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Covering Milford, Syracuse & North Webster, Indiana
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
One Nation Under God
Don’t Rain On Northshore Children’s Parade Page 8
themail-journal.com
Daita arrested for crash that killed Milford resident Joseph Criswell and injured two others Anish Daita, 31, Warsaw, has been arrested by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office in the death of Joseph Criswell, 44, Milford, and seriously injuring two of the six passengers in Criswell’s vehicle. Daita was the driver of a vehicle that struck Criswell’s SUV at approximately 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 29, on CR 150W, south of CR 400N, northwest of Warsaw. Criswell, five of his children and a friend of one of his children were en route to a family church picnic in Warsaw. With the help of the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s office, Daita was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at approximately 9 p.m. Monday, June 8. Daita was booked on preliminary charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing death, a level 4 felony, and two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, level 5 felonies. A level 4 felony could carry a sentence of between two to 12 years, with an advisory sentence of six years. A level 5 felony could carry a sentence of one to six years. Daita was the driver of a northbound 2024 Black Tesla Model Y, which according to evidence at the scene, traveled left of center hitting Criswell’s southbound 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. Criswell was pronounced dead at the scene. Two juvenile passengers in
2024 COMMODORE WINNER — Lakeopoly was chosen by Dr. Rex Parent as the Commodore Trophy winner in this year’s Flotilla. The Matt and Amy Wright family created a local version of Monopoly using local locations as game pieces.
Lake Wawasee was filled with games Text and Photos By Deb Patterson Editor-In-Chief Another Wawasee Flotilla is in the books with entries all around topping previous years Saturday afternoon, July 6. There were 16 Flotilla entries and 12 onshore participants this year, with each entry having their “game on.” Games such as Candy Land,
Clue, Mario Kart, Lakeopoly, Euchre, pong night and others were highlights of this year’s entries. Four neighbors on Kale Island joined forces for a candyland of fun with the Peppermint Forest, Cupcake Commons, Candy Lane and Lollipop Woods. Dr. Rex Parent, commodore, choose the entry of Matt and Amy Wright of Lakeopoly with such playing cards as Johnson
the Flotilla. “We all worked on it together, and so we turned our kitchen into a little factory for these little boards, game pieces and all that.” “We just wanted to do the family tradition of things with the Flotilla and Wawasee,” said Amy Wright. “The lake is special to our family so do something to celebrate.” Continued on page 2
Bay, Wawasee Boat Company, Channel Marker, The Frog, Oakwood and CSX. Matt Wright stated winning the award “was pretty good, it was something my wife (Amy) always wanted to do.” He said she always wanted to be in the Flotilla and they thought this year would be pretty cool with the theme “Game Night.” This was the family’s first year of participating in
ANISH DAITA Criswell’s vehicle, Hannah Fulk, 14, and Amriana Criswell, 7, were critically injured. Four other juveniles, Yandale Criswell, 6, Katalaya Criswell, 9, Liam Criswell, 5, and Jesus Criswell, 14, suffered minor injuries. Five of the juveniles are children of Criswell and all occupants are from Milford. Daita sustained serious injuries in the crash and was taken to a Fort Wayne Hospital. Kosciusko County officials continue investigating the crash. The Kosciusko County Fatal Team was assisted at the scene by members of the Lutheran EMS, North Webster EMS, Lutheran Air Ambulance, Leesburg Fire Department, Warsaw Police Department, Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office, and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.
Milford Town Council opens bids on water meter replacement AMAZING DONATION — Board members from both the North Webster Community Center and the Shoop Youth and Sports Foundation came together Monday night to officially announce the donation of $242,500 to fully fund NWCC’s “The Mat” project, which will bring outdoor basketball and pickleball courts to North Webster. Pictured in the front row, holding the ceremonial check, are Shoop Foundation Board of Directors President Sandy Kissane; and NWCC Board of Directors President Dennis Wagoner. Next to them, are Emily Shipley, NWCC executive director; Sue Ann Mitchell, NWCC board mem-
ber; and Ed Clayton, NWCC. In the second row, from left, are Lloyd Shroyer, NWCC; Ron Schenkel, NWCC; Lori Mark, NWCC and Shoop Foundation board member; Gene Reed, NWCC; Sue Fiedeke, NWCC; Jenny Laucht, Shoop; Amanda Meerzo, NWCC; and Sherman Goldenberg, NWCC. Third row: Dee Cooper, NWCC; Marilyn Cassell, Shoop; Pia Thystrup, Shoop; Tom Reiff, Shoop; Tisha Holsten, Shoop; Steve Hanford, Shoop; Richard Long, Shoop; Dana Krull, Shoop; and Bob Merchant, Shoop. Photo by Keith Knepp.
Shoop Foundation to fund outdoor athletic courts at NWCC By KEITH KNEPP Staff Writer The J. Homer Shoop Youth and Sports Foundation has been supporting different organizations, individuals and programs in North Webster for many years. On Monday evening, however, the Foundation presented one of its largest donations ever, when it announced a $242,500 contribution to the North Webster Community Center. The money will fully fund the NWCC’s “The Mat” which will feature outdoor basketball and
pickleball courts. “The Shoop Foundation believed in the Center and committed to it in the very beginning,” said NWCC Board President Dennis Wagoner. “It was a major supporter and believer in its needs. It has come through again to honor John Sroufe, who was president of the Center’s board for many years, and a member of the Shoop Foundation and other boards in our county, as well. We are grateful to John, the Shoop Foundation and our community for standing behind you believing in us and allowing us to go forward.”
“We’re making all the calls to get the project coordinated, said NWCC Executive Director Emily Shipley, noting Phend and Brown has already put down the base and the blacktop. She added that a timetable for construction has not yet been determined. “Mike Kissinger, a dedicated volunteer of NWCC and a longtime basketball and pickleball player, used his surveying expertise to design a court that will be larger than the previous ‘Mat,’ Shipley added. “He was able to draw a full basketball court, three permanent pickle-
By LILLI DWYER Staff Writer Milford Town Council received two bids for the replacement of the town’s water meters at the Monday, July 8, meeting. The first bid was from Everett J. Prescott of Fort Wayne for $388,205.83. The second bid from Neptune Equipment Company, or NECO, of Cincinnati for $407,157.
The bids were taken under advisement and were given to Ryan Lareau of Commonwealth Engineers, who will provide his letter of recommendation before the next meeting. The Michiana Council of Governments is the grant administrator for both the water meter replacement and the town’s economic recovery plan. The counContinued on page 2
ball courts, two basketball practice shooting areas and two temporary pickleball courts. The project will also encompass new parking, picnic tables and new LED lighting and fencing.” “We’ve been wanting to do something to honor the memory of John Sroufe for many years,” said Shoop Foundation Board of Directors President Sandy Kissane. “If it wasn’t for him, this place wouldn’t be here. He’d be very proud to know that five years after he was gone that this place has gotten even bigger and better. He loved ‘The Mat’ project.”
WCSC to crack down on literacy and chronic absenteeism By MARISSA SWEATLAND Staff Writer During its regular monthly board meeting, held Tuesday, July 9, Dr. Shelly Wilfong alerted the Wawasee school board to a couple new state laws that will impact K-12 education in Indiana in the upcoming academic year. The first law Wilfong presented was the IREAD retention policy and exemptions. The new policy
requires third-grade students to be retained if they do not pass IREAD. The Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination, or IREAD, is a grade three reading assessment that is designed to measure foundational reading skills based on Indiana Aca-
demic Standards. New statutory criteria for exemptions to the IREAD retention policy include: special education, students whose IEP case conference committee has determined that promotion to the next grade level is appropriate; English Continued on page 2
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