Editor’s note: Sometimes, when reporters assemble a look back at the top stories of the year, something big happens even as the story is being written. That was the case on Tuesday when word spread that the owner of Dalton Corporation planned to close the local foundry and eliminate 262 jobs by the end of February 2026.
The following story does not reflect that development.
By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — The following is a recap of the top stories from 2025 in Kosciusko County.
Slate Auto
The announcement of plans for an electric pickup truck maker to establish its manufacturing operations in Warsaw is probably the biggest modern economic development news in the county’s history, assuming the company can solidify itself in the evolving EV market.
The new electric vehicle company seeks to shake up the industry by selling stripped-down models that a highly customizable at a price level not seen previously in the industry
The announcement is a major reversal of fortunes for the old massive R.R. Donnelly and Sons property that sat empty for just two years after LSC Communications announced its closing.
The massive property is currently being revamped, and the company plans to hire 1,900 workers.
Autocam Medical
The company, which has its headquarters outside of Grand Rapids, got its start in the automotive industry but has branched out into orthopedics.
The company had planned to take over the Medtronic property along US 30, but that changed after Medtronic reversed course and decided to keep a presence in Warsaw.
Autocam recently broke ground for a facility in Warsaw’s technology park this fall and plans to employ 300 people.
Winona Lake audit
The audit by the state board of accounts encompassed four years of town finances, raising eyebrows and questions.
The report detailed sloppy bookkeeping, failure to follow standard policies, and led to the discovery of a very loose policy related to the use of town credit cards.
The audit also exposed an undisclosed decision by the town to construct 11 wells for private residents.
The audit did lead to changes in policies by the town council and pledges to do better in the future
A former and current employee were asked to repay the town for improper credit card use.
Data center defeat
Kosciusko County was also on the cusp of a major national trend this year in the sudden growth of data center proposals deemed necessary to support the fast-growing AI industry.
Opposition to the data center proposed near Leesburg led to an outpouring of opposition from area residents, and the county plan commission, after hearing several hours of testimony, unanimously turned down the zoning request that would have opened the door to construction.
Political protests
It began shortly after President Donald Trump returned to office in January as opposition to new policies and approaches began to bother many area residents.
Within a few months, protests began to grow and shifted from the courthouse square to the corner of Detroit and Center streets, and grew as Trump’s authoritarian approach became more apparent.
One protest late this summer attracted about 300 people, was likely the biggest such political rally the county has ever seen.
Small town projects
This is a story that has gained momentum in recent years and is led by Amy Roe, the county’s community coordinator, who was hired several years ago in part to coordinate development of projects in smaller communities, an idea led by county commissioner Cary Groninger.
After laying the groundwork on several projects, the county celebrated the completion of several, including:
- Chinworth Bridge Trail extension west of Warsaw
- A new mural in Etna Green
- New electric meters in Milford
- A sidewalk project in Pierceton
Roe’s role has now transitioned and is now focusing on using money from the Community Amenties Program, which is an offshoot of the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative, and is tapping into some of the $30 million made available to OrthoWorx from the state legislature.
Downtown businesses, ups and downs
Downtown Warsaw continues to grow in different ways, but one highlight involved The River Coffee House, owned and operated by Amanda Meerzo and her husband, Jamel, who started with a coffee shop in North Webster.
Last year, they opened a coffee shop on Center Street in Warsaw and then moved it to a bigger storefront across the street. That was followed this year by the opening of a new coffee shop in the Village at Winona, as well as a new shop that’s part of an innovative child care facility at the YMCA along US 30.
At the same time, several stores in Downtown Warsaw also closed.
One Ten Craft Meatery, an upscale restaurant, began to struggle and eventually closed, but is being replaced by a new restaurant, Hoosier Proper.
The downtown also lost the short-lived B+B Courthouse Market, which closed within a matter of months
Major projects
Some major projects that started in 2025 will continue in 2026. Those include:
- The Millworks apartment project finally got underway at the site of the old Owen’s grocery store west of the downtown business district. It’s taken longer than expected and promises to be the biggest development in downtown Warsaw in a long time, creating 86 new apartments
- Construction of another apartment complex of similar size, Union Station Lofts, is progressing quickly on McKinley Street and will add another 80 or so units.
- A redevelopment project at the old Marsh grocery property on South Buffalo is underway. The property sat empty for several years before the city bought the land for $1.25 million in hopes of reversing the property’s decline. Earlier this year, the city found a company that wants to revitalize the main building as a large antique mall that is expected to reopen next year after major renovations.
- Lake City Bank is renovating the office building west of its headquarters for an Innovation and Technology Center, which will lead to more jobs.
State redistricting efforts fail
This was a statewide issue that would have significantly changed the second and third congressional districts — all in an effort to give Republicans control of all nine districts in the state at the request of President Trump.
Lobbying by President Trump put enormous pressure on state lawmakers, but public opinion led to the defeat. Two state senators, Ryan Mishler and Blake Doriot, opposed the plan.
Notable deaths
The year will also be remembered for past figures who passed away.
Those included Kosciusko County Councilman Mike Long, who died on his property in an ATV accident; Longtime political leader Jean Northenor who was a key Republican figure for decades; Dr. Ron Manahan, former president of Grace College; Philanthropist Mary Louise Miller; attorney and former prosecutor David Kolbe and former Kosciusko County Sheriff Ron Robinson, who went on to become the county’s first county administrator.
