WARSAW — Special Olympics Indiana’s 2026 Polar Plunge season continues Saturday, Feb. 21, in Warsaw, inviting area residents to Be Bold and Get Cold for a great cause.

Now in its 27th year, the Polar Plunge is a bucket-list fundraising event that
challenges individuals and teams to brave icy waters in support of more than 20,000
children and adults with intellectual disabilities across Indiana.

The 2026 Polar Plunge season runs through March 7, featuring 20 events statewide.
Last year, more than 3,000 Plungers raised $1 million to support Special Olympics
Indiana programs.

The Warsaw event at Center Lake begins at 10:30 a.m. with registration. A costume
contest and Opening Ceremony lead into the main event at noon. The day includes
awards for the top fundraiser, followed by a post-event celebration at the Zimmer
Biomet Center Lake Pavilion.

As Special Olympics Indiana’s signature fundraising series, participants must raise a
minimum of $125 to plunge. Those who meet the minimum earn a commemorative
Polar Plunge T-shirt, while higher fundraising levels unlock additional incentive prizes.

The Polar Plunge season also features the Super Plunger program, honoring the
bravest participants with the biggest hearts. Individuals who raise $4,000 or more
receive VIP treatment at the season-ending plunge at Eagle Creek Park in
Indianapolis.

All funds raised through Polar Plunge events help ensure children and adults with
intellectual disabilities can participate in Special Olympics Indiana’s sports, health,
education and leadership programs at no cost. Since its inception, the Polar Plunge
has raised more than $13 million statewide.

Featured partners of the 2026 Polar Plunge series include Coca-Cola Consolidated
and the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Indiana.

Additional top sponsors include Duke Energy, Steel Dynamics, Taft, Everwise, Fine Promotions, Chilly Goat, Precision Control Systems, Kinetico, Brew Broadcasting, the Indiana Knights of Columbus and Solid Platforms.

Individual events are also supported by local businesses and community organizations.

Other locations:

The post Special Olympics Polar Plunge returns to Warsaw on Feb. 21 appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — The willingness of Steel Dynamics to pony up a significant amount of money for intersection upgrades along US 30 near Columbia City appears to be an idea gaining traction in Kosciusko County.

[caption id="attachment_104541" align="alignright" width="250"] Jim Lancaster[/caption]

In mid-November, the Indiana Department of Transportation announced plans for construction of a new interchange and overpass east of the steel factory, marking the third and fourth intersections that now have specific plans in place as the transformation of the east-west highway begins in earnest across northern Indiana.

INDOT expects the cost for the two newest proposals to be upward of $70 million with construction set to begin in less than five years.

Steel Dynamics, without mentioning how much, confirmed to News Now Warsaw in November that they will provide a considerable amount of money to those projects.

[caption id="attachment_104542" align="alignright" width="250"] Rob Parker[/caption]

That came months after Steel Dynamics and Zimmer Biomet in Warsaw publicly urged INDOT to speed up efforts to transform US 30, in the name of public safety.

Zimmer Biomet wants to see the same thing happen in Kosciusko County.

Jim Lancaster, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Product Development and Executive Director Global Headquarters for Zimmer Biomet, said the move by Steel Dynamics has prompted discussion in Kosciusko County.

"It certainly gives us perspective as to how you help move this process forward a little bit," Lancaster said.

"This isn't necessarily a Zimmer Biomet comment, but more as a community member, some of the conversations we're having is is there a way for us to help pull parts of the community together and come up with some kind of financial catalyst together for this effort," Lancaster said.

Asked if he could envision other Orthopedic manufacturers in Warsaw working together to contribute funds for US 30 projects, Lancaster shied away from the idea.

"The bigger question is is there opportunity across the broader Warsaw community and or the Kosciusko County Community to see if we can have a similar effect," Lancaster said.

There might be broader support than in Columbia City because parts of US 30 in Kosciusko County are some of the most dangerous across the entire statewide length of the highway.

Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce President Rob Parker was also asked about community funding for the highway project and said he thinks it could speed up the project.

"There's no question there are opportunities for the community to raise funds to make it happen," Parker said.

Parker said he thinks the state government landscape has changed and that he welcomes some cooperation from the private sector to spur the US project.

"Going into a new administration and looking at the financial position of the state, where they're sitting coming into the new budget session, I think it would be foolish to think that what has happened in the past would continue," Parker said.

He adds that officials need to determine which intersections should be addressed and then figure out how much money might be needed "to move the needle."

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COLUMBIA CITY — In its biggest announcement to date concerning US 30, the Indiana Department of Transportation expressed full support on Wednesday for the construction of an interchange and overpass near Steel Dynamics in Whitley County.

Officials also said those two projects and improvements at two other nearby intersections will transform several miles of US 30 into a limited-access highway that many officials want to see happen all the way to Valparaiso.

[caption id="attachment_101674" align="alignright" width="360"] Steel Dynamics President and COO Barry Schneider smiles while talking with Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb after the state announced plans for an interchange and overpass near the company's plant outside of Columbia City. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The announcement was made by Gov. Eric Holcomb at the SDI headquarters overlooking the highway and comes months after executives from the Columbia City firm and Zimmer Biomet in Warsaw publicly implored state leadership to move more quickly in improving safety conditions along the corridor.

INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith and Holcomb confirmed Steel Dynamics has agreed to help finance the two new projects.

"I think SDI fully understands they have a huge investment here in this geography and so they're willing partner to help us get there on project costs," Smith said.

"We couldn't be more appreciative," Holcomb added.

Steel Dynamics President and COO Barry Schneider told News Now Warsaw they’re committed to providing an unspecified amount of money toward the projects.

"We believe in putting skin in the game," Schneider said. "Right from the beginning, everybody's been clear that when we have "asks," we want to make sure the community appreciates what's happening and that everybody is involved — financially supporting projects like this is important."

The newest effort involves the construction of an interchange at CR 600E and an overpass at CR 700E. Already in the loop are plans for interchanges at Kroemer and Flaugh Roads and at Butt Road in Allen County, further to the east.

The combination of those improvements, Smith said, will create a limited access highway from CR 600E to I-69.

Holcomb attributed Indiana's ranking as the No. 1 advanced manufacturing state in America (per capita) to what's happening in northeast Indiana.

He said an estimated 745 million tons of freight pass through Indiana roads each year.

He commended state lawmakers for the pro-growth tax environment, and the continuity of that leadership has brought forward to cultivate an economy "that is so attractive and really creates this flywheel effect where progress attracts progress."

Former Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, who serves as the president of Indiana's US 30 Coalition, was part of a large delegation representing Warsaw, Kosciusko County and Winona Lake that attended the gathering

Thallemer also spoke and pointed out that the original construction of US 30 some 52 years ago helped propel development in many of the communities but that congestion over the past 20 years has become problematic.

"An unsafe roadway degrades the reliability of travel — a point that business industry and industry business partners consistently remind us of," he said.

"Projects of this magnitude are complex, expensive, controversial and require patience, but bold leadership advances vision to create momentum for change," Thallemer said in thanking Holcomb for "navigating those complexities."

Also among those attending was Warsaw City Council President Jack Wilhite who said he thinks the large group from Kosciusko County at the meeting wants to see similar progress in their jurisdiction.

Intersections in Kosciusko County have some of the large number of serious traffic accident among all counties across the entire stretch of US 30.

"We're just showing our support for making sure something gets done," Wilhite said.

Wilhite said he thinks the announcement serves as an exclamation mark for Holbomb's support of the US 30 coalition as he prepares to step down as governor at the end of December.

The post Two projects on US 30 near Steel Dynamics gain state support appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW -- United Way raised more than $45,000 with its Power of the Purse events this spring.

Power of the Purse is a designer-purse raffle led by Women United and sponsored by Steel Dynamics Inc.

More than 300 women came together in Columbia City and Leesburg to buy raffle tickets for over 35 donated purses. Power of the Purse is a part of the 2023 Women United series sponsored by Bowen Health Clinic.

Volunteers put together prize packages featuring donated designer purses and other accessories to raffle off. Funds raised go to United Way initiatives that support families with youth children, including Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, LaunchPad and Camp Hope.

“It is a blessing to be united with such an amazing group of women who are dedicated to helping families with children,” said Juli Eckel, chair of Women United. “This shows the strength we have as women to change lives and impact our communities.”

The Women United Series features events aimed at growing women’s philanthropy and improving the lives of families with young children. The 2023 series is sponsored by Bowen Health Clinic.

“Bowen Health Clinic is proud to partner with United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties and the Women United Power of the Purse event because we share the purpose of helping children live their best life,” said Dr. Rob Ryan, Bowen Center president and CEO. “Everyone plays a role in helping create loving communities where children can grow and thrive.”

United Way of Whitley & Kosciusko Counties formed in 2021 when the organizations came together to better meet local challenges.

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