 10:48 a.m., a 911 call was made to the Memorial Hospital. All three chilMiami County Central Dispatch Center dren died. reporting a possible fire at a home at 13475 South Miami County Road, 300 Early evidence indicates that Laura Gingerich was in a downEast. The caller, Laura Gingerich, 27, a stairs bathroom while the children resident of the home, reported heavy were in a second-floor room. Laura smoke and that her three children were From left to right: Miracle Gingerich smelled smoke and tried trapped inside the residence. The first Gingerich, 6, Wilma Gingerich, extinguishing fire unit arrived 16 minto get to her children, but the smoke 18 months and Steven Gingerich, utes after the 911 call came into central was allegedly too thick for her to 5. All three childen died in a reach them. That is when she called dispatch. Fire units made a quick entry house fire over the weekend. 911. into the home and recovered the three This is an active investigation led by the Miami children in a second-floor room that contained heavy County Sheriff's Office in conjunction with the smoke.
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Indiana Fire Marshal's Office. At this time, the cause of the fire nor what caused the children's deaths has been determined. An autopsy will be scheduled. Numerous agencies were assisting the Miami County Sheriff's Office at the scene to include the Amboy Fire Department, the Converse Fire Department, the Galveston Fire Department, the Pipe Creek Fire Department, the Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, and the Indiana Fire Marshal's Office. Two of the three children were students at Pipe Creek Elementary School which is part of the Maconaquah School Corporation. Emails were sent to families who had classmates of Miracle Gingerich and Steven Gingerich. Officials wanted the families to have the opportunity to talk to their children about the loss and begin the healing process at home before going to class Monday. The corporation also sent out the following message to the community through their Facebook account: “To our community - It is with deep sorrow that Maconaquah School Corporation acknowledges the
See Fire, Page 2