Winamac Valedictorian
Kaden Burns
Winamac Co-Salutatorian
Olivia Link
Winamac Co-Salutatorian
Lily Bennett

Kaden Burns of Winamac is the son of Martin and Heather Burns. He plans to attend Indiana Wesleyan University in the John Wesley Honors College to double major in chemistry and music composition.

In school he was a member of the Robotics, Science Olympiad, Academic Superbowl, HNAC math competition, Fall Play (The Play that Goes Wrong), Spring Musical (Beauty and the Beast), FCA, 4-H, National Honor Society, Band, Choir, All-Region Choir, Kankakee Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra, ISSMA Solo and Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra and All Region Orchestra.

His awards and honors include Indiana Region Academic All Star 2024, HNAC Math Competition - second place in Calculus 2024, Student of the 9 weeks for achievements in Math 2023, ISSMA Solo & Ensemble Gold medalist at Region & State in 2023 and 2024, Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Dignity 2024, Academic Superbowl - second place in Fine Arts and Math, Science Olympiad - firstt in Chemistry, HNAC Math Competition Top 5 in Pre-Calculus 2023, Rising Star of Indiana 2022, SC Junior Scholar, Concert Master of Chamber Orchestra 2021-2022, Most Outstanding Sophomore in Chamber Orchestra 2022, First Violin in All Region Orchestra 2018-2022

Olivia Link of Winamac is the daughter of Don and Leslie Link. She will attend Purdue University to major in horticulture.

Her activities in school included Band (4 years), ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest (3 years), Drama (1 year), Art Club (4 years), Athletic Leadership Council (4 years), Key Club (2 years), National Honor Society (2 years), HNAC Math Contest and Spanish Quiz Bowl Contest (3 years). Also, Sports: Girls' Golf (4 years), Girls' Basketball (4 years), Softball (4 years)

Her awards and honors include Girls Golf Varsity Letters (x4), Girls' Golf HNAC Conference Champs (x4), Girls' Basketball Varsity Letters (x3) and Softball Varsity Letters (x3). Also: Gold Ratings for ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest (x3), Distinguished Honor Roll, Student of the 9 weeks for Math, 2022 Student of the Year for World History, and Rising Star of Indiana.

Lily Bennett of Winamac is the daughter of Adam and Mandy Bennett. She will attend Butler University to major in biochemistry and neurology.

Her activities in school included NHS, FCA, FFA, Sunshine Society, Student Council, Athletic Leadership, Drama Department, Math and Spanish academic teams and REMC Junior Board of Directors. Sports: Basketball: 4, Cross Country: 4, Track: 4, Cheer: 3.

Her awards and honors include Lilly Endowment Scholarship, Distinguished Honor Roll, Mental Attitude, Most Improved, Outstanding Leadership and the Jen Goodman award.

 

 

  
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Local News Briefs

PC Tribe ‘Art in the Park’ May 11

Pulaski County Tribe (PCT) invites the community to celebrate “Community & Artistry” at its second Art in the Park event 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, May 11, at the the Winamac Town Park (west side of the Swinging Bridge).

This enriching community celebration, part of a biennial tradition that began in 2022 and will continue in 2026, aims to spotlight the enhancements volunteers have contributed to the Winamac Town Park and celebrate the power of art. 

Spring property taxes due May 10

Pulaski County taxpayers are reminded by the Pulaski County Treasurer's Office that the spring installment of property taxes are due Friday, May 10.

The taxes may be paid at the County Building or County Highway Garage in Winamac, at several banks around the county, paid online, or mailed to the temporary treasurer's office at the County Building in Winamac.

PCPL announces May programs, activities

The Pulaski County Public Library has listed its programs and activities for May, which include observations of Mental Health Month, and Free Comic Book Day, as well as Reiki for the Caregiver, Chair Yoga, Hoosier Explorers and more.

For more information on any program, call the library at 574-946-3432 or visit the library’s website at www.pulaskicounty.lib.in.us.

Yakym district staff to hold mobile office hours locally in May

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-02) has announced that his staff will hold mobile office hours in Pulaski County May 13 and 20, in Winamac and Medaryville, respectively.

Yakym’s mobile office will visit throughout Indiana's Second District in May to assist constituents with casework questions.

State Road 14 to be closed east of Winamac

PULASKI/FULTON COUNTIES - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor E&B Paving LLC will close SR 14 between U.S. 35 and SR 17 on or after Monday, April 15.

SR 14 will be resurfaced in this area through early November. This project will be done through Cold-in-Place (CIR) recycling, a method of removing and reusing the existing asphalt surface. It involves grinding off the top two to five inches of the existing asphalt surface and mixing the crushed asphalt with an asphalt recycling agent, and placing it back down with a paver.

Pulaski County Historical Society Museum open Saturdays

The Pulaski County Historical Society is open Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  (unless posted otherwise on Facebook). The museum is located in the “Carriage House” at 500 S. Monticello St. (U.S. 35), Winamac.

New to the museum are the interactive features which allow visitors to explore the extensive history of the county’s Native American peoples – from the Ice Age to the Indian removals in the 1840s. Other interactive displays feature stories of Casimir Pulaski, local historical sites, and Winamac “Bits and Pieces.”

SR 16 to close for bridge work

ROYAL CENTER - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Milestone Contractors LP will close SR 16, west of Royal Center, between CR 1050 W and CR 900 W on or after Monday, April 1.

SR 16 will be closed through early October for a bridge deck overlay project. Motorists should seek an alternate route. The official detour will follow SR 119, SR 39, US 24 and US 35.

  

Indiana News

Crop planting begins to make better progress in Indiana

EAST LANSING, MI - Exceptionally warm weather last week in Indiana bolstered winter wheat crop progress, and many farmers made planting progress where field conditions allowed, according to Nathanial Warenski, state statistician, USDA NASS (National Agriculture Statistics Service), Indiana Field Office.

Topsoil moisture levels increased from the previous week, with 96 percent rated adequate or surplus. The average temperature for the week was 67.9 degrees Fahrenheit, 11.7 degrees above normal for the state. The statewide average precipitation was 1.09 inches, 0.13 inches above normal.

Young, National Science Foundation director hold events with IU, Purdue, Notre Dame

INDIANAPOLIS (April 29) - Last week, U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) joined National Science Foundation (NSF) Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan at events with Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame.

“Director Panchanathan is an incredibly talented and innovative leader, and we were honored to host him in the Hoosier state. As he saw firsthand, big things are happening in the heartland of Indiana. We are proud of the exciting ways IU, Purdue, and Notre Dame are contributing to our economic and national security and preparing students to work in critical technology fields,” said Senator Young.

Amazon Web Services plans to invest $11B to create a new data center campus in Northern Indiana

Announcement marks the largest planned capital investment in state history

NEW CARLISLE (April 25) – Gov. Eric Holcomb today announced that Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com. Inc. company (NASDAQ: AMZN), plans to invest $11 billion to build a data center campus in north central Indiana and create at least 1,000 new jobs.

This planned investment marks the largest capital investment announcement in Indiana’s history.

Pulaski County unemployment dips to 3.5% in March

Pulaski County's unemployment rate dipped to 3.5 percent in March, down from 3.6 percent in February the Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported Monday, (April 22). The rate was 3.5 percent a year ago.

The county had 6,376 employed persons in a labor force of 6,605 in March. In February those numbers were 6,444 of 6,683. A year ago the numbers were 6,368 of 6,602.

 

Indiana COVID-19 News

May 1: IDH reports COVID cases down in 7-day average, at 57

INDIANAPOLIS (May 1) – The Indiana Department of Health reported Wednesday that the state’s 7-day average COVID-19 count stood at 57 cases for the period of April 21-27. That number is down 20 cases from the previous revised count. The total state COVID deaths for the week was one. Indiana's all-time COVID deaths total 26,508.

Pulaski County reported no new cases and no deaths to IDH in the latest seven-day report. The county's all-time pandemic numbers are 3,725 (reported) COVID cases and 95 deaths.

According to the CDC, respiratory illness activity is now minimal in Indiana (reported April 26), as well as for neighboring states of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky. Based on visits to emergency departments, illness trends in the Pulaski County area show all respiratory illnesses are at low levels (less than 2%).

  

Post News

Primary Election draws much local interest; 28.6% of registered voters

Tuesday’s Indiana Primary Election drew much local interest during the campaign season on issues ranging from solar farms, the courthouse renovation and county finances, but drew only a modest number of voters.

The election did unseat one county commissioner and one county councilman, both on the Republican ballot. Challenger Jennifer Halleck Knebel defeated commissioner Maurice Loehmer by 138 votes, 1,205 to 1,067 to win the party’s nomination for the District 1 seat on the November ticket. County councilman Kenneth Boswell narrowly lost his re-election bid for one of three at-large seats. In a tight race the winners were incumbents Sheila Hazemi Jimenez and Tim Overmyer, along with challenger AJ Gutwein.

County highway garage found unsecured; voting machines not tampered with

Updated

WINAMAC (May 4) – Police were called to the county highway garage in Winamac early Saturday morning to investigate a suspected break-in at the building, discovered by the county clerk when she arrived to set up the morning’s Early Voting schedule.

However, further investigation over the weekend has led law enforcement officials to believe the building was simply not properly secured the previous evening. More importantly, further investigations revealed, “that no tampering of the voting equipment took place,” according to a report from the clerk’s office.

Michau presented with 2024 Halleck Community Service Award

The 2024 Halleck Community Service Award was presented to Ray Michau Jr. at the annual Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce banquet Monday (April 29), at the VFW Hall, Winamac.

Michau moved to Pulaski County in 1999 from Calumet City, IL. Since that time he has been an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, Gideons, the Humanitarian Distribution Center, Mobile Food Pantry and Pulaski County Human Services.  

Elkhart man leads county police on chase following traffic stop

WINAMAC (May 2) - Pulaski County deputies conducted a traffic stop in Winamac Thursday which led to a police chase ending in Fulton County.

After K-9 Bobby alerted police to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle, the driver fled the scene, according to a report from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. Ultimately arrested in the case was Zachary Adams, 39, of Elkhart.

1 dead, 3 injured in rural Winamac vehicle accident

WINAMAC (May 2) – A single vehicle accident Thursday claimed the life of an Illinois woman and injured three others in the incident. The accident occurred southwest of Winamac on CR 550S, west of CR 400W.

Carmen Corral Valdez Dowsett, 78, of Joliet, Ill., a passenger in the vehicle, died from injuries sustained at the scene. Her family has been notified. 

Pulaski County steps up to address mental health, addiction crisis

By Karen Clem Fritz, editor

Pulaski County has a “drug problem.” We all know that. However, it’s ever so much worse than most of us imagine.

The Pulaski County Drug Free Council hosted a town hall discussion Wednesday on substance abuse and mental health issues in Pulaski County communities. There were tears. From men as well as women. From the sheriff, counselors, first responders and school principals. And parents.

Winamac Community HS names 2024 top academic seniors

Winamac Community High School has named its top academic seniors in the Class of 2024. They are Valedictorian Kaden Burns and Co-Salutatorians Olivia Link and Lily Bennett.

Winamac will hold graduation ceremonies Sunday, June 2.