Tragedy, Change Are 2018 Top Stories
December 31, 2018 at 2:22 a.m.
Tragedy, Change Are 2018 Top Stories
By Dan [email protected]
The following is a recap of the top 10 stories in order of ranking, according to an in-house survey by the Times-Union.
Tippy Tragedy
Four children were struck and three of them were killed by a motorist who passed a Tippecanoe Valley school bus on Oct. 30.
Twins Xzavier and Mason Ingle, 6, and their sister, Alivia Stahl, 9, died. A fourth student, Maverick Lowe, 11, suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries and spent weeks in the hospital.
Alyssa Shepherd, 24, of rural Rochester, was initially charged with a misdemeanor charge of passing a school bus causing injury and three felony counts of reckless homicide.
The incident sparked outrage, a massive turnout of support in Rochester and has prompted calls for a change in laws.
A grandfather of the three children killed, Michael Schwab, has launched a website, MAXStrongForever.com, and is calling for the Indiana General Assembly to enact changes to improve stop safety.
2018 Election
Voters chose Indiana State Police trooper Kyle Dukes as the new sheriff over three other Republican candidates, including incumbent Rocky Goshert, in the May primary.
Dukes was unopposed in the general election.
Republicans overall dominated election returns across Kosciusko County, including the race for Wayne Township trustee where Democrat Shari Benyousky ran a high-profile race, but lost to Republican Jeanie Stackhouse.
On the national level, Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, a former Congressman from South Bend, was ousted by Republican Mike Braun, from southern Indiana. Braun’s win helped Republicans increase control in the U.S. Senate.
Racetrack Suit
Neighbors filed suit in 2018 to block the fair board from operating motorized racing at the fairgrounds along Winona Lake, alleging the fair broke an agreement made nearly 30 years ago prohibiting motorized racing.
The fair board began motorized racing about two years ago and say reviving the racing tradition is key to the fairground’s financial future.
Some racing supporters have focused their anger on Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, who lives along the lake, but has tried to distance himself from the dispute.
After an attempt at mediation, the case now appears headed to court in 2019.
2 Teens Killed In Crash
Two teens died Jan. 13 after fleeing police and crashing into three other vehicles on U.S. 30 in Warsaw. Two other people were seriously injured.
Pronounced dead at the scene were Jacob Slone, 19, Warsaw, and his passenger, Paige Jefferson, 16, Warsaw.
The two were allegedly fleeing police after shoplifting items from a nearby store.
2-Month-Old Dies
A Winona Lake woman was charged with felony count of neglect after her 2-month-old infant died Oct. 30, 2017, after the child apparently choked to death.
Marissa J. Moore Brown, 21, pleaded guilty in late December 2018 to a single charge of neglect of a dependent, a level 6 felony.
The child, Elena Lanae Moore, died after apparently consuming formula mixed with cereal that became a thick paste.
Sewer Hike
Warsaw City Council passed the second rate hike in two years as the city begins its biggest-ever public works project aimed at extending the life of underground infrastructure 20 years and capacity at the treatment plant another 20 years.
Construction on the new treatment plant is set to begin as soon as possible as the existing plant begins to surpass capacity.
Rehabilitation of aging sewer lines began this year.
Total cost of the projects is estimated to be about $41 million.
New Fire Station
After years of planning, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory opened its new fire station south of Warsaw.
The $2.3 million facility is the result of a merger of Warsaw and Wayne township fire departments nearly 10 years ago. The station opened this summer. One of the catalysts behind the new stations, Sheila Burner, the Wayne Township trustee, died in late December.
Malnourished Child
Five people were arrested over the course of several months in connection with a child neglect case involving a youngster in Nappanee who allegedly was severely beaten over a period of time after the birth mother had turned the child over to another woman.
The unidentified child suffered deep cuts to the scalp, arms, sockets and teeth and was extremely underweight.
The case came to light in March. Those facing charges include Fayette Robinette, Etna Green; Rune Star Springer, Claypool; Travis Wayne Tillotson, Nappanee; Jammy Stacy, Etna Green; and Annette Priestley, of White Pigeon, Mich.
Springer, the mother, told officers she did not cause the injuries to the child and that the child had been in the care of another woman, Stacy, for about a year. Stacy dropped off the boy at Springer’s house on March 1 with visible injuries.
Spring Flooding
Melting snow caused flooding in Warsaw and numerous lake areas to the north. Kosciusko County was one of many counties eyed for disaster relief assistance.
Far worse conditions were reported in nearby Elkhart County.
AWL New Facility
After a lengthy, years-long fundraising effort, Animal Welfare League plans to open a new $2.2 million facility next summer. The change will expand capacity and lead to more programming.
Kosciusko County and the city of Warsaw anted up a combined $250,000 in the late this year to help seal the deal.
The new facility will be at CR 325E, east of Warsaw.
Darla McCammon, who led the shelter for years and oversaw fundraising, retired, but continues to be involved. Katey Wilks Zemen was named the new executive director in May.
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The following is a recap of the top 10 stories in order of ranking, according to an in-house survey by the Times-Union.
Tippy Tragedy
Four children were struck and three of them were killed by a motorist who passed a Tippecanoe Valley school bus on Oct. 30.
Twins Xzavier and Mason Ingle, 6, and their sister, Alivia Stahl, 9, died. A fourth student, Maverick Lowe, 11, suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries and spent weeks in the hospital.
Alyssa Shepherd, 24, of rural Rochester, was initially charged with a misdemeanor charge of passing a school bus causing injury and three felony counts of reckless homicide.
The incident sparked outrage, a massive turnout of support in Rochester and has prompted calls for a change in laws.
A grandfather of the three children killed, Michael Schwab, has launched a website, MAXStrongForever.com, and is calling for the Indiana General Assembly to enact changes to improve stop safety.
2018 Election
Voters chose Indiana State Police trooper Kyle Dukes as the new sheriff over three other Republican candidates, including incumbent Rocky Goshert, in the May primary.
Dukes was unopposed in the general election.
Republicans overall dominated election returns across Kosciusko County, including the race for Wayne Township trustee where Democrat Shari Benyousky ran a high-profile race, but lost to Republican Jeanie Stackhouse.
On the national level, Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, a former Congressman from South Bend, was ousted by Republican Mike Braun, from southern Indiana. Braun’s win helped Republicans increase control in the U.S. Senate.
Racetrack Suit
Neighbors filed suit in 2018 to block the fair board from operating motorized racing at the fairgrounds along Winona Lake, alleging the fair broke an agreement made nearly 30 years ago prohibiting motorized racing.
The fair board began motorized racing about two years ago and say reviving the racing tradition is key to the fairground’s financial future.
Some racing supporters have focused their anger on Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, who lives along the lake, but has tried to distance himself from the dispute.
After an attempt at mediation, the case now appears headed to court in 2019.
2 Teens Killed In Crash
Two teens died Jan. 13 after fleeing police and crashing into three other vehicles on U.S. 30 in Warsaw. Two other people were seriously injured.
Pronounced dead at the scene were Jacob Slone, 19, Warsaw, and his passenger, Paige Jefferson, 16, Warsaw.
The two were allegedly fleeing police after shoplifting items from a nearby store.
2-Month-Old Dies
A Winona Lake woman was charged with felony count of neglect after her 2-month-old infant died Oct. 30, 2017, after the child apparently choked to death.
Marissa J. Moore Brown, 21, pleaded guilty in late December 2018 to a single charge of neglect of a dependent, a level 6 felony.
The child, Elena Lanae Moore, died after apparently consuming formula mixed with cereal that became a thick paste.
Sewer Hike
Warsaw City Council passed the second rate hike in two years as the city begins its biggest-ever public works project aimed at extending the life of underground infrastructure 20 years and capacity at the treatment plant another 20 years.
Construction on the new treatment plant is set to begin as soon as possible as the existing plant begins to surpass capacity.
Rehabilitation of aging sewer lines began this year.
Total cost of the projects is estimated to be about $41 million.
New Fire Station
After years of planning, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory opened its new fire station south of Warsaw.
The $2.3 million facility is the result of a merger of Warsaw and Wayne township fire departments nearly 10 years ago. The station opened this summer. One of the catalysts behind the new stations, Sheila Burner, the Wayne Township trustee, died in late December.
Malnourished Child
Five people were arrested over the course of several months in connection with a child neglect case involving a youngster in Nappanee who allegedly was severely beaten over a period of time after the birth mother had turned the child over to another woman.
The unidentified child suffered deep cuts to the scalp, arms, sockets and teeth and was extremely underweight.
The case came to light in March. Those facing charges include Fayette Robinette, Etna Green; Rune Star Springer, Claypool; Travis Wayne Tillotson, Nappanee; Jammy Stacy, Etna Green; and Annette Priestley, of White Pigeon, Mich.
Springer, the mother, told officers she did not cause the injuries to the child and that the child had been in the care of another woman, Stacy, for about a year. Stacy dropped off the boy at Springer’s house on March 1 with visible injuries.
Spring Flooding
Melting snow caused flooding in Warsaw and numerous lake areas to the north. Kosciusko County was one of many counties eyed for disaster relief assistance.
Far worse conditions were reported in nearby Elkhart County.
AWL New Facility
After a lengthy, years-long fundraising effort, Animal Welfare League plans to open a new $2.2 million facility next summer. The change will expand capacity and lead to more programming.
Kosciusko County and the city of Warsaw anted up a combined $250,000 in the late this year to help seal the deal.
The new facility will be at CR 325E, east of Warsaw.
Darla McCammon, who led the shelter for years and oversaw fundraising, retired, but continues to be involved. Katey Wilks Zemen was named the new executive director in May.
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