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Covering Milford, Syracuse & North Webster, Indiana
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
One Nation Under God
NWCC Celebrating 20 Years See Page 5 themail-journal.com
Know who are on the ballot for May primary By DEB PATTERSON Editor-In-Chief
THINKING GREEN — Melissa Bueshing helps Jazlyn Tayagua pick out seeds to plant at 2023’s Earth Day Festival. Fun With Seeds, hosted by the Syracuse-Wawasee Garden Club, and facepainting will be back at the WACF again this year. Photo by Deb Patterson.
WACF Earth Day Festival offers hands-on Earth education By LILLI DWYER Staff Writer The Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation will be holding its annual Earth Day Festival 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Ruddell Pavilion, 11586 N. SR 13, Syracuse.
WACF is serving a free lunch of hot dogs and chips to the first 250 visitors. This annual event is meant to provide fun and education for all. Organizations from around the county will be there to guide visitors through hands-on activities on worm
composting, geocaching, monarch butterflies, native plants and bird migration, to name a few. Participants can help paint a rain barrel, learn arrowhead flintnapping and bead work, get their faces painted, or view a collection of over 200 insect
specimens, including live crustaceans. Soarin’ Hawk Raptor Rehabilitation is paying a visit with some of their birds for a raptor display from 12:30-2:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Some vendor items will be available for sale.
Water gauge to return to control device building By DEB PATTERSON Editor-In-Chief A large water gauge that once could be seen on the exterior of the water control device building in Syracuse will be returned after years of absence. Al Tehan, Syracuse, has restored that gauge, adding the latest technology to make it operable. He will reinstall the system in the next month or two after the fencing has been removed. The ultimate goal is to use the gauge to operate the control device gates as it was originally designed. The gauge was originally installed in 1953. “It’s a wonderful piece of equipment,” Tehan stated at the quarterly meeting of the Turkey Creek Dam and Dike Conservancy District, Friday, April 26. “It’s an amazing piece of equipment. I think as the thing went through the years, it became in disrepair. Instead of spending any money, they kind of let it go.” Tehan acquired the gauge after being asked 10-12 years ago to recreate the gauge to once again display the lake level. Tehan noted a paddlewheel,
which he has, was used to gather data. The whereabouts of that data is unknown.
He has since reengineered the gauge’s system to once again show the water level and was
ready to reinstall it in 2007. All that was needed was 110 volts to Continued on page 2
FOR BETTER ROADS — The Kosciusko County Highway Department has plans to resurface 1300N from the overpass into Syracuse after overpass construction is complete. They will also be making improvements to paint lines and signage at the intersection of 300E and 1300N. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.
Resurfacing planned on CR 1300 after overpass is complete By LILLI DWYER Staff Writer The Kosciusko County Highway Department is planning a resurfacing project on CR 1300N after overpass construction is complete. Construction of the 1300N overpass began in spring of 2023. According to Highway Superintendent Steve Moriarty, their completion goal is the end of August. “Things definitely change; that’s an ‘if the stars align’ sort of thing,” said Moriarty. The stretch of 1300N from the overpass into Syracuse will be
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resurfaced. The department will also make improvements to signage and paint at the intersection of 300E and 1300N for better visibility. As far as road closures go, Moriarty stated the highway department will try to avoid them. “We’ll try to keep one lane open,” he said. The total estimated cost of the resurfacing project is $1.88 million. At this time, there are no con-
crete plans for projects on 1300N beyond the overpass and resurfacing. “We’re just concerned with doing that pavement to have a good, smooth road. In the future, I’d like to pave a couple of the offshoots of 1300 going south a little bit to connect on the bottom side of 1250N. That would be a goal. And then at some point to pave 75E south of 1300N. But, knowing when that’s gonna happen, I don’t know for sure,” Moriarty concluded.
VanBuren townships only) — Rudy Yakym. Governor — Mike Braun, Brad Chambers, Suzanne Crouch, Eric Doden, Curtis Hill and Jamie Reitenour. State Senate District 9 — Ryan Mishler. State Rep. District 18 (Tippecanoe and Turkey Creek townships only) — David Abbott. State Rep. District 22 (Jefferson, Plain and Van Buren townships only) — Craig Snow. Circuit Court Judge 54th Judicial District — Jack C. Birch and Matthew J. Buehler. Clerk of the Circuit Court — Melissa Boggs. County Treasurer — Michelle Puckett. County Coroner — Tracy Cutler-Wilson and Tyler Huffer. Continued on page 2
Do you know who will be on your ballot when you go to the polls Tuesday, May 7? Depending on your township, you may have different candidates for U.S. Representatives and State Representatives. Here’s a look on who will be on the ballot. Republican Ballot U.S. President — Nikki R. Haley and Donald J. Trump. U.S. Senator — Jim Banks. U.S. Rep. Third District (voters in Tippecanoe and Turkey Creek townships only) — Grant Bucher, Wendy Davis, Mike Felker, Jon Kenworthy, Tim Smith, Marlin Stutzman, Eric Whalen and Andy Zay. U.S. Rep. Second District (Jefferson, Plain and
Vote Center locations for primary election Voting is now easier with the establishment of vote centers in Kosciusko County. Residents can now vote at any vote center in the county between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7. Voting is no longer required to be done in the area you reside. Locally vote centers will be at: North Webster Community Center, 301 N. Main St., North Webster. Syracuse Community Center, 1013 N. Long Drive, Syracuse. Wawasee Community Bible Church, 2035 E. 1300N, Milford. If you work outside the Lakeland area, additional
vote centers will be: Amazing Grace Community Church, 202 W. Arthur St., Sidney. Atwood Community Center, 213 Hovey St., Atwood. Center Lake Pavilion, 117 E. Canal St., Warsaw. Christ’s Covenant Church, 2090 E. Pierceton Road, Winona Lake. Claypool Lion’s Building, 205 W. Calhoun St., Claypool. Community Life Center, 825 N. Harrison St., Warsaw. First Christian Church, 115 Park Ridge Drive, Warsaw. Heritage Park Building, 338 S. Walnut St., Etna Green. Continued on page 2
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