Hundreds of men and women have died during and after the war in Iraq.

One of them was one of Warsaw's very own.

Lance Cpl. David Fribley, 26, was killed in action March 23 when an armored personnel carrier was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was the first Indiana native to die in the conflict.

His bravery and death also make him the Times-Union 2003 top story of the year, as decided by a vote by the news and sports staffs.

The attack on Fribley's vehicle occurred near An Nasiriyah, Iraq, a city about 230 miles southwest of Baghdad. Fribley was one of seven Marines killed in the incident in which an Iraqi unit indicated it was giving up, then opened fire when the Marines approached. U.S. military said about 40 were wounded.

The Pentagon listed Fribley as a resident of Cape Coral, Fla. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Fribley, a 1996 Warsaw Community High School graduate, is the son of Garry and Linda Fribley, Atwood. He graduated from Indiana State University and was known in the Warsaw area for his athletic skills.

On April 8, in the WCHS Tiger Den, thousands of mourners paid tribute to Fribley during calling and services for the American hero. Displayed near his casket during funeral services was Fribley's Purple Heart.

A scholarship has been established in his memory. The scholarship will be permanently endowed by the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.

Other top stories of the year include:

2. More than a year after Jason Davidson, 33, Warsaw, shot Samuel Creekmore, 30, to death, Davidson's trial began at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 2 with jury selection.

Davidson pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the May 2, 2002, murder of Creekmore in Creekmore's home. Davidson allegedly shot Creekmore five times, three times in the head and twice in the torso, after entering the home of Creekmore and his wife, Alicia Davidson-Creekmore.

On Sept. 4, Davidson changed his plea from "not guilty by reason of insanity" to "not guilty." At 11:54 p.m. Sept. 9, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder against Davidson. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

3. When it comes to long, drawn-out stories that still are without resolution, the issues surrounding Warsaw Community Schools make the grade.

In March, the Warsaw School Board decided that six teachers and the assistant athletic director at WCHS and three elementary school counselors won't have their contracts renewed for the 2003-04 school year. By unanimously approving a move from block scheduling to a five-period trimester system at Warsaw Community High School, the administration could cut several teachers from the high school without compromising classes.

On May 19, Warsaw School Board members got a look at the additions and renovations planned for the high school. At the same meeting, Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire proposed closing Atwood, Claypool, Jefferson and Silver Lake elementary schools and building two new four-section schools - one to replace Jefferson Elementary and one between Atwood and Leesburg.

On June 9, at a meeting at the Claypool Lions Building, Warsaw School Board member Gene England presented a suggested compromise from McGuire. McGuire's suggestion was that the four smallest schools - Atwood, Claypool, Jefferson and Silver Lake - be closed and two new schools be built. However, the location of one of those schools was the compromise. His suggestion was that a new four-section school be built in Winona Lake and Claypool Elementary be enlarged to become a three-section school.

Then on June 16, the school board voted 5 to 2 in favor of adding onto and renovating Claypool Elementary and building a new Jefferson Elementary. Estimated cost of the projects was $30 million.

Hoping to get the school board to stop the push toward closing four schools and building two, a group of county residents in July began circulating a petition to begin the remonstrance process. By final count, more than 800 signatures had been gathered for the petition in favor of a remonstrance against the proposed project. The petition was filed with county auditor Sue Ann Mitchell July 30.

McGuire presented another alternative at the Aug. 18 school board meeting - to close Atwood, Claypool and Silver Lake elementaries and move the students into the remaining Warsaw schools.

On Sept. 15, by a vote of 4 to 2, the Warsaw School Board voted to close the three smallest Warsaw schools at the end of the 2003-04 school year. The Concerned Citizens for Quality Education filed a lawsuit Oct. 8 in Kosciusko Circuit Court for a permanent injunction restraining the school corporation from closing Atwood, Claypool and Silver Lake elementaries.

4. Two men allegedly armed with M-16 rifles reportedly entered the Leesburg branch of National City Bank about 10:30 a.m. May 27.

Milford Town Marshal Dave Hobbs fired at the suspect vehicle after a passenger in the pickup allegedly displayed an M-16.

The suspects left the bank westbound from Leesburg in a red van that later was found abandoned and on fire in a wooded area. The suspects reportedly were in a burgundy pickup when Hobbs encountered them.

On May 31, Criss Duncan, 43, Shipshewana, and Ralph Berkey Jr., 34, Elkhart, were taken into custody for the bank robbery. Police also recovered numerous weapons from the suspects' homes.

Federal authorities took custody of both men June 3.

After four hours of deliberation, a federal court jury in early December convicted Criss Duncan of four charges stemming from the National City Bank robbery. Duncan was convicted of armed bank robbery, using a firearm during a crime of violence, being a convicted felon in possession of a gun and arson. The first three charges arose from the May robbery. Duncan's prior felony conviction is for voluntary manslaughter in Elkhart County in 1983. The arson charge relates to Duncan and Berkey burning the van they used for the robbery before switching to another vehicle for their escape.

In October, Berkey pleaded guilty in an agreement with the government that required him to testify against Duncan.

Berkey's sentencing is in January. Duncan's sentencing is Feb. 27.

5. Ismail Musleh, 21, Mishawaka, and Atta Musleh died from injuries suffered in an arson fire officials say the two men started.

On June 25, a fire burned Frank and Jerry's Grocery Store, Mentone, to the ground. Ismail was pronounced dead at the scene of the fire. Atta was transported by Samaritan helicopter to St. Joseph Hospital Burn Center, where he later died.

The building, owned by Frank and Jerry Smith, was leased to Atta.

6. David Van Dyke, the former operator of the Warsaw Wastewater Treatment Plant, was put on trial Aug. 18 in U.S. District Court on charges he violated the Clean Water Act with illegal discharges.

Van Dyke was charged in March in a 37-count federal grant jury indictment. Those charges included filing false laboratory bench sheets, monthly reports and discharge monitoring reports and illegally discharging diesel fuel from the plant into Walnut Creek.

On Aug. 25, Van Dyke filed a guilty plea with the court on three of the 37 counts against him. Then on Nov. 18, U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Miller Jr. sentenced Van Dyke to 46 months of jail time and ordered him to pay restitution of $39,369 to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

7. Zimmer Holdings Inc. announced May 20 its intention to begin an offer to acquire Centerpulse AG. On Aug. 21, Zimmer announced that stockholders voted to approve the issuance of up to 45.4 million shares of Zimmer common stock in connection with Zimmer's exchange offers for Centerpulse and InCentive Capital.

Zimmer Holdings Inc. and Implex Corp. announced Nov. 24 that Zimmer agreed to acquire Implex common stock and cash escrow. Under the agreement, Implex will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Zimmer.

8. While diseases such as SARS and mad cow disease made national headlines, bacterial meningitis claimed the lives of two North Manchester boys this year.

Bacterial meningitis caused the death of 17-year-old Jared Airgood. Kyle Music died similarly in December.

9. Dexter Lee Anglin, 17, of Syracuse, was the driver in a one-car accident that occurred on Memorial Day in which all six occupants of the car were ejected.

A backseat passenger in the car, Tara Likens, 19, of North Webster, died May 27 as a result of injuries she suffered in the May 26 accident.

Anglin, 18, later tested positive for marijuana, according to police.

On Oct. 22, Anglin pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless homicide.

As about 70 onlookers awaited Judge Joe Sutton's declaration of sentencing for Dexter Lee Anglin Dec. 11, the judge unexpectedly recused himself from the case. After telling the court of a perceived conflict of interest, Sutton allowed the attorneys and Anglin the opportunity to object to Sutton entering judgment. Anglin's attorney, J. Bradley Voelz, did object and Sutton quit the case.

Sutton, Kosciusko Superior Court 3 judge, told the court he had ethical concerns regarding the case because his daughter plays on a volleyball team with two of Tara Likens' cousins. The link between Sutton's family and the Likens family could be enough, Sutton said, to either create or create the appearance of a lack of objectivity regarding the case.

10. Two previously conjoined twins may have a chance at living normal lives, thanks to the efforts of one of Warsaw's orthopedic companies.

Biomet Inc. is joining with Dr. Ken Salyer, who headed the medical team that separated 18-month-old Egyptian twins Ahmed and Muhammed Ibrahim last month, to invent a covering for the boys' skulls. At a press conference Nov. 11, Salyer said that while the ultimate solution has not yet been devised, "we're very impressed here with the talent at Biomet ... and we look forward to coming up with the optimum solution for these boys." He said the next step for the boys is to completely recover from their separation surgery, which he hoped would be in a couple of months. [[In-content Ad]]