WARSAW — A motorcyclist died in a crash early Friday morning just south of Warsaw.

Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputies and emergency personnel responded Friday
morning, at 5:14 a.m., to a two-vehicle accident on State Road 15 south of Short Ridge Dr.

Emergency personnel arrived on scene and located a Buick Regal driven by Haciel Juarez-Gutierrez and an Indian Roadmaster motorcycle driven by Randy Schmucker, 64, Warsaw, involved in a head-on collision.

Preliminary investigation determined the Buick was southbound on State Road 15 and crossed the center line, striking the motorcycle, which was northbound on State Road 15.

Schmucker was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Kosciusko County Coroner, Tyler Huffer, from injuries sustained in the crash.

Haciel Juarez-Gutierrez, 19, Warsaw, was not injured in the crash.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Kosciusko County
County 911 Dispatch Center, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory, Warsaw Police Department, Winona Lake Police Department, Lutheran EMS, Kosciusko County Coroner’s Office, and Reichert & Knepp Wrecker Service.

The crash remains under investigation by the Kosciusko County FACT Team.

The post Warsaw man killed in motorcycle accident on SR 15S appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — The transition has been underway for several years, but on Thursday, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts celebrated a major upgrade to what was once known as the 2517 event center, located adjacent to the theater.

The installation of a new dance floor at what is now known as the Wagon Wheel Conservatory was made possible with a grant from the K21 Health Foundation. 

On Thursday, 17 students showcased their dance skills on a new dance floor that occupies much of the building's floor space and is identical in size to the Wagon Wheel stage.

“The floor that we put in is from Harlequin Flooring. It's a world-renowned dance floor company –  the same dance floor that's used on Broadway as well as the American Ballet Theater –  it's a huge upgrade, said Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts Outreach and Education Director, Kira Lace Hawkins

“It's a huge upgrade. A wonderful space for instruction for the kids, and our professionals can also use it during the summer season when we need more rehearsal space,” Lace Hawkins said.

She said different groups will be using the refurbished facility.

“There will be dance classes, acting classes. We have hopes and dreams in the future of using it even as a black box theater space for smaller performances that might happen in that space. 

Wagon Wheel has also introduced a new training program.

“We also just started a pre-professional training program called Broadway 360 that meets weekly on Sundays, and it's an audition group for kids who are very serious about musical theater and interested in going into it for a career.” 

The theater also completed a recent fundraising effort ahead of the summer season, which kicks off June 4th with Cats.

The post Wagon Wheel Conservatory’s new dance floor part of a huge upgrade appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

By David Slone,
Times-Union

SYRACUSE — Three firefighters and the homeowner were injured in a house fire that started late Wednesday night and went into Thursday morning.

Turkey Creek Fire Territory Chief Quinn Hunter said the initial call came in at 11:25 p.m. Wednesday for a structure fire at 726 E. Northshore Drive, Syracuse. When they arrived on scene, the fire was about 75% involved.

County records indicate the home is owned by Richard A. Eyer.

“We had three firefighters injured. One had an exterior piece of the structure that fell on him when he was operating outside, and then we had two firefighters - there was a floor collapse from the second floor to the first that trapped them momentarily after it fell on them,” Hunter stated. “They were extricated out and basically all three of those people went to the hospital at the same time.”

As of about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, he said they were all OK.

Hunter said the fire department did not transport the homeowner or anything of that nature. “That all happened separately.”

According to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, the KCSO assisted the Syracuse Police Department and the Turkey Creek Fire Territory with the fire. While firefighters were working to contain the fire, law enforcement officers were advised a white Chevy Impala had fled the scene and the vehicle was also on fire. KCSO deputies, along with North Webster Police Department, located the vehicle and initiated a low-speed pursuit that lasted approximately 4 minutes before the vehicle stopped at the public access site on Medusa Street in Syracuse.

Deputies made contact with the driver, Eyer, 71, of Syracuse, and saw he was suffering from severe burns. EMS personnel were requested to the scene to provide medical treatment. Eyer was taken by Lutheran Air to Lutheran Hospital before later being transferred to a burn unit in Indianapolis for further treatment of his injuries, the release states.

Investigators later determined Eyer was the owner of the Northshore Drive residence. The KCSO is also investigating Eyer on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, the release states.

Hunter said the fire was deemed under control several hours later after it began, but firefighters remained on scene to attempt to extinguish hot spots before an excavator had to be called in to assist.

“It was originally a one-story residence that had been added on to several times, so there were a lot of void spaces and the second floor was unstable, so we really didn’t have access to the second floor, outside of our aerial, and we just couldn’t reach void spaces to put it out. It wasn’t actively burning, but it would have been soon enough had we not been able to do something,” Hunter explained.

The excavator basically brought the home down on Thursday morning.

While the Eyer home is a total loss, Hunter said, “That home was almost 4,000 square feet, and it sat really close to two other residences. It was really advanced upon our arrival, and even with everything that happened, there was no significant damage at all to any other structures, which is pretty extraordinary in a circumstance like that. So the guys did a really good job. The guys did a really good job of attacking the fire and not letting it spread to other occupancies.”

Along with the Turkey Creek Fire Territory, responding to the scene were Tippecanoe Township Fire Territory, Milford Fire Department, Benton Fire Department and Clinton Township Fire Territory. Hunter estimated about 35 firefighters were on scene.

The post Homeowner and three firefighters injured in Syracuse blaze appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Oakwood Cemetery will host a Heritage Walk on Saturday, June 27, from 1-4 p.m., with the last group beginning at 3:30 p.m.

This year's Heritage Walk will honor eleven war veterans whose gravesites are in Oakwood Cemetery. Actors will portray each veteran and share their life stories during each walking tour.  

While there are thousands of veterans in Oakwood Cemetery, only a few can be portrayed during this event. However, families are invited to bring a photo of a veteran loved one or a simple note with their name, rank, and a brief memory, to post on a memorial wall in the Chapel.  Tables will also be set up in the Chapel to display items honoring loved ones.

For questions or to display items on a table, please contact Cemetery Sexton Hal Heagy at hheagy@warsaw.in.gov or 574-372-9553.

The post Oakwood Cemetery Heritage Walk on June 27 will spotlight veterans appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

Last Thursday, the breaking news alert that NASCAR champion Kyle Busch had died in a non-racing related incident was quite jarring.

As the days go by, we find out more about what happened, and hopefully, time will allow us to understand the “why” of what happened.

And hopefully, NASCAR will not make the same mistake it made by hiding what happened to Dale Earnhardt. That’s another column for another day

When I heard the news of Busch’s shocking death, my brain drove its forklift into the back rooms of the warehouse of my mind and brought out an interview I did with Kyle Busch.

It was July 28, 2016, and Toyota was opening up its first dealership in Warsaw — right where it stands today, just north of US 30 on State Road 15.

The world of NASCAR had arrived in the state of Indiana to run the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Toyota brought several of its high-level corporate leaders to the grand opening of its Warsaw location.

And they were bringing Kyle Busch to Warsaw to help draw a crowd to their new shop.

And did he ever!

I don’t know how many people were crammed inside that building that afternoon, but there wasn’t enough room to turn around. And those who couldn’t get inside stood outside on a beautiful, warm summer day.

I was there because WRSW-FM was broadcasting live, and I was asked if I would interview Kyle Busch.

At that time, Busch seemed to be in the middle of all the driver spats in the NASCAR Cup Series. And for his part, he didn’t really flinch away from that. Truthfully, it sure looked like he embraced the role of “villain” in a world of stock car driven by squeaky-clean marketing majors like Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

He would nudge you, bump you or just flat run you into the wall if that’s what it took to beat you.

And he could not care less about your feelings.

When presented with the opportunity to interview Busch, I didn’t hesitate to accept. No, he would not be my favorite person to interview of all time, but I have never and will never let that get in the way of doing my best to connect a person with the public.

In the days, hours and minutes leading up to Busch’s arrival at Toyota of Warsaw, I was reminded of the goal of this event, which was to be a positive promotion of the newest car dealership in Warsaw.

The best summary of that would be the marketing person from Toyota who said to me 15 minutes before the scheduled interview, “Remember, Roger, your job here is to interview him. You are not here to pick a fight with him, ask him something controversial or make a name for yourself.”

Some interviewers would put their microphone down at that point and take a pass on the interview. But for me, I was there on behalf of the radio station to do the same thing as everyone else was trying to do — leave a good first impression about Toyota’s new presence in Warsaw.

Shortly after, you could hear the cheering of the people outside. Busch had arrived.

He walked right up to me and said, “Roger, it’s nice to be here.” I smiled because I appreciated the fact that he knew who was interviewing him.

Then he leaned into my left ear and said, “Please don’t make me look like a jerk (he used a different word, but you get the point).”

I leaned into his right ear and said, “I have no intention of doing anything of that sort. I am here to promote this dealership and talk to you about Sunday’s race.”

He nodded in confirmation.

I remember very little about the interview itself, other than we talked about how he felt about his car during his practice and how important his relationship with Toyota was.

It lasted about 10 minutes, and then his representative gave me a smile and a wink to let me know it was time to wrap up so that he could say “hi” to people, sign some things and get back on his way to Indy.

When it was over, I sent the station to a commercial break and reached out my hand to shake Kyle’s and thank him for the opportunity to speak with him.

He took his headset off and immediately rejected my handshake. I panicked. What had I done wrong?

I had misread him because, instead, he hugged me. Not a bro hug, a good one. And in the midst of that he said, “Thank you for not trying to pick a fight with me or make me look like a jerk (again, my word. He used a much different word, but you get the point).

He patted my shoulder and walked away.

I doubt that he remembered that interview much beyond climbing aboard the helicopter. I will admit that I have tried and failed many times to analyze his words and what I should take away from them.

I will also admit that I had forgotten about that day until Thursday, when the news broke.

But I won’t forget it now, or ever again.

The post Roger Grossman recalls ‘The Interview’ with Kyle Busch appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARAW — For the second time in the past year, various groups will host a mental health resource fair at The Gathering Place in downtown Warsaw. 

The Gathering Place is located at 123 S. Buffalo St.

The Warsaw CARES Unit, which works to support those with mental health issues as part of its broader mission, is helping organize the event. 

Mikaela Bixler, with the CARES Unit, said the lineup of supporting entities is bigger this year, with upward of a dozen groups participating. 

“So a lot of different resources, including potentially resources to help people pay for mental health or get insurance to help cover mental health care,” Bixler said.

She says the cost of professional coverage continues to be a barrier for those seeking help.

“I do feel like a lot of people are hesitant to get mental health care or see a counselor because they think it's very expensive — and it is," she said. 

“We will have resources there to help people get it covered,” she said.

She also said some of the groups will offer telehealth services.

The free event is open to anyone and will run from 530 to 730 p.m.

The post Mental Health Resource Fair today at The Gathering Place in Warsaw appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WHITLEY COUNTY — The Indiana Department of Transportation announces the closure of State Road 14 near South Whitley for pipe construction.

Starting on or after June 1, crews will work on the pipe between S. 475 W. and S. 350 W. Work on the project is expected to be complete by the end of June. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

During the closure, drivers should use the official detour of State Road 9, State Road 114 and State Road 5, or seek an alternate route.

INDOT encourages drivers to consider safety for all by slowing down, using extra caution and driving distraction-free when traveling around all work zones.

The post Repairs will close part of SR 14 near South Whitley beginning Monday appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — OrthoWorx has announced the sponsorship of the 2026 Peace Builder Award at Warsaw Community Schools and Lakeland Christian Academy.

This award was presented to one student at each of the Warsaw Community Schools and acknowledges their empathy builder characteristics, aligning with Warsaw Community Schools’ values, and furthers the OrthoWorx diversity initiatives.

The Peace Builder Award recognizes students who have shown outstanding citizenship and modeled the value of diversity through the willingness to accept and include fellow students and school staff. They have created a culture of helping other students thrive in value, self-esteem, self-worth, purpose, healthy relationships, and leadership qualities. Embracing diversity increases creativity and productivity, providing a welcoming environment for all people.

This award targets a student who has exemplified Warsaw Community School’s ‘Empathy Pillar’ as they “acknowledge others’ feelings, emotions, and experiences as valuable and as a result, all individuals understand, relate, and/or are moved to action by experience and perspectives outside their own.”

These students recognize what results from a lack of empathy in themselves and others and know that they are at their best when they deeply understand others inside their classrooms, community, and the larger world.

“The Peacebuilder Award honors a student who consistently demonstrates kindness, empathy, and a commitment to resolving conflicts peacefully,” says Brooke Friedberg, Talent Director, OrthoWorx. “This individual leads by example, fostering a sense of inclusion and respect within their school and community.”

OrthoWorx is proud to sponsor this award as it aligns with our mission of “fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment focused on sustained economic opportunity”. Award recipients were chosen by the faculty and staff from their respective schools.

Congratulations to the Peace Builder Award winners and thank you to all students that exemplify the Empathy Pillar.

The students who have been acknowledged are listed below:

• Harper Ferveda, Claypool Elementary
• Haley Fawley, Eisenhower Elementary
• Elijah Argumedo Mendoza, Harrison Elementary
• Jake Finley, Jefferson Elementary
• Knox Shilling, Leesburg Elementary
• Lydia Miller, Lincoln Elementary
• Lynken Harmon, Madison Elementary
• Vincent Jacoby, Washington Elementary
• Brenna Overman, Edgewood Middle School
• Baylee Wieringa, Lakeview Middle School
• Eva Demopoulos, Warsaw Community High School
• Mya Heaton, Lakeland Christian School

OrthoWorx is an initiative formed in 2009 in the Orthopedic Capital of the World® through initial funding from Lilly Endowment Inc, to fill a critical void in the industry, serving as a connector for industry, education, and our community, leveraging resources to drive positive change.

The post OrthoWorx recognizes Peace Builder Award recipients at Warsaw Schools and Lakeland Christian Academy appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — A significant sprucing up of the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds is nearly complete. 

Mike Loher, who heads up the ML Community Impact Alliance, announced plans for a series of improvements a few weeks ago and said much of the work is now done, thanks to in-kind donations and community support totaling nearly $100,000.

All of that is happening ahead of Kosciusko Freedom Fest, a celebration of America's 250th birthday, which arrives in less than two weeks. 

Supporting the upgrades has been led by the relatively new alliance.

Support has come from various groups, including Core Mechanical, which fabricated, powder-coated, and installed all the new handrails in the grandstand, and Super Seal, which seal-coated and striped the main drive, Loher said.

Freedom Fest arrives June 5, 6, and 7, with most of the events at the fairgrounds. 

Activities will include historical reenactments, patriotic celebrations, a concert, and a parade.

All events, except for the concert, are free. The Freedom Fest website calendar also lists rlated events acoss the county leading up to the Fourth of July weekend.

Loher talked with News Now Warsaw while another man was spreading limestone on Saturday morning.

“We have got over 500 tons of limestone donated and did a lot of driveway repairs and then also asphalt millings,” Loher said. “We've redone the west driveway, the east driveway through the 4H … I'd say about 98% of the drives out here have been repaired.”

Volunteers have also done a lot of mowing. They regraded the track and also seeded areas near the track. Other areas have also been cleaned up.

"It's not perfect, but it's a lot better than it was,” Loher said.

He said participants in the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Office J-CAP program and those associated with Serenity House have helped out.

About 30 vendors have been lined up, and organizers are no longer accepting applications. Vendors include some of the longtime tenants of the fairgrounds, he said.

He also said plans are coming together for the veterans' ceremony, which will include a massive US flag on display and an Air Force flyover that will happen early Saturday afternoon on June 6.

He said that working to secure an air force base needed for the flyover was a bit of a challenge.

"There are a lot of crazy things going on in the world right now, and a lot of our military guys are out doing their thing. So it was a little bit of a struggle to find an air base that was able to participate,” he said.

With less than two weeks before the start, Loher sounded optimistic about local plans to celebrate the country’s birthday, which will culminate nationally on the Fourth of July.

“I'm feeling really good. Things are starting to come together nicely,” he said.

He said they're seeking more parade applicants.

The parade starts at 10 a.m., June 6.

"We're going to start the parade on West Center Street out by the street department. It'll continue on Center Street through downtown Warsaw, and then it'll turn on Bronson Street and come right into the main (fairgrounds) entrance, Loher said.

Plans by Loher to oversee the three-day event began before he broke his wrist a few months ago. He says it's been a blessing and a curse as the event grows slower.

The injury has healed more slowly than expected.

“Obviously, with my broken arm, I've not been able to do a lot. But other than to orchestrate the different groups.

No slowing down, though.

“It's go-time. There are a lot of things happening,” he said.

The post Fairgrounds improvements nearly complete ahead of Freedom Fest in Warsaw appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Felix Rosenqvist thought his car was good enough to win the previous four Indianapolis 500s. On Sunday, the 34-year-old Swede finally got to celebrate with a sip of milk.

The difference: He was more focused on being a dad and felt less pressure to reach victory lane.

Rosenqvist responded by making a daring, outside move in the closing yards, sling-shotting past leader David Malukas and across the yard of bricks by half a car-length in the closest race in 500 history, and cap the most memorable month of his life.

The 0.023-second victory was his second in 120 career IndyCar starts, his first on an oval and came exactly 20 days after he welcomed his first child, daughter Stella.

“After we had our baby, Stella, I was like I’ve already won the month of May,” said Roseqvist, whose only other win came in July 2020 at Road America. “But winning was the cherry on top of an incredible month.”

Neither Rosenqvist’s wife, Emille, nor his newborn daughter was at the track.

Rosenqvist jumped on top of his Meyer Shank Racing car, pumping his arms in the air before tasting the milk and then dumping it over his head. And why not savor it after what he’s endured on this iconic 2.5-mile track?

Rosenqvist entered race day with five straight top-nine 500 qualifying runs but no poles. He’d also finished fourth in the race twice over the past four years, including 2025, while winding up 27th in the other two.

And it looked as if this one might be slipping away, too, when the red flag came out with seven laps to go and he got passed on the ensuing restart and again when Malukas appeared to be pulling away while Rosenqvist and teammate Marcus Armstrong were racing wheel-to-wheel on the final lap.

“I was given two options: either I lift or I crash with Felix,” said Armstrong, who finished fifth. “I chose to lift. I don’t know if I could have done anything different.”

With Armstrong out of the way, Rosenqvist pulled up behind Malukas, swung his car to the outside and pushed the car as hard as he could. The momentum — and the tow — sent him past Team Penske’s top finisher, relegating Malukas to runner-up status for the second straight year.

Meyer Shank earned its second 500 win and Helio Castroneves, one of four four-time 500 winners, celebrated his first as a team owner.

The victory margin was even closer than the 1992 race when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear to the finish line by 0.043 seconds. But that was little consolation to Malukas. Even moving up to second in the points standings was little consolation to the 24-year-old American.

“I just don’t know what else we could have done,” an understandably distraught Malukas said. “We were driving 150% that whole time. We had the fastest car out there, loved that whole race. It was ours to win and I knew that, so I just never pushed like that my whole life.”

The post Late pass sends Felix Rosenqvist to the closest Indianapolis 500 win in history appeared first on News Now Warsaw.