communication Archives - News Now Warsaw https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/tag/communication/ Sat, 10 May 2025 09:50:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Coach Krebs’ insights highlight KYLA’s 32nd annual dinner https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/coach-krebs-insights-highlight-kylas-32nd-annual-dinner/ Thu, 08 May 2025 12:30:13 +0000 https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/?p=109607 Editor's note: This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Coach Krebs' last name. Dan Spalding regrets the error.

By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

NORTH WEBSTER — KYLA wrapped up its 32nd year with a dinner Wednesday night at The Owl's Nest, providing a chance to honor students who completed eight projects that encourage leadership through community service.

Over the years, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy has led the way for more than 800 students across Kosciusko County to complete more than 250 projects that help hone their leadership and communication skills.

More than 30 students from across the county participated in this year's projects.

* * * See the group photo below  * * *

This year's keynote speaker, Warsaw High School Girls basketball Coach Lenny Krebs, provided an energized and insightful approach on leadership, the importance of communication and overcoming obstacles.

Krebs has been outspoken about how a cochlear implant vastly improved his hearing and his ability to coach.

Earlier this year, he took the girls team to the state finals and finished the season with a 26-2 record.

He's in his eighth season with Warsaw and provided numerous entertaining outlooks on Wednesday night on being a leader and bringing out the best in people.

He spoke for about 40 minutes without notes and just a handful of slides.

He said he chose to excel in basketball so that he'd be seen as more than the guy with a hearing aid.

The former basketball standout talked about using his hearing aid to his advantage when shooting free throws in loud, distracting arenas.

In a light-hearted moment, Krebbs recalled a technique he employed when he was a Grace College Basketball standout and preparing to shoot free throws in the presence of a loud, hostile crowd.

"My freshman year in college, I was No. 3 in the nation in free throw shooting. Do you wanna know why? Because I'd step to the free throw line, turn my hearing aid off, (and) shoot my free throw in a quiet gym," he said to the sound of laughter from nearly 150 people at the dinner.

Sometimes, thinking outside of the box can make a difference.

"I began to understand that every negative situation created a positive opportunity. You just had to find it," Krebs added.

Below are summaries of each of the projects:

Pop up for a Purpose – (Collected everyday items such as clothes, hygiene items, art supplies, games. Had a day for Cardinal Services clients to pick out items for their use.
Participants included Sierra Hawley, of Triton; Macy Carson, of Triton; Clara Doll, of Triton and Ava Cosby, who is being homeschooled.

Project Pillows & Promises — (Raised funds to purchase items that were given in Care baskets to clients at Fellowship Missions. The group also made tie pillows that were included in the Care baskets.)
Participants include Anna Sterk, of Tippecanoe Valley; McKenna Lowe, of Tippecanoe Valley; Alexis Elliott, of Tippecanoe Valley; Maris Overbey, of Tippecanoe Valley; and Hailey Borsa, of Tippecanoe Valley.

Cause for Paws — (Raised funds to purchase supplies for the Marshall County Humane Society. The group also made dog treats for the shelter.)
Participants include Kayla Poff, Triton; Hannah Holand, of Triton; and Emma Ortiz, of Triton

Youth Mentoring — (Tutored and mentored middle school and grade school students.)
Participants included Matthew Vander Bie, of Warsaw; Sage Parker, of Warsaw; Ian Parrot, of Warsaw; Luke Smith, of Warsaw; and Jackson Barros, of Lakeland Christian Academy.

Bed Build with Sleep in Heavenly Peace — (Raised funds so they could partner with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and built 20 beds for children in Kosciusko County.)
Participants included Hayden Lechlitner, of Northwood; Landon Bewley, of Tippecanoe Valley; William Mellott, of Tippecanoe Valley; Cruz Nunez, of Tippecanoe Valley; and Brenton Miller, of Tippecanoe Valley.

Joe’s Kids Donation Drive — (Collected funds and supplies to donate to Joe’s Kids so they  could give items to their clients to take home to use for at-home therapy)
Participants included Brooklyn Roberts, of Triton; Taelyn Tom, of Wawasee; and Emerson Krull, of Wawasee.

Hope and Hygiene Drive – (Collected funds and hygiene products that were used to create hygiene packets)
Participants included Titiksha Gorhe, of Warsaw; Sophie Stewart, of Warsaw; Samantha Bloomfield, of Lakeland Christian Academy, and Hilary Renier, of Warsaw.

Kate’s Kart drive – (Raised funds that were donated to Kate’s Kart for the purchase of books that were given to children in the hospital.)
Participants included Hannah Fisher, of Warsaw; Coutney Brower, of Warsaw, and Melanie Hertzler, of Warsaw.

[caption id="attachment_109619" align="aligncenter" width="740"] This year's KYLA class: Front Row (Left to Right) Taelyn Tom, Brooklyn Roberts, Emerson Krull, McKenna Lowe, Maris Overbey, Macy Carson, Emma Ortiz, Hannah Holland, Hilary Renier, Courtney Brower Second Row (Left to Right) Hailey Borsa, Alexis Elliot, Ian Parrott, Jackson Barros, Kayla Poff, Clara Doll, Ava Cosby, Sierra Hawley, Samantha Bloomfield, Melanie Hertzler, Hannah Fisher Back Row (Left to Right) Anna Sterk, Sage Parker, Matthew Vander Bie, Luke Smith, Cruz Nunez, Brenton Miller, Landon Bewley, Hayden Lechlitner, William Mellott. Not Pictured: Titiksha Gorhe, Sophie Stewart[/caption]

 

 

The post Coach Krebs’ insights highlight KYLA’s 32nd annual dinner appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

]]> Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Coach Krebs’ last name. Dan Spalding regrets the error.

By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

NORTH WEBSTER — KYLA wrapped up its 32nd year with a dinner Wednesday night at The Owl’s Nest, providing a chance to honor students who completed eight projects that encourage leadership through community service.

Over the years, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy has led the way for more than 800 students across Kosciusko County to complete more than 250 projects that help hone their leadership and communication skills.

More than 30 students from across the county participated in this year’s projects.

* * * See the group photo below  * * *

This year’s keynote speaker, Warsaw High School Girls basketball Coach Lenny Krebs, provided an energized and insightful approach on leadership, the importance of communication and overcoming obstacles.

Krebs has been outspoken about how a cochlear implant vastly improved his hearing and his ability to coach.

Earlier this year, he took the girls team to the state finals and finished the season with a 26-2 record.

He’s in his eighth season with Warsaw and provided numerous entertaining outlooks on Wednesday night on being a leader and bringing out the best in people.

He spoke for about 40 minutes without notes and just a handful of slides.

He said he chose to excel in basketball so that he’d be seen as more than the guy with a hearing aid.

The former basketball standout talked about using his hearing aid to his advantage when shooting free throws in loud, distracting arenas.

In a light-hearted moment, Krebbs recalled a technique he employed when he was a Grace College Basketball standout and preparing to shoot free throws in the presence of a loud, hostile crowd.

“My freshman year in college, I was No. 3 in the nation in free throw shooting. Do you wanna know why? Because I’d step to the free throw line, turn my hearing aid off, (and) shoot my free throw in a quiet gym,” he said to the sound of laughter from nearly 150 people at the dinner.

Sometimes, thinking outside of the box can make a difference.

“I began to understand that every negative situation created a positive opportunity. You just had to find it,” Krebs added.

Below are summaries of each of the projects:

Pop up for a Purpose – (Collected everyday items such as clothes, hygiene items, art supplies, games. Had a day for Cardinal Services clients to pick out items for their use.
Participants included Sierra Hawley, of Triton; Macy Carson, of Triton; Clara Doll, of Triton and Ava Cosby, who is being homeschooled.

Project Pillows & Promises — (Raised funds to purchase items that were given in Care baskets to clients at Fellowship Missions. The group also made tie pillows that were included in the Care baskets.)
Participants include Anna Sterk, of Tippecanoe Valley; McKenna Lowe, of Tippecanoe Valley; Alexis Elliott, of Tippecanoe Valley; Maris Overbey, of Tippecanoe Valley; and Hailey Borsa, of Tippecanoe Valley.

Cause for Paws — (Raised funds to purchase supplies for the Marshall County Humane Society. The group also made dog treats for the shelter.)
Participants include Kayla Poff, Triton; Hannah Holand, of Triton; and Emma Ortiz, of Triton

Youth Mentoring — (Tutored and mentored middle school and grade school students.)
Participants included Matthew Vander Bie, of Warsaw; Sage Parker, of Warsaw; Ian Parrot, of Warsaw; Luke Smith, of Warsaw; and Jackson Barros, of Lakeland Christian Academy.

Bed Build with Sleep in Heavenly Peace — (Raised funds so they could partner with Sleep in Heavenly Peace and built 20 beds for children in Kosciusko County.)
Participants included Hayden Lechlitner, of Northwood; Landon Bewley, of Tippecanoe Valley; William Mellott, of Tippecanoe Valley; Cruz Nunez, of Tippecanoe Valley; and Brenton Miller, of Tippecanoe Valley.

Joe’s Kids Donation Drive — (Collected funds and supplies to donate to Joe’s Kids so they  could give items to their clients to take home to use for at-home therapy)
Participants included Brooklyn Roberts, of Triton; Taelyn Tom, of Wawasee; and Emerson Krull, of Wawasee.

Hope and Hygiene Drive – (Collected funds and hygiene products that were used to create hygiene packets)
Participants included Titiksha Gorhe, of Warsaw; Sophie Stewart, of Warsaw; Samantha Bloomfield, of Lakeland Christian Academy, and Hilary Renier, of Warsaw.

Kate’s Kart drive – (Raised funds that were donated to Kate’s Kart for the purchase of books that were given to children in the hospital.)
Participants included Hannah Fisher, of Warsaw; Coutney Brower, of Warsaw, and Melanie Hertzler, of Warsaw.

This year’s KYLA class: Front Row (Left to Right) Taelyn Tom, Brooklyn Roberts, Emerson Krull, McKenna Lowe, Maris Overbey, Macy Carson, Emma Ortiz, Hannah Holland, Hilary Renier, Courtney Brower Second Row (Left to Right) Hailey Borsa, Alexis Elliot, Ian Parrott, Jackson Barros, Kayla Poff, Clara Doll, Ava Cosby, Sierra Hawley, Samantha Bloomfield, Melanie Hertzler, Hannah Fisher Back Row (Left to Right) Anna Sterk, Sage Parker, Matthew Vander Bie, Luke Smith, Cruz Nunez, Brenton Miller, Landon Bewley, Hayden Lechlitner, William Mellott. Not Pictured: Titiksha Gorhe, Sophie Stewart

 

 

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]]> https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-08-055353.png Warsaw’s two-mile sidewalk project could be complete in June https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/warsaws-two-mile-sidewalk-project-could-be-complete-in-june/ Thu, 02 May 2024 12:47:34 +0000 https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/?p=92581 By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Warsaw’s major ongoing sidewalk project — possibly one of the biggest in local recent memory — is moving into the final stretch with construction.

The $3.2 million plan includes a federal role and took much longer than expected, but construction of nearly two miles of sidewalk is now expected to wrap up in June if all goes as planned, according to City Planner Justin Taylor.

The sidewalks are within an area bordered by Sheridan, Scott, Colfax and Main streets and the work is generally aimed at improving safety for students who walk to and from Lincoln Elementary.

The project has included lots of conversations with property owners in recent years, Taylor said.

Taylor said some residents have sought changes or had questions about the impact on their property.

The city was also, in the end, able to adjust its sidewalk plan that temporarily threatened a 300-year-old Sycamore tree that a homeowner on Sheridan Street and dozens of others worked to preserve.

The issue surfaced last fall and the city was able to work with the Indiana Department of Transportation, which has oversight on the plan, to amend the design, which involved creating a "bump out" south of the tree on North Colfax Street.

The tree sits close to the road and the bump out will help preseve its root system, Taylor said.

Pink paint currently outlines the bump out design in the street, but Taylor said that represents a rough draft of how far the future curb will extend (See photo below).

Taylor said the project has highlighted the importance of communication.

Having open discussions with residents has been a priority under former Mayor Joe Thallemer (whose administration began the work) and current mayor Jeff Grose, Taylor said.

"Keeping that in mind and communicating with residents in the area is what is most important," Taylor said. "As soon as you get out there and talk to somebody face-to-face, you really get a feel for them and their values and then you can also explain to them what you're trying to accomplish with the project — and every single time, that has always paid off."

Taylor made the comments during an interview for In the Know, the public affairs show that airs on Kensington Digital Media radio stations this weekend.

[caption id="attachment_92585" align="aligncenter" width="891"] Pink paint outlines plans for an alteration to the curb line on North Colfax Street, just south of Sheridan Street in Warsaw. The change is being made to preserve an historic, 300-year old Sycamore treet and to protect its root system. The work is part of a large-scale sidewalk improvement plan near Lincoln Elementary. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The post Warsaw’s two-mile sidewalk project could be complete in June appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

]]> By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — Warsaw’s major ongoing sidewalk project — possibly one of the biggest in local recent memory — is moving into the final stretch with construction.

The $3.2 million plan includes a federal role and took much longer than expected, but construction of nearly two miles of sidewalk is now expected to wrap up in June if all goes as planned, according to City Planner Justin Taylor.

The sidewalks are within an area bordered by Sheridan, Scott, Colfax and Main streets and the work is generally aimed at improving safety for students who walk to and from Lincoln Elementary.

The project has included lots of conversations with property owners in recent years, Taylor said.

Taylor said some residents have sought changes or had questions about the impact on their property.

The city was also, in the end, able to adjust its sidewalk plan that temporarily threatened a 300-year-old Sycamore tree that a homeowner on Sheridan Street and dozens of others worked to preserve.

The issue surfaced last fall and the city was able to work with the Indiana Department of Transportation, which has oversight on the plan, to amend the design, which involved creating a “bump out” south of the tree on North Colfax Street.

The tree sits close to the road and the bump out will help preseve its root system, Taylor said.

Pink paint currently outlines the bump out design in the street, but Taylor said that represents a rough draft of how far the future curb will extend (See photo below).

Taylor said the project has highlighted the importance of communication.

Having open discussions with residents has been a priority under former Mayor Joe Thallemer (whose administration began the work) and current mayor Jeff Grose, Taylor said.

“Keeping that in mind and communicating with residents in the area is what is most important,” Taylor said. “As soon as you get out there and talk to somebody face-to-face, you really get a feel for them and their values and then you can also explain to them what you’re trying to accomplish with the project — and every single time, that has always paid off.”

Taylor made the comments during an interview for In the Know, the public affairs show that airs on Kensington Digital Media radio stations this weekend.

Pink paint outlines plans for an alteration to the curb line on North Colfax Street, just south of Sheridan Street in Warsaw. The change is being made to preserve an historic, 300-year old Sycamore treet and to protect its root system. The work is part of a large-scale sidewalk improvement plan near Lincoln Elementary. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.

The post Warsaw’s two-mile sidewalk project could be complete in June appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

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