ETNA GREEN — The Etna Green Town Council has approved the hiring of a clerk-treasurer.

Ann Anglin, who has been serving as chief deputy clerk for the town since the resignation of Barbara Wagoner, was hired into the position by the council on Tuesday.

Wagoner resigned as clerk-treasurer on June 30 after being appointed to the position on May 22 by Kosciusko County Republican Party chairman Mike Ragan. 

Wagoner's appointment took place after Patti Cook also resigned from the position.

Anglin said she had previously worked in county government outside of Kosciusko County for about eight years.

After Wagoner's resignation, Ragan sought candidates to appoint to fill the vacancy through the caucus process, but no candidates applied.

As a result, filling the position became the council's responsibility.

Anglin said she did not apply for the job through the caucus process because she does not reside within the town limits.

Anglin said Thursday morning she's excited about the opportunity.

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ETNA GREEN — Etna Green’s new clerk treasurer, Barbara Waggoner, has resigned less than six weeks after being appointed.

Waggone rsubmitted her resignation on Monday – after being appointed by a GOP caucus to fill an opening left by a pevious clerk-treasurer who accused town council members of making disparaging comments about her dead husband.

GOP Chairman Mike Ragan told the Times Union that Wagoner had quit a week ago, but withdrew her resignation a few hours later. Her resignation on Monday was immediate.

She was appointed on May 22 and began work on June 1.

Ragan told News Now Warsaw that she did not like the job, but did not elaborate.

The GOP will now seek another replacement and will host a caucus on July 15.

Deadline to file paperwork is July 12.

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By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WINONA LAKE — The state has released a long-awaited audit of Winona Lake town government that documents widespread misuse of town money, extensive lack of normal bookkeeping, and a failure by town council member James Lancaster to file a conflict of interest form with the state.

The 88-page report by the Indiana Board of Accounts, dated June 19 looks closely into practices by town employees over a four-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2019.

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The state audit is extensive and impossible to cover thoroughly in one news story.

To read the entire report online, click here.

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The report documents credit card abuse, misuse of town dollars, and a lack of standard recordkeeping over the years, as well as documents that — in some cases — made it challenging for investigators to determine what had happened.

News Now Warsaw reached out for comment from Town Manager Craig Allebach and Clerk-Treasurer Heather James (who assumed her position in 2024). Both had left for the day and were unavailable by mid-afternoon Tuesday.

Lancaster was also contacted for an opportunity to react, but did not reply as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Lancaster was one of two people who were part of K&J Operations, which discontinued its contract with the town in July of 2024 after some town council members expressed concerns about the arrangement.

The town council now oversees the pavilion, which the town constructed without a financial plan in place to cover costs.

Among the many allegations, the audit documents:

• Allebach used town money to cover the cost of 11 wells for residents of Raccoon Run subdivision, which cost $104,000 without any approval from the town council.
• Lancaster failed to file a conflict of interest form with the state over his direct involvement in a private firm that was paid to operate the Miller Sunset Pavilion. The failure to file represents a level 6 felony, the report said.
• Sixty-nine credit card transactions by town employees included personal expenses or expenses that were determined not to be related to the functions of the town. One of those was a $507 charge for a rental car in Hawaii in 2019 that is linked to a former deputy clerk.
• Park Director Holly Hummitch used a town credit card to make 52 purchases totalling $3,685 for 81 Straight Talk Monthly phone service plans over a 65-month time period. The report said she did not have a town-issued cell phone. Investigators asked about 16 extra monthly service plans during the time frame and the park director was unable to provide the reason, purpose or use of the extra plans.

The report also points out that the town prohibited the park director from purchasing cell phone plans with town funds over a recent ten-month period before council passed a resolution allowing a $30 cell phone stipend in February.

In another area of concern, the report said Hummitch made four purchases totalling $2,015 at Darlingon Holiday Warehouse over a four-year period. More than 1,000 items were purchased for the Kringle Fest Secret Santa Shop, in which tickets were sold to the public to purchase the items.

But only one deposit ($417) of revenues from the ticket sales for one year was documented.

Due to a lack of records, the state was unable to determine if purchases made in the three other years were related to the Santa Shop. "Therefore, we have determined this purchase was unallowable and not related to the functions and purposes of the town," the report said.

Concerns over record-keeping and finances have simmered for several years after the death of Clerk-Treasurer Kent Adams, who died unexpectedly in December 2021.

His replacement, Laurie Renier, soon fell out of favor with town leaders and she resigned in October of 2023, claiming town leaders turned on her after she raised questions about finances involving the pavilion and other issues.

At one point during her tenure, she talked to two council members about concerns and was told "that the council would absolutely not address the situation in public."

The report concludes, "The contents of this report were discussed on May 15, 2025, with Heather A. James, Clerk-Treasurer; Laurie A. Renier, former Clerk-Treasurer; Ashley McGinnis, President of the Town Council; Austin Reynolds, Vice President of the Town Council; Jason Zaugg, Town Council member; Barry Andrew, Town Council member; James G. Lancaster, Town Council member; Kristie Maiers, President of the Winona Lakes Parks and Recreation Department; Travis Trump, Vice President of the Winona Lake Parks and Recreation Department; Kallie Chapman, Park Board member; Diane Wulliman, Chief Deputy Clerk; Teena Pence, former Deputy Clerk-Treasurer (July 25, 2022 to October 10, 2023); Craig Allebach, Town Manager; and Holly Hummitch, Park Director."

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WARSAW — Kosciusko County Republican Party Chair Mike Ragan has announced details on the caucus process needed to fill the vacancy of Etna Green’s clerk-treasurer.

The caucus will be held at 3 p.m. on May 22 at the county clerk’s office in the Justice Building in Warsaw.

The deadline to file intentions to run with Ragan is May 19.

Ragan, in a news release, said he would make the appointment himself because of the lack of precinct committee members available to participate in the caucus.

Paperwork to file is available at the county clerk’s office.

Patricia Cook resigned last week, citing a hostile work environment.

Cook's resignation is effective May 31.

Eligible applicants must be residents of the Town of Etna Green and Republicans in good standing.

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WINONA LAKE —  Winona Lake’s utility billing system continues to be a mess.

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WINONA LAKE — Town Council put the brakes on appropriations Monday night amid questions and confusion.

Council met in a special meeting Monday and attempted to approve the moving of $990,000 in money for several line items, but ultimately pulled back on the plans after realizing legal advertising was inaccurate. 

That became apparent after Retha Hicks, working as a part-time consultant after financial accountability issues arose earlier this year with the clerk's office, took the blame in presenting council with incorrect plans to move the money. She apologized during the meeting.

The town turned to Hicks and the Indiana State Board of Accounts to sort out problems with town finances after town council began wrangling with Clerk-Treasurer Laurie Renier over numerous issues.

Renier resigned three months ago and claimed the town’s finances had been a mess before she arrived in office some two years ago.

The state board of accounts is currently in the middle of review of town finances.

Heather James, who replaced Renier, was unable to answer several questions on the additional appropriations Monday night as well as another issue involving proposed Christmas bonuses for town employees.

The appropriations proposed from the town TIF fund (totaling $740,000) and another $250,000 from the town's EDIT fund were prepared for consideration, but officials were vague on some of the intended uses until town resident Jerry Nelson sought details.

Nelson was told that $620,000 was sought from the town TIF fund to pay on a bond issue for the Miller Sunset Pavilion ice rink.

Money for the rink was listed as a capital expense.

James could not provide details on the $250,000 request which was also listed as a capital expense.

Nelson had more questions until council member Barry Andrew came to the clerk-treasurer’s defense.

"I think Jerry's questions are legitimate questions and they are questions and answers I'm looking for too, but I also think we need to extend a level of grace to Heather and her team, knowing that she came into a position that had a lot of stuff involved with it and I think her and Retha are probably doing the best they can," Andrew said.

Nelson said he wants more details on finances of the pavilion.

"Before we get into approving money like that, I'd like to see a breakdown of where the heck we're spending our money. If's it's gonna be a million bucks on the ice rink, I think the town taxpayers are entitled to know that," Nelson said.

He added, "I don't have a clue as a taxpayer what's in that $250,000."

Other questions arose over plans to provide bonuses and comes after questions arose involving a similar situation with elected state officials.

In both proposals, council pulled back the plans and decided to investigate more before reconsidering the requests.

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WINONA LAKE — The deadline to file for the Republican caucus to replace Laurie Renier after she abruptly resigned as Winona Lake clerk-treasurer, has passed — and as expected — only one person sought the job.

That would be Town Council Vice President Heather James.

[caption id="attachment_84509" align="alignright" width="234"] Heather James[/caption]

Renier resigned after a lengthy dispute with town council and had already lost in the Republican primary to James.

Even though James is the sole candidate to file, a caucus is still required to elect her to the clerk-treasurer position.

The caucus to replace Renier is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at town hall.

If  elected by the caucus, James will have to resign her position as the Ward 4 council representative and Ragan will have to call a caucus to replace James on the council for the remainder of 2023. 

Barry Andrew ran for the Ward 4 seat this year unopposed and is slated to take office Jan. 1.

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WARSAW — Below are allegations contained in the resignation letter of Laurie Renier, clerk-treasurer for for Winona Lake, who announced she was quitting her job effective immediately on Tuesday night.

Two other employees in the clerk's office also resigned Tuesday after extended difficulties with town council members dating dating back more than ten months involving various issues in the clerk's office.

Town officials claim the clerk’s office was not sending out bills and salary checks in a timely manner. Renier countered that the office was disorganized when she took over in 2021, was not following standard protocol and that the council refused to follow advice from the Indiana State Board of Accounts.

Renier issued a five-page resignation letter listed concerns that she said she noticed from the outset after taking office following the death of Kent Adams in December of 2021.

Town officials declined comment about the resignation Tuesday night.

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