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 — Early voting hours ahead of the May 5 primary begin Tuesday.

Early voting hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Kosciusko County Justice Building, 121 N. Lake St., Warsaw.

Early voting hours on Saturday are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 25 and May 2 at the North Webster Community Center, and the Justice Building in Warsaw.

The final day of early voting will be 8 a.m. to noon Monday, May 4, at the Justice Building.

To vote by mail for the 2026 primary election, applications may be filed with the Kosciusko County Clerk of the Circuit Court through April 23.

For absentee voting forms, call 574-372-2332, option 1, or click here.

The general election will be Nov. 3, with early voting hours starting Oct. 6 and running through Nov. 2.

Find more information about the local election on the county clerk’s website here.

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NORTH WEBSTER - For over 20 years, the YMCA has had a presence in the North Webster Community Center (NWCC).

Tuesday, the North Webster YMCA, 301 N. Main St., celebrated renovations to its space and new equipment with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the NWCC, K21 Health Foundation, Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, the North Webster-Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce and other community members.

“It’s a ribbon-cutting for our North Webster branch. We’re trying to reimagine the space and update it for the community, trying to have a more focused, intentional reach in this community,” said Kosciusko Community YMCA CEO Dr. Jim Swanson in an interview before the ceremony.

The YMCA has had a branch in the NWCC since 2004, just a couple years after the NWCC developed in the former North Webster Elementary School. Dave Hewitt has been the director of the North Webster YMCA since its beginning.

“We hadn’t updated it, and the way machines, technology, fitness (evolve), we’re happy, with the help of K21, to bring a more modern facility to North Webster. So that was the vision,” Swanson said.

They also purchased equipment for the Culver Family Wellness Center at the NWCC. “So that’s specific programming for the community and the community center. So you have Y programming, but you also have what the community center does and we wanted to come together to show partnership for the community,” he stated.

They’re on the same page, he said, and want to offer opportunities to the community for health and wellness.

As part of the focus on more programming for the community, Swanson said they have Rock Steady Boxing, which is a Parkinson’s program that the YMCA has offered since they renovated at the NWCC. They offer a lot of group fitness classes, yoga and Zumba. The NWCC offers cardio drumming, among other programming.

“We’re working with the center to partner on new, innovative programming that they think the community could benefit from,” he continued. “In the past, Ys may just replicate what they do. We’re trying to be more North Webster-focused, Syracuse maybe as it’s not too far away.”

As far as new equipment, he said they have, “Everything, top to bottom. Plate machines. Cardio machines. Bikes. Elliptical machines. All the fitness equipment in there, even TVs. But, again, all the free weights and all plate machines in there. So a huge, huge upgrade for this community. 

Just like the other two YMCA locations in Warsaw, the North Webster YMCA is open to anyone in the county who has a YMCA membership.

“It’s been important for us to be out here, so we wanted to communicate the importance that we remain up here,” Swanson said. “And for a small town, North Webster, it’s pretty nice. And then when you tie in with what they’re doing at the center, there’s a lot here for this community. There’s a whole lot for this community and we just wanted to be a part of it and say we care.”

He said the YMCA is trying to become more intentional to try to immerse itself and staff members where appropriate in the community and community events to have a bigger presence.

There currently are about four to five part-time staff members at the North Webster YMCA and the director.

“At the end of the day, we want to be a part of healthy living, and so how do we partner with the community center to reach this population better? K21 supported our vision to renovate this place to show the community they’re important. That a small town like this can have this much opportunity and impact,” Swanson said.

Before Covid hit in 2020, peak membership at the North Webster YMCA was about 840. It’s at about 770 now.

“It’s actually been maintaining well, which is another argument for investing in it,” Swanson stated.

The North Webster YMCA is not open 24/7. Hours are 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. It’s closed Sundays, according to the website.

To get a membership, a person can apply online at https://www.kcymca.org. Eventually, they have to stop in to the North Webster or Parkview YMCA to finalize the paperwork, sign waivers and get an ID tag.

“We’re just excited. It’s been something long overdue. We’ve talked about it a long time, so it’s just great to finally be able to do it,” Swanson stated.

During the ceremony, Rich Haddad, president and CEO of K21, said, “We’re glad to be here and we’re glad to be a part of this. When I think about the North Webster Community Center, I think about community; that word stands out to me. We’ve done a variety of different grants to help support this community center because I think it’s a shining beacon to what a community is all about. And to have a place that kind of brings the community together in a variety of ways in a variety of benefits in a variety of purposes - we have a common leader, Jon Sroufe, who I know was instrumental in a lot of the passion behind making sure this community center not only was a reality, but all the challenges of taking an old, wonderful, historic building and making it functionally effective for this community. Jon was hugely instrumental in that.”

Sroufe also was a board member for K21 for a number of years, too, Haddad mentioned.

“But you guys are the envy of a lot of communities in Kosciusko County because of this place that brings people together, that provides services, that is a home to a lot of organizations that are making a difference in our community, but certainly, from our standpoint, a real epicenter of health and wellness opportunities,” he said.

Emily Shipley, executive director of the NWCC, stated, “If you have not been to the community center before, I invite you to take a lap around and see everything that is here, all that we have to offer. It’s a fantastic place. And how can we be so lucky that the YMCA has a branch here in North Webster?”

She said the NWCC can’t wait to continue to grow its programs and work with the YMCA.
“Our vision is big and our future is very bright here,” Shipley concluded.

Rob Parker, president and CEO of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, thanked everyone who invested their time and sweat and tears to make it all happen.

“This is a shining example of what can happen when a community comes together, finds deep and rich partnerships that make this work,” he said. “Because without the partnerships, this probably wouldn’t have been successful and sustainable, but this is amazing. To be able to link history and move it forward, this represents so much history here.”

Matt Reinholt, Kosciusko Community YMCA Board of Directors treasurer, reiterated, “This is again a shining example, like Rich said, of just partnerships and groups coming together.”

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NORTH WEBSTER — Northwest Bank proudly announced its donation of $1500 to the North Webster Community Center, reinforcing its dedication to local community support and growth.

The donation, presented by Northwest Bank's team members Gwen Fuchs, Financial Center Manager; Josh Himelick, Financial Center Banker; and Devin Schultis, Area Manager, was warmly received by Emily Shipley, Executive Director of the North Webster Community Center.

"We are thrilled to partner with the North Webster Community Center," said Gwen Fuchs,
Financial Center Manager at Northwest Bank. "This donation underscores our commitment to enhancing the lives of community members."

The North Webster Community Center serves as a vital resource for educational, recreational, and cultural activities within the North Webster area. Northwest Bank's contribution will directly support the Center's efforts in providing essential services and programs to residents.

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Times-Union

NORTH WEBSTER - Beginning Monday, the Tippecanoe Township Trustee’s Office will be housed within the North Webster Community Center.

The new workspace is in suites 123 and 124 of The Culver Family Wellness Center, which is on the north side of the building.

The 574-834-1171 telephone number will be discontinued and replaced by 574-834-1600, ext. 228, according to a news release provided by Trustee Chris Francis.

574-526-1043 is the emergency telephone number.

Public hours remain as follows: Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The office will have limited hours through the remainder of this week.

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WARSAW -- Kosciusko County on Wednesday began looking at how to divvy up the final remaining $5 million in money from the American Rescue Plan Act on Wednesday.

A dozen groups made pitches –- big and small –- to the county ARPA committee.

County Commissioner Cary Groninger said their approach in making deciding how to use the money comes down to long-term investments and choosing between needs versus wants.

Also on the committee are Sue Ann Mitchell and Mike Long.

After nearly two hours of discussion, the committee made recommendations that will go to the county commissioners and county council for a final decision.

Requests came from numerous entities. Fire and police departments sought radios and pagers, work release wanted a metal detector and Animal Welfare League sought money for several needs. 

The biggest request came from the North Webster Community Center, which is seeing increased traffic but has serious roof problems. They were seeking $650,000 and were preliminarily approved for about $250,000.

County officials also want to put side aside a large amount of money to be used for road work on CR 1300N and improvements to the Justice Building.

The following is what was sought and what the committee recommended:

• Beaman Home Requested $63,000 for its new facility on South Buffalo Street it acquired a year ago. About $44,000 was recommended.
• Combined Community Services requested $202,000 to construct a new garage that would be used in part for storage. The request was tabled.
• Etna Green Fire Department requested $119,700 for new pagers. The request was turned down and they will seek a backup source of funding.
• Kosciusko County Senior Services requested $119,000 to buy a bus. The request was tabled.
• Kosciusko County Work Release requested $5,800 to purchase a metal detector to help keep weapons and contraband out of the facility. The request was recommended.
• Milford Fire Department requested $48,000 to purchase portable radios. About $32,000 was recommended.
• Animal Welfare League requested $158,000 for insulation in the new feline building, parking lot improvement and other expenses. About $24,000 was recommended.
• Warsaw Police requested $50,000 for portable radios. About $11,000 was recommended.
• Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office requested $86,000 for new body cams and related equipment for officers. The request was recommended.
• North Webster Community Center requested $650,000 for among other things, immediate roof and window repairs. About $252,000 was recommended.
• YMCA of Kosciusko County requested $280,000 to develop a new facility. The request was tabled.
• CASA of Kosciusko County requested $24,100 for several items including fingerprinting equipment. About $19,000 was recommended.

Mitchell noted that some groups who previously received ARPA money have not needed all of what they were given and will be asked to return unused portions.

The committee will meet again on May 10.

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WARSAW -- A chance to have input on Kosciusko County Park Board's future master plan is right around the corner.

Dates and times have been finalized for three meetings hosted by the new park board that looks at the overall long-term plans.

The board is seeking input now through April 6 and would like to hear input on priorities for the next five years.

All three meetings are from 5 to 7 p.m. Meetings will be:

• Tuesday, March 14, at the North Webster Community Center in North Webster.
• Thursday, March 16, at the Bell Memorial Public Library in Mentone.
• Tuesday, March 28, at the Warsaw Community Public Library in Warsaw.

Printed copies of the draft plan and the public review form are available at any of the local public libraries and municipal clerk offices in the county.

The public can also provide input with this online survey.

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At 6 p.m. Friday, organizers will host a ribbon cutting and a “Candy Canes and Cocktails” gathering for adults that will include sneak-peak tours of the soon-to-open adjacent Goshen Physicians Family Medicine North Webster Clinic.

The wellness center and family practice are both inside the renovated former library that is part of the community center.

The 6,000-square-foot wellness center will be a place for exercise and other programming that is free and open to the community.

“As our community continues to evolve, it is so important that we provide a dedicated
place for preventative health, mental health education and fellowship. This future space is
exactly what we need,” said Dennis Wagoner, president of the NWCC board of
directors, in a prepared statement.

Saturday morning will serve as an open house for the public as well as a Christmas holiday celebration. Activities run from 8 a.m. to 11.

The public is invited for a free breakfast with Santa who will pose for photos. Other activities are planned, including an ornament-making event.

The public also is invited to walk the festive hallways where holiday treats will be handed out to children.

Saturday’s activities are organized and supported by NWCC, the Lakeland North Webster Kiwanis, Goshen Physicians and the North Webster Community Public Library, according to NWCC Executive Director Emily Worrell.

 “This special morning is really about opening our building for our community members and filling them with the holiday spirit,” said Worrell.

Renovations for the wellness center were made available by the Culver family, which includes Bart and Cinda Culver who own Bart’s Water Sports. Bart’s mother, Gladys, was one of the original teachers at North Webster school. His father operated a grocery store in town.

The Culvers are annual supporters of the center and had put aside a large sum of money that was eventually designated for the wellness center.

“They are incredibly generous when it comes to supporting the community center,” Worrell said.

The center has been around for more than 20 years, but changes began to take root after the North Webster Community Public Library vacated its longtime home inside the community center in favor of a new home just to the south on S.R. 13.

Officials recently have made it a mission to lease out as much space as possible to help cover expenses and truly become the center of activities.

The Center is now home to the Kosciusko County YMCA, Senior Primelife Enrichment Center (SPEC), The Watershed Foundation (TWF) and Tippy/Chapman Sewer District.  It has also rented out space to two private companies, and NWCC Massage and Chubbies Pub n Grub Catering.

Tippecanoe Township will move into the center soon and the North Webster food pantry and the town’s chamber of commerce are expected to move into the center in 2023, Worrell said.

The doctor’s office will open for business on Dec. 27. An official grand opening organized by Goshen Health is scheduled for Jan. 16, Worrell said.

“We’re really proud of the fact that we’re bringing a doctor’s office to North Webster. We haven’t had a doctor in a couple decades so it’s kind of a big deal,” Worrell said.

[caption id="attachment_72449" align="aligncenter" width="800"] A sign hints a the future clinic outside of the North Webster Community Center. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_72454" align="aligncenter" width="696"] A view of the North Webster Community Center along S.R. 13. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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