Jan. 10, 1979 -- Opposition forces are combining their wits and strength in an attempt to block a license application for a Winona Lake package liquor store.

A delegation representing the Women's Christian Temperance Union and concerned residents appeared at the Winona Lake Town Board meeting Tuesday night to discuss the news sweeping the lakefront about a liquor license application submitted to the Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission in November.

Twenty-one residents and the trustees, all vehemently opposed to opening a liquor store inside the town's corporate limits, questioned the constitutionality of the license application submitted to the state ABC by Sonny Nellans, Rt. 7, Warsaw.

James Walmer, the town's attorney, said he believes state ABC members can grant one package liquor license per 5,000 population in a town. The counselor said he will research the law. If that point is accurate, the attorney questioned whether Winona Lake is eligible for a package liquor store license since the town's population was 2,811 when the 1970 census was taken.

Jan. 11, 1979 -- Recent finanical problems at Warsaw's Cardinal Center have forced severe cutbacks to keep the local rehabilitation center open.

Five weeks after his appointment as executive director, Michael Martin has had to trim the staff by nine and close the Cardinal Boutique on East Smith Street.

"The layoffs will allow us to maintain operation through the end of the year," he said. "If not, we would have had to increase our short term debt to the local banks."

Affected by the cutback are the three boutique supervisors, a habilitation program coordinator, an office clerk, two preschool aides, a psychometrist and a receptionist. With salaries totaling $76,146, the projected savings through the rest of the fiscal year 1979 will be $32,823.

Feb. 2, 1979 -- Kosciusko County's architect has unveiled a preliminary site plan for a $4.1 million jail-court facility in downtown Warsaw.

County commissioners and councilmen discussed the site plan with architect Robert Cain, of Cain Associates Architects, Kalamazoo, Mich., Thursday in the courthouse.

Cain proposes construction of a two-story, 26,000-square-foot jail facing Washington Street and backed by a two-story, 36,000-square-foot court complex at the corner of Lake and Main streets. A tunnel under Lake Street might connect the complex to the existing courthouse.

The commissioners have taken no action on the proposal.

Feb. 6, 1979 -- A two-story brick building remembered by many as the headquarters of an auto dealership and clothing factory in downtown Warsaw will come to an end of an era under a wrecking ball next month.

Kosciusko County Commissioners Maurice Dorsey, Gerald Smalley and Fredrick Gilliam opened three bids and awarded a contract Monday for the demolition of the Blue Bell-Hartsock building at the corner of Lake and Main streets.

Feb. 7, 1979 -- First to file papers declaring his candidacy today, Paul E. (Mike) Hodges, 1809 Lincoln Drive, will seek an unprecedented fifth term as mayor of Warsaw.

Feb. 12, 1979 -- Mrs. James E. (Ruth Rodeheaver) Thomas, 81, of Rainbow Point, 1300 Court St., Winona Lake, well-known singer and voice coach, died at 12:45 p.m. Sunday at the Mason Health Care Facility. Death was due to complications following an extended illness.

Feb. 15, 1979 -- Warsaw Mayor H. Dale Tucker made it clear that he will run for re-election to a second four-year term, when he filed his declaration of candidacy with county clerk N. Jean Messmore Wednesday afternoon.

The 56-year-old Democrat, of 1017 Country Club Road, defeated former mayor Paul E. (Mike) Hodges by more than 400 votes in the 1975 city election. Hodges filed a week ago to seek the office for an unprecedented fifth term.

Feb. 15, 1979 -- Winona Lake residents have quenched their thirst on lake water for many years, but may be able to "wet their whistles" on alcoholic beverages at the turn of the decade.

Kosciusko County Alcoholic Beverage Board members set a precedent Wednesday voting 2-1 in favor of a liquor, beer and wine dealer license for Sonny Jay Nellans, Rt. 7, Warsaw. He proposes to open Nellans Wholesale Liquors, a package store, in a building on the east side of the Lakeview Shopping Center, 100 feet inside the corporate limits of Winona Lake --a town that has been "dry" since it was founded.

Ninety-one local residents, consisting of 43 remonstrators and 32 persons supporting the applicant, packed the commissioners' room in the basement of the Kosciusko County Courthouse for a local hearing. Attorney James L. Walmer, who represented the Winona Lake Town Board, was quick to point out that only two of the 32 persons making an appearance on behalf of Nellans were Winona Lake residents.

Petitions were submitted by both the remonstrators and Nellans. Letters were also submitted by Winona Lake church officials and residents protesting the granting of a liquor license inside the town's corporate limit.

Feb. 28, 1979 -- Former Indiana State Sen. John F. Augsburger, 73, of Tempe, Ariz., died of complications following a three-month illness at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Hospital, Tucson, Ariz.

A lifetime resident of Milford and Lake Wawasee, he was owner and operator of Augsburger's Super Markets at Milford, Syracuse and North Webster. Elected to the Indiana State Senate from District 13 in 1968, he served two terms. His son, John B. Augsburger, of Syracuse, now serves in that capacity.

Feb. 28, 1979 -- The Warsaw Community High School Jazz Band No. 1 received a first division rating at the State Jazz Band Contest at Fort Wayne Snider High School last Saturday.

The band entered in Group I category, which is judged as the most difficult classification.

Members of the jazz band are: Bill Wise, Floie Stouder, Carolyn Daghlian, Marsha Wise, Tim McConnell, saxophones; Greg Stevens, Kraig Doub, Julia Zimmerman, Robin Town, Liz Scott, trumpets; Scott Kantenwein, Mark Conley, Rick Myers, Russ Baldwin, trombones; Steve Lovelady, bass; Scott Huffer, drums; Linda Nice and Jill Frush, piano and vibes.

March 2, 1979 -- Different ideas "kicked around" in recent months by county officials and an architect are starting to jell toward the construction of a new county jail-court facility.

The Kosciusko County Council and the commissioners agreed Thursday to purchase another property in the downtown Warsaw business district -- finalizing the fifth real estate deal within six months.

Councilmen Thomas Anglin, Ronald Sharp, Larry Teghtmeyer, Eldred Metzger and Norman DeGood approved an ordinance authorizing the commissioners to purchase the home of Cleon D. and Iris V. Overmeyer, at 221 W. Main St., Warsaw, for $80,000.

March 2, 1979 -- Jeffrey W. Plank, 31, of 602 Lincoln Drive, Warsaw, declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for city councilman from the First District Thursday.

March 3, 1979 -- For the second time within a week, Warsaw Community School Corp. has been charged in a lawsuit with violation of the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and the press.

Two Warsaw Community High School seniors, Anne Summe and Jeri Grisso, sued Warsaw School Board, Superintendent Dr. Charles F. Bragg and high school principal Ray Green for an order in U.S. District Court, South Bend, Thursday to resume publication of the student newspaper.

The suit alleges school officials are violating the First Amendment rights of the students by refusing to permit publication of the student newspaper, Kontac, and reviewing student contributions to the "Tiger Alive" news pages published by the Times-Union.

On Friday, Feb. 23, a former high school business teacher, JoAnn DuPont, sued the school corporation over her firing by the school board last spring. One part of DuPont's suit also claimed that school officials had violated her First Amendment right to free speech by firing her after she spoke out and wrote a letter to the editor of the Times-Union about textbook censorship.

March 15, 1979 -- Bubbling with enthusiasm, a "newcomer" to the community has conversed with local residents and finds Warsaw "very unique" because of the positive remarks made by the citizenry.

That "newcomer" will one day be promoting Warsaw as a unique community with friendly residents and, of course, a town that continues to grow.

The "newcomer," Deborah A. Green, 26, of Michigan City, has been employed as the new executive vice president of the Greater Warsaw Chamber of Commerce. She will assume her new duties April 2.

March 16, 1979 -- Action taken at a recent meeting of the Whitko School Board may cause an unfair labor practice suit against the school corporation by the Whitko Classroom Teachers Association.

WCTA president Thomas Dilling said the addition of George Hathaway as athletic director in the March 1 meeting of the school board was in violation of Public Law Article 5, which says the teachers' negotiation team has the right of input into any position affecting teachers.

March 22, 1979 -- The Otis R. Bowen Center For Human Services Board has taken steps to initiate suits against three counties that have not provided the proper funding required by law.

Within the next several weeks, lawsuits against Kosciusko, Huntington and Wabash counties will be filed, requiring them to pay a minimum of 4 cents property tax rate per $100 of assessed valuation. The counties are required by law to provide funds to the center in at least that amount. They may pay up to a 10 cent tax rate.

March 23, 1979 -- A sixth-grade Washington School pupil "beat the odds" and returned for the final round of the spelling bee defeating his elder --the junior high champ -- in this year's annual county competition.

Andy Camp, the 11-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. James Camp, 1717 Briarwood Drive, Warsaw, beat out Mary Parke, the 14-year-old daughter of Dr. and Mrs. William Parke, 1216 Country Club Drive, Warsaw.

March 23, 1979 -- Violations of First Amendment rights are cited in a third lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, South Bend, against Warsaw Community School Corp.

Brooke Zykan, a junior at Warsaw Community High School, and her brother, Blair, who graduated from the school last year, filed a class action lawsuit Wednesday that asks the court to order the following: that curriculum changes made by the school board be reversed and returned to the status quo; restoration to classroom and library use the former textbooks "Values Clarification," "The Stepford Wives," "Go Ask Alice," "The Bell Jar" and "Growing Up Female In America"; that the school desist from interfering with using books in Warsaw classrooms; and that school authorities be restrained from removing any books and changing curriculum until a "reasonable and impartial" procedure for such future action has been formulated.

In their complaint, titled "Academic Freedom," the Zykans allege that school officials violated the First Amendment rights of students at the high school by banning books and removing courses from the curriculum.

March 24, 1979 -- Teresa Burnau, a former Warsaw teacher, Friday filed suit in U.S. District Court, Fort Wayne, against Warsaw School Corporation and two officers, saying her contract was not renewed in a dispute over books used in her class.

Burnau, who now lives in Fort Wayne, seeks $50,000 in damages, reinstatement and back pay from the Warsaw Community Schools and from C.J. Smith, former principal of Warsaw High School, and George Gilbert, assistant school superintendent.

Her lawsuit is the fourth filed against the school corporation in federal courts over the past few weeks. Each of the suits claims the school board or other school officials violated the First Amendment rights of the plaintiffs.

March 28, 1979 -- The Warsaw Community High School theater department will present "Inherit The Wind" April 20-21.

According to director Becky White, the play is a dramatization of the famous Scopes monkey trial, which took place in July 1925.

The cast of 64 players was announced March 12. Matthew Harrison Brady, the renowned evangelist, is played by Tom Heckman. Bertram Cates, the teacher on trial, is portrayed by Doug Harman. Rachel Brown, his fellow school teacher and potential girlfriend, will be played by Vondria Andrews.

April 3, 1979 -- When Debra J. Wright, Rt. 1, Barbee Lake, checked into Kosciusko Community Hospital Monday, she knew her family was going to expand .. it wasn't until just after midnight this morning she found out just how much.

Wright gave birth to triplets, beginning at 12:21 this morning -- the first triplets born in the three-year existence of KCH and believed to be the first triple birth in nearly three decades in Warsaw.

The two baby girls and baby boy, along with the mother, are all healthy, and a hospital spokesman says daddy Dennis Wright is simply walking around with a very large smile.

"They knew they were going to have twins," assistant administrative supervisor Dee Yoder said this morning, "but not triplets. That came as a big surprise to everyone --doctor included."

Dr. Richard Galbreath supervised the delivery of the babies --Danielle, Darlene and Darrell.

April 6, 1979 -- Kosciusko County officials took a giant step toward a new jail-court facility Thursday by approving preliminary plans for the $5.3 million structure.

County councilmen Norman DeGood, Ronald Sharp, Thomas Anglin, Keith Horn, Larry Teghtmeyer and Eldred Metzger voted unanimously to approve the general concept of a preliminary building plan presented by Bob Cain, of Cain Associates Architects, Kalamazoo, Mich.

April 13, 1979 -- Indiana Civil Liberties Union has joined the dispute over censoring of library books, texts and a newspaper in Warsaw schools because of the clear challenge to First Amendment rights, the organization's executive director said Thursday.

"I've never seen quite so many censorship problems altogether in one place," Barbara Williamson told a news conference at the ICLU's Indianapolis headquarters.

ICLU volunteer attorneys last month filed two suits in U.S. District Court at South Bend against the Warsaw Community School Corp. board of trustees and superintendent and the principal of Warsaw Community High School.

April 14, 1979 -- Two prominent Kosciusko County business and community leaders are dead as the result of heart problems.

H.E. (Bus) Bledsoe, owner and operator of Bledsoe Buick-Pontiac Auto Sales, died at 3 p.m. Friday at Kosciusko Community Hospital. Bledsoe, 72, had been a patient at KCH since Tuesday evening, when he was admitted following a heart attack.

At 3 a.m. today, Marshall Estep, 69, a retired farmer, owner of Estep Trucking Co. and a member of the board of directors of Kosciusko Community Hospital, died of heart failure at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne. He had undergone surgery about a week ago.

April 16, 1979 -- Plans have been completed and bids will soon be opened for construction of the combination boys' club, girls' club and day care center north of Camp Lucerne on North Park Avenue, Warsaw.

Camp Lucerne, which is owned by the St. Meinrad School of Theology, is in the process of being acquired by the city of Warsaw through condemnation.

April 25, 1979 -- Warsaw's veteran pharmacist, Frank E. Brennan, 85, of 1115 E. Market St., Warsaw, died at 5:20 a.m. today at Prairie View Rest Home. He had been in failing health the past four years. Brennan practiced pharmacy for 67 years.

April 30, 1979 -- The wheels of democracy turned in favor of the silent majority last week when three Indiana Alcoholic Beverage Commission members voted to disapprove a license application for a proposed package liquor store in Winona Lake.

Sonny Jay Nellans, Rt. 7, Warsaw, submitted an application for a liquor, beer and wine dealer license to the state ABC late last year. After the state commissioners had processed the application, it was sent to the Kosciusko County Alcoholic Beverage Board for consideration. Local board members voted 2-1 in favor of recommending approval to the state commission in February.

The applicant was proposing to open Nellans Wholesale Liquors, a package store, in a building on the east side of Lakeview Shopping Center, 100 feet inside the corporate limits of Winona Lake. He was planning to open the business at the present site of Lakeview Laundromat, at 2228 E. Winona Ave., Winona Lake.

April 30, 1979 --Twenty-eight wild ducks that once swam along the shores of Winona Lake no longer waddle in front of traffic or feast on the bread crumbs tossed by nature lovers.

There's good reason. The ducks were found dead in the water near the beach owned by the Winona Lake Bible Conference, at the corner of Winona Avenue and Argonne Road, approximately six weeks ago. Indiana conservation officers believe that a polluting substance caused the deaths.

Their feathers were stained with a black, oily substance that is spewing into Winona Lake from a storm drainage pipe. The open end of that pipe leads from the industrialized section on the east side of Warsaw to Winona Lake in front of the Lakeside Marina, which is only 500 feet west of Winona Beach.

May 7, 1979 -- No suspects have been apprehended in the murder of a Marion man and the wounding of another in a bloody clash between several members of two northern Indiana motorcycle gangs on a southeastern Kosciusko County farm Saturday night.

Lonnie D. Brannen, 28, of 38th Street, Marion, died of gunshot wounds to the stomach at Wabash County Hospital Saturday night. Steven G. White, 26, of 4829 E. CR 100S, Marion, suffered gunshot wounds to the left side of the face and pelvis. He is in fair condition at the Wabash County Hospital today. They are both members of the "Outlaws" motorcycle gang from Marion.

An estimated 200 to 300 young persons had gathered at the Hoosier Haven Campground, also known as Camp Liberty, on the banks of the Eel River, for an all-night rock concert and motorcycle race. Youths from different Indiana towns began arriving at 7 p.m. on the J.P. Freeman farm, one mile north of Liberty Mills at the intersection of Eel River Road and CR 600E in Kosciusko County.

The majority of the concert-goers were members of the "Caretakers," the "Outlaws" and the "Invaders" motorcycle gangs, which are based in Goshen, Marion and Valparaiso, respectively. They came to listen to "The Gods," a rock band reportedly from the Warsaw area.

May 8, 1979 -- Ground-breaking for the Lawrence D. Bell Aircraft Museum in Mentone last night kicked off one phase of a two-phase building program to house the personal aviation and space-related artifacts of Mentone's famous native son, Lawrence D. Bell.

Historical items will be housed in the first building. A second building will be added later to house aircraft and other large items. The complex will be located near the Mentone park in the southwest corner of town.

May 14, 1979 -- Warsaw Community High School prom king is Joe Nelson; prom queen is Coleen Kealey.

May 15, 1979 -- The first break in the 3-1/2-month-old murder investigation of Bourbon businessman Claude (Murph) Yarian, 68, came today following the arrest of four men.

Three jailed at Plymouth Monday were Larry Perkins, 20, Rt. 5, Plymouth; Duane Schuh, 25, Box, 9, Etna Green; and Larry Williams, 21, of 312 Harrison St., Plymouth. A fourth man, George Redman, 21, of 305 E. Shaffer St., Bourbon, was picked up by police Friday night and lodged in the Kosciusko County Jail to purportedly isolate him from the other suspects being jailed in Marshall County.

Yarian, long-time owner and operator of Yarian's store in Bourbon, was gunned down as he approached his home on North Main Street early on the morning of March 6. Authorities said Yarian was killed by a shotgun blast to the upper abdomen.

Police said Yarian had closed his general store about midnight and drove, with his wife, Ann, to their home seven blocks north of the town's business district. Mrs. Yarian reportedly remained in the car while her husband approached the residence to unlock the door and turn on the lights. As Yarian walked on the north side of the home, he was met by his assailant.

May 15, 1979 -- Wholesale fuel distributors and service station owners in Kosciusko County are closing their businesses earlier each day and some have resorted to closing on Sundays in an effort to stretch limited gasoline supplies, but most say they will continue to pump gasoline during the four-day nationwide boycott.

The long lines and government rationing plans in southern California may only be one month away in Indiana, local gasoline suppliers claim.

"We've always believed we've lived in a land of plenty," but many are finding that is not true, commented J.C. (Mac) Silveus, president of Silveus and Bradway Oil Co. Inc., Warsaw.

May 16, 1979 -- A Marshall County grand jury has recommended the death penalty for three men indicted Tuesday for the March 6 murder of Bourbon businessman Claude (Murph) Yarian, 68.

Held without bond in the Marshall County jail at Plymouth are Larry Perkins, 20, Rt. 5, Plymouth; Duane Schuh, 25, Box 9, Etna Green; and Larry Williams, 21, of 312 Harrison St., Plymouth. They were indicted on charges of felony murder, conspiracy and armed robbery, and the Marshall Superior Court grand jurors recommended the death penalty under the new Indiana felony/murder statute.

A fourth man, George Redman, 21, of 305 E. Shaffer St., Bourbon, was not indicted by the grand jury and remains in custody in the jail here on a charge of conspiracy to commit burglary.

June 1, 1979 -- Warsaw's city park system was officially enlarged recently by presentation to the city of the final portion of the Kiwanis Community Park on East Smith Street by the Kiwanis Club of Warsaw. A deed for lots numbered 50, 51, 52 and 53 in Beyers South Park Addition, at the corner of East Smith Street and Hillside Drive, was presented to Mayor H. Dale Tucker and fellow Board of Works members Fred Boggs and Don Bixelby. It terminated more than 10 years of effort and expense by the club to develop that area into an aesthetic spot for the community.

June 9, 1979 -- A Winona Lake youth has a special birthday wish.

Fifteen-year-old Brenda Evans, of 201 14th Street, Apt. 3, Winona Lake, is hoping that doctors will find a donor so they can transplant at least one kidney. She would like to have a kidney before her 16th birthday Aug. 28.

Although physicians have not diagnosed Brenda's disorder, her heart and both kidneys failed March 24. Surgeons removed both kidneys in a delicate operation that day at a Fort Wayne hospital. The small-framed teen had been experiencing headaches for three years and then she became seriously ill last September. Since then, the condition of her health has declined.

Both Brenda and her 40-year-old mother, Myrtle Evans, were informed that blood transfusions must begin today.

June 16, 1979 -- A group of Backwater Lake residents have charged Kosciusko County police with illegal search and seizure and brutality in connection with a beer party bust in their neighborhood a week ago today.

Sheriff C. Alan Rovenstine, in response, denied one allegation and said an investigation has started in the other.

Twelve neighborhood residents gathered at the home of Max and Brenda Snyder, Rt. 1, North Webster, Thursday night to discuss what they contend was a raid on an "orderly" beer party last Saturday night. The complaining residents were all adults, and until the police arrived shortly around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, most were not in attendance at the party.

Six of the Backwater Lake residents said they witnessed a county police officer hit a youth in the rib cage three to four times with a long, heavy flashlight while two policemen held the prisoner. Three of six firmly identified the officer as County Patrolman Tom Brindle, and charged it was an act of "police brutality."

"I thought they were going to kill him," Snyder commented. "It was uncalled for," Mrs. Becky Ousley added. "It really scared me to death," shuddered Sue Davis, who owns the property where the two-day party was held.

Rovenstine, in an interview Friday afternoon, admitted, "I am aware that happened. We are investigating it." The sheriff was not at the scene last week, but has talked to several of his officers who were. Asked what action, if any, would be taken, he said, "At this time, I don't know."

The neighbors allege the incident occurred after County Police Lt. Rich Mikel began to confiscate one keg of beer for evidence. As he started to drag it toward the road, several party-goers cried in protest and began tossing cups of beer (police said it was also cans and bottles, but the neighbors disagree).

Rick Allen Waite, 22, of Syracuse, and Timothy Wayne Beining, 21, of Ligonier, were apparently most resistant. The neighbors allege while a party-goer they didn't recognize (believed to be Beining) was being dragged toward a squad car by two officers (Mikel and Richard Monk), Brindle approached from the front and struck him three or four times in the ribs with his flashlight, then pulled him onto the road.

Five juveniles and four young adults, plus the keg of beer, were placed in police cars and taken to the jail. Two others were booked at the county jail later in the week.

June 20, 1979 -- "Stay at home!" is Pacer Oil supervisor Earl Shull's warning to weekend motorists in the face of a nationwide truckers' strike, which has blockaded oil terminals and virtually paralyzed northern Indiana.

The problem seems to have arrived in Warsaw, as most local fuel dealers report dwindling supplies while some are already without gasoline.

Shull's Red Comet station had cut back hours Tuesday to 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., but didn't know if they would be able to open Wednesday. "We've got gas if we can get it here," he says.

Shull has not received any gas since last Wednesday and says he doesn't expect any until the truckers move.

June 25, 1979 -- An alleged scandal involving some Multi-Township EMS personnel and city and county police officers, which has been "swept under the rug" for months by three members of the Multi-Township Board of Directors, was aired publicly Saturday night at the Leesburg Fire Station.

Plain Township Trustee Donald J. Boggs said he has been told that some emergency medical technicians, county policemen and Warsaw police officers have engaged in sexual relations while they were both on and off duty.

June 28, 1979 -- Tempers flared Wednesday night at the regular meeting of the Multi-Township EMS as some board members and MTEMS personnel attacked board member Donald Boggs for his public remarks concerning an alleged alcohol/sex scandal involving Multi-Township EMS personnel.

Putting into the theory that the best defense is a good offense, many of the pro-MTEMS crowd chastised Boggs for his statements and spoke highly of the Multi-Township organization in the lengthy meeting.

Dr. Richard Galbreath, medical director of MTEMS, charged the allegations were "irresponsible and unfounded."

July 5, 1979 -- Multi-Township Emergency Medical Service will be minus one township and its $25,000 share of funding by the first of the year.

By a 4-0 vote, the Plain Township Advisory Board Tuesday morning agreed to dissolve its membership in MTEMS as of Dec. 31, 1979. Plain Township may leave the service even earlier, if --in the words of the meeting's minutes --"terms of a contract can be worked out for the balance of the 13.3 percent due the corporation (Plain Township's share of MTEMS budget)."

The vote comes after rumors of sex and alcohol misconduct allegedly involving both on- and off-duty emergency medical technicians have raged.

July 6, 1979 -- Following the suspension of a policeman this week by the City Board of Works for "conduct unbecoming an officer," Multi-Township Medical Director Dr. Richard Galbreath contends city officials have not "told the complete story" regarding the officer's involvement with an MTEMS employee.

July 9, 1979 -- A growing wave of discontent among county Republicans and the GOP leadership, rumored for several months, surfaced publicly today when party chairman Edwin Pratt was asked to immediately resign or be replaced.

County councilman and former two-term sheriff Carl L. Latta angrily charged that Pratt must be replaced if the Republican Party in Kosciusko County is to survive.

A lifelong Republican, Latta contends Republicans have been embarrassed by Pratt's handling of a contribution to the GOP from a known gambler last November and by his failure to act decisively during the recent Multi-Township Emergency Medical Service scandal. Pratt, as Wayne Township Trustee, is a member of the MTEMS board.

July 10, 1979 -- The residents of Leesburg, currently paying for membership to both the Multi-Township EMS and the Milford EMS, will belong to only one Emergency Medical Service in 1980.

The Leesburg Town Board unanimously voted to dissolve membership in the Multi-Township EMS service and use only the Milford EMS.

July 11, 1979 -- Biomet Inc., the newest full-line manufacturer of orthopedic devices, began operations south of Warsaw in December 1977, and has dramatically succeeded in topping the goals set by its founders.

The company produces reconstructive devices for both the hip and knee, and has current development projects under way for systems that will facilitate reconstruction of the shoulder, elbow and ankle. Dr. Dane A. Miller, Biomet's president, added that many of the manufactured implants incorporate distinctively Biomet-designed improvements and innovations, all of which have been accepted by the medical marketplace.

The company provides a complete product line of fixation devices such as bone plates and screws that aid the orthopedic surgeon when treating broken bones. "And we are particularly pleased," Miller continued, "with the acceptance of our new concentric hex, which is a device that is used to treat broken hips."

July 20, 1979 -- Miller & Sons, which has been in Silver Lake since the mid-1940s, announced plans to open a Home Center in Warsaw to be able to further serve their customer needs.

The company began in 1943, when Chester Miller and his sons purchased the Silver Lake Lumber Co. and founded Miller and Sons.

July 31, 1979 -- Dennis Tucker and Ann Lash will reign over the 63rd Kosciusko County Fair this week after being selected 4-H King and Queen during the 4-H tenure awards program in the Warsaw Community High School auditorium last night.

Aug. 6, 1979 -- Amy Speicher, competing as Miss Milford, today proudly wears the crown as 1979 Kosciusko County Fair Queen following her coronation at the conclusion of the 63rd fair Saturday night. The 17-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lew Speicher, Milford, Amy is a student at Wawasee High School.

Aug. 10, 1979 -- Beginning Monday, the Times-Union will join some 500 other publications across the country in presenting "Doonesbury" by Garry Trudeau, one of the most popular and controversial comic strips going.

Aug. 11, 1979 -- Citing what he labeled "very little incentive for people to work," Fourth District Congressman Dan Quayle called for an anti-recession tax cut during a campaign stop in Warsaw Friday afternoon.

Quayle, the 32-year-old second term Republican from Huntington, has been stumping the state since May 14, when he announced he would seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Birch Bayh.

Aug. 18, 1979 -- A North Manchester man was found guilty of dealing in pornographic literature involving minors, a Class D felony, by Special Judge Robert Kinsey of Kokomo, in Wabash Friday afternoon in Wabash Circuit Court.

William F. Smith, 41, was arrested Sept. 6, 1978, after an 11-month joint investigation by the North Manchester Police Department, the Indianapolis Police Department, the Los Angeles City Police and the FBI. A search of his home and auto uncovered 25,000 pictures depicting nude minors and assorted amateur photographic equipment.

Aug. 22, 1979 -- The Kosciusko County Bar Association will recommend that Gov. Otis R. Bowen appoint Kosciusko County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney James C. Jarrette as the new Kosciusko County Court judge to fill the judicial post vacated by Loren K. Collier this month.

Aug. 22, 1979 -- In 10 months or less, residents of the city of Warsaw will need to dial only 911 in case of emergency.

The 911 program, quickly spreading in communities throughout the nation, will come to Warsaw after the city's Board of Public Works and Safety signed a contract with United Telephone Systems during its regular meeting Tuesday.

Aug. 30, 1979 -- Al Disbro has been named media specialist for the United Way 1979 campaign.

As media specialist, Disbro will be responsible for creating and assembling the slide presentation telling the United Way story. Disbro is employed as a loan officer at Lake City Bank.

Sept. 1, 1979 -- University of Maryland doctors completed the first successful operation to replace a lower spine early today after 19 grueling hours of surgery to implant an artificial metal spine in a semi-paralyzed woman. The device was manufactured by Zimmer-USA, headquartered in Warsaw.

Jessie Thomas, was listed in good condition. The operation, the first of its kind to replace a lumbar spine, provided Thomas with an artificial spine to replace her missing lower spine and protect her spinal cord.

Sept. 4, 1979 -- Recalling the day that he was aboard the first Lear jet to land at the Warsaw Airport years ago, U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh (D-Ind.) told a crowd of local residents during an airport "reopening" Saturday that it is "a different place" today.

Sept. 5, 1979 -- James C. Jarrette, 31, of 300-1/2 East Main St., Warsaw, became Kosciusko County Court judge following an informal swearing in ceremony early Tuesday morning. The oath of office was administered by Kosciusko Circuit Court Judge Gene B. Lee in his courthouse chambers.

Gov. Otis R. Bowen, appointed Jarrette to the position late last week, following the recommendation of the Kosciusko County Bar Association.

Sept. 5, 1979 -- Scott and Anjie Christoffel, Warsaw brother and sister team, took first place in the recent disco contest at Clara's Pizza King on East Winona Avenue. All winners include Jim Davies, Adrienne McBride, Scott Christoffel, Jeff Fosser, Anjie Christoffel, Kelly Stodder, Janie Shealy and Mike Walls.

Sept. 12, 1979 -- Warsaw's 1967 "Man of the Year" Dr. John R. Baum, 81, of 305 Seventh St., Winona Lake, died at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday at Kosciusko Community Hospital. He had been in failing health for several years.

Of his nearly 50 years in medicine, 46 of these were spent in practice in Warsaw.

Sept. 19, 1979 -- Brenda Evans, the 16-year-old Winona Lake girl who had both her kidneys removed in March, is in Veterans Administration Hospital in Indianapolis recovering from a kidney transplant operation Monday.

Evans underwent the delicate operation Monday and is recovering at the hospital. Dr. Thomas Conley, from the V.A. Hospital, said Evans will be hospitalized for a lengthy period of time. However, he said, "She is doing very nicely."

Sept. 28, 1979 -- A federal court judge has ruled in favor of Warsaw Schools and administrators in a suit filed by two students last March over publication of the student newspaper "Kontac."

U.S. District Judge Allen Sharp issued a summary judgment dismissing the action against the Warsaw School Board, Superintendent Dr. Charles F. Bragg and Warsaw Community High School Principal Ray Green in the South Bend federal court.

Anne Summe and Jeri Grisso, who were WCHS seniors when the class action suit was filed March 1 by South Bend attorney Jeanne J. Swartz, alleged that school officials violated their First Amendment rights of free speech and press by refusing to permit publication of the student newspaper "Kontac" and reviewing student contributions to the "Tiger Alive" pages in the Times-Union.

The suit became a moot question this fall when an adviser was named and plans were made to begin publishing "Kontac" again. School officials argued that the newspaper wasn't published last year because they were unable to find a teacher to act as adviser for the student publication.

The judge said that before the plaintiffs could proceed (in a federal court), they would have to "exhaust all remedies" available in the Indiana Student Due Process Code. Sharp dismissed the case and ordered each party to bear its own costs.

Oct. 3, 1979 -- For what is believed the first time in the history of Warsaw public schools, a superintendent has been forced to resign.

Warsaw School Board unanimously accepted the resignation of Dr. Charles F. Bragg in a special meeting at McKinley School Tuesday night. Also by unanimous vote, Freshman High School principal Dr. Larry Stinson was named acting superintendent through the end of the school year and Dr. Glenn Gambel, assistant principal at the high school, was tabbed to replace Stinson.

Oct. 11, 1979 -- It has been 25 years since the Council for the Retarded of Kosciusko County first sponsored classes in the area.

Until that time, mentally handicapped individuals were destined to lead purposeless lives in the care of their family or be sent to a state institution, where the conditions were often less than desirable.

In November 1954, the council was incorporated and classes were begun in the Milford home of Mrs. Robert Overstedt. Approximately 10 children, ranging in age from 3 to 11, attended the classes.

Oct. 24, 1979 -- One of several new teachers at Warsaw Community High School this year is Gary Nieter. Before coming to the high school, he taught art and consumer life at the Freshman High School. Here at WCHS, most of the students are very happy to have Nieter as their art teacher.

Nov. 7, 1979 -- P.E. (Mike), the man who boasts the "most unique record of any mayor in the state," is back in Warsaw's City Hall. And he did it in a most unique way.

Much as the halfback who runs 70 yards for a winning touchdown on the last play of the game, Republican Hodges snared the last reporting precinct to edge incument Democrat H. Dale Tucker by a mere 23 votes in the closest mayoral general election in the city's 125-year history.

Hodges ended up with 1,634 votes, or 43.8 percent of the 3,727 mayoral votes cast. Tucker's total was 1,611, or 43.2 percent, while Independent Howard (Sam) Holbrook was a distant third, with 482, or 12.9 percent.

Nov. 16, 1979 -- By unanimous vote, the Kosciusko County Council Thursday night approved an ordinance appropriating a $3 million general obligation bond for construction of a new courts-jail complex.

The historic vote came three weeks after the County Commissioners recommended approval of the bond issue and more than 95 years after the county appropriated some $197,000 for the current courthouse.

Nov. 17, 1979 -- Tippecanoe Valley senior Mark Shireman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Shireman, was the second Tippecanoe Valley football player in three years to win the Phil Eskew Award for mental attitude. He joins former Viking Ray (Rockhill) Secrist and becomes the seventh Class A recipient.

Dec. 1, 1979 -- Trips to Fort Wayne and South Bend to consult with bone and joint specialists will no longer be necessary for Kosciusko County residents.

An orthopedic surgeon, Thomas M. Krizmanich, M.D., will open an office in Warsaw and begin a full-time practice Dec. 17.

Dec. 5, 1979 -- For the second time in less than two months, the Warsaw Community School system has won its day in federal court.

U.S. District Court Judge Allen Sharp Tuesday dismissed a class action suit by Warsaw students Brooke and Blair Zykan against the school corporation and its Board of Trustees, stating the "complaint does not allege a violation of constitutionally protected activities."

The Zykans questioned the right of the school board and administration to ban textbooks, make curriculum changes and interfere with teachers' use of materials in connection with a class.

Judge Sharp, in his five-page opinion, said in essence that there definitely was such a right.

Dec. 12, 1979 -- Final testimony is set in South Bend today in a lawsuit filed by former Warsaw Community High School teacher JoAnn DuPont against the local school corporation, but the jury won't have to worry about any decisions.

U.S. District Court Judge Allen Sharp dismissed the panel of four men and four women Tuesday afternoon after attorneys for the school system and DuPont settled their differences out of the public courtroom on the issue of damages. The school agreed to pay an estimated $9,000, as opposed to the $50,000 sought in a Feb. 23 federal complaint.

DuPont, formerly a high school business instructor in Warsaw, alleged school administrators and the Board of Trustees had violated her First Amendment rights when she was fired from her position in March 1978. She maintains the board took the action because she publicly spoke out against the banning of textbooks and changing of curriculum. She also claims her involvement with the Warsaw Community Educators Association helped lead to her firing.

Dec. 13, 1979 -- P.E. (Mike) Hodges' attempt to block an election recount in Warsaw has been successful, at least for the time being.

The Indiana Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order or mandate Wednesday against the recount scheduled for Friday in Kosciusko Circuit Court. The recount challenges the Nov. 6 election for mayor.

Jan. 2, 1980 -- The distinction of being the first baby of the new year belongs to Larry Edward Manns Jr. Shown with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Edward Manns Sr., Larry Jr. made his appearance in Kosciusko Community Hospital at 3:13 a.m. Jan. 1. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. The Manns reside on Rt. 4, Syracuse.

Feb. 4, 1980 -- Saying a federal court had no business becoming a "Super School Board," U.S. District Court Judge Allen Sharp has ruled in favor of the Warsaw Community Schools and its board of trustees in a censorship-related lawsuit filed by former business teacher JoAnn DuPont.

The 18-page decision, dated Jan. 31, was delivered today to attorneys for both sides.

March 10, 1980 -- A child's "natural death" has frustrated law enforcement officials in Warsaw and Kosciusko County.

Four-year-old Natali Mudd, of Warsaw, died last Wednesday. An investigation is continuing. Hers was the fourth possibly preventable death among members of the Faith Assembly Church, some of whom believe in spiritual instead of medical treatment for illness.

Natali was the daughter of Ron and Martha Mudd, of Warsaw. City police detective Paul Schmitt said she had a massive growth emerging from her right eye and covering most of her face.

Dr. Richard Pearson, Muncie, conducted an autopsy. His preliminary finding was the cancerous growth caused death. Schmitt said the Mudds told him they had noticed the eye problem two months ago, but had not sought medical treatment for Natali.

April 1, 1980 -- In a move that is causing smiles galores from both sides, the city of Warsaw has sold the sometimes leaky east side fire station to the Kosciusko Community YMCA, and remodeling will begin immediately to convert it into an eight-lane Olympic-size pool.

May 2, 1980 -- The sun broke out from behind a patch of clouds and seemed to smile on a large crowd that had gathered Thursday afternoon at the jail-court complex construction site for groundbreaking ceremonies in downtown Warsaw.

It was an exciting day for all county officials. Kosciusko County Commissioners Fredrick Gilliam, Maurice Dorsey and Gerald Smalley led the way in kicking off the building project when they awarded a contract to Wright Construction Co., Elkhart.

Kosciusko County Councilmen Thomas Anglin, Ronald Sharp, Larry Teghtmeyer, Carl Latta, Norman DeGood and Keith Horn were on hand when the commissioners signed the contract agreement with Wright Construction Co. Thursday afternoon.

June 2, 1980 -- A local businessman had a dream --to go west and start a boys' home on a ranch where there were lots of mountains and trees. He wanted to take in youngsters who had minor problems and help them get their lives straightened out.

That dream was just that --only a dream. But nearly 10 years ago he found it rearing its head, to surface as Riverwood Ranch, a group home for teenaged boys west of Warsaw.

It began when R.L. (Pete) Strayer learned that a farm along the Tippecanoe River west of town was for sale. "My wife and I looked at it and the minute we saw it, with the house sitting on one river bank and the barn on the other, we knew we wanted to buy it," recalls the businessman.

But the rest of the family wasn't as enthused. To their two children still living at home, their Springhill Acres residence was home. They didn't want to move to the farm.

So they rented out the house and had the land farmed until Mrs. Strayer reminded her husband of his dream of establishing a boys home.

July 1, 1980 -- By this time next year, Warsaw's downtown fire station will be some four blocks to the north on Canal Street, directly west of the Conley Oil Station and across the street from the Center Lake Park Pavilion.

That's the verdict from the city's Board of Public Works and Safety, which unanimously recommended the site during its regular meeting this morning. It came after a vigorous lobbying effort by representatives of the Warsaw Community Development Corp., who argued against construction on a city-owned parking lot.

July 7, 1980 -- County residents were continuing clean-up efforts today following a devastating storm early Saturday that injured 11 and caused millions of dollars in damage as high winds swept through the area toppling trees and disrupting electrical service to many homes.

The storm, with winds of more than 60 miles per hour, swept through the northern section of the state and knocked out the communications system at the National Weather Service office at the South Bend Airport, according to Kosciusko County Civil Defense Director Sonja Creighton. Thus, area residents were not alerted for "one of the most wicked storms" to hit the county in recent years.

July 7, 1980 -- The Glory Barn --the roots of the local charismatic movement and the controversial meeting place of the Faith Assembly in the last decade --was destroyed by fire early Friday. Two youngsters were injured.

North Webster, Syracuse and Cromwell firefighters were summoned to the Glory Barn at 3:30 a.m. and battled the blaze for approximately two hours. Believing that the fire was of "suspicious origin," North Webster fire officials said Noble County police have requested that the State Fire Marshal assist in the investigation.

Six persons escaped from the burning two-story barn, which is along CR 200S and near the state road in Noble County. Brandon Wahl carried his two sons, Joel and Lee, from their bedrooms, but not before they suffered burns.

July 8, 1980 -- A week after the old superintendent cleaned out his office, Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. has a new one.

By a 5-0 vote, the board of trustees Monday night tabbed Dr. Baxter Paige, currently assistant superintendent of Avon Community School Corp. west of Indianapolis, as its replacement for Dr. Lloyd Harrell.

Aug. 5, 1980 -- Despite the increasing humidity, Andy Kuhn and Cindy Tucker were crowned the 1980 4-H King and Queen last night before a capacity crowd at the annual 4-H Tenure Awards and Fashion Revue program in the Warsaw Community High School auditorium.

Aug. 5, 1980 -- A month after it decided to build a new fire station on Canal Street near Center Lake Park, the city of Warsaw has changed its mind.

By a 3-0 vote, the city's Board of Public Works and Safety today directed engineer Jerry Lessig to draw up plans for a new station on parking lots at the corner of Main and Indiana streets, directly north of the Kosciusko County Jail.

Aug. 11, 1980 -- Van Gurley accepted his first place trophy from Aimee Valentine after winning the season championship in the sprint division at Warsaw Motor Speedway. Den England finished second.

Sept. 4, 1980 -- The chief negotiator for the Warsaw Community Education Association today warned "some kind of job action will have to be taken," as local teachers now are concluding their second week of working without a new master contract.

Bill Koos, a social studies teacher at Warsaw Middle School, wouldn't go as far as saying there would be a teacher strike here, or for that matter even a "sick-in," but in the wake of a two-hour session that proved fruitless Wednesday night, it was obvious negotiators for the WCEA were upset.

Oct. 1, 1980 -- Only the county clerk's office was open today following Tuesday's fire that caused the temporary closing of the Kosciusko County Courthouse in downtown Warsaw.

County Clerk N. Jean Messmore and her staff opened the clerk's office at noon. The only business they were conducting was voter registration and the issuance of support checks. Persons going to the clerk's office were asked to enter through the east door.

Small cases containing 175 vote-a-matic machines and 70 demonstrator machines were neatly lined against a wall in the west basement hallway, which was hit the hardest by fire.

The county commissioners held the first of two regular monthly meetings today. However, they were unable to meet in the commissioners' room in the basement because of the extensive fire, smoke, heat and water damage in the lower level.

Officials say they believe the county's insurance policy will cover all the damage, which was estimated between $500,000 and $1 million.

Oct. 1, 1980 -- The Olive Bethel Church of God, at CRs 1000S and 1300W, was established in 1883 and is the oldest continuing Church of God in the world.

Oct. 4, 1980 -- The king and queen of Warsaw Community High School's homecoming Friday night were Mitch Goon and Cheryl Gephart. Mitch is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Goon, Atwood, and Cheryl is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gephart, Warsaw.

Nov. 4, 1980 -- There will be no vehicular underpass for the ConRail tracks --at least not in the near future.

By a 4-1 vote, Warsaw's Common Council Monday night ended a discussion that began back in April 1978 to find a way to ease rail conflicts for east- and west-bound traffic in Warsaw.

Following what Councilman Terry Klondaris called a choice between the "long-term benefits and the short-term detriments," the council voted to end "all further authorization on the underpass project, including engineering work."

Councilman Phil Roy, the only dissenter, felt city officials were cutting their own throats on a $3.5 million project that had been guaranteed 100 percent federal funding.

Dec. 11, 1980 -- Two local citizens are on an independent campaign to improve the image of the city of Warsaw.

It doesn't matter that one of them just happens to be city councilman Jeff Plank, or that neither he nor his partner, artist Tim Kennedy, are transplants to the city.

But the two have begun their project with a children's book, "Warsaw, Indiana, Is My Town!"

Jan. 12, 1981 -- Three fires Sunday claimed the life of a Lake Wawasee man, left a Claypool family homeless and temporarily halted the printing presses of a New Paris farm publication.

Robert Glen Baker, 53, Rt. 1, Syracuse, died of smoke inhalation, according to Kosciusko County Coroner Gary Eastlund. He was found in the front bedroom of his home. Other fires destroyed the Michael Fishbaugh home south of Claypool and extensively damaged the Farmer's Exchange printing press in New Paris.

Jan. 15, 1981 -- Robert E. Gephart, 51, of 639 Nancy St., Warsaw, and Mrs. Margaret (Peg) Phillips, 71, of 701 Pam St., Warsaw, were named the "1980 Man and Woman of the Year" at the 69th Annual Greater Warsaw Chamber of Commerce Banquet in the Warsaw Elks Club.

Feb. 3, 1981 -- The latest in landfill closure orders by the State Board of Health has caused more than an outcry of objection from local elected officials. It also places county residents in a precarious situation.

In a letter dated Jan. 21, the State Board of Health has ordered Stanley Scott, the owner of Scott Sanitary Landfill, to immediately close the dumping site north of Dewart Lake in Kosciusko County. The closure was not ordered on the grounds of violations, but stems from the state's previously publicized plans calling for the eventual phase-out of landfills in Indiana.

In addition to mailing the closure letter to Scott, copies also were sent to the Kosciusko County Commissioners and the Kosciusko County Health Department.

March 2, 1981 -- Appointments to Times-Union management and editorial posts were announced today by Michael R. Williams.

Norman L. Hagg, Times-Union managing editor for eight years, has been named general manager of the newspaper and radio stations WRSW AM-FM. City editor Tom Swenson becomes managing editor and columnist Charlotte Marie Butler is named an associate editor on the news staff.

Hagg, 43, Rt. 6, Warsaw, an employee of the newspaper and radio stations for nearly 18 years, began his duties as a night newsman at WRSW in 1963.

April 3, 1981 -- Wawasee and Tippecanoe Valley girls opened their high school track seasons in convincing styles Thursday night. The Warrior gals rolled over Westview 60-45, while TVHS whipped Caston 62-43.

Lonnie Black and Stacy Wall were each double winners in the Wawasee victory. Black captured the shot put with a heave of 34-4-1/2 and set a new school record in the discus with a mark of 110-8-1/2. Wall crossed the line first in both the 100 and 800 meter races. Susan Geyer established a new school standard (:16.5) in the 100 meter hurdles.

April 8, 1981 -- A policy requiring new employees --upon completion of a one-year probationary period --to reside within the city limits was adopted by the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety during its regular meeting Tuesday morning at City Hall.

May 1, 1981 -- Sixteen-year-old Mike Johnson is listed in good condition this morning at Goshen General Hospital after taking an unexpected dip in the cold waters of Lake Wawasee Thursday. Jack Darr and his 18-year-old son, Chris, are credited with saving Johnson from drowning.

May 4, 1981 -- Theodore Jackson Dobbins, 81, former owner of the Warsaw Cut Glass Co., of 915 W. Winona Ave., died unexpectedly at 1:30 a.m. today in Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne.

June 5, 1981 -- One of the oldest buildings and the only restaurant in Atwood --the Atwood Cafe --was extensively damaged by fire early today.

Fire damage on the first floor, as well as smoke and water damage throughout the structure, was estimated at $30,000 by Sheriff C. Alan Rovenstine, owner of the building. That figure could climb higher today after a more thorough inspection.

July 1, 1981 -- Three area landfill owners met Tuesday to discuss funding problems, and after the smoke had cleared, the trio was seriously considering closing the only dump sites now available to the public in Kosciusko County.

Stanley and Dick Scott, owners of Scott's Landfill near Dewart Lake; Dan Ransbottom, owner of Ransbottom's Landfill near Packerton; and Harian Beer, owner of Beer and Slabaugh's Elko Landfill near Nappanee, met to discuss the future of the three dump sites.

With the county council saying it will no longer subsidize the two public landfills owned by Scott and Ransbottom and the State Board of Health placing stricter regulations on all three owners, they are considering the possibility of closing the dump sites on July 15. The Elko Landfill, which is privately owned and operated, is not subsidized by county tax dollars.

Aug. 1, 1981 -- Improvements and new ideas brought to The Warsaw Speedway have been a major factor in drawing larger crowds to the dirt race track at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds this summer.

Bob Grindle, a hometown resident who says he is "friends with everybody," is serving as manager of The Warsaw Speedway for the first time this season. For the past 25 years, he was just one of the boys racing all different types of autos around the dirt track.

After race drivers complained about the track management last year and remonstrators appeared before the Warsaw Common Council to complain about the late night noise, Grindle was selected as the new track manager.

Aug. 4, 1981 -- Brent Messmore and Darlene Hathaway posed after being named the 1981 Kosciusko County 4-H Fair King and Queen during the annual 4-H Fashion Revue Monday night at Warsaw Community High School.

Sept. 1, 1981 -- It's now official --the Center Street widening project is now dead and buried. The Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety put the project to rest with a 3-0 vote at its meeting today.

The matter had already been announced by the board with an open letter addressed to city residents Aug. 24, advising them of the abandonment of the proposed project.

The next possibility for street change may be Detroit Street, as city officials are scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Sept. 11, in Indianapolis, with the State Highway Commission. Mayor Hodges said he will discuss problems pertaining to traffic flow, intersections and conditions of streets.

Oct. 2, 1981 -- Bids from both general contractors and electrical contractors for construction of the east-west runway at the Warsaw Municipal Airport were submitted Thursday afternoon in a special joint meeting of the Warsaw Aviation Board and the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety. The bids were taken under advisement by both city boards until next week.

There were 10 bids submitted for earthwork and building of a 5,000-foot runway, which will run south of the Administration Building. Two of the bidders submitted alternate figures for using cement instead of blacktop for the runway.

Nov. 5, 1981 -- The present Etna Green Fire Station will be torn down and another will be built in its place sometime next year.

The old fire station, built around 1930, has been condemned and the insurance was canceled on both buildings in 1979. The fire facility consisted of a masonry building that housed the fire equipment and a smaller wood building that was used for storage of old records and a deep well pump.

Dec. 7, 1981 -- Forty years ago today the Japanese air raid on American military installations at Pearl Harbor began early in the morning. Memories are still vividly etched in the mind of a local man who was wounded, but survived, that bombing attack.

Furman C. Martin Jr., Rt. 6, Warsaw, was a corporal in the U.S. Army. Since he was trained as a mechanic, he was attached to Headquarters Squadron, 18th Bombardment Wing, U.S. Army Air Corps at Hickam Field. Little did he know that Dec. 7, 1941, was not going to be another routine day. "If I would have known 40 years ago what I know now, I wouldn't have stayed at Hickam," Martin said in a recent interview. "I would have went to the other side of the island."

At 7:55 a.m. Dec. 7, 1941, Martin and a handful of military officers had moved an airplane from hangar No. 7 out onto the asphalt at Hickam Air Field and were preparing for a training flight.

The plane engine had been started and was warmed up, Martin recalled. The flight crew was nearly ready to enter the plane when the first Japanese bomber swooped down low over Hickam Air Field and dropped a bomb.

Jan. 4, 1982 -- Local Kroger Co. and Zale Drug Store officials said today they are uncertain how long the two stores will be closed following a major fire that swept through the storage room of the supermarket Thursday afternoon.

Fire caused an estimated $400,000 damage to the East Center Street supermarket Ð of which there was $300,000 in damage to the contents and $100,000 damage to the building, according to Warsaw Fire Department officials. There was only smoke damage to The Zale Drug Store, which adjoins The Kroger Co., fire officials reported.

Jan. 7, 1982 -- County Republican Chairman Jean Northenor announced today county attorney Rex Reed will be the GOP's new vice chairman.

Reed, 40, of Rt. 9, Warsaw, succeeds Don Hair, who announced last month he would leave the post because he had been transferred to Bristol, Tenn., in his job with United Telephone Systems.

Jan. 9, 1982 -- The polished brass doors and the ornamental fixtures of the 1930s era come alive in a structure that has stood majestically in downtown Warsaw for one-half century.

The old U.S. Post Office, which has been empty since the new Post Office was built in 1978, has been renovated into a bank branch. It's now called the Post Office Square and houses the Counting House Bank branch, plus other business offices.

Jan. 11, 1982 -- Kosciusko County residents today were digging out following what may have been the coldest day of the century, which virtually shut down the area.

Howling winds caused snow to drift across north-south roads Sunday night, causing the closure of all area schools, as well as many factories, businesses and the Kosciusko County Courthouse today. The Kosciusko County Commissioners declared a snow emergency at 3 p.m. Sunday. That means all vehicles, with the exception of emergency vehicles, should stay off all roads in the county until the snow emergency is lifted.

Feb. 1, 1982 -- Nearly a foot of new snow fell Sunday, bringing all activities to a halt in Kosciusko County.

Numerous businesses, industry, the Kosciusko County Courthouse, City Hall and all area schools were closed today. All area police officers, firemen and emergency medical technicians worked Sunday and were back on the job today.

Both the Kosciusko County Commissioners and Warsaw Mayor Paul E. (Mike) Hodges declared a snow emergency early Sunday. City and county officials commented that they expect the snow emergency to be lifted today.

Some believe this is the worst storm since the Blizzard of '78 and others are bracing for another onslaught of snow that may begin sometime Tuesday.

March 1, 1982 -- William Kurosky, 56, Rt. 3, Warsaw, acting executive director of the Otis R. Bowen Center for Human Services here, died unexpectedly about 1:50 a.m. Sunday after suffering a heart attack at his home.

Kurosky, Academy of Certified Social Workers, was instrumental in the formation of the original Four-County Mental Health Center (forerunner of the Bowen Center) here in the 1960s. He had been actively involved in the Kosciusko County mental health field for 17 years serving longest as director of community services at Bowen Center.

April 1, 1982 -- "I think this will be a great boost to the city of Warsaw. It will provide us with another recreational lake, as well," Mayor Paul E. (Mike) Hodges said today in announcing that land originally planned for airport expansion has become a flood plain.

Hodges, flanked by City Councilman Bob Nichols and City Attorney Dave Whitesell, his right- and left-hand men, respectively, apparently told the Warsaw Board of Aviation Commissioners of the action at a closed door meeting early this morning. According to plans reportedly approved by the Army Corps of Engineers, high water from Center, Pike and Winona lakes, as well as Tippecanoe Lake and Barbee Lakes chain, will now drain off onto land originally planned for a 5,500-foot east/west runway.

The city decided to scrap the airport project after it was realized funds were not available to acquire the needed acreage for construction.

By creating a flood plain, the city avoided the construction costs of the runway.

May 3, 1982 -- It's a four-person job as the ribbon is snipped Sunday in the grand opening of the Kosciusko County Justice Building. Doing the cutting are County Commissioners Gerald Smalley, Maurice Dorsey, Fred Gilliam and County Auditor Jean Northenor. Helping to hold the ribbon is county attorney Rex Reed.

June 8, 1982 -- Only a handful of tickets are still available for the B.J. Thomas concert, which is the highlight of tonight's Mentone Centennial activities.

The famed country-gospel singer will appear in two shows -- at 6:30 and 9 p.m. -- in the gymnasium at Tippecanoe Valley High School. Hundreds of area residents are expected to pack the gym to hear the singer.

July 7, 1982 -- Multi-Township Emergency Medical Service board members are seeking the financial support of two additional townships and want the commissioners to help.

Robert White and Ed Pratt, both members of the MTEMS board of directors, and Cindy Dobbins, managing director of Multi-Township EMS, appeared before the commissioners Tuesday in the courthouse to seek their help in convincing Plain Township Trustee Don Boggs and Harrison Township Trustee Chester Clampitt to contribute a fair share of tax dollars to the ambulance organization.

Aug. 3, 1982 -- Crowned the 1982 4-H King and Queen at the Kosciusko County Fair were Mike Pyle, the 19-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Pyle, Rt. 2, Silver Lake, and Doreen Darr, the 19-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Darr, Rt. 2, Syracuse. They were crowned during Monday night's annual Fashion Revue in the Warsaw Community High School auditorium.

Sept. 3, 1982 -- Kosciusko County Assessor Avis Gunter and former Wayne Township Assessor Garold R. Horrick were inducted into the Kosciusko County GOP Hall of Fame during a Republican dinner meeting Thursday night at the Shrine Building.

Lt. Gov. John Mutz was the main speaker at the Sixth Annual Republican Hall of Fame dinner.

Oct. 2, 1982 -- Whitko High School senior Beth King was crowned homecoming queen Friday night during halftime festivities at the Whitko-Columbia City game. She was escorted by her brother Mark King, a 1981 Whitko graduate. The Wildcats were victorious 12-6.

Oct. 5, 1982 -- Mayor Paul E. (Mike) Hodges took to television Monday night to continue to rake city councilmen for passing a 1983 budget he had previously admitted was heavily "padded."

The mayor appeared on a Channel 28 (WSJV) evening news interview, describing this term as the worst he had ever served (Hodges will complete his fifth term -- 20 years -- as mayor of Warsaw in December 1983). The inference was directed at his five councilmen -- Terry Klondaris, Robert Nichols, Fred Helfrich, Phil Roy and Jeff Plank.

Nov. 3, 1982 -- Mayor Paul E. (Mike) Hodges' efforts to leave a legacy -- $14 million plus encumberance against the city -- laid an egg at the polls Tuesday.

Despite the rainy, chilly day, voters swarmed to the voting booths in record numbers for a non-city election to resoundly defeat the mayor's efforts to persuade Warsaw residents to purchase the town's only water utility -- Hoosier Water Co.

Voters turned down the referendum by a nearly nine to one margin. It was a 2,500 vote plurality, or 89.2 percent against and 10.2 percent for the utility purchase. The final vote was 2,821 against, 321 for the purchase.

Dec. 7, 1982 -- A proposal to lure more business to the Warsaw area was made before the Kosciusko County Commissioners at a meeting Monday in the Kosciusko County Courthouse.

Deb Wiggins, executive vice president of the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce, discussed the possibility of hiring a company to do an economic development study. Wiggins said she had previously talked this over with Kosciusko County Councilman Ronald Sharp, and Sharp had indicated his interest in helping fund the study. But the councilman reported any initiating action should come from the commissioners, Wiggins said Monday.

Following discussion, county commissioners Fred Gilliam, Gerald Smalley and Maurice Dorsey agreed to recommend an additional appropriation of $6,700. The matter will come before the county council Jan. 20.

Jan. 3, 1983 -- It was a little more than six hours after the bewitching hour before Kosciusko Community Hospital could welcome its first baby of 1983, but despite missing a 1983 tax deduction, the wait was well worthwhile for Bruce and Ferree Bowman, Rt. 1, Pierceton.

The Bowmans are parents of a daughter, Lisa, born at 6:10 a.m. Saturday at KCH. Weighing in at eight pounds, eight ounces, Lisa joins her 3-1/2-year-old sister, Brooke, as a member of the Bowman family.

Jan. 3, 1983 -- Virgil C. Doran, who founded Warsaw Black Oxide Inc., Burket, in 1952 following his retirement after 40 years with the Railway Postal Service, died at 1:10 a.m. Sunday at Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne. He was 92.

Feb. 1, 1983 -- No reports of violence have occurred locally, and only one incident has occurred so far in Indiana, but the strike of the 100,000 member Independent Truckers Association has still affected some Kosciusko County area trucking firms.

Ernie Metzger, owner of Metzger Trucking, Silver Lake, said today, "We're not running. We have a few trucks out --trying to get home. We are not in favor of striking, but we're scared to run. If they don't repeal the tax we won't be in business. But those trucks that are out have had no problems.

Independent truckers began striking Monday and violence was reported in nine states, but the only report in Indiana was when a truck driver reported his window was smashed as he drove near Michigan City.

March 1, 1983 -- Virginia Summe today became what is believed to be the first woman to ever file for a Warsaw Common Council seat.

Summe signed candidacy forms in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk N. Jean Messmore for a Fifth District City Council seat in the Democratic party.

Summe, 57, of 615 E. Center St., Warsaw, is also the first Democrat to file in the newly created Fifth District.

Norma Gilworth was an unsuccessful candidate for the GOP mayor nomination in 1967, but it is believed no woman has sought a council seat.

March 4, 1983 -- Democratic City Councilman Jeffrey W. Plank today became a candidate for mayor of the city of Warsaw. That had been rumored for some time. What had not been rumored is that he would become a candidate on the Republican ticket.

Plank, the lone Democrat elected in the 1979 municipal election, filed his candidacy papers at 11 a.m. today --an hour before the filing deadline --in the office of Kosciusko County Clerk N. Jean Messmore.

April 7, 1983 -- Saying that he cannot take a neutral position in the upcoming Warsaw mayoral primary and is supporting Jeff Plank, Michael Valentine today submitted his resignation as chairman of the Warsaw Republican Committee.

May 2, 1983 -- Matt Cook and Marl Miller were crowned king and queen of the Warsaw Community High School prom Saturday night. Both seniors, he is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Cook, Rt. 1, Warsaw, and she is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Miller, Rt. 2, Claypool. He is a member of the basketball and track teams and she plays basketball and volleyball.

May 4, 1983 -- Top party leaders were convinced that two of the three Republican mayor candidates would race "neck in neck" down to the finish line for the Warsaw GOP nomination.

It didn't end like that at all.

City Councilman Jeffrey W. Plank carried a 510-vote plurality to defeat fellow City Councilman Terry Klondaris in the Republican race.

Plank captured 57.2 percent of the votes compared to 39.7 percent for Klondaris and three percent for darkhorse GOP candidate Clifford Prater.

June 1, 1983 -- The idea of a community pool, operated by the Warsaw Community Schools, has again been resurrected, this time by a committee of concerned citizens and the board of directors of United Way of Kosciusko County.

The United Way has voted to appropriate $100,000 from its McNamara Fund for "the construction and operation of a suitable pool facility ... for comunity services such as water safety programs, rehabilitative and restorative programs for the sick and aged, as well as for programs sponsored by the United Way's member agencies," according to a news release today.

July 1, 1983 -- Lifelong Etna Green area resident Ruth (Heisler) Miner will lead the Etna Green Fourth of July parade as grand marshal at 2 p.m. Monday.

Mother of 10, grandmother of 34, great-grandmother of 35 and great-great-grandmother of one, Mrs. Miner is a member of the United Methodist Church, which named her "Mother of the Year" in 1982. Her friends, neighbors and family surprised her with a touching program in her honor.

July 2, 1983 -- The North Webster Town Board decided in a meeting this week to join the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission. A zoning ordinance will be written by board attorney Rex Reed, and plan commission director Dan Richard will begin preparation of a zoning map.

July 5, 1983 -- Leesburg's 150th birthday celebration ended Saturday with a parade whose members nearly numbered the townÕs population.

There were about 100 entries in the parade, which began at 2 p.m. Saturday and lasted more than an hour. The Bob Bishop family won first place in the general float category, followed by Leesburg Grace Brethren Church. The third-place winner was the Leesburg Little League Team's float.

Aug. 2, 1983 -- Jeremy Kuhn, 19, Rt. 1, Etna Green, and DeShawn VanDeWater, 19, Rt. 5, Warsaw, were crowned the 1983 4-H King and Queen during Monday night's Annual Tenure Awards and 4-H Fashion Revue in the Warsaw Community High School Auditorium. They will reign over 4-H activities during the 67th Kosciusko County Fair this week.

Sept. 2, 1983 -- U.S. Sen. Dan Quayle (R-Warsaw) made a stop in Warsaw Thursday evening to put his support behind GOP candidate for the city's mayor, Jeff Plank.

Oct. 1, 1983 -- After nearly a four-year absence from the political arena, former Warsaw Mayor H. Dale Tucker said Friday he is seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

Tucker, who now lives and works in Jeffersonville, was in the Warsaw area visiting friends Friday when he announced his intentions to seek the post.

Nov. 9, 1983 -- Sensing that Warsaw voters want a change in the operation of local government and "not just a change in personalities," Republican Mayor-elect Jeff Plank has promised his administration will deliver.

Plank scored an overwhelming victory in the general election Tuesday, collecting 61.4 percent of the votes cast in the city.

Dec. 2, 1983 -- Eight officials in the Hodges administration have been ordered to repay the city of Warsaw $7,972.67, according to an audit released today by State Board of Accounts Examiner M.F. (Bud) Renner.

A state audit was initiated after city Clerk-Treasurer Pam Ward voiced concern about HUD and city records 1-1/2 years ago. She commented this week, "All I said is something is not right in Warsaw. My concerns were very valid. I think these auditors feel the money is due back to the city for various irregularities." She added, "They (city officials) got caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. Now theyÕre going to pay."

Four city officials met Monday with Renner in Indianapolis to appeal orders to repay money to the city. They include: Mayor Paul E. (Mike) Hodges, City Public Works Superintendent Everette Dunkleberger, Assistant Public Works Superintendent Robert Hoppus and City Park Superintendent Richard Hamman. In addition, Hodges was unsuccessful in justifying the use of city-owned vehicles on vacation and other irregularities, which are pointed out in the final city audit.

Jan. 3, 1984 -- Mr. and Mrs. Gregory (Michelle) Davis, 707 E. Center St., Warsaw, won't be able to claim seven-pound, 10-ounce Ashley Dawn as a 1983 tax deduction. But they're probably quite relieved she showed up. Ashley was born Jan. 2, the first baby of the new year at Kosciusko Community Hospital.

Feb. 2, 1984 -- Biomet President Dane Miller said today the firm has reached an agreement in principle to purchase several orthopedic equipment company offices in the United States and Europe. The purchase is part of a joint marketing venture for distributing purposes.

Diasonics Inc., a Milpitas, Calif., manufacturer of medical diagnostic imaging equipment, purchased OEC, headquartered in Warsaw, in May 1963. Both Biomet and OEC orthopedic products will be sold by all three companies.

In addition to OEC's products, X-ray and intraoperative ultrasound products manufactured by Diasonics are included in the deal.

All that's left is official approval, Miller said, since the directors of the corporations have not voted on the agreement.

March 6, 1984 -- Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Campbell's IGA grocery store took place Monday morning in Milford. According to Fred Collins, general contractor, the doors of the $650,000 store will open on July 1.

April 3, 1984 -- Two of the three Kosciusko County Commissioners Monday questioned the use of a courthouse office by councilman Ronald Sharp while he is seeking elective office.

Sharp, a Republican candidate for County Commissioner of the Northern District, recently announced that he will maintain an office in the courthouse to answer questions and assist taxpayers.

May 1, 1984 -- Next Tuesday's Whitko School Board election will be the first since last August's decision to close the Sidney and Larwill elementary schools and send all those students to Pierceton and South Whitley.

And though the transition of all the corporation youngsters to Pierceton and South Whitley has appeared to be a smooth one, the voters in the Larwill and Sidney communities --and what their present feelings are --may determine the next school board makeup. Citizens of those two communities bitterly protested the closings and the increase of the Cumulative Building Fund rate from 15 cents to $1 for the next five years to enable the board to obtain a $1.5 million school fund loan at an eight percent interest.

June 2, 1984 -- The crowd was at the Lake Theatre long before show time Friday night, and it had nothing to do with the popularity of the films featured.

The first "Breakdance Contest" was sponsored by the local theater, approximately 90 minutes before "Breakin" and "Streets of Fire" began on the twin screens downtown.

The contest brought a throng of spectators --primarily young teenagers but also some curious older folks --and 12 participants.

First prize winner Friday was Sherlock Harrison, while Sean Smith was second and Tom Moreno third. Harrison received two tickets to either Lake 1 or Lake 2. Smith won a "Breakin" album and Moreno, a "Breakin" shirt.

July 6, 1984 -- Divers from Warsaw and Kosciusko County police forces were still searching Winona Lake at 12:30 a.m. today for a 23-year-old Strong, Mich., magician who is believed to have fallen handcuffed off the Winona Queen pontoon at about 9:45 a.m. Identification was withheld pending notification of relatives.

The man was apparently practicing a magic act he was to perform at 1 p.m. today for a contingent from the Moody Bible Conference, which is being conducted in Winona Lake this week. The pontoon was approximately 400 feet out from the shore near the Winona Hotel.

The man and a companion, Terry Knaus, St. Johns, Mich., were apparently in Winona Lake for a meeting of Christian magicians.

Aug. 3, 1984 -- R. Douglas Grant, president of Lake City Bank and James Van Buskirk, chairman of the board of the State Exchange Bank announced today Lake City Bank was the successful bidder for the acquisition of the State Exchange Bank of Roann.

Sept. 11, 1984 -- Gifted and talented students in the Warsaw Community High Schools now have a program designed especially for their needs, with a part-time coordinator and a $20,000-plus budget.

At the request of Judith Mugg, director of curriculum, the Warsaw Community School Board Monday night approved the 1984-85 gifted and talented program.

Oct. 1, 1984 -- There were three major fires in the county over the weekend, and two are still under investigation.

Arson is believed to be the cause of a fire with an estimated $50,000 damage to a Syracuse apartment building Friday night. All occupants of the five apartments escaped unharmed.

In Warsaw, the National Structural Plastics Inc., near the 300 block of Argonne Road, was totally destroyed and four apartments in the Cost-A-Plenty complex were badly damaged early Sunday morning. No cause has been determined in the Argonne Road blaze while sparks from a fireplace was the cause of the apartment complex fire.

No one was injured in either blaze.

Nov. 1, 1984 -- As the sting of last month's murder of Barbara Lee Hulley slowly wears off in Syracuse, investigators in the unsolved crime continue to work at their makeshift command center in Robert Reed's law office downtown.

"We're not quitting," Kosciusko County Police Detective Sgt. Tom Kitch said. "We won't quit."

Kitch has been working full-time on the case since Hulley's body was found with multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest Sept. 23 by her son.

Dec. 4, 1984 -- Kosciusko County's war dead will not be forgotten.

The Kosciusko County Commissioners unanimously approved a contribution of $20,000 to the county's Veterans' Memorial Fund and cleared the way for construction of a large granite memorial honoring the local men who were killed in action in five wars.

Middle District County Commissioner Fredrick Gilliam led the movement to provide the $20,000 needed by the Memorial Fund Committee to pay for the 21,000-pound granite war memorial that will be installed on the local courthouse lawn next spring.

Jan. 2, 1985 -- The first baby born at Kosciusko Community Hospital in 1985 is Angie Elaine Reese. Angie is pictured with her parents, Jerrollene and Orville Reese, Rt. 2, Akron. She was born at 3:09 a.m. Jan. 1 and weighed eight pounds, three ounces.

Feb. 1, 1985 -- Robert E. Delp, 72, of 1807 E. Clark St., Warsaw, retired vice president of Zimmer Inc., died at 5 p.m. Thursday in Kosciusko Community Hospital.

A member of the First United Methodist Church, he had retired from Zimmer Inc. after 41 years as vice president of manufacturing.

Feb. 15, 1985 -- The Kosciusko County Council voted unanimously Thursday to adopt a county option income tax effective this July.

County councilmen J. Norman DeGood, Larry Teghtmeyer, Thomas Anglin, Carl Latta, Kathryn Teel, Dennis Polk and George Klinger accepted an ordinance establishing option income tax rates from 1985-1990.

They also voted 5-2 in favor of adopting a 4 percent homestead credit, clearing the way to provide property tax relief to homeowners throughout the county.

March 1, 1985 -- Discussion was held on the estimated cost of the five possible building options --and a sixth one was added --at a special hearing Thursday of the Warsaw School Board at the old Freshman High School.

The new possibility was submitted by Freshman High School teacher Joe Conlon, who proposed building a new high school at the site of the new freshman school on Ind. 15 on the city's south side. This would be on part of the 130 acres owned by the school corportion at that area, with an estimated 40 acres still remaining after completion of the new freshman building.

Conlon's plan calls for a new high school there so that the freshmen and high school students could be at one site. He said the new swimming pool and a new gym big enough to host sectionals could be located there.

April 6, 1985 -- When a teenager has Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as her idols -- instead of the Michael Jackson-Sheena Easton types --then she must be a tap dancer.

And that's exactly what the oldest sister of the dancing Lemons has always wanted to be. Sixteen-year-old Dawn Lemons probably enjoys the same music as other high school sophomores, but if she had her druthers, she'd be in Vaudeville rather than on MTV.

"I watch Fred Astaire movies all the time," she said. "I really enjoy it."

So do her sisters Tammy, 13, and Mary, 8. They join 21 other girls of the Janice Dyson Dance Club in Fort Wayne every week for group lessons Friday night and individual instruction Saturday afternoon.

April 9, 1985 -- The gifted/talented program for children in the Warsaw School System has been conducted on a voluntary basis for the past few years and Program For Academic and Creative Enrichment was started this past fall. Now, a group of parents with academically talented children are urging expansion of this program.

Elkhart area and head coach Charlie Wappes says he hopes his team is ready for the grind to come.

April 10, 1985 -- Voters in the Triton School district voted by a 2-1 margin to change its method of selecting representatives to the school board during Tuesday's special election.

Beginning next year, a transition will begin in the switch from the current seven-member appointed Triton School Board to a five-member elected board.

May 4, 1985 -- When Virgil A. ("Doc") McCleary chose to return to his hometown 45 years ago, Warsaw was simply the result of a final selection process involving cities in northern Indiana.

It's hard to imagine McCleary anywhere else after the many community projects, organizations, patients and friends he has touched in some way during his career here. Just about anyone who's been around Warsaw for a year or so knows "Doc."

And if you know him, it's difficult to picture life at his Buffalo Street optometry office without him. In the next few weeks, and officially on July 1, McCleary will be moving out of his lifetime work and into the world of retirement.

June 24, 1985 -- Battered wives, abused women.

It's a growing problem both nationally and in Kosciusko County.

Recognizing that one of the nation's major domestic problems has existed locally for many years, Mary Ann Cox, of Winona Lake, decided to take affirmative action to provide help to those women who are physically and emotionally abused. Cox, who was serving as chairman of the Altrusa Club community service committee in 1982, appeared before her fellow club members to present the idea of opening a local shelter for abused women.

Interested in the proposal, club members kicked off a campaign to organize and raise funds for an abused women's shelter in Kosciusko County.

Now three years later, a shelter for abused women --known as The Beaman Home --will be opened July 1 in Warsaw.

It's a dream come true for Cox, who credits the opening of the new shelter to the untiring efforts of fellow Altrusa Club members and the volunteers who have served on the board of directors of the Kosciusko County Shelter for Victims of Abuse Inc. since its inception in 1983.

Of course there have been other volunteer efforts, such as members of the Warsaw Evening Lions Clubs who painted the interior walls of the new shelter and the Warsaw Noon Kiwanis Club who helped move beds into the home recently.

July 1, 1985 -- Bethanie Walker, of Syracuse, was named the 1985 "Queen of Lakes" Saturday night during concluding ceremonies of the 40th annual Lions Club Mermaid Festival in North Webster.

July 1, 1985 -- Four military officers and a Claypool woman whose brother was killed in combat in Vietnam placed a wreath at the base of the new Kosciusko County War Memorial Monument before hundreds of area residents during a dedication ceremony June 30.

Deloris Rose, described as "the guiding light" in organizing the War Memorial Committee and raising contributions to pay for the 24,000-pound granite memorial, was given the honor of dedicating the war monument that was erected on the southwest corner of the courthouse lawn.

Aug. 2, 1985 -- Amtrak service will begin in October at the former Warsaw Depot, Mayor Jeff Plank announced Thursday.

Amtrak officials have confirmed that a station stop can be established at Warsaw on a one-year experimental basis. Plank, who made the announcement at a Kiwanis Club meeting, said the news is a dream come true for the many Kosciusko County residents who petitioned Amtrak to establish passenger train service to Warsaw.

Also, Zimmer Inc. has agreed to pay all expenses for establishing a station stop at the former Conrail station at 212 W. Jefferson St., now the Warsaw Depot Ceramic Store, while the city establishes lease agreements with the depot owner, Conrail and Amtrak.

Aug. 5, 1985 -- Delta Airline officials at the firm's public information center in Atlanta, Ga., confirmed today that Lorrie Shaver, a 1984 graduate of Grace College at Winona Lake and currently a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was one of the victims aboard the Delta Air Lines jumbo jet that crashed Friday on its final approach to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Shaver was one of 133 people aboard Flight 191 on the L-1011 TriStar who were killed in the crash. Thirty-one persons survived.

Sept. 3, 1985 -- Thirty-one new teachers in the Warsaw Community Schools began classes with the rest of the faculty and students today. Among the new teachers are: Douglas T. Ogle, math, Warsaw Middle School; Scott A. Avery, vocal music instructor, senior high and freshman school; David L. French, art teacher, freshman high; Sue E. Mock, learning disabled teacher, Jefferson School; Elizabeth Anne Halpin, English, freshman school; and Mark Stock, fourth grade, Washington Elementary School.

Sept. 10, 1985 -- A top-ranking Faith Assembly leader, Jack Farrell, recently quit the religious sect and told "The Body" that they are still "in bondage" to the late Dr. Hobart E. Freeman.

When approached a few weeks ago about leaving the group, the Rev. Farrell would not confirm that he had quit the sect. However, sources now say Farrell quit the sect but not before he stunned the estimated 2,000 members with an announcement during a Sunday service in June.

Sources say that Farrell and Stan Hill, both residents of Kosciusko County, were the two assistant pastors hand-picked by Freeman a few years ago to help guide the group and deliver sermons. The Faith Assembly has been in the national limelight for the past two years because its members are taught to shun conventional medical care and rely on faith healing.

Farrell is the second high-ranking leader to leave the sect in less than a year.

Oct. 5, 1985 -- Steve Hollar never dreamed he would win two state basketball championships. But then he probably never dreamed he'd be in the movies either.

Hollar, who wears a state title ring won with the Warsaw Tigers in 1984, is on the verge of winning a second state championship --sort of. He will be a member of the fictitious Hickory Huskers in the upcoming movie "Hoosiers," a $6 million project that will be shot over the next two to three months.

The film is based loosely on the 1954 Milan High School basketball team that shocked mighty Muncie Central 32-30 in the finals. The film will feature Gene Hackman as the Hickory coach.

Hollar learned Friday he had been awarded a speaking role as a member of the Hickory team.

Interestingly, another Warsaw High School graduate, Chris Stine, a sophomore at Indiana University, has been chosen for a nonspeaking part in the movie. Once a teammate of Hollar's, Stine will now be a member of a team playing against Hollar and Hickory High.

Oct. 5, 1985 -- Melissa Askins and Jeff Heisler were crowned queen and king at Triton High School's homecoming Friday night. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robin Askins of Bourbon and he is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Heisler of Etna Green.

Nov. 2, 1985 -- A proposal to organize a countywide rural house-numbering grid system that would provide valuable information to emergency organizations, utility companies and the postal service was presented to the Kosciusko County Commissioners Friday.

Kosciusko County Assistant Planner Maria Rusomaroff explained that United Telephone Co. officials asked the Area Plan Commission officials a few months ago about the possibility of launching a unified rural house-numbering system.

Nov. 12, 1985 -- Serving as the interim director of the Warsaw Community Public Library for the past seven months, Ann M. Zoski was formally appointed the new director by the Warsaw Library Board of Trustees during a regular meeting Monday night in the library office.

Dec. 3, 1985 --The play "Ask Any Girl" will be performed by the advanced theater classes at Warsaw Community High School Auditorium Wednesday and Thursday.

The play will be double cast with a different cast performing each night. The leads in the fifth period class who will be performing Wednesday are played by Dawn Lemons, Dave Marsh and Casey Shepard. The third period class will display its acting talents Thursday as Anne Hartman, Tod Frank and Robert Ford play the leads.

Jan. 3, 1986 -- The first baby of the new year at Kosciusko Community Hospital didn't make his entrance until Thursday evening at 7:57 p.m. Steven Allen Gates, son of Cindy and Cy Gates, weighed in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Feb. 12, 1986 -- Warsaw resident Ruth Dalton took an Extra-Strength Tylenol Tuesday night only to later sit down to watch the late night news and learn she had ingested medication with the same lot number as the one in a New York murder.

Dalton became at least the third Hoosier to report having Tylenol bearing the same lot number identified in the New York case that has left one person dead from cyanide poisoning.

"I took one at nine o'clock and then I heard of the warning at 11," she said. "I wondered if I was playing Russian Roulette -- I'm not going to take anymore."

March 1, 1986 -- Peoples State Bank of Leesburg, the last family-operated bank in Kosciusko County, has been sold to First National Bank of Warsaw, pending state and federal approval. Officials of both institutions met Friday afternoon for an official announcement of the approximately $2.8 million purchase.

April 1, 1986 -- George Lenke, president of Da-Lite Screen Co. Inc., has announced the merger of Da-Lite Screen and Oravisual Co. Inc. Oravisual, a leading manufacturer of high quality lecterns, easels and communications cabinets currently located in St. Petersburg, Fla., will be moving manufacturing and administrative functions to the Da-Lite facility in Warsaw.

May 1, 1986 -- After a six-year tenure as chairman of the Kosciusko County Republican Central Committee, Jean Northenor will not seek re-election at the party reorganization meeting May 10.

Northenor, the first female GOP chairman in history, made the announcement today in a letter mailed to precinct committeemen and women.

June 2, 1986 -- State police detectives are continuing their investigation into a police-action shooting death of a Poquoson, Va., murder suspect in Silver Lake early Saturday morning.

Maurice Bernard Levy, 47, was killed in his 1976 Cadillac in the 300 block of East Main Street at approximately 2:45 a.m., when he apparently attempted to escape. Virginia authorities informed area police Friday night that Levy might be staying with Charlie Jayne of Silver Lake, who was described as a friend of the suspect.

Kosciusko County proectuor Michael Miner requested the state police investigation Saturday, even though he said the police actions appeared to have been proper. Levy was wanted on arson, murder, maiming and firearms charges for a May 22 homicide in Poquoson.

Officers and witnesses at the scene said Levy was inside his car, with the doors locked and windows rolled up, when a swarm of policemen surrounded the vehicle. The car was parked in a driveway alongside an alley beside Jayne's two-story home, at 305 E. Main St.

July 2, 1986 -- Debate over the rural numbering system was stifled for one full year Tuesday by the Kosciusko County commissioners, who suggested the total cost of implementation be determined before a decision is made.

Meanwhile, members of the citizen's committee for the rural numbering system expressed doubt that action will ever be taken on the proposal by the current board of commissioners.

July 2, 1986 -- More than 100 employees from various businesses throughout Kosciusko County participated in the First Kosciusko County Challenge Cup. This event was designed to encourage camaraderie not only between employees in various businesses but also among the companies. Keeping this objective in mind, many committee members organized the events to make them fun, requiring a little bit of skill and a lot of luck.

There were six events in all, with ribbons given out to the winners of each of these. In golf, R.R. Donnelley team No. 1 was first; Zimmer team No. 1 second; and Othy and UTS team No. 2 tied for third place. The running relay first place went to Othy; second to Zimmer team No. 3; and third place went to Donnelley team No. 2.

Other events included office relay race, obstacle course, tug-of-war and football contest.

The overall winners of the First Kosciusko County Challenge Cup went to Donnelley's team No. 2.

Aug. 5, 1986 -- The Fort Wayne News-Sentinel has filed suit in Kosciusko Circuit Court against Kosciusko County coroner Gary Eastlund, seeking to gain access to documents concerning the death of Faith Assembly leader Dr. Hobart Freeman.

According to the complaint filed, Eastlund did release the copies of the certificate of death and the coroner's verdict, but refused to allow inspection of any further documents.

Sept. 2, 1986 -- After 17 hours of fighting erratic temperature changes, Brendt Smith completed one of the most extraordinary feats in Kosciusko County lake history when he finished swimming across 52 lakes at 11:18 p.m. Monday. The accomplishment is believed to be a world record.

Flanked by an escort of three county sheriff's boats, Smith stepped out of the water and onto the northern shores of Lake Wawasee with clenched fist as more than 50 people gathered for an emotional celebration.

He had conquered the chilly elements of 52 lakes, and a thief by the name of cancer was the sole loser.

His attempt to establish a world's record for swimming the most lakes in 24 hours was in honor of his 52-year-old father, John, who died of cancer three years ago. An estimated $2,000 was raised, including about $1,700 from contributions taken at the lakes for the American Cancer Society. With news of his success, officials are hoping that figure will rise.

Oct. 2, 1986 -- Kosciusko County Court's expanding caseload may require the creation of an additional court, according to several county officials.

The county commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday supporting an upcoming survey by the staff of the Judicial Study Commission after County Court Judge James Jarrette explained work in his court has about reached the "saturation point."

According to the judge, the number of new filings has increased by 1,435 in the past year. The county court accumulated 5,080 new filings in 1984, but skyrocketed to 6,447 in 1985. The total number of cases, which include pending cases, has risen from 9,410 to 10,845 during the same period.

Oct. 4, 1986 -- The Tippecanoe Valley homecoming king and queen were crowned following Friday night's victory against Eastern. The 1986 queen and king are Jana Hawkins, daughter of Roy Frederick and Darlene Anderson of Mentone, and Chris Zolman, son of John and Sue Zolman of Burkett.

Brian Sherwin and Ruchelle Wright were crowned the royal couple at the Whitko homecoming game Friday night against North Miami. The Wildcats celebrated a 27-0 victory over their opponents.

Nov. 18, 1986 -- Jomac Products Inc. is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. The company has 14 locations in the United States and Canada employing more than 700 persons. Jomac has operated a facility in Warsaw for 34 years. Warsaw Mayor Jeff Plank presented a resolution to company officials at a dinner last week and thanked the organization for its tenure here and for its support of the community.

Dec. 2, 1986 -- Pierceton Clerk-Treasurer Janet Castle was having an ordinary afternoon Monday until a man armed with a 12-gauge shotgun drove by her office and shot out the windows of a police car and her personal auto. Both were parked in front of her office window.

Tyler Lee Wilcox, 23, Rt. 3, Warsaw, is in custody in the Kosciusko County Jail on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness after being arrested by Pierceton Town Marshal George Alexander. He admitted to the shooting, police said, after questioning at his home.

Jan. 3, 1987 -- Linda Regenos of Warsaw proudly holds her new daughter, Ashley LeAnn, who was the first 1987 baby born at Kosciusko Community Hospital. She was delivered Thursday morning. The girl's father is Mark Reg