WARSAW — Municipalities across Kosciusko County spoke in unison Thursday, urging a wait-and-see approach to how the local income tax (LIT) rate might eventually be used to shore up finances affected by ongoing property tax reform.

Representatives of some 15 taxing units met with county leaders on Thursday in Warsaw ahead of an eventual looming decision about LIT money as state lawmakers continue to look at different options.

Participants are part of the state-sanctioned Municipal Unit Strategic Taskforce (MUST) that each county needs to create in order to look at how municipalities could consider adjustments to the local income tax to help shore up any anticipated losses from property tax reform.

One by one, each community, including Warsaw and Winona Lake, said they support the wait-and-see approach.

Among those was Milford Clerk Treasurer Tricia Gall.

"The town of Milford would appreciate being made whole of the property tax losses and the local income tax losses that we would have," Gall said.

No decision is needed until 2028, and County Councilman Joe Irwin, chair of the task force, summed up the county's approach.

State lawmakers are expected to consider a range of proposals related to tax reform legislation when they meet in January to crafte a new two-year budget.

"There's two more legislative sessions between now and then. With the uncertainty, we feel it's best just to table it," Irwin said.

County Commissioner Sue Ann Mitchell underscored the concern by many that state lawmakers need to address numerous issues before counties can make a decision.

"There is no clear path to explain how you could ever think about adopting (a new LIT ratge). And I think (there is a) list that needs to be worked on to send to the state to tell them these are the things in the legislature that you folks need to work on so that we might be able to make these kinds of decisions," Mitchell said.

No elected representative spoke out and expressed concern specifically about how tax reform efforts adopted already have hurt their budgetary operations.

One of the few residents at the meeting to speak who was not representing any taxing units was Chris Plack, a Warsaw resident who pointed out how local school districts will have to cope with the future changes without any LIT revenues.

Warsaw’s director of community and economic development, Jeremy Skinner, addressed the task force on how each taxing unit will likely face different scenarios.

"When we talk about property tax losses, some communities are going to struggle with property tax losses because they're not growing fast enough to cover that. The city of Warsaw is not losing property taxes,” he said.

“We're just not getting as much as we could have gotten with those cuts. So at the end of the day, it's not a matter of are we losing revenue. It's a matter of (us) not getting more than we could have gotten."

Irwin said he was pleased to see all taxing units in agreement on how to move forward.

The task force agreed to meet again in six months.

[caption id="attachment_137296" align="aligncenter" width="803"] Kosciusko County Council members Tony Ciriello, Kimberly Cates and Joe Irwin are seen talking after Thursday's MUST meeting. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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PIERCETON — Third District Congressional candidate Kelly Thompson has campaigned across Northeast Indiana for 18 months and, on Sunday, she took time to knock on doors in Piereton, just south of her home in North Webster.

Thompson, a Democrat who is a mother of six and a grandmother of 13, previously ran for the state legislature in 2020, and said Sunday that people she meets are no longer focusing on just her party affiliation.

She said she's hearing concerns about President Donald Trump's policies.

[caption id="attachment_137119" align="alignright" width="170"] Thompson[/caption]

“Everybody, including common-sense Republicans, is against corruption. They want to defend the Constitution. They want to be proud of their country. And right now they're having to defend an administration that is the most corrupt in the history of our country,” Thompson said.

“And they're willing to entertain the idea of voting for something different,” she said.

Thompson faces incumbent Republican Marlin Stutzman, who is on his second stint in Congress. 

Thompson and a group of supporters canvassed parts of Pierceton on Sunday, and she had extended conversations with several people over the topics of affordability, health care and the economy.

[caption id="attachment_137118" align="alignright" width="170"] Stutzman[/caption]

Thompson has been running literaly non-stop and posts videos on social media highlighting her policy and concerns. Her Facebook page has 63,000 followers.

She said she'd like to debate Stutzman, but says he has declined multiple invitations and  contends he’s "hiding.”

Thompson has a long list of policy positions on her website, but when talking with constituents, many of her conversations often shift to Donald Trump’s administration and the country's future. 

“This is a battle between good and evil. Every day we wake up, and we hear something else that this administration is doing that can be labeled as nothing other than the opposite of what would Jesus do,” she said. “That's just the truth.”

She said farmers have been slow to embrace her campaign, but that she continues to explain that she would fight for them if elected. She has three meetings with ag groups in the next week or so, she said.

“Everybody says we love farmers. We value our farmers. We need to protect them. But then when we get elected and we go to Washington, D.C., we forget all about them,” Thompson said.

“And our legislators instead legislate in the best interest of big ag instead of the farmers,” she said.

She said the role of Congress is to listen to constituents and then support their priorities.

Stutzman, she said, is not following the wishes of his constituents.

“He goes to Washington, D.C., and he fights for what the president needs. It's out of order. It's a breach of contract. And in my opinion, disqualifies him from the role of representing the people of Indiana's third," she said.

Thompson’s campaign theme, “Running Like a Mother,” is admittedly a double entendre that some find humorous.

She explained her outlook.

“Mothers nurture. We circle the wagons around people when we see danger on the horizon. We give of ourselves to the point of emptying ourselves in order to help other people. It's what I've done my entire life, whether it was the River Coffeehouse and Whitewater Community Services, or even running like a mother now for 18 months.”

The Third District includes all or part of 13 counties, including all or parts of four townships in Kosciusko County. Those include Tippecanoe Township, Turkey Creek Township, Washington Township, and part of Wayne Township.

[caption id="attachment_137115" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Congressional Candidate Kelly Thompson (R) talks with Pierceton resident Ronda Delaluz Sunday afternoon. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_137123" align="aligncenter" width="646"] Congressional Candidate Kelly Thompson (R) maps out a plan Sunday to knock on doors in Pierceton with Kosciusko County Democratic Party Chair Vicki Morton (C) and vice chair Don Guthrie (L). News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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WARSAW — The Kosciusko Community YMCA invites people living with Parkinson’s
disease, along with their families and caregivers, to a Rock Steady Boxing open house on
Monday, Sept. 28, from 1–4 p.m. at the Downtown Warsaw YMCA at 575 W. Fort Wayne St., Warsaw.

Rock Steady Boxing is a Parkinson’s-specific exercise program that uses non-contact boxing- inspired movements along with exercises designed to challenge strength, balance, coordination, mobility and overall fitness. Participants work at their own ability level, and exercises can be modified to meet individual needs.

The Open House provides an opportunity to visit the program in a relaxed setting, meet Rock Steady coaches, see the equipment and exercises used in class, and ask questions about whether Rock Steady Boxing might be a good fit. No previous boxing or exercise experience is necessary.

“Rock Steady has become much more than an exercise class for our boxers,” said Tracy Frick, Chronic Disease Coordinator for the Kosciusko Community YMCA. “They challenge one another, encourage one another and build friendships with people who understand what it is like to live with Parkinson’s. We want people in our community to know that they don't have to be an athlete or have any boxing experience to walk through our doors. We will meet them where they are.”

Beginning in October, the Downtown Warsaw YMCA will offer Rock Steady Boxing three
afternoons each week, with programming designed to better meet participants at different
stages of Parkinson’s:

Mondays — Level 1–2: For boxers who are generally more independent and ready for a higher
level of challenge.
Wednesdays — Level 3–4: Designed for boxers who may benefit from additional assistance,
modifications and a more supported exercise environment.
Fridays — Mixed Levels: Bringing boxers of varying abilities together for a Parkinson’s-specific workout that can be modified for individual needs.

The YMCA also offers Rock Steady Boxing at its North Webster location, helping make
Parkinson’s-specific exercise more accessible to residents throughout Kosciusko County.
Those unable to attend the September event will have another opportunity to learn about the program at the North Webster Rock Steady Boxing Open House on Wednesday, October
28, from 3:00–5:00 p.m. The North Webster YMCA is located within the North Webster
Community Center at 301 N. Main St., North Webster.

For additional information about Rock Steady Boxing or the upcoming Open Houses, contact Tracy Frick at tfrick@kcymca.org.

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NORTH WEBSTER — U.S. Sen. Jim Banks touched on three main points in his keynote address Saturday at the Kosciusko County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner - America 250, the election of Max Engling as Indiana’s next secretary of state and the SAVE America Act.

“The first thing I want to talk about is America 250 because I think this sums up where we are today,” he said. “What I find when I go to Washington every week is, you’re a Republican or a Democrat, but at the end of the day you either believe one of two things, and I think this sums up where we are in American politics today.”

Banks said you either believe on America’s 250th birthday the United States is the “greatest country in the history of the world” and that America 250 is worth celebrating, or “you don’t believe this is the greatest country in history, and today I think, ladies and gentlemen, that sums up the difference between us and them, and I see it on Capitol Hill.”

Last Tuesday, Banks said America saw that difference in a “really big way that makes it more clear what’s at stake than I think maybe in politics than we’ve ever seen it before.” He was referring to “the new crop of Socialist, Communist Democrats that won in New York.”

Darializa Avila Chevalier beat incumbent Democrat Adriano Espaillat for the 13th District. Claire Valdez won her primary in the 7th District, and Brad Lander won his in the 10th.

“It’s not just three of them. This is the wing of the National Democrat Party that has taken over their party. I’m telling you that because I see it firsthand on the floor of the United States Senate. When I was in the House just five years ago ... the Progressive caucus in the House of Representatives was made up of six representatives,” Banks said.

“Today that caucus is made up of over half of the entire Democrat caucus in the House of Representatives. And in the Senate, you see these crazy, lunatic Democrats getting nominated in these states like the Nazi-tattooed candidate in Maine. Just north of us in Michigan you have (Abdul) El-Sayed, who is a radical, radical Democrat with a dangerous anti-American ideology that’s likely to be nominated.”

The three winners in New York last week are “guaranteed” to go to Washington, D.C., after winning their districts in November, Banks said before reading a little bit of information about each of them.

On Chevalier’s website, Banks said she talks about being a prison abolitionist. He noted that Republicans support the police and law enforcement. “This particular Democrat doesn’t. She thinks that prisons are racist, they’re unnecessary, we should release violent criminals and just put them on the streets because that’s what this wing of the Democratic Party believes. She also believes in abolishing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” Banks said, adding he fully supports ICE officers.

Valdez won an open seat in Queens. Banks said Valdez says on her website she is for “granting citizenship and voting rights to illegal aliens who were deported. That’s one of her top campaign promises. She wants to nationalize the airline industry - can you imagine how awful the airlines would be if you put like the BMV in charge of our airline industry? It would be a disaster.”

Banks said Valdez also advocates for using taxpayer funds for all transgender treatments and surgeries, and she wants to completely abolish private health insurance.

Lander unseated another Democrat in West Brooklyn, Banks stated. Lander supports abolishing ICE, wants to forgive $2 trillion in student loans and expand the U.S. Supreme Court.

“So, you get the point, right? These are anti-American Democrats who have taken over the Democrat Party,” Banks said.

He talked about how his dad formerly was a Democrat and how President Donald Trump made the GOP the party of the working-class voters.

“We want our party to be that, to reflect that,” Banks said. “... Let me tell you, friends. This is not my dad’s Democrat Party. This is not my grandpa’s Democratic Party. This is a radical, anti-American Democrat Party who fundamentally wants to flip America upside down and change it. And we can’t let them do that, but these are the Democrats who have taken over the party. That’s what they believe in today.”

Only 29% of Democrats today say they’re proud to be an American, according to recent polling, Banks pointed out.
“So I want all of you to think about that as we celebrate America 250, because I know all of you agree with me that this country is great. This country is the greatest country in the history of the world,” Banks said. “... I would say that we’re on the right side of history. This is a great country.”

Transitioning to what he called the “most important race that we’ve had in Indiana in 20 years,” Banks then talked about the secretary of state race “that is the top of the ballot.”

Engling, who previously worked in Banks’ office, secured the Republican nomination at the Republican convention on June 29, beating out incumbent Diego Morales and two others. In the November general election, Engling goes up against Democrat Beau Bayh, Libertarian Lauri Shillings and former Republican Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, who is seeking the office as an independent.

Banks said, “I think we have become way too darn complacent as Republicans because we’re used to the (state Rep.) Dave Abbott and the Republican leadership that we’ve had in this state for a generation. I feel like we’ve loosened up a little bit and the Democrats know it, too. That’s why the Democrats just nominated Beau Bayh, the third iteration of the Bayh family.

“This is a kid who, of no fault of his own, moved to the Swamp when he was 3 years old with his dad when he became a senator. His dad, Evan Bayh, who was the governor for eight years, then became a United States senator. This is a guy (Beau) who went ... to the most elite prep school in America in Washington, D.C., that cost more every single year than my dad ever made in his life, and that’s the type of prep school that he went to.”

Banks said after that, Beau didn’t move to Indiana but went to Harvard University. Banks said Beau left Indiana at age 3, was born with a “silver spoon” in his mouth and just moved back to Indiana a year ago.

“Why? To run for secretary of state because he’s the Democrats’ next best hope to try to rehabilitate the Democrat Party in Indiana. He’s got the famous last name, he’s got all the Wall Street and Swampy connections from his dad and his grandpa, being senators long ago from this state,” Banks said. 

“Why are the Democrats so interested in winning the secretary of state’s race? Why didn’t they nominate someone better to take on governor or senator or try to get this kid to run for Congress? I’ll tell you why.”

Banks suggested the Democrats care about the Indiana secretary of state race because it’s the office that is the “tip of the spear in Indiana to keep our elections safe and secure. To keep illegals from voting in our elections. To make sure that we make it as impossible as we can to stop those who aren’t who they say they are that show up to the ballots to vote.”

He called Beau the Democrats’ “Trojan Horse” to come to Indiana to run for secretary of state so the Democrats can get a foothold in the state.

Engling is the Republican Party’s best foot forward to take on Beau, Banks said.

Banks also wrapped up his approximately 20-minute address by saying Trump is right that the SAVE America Act needs to be passed. This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, and requires photo identification to vote, in federal elections, according to a brief synopsis on congress.gov.

“I stand with President Trump. We’ve got to do whatever we need to do to pass the SAVE America Act to secure our elections because we know what the Democrats do when they get in charge - they lie, steal and cheat and they do it in elections,” he said.

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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.

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WARSAW — The River Coffee continues to grow and will be operating seven coffee shops in Kosciusko County by the end of May.

On Saturday, Amanda Meerzo, who runs the business with her husband, Jamel, celebrated moving their downtown Warsaw shop from the corner of Buffalo and Center streets to a block west, to 121 W. Center St., where Generous Coffee has been operating for two years in conjunction with The River.

[caption id="attachment_131012" align="alignright" width="460"] The roastery at Generous Coffee remains in the back half of the building and has seating for the public. They still offer free coffee and information about operations. Bags of coffee are seen at left. The table at right was for art and crafts. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Generous Coffee is the exclusive roaster for The River, and Meerzo says sharing the space just seems to make sense.

While The River’s previous downtown corner location was quaint, it included a lower level for food preparation that made customer service a bit more complicated, she said.

Plus, Meerzo said, the new location has unrestricted parking just around the corner.

Also on Saturday, Meerzo helped open up a new coffee shop at Jellystone Campground near Pierceton, and by the end of the month, they plan to open another shop at Oakwood Resort in Syracuse.

With the additions, that's four new stores in two years. Other locations include Winona Lake, North Webster, Milford and the YMCA in Warsaw.

“These have been areas that have been requested, I would say, so we decided to grow,” Meerzo said Saturday afternoon.

The appetite for fresh coffee and other drinks continues to test the limits of consumer demand in the downtown.

The expansion comes just days after Three Crowns Coffee said they plan to move from North Detroit Street to North Buffalo Street near Center Lake Park. 

At the same time, two other businesses are taking steps toward opening two drive-thru coffee shop businesses in Warsaw in the near future.

Meerzo said they're feeling confident about the growth pattern.

“Yeah, we do very well. I mean, we're employing over 70 people right now,” she said.

Generous was founded in 2017  as a "fundraising engine" for nonprofits, and opened its roastery two years ago.

The company designates profits to be directed every three months to a different entity and relies on support from a local company to help offset operational costs. The current supporter is Lake City Electric.

Generous Coffee continues to contribute 100 percent of its profits to nonprofit organizations and offers coffee drinks in the roastery area with an invitation to donate.

Erica Deuel, who manages the roastery for Generous, says it's good for everyone. 

“As The River grows, Generous grows. We're now roasting four days a week just to have enough coffee for them and our other locations," Deuel said.

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NORTH WEBSTER — Ben Ashpole is a 45-year-old North Webster resident who works in marketing, but would much rather spend his time hunting mushrooms.

His fascination and appreciation for Morel mushrooms took root as a child when he began hunting for them with his grandfather.

[caption id="attachment_129313" align="alignright" width="250"] Ben Ashpole holds two mushrooms. Photo provided.[/caption]

"It was a family tradition to hunt morels. We'd bring them home. My grandmother would fry them up, and it was just a warm way that I connected both with family and with nature after winter's chill," Ashpole said.

Nearly ten years ago, he took a course with the Hoosier Mushroom Society and eventually turned his hobby into a side gig. He now has a website and has organized a group called the Friendly Foragers that meets regularly in an effort to share his insights with others.

On Wednesday, he’s hosting a presentation at the North Webster Library at 5:30 p.m. that will shed light on how to find and identify Morel Mushrooms.

Ashpole said Wednesday's discussion will focus on how to identify and find Morel Mushrooms.

He said there are 24 different morel species that can be found in North America and that there are four major groupings.

He said he's learned that Morels are "notoriously challenging" to find for people who are new to the hobby because the plants blend in well in their natural habitat.

"The great thing about there being several different kinds of morel is that they're all actually fairly similar looking at first glance," he said. "You can tell them apart based on their color and size and shape, but they're all perfectly safe to cook and eat."

He'll also touch on the safety issue.

Mushroom hunting has grown in popularity across the country and is being boosted by its health benefits and businesses that have picked up on the niche food industry.

Mushroom-infused coffee has become popular, too.

"The interest in it is driven in part by the supplements that are out there and all the health benefits which are being confirmed by research worldwide, and partly by some trends in gourmet coffee and other beverages, where mushroom coffee is now a multi-billion dollar industry, Ashpole said.

"Some individual companies are making the better part of a billion dollars a year, selling just mushrooms that are mixed with coffee grounds for a morning beverage that really tastes exactly the same as coffee, but has a little less caffeine and is yet just as energizing as coffee," he said.

Ashpole has a website and recently started organizing guided tours in Tri-County Fish and Wildlife Area and has a website, Nourishcap.com, where you can learn more and get involved.

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NORTH WEBSTER — If you thought March was especially stormy, you would be correct.

The National Weather Service’s Northern Indiana Office reports that March 2026 was the busiest March for severe weather on record.

In March 2026, the office issued 57 total severe thunderstorm warnings, covering nearly the entire forecast area.

The previous record was just 28, which was set just last year.

Three parts of the area saw a particularly high concentration of severe thunderstorm warnings. One included LaPorte, Starke, and Marshall Counties. Another concentration was seen on a line from Warsaw to Fort Wayne.

The office also issued 18 tornado warnings in March — nearly three times the record of seven set in 2023. The average number of tornado warnings issued in March for the Northern Indiana Office is just one.

The office's forecast area includes northern Indiana as well as southern portions of Michigan and northwest Ohio.

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WARSAW — Kosciusko County avoided the worst of a storm that caused heavy damage to parts of Illinois and Indiana Tuesday night, but heavy rains led to a brief flash flood warning for North Webster, Milford and Syracuse.

The warning expired at 6 a.m., but the National Weather Service predicted more heavy, localized rainfall was possible Wednesday morning.

The weather service said most of the rain totals overnight were 1-2 inches, but that an area near Ligonier reported 4.31 inches.

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