Jazz Fest To Feature Grammy-Nominated Thana Alexa

WINONA LAKE - Chris Scheeren said he’s always been fascinated by how some of the best companies got to where they are and how they went about getting their success. Scheeren, partner with Blue Barn Berry Farm LLC and owner of Empowering Voices Inc., told those attending Thursday’s 111th Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner, there’s no automatic formula for success.

BOURBON – Brandon L. Hepler, age 52, of Bourbon, passed away on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in his home. Brandon was born to Devon and Lucinda Gard Hepler on March 12, 1970, in Elkhart. He was a lifelong resident of the area except for the 18 years he resided in Ann Arbor, Mich., with his wife and children. He graduated from Triton High School in 1988 and went on to attain a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Manchester University in 1992. He attended Nappanee Missionary Church. He was a manager of Love’s Truck Stop in both Plymouth and Elkhart. He enjoyed golfing, fishing, motorcycles, especially Harley Davidsons, music, sports; he was an avid Notre Dame and Michigan fan; however, he loved being a grandpa and spending time with his family most of all.

Fidel Miranda Vasquez, 49, Warsaw, died after a motor vehicle accident on Jan. 26, 2023. Arrangements are pending with Titus Funeral Home & Cremation Services. To leave a condolence, visit www.TitusFuneralHome.com.

Warsaw FFA advisor Jacob Riley has been nominated for the 2023 Indiana FFA Golden Owl Award. The Golden Owl Award recognizes outstanding agricultural educators in the state of Indiana, according to a news release from Warsaw Community Schools. Students, fellow teachers and other supporters had the opportunity to nominate their favorite agricultural teacher and summarize what makes them the best in Indiana. Riley was nominated for this award due to his passion for agriculture, FFA and assisting students to find their career path, the release states.

Buses full of area third-graders caravan their way east on U.S. 30 Friday morning to Fort Wayne for the 77th Mizpah Shrine Circus. This is the 69th year for Kosciusko County third-graders to make the trip. Twenty-eight buses carried 900 students and chaperones and 100 emergency personnel also made the trip. Due to the two-hour weather delay, the caravan did not include Triton, Tippecanoe Valley and Whitko this year.

Frank Unruh, 97, Warsaw, died Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, at Paddock Springs. Arrangements are pending with Titus Funeral Home and Cremation Services. To leave a condolence, visit www.TitusFuneralHome.com.

Ruth Mercer, 84, Rochester, died Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in her home. Arrangements are pending with Titus Funeral Home and Cremation Services. To leave a condolence, visit www.TitusFuneralHome.com.

SYRACUSE – James Clarence Alford, known to most as "Jim," passed away at home in Maitland, Fla., on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. He was a longtime resident of Syracuse. Born in Huntington, on May 20, 1934, Jim was the son of the late Russell T. Alford and Zelda H. Schoeff Alford. He spent his formative years there, graduating from Huntington Township High School with the class of 1952. He was a natural athlete, playing basketball, baseball and running track. He served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958, transferring to the Army Reserves before he was honorably discharged. Jim worked as a radio repairman while serving.

After being postponed from Friday to Saturday due to weather, Tippecanoe Valley defeated Manchester 59-57 on the road in a thrilling Three Rivers Conference battle. Tippy Valley now sits at 13-3, 5-1 in the TRC, while Manchester falls to 12-4, 4-1 in the TRC. The Vikings needed a massive comeback...

Breaking Bad, the popular series running from 2008 to 2013 with several anti-heroes among its core cast, contains at least two specific episodes where two different characters talk about their respective regret for not conducting matters in full measure. Full measure and my craving for data research (hard facts instead...

SYRACUSE – Thurston Blackburn, age 85, of Milford, passed away on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, at Goshen General Hospital. He was born in Wonder, Ky., on Jan. 28, 1937, to Thelmar and Lana Blackburn. Thurston grew up in the hills of Kentucky. He attended Prestonsburg High School and joined...

Betty Nichols, 92, formerly of Pierceton, died at 11:48 a.m. Jan. 29, 2023, in Maryville, Tenn. Arrangements are pending with Titus Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Warsaw. To leave a condolence, visit www.TitusFuneralHome.com.

The following people were preliminarily charged and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail:. • 9:20 a.m. Friday - Timothy Mark Bush Jr., 39, of 1180 W. Lake St., Warsaw, arrested for misdemeanor failure to appear. Bond: $500. • 9:54 a.m. Friday - Dion Demont Smith, 38, South Bend, arrested for...

The Kosciusko Community YMCA announced a brand new program for type 2 diabetics called What Can I Eat. This nutrition-based support program is designed by the American Diabetes Association, fueled by Bento, and will work to help those in the community living with type 2 diabetes eat their way to better diabetes control, according to a news release from the YMCA.

With only a week away until the election filing deadline for Warsaw, Winona Lake and Syracuse, the only contested race so far appears to be in Syracuse. Republicans David R. Rosenberry and Nathan Scherer have both filed this week for Syracuse Town Council District 4 seat. The seat was held...

ELKHART — His name’s Luke Bricker, although in a basketball vernacular, he’s anything but a bricker. Heck, as far as Warsaw coach Matt Moore is concerned, it’s not even sufficient to call Bricker a shooter. “He’s not a shooter, he’s a maker, and he made ’em...

Republican Juergen Voss, owner of Open Air Garden Center, filed his declaration of candidacy seeking the Warsaw Common Council District 1 seat. The position currently is held by Jeff Grose, but Grose is running for Warsaw mayor as Mayor Joe Thallemer chose not to seek re-election. Voss has lived in...

One Warsaw man is dead and five other people were injured after a two-vehicle accident Thursday night. According to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, deputies and emergency personnel responded at 8:13 p.m. Thursday to a reported personal injury crash on Ind. 25 near CR 100S. When emergency personnel arrived on scene, they found two vehicles involved in the collision – a 1996 Toyota SUV driven by Fidel Vasquez, 49, Warsaw, and a 2017 Ford F-150 truck driven by Andrew Wright, 37, Warsaw.

MARION - With seven minutes left in the first half, Grace’s men’s basketball team faced a seemingly impossible task. The No. 7 Lancers trailed the Crossroads League leaders Indiana Wesleyan by 22 on the road with a 32-10 deficit. But the Lancers authored a resurgence for the ages....

The following person was preliminarily charged and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail:. • 12:54 a.m. Friday - Yessenia C. Olmo, 41, Logansport, arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Bond: $700. Property Damage. Accidents. • 9:10 a.m. Thursday - 1 Arnolt Drive, Pierceton. SUV-car collision. Drivers: Elizabeth D. Seward,...