the Paper - Kosciusko County Edition - March 15, 2023

Bixler’s idea for Poss-ABILITIES becomes a reality

Mikaela Bixler spent many years in 4-H, but it wasn’t until after she left the program that she came up with the idea for Poss-ABILITIES, which “strives to ensure that youth of all backgrounds and abilities have access to all 4-H opportunities.”

“I studied human services at Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne. I missed being in 4-H and was reminiscing about it’s impact on me,” she said. “I started researching special needs livestock shows and accessibility within the 4-H program.

“I wanted to make 4-H more accessible and offer more accommodations for people to participate in the program. I was a sophomore in college and went home to Warsaw to present the idea to the 4-H council. That’s how it was born,” said Bixler.

Bixler added, “Poss-ABILITIES started in 2016. Skylar Payton was one of the first participants. Both participants showed sheep that year. It was really inspirational to see the parents and kids take a chance on this new program. They worked together to make this a very positive experience.

“We had to figure out how to make the show arena more accessible to Skylar and her wheelchair. The typical flooring is sawdust. I had volunteers pack down the sawdust, allowing her wheelchair to work in the arena/show barn.

“Some volunteers came up

with the idea of making a stand that hooks to her wheelchair so she could drive the wheelchair and the lamb could walk next to her,” she said.

Bixler explained how volunteers helped train the animals.

“The volunteers worked with the lamb to train it. Skylar had to learn how to drive the wheelchair softly for the lamb to cooperate. Now Skylar has started showing calves. They altered the stand so it could fit a calf’s head. A volunteer trained a calf by having it walk next to a golf cart.

“Any youth grades K-12 can participate. They do not have to tell us about any diagnosis. We do not turn anyone away. They just need to include some info on what their child’s obstacles are so they can be successful,” she said.

Elaborating on how students get involved, she said, “They attend an initial meeting with participants and volunteers. They are paired with a mentor family who is paired with a species the child wants to show. They have an initial meeting and have animal visits. They learn how to feed the animal.

They have to do three farm visits and then can show in the showcase.

“They learn how to care for an animal, but it is also about developing social skills and building friendships and relationships.

“We just want to be mindful and open to all people and their abilities and backgrounds.

It was really cool to see this happen naturally. The mentors have noted how it’s helped them learn how to teach someone and be a leader while being more understanding and compassionate,” she said.

Speaking of the showcase, she added, “They go out in the arena together the day of the show. It’s a noncompetitive showcase. We have a guest judge who asks the Poss-ABILITIES kids questions. Both the mentor and the participant talk to the judge and answer questions. This gives them some experience in public speaking as well.

“Participants in PossABILITIES are 4-H’ers. They have the ability to participate in workshops, camps, club meetings, gen-

Continued on page 3

K NOW Y OUR N EIGHBOR

Zach Sipic swims with a passion

Like most parents of two school-aged children, Zach Sipic’s parents are busy people.

Aside from their own work and personal schedules, they spend many of their evening and weekend hours making sure the fourth grader and his seventhgrade sister, Savannah, are where they need to be with the right sports equipment or other relevant gear packed and in the car.

This is especially true for Zach, a student at Woodview Elementary in Nappanee. In the fall and spring, he busies himself with youth league football and baseball, respectively. He’s also a key member of one of the best elementary school robotics teams in the world, the Woodview Eaglebots.

But, if you ask him, he’ll tell you his true extracurricular passion is in the water as a member of the WaNee Waves swim team. It’s his favorite for a pretty good reason: He’s pretty darned good at it.

At the recent 2023 USA Divisional Swim Meet, the 10-yearold had qualifying times for the state finals in a whopping 10 events. Unfortunately, he can’t participate in all the races for

which he qualified since the guidelines only allow him to enter six events at the state com-

petition, which will take place March 17-19 at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis. Although he’s capable of swimming all four strokes at a variety of distances, he says his favorite race is the 50-yard freestyle, calling it “the most fun.”

“I’ve been swimming for five years,” said Zach, who practices at NorthWood High School four days a week. “I like being in the water a lot. I see a lot of Olympic swimmers and I want to be like them when I grow up. That makes me want to practice more.”

“He keeps us busy,” noted his mother, Jade. “Sometimes flyers from school get ‘lost’ because he would want to do them all. Luckily we’ve started to pare some things down and he’s kind of focusing in on a few things. But he really is competitive, and I think what he likes about swimming is looking at the lane next to him and figuring out how he’s going to beat him.”

Zach and his family moved to Nappanee in 2017 from suburban Chicago. His father, Zoran, a talented artist and musician, is a native of the Windy City, while his mother grew up in Nappanee and graduated from

NorthWood, where she now serves as the dean of secondary education.

In school, Zach says his favorite subject is math. “Sometimes its a challenge, and I kind of like that,” he said. “I like robotics because it’s also a challenge. There are always problems and we have to learn how to fix them.”

The Indiana State VEX Robot-

ics competition takes place the weekend after swimming state, so Zach will have back-to-back weekends competing for state championships in Indianapolis.

“He’s a smart kid, talented, competitive, just like me,” said his dad with a chuckle. “When he has his mind set on something, he’ll keep doing it until he gets good at it. His recent interest is in the Rubik’s Cube. He mastered it in a day after a lot of YouTube videos. He can do it in a couple of minutes now. When he puts his mind to it, he can be good at pretty much anything.”

Bixler’s idea

Kosciusko County seeks input on parks master plan

The Kosciusko County Parks & Recreation Board has been working on developing its first five-year park master plan to help establish a vision and priorities to guide the establishment of a county parks and recreation system.

The plan seeks to address the needs of residents and visitors by providing access to quality parks and recreational amenities. The draft Kosciusko County Parks Master Plan is now ready for public review.

Now through April 6, the Kosciusko County Parks & Recreation Board needs to hear your input on the action strategies you would like to see started in the next five years. There are multiple opportunities for you to share your input that includes filling out the public review form at tiny.cc/ ReviewKosciuskoParksPlan (the link address is case sensitive) and visiting one of the three public open houses. The Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board and Steering Committee will host three public open houses from 5-7 p.m. on:

year parks master plan to ensure that Kosciusko County residents’ priorities are being heard and incorporated,” said parks and recreation board member Mike Cusick.

“We encourage everyone to attend one of the upcoming public open houses or share your input by filling out the public review form to make sure the plan is representative of the interests and needs of the community.”

The draft plan is available for electronic review at kcgov.com/department/board. php?structureid=235. Hard copies of the draft plan and the public review form are available at any of the local public libraries and municipal clerk offices in the county.

The Kosciusko County Parks & Recreation Board kicked off the planning process in September 2022 and was built

upon community engagement efforts to guide the establishment of a vision and mission for the board, the major challenges and gaps and priorities to guide implementation efforts over the next five years.

Engagement efforts so far have included holding monthly project meetings that were open for public attendance, conducting stakeholder interviews and issuing a public input survey that was available as an online and paper survey from Nov. 30, 2022, to Jan. 11, 2023, and received responses from 500 county residents.

If you need assistance filling out the public review form or other questions related to the county’s parks master plan, please contact Donny Ritsema with MACOG at dritsema@macog.com or (574) 287-1829, ext. 503.

Area student performed with Trine wind ensemble

forming Arts.

eral projects, trips, and other life skills such as creative writing, shooting sports and fire education, etc. All these opportunities are open to the students.

Continued from page 1 “We’re trying to get organizations that serve the population to come set up booths and celebrate Poss-ABILITIES. We have not confirmed any organizations yet, but we are looking at getting counseling agencies, as well as case management and social services organizations involved.”

“It started as a small idea. I presented it and everyone embraced it. It became this program with a committee and a committee with a culture.

Bixler issued a call for involvement by outside organizations and agencies.

Yakym sets office hours for March

U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym, RDistrict 2, has set office hours for March in the 11 counties of Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District.

Following are some of the times and places in the area Yakym’s staff will be available to the public:

Kosciusko County: 10 a.m. to noon Friday, March 31, KEDCO, 207 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw.

Fulton County: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays in March, Rochester District Office, 709 Main St., Rochester.

Marshall County: 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, March 15, Plymouth City Hall, mayor’s office, second floor, 124 N. Michigan St., Plymouth

For more information, contact one of Yakym’s offices: Rochester, (574) 223-4373; Mishawaka, (574) 204-2645; and Washington, D.C., (202) 225-3915.

• Tuesday, March 14, at the North Webster Community Center, North Webster.

• Thursday, March 16, at the Bell Memorial Public Library, Mentone.

• Tuesday, March 28, at the Warsaw Community Public Library, Warsaw.

“It’s critical for the county parks and recreation board to gain public input on our five-

The Trine University Wind Ensemble celebrated 20 years of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” with its “Sailing the High Seas” concert, beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, in the T. Furth Center for the Per-

The following area student performed with the wind ensemble: • Ryan Hoak of Warsaw, performing on trumpet. Hoak is majoring in civil engineering.

‘the PAPER’ reserves the right to refuse for publication any advertising that is considered offensive, misleading or detrimental to the public, the newspaper or another advertiser and to edit advertising at its discretion.

Publisher, Ron Baumgartner rbaumgartner@the-papers.com

Business Manager, Annette Weaver .................aweaver@the-papers.com

Editor-In-Chief, Deb Patterson dpatterson@the-papers.com

Editor, Lauren Zeugner ...........................lzeugner@the-papers.com

Warsaw Office Manager, Stasia Hudak ...............warsaw@the-papers.com

Director Of Marketing, Steve Meadows smeadows@the-papers.com

Advertising Manager, Bill Hays .......................bhays@the-papers.com

Advertising Representative, Carl Lauster clauster@the-papers.com

Advertising Representative, Susan Stump sstump@the-papers.com

Circulation Manager, Jerry Long jlong@the-papers.com Commercial Printing Sales Representative Rodger Salinas .............................rsalinas@the-papers.com

Commercial Printing Customer Service Tina Carson tcarson@the-papers.com Rich Krygowski ...........................rkrygowski@the-papers.com

‘Let’s ‘Meat’’ theme for annual county extension meeting

“Let’s ‘Meat’” is the theme for the 2023 Kosciusko County Extension annual meeting. This year’s event will be at 6 p.m. Monday, March 27, at the Maple Leaf Farms corporate office, 101 E. West Church St., Leesburg.

The evening will include food, fellowship, extension news, announcement of the Extension All Starts and “Heart of 4-H” recognition.

Deb Treesh, executive director of “Hoosiers Feeding The Hungry” is the guest speaker. Learn how “Hoosiers” is bringing protein to Indiana tables and how Kosciusko County 4-H’ers contribute.

Treesh is a native of Fort Wayne and a graduate of Wayne High School. She and her husband, Doug, have four children and reside in Corunna.

As executive director, Treesh develops and implements budgets, works closely with the board of directors, serves as public relations director and leads in all daily operations. She has also served on the board of directors for the Community Harvest Food Bank for the past 17 years.

Treesh began building a foundation nonprofit experience in 2005, serving as the lead volunteer for Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.

Under her management, Indiana became the highest ranking

chapter for growth and productivity in the United States. She built on this foundation to begin a new venture.

The new undertaking began with a donation to the Community Harvest Food Bank. Treesh learned meat donations were greatly needed and the most difficult to procure.

In 2011, the mission to provide nutritious meat to Indiana’s families was set in motion. Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry literally began within the walls of the Treesh home.

Her vision to create a healthier Indiana started with hard work and determination, one employee and 16 meat processors that covered a nine-county territory.

Eleven years later, there are four employees, an office in Garrett, and 88 meat processors located throughout the state of Indiana that cover a 58-county territory.

Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry uses local resources, local people and local services to provide meat to hunger relief agencies throughout Indiana. In the first year, most donations were venison. With time, other food animal donations grew from 14,947 pounds to a record 202,574 pounds. Five hundred agencies now receive an average of 44,790 pounds of venison and 108,857 pounds of food animal meat each year.

Over a 10-year span, donations have provided over 6,154,759 high protein meals to needy families.

Its mission is “making a positive impact on the quality of life for Hoosiers by providing nutritious meat (protein) to hunger relief agencies within Indiana ... One Pound at a Time.”

The agency’s vision is to “ensure all Hoosier have access to good quality, nutritious meat (protein) — creating a stronger, healthier Indiana.”

The cost is $10 per person, payable at the door. Reservations need to be made by Wednesday, March 22, by calling (574) 3722340.

Registration for annual outdoorswoman workshop open

Registration for the annual Becoming an Outdoorswoman workshop, which is open to women ages 18 and older, in now underway.

This year’s BOW workshop will be held May 5-7 at Ross Camp in West Lafayette.

The BOW program is designed for women to learn outdoor skills in a relaxed, low-pressure environment. Participants will choose four activi-

ties from more than two dozen offerings, including fishing, archery, geocaching, wild edibles, wildlife tracking, shooting muzzleloader guns and outdoor cooking.

The workshop is for women who have never tried these activities, but have hoped for an opportunity to learn; who have tried them but are beginners hoping to improve; or who know how to do some of the activities,

but would like to try new ones. Women who enjoy the camaraderie of individuals with similar outdoor interests and who seek time away to reconnect with nature are also prime candidates for BOW.

Registration, which closes when there are 100 registrants, is available at indianabow.com. The cost for the workshop is $275, which includes all equipment, meals and lodging.

Kosciusko cattlemen celebrate 50 years

The Kosciusko County Cattlemen’s Association celebrated 50 years Tuesday, March 7, at their annual meeting. The association hosted a dinner in Leesburg and founding member Leon Tucker spoke, recounting various achievements the group has made in the past 50 years.

Other featured speakers included Jeff Sherfield, president of the Indiana Beef Cattleman’s Association, and Emma Melcher, IBCA’s consumer education and production relations director.

The Kosciusko County Cattlemen’s Association was founded in 1973 by cattlemen Leon Tucker of Milford, Everett “Buss” Tom of Leesburg, Ernie Rhoades of Pierceton and extension educator Don Frantz.

When the group was started, Kosciusko County was populated with cattle feedlots, KCCA director Bruce Lamb said. The county was also home to many major feedstock companies.

“The purpose of the organization was to promote the production of quality beef; sponsor education programs and demonstrations for cattle producers of Kosciusko County; promote cooperative programs of improvement, marketing and promotion of Kosciusko County cattle; and develop leadership and unity of purpose among producers of the county,” Lamb said, reciting the mission of the organization.

Looking back at the highlights, Tucker noted several things that had a personal impact on him. Among them were bringing beef to the classroom at the local high school, the Kosciusko County Showcase Sale and the purchasing of 4-H beef animals.

“It was to all our benefit for them to start this organization,” Lamb said.

He listed 14 different initiatives the association either sponsored or hosted throughout the years, including beef promotion at local supermarkets, the Beef Up the Blood Supply campaign with the Red Cross, hosting state beef field days, offering a 4-H beef scholarship and giving Ag Day presentations for county children in the fourth grade, among other things.

Kosciusko County is home to two IBCA presidents: Lamb, who is the current president, and Bob

Biship of Leesburg. Lillie Rookstool of Oswego served as president of the National Cattlewomen’s Association. Tucker and Tom, two of the founding members, have received the Outstanding Cattlemen Award.

Other members receiving various cattlemen awards include Vic Virgil in 1985, John Camden in 1998, Brian Deatsman in 2009 and Scott Nelson in 2010.

The KCCA received the IBCA Outstanding Affiliate in 1976, 1983, 1985, 1986, 2000 and 2002. The award has since been discontinued.

“Maybe that’s why it’s not given, because we’ve won it quite a few times,” Lamb said, eliciting a laugh from the members.

The 2022 county born and bred winners and the 4-H consumer beef project winners were recognized during the meeting. Awardees include Collin Deatsman, Caleb Lechlitner, Haley Nelson and Hayden Lechlitner.

Crestview Farms in Syracuse was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Dennis and Lesley Darr, Scott and Kelly Kaiser and Jon and Katie Lechlitner received the honor.

Other awards given include the Ribeye Award, given to a youth who shows outstanding service at the KCCA fair stand, and the Beef Promoter/Supporter Award recipient was Aubrey Miller of Pierceton. The Beef Promoter/ Supporter Award winner was Scott Sands of Silver Lake.

Sherfield offered an update on the happenings within Indiana Beef. The latest is Country-ofOrigin Labeling, or the American Beef Labeling Act, which is back before Congress. IBCA is fighting against this due to the agreement the United States made in 2015 with the World Trade Organization to discontinue county-of-origin labeling.

“The United States had a $1 billion judgment against us if we did not get rid of COOL. One billion dollars. That stayed in place, so if that comes back in violation of the World Trade Organization, Canada and Mexico can force that to go into effect, plus, on top

of that, trade tariffs,” he said.

Melcher gave an update on educational opportunities in the cattle industry. She reported that the IBCA offers a scholarships for high school seniors and college students within the organization, which are available until April 10. Hoosier Beef Congress drew in about 1,200 youth showmen.

She encouraged everyone to reach out with their concerns.

“We’re here for you guys. We are the voice for you all,” she said. “If you have a problem, a question, a need, anything that you can’t necessarily be done at a county level, come to up.”

Upcoming KCCA events in-

clude Ag Day and Taste of Ag on April 11. Those interested in donating ground beef for the Cattlemen’s Association booth at Taste of Ag should reach out to Purdue

Extension Ag and Natural Recourses educator Emily Kreska at eluc@purdue.edu or call the county extension office at (574) 372-2340.

1934 E. Center, Suite B Warsaw, IN 46580 574-549-2772

Kim and Ron Yeiter Health and Life Agents YeiterAssociates.com

KidRYit

“We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-Medicare to get information on all of your options.”

and

Firewood cutting permits at Potato Creek State Park

The public is invited to cut up and remove certain downed trees at Potato Creek State Park for firewood.

Trees eligible for firewood have fallen as a result of natural causes

or have been dropped by property staff. They are along roadsides or in public areas such as campsites and picnic areas.

Permit sales and cutting are

First Federal Savings Bank announces new hire

First Federal Savings Bank recently announced the new hire of Matthew Bochard.

Bochard joined the First Federal Savings Bank team as AVP Commercial Lending and Business Development. Bochard

graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in international studies from Indiana University.

Prior to joining the First Federal Savings Bank team, Bochard previously worked as a small business lending officer and financial center manager.

Bochard is part of the Syracuse-Wawasee Rotary Club, a Kosciusko County Chamber ambassador, Rudy’s Dog Park board, Warsaw Bizlink Board, Tour Des Lakes committee and Fort Wayne Trails Resource Development.

available now through March 31. The cost of one pickup truckload is $10. All proceeds will be used for resource management and restoration efforts, including replacement of trees in campgrounds and other public areas.

A firewood permit must be obtained for each load at Potato Creek’s office between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits are not available on observed state holidays.

Firewood may be cut up to 30 feet from roadsides in designated areas; however, vehicles are not allowed off roads. The use of tractors, UTVs, and ATVs is prohibited. Wood may be cut and removed between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, call (574) 656-8186.

Firewood cut at Potato Creek is for personal use only and cannot be sold.

Potato Creek State Park is located at 25601 SR 4, North Liberty.

Youth reserved turkey hunt applications open March 20-31

Youth under 18 on the day of their hunt may apply March 20-31 for reserved youth turkey hunts on DNR properties during the youth turkey hunting season. The 2023 youth turkey hunting season is April 22-23.

Interested youth hunters or an adult representing them must register in person or by phone during regular office hours for the property they wish to hunt. More information about the participating properties and

youth turkey hunt regulations is at bit.ly/3Zquj5y.

Hunters are allowed to register for only one property. Limits are placed on the number of youth hunters allowed to hunt a respective property each day.

A drawing will be held Monday, April 3, at properties where the number of registered hunters exceeds the spots available. A youth hunter may be drawn for one or both hunt days, depending on the number of applicants. All applicants will be noti-

fied of drawing results by mail.

To register a youth for a hunt, the following information is needed:

• Hunter’s name.

• Type of license and license number.

• Hunt date(s).

• Mailing address.

• Phone number.

• Parent or guardian’s name, address and phone number.

To purchase a hunting or hunting apprentice license, visit on.in.gov/inhuntfish.

Kosciusko

Connect installs fiber internet in 5,000 area homes

Kosciusko Connect connected its first customer to fiber-optic internet in December 2021. In January 2023, just over a year later, the team passed 5,000 homes connected to the internet network.

“It’s hard to imagine that in 13 months, we connected over 5,000 customers to our worldclass broadband services. We are excited to connect the next 5,000 connected customers,” said Curt Barkey, vice president of technology and broadband at Kosciusko Connect.

As a subsidiary of the electric cooperative, Kosciusko REMC, Kosciusko Connect seeks to embody the same communitycentered values as KREMC. Although KREMC’s service territory was the priority for fiber connections, the fiber installments may become available to members of the community who do not receive KREMC electric service.

“It’s rewarding to be a part of something that improves the quality of lives in our community. I can’t thank our employees

enough for their efforts to make Kosciusko Connect a reality,” said Kurt Carver, president and CEO of Kosciusko REMC.

Kosciusko Connect recently introduced a streaming tool, MyBundle, to help customers determine a streaming package that fits their home’s needs for the least expense. MyBundle can be found at kosciuskoconnect.com/ streaming, where users can take a quiz, create an account and build personalized watch lists.

In addition to the streaming tool, Kosciusko Connect is also offering residential phone service, which uses Voice Over Internet Protocol technology. With VoIP, the customer’s phone connection is delivered through the fiber network, resulting in a clear connection.

For more information, visit kosciuskoconnect.com and follow its social media pages for further updates.

Kosciusko REMC is a Touchstone Energy electric cooperative serving over 18,000 accounts throughout Kosciusko County and into surrounding counties.

Forestry opportunity available to teachers

Indiana educators are encouraged to apply for the 2023 Natural Resources Teacher Institute, which will be held June 19-23 at the Forestry Training Center at Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

Hosted by the Indiana DNR Division of Forestry and Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources, this weeklong immersive professional de-

velopment program will provide educators with the knowledge, skills and tools to effectively teach their students about forest ecology, research and management in Indiana. There is no cost to participants; meals and housing are provided.

Daily activities include visiting public and private forest sites, touring forest industry facilities and exploring forestry research through the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment.

Up to 18 educators will be accepted to participate. Participants must be available to attend all days of the program and fully participate in activities.

Participants will earn 30-plus Professional Growth Points and will receive Project Learning Tree and Leopold Education Project curriculum materials, a forestry tool kit, Indiana-specific field guides and a stipend for developing and implementing a lesson plan.

To apply or receive more information, contact Donna Rogler, NRTI coordinator, at treeladyin@gmail.com or (317) 402-2624.

Michael and Tracy Wilson

David Owsley Museum of Art/Ball State University

There is a great art museum in Muncie: the David Owsley Museum of Art, which owns more than 11,000 works of art and occupies the entire second floor of the Fine Arts Building at Ball State University.

The David Owsley Museum is one of the few museums in Indiana still considered part of a university. Most museums start out as part of a university but then at some point become independent of the university.

The origin of the museum dates back to 1892 when the Museum Art Students League was formed and began collecting artworks through donations. In 1918, the collection moved to the newly formed Indiana State Normal School, Eastern Division, which later became Ball State Teachers College and then Ball State University in honor of the Ball brothers, who provided the initial land for the museum.

In 1935 the Fine Arts Building was constructed and remains the home of the collection. In 2002 and 2013 the museum was expanded to house the growing collection. The museum was renamed the David Owsley Museum of Art in 2011, in

honor of his generous gifts.

The museum houses more than 11,000 works of art from all continents representing 5,000 years of civilization. The website for the museum, bsu.edu/web/museumofart/collection, offers an online database with more than 2,000 works including ancient, African, Asian, Oceanic, American, European, and modern and contemporary. The museum is constantly adding more artworks to the database that is used as an educational resource for teachers, students and the general public.

There is currently a special exhibition being offered at the museum. The exhibition, “A Wild Story: The David and Sarajoni Johnson Print Collection,” runs through May 21. The museum is open to the public with visiting hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday. There is no admission fee to visit the museum. For more information, contact (765) 285-5242. Events

• Lakeland Art Center & Gallery: Samara Dulik and Kim Marcadis. Dulik has created her own brand of painting that highlights color through the introduction of graffitism, using acrylics, spray paints, inks, Posca pens and at times, finger painting. Marcadis

creates functional pottery with lots of color and texture using many different processes, techniques and materials. The work of both artists will be on display through March 26 at the gallery located at 302 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw. The gallery hours are 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For more information, call (574) 267-5568 or (574) 457-6085 or email lakelandartassociation@gmail.com.

• Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery: Local artist Deana Harvey will be

displaying her artwork through the end of March. If you have already been to her exhibit, make sure to stop by again, as she has switched out her artwork to provide a fresh showing.

To exhibit at Warsaw City Hall Art Gallery, contact Darla Mc-

Cammon, curator, at (574) 5274044 (leave a message) or mcdar7@gmail.com.

If you would like to offer someone a free email subscription to this weekly column, send a request including the email address to mcdar7@gmail.com.

Students may apply to compete in Optimist speech contest

The Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club is offering students ages 19 and younger an opportunity to compete Sunday, March 26, in the Optimist International Oratorical Contest.

The competition is open to students of all ages and skill levels and is intended to be a safe space to try out something new. Two winners will be chosen and will earn prizes.

In years past, prizes have included iPads, laptop computers and/or cash. A winner could decide to go to the next level of competition in the Optimist International program, with the opportunity to win more prizes and scholarships.

The speech contest topic is “Dis-

Kosciusko JCAP restarts women’s class

The Kosciusko County Jail Chemical Addiction Program has started again with a women’s class.

That’s according to a press release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.

In the release issued Wednesday, March 8, Kosciusko County

Sheriff Jim Smith stated he was overwhelmed by the excitement in the participants’ faces when he addressed them that morning. He stated he appreciates the community support and the efforts and dedication of JCAP Coordinator Casey Trombley.

Trombley stated she was ex-

cited to get the women’s program started. She said the women were equally excited to get started.

She noted she could see the hope and positivity within the group even in the first classes. Trombley said she looks forward to giving updates about the group over the next 16 weeks.

covering the Optimism Within Me.” Speeches are to be between four and five minutes long, and the speaker may use notes. Details about the contest, other tips and an application form can be found online at warsawoptimist.org/projects/oratorical.

The local oratory contest is open to the first 20 students who apply. Applications should be emailed by Wednesday, March 22, to one of the co-directors: Shari Benyousky at sbwritinghelp@gmail.com or Jeff Owens at mail@jeffowens.net.

The local contest will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 26, in the second floor courtroom of the Kosciusko County Courthouse, downtown Warsaw.

OBITUARIES

Russell Frantz Jr.

Retired From Redman Plumbing And Heating

Russell Frantz Jr., 93, Winona Lake, formerly of Sidney, met his wife at the gates of heaven Sunday, March 5, 2023.

The son of Russell and Mabel Pauline (Glaze) Frantz Sr., Russell was born Sept. 5, 1929, in Wanatah.

A year after graduating from Sidney High School in 1947, Russell married the love of his life, Doris M. Hill, on July 3, 1948. For 74 years, the two showed their children what a strong Christian should be. During their time together, Russell provided for his family by working construction for many years. He later went to work for Redman Plumbing and Heating in Columbia City for 25 years before retiring in 2004. Russell was a loving man of God on whom others could rely. His faith and love for the Lord was ever constant. He and his wife were members of Packerton United Methodist Church in Packerton for over 75 years.

During his time at Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Russell was active in art club and bible study while remaining involved in his church. He delighted in supporting his grandchildren in all of the activities they enjoyed and often said that every grandchild was his favorite one. When Russell found free time, he liked to cheer on Indiana University athletics and watch other sports.

The precious memory of Russell Frantz Jr. will be forever cherished by his sons, Stan (Lynn) Frantz, South Whitley, and Neal (Connie) Frantz, Fremont; daughters, Robin (Todd) Hughes, Pierceton, and Kelly (Mark) Lybarger, Warsaw; sisters, Sandra (Marvin) Metzger, North Manchester, and Patsy (Elmer) Matthews, Fort Wayne; grandchildren, Adam John Frantz, Alex (Jena) Frantz, Alyson Frantz, Travis (Chelsea) Frantz, Renee (Shawn) Cherian, Tanner (Montgomery) Hughes, Emily Hughes, Lance (Alison) Lybarger and Lindsay Lybarger; and great-grandchild, Judah Cherian.

Russell was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Doris Frantz; son, Brian Kim Frantz; brothers, Darrel Max Frantz and Lloyd Lewis Frantz; and sister, Madeline Mowan.

Family and friends called from 4-7 p.m. Friday, March 10, at McKee Mortuary, 1401 SR 114 West, North Manchester. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 11, with calling beginning at 9 a.m. at Packerton United Methodist Church, 7976 Packerton Road, Claypool, with Pastor Steve Newkirk officiating. Burial was at Ulrey Memorial Cemetery, 2507 SR 14, Silver Lake.

For those who wish to honor the memory of Russell Frantz Jr., memorial contributions may be made to Packerton United Methodist Church, c/o Wayne Landis, P.O. Box 283, Mentone, IN 46539.

The family of Russell Frantz Jr. has entrusted McKee Mortuary with care and final arrangements. Condolences may be emailed to mckeemortuary.com.

Dolores Black

Dolores Black, 93, Leesburg, died March 7, 2023.

Arrangements are currently pending at Eastlund Funeral Home, Syracuse.

Judy

Ann Christian

Judy Ann (Barley) Christian, 74, Warsaw, died March 5, 2023.

She was born Feb. 20, 1949.

Surviving are her children, Donald Barley, Oswego, Tammy Lockhart, Warsaw, Charisse Gunkel, North Webster, and Billy Barley, Hartford City; 12 grandchildren; 14 greatgrandchildren; and sisters, Ethna Wyninger, Arkansas, and Priscilla Swain, Warsaw.

Friends gathered with the family March 11 at New Hope Freewill Baptist Church, Warsaw. Titus Funeral Home of Warsaw was in charge of arrangements.

Judy Clutter

Judy Clutter, 80, Venice, Fla., formerly of North Webster, died March 7, 2023.

She was born June 15, 1942. On June 21, 1968, she married Thomas “Jay” Clutter, who preceded her in death in 2016.

Surviving are three nieces; four nephews; sisters-in-law, Janet Hamman, Warsaw, and Joyce Logan, Half Moon Bay, Calif.; a brother-in-law, John Clutter, Fort Wayne; and several great- and great-great-nieces, nephews and cousins.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 3, at the North Webster Church of the Brethren. Eastlund Funeral Home, Syracuse, is in charge of arrangements.

Timothy James Cobb

Timothy “Tim” James Cobb, 62, Warsaw, died March 7, 2023.

He was born March 14, 1960.

Surviving are brothers, Gordon E. Cobb, Marion, Ill., and Gregory “Greg” J. Cobb, Warsaw; and many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held at a later date at Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw. Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw, was in charge of arrangements.

Barbara Ann Conley

Barbara Ann Conley, 64, Servia, died March 6, 2023.

She was born Nov. 28, 1958.

Surviving are brothers, Loy Conley, Servia, Jimmy Conley, Liberty Mills, and Vince Conley, Servia; sister, Peggy Keirn, Marion; 15 nieces and nephews; and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

Services were held March 9 at McKee Mortuary, North Manchester. Burial was in Fairview Cemetery, Servia.

Shelley Joan Coy

Shelley Joan Coy, 60, South Bend, died March 3, 2023.

She was born Feb. 13, 1963. In 1981, she married Stewart Coy. He preceded her in death Feb. 21, 1994.

Surviving are sons, Nathan Coy, Leesburg, and Tyler Coy, Warsaw; four grandchildren; her mother, Carole Moore, Goshen; sisters, Ronda Traver, Milford, and Darla Routson,

Cromwell; a nephew; and a niece.

In keeping with her wishes, no public visitation or services are planned. Cremation will take place with Mishler Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Milford.

Duane A. Dicus

Duane A. Dicus, 82, Plymouth, died at 4:30 p.m. March 7, 2023.

He was born March 24, 1940. On March 5, 1960, he married Donna L. Smith; she survives.

Also surviving are sons, David Dicus, Lakeville, and Mark Dicus, Plymouth; daughter, Rhonda Doss, Warsaw; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Vera Whisman.

At Duane’s request, there will be no services. Palmer Funeral Home, Lakeville, was in charge of arrangements.

Susie Farmwald

Susie Farmwald, 64, New Paris, died at 12:37 p.m. March 3, 2023.

She was born Jan. 26, 1959.

Surviving are her children, Sarah Farmwald, Fort Wayne, and Zach Farmwald, New Paris; a grandson; her beloved dog, Cooper; and siblings, Robin Wenger, Goshen, and Beth Platz, Warsaw.

Services were held March 11 at Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Goshen. Rieth Rohrer Ehret Funeral Home, Goshen, was in charge of arrangements.

Hans-Georg Gilde

Hans-Georg Gilde, 89, a native of Germany, died Feb. 24, 2023.

He was born July 8, 1933.

He is survived by his wife, Helen C. Gilde (Schoener); daughters, Emily Gilde and Ellen Schwendeman; four grandchildren; two great-grandsons; two sisters; and in-laws, nieces and nephews in Germany.

Upon his request, there will be no viewing or service. Heritage Funeral and Cremation Services, Warsaw, has been entrusted with cremation. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

Nancy J. Hann

Nancy J. Hann, 87, Syracuse, died March 6, 2023. She was born Jan. 15, 1936.

She is survived by a daughter, Debra Lewallen; two granddaughters; and two great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held at noon Saturday, March 18, at North Webster Cemetery. Titus Funeral Home of Warsaw is in charge of arrangements.

Charles F. Hartman

Charles F. Hartman, 84, North Manchester, formerly of Warsaw, died at 6 a.m. March 9, 2023.

He was born Sept. 3, 1938.

He is survived by a son, Jeffrey Hartman, Seattle, Wash.; daughter, Amy Piunti, St. John; five grandchildren; brother, John Hartman, Bloomington; sister, Mary Beth Hollingsworth, Bloomington; and several nieces and nephews.

A private family graveside service will be held at Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, with military rites conducted by members of the American Legion Post 49, VFW Post 1126, both of

Warsaw, and active duty members of the Air Force Honor Guard. RedpathFruth Funeral Home, Warsaw, is in charge of arrangements.

Clara M. Helmuth

Clara M. Helmuth, 88, Goshen, formerly of Bremen, died at 8 a.m. March 6, 2023.

She was born April 22, 1934.

She is survived by a sister, Esther Stutzman, Nappanee; and many nieces and nephews.

Services were held March 9 at the Dennis Hochstetler Building, Bremen. Burial was in Weldy Cemetery, Nappanee.

James R. Hitchcock

James R. Hitchcock, 89, Nappanee, died at 3:20 a.m. March 3, 2023.

He was born Feb. 12, 1934.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Hitchcock, Nappanee; his children, Michael J. Hitchcock, Coleman, Fla., and Teresa Erickson, Allegan, Mich.; stepchildren, Clinton Wiseman, Milford, and Jenny Avery, Alto, Mich.; 14 grandchildren; and many great- and great-great-grandchildren.

Services were held March 8 at Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home, Nappanee. Burial was in South Union Cemetery, Nappanee. Miriam Hochstetler

Miriam Hochstetler, 88, Nappanee, died at 8:35 a.m. March 5, 2023.

She was born Nov. 6, 1934.

She is survived by a sister, Mary Ellen (Hochstetler) Kaufman.

A memorial service was held March 11 at First Mennonite Church, Nappanee. Burial was in South Union Cemetery. Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home, Nappanee, was in charge of arrangements.

Terry Lee Hopkins

Terry Lee Hopkins, 76, Warsaw, died at 6:10 a.m. March 3, 2023.

He was born Jan. 10, 1947. On Dec. 17, 1965, he married Carolyn Wallace, who is still living in Warsaw.

He is survived by a son, Chad Hopkins, Kalamazoo, Mich.; a daughter, Abraham Hepler, Warsaw; brother, Cloyce Hopkins, Warsaw; and five grandchildren.

Services were held March 11 at Titus Funeral Home, Warsaw. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, at a later date.

Caleb Jenkins

Caleb Jenkins, 26, Winona Lake, died March 6, 2023.

He was born Oct. 16, 1996.

Surviving are his parents, Clint and Courtney (Brown) Jenkins; sisters, Liberty, Emerson and Avery; grandparents, Gale and Helen Brown, Chesterfield, S.C., Charlotte Weybright, Fort Wayne, and Treeca Jenkins, South Whitley; and many aunts, uncles and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapels, 2290 Provident Court, Warsaw, with visitation from 1-4 p.m.

Mahendra P. Kamdar

Mahendra P. Kamdar, 87, India, formerly of Warsaw, died Feb. 18, 2023.

He was born Sept. 4, 1935. In June 1961, he married Dinna Lee Parker; they divorced. In June 1980, he married Bharati Parekh; she survives.

He is also survived by a son, Ashok Kamdar, Florida; daughters, Sarita Carlin and Gita Kamdar, both of Warsaw; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one great-greatgranddaughter; and many sisters, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of his life will be held by his family.

Eleanor Lambert

Eleanor “Elaine” Lambert, 79, Nappanee, died at 4:25 a.m. March 5, 2023.

She was born Feb. 12, 1944. On Nov. 10, 1961, she married Dennis C. Lambert. He preceded her in death Dec. 31, 2017.

Surviving are sons, Barry LamContinued on page 9

Continued from page 8

bert, Milford, and Jeff Lambert, North Port, Fla.; daughter, Dawn Hollar, Nappanee; 10 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and siblings, Jim Slater, Theresa Hunter and Rubye Slater, all of Largo, Fla.

A memorial service was held March 10 at Nappanee Missionary Church Chapel. Private family burial followed at Union Center Cemetery.

Dean Mast

Dean Mast, 84, Cromwell, died March 6, 2023.

Arrangements are currently pending at Eastlund Funeral Home, Syracuse.

Timothy Paul Matero

Timothy “Timo” Paul Matero, 55, Warsaw, died March 6, 2023.

He was born Dec. 13, 1967.

He is survived by a brother, Michael Matero, Warsaw.

Timo’s family will mourn his death privately. Burial will be in Herman Cemetery, Baraga County, Mich. Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw, was in charge of arrangements.

Mabel Miller

Mabel Miller, 97, North Manchester, formerly of Milford, died March 9, 2023.

She was born Jan. 30, 1926. On Jan. 5, 1985, she married Earle N. Miller. He preceded her in death Dec. 24, 1997.

Surviving are her children, Voila Cripe, Winona Lake, and Donna Acord, North Manchester; a stepson, Dick Miller, Huntington; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and siblings, Effie Allen, Dean Howard and Ilant Shepherd, all of Silver Lake, and Forrest Howard, North Manchester.

Services were held March 13 at Mishler Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Milford. Burial was in Lakeview Cemetery, Silver Lake.

Charles Ray Nelson

Charles Ray Nelson, 75, Ligonier, died March 6, 2023.

He was born Nov. 11, 1947.

He is survived by his wife, Patti Nelson; sons, Jody Nelson, Chris Nelson and Josh Nelson; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; brothers, Larry, Luther, Jackie, Gary, Rickey and Rodney; and sisters, Gloria Fay, Linda, Brenda, Joyce, Rose, Bonnie and Barb.

Services were held March 11 at Yeager Funeral Home, Ligonier. Burial with military honors followed at Oak Park Cemetery, Ligonier.

Daisy Ruth Nicholas

Daisy Ruth Nicholas, 79, Leesburg, died at 9:17 p.m. March 8, 2023.

She was born Jan. 27, 1944. On June 20, 1964, she married James “Jim” Allen Nicholas. He preceded her in death April 4, 2018.

Surviving are sons, Tony Nicholas,

BIRTHS

Staci Pearl Keeny

Noah and Sylvia (Royer) Keeny, Nappanee, are the parents of a daughter, Staci Pearl, born at 3:47 p.m. March 3, 2023, at Blessed Beginnings Care Center, Nappanee. She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 19 inches long.

Nolan Kai Yoder

Ryan and Emily Yoder are the parents of a son, Nolan Kai, born at 6:07 p.m. March 4, 2023, at Blessed Beginnings Care Center, Nappanee. He weighed 7 pounds, 5.5 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long.

Colson Lawrence Troyer

Timothy J. and Mary A. Troyer, Cromwell, are the parents of a son, Colson Lawrence, born at 8:28 p.m. March 5, 2023, at Goshen Hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 15.9 ounces, and was 21 inches long.

Katrina Dawn Bontrager

Marion and Regina (Kuhns) Bontrager, Nappanee, are the parents of a daughter, Katrina Dawn, born at 8:35 a.m. March 7, 2023, at Blessed Begin-

Warsaw, and Tim Nicholas, Dyersburg, Tenn.; four grandchildren; a brother, James Allen Burris, Elwood; and brother-in-law, Don Nicholas, Anderson.

Services were held March 15 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw. Burial was in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.

Dinna Lee Parker

Dinna Lee Parker, 78, died Feb. 22, 2023.

She was born April 5, 1944.

She is survived by a son, Ashok Kamdar; daughters, Sarita Carlin, Gita Kamdar and Lara Lucas; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

No public visitation or services are planned at this time. The family will host a private gathering. Burial will be in Decatur Cemetery.

Mary Maggie Patterson

Mary Maggie Patterson, 93, Warsaw, died at 10:30 p.m. March 8, 2023.

She was born Oct. 28, 1929. On July 20, 1947, she married Dale Richard Patterson. He preceded her in death Sept. 8, 1992.

Surviving are daughters, Cynthia Roderick and Beverly Jordan, both of Warsaw; sons, Dewey Patterson and Duane Patterson, both of Warsaw; eight grandchildren; 14 greatgrandchildren; and a sister, Ida Cripe, North Manchester.

Services were held March 13 at Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw. Burial was in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw.

John Bernard Schetzsle

John Bernard Schetzsle, 92, Wabash, died at 5:10 a.m. March 7, 2023.

He was born Oct. 9, 1930. On Aug. 12, 1950, he married Carol Joan Denney; she survives.

Also surviving are his children, Edward Denney Schetzsle, Corpus Christi, Texas, Christina Snavely Hite, North Webster, Anita Ellen Schetzsle, Peru, Richard Brian Schetzsle, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Mary Schetzsle Reismeier, Virginia Beach, Va.; 16 grandchildren; and 29 greatgrandchildren.

Services were held March 13 at St. Bernard Catholic Church, Wabash. Grandstaff-Hentgen Funeral Service, Wabash, was in charge of arrangements.

Janis Rae Shively

Janis Rae Shively, 86, Warsaw, died March 8, 2023.

She was born May 19, 1936. On May 24, 1952, she married William Shively Sr. He preceded her in death Feb. 25, 2018.

Surviving are her children, Linda Miller and William Shively Jr., both of Syracuse; seven grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and 21 great-

great-grandchildren.

Services were held March 13 at Rieth Rohrer Ehret Funeral Home, Goshen. Burial was in Oakridge Cemetery.

Doris A. Stafford

Doris A. Stafford, 87, Warsaw, died at 9:40 a.m. March 5, 2023. She was born Dec. 30, 1935. On June 25, 1955, she married James “Jim” Edward Stafford; he survives. Also surviving are sons, Jim Stafford and John Stafford, both of Claypool, and Mitch Stafford, Warsaw; daughter, Diane Crist, Warsaw; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Services were held March 9 at Gospel Hill Church, Silver Lake. Burial was in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw. Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw, was in charge of arrangements.

James E. Stahly

James “Jim” E. Stahly, 79, Warsaw, died March 4, 2023.

He was born Nov. 8, 1943.

Surviving are his children, Shelly Aker and Jason Stahly; stepchildren, Duane Davis, Greg Davis, Jennifer Lease and Dale Davis; 13 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Services were held March 9 at McHatton-Sadler Funeral Chapels, Warsaw. Burial was in Leesburg Cemetery.

Morris R. Stewart

Morris R. Stewart, 88, Dewart Lake, died March 5, 2023.

He was born Oct. 23, 1934. On Jan. 25, 1953, he married Kathryn “Jean” Coplen, who preceded him in death.

Surviving are his children, Michael Stewart, Syracuse, John Stewart, Cicero, Eric Stewart, Arnold, Md., David Stewart, Chicago, Ill., and Kathy Anglin, Nappanee; nine grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

No public services are planned at this time. Titus Funeral Home of Syracuse was in charge of arrangements.

Carol Murphy Streator

Carol Murphy Streator, 83, died March 4, 2023.

She was born Oct. 12, 1939. In 1965, she married Jim Streator.

Surviving are sons, Eric Streator, Claypool, and Randy Streator, Batesville; and four grandchildren.

In keeping with Carol’s wishes, no services will be held. McKee Mortuary, North Manchester, was in charge of arrangements.

Misty D. Utterback

Misty D. Utterback, 47, Ligonier, died at 4:52 p.m. March 1, 2023.

She was born Dec. 9, 1975. On Nov. 1, 1997, she married William “Bill” Utterback; he survives.

She is also survived by a daughter, Krystal Edsall, Albion; sons, Zachary Gamblin, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Ethan Utterback, Ligonier; many other extended children; seven grandchildren; and brothers, Jeff Fisher, Albion, and Travis Kip, Zanesville, Ohio.

Services were held March 7 at Yeager Funeral Home, Ligonier.

Chad E. Watkins

Chad E. Watkins, 50, Etna Green, died at 8:11 a.m. March 6, 2023.

He was born Oct. 10, 1972.

He is survived by his companion,

C OUNTY R EPORT

Court News

Small Claims

Kosciusko County

The following small claims have been awarded in Kosciusko Superior Court III, Judge Chad Miner presiding: Aegis Dental Group, Warsaw PC v. Judith E. Anderson, $1,599.55 Wild Thing Accounting and Tax LLC v. Caroline Crow, $2,116.52 Snow and Sauerteig LLP v. Aerial Gilbert, $6,452.82

Total Recovery Services Inc. v. Hope Optical, $5,561.04;v. Randy G. Ridenour, $5,568.13 Hursey’s Inc. v. Elaine Loux, $1,149.10

Titan Concrete Finishing v. Doug Gast, $5,739.03

Elkhart County

The following small claim has been awarded in Elkhart County Courts: Gina Schaefer v. Charity Yoder and Amber Weaver, Nappanee, $1,535.95 Civil Collections

Kosciusko County

The following civil collections have been awarded in Kosciusko Superior Court IV, Judge Chris Kehler presiding: Citibank NA v. Bret A. Bailey, $3,410.83

er presiding: Bank of America NA v. Blake M. Adkins, $18,954.96 NewRez LLC, dba Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing v. Susan Gerrity, William Gerrity, $52,793.53

Superior Court III

The following fines for traffic violations were assessed in Kosciusko Superior Court III, Judge Chad Miner presiding:

Speeding — Skye M. Stanley, Etna Green, $160.50; Victor Sauveur, Warsaw, $160.50; Kyera T. Homewood, Warsaw, $160.50; Braxton D. Breske, Warsaw, $160.50; Kris A. Kehoe, Winona Lake, $160.50; Jessica L. Hamilton, Warsaw, $160.50

Speeding in school zone — Dennis J. Frazier, Warsaw, $160.50

Operating with expired plates — Lila Spies-Warren, Claypool, $160

Passing a stopped school bus when stop arm is out and activated — Lucky K. Ahidi, Syracuse, $185.50

Learner’s permit violation, speeding — Irving Velazquez-Cuazitl, Winona Lake, $185.50

No valid driver’s license, operating motor vehicle without financial responsibility — Andrew M. Taylor, Syracuse, $210.50

Amy Grove, Etna Green; daughter, Regan Watkins, Plymouth; and sister, Janet Hinton, Etna Green.

Services were held March 10 at Palmer Funeral Home, Lakeville. Burial was in Bremen Cemetery.

Dennis Eugene Weaver

Dennis Eugene Weaver, 76, Plymouth, died at 3:31 p.m. March 7, 2023.

He was born Feb. 19, 1947. On Feb. 5, 1966, he married Roberta “Sue” Nier; she survives.

Also surviving are sons, Terry Weaver, Bremen, and Jim Weaver, Nappanee; daughter, Beth Kreske, North Dakota; seven grandchildren; a great-grandson; his mother, Wanda Hall, Tennessee; and a sister, Judith “Judy” White, Tennessee.

There will be no services at this time. Rieth Rohrer Ehret Lienhart Funeral Home, Wakarusa, was in charge of arrangements.

Maynard Philip Wilson

Maynard Philip Wilson, 82, Nappanee, died March 8, 2023.

He was born Dec. 10, 1940. On Nov. 17, 1962, he married Kathleen Rienks; she survives.

Also surviving are his children, Christine White, Wanatah, Kimberly Bova, Indianapolis, and Phil Wilson, Littleton, Colo.; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sisters, Joyce Borror, Belle, Mo., and Mary Susan Shapland, Nappanee; and a brother, Joe Wilson, Lawrence, Mich.

Services were held March 11 at Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home, Nappanee. Burial was in South Union Cemetery.

Kaiser-Slick

Paula S. Kaiser, 65, North Webster, and Ronnie G. Slick, 68, North Webster Class-Henry

Heidi K. Class, 34, Winona Lake, and Ty Christian Henry, 29, Indianola, Iowa Rodriguez-Gomez

Darien K. Rodriguez, 29, Warsaw, and Yvette J. Gomez, 37, Warsaw Johnson-Cummins

Christian R. Johnson, 34, Warsaw, and Ashley M. Cummins, 33, Warsaw

Marriage

Dissolutions

Kosciusko County

The following couples have filed for marriage dissolutions in the Kosciusko Superior and Circuit Courts:

Miller — William W. Miller, Silver Lake, and April D. Miller, Pierceton. Married Jan. 7, 2011; separated Aug. 13, 2022. Two minor children. Ruff — Shasta Ruff, Warsaw, and Cory Ruff, Warsaw. Married Aug. 24, 2019; separated June 3, 2021. No minor children.

nings Care Center, Nappanee. She weighed 7 pounds, 3.5 ounces, and was 20 inches long.

Maternal grandparents are Daniel and Mary Kathryn (Kuhns) Bontrager.

Paternal grandparents are Lamar and Lorene (Schlabach) Kuhns.

Vanessa Joy Miller

Paul and Esther (Barkman) Miller, Middlebury, are the parents of a daughter, Vanessa Joy, born at 1:11 p.m. March 8, 2023, at Blessed Beginnings Care Center, Nappanee. She weighed 6 pounds, 5.5 ounces, and was 19 3/4 inches long.

Tyler Darren Miller

Eldon and Brenda (Bontrager) Miller, Millersburg, are the parents of a son, Tyler Darren, born at 8:15 p.m. March 8, 2023, at Blessed Beginnings Care Center, Nappanee. He weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long.

Maternal grandparents are John and Carolyn Bontrager, Millersburg. Paternal grandparents are Ervin and Karen Miller, Millersburg.

Communitywide FCU v. Chastity R. Hurley, Anna L. Shepherd, $10,767.27

Credit Service International v. Timothy M. Levernier, $2,427.15

Midland Credit Management Inc. v. Robert Lindenmier, $2,499.77 Discover Bank, c/o Discover Products Inc. v. Samantha N. McClelland, $2,031.20

Portfolio Recovery Associates LLC v. Nathan Morse, $1,396.39 Prestige Financial Services Inc. v. Lisa Westfall, $6,674.68

Evictions

The following evictions have been awarded in Kosciusko Superior Court III, Judge Chad Miner presiding: Chris Paraschos Estate v. Nicole Feldman, Phil Feldman, $7,716 Waunita Young Andrews v. Sheather Wolf, $475

Mortgage Foreclosures

The following mortgage foreclosure has been awarded in Kosciusko Superior Court III, Judge Chad Min-

Failure of occupant to use safety belt — David C. Garcia III, Claypool, $25

Driving while suspended — Rhonda J. Truex, Warsaw, fine not listed

Marriage

Licenses

Kosciusko County

The following couples have applied for marriage licenses in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk of the Court

Ann Torpy:

Wineland-Stump

Kyle M. Wineland, 18, Warsaw, and Briana R. Stump, 18, Pierceton

Nowaczynski-Conley

Ashley Nowaczynski, 24, Mentone, and Seth Conley, 24, Mentone

Miller-Zachary

Jennifer L. Miller, 42, Syracuse, and Thomas J. Zachary, 38, Syracuse

Combs — Cynthia M. Combs, Milford, and Donald L. Combs, Warsaw. Married June 1, 2014; separated April 13, 2022. No minor children.

Cole — Katherine Cole, Syracuse, and Miles Cole, Syracuse. Married Sept. 17, 2016; separated Feb. 22, 2023. Two minor children.

Kubley — Nicole D. Kubley, Warsaw, and Randy O. Kubley Jr., Warsaw. Married Aug. 6, 2010; separated Feb. 20, 2023. One minor child.

Katzer — Kelley Katzer, Warsaw, and Joel Katzer, Milford. Married Dec. 12, 2010; separated Jan. 11, 2023. Four minor children.

Hatfield — Angela M. Hatfield, Warsaw, and Frank R. Hatfield, Warsaw. Married June 19, 2019; separated in September 2022. No minor children.

Kubley — Randy O. Kubley, Warsaw, and Shelia G. Kubley, South Bend. Married April 15, 1992; separated in 2014. No minor children.

Baker-Warrick — Amanda Baker, Etna Green, and Bernard Warrick, South Bend. Married June 12, 2021; separated March 6, 2022. No minor children.

C LASSIFIED A DVERTISING

$925 ONLY

*15Word Maximum

Please take the time to make sure your classified ad is correct. The Papers Incorporated will not be responsible for errors in ads after the first publication. Ad position other than classification is not guaranteed. • ALL CLASSIFIED ADS MUST BE PRE-PAID.

MILFORD 574-658-4111 • FAX 800-886-3796

ANNOUNCEMENTS

BUYER BEWARE The Papers Incorporated cannot screen all advertisements to eliminate possibilities of fraud or misleading information. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Persons responding to ads are advised to contact the Better Business Bureau in your area or the Indiana Secretary of State’s Fraud Hotline before sending any money. 1-800-223-8791

Auction Sales A010

Miscellaneous A085

Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads

BUSINESS

Appliance Repair C017

WARSAW 574-269-2932 • FAX 888-371-2934

HOCHSTETLER CONSTRUCTION for all your building needs. Pole barns, horse barns, garages, new home construction, additions, all types of metal and asphalt roofing, windows and siding. Superior Service... Quality Workmanship. Licensed and insured. Free estimates. Call Kermit 574-549-3473.

Hauling C160

CLEAN UP AND TRASH REMOVAL

Willis Trash Removal. Residential, commercial and industrial. Bobcat, dumpsters and burn barrels available also. (574) 293-2937

Insurance C200

Dental insurance - Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. Covers 350 procedures. Real insurance - not a discount plan. Get your free dental info kit! 1-855-526-1060 www.dental50plus.com/ads #6258

ONE

$12.20 per column inch for one to three insertions. $9.75 per column inch for four or more insertions of the same copy. r or more insertions of the sam

SYRACUSE 574-457-3666

TREE TRIMMING, tree and stump removal service, storm damage clean up, tree climbing or bucket lift, Free estimates. Dan The Tree Man. 574-831-4381, New Paris.

TV Satellite C400

DISH TV $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Promo Expires 1/31/24.

1-866-479-1516

DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405

Wicker Repair C420

CHAIR CANING, rush and splint seats, wicker repair. Quality work. Teresa Dick, 574-457-3566.

Free Free A040

Free high speed internet if qualified. Govt. pgm for recipients of select pgms incl. Medicaid, SNAP, Housing Assistance, WIC, Veterans Pension, Survivor Benefits, Lifeline, Tribal. 15 GB internet. Android tablet free w/one-time $20 copay. Free shipping. Call Maxsip Telecom! 1-833-758-3892

Siding C360

Misc. Service C430

Wesley Financial Group, LLC Timeshare Cancellation Experts Over $50,000,000 in timeshare debt & fees cancelled in 2019. Get free info package & learn how to get rid of your timeshare! Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. 833-308-1971

Inflation is at 40 year highs. Interest rates are way up. Credit Cards. Medical Bills. Car Loans. Do you have $10k or more in debt? Call National Debt Relief to find out how to pay off your debt for significantly less than what you owe! Free quote: 1-877-592-3616

Caring for an aging loved one?

Wondering about options like senior-living communities and in-home care? Caring.com’s Family Advisors help take the guesswork out of senior care for your family. Free, no-obligation consult: 1-855-759-1407

Switch and save up to $250/yr on talk, text & data. No contract or hidden fees. Unlimited talk & text with flexible data plans. Premium nationwide coverage. 100% U.S. based customer service. Limited time get $50 off any new account. Use code GIFT50. 1-855-903-3048

Construction C100

PAUL EICHER BUILDERS. We build pole barns & garages and do re-roofs. 260-255-7463

MAINTENANCE COORDINATOR

Position will require: PM’s, fabricating, plumbing and 120V along with 240V electrical.

Pay will be based on experience. Company paid benefits.

SEND RESUME TO: Tamra@warsawblackoxide.com

Office Manager Position Available

We have an immediate opening in our Rochester office:

• Pleasant telephone etiquette.

• Customer service oriented.

• Must be computer literate. Macintosh helpful.

• Good with detail and accuracy.

• Some local news writing required.

• Knowledge of or willing to learn point and shoot digital photography.

• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday

• Benefit package available. Send Resume To:

STEEL SIDING & ROOFING, TRIM & ACCESSORIES

Tree Service C390

LUMBERJACK JIM TREE SERVICEProfessional tree trimming and removal. Storm damage clean up. Safe and reliable. Fully insured. Locally owned. Call 574-371-6536.

HughesNet - Finally, super-fast internet no matter where you live. 25 Mbps just $59.99/mo! Unlimited Data is Here. Stream Video. Bundle TV & Internet. Free Installation. Call 866-499-0141

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES in as little as ONE DAY! Affordable pricesNo payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 855-761-1725

MERCHANDISE Health Aids P140

Attention oxygen therapy users! Inogen One G4 is capable of full 24/7 oxygen delivery. Only 2.8 pounds. Free info kit. Call 877-929-9587

Health/Fitness P150

VIAGRA

EMPLOYMENT

Skilled Employment E070

IT MANAGER

Zimmer, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): The IT Manager will manage department and/or project budgets; drive strategic initiatives, programs or projects; anticipate and resolve issues/barriers to impeding progress; ensure and/or develop appropriate methodologies, policies and procedures to deliver business solutions. Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or related filed and 8 years of experience in the position offered or related position. Apply via website: http://www.zimmer.com/careers.html.

No calls.

Reference Job #: AMER27304

REGULATORY AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

Zimmer, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): The Regulatory Affairs Specialist will be responsible for assisting the team with regulatory filings as necessary to market Zimmer Biomet products; lead the transition of the CE marked product portfolio to EU MDR 2017/745 compliance; assist with assembly, distribution, storage and tracking and retrieval of information pertinent to the regulatory process, including the technical documentation process.

Requires a Bachelor’s degree or foreign degree equivalent in Life Sciences, Engineering or related field and 3 years of experience in Regulatory Affairs, Engineering, Quality or related position. Up to 15% travel required. Telecommuting work arrangement permitted: position may work in various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. Apply via website: http://www.zimmer.com/careers.html.

No calls. Reference Job #: SP30123

QUALITY ASSOCIATE MANAGER

Zimmer, Inc. (Warsaw, IN): The Quality Associate Manager will manage projects related to the new product introduction (NPI) and support design/development of medical device products, facilitating the application of design/change controls, risk management, quality plan and implementation of design and development plan; establish quality plans for equipment and processes for general and specific product performance needs, monitoring performance of processes to standards. Requires 5 years of experience in quality functions engineering or regulatory compliance role or related position Telecommuting work arrangement permitted: position may work in various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S. Apply via website: http://www.zimmer.com/careers.html.

No calls. Reference Job #: MT30123

Work Wanted E080

HONEY DO HANDYMAN & RENO. We do it all - remodels, repairs, scrap removal, lawn care and all your general home needs. Give Brad or Jessica a call at 574-253-5462, we would love to be able to help.

FARM

Miscellaneous Farm G070

FOR SALE: Butternuts in the shell. $5 per pound. 574-453-1430

NOW BUYING

LH Investment Group, LLC is now buying real estate, whole estates, gun collections, toy collections. Do you have a family member with lots of “Treasures” and need someone to help get rid of them? Call LH Investment Group, LLC 574-538-1492

P UBLIC A UCTIONS

Whispering Knoll School Benefit Auction

5 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at Claywood Event Center, 1 mile south of Nappanee on SR 19 to CR 1350N, west 3 miles to County Line Road, north 0.5 mile to 13924 N 1100W.

Gall Land Auction

6 p.m. Thursday, March 16, at Milford Community Building, 111 S. Main St., Milford. Dorothy Gall Trust includes three tracts: Tract 1, 46.9 tillable acres; Tract 2, 140 tillable acres and 15 acres of woods and lake access; Tract 3, 15 acres, mostly water. Property located 3 miles north of Milford or 3.5 miles south of New

Paris on SR 15 to US 6, then east one block to CR 23, then south 0.5 mile. HahnAuctioneers.com, (574) 7738445.

Larry LeWallen Auction

10 a.m. Saturday, March 18, at 2798 S. 900E, Pierceton. Rumely oil pull tractor, hit-and-miss engines, antiques, primitives, toys, household, tractors, trailers, tools, outdoor, Grasshopper mower, contract topper and much more. bidmetzger.com.

Busch Estate Auction

1 p.m. Thursday, March 23, 108 EMS D18 C Lane, Syracuse. South side of Dewart Lake, east of 300E on DeFreeese Road to EMS D 18 Lane.

Limit your screen time

Safe Step. North America’s #1 Walk-in tub. Comprehensive lifetime warranty. Top-of-the-line installation and service. Now featuring our free shower package & $1600 off - limited time! Financing available. 1-855-417-1306

Eliminate gutter cleaning forever! LeafFilter, the most advanced debris-blocking gutter protection. Schedule free LeafFilter estimate today. 20% off Entire Purchase. 10% Senior & Military Discounts. Call 1-833-610-1936

The Generac PWRcell solar plus battery storage system. Save money, reduce reliance on grid, prepare for outages & power your home. Full installation services. $0 down financing option. Request free no obligation quote. 1-877-539-0299

Want To Buy P280 Handyman Service

MobileHelp, America’s premier mobile medical alert system. Whether you’re home or away. For safety & peace of mind. No long term contracts! Free brochure! 1-888-489-3936 TRANSPORTATION

Do you have an odd job that you just don’t have energy or time to complete?

Remodeling, New Flooring, Drywall, Painting, Etc. Call LT Consultants, LLC Today 574-538-1492

HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE GOALS

Pet Services Q020

Are you a pet owner? Do you want to get up to 100% back on vet bills? Physicians Mutual Insurance Company has pet coverage that can help! Call 1-844-774-0206 to get a free quote or visit insurebarkmeow.com/ads

cause physical effects such as insomnia, poor sleep habits, neck/ back pain, eye strain and headaches.

Houses For Sale S040

THREE-ACRE HOME in Etna Green for sale. House, barn and shop. Call for more information. Larry Hochstetler, 7909 W. 750 N., Etna Green, IN, 46524. 574-646-2323

LAKE CHAPMAN HOME for sale by owner. Prime lake seawall frontage and deck. 3 BR, 2 bath, garage and attached carport. 15 EMS C28F Lane, Warsaw 46582. $450K. Pre-screening required. 708-420-4558

Misc. Auto W100

Donate Your Car to Veterans Today! Help and Support our Veterans. FastFREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-245-0398

In this day and age, it’s easy to spend hours on end looking at a screen. Between new gaming systems, different streaming TV services and new trending apps, it’s hard to not be looking at a screen. We have a mini screen at the tips of our fingers at every second. For most, it’s used for everything we do. Limiting screen time can be difficult, especially if you have an office job that requires you to be on the computer most of the day.

A couple of years ago, the average screen time for adults in the U.S. was around 11 hours per day. During the pandemic, it skyrocketed to around 19 hours a day. That’s more than half of the day!

Around 30 percent of adults say they are online all the time. It is extra difficult for individuals who work from home to get away from a screen. Too much screen time affects us in more ways than people think. It can

Too much screen time can also affect us cognitively and mentally. We can begin to see changes in cognition, addictive behavior and mental health disorders.

While experts know you can’t change the nature of your work environment, you may be able to make some changes outside your work environment. Research says you should limit screen time to around two hours or less a day outside of work. The other time spent looking at a screen — whether it is a phone, tv, tablet, computer, etc. — should be spent participating in physical activity at a feasible level.

Take small steps to minimize your screen time instead of cutting yourself off cold turkey. You will be more successful that way. You can start by being intentional and turning on timers or turning off notifications. You could even go as far as leaving devices in a separate room. This will help with kicking a habit that has become like second nature to us.

Annual Southern gospel concert March 25

Milford dairy farmer Phil Gingerich has bestowed the community with an annual Southern gospel concert for 32 years and counting.

But that counting may soon come to an end.

“I may go one more year,” said the 65-year-old owner of Gingerich Dairy, who wants to devote more time to family and farmwork. “I will really miss doing the concert. It’s the work that has to be done before the concert that I won’t miss.”

This year’s concert will feature gospel groups Legacy Five and Triumphant Quartet, and will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Sammlung Platz event center, 758 N. Tomahawk

Trail, Nappanee. Doors open at 1 p.m., with all seats general admission.

The first concert launched in humble fashion in 1991 “with just some local groups at the Milford Middle School gym,” said Gingerich. “Around 200 people came to that free concert.

“Dave Matz was the vice principal at the school, so when I came in to pay for the gym use, he said, ‘Why don’t you get the Cathedral Quartet in?’ So I got up the nerve to call them and they actually said yes and that started the Southern gospel series in 1992.”

The first Cathedral Quartet concert drew 800 attendees, and the phenomenon steadily grew in popularity. “After the fourth year, we had 1,700 people at the middle school gym and it was standing room only and they told me we

could not have that many people in the gym again,” Gingerich recalled.

“The next year we went to the Wawasee High School gym. In 1999, the year the quartet retired, we had 2,500 people in the gym to see their last concert in Syracuse.

“After the Cathedrals retired, we started with Legacy Five and have had them every year since. About half of those years we had another group with them.”

Some years Gingerich has arranged three concerts, featuring groups such as Gold City, Anthony Burger, The Martins, Common Bond, Greater Vision, Freedom Singers, Ernie Hasse, Ivan Parker, Jim and Melissa Brady, Garment of Praise, Brian Free and this year’s co-headliner, Triumphant Quartet.

This is the third year Sam-

mlung Platz has served as the event’s venue.

Gingerich credits the performers’ local and regional fans for keeping his motivational fire lit. “Every year people thank me and encourage me to keep it going.”

He noted the highlight in his annual labor of love as “having groups come to our house for lunch and sharing time with our children and milking cows.”

It isn’t just about the music or the entertainment. Gingerich

finds gratification in the deeper reaches of the performances.

“When someone is hurting and a certain song that was sung had a message in it they needed for that moment, that’s exciting to hear.”

Tickets are $25/person, with children 10 and under admitted free. Tickets may be purchased by calling Gingerich at (574) 5180281 or visiting itickets.com. For more information on the performers, visit legacyfive.com or triumphantquartet.com.

Kosciusko Board of Realtors increase the number of scholarships

The Kosciusko Board of Realtors will extend its rich history of community involvement by awarding its annual scholarships to Kosciusko County students this spring.

For 2023 KBOR has increased the number of $1,000 scholarships awarded from three to six Kosciusko County students.

KBOR has awarded $90,000 in scholarships since 1993 to foster and invest in tomorrow’s Kosciusko County leaders.

This scholarship is specifically designed to assist bright and motivated students as they strive to achieve all of their educational goals. The 2022 winners used their scholarships to pursue degrees in nursing at Indiana University, ag business at Purdue University and elementary education at Florida Golf Coast University.

Seven years ago KBOR initiated the “Spirit of the Heart” Award. This award goes to one o the scholarship winners that, in addition to scholastic achievement, goes out

of their way in serving their community. This award honors Realtor professionals who have passed away and touched their community throughout their lives. The seventh annual “Spirit of the Heart” Award will be presented to one of the scholarship winners again this year.

Any high school student or student currently enrolled in college from Kosciusko County is eligible to apply.

Submission deadline is Friday, April 28. The 2023 winners will be announced the week of May 8. Applications can be downloaded or completed online at www.kbor. com/kbors-childrens-chairities/ kbor-scholarships/.

KBOR is composed of 183 Realtors in 50 offices involved in residential and commercial real estate and appraisals throughout the county. The members serve Kosciusko County in real estate needs and help build better communities through programs such as this.

Grace Village announces new director of development

Grace Village has announced Debora Eichman as its new director of development.

Eichman has more than 25 years of experience in fundraising, grant writing and event planning, primarily in the nonprofit world.

Justin Kimbrell, chief executive officer of Grace Village, said, “Debora has been a positive addition to Grace Village since her coming in 2019. She is currently director of resident services and marketing.

“We feel development is a natural fit for Debora’s skill set. Each department she has tackled has seen great success. I’m eager to see how she will make Grace Village development bigger and better.”

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to take over development at Grace Village,” Eichman said. “Although I know it will be a lot of hard work, it will also be highly satisfying knowing I can help make Grace Village an even better place.”

Grace Village is a nonprofit continuing care retirement community with 62 condos, more than 100 apartments, assisted living, health care and rehabilitation. Grace Village is the area’s only Christian nonprofit continuing care retirement community.