By David Slone
Times-Union

NORTH WEBSTER — Zaylee Guy, first runner-up in 2025, was crowned Queen of the Lakes for 2026 during the 80th Mermaid Festival pageant Saturday night at the North Webster Community Center.

“I’m honestly so shocked and forever grateful for this town and the ability to go on stage and just shine. To Him be the glory. I’m in awe,” she said after the coronation.

Having grown up in North Webster, she’s done the Mermaid Festival Cutie Parade and Pageant, but never did a pageant until she started doing the Queen of the Lakes pageant.

“This is my fourth year doing the Queen of Lakes pageant, and so this is the only pageant I’ve done, and I got first runner-up last year, which was a huge blessing and then to win this year is even more — and so I’m so excited to serve as the 2026 Queen of the Lakes,” Guy stated.

She competed as Miss Sechrist Lake. Her sponsor was the North Webster Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce. She is the daughter of Ben and Elise Guy.

She said to honor her hometown and the history is really special. Both her parents grew up in North Webster, as is the entire Guy family.

The Queen of the Lakes pageant is annually sponsored by the North Webster Lions Club and Shoop Sports & Youth Foundation Inc. Scholarships for the queen and her court are provided by Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation Inc.

“The legacy that Shoop has left with all the scholarships - that’s paving the way so I can go to Taylor University, and just the way I’m able to get a scholarship and benefit from that is just amazing,” Guy said.

The Queen of the Lakes receives a $2,000 scholarship; first runner-up, $1,500; second runner-up, $1,000; and third runner-up, $500.

Guy’s court includes first runner-up Gwendolyn Frank, second runner-up Julia Stover and third runner-up Kierah Klepper.

Gwendolyn, the daughter of Chris and Rhonda Frank, North Webster, competed as Miss Center Lake. Her sponsor was Clayton’s Garden Center.

Julia, the daughter of Chelsea Stover, North Webster, competed as Miss Shoe Lake and her sponsor was Bayview Appraisals.

Kierah, the daughter of Rynell Klepper, Huntington, competed as Miss Irish Lake and her sponsor was Kissinger Surveying.
The North Webster Lions Club, which presents the pageant, believes in service to the community. They established an award to honor the contestants with strong dedication to giving of themselves to help others.

The 2026 North Webster Lady Lions Service Award went to Janna Teusch, Huntington. She received $100 cash. Competing as Miss Kuhn Lake, her sponsor was Jill & Jennifer’s Salon of Style and her parents are David and Kristine Teusch.

The Miss Congeniality Award was voted on by all the contestants as the girl who is the most considerate and friendly and willing to help others. This year’s Miss Congeniality was Teusch. She will receive another $100.

Scholarship winnings for parade participation are third place, $250; second place, $500; and first place, $750. The winners this year were Scarlett Hardy, third; Nora McDaniel, second; and Aowyn Fuller, first.

Scarlett, the daughter of Scott and Amber Hardy, North Webster, competed as Miss Chapman Lake. Her sponsor was Skoops Ice Cream Shop.

Nora, the daughter of Aaron and Tara McDaniel, Warren, competed as Miss Long Lake. Her sponsor was Hartley Builders.

Aowyn, the daughter of Jonathan and Ryea Fuller, North Webster, competed as Miss Tippecanoe Lake. Her sponsor was Gloss House.

“I think there is a sisterhood to pageants, and there’s a lot of people that I didn’t know doing this in starting, but Chloe Bolinger is not from here, but me and her have made a huge connection and we’ve been hanging out outside of this pageant, and so the friendships that you’re creating outside of just the girls that compete that are from here, she’s from Whitley County, and so all these different girls are coming together to compete and so I think there is a sisterhood and it’s just overall enjoyable to be in a room full of beautiful and young ladies that also want to compete but also are super kind,” Guy explained.

There were 17 young ladies who competed this year for the title of Queen of the Lakes.

As explained by Corynn Barton, the 2021 Queen of the Lakes who served as emcee of the pageant again this year, “To earn the title, each girl takes part in four events related to the contest, including personality, parade, theme wear, and evening gown. The interview portion of the event was done this morning, with each girl spending time with the judges in panel-style interviews. This process provides an assessment of the contestants’ ability to communicate.”

Each contestant was required to participate in the parade, which took place at 4 p.m. Saturday down Main Street in North Webster. Their imagination was their only limit, Barton said.

“The theme this year is the ’80s. It was interesting to see the individual tastes and theme wear this year. Thinking outside the box was highly encouraged,” Barton said. “The evening gown competition brings an elegant touch to the queen’s pageant activities. The evening gowns are always the highlight of the event. Each young lady has their own unique presence shown and diversity of formal gowns selected by the contestants.”

Following the personality, theme wear, and evening gown competition, the field was narrowed down to four contestants. The final step of becoming the Queen of the Lakes or a member of the queen’s court is the final question. Each of the four finalists is asked the same question individually without the knowledge of the other contestants’ answers.

The final question was, “What do you hope people will still love about the Mermaid Festival 80 years from now?”

Guy’s response was, “Something that I hope that in 80 years, people will enjoy about the Mermaid Festival is the community aspect. I have grown up in North Webster my whole life, and I’ve done the Cutie Pageant and the Cutie Parade, and I think that seeing the community come together and see a lot of people work hard on their floats, just to bring joy to the people that come and watch, but also for the judges, I think, is really important.

So I just hope that in 80 years that everybody comes together still, sees the bright lights and the bright cheer and the community’s in unity with that.”

While scores were tabulated, 2025 Queen of the Lakes Ava Weldy gave her final walk and farewell address.

The post Zaylee Guy crowned Queen of the Lakes pageant winner in North Webster appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — The south side of Warsaw once again has a grocery store.

Owen's Fresh Meat Market has expanded from its first location south of Leesburg to a new store south of Kincade Street on State Road 15 South. 

The soft opening began last week with many basic food items, and the company is still adding more display space and cooler space.

The store will soon feature a deli, and a grand opening is expected on July 3rd. 

Local shoppers have been clamoring for another choice on the south side since the Marsh grocery store closed nine years ago and the Owen's store closed seven years ago.

Denitriss McKenzie, who will run the store with Lisa Rector, said the initial reaction has been strong. 

"It has been phenomenal — I mean, there are so many people so excited to have a grocery store on this side of town," McKenzie said.

She said they will be working the Leesburg store to provide specific items normally available in Leesburg.

The store at 1095 Fisher Avenue (SRR  15S) is in the old Kendall Electric building.

It will be open seven days a week, including Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The post Opening of Owen’s Fresh Meat Market ushers in new era on Warsaw’s south side appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

Engling won the nomination on the state GOP convention’s second ballot, finishing ahead of Knox County Clerk David Shelton as incumbent Secretary of State Diego Morales came in a distant third.

Engling received 867 votes to secure the nomination with 53% support. Shelton followed with 627 votes and Morales 134. Conservative activist Jamie Reitenour was eliminated in the first round of voting.

His victory puts him on the November election ballot against Democrat Beau Bayh, Libertarian Lauri Shillings and a likely independent bid by former Republican Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.

Engling said despite the convention contest he was ready  to extend Republican control of the office that oversees statewide voting practices.

“We’re not looking at what the other folks are doing, we’re moving forward as a Republican team,” Engling told reporters. “We’re expecting to move forward and win in the fall.”

Banks staffer to top Republican ticket

The 39-year-old Engling has been central Indiana regional director and adviser to U.S. Jim Banks since early last year.

Engling jumped into the race last month as Banks and Attorney General Todd Rokita withdrew their endorsements of Morales. The political split came with Rokita saying worried Morales could lose the fall election after “many self-inflicted wounds.”

Engling touted himself to delegates as the candidate best positioned to continue the GOP’s decade-long hold on all statewide offices.

“We can go into November united as a team, confident and with a candidate that has a vision for the office, a statewide network and support to raise the money … so we can win in November,” Engling said.

Bayh — a son of former governor and U.S. senator Evan Bayh — won the Democratic nomination earlier this month and has already raised more than $2.5 million for his campaign. Democrats hope he can break a streak that has seen Republicans go 23-0 in statewide elections since 2014.

In his speech to delegates Saturday, Engling knocked Bayh as “a prep school kid with a familiar name.”

Engling sought to tie Bayh and Indiana Democrats to contentious national issues.

“If they win, we will be handing over our voter rolls to the party that gave us open borders and illegal immigrant voters,” Engling said.

Bayh said in a statement after Engling’s convention win that “Hoosiers are ready for a change in the secretary of state’s office.”

“They are tired of the corruption, insider dealing, and waste of taxpayer money that Max Engling and the political insiders pulling his strings have enabled for years,” Bayh said. “I will continue to work to earn the votes of all Hoosiers and will be the secretary of state for all Hoosiers.”

Banks repeated his endorsement of Engling during a speech to delegates Friday evening. Gov. Mike Braun and U.S. Sen. Todd Young also spoke Friday but didn’t wade into the secretary of state contest.

The move by Banks to push forward one of his staffers as an alternative to Morales came just weeks after six Republican state senators who voted against the Trump-demanded congressional redistricting lost to primary challengers.

Political organizations controlled by Banks largely bankrolled the multimillion-dollar advertising blitz against those senators — helping carry out Trump’s goal of political revenge over the redistricting defeat.

Morales’ loss followed numerous controversies about office spending and travel since he won office in 2022. He sought to hold onto connections he built with GOP activists by relentless attendance at local party events and dinners over several years.

He scored an upset convention win in 2022 when he defeated incumbent Holli Sullivan for the nomination, but he received tepid applause from the delegates as he spoke before voting began.

He tried to rally support by telling them “the establishment never wants you to have a choice.”

“Now comes the biggest heist of all, top Republicans who publicly embraced me, who publicly endorsed me, suddenly stabbed me in the back and tried to take over this convention,” Morales said.

But Morales was third in the first round of voting by delegates, which saw Engling get 715 votes, Shelton 543, Morales 283 and Reitenour 135. Reitenour was eliminated and delegates moved on to a second round of balloting since Engling was short of the majority vote needed to secure the nomination.

The post Engling captures Republican bid for Indiana secretary of state appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

The post Thank you, Dad! appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — It's been nearly two years since Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith established the Kosciusko Community Recovery Program that works with inmates in preparing them to stay out of trouble after leaving incarceration. 

The program's goal is to improve people's lives while also reducing the number of inmates who are repeatedly re-arrested, often on the same type of charges connected to drugs.

While circumstances vary, some studies suggest 30-40 percent of those released from state prisons return to custody within three years.

Locally, recidivism rates have never been openly documented, but have been a concern because it puts a strain on jail operations.

Shanna Wallen, the KCRP resource navigator, who overcame her own addiction problems with methamphetamine 22 years ago, said the program has involved 189 inmates in the first two years.

"One hundred and thirty-eight of those people have been completely released back out into the public, and only 14 of those have returned. So we are sticking right around a 10% recidivism rate, and that's pretty darn good. That is amazing," Wallen said Wednesday in a sit-down interview alongside Sheriff Smith for this week's In the Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.

Smith developed the program based on a model outlined by the state. He announced the decision early in his first term in office.

It began two years ago in July, and he is pleased with the progress. 

"It's far exceeded our expectations," Smith said.

KCRP works in various ways to prepare inmates to exit the correctional system, which, for many, has been a dominant part of their lives.

Much of that involves learning about basic responsibilities in life that they never embraced, either due to a lack of parenting, substance abuse, or other issues.

The program is part of a multi-layered approach by the county in the way inmates are viewed. 

Much of that began with a chemical addiction program that began in the jail about a decade ago. Over time, new court programs, including one targeting drug use, have been added.

The jail has also added peer recovery coaches and professional counseling services in recent years. Some of those costs are covered with money from the national opioid settlement.

Having access to the money, Smith said, "has been a blessing."

Not only has it helped reduce the number of frequent flyers returning to jail, but Smith said it's played a role in reducing the number of inmates in the jail. When he took office nearly four years ago, the jail population was near capacity at  305. These days, it's below 200.

Smith concedes some of that's due to other factors, such as the shifting of inmates through the Indiana Department of Correction.

"So make no mistake, this program has absolutely had a positive impact on the number of inmates housed in Kosciusko County, and we're excited about that.

Smith had campaigned on concerns over damage to property in the jail as well as documented rug use by inmates, which led to at least two overdose deaths.

So things like that have absolutely mitigated some of those problems.

Smith has added a K-9 to the jail operations, and new body scanners that look for signs of drugs have been upgraded to rely on artificial intelligence to assist in some circumstances.

Inmates also now have access to tablets primarily for communications and education.

The tablets have a lot to do with the improved behavior, Smith said.

"Certainly, the fewer inmates you have, the easier it is on everyone involved. And I will tell you that your sheriff sleeps a lot better at night."

*  *  * 

In The Know can be heard at the following times:

News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):

Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.

WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

Willie (103.5 FM):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

The post With KCRP in place, Kosciusko Jail recidivism rate has decreased appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

ELKHART — A woman is dead and her two-year-old girl was injured after they were struck by a car shortly before midnight Thursday in Elkhart.

The crash happened at 11:37 p.m. in the 3300 block of South Nappanee Street.

An initial investigation indicates that a BMW struck a woman and her child as they were crossing the street, according to Elkhart City Police.

Police say a 28-year-old woman died early this morning from her injuries.

Elkhart Fire Department medics rendered first aid and transported the girl to a hospital for treatment of a head injury. She was in stable condition. 

Neither the names of the victims nor the driver were immediately released.

The vehicle driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. 

This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and we will provide further details as we are able to do so.

The post Woman dead, two-year-old injured in pedestrian crash in Elkhart appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — There were no fireworks or celebrations, but as of Tuesday, Kosciusko County now has its first county park.

That follows the county commissioners' approval of a deed transfer of a 1.8-acre area near the historic Chinworth Bridge along Old Road 30 West.

The property, now known as the Old Chinworth Bridge Trailhead Park, had previously been owned by the Kosciusko County Historical Society.

County Parks Board member Aggie Sweeney said it's a significant moment because the county can now improve the park and the historic Red Bridge.

The basics of a park have existed for years at what was a former rest area. Amenities include the Kiwanis Club pavilion, a kayak launch and a walking path that connects with the Chinworth Bridge Trailhead and the Lake City Greenway.

The first stretch of a newly constructed trail was completed last year and heads further west.

“With the river also running through it, it's a really wonderful opportunity for us to develop it into a park for even more uses,” Sweeney told the county commissioners Tuesday morning.

The commissioners also signed off on a plan to use $8,500 in EDIT money for a conceptual design needed as the county seeks grant money for improvements through the Community Amenities Program.

Slate Auto is expected to begin production later this year at the old RR Donnelley plant a quarter-mile to the east, and new pavement along that stretch of Old Road 30 was recently added.

“That park is really a gateway into Warsaw for anyone traveling along that road,” she said. “And as Visit Sitewe see how that side of Warsaw develops, we're anticipating a significant increase in jobs along that route and in that area. 

“It's pretty exciting,” she added.

The Friends of Trails, a volunteer group, has already started doing work to remove some of the invasive species and clean up the river shoreline.

The Kosciusko County Highway Department also has been tremendous in helping with that, Sweeney said.

The Kosciusko County Parks and Recreation Board was established by the county in 2022 with an understanding that any land improvements would be done with minimal expenses, and future plans seem to embrace that approach.

Much of the past work has relied on grant money.

Some of the planned improvements include:

• Establish a temporary restroom enclosure. 
• Expand the walkway that connects to the bridge over to the pavilion.
• Improve access for canoes or kayaks into the river.
• Improve lighting near the bridge.

“And we want to implement a long-term plan related to invasive plant and aggressive plant removal, both to shore up the shoreline along the river, but also to, in some places, open up the view to the river,” Sweeney said.

A view

[caption id="attachment_132605" align="aligncenter" width="854"] This map of the Chinworth Bridge Park area is from Beacon.[/caption]

Below is a chronological history of the Chinworth Bridge and some photos taken on Thursday by Dan Spalding, News Now Warsaw.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="132601,132597,132598,132600"]

The post Improvements eyed for newly-established county park next to Chinworth Bridge appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

SILVER LAKE – The town of Silver Lake broke ground Tuesday on Sycamore Street for its community building.

Silver Lake Clerk-Treasurer Tonya Conley thanked everyone in attendance at the groundbreaking who helped make it happen.

“We are here today because of what you have done. You have either helped us plan, you’ve donated money, or helped with insurance. All of you have done something here, and this is the reason why we’re able to do this,” she said. “And I want to thank you all so much for everything that’s been done.”

Conley said it’s been three years of planning from start to finish.

The initial idea was to have the community building built where the old Silver Lake school was, but the lot was not big enough. Rick and Diane Kerlin donated 3-1/2 acres on Sycamore Street, where the community building will be built. The town received just under $2 million in grant funding for the project and just under $800,000 in donations. There were over 100 people who came together, Conley said.

“And it’s a great spot because it’s by our beautiful park that K21 (Health Foundation) and the Kosciusko (County) Community Foundation helped us to have. And then our goal is to put a memorial to the school on the school lot,” she said.

Town Council President Hugh Murfin thanked Conley and everyone who worked on the committee for the community building, saying they’re the ones who got the job done.

Jim Hoch, principal architect with Hoch Associates, said the architectural firm has done a lot of projects over the years, and the Silver Lake community building is quite special.

“I don’t know of anywhere so many people stepped up in a critical moment, and there were a lot of them,” he said, adding he saw people step up repeatedly during critical times.

He said the community building is going to be a wonderful facility for the community, which will include a full-size gymnasium, a walking track, a fitness center, a community center where meetings can happen, as well as future town offices.

Kosciusko County Commissioner Sue Ann Mitchell said she wanted to share how much work has gone into creating the community building.

“What a great benefit it’s going to be for your community,” she said, adding that North Webster has a community center that the town is very much proud of.

She said she knows the community building will make the community come together.

The post Silver Lake holds groundbreaking ceremony for community building appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Kosciusko County officials appear to be pumping the brakes on plans for a city-county parking garage in downtown Warsaw. 

County Commissioner Cary Groninger, who has been the only firm supporter of the plan among the three commissioners, was asked Tuesday where the proposal stands.

“We're still in the process of trying to come up with what type of project or if we're even going to build a project,” Goninger said.

His comments came just days after a “visioning” group with the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative was lobbying in support of the $15 million proposal by distributing brochures to downtown merchants.

County officials have said in the past that they need more parking for downtown employees as well as the public, but concerns about property tax impact have clouded the issue, as well as two other unrelated library spending plans that have faced votes in recent weeks. 

News Now Warsaw spoke with Groninger after Tuesday’s meeting of the commissioners and was asked if there is a timeline.

“Not yet,” Groninger said. “I think we'll have a decision in the next six months, whether or not we're moving forward or … to hold.”

City and county officials have been discussing the construction of a parking garage for two years, with both sides saying the need for more parking is necessary to shore up the lack of convenient parking for county employees and the public who visit the county justice building.

The city says a parking garage would boost economic development, and county officials say it would free up more space for the long-term need for jail expansion.

Hanging in the balance is $5 million from the OIRI fund, but access to that money provided by state lawmakers is set to expire in 2027.

Conley and Mitchell have both acknowledged the need for more parking but have been reserved in their comments. 

Conley’s primary election opponent, Don Wiesehan, announced his opposition to the parking garage earlier this year and ended up winning the primary.

Groninger contends the county's share of money for the project is already set aside with money from its EDIT fund. 

The county has already acquired land for the property on Fort Wayne Street through eminent domain.

The post County’s decision on city-county parking garage in Warsaw not expected any time soon appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

News Release

WARSAW — A 32-year-old man is dead after a single-car crash Tuesday afternoon in Kosciusko County. 

The crash happened around 4 p.m. on State Road 13 near the South Barbie Drive in Tippecanoe Township, according to a news release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said Bryce Dillon, of Wabash, was driving south on 13 in a Buick Lucerne when the vehicle left the east side of the roadway.

The car then overcorrected, crossed both lanes of travel, before it went off the road and hit a tree.

Police said Dillon died at the scene.

The post Wabash man killed after vehicle leaves road, hits tree on SR 13 appeared first on News Now Warsaw.