Cindy Bevington

A child's faith warms our heart

Earlier this month I heard from my friend Cindy Bevington Olmstead, a KPC Media Group colleague of many years who is now retired. She wrote: “Thought I’d share this with you in case it might fit with your things kids say column. Heidi sent me this…

Help is where the heart is

Cathy was talking with her daughter-in-law, Megan, who lives in Australia, and Megan shared a story about Thomas, who will be 3 at the beginning of June. Thomas is the big brother of Marta, who just turned 1. Megan was at the stove cooking dinner,…

KPC Media Group

KPC Media Group Inc. is an American privately owned printer and publisher of daily and weekly newspapers, based in Kendallville, Indiana. It was founded in 1911 as Kendallville Publishing Company Inc. by the owners of two competing newspapers in…

An animal doctor, teacher, mom, celebrity

Joni Lazoff said Emmy, 7, wants to be an animal doctor when she grows up and work at the zoo. Ally, 10, wants to be “a teacher, a mom and a celebrity!” Earlier this week our oldest daughter, Dorothy (Dolly) Dankel of Bergen, Norway, celebrated her…

The Tooth Fury will be remembered

Last month Hurricane Maria ravaged Dominica, a tiny island that was in the monster storm’s path on its way to Puerto Rico. A dear friend of mine, Katie Walter, is from Dominica, but she has lived in the U.S. most of her life. Her career began with…

‘Not Without My Father’ a great contemporary memoir

Thank you to the Rev. Jim Kane of Kendallville for providing this week’s book review! ‘Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez’ By the Rev. Jim Kane In early 2014 Andra Watkins walked the Natchez Trace from Mississippi to…

Snow White and Bashful share a special moment

Lindsey, the mother of Jack, 3, made a short video during their trip to Walt Disney World that she titled, “Snow White and Bashful.” At a character event, Snow White asked Jack some questions. One of them was “Are you a boy?” Then Snow White said…

Children create unusual words

Kim and Tom were in the car going to get ice cream. Grandson Dane, 4, was in the car with them and wanted to beat his parents and his sister getting there (they were in their vehicle behind them). His grandpa, Tom, got in the wrong lane, and Kim told…

At a store near youHigher cigarette taxes boost loose tobacco, hookah sales

THE CORNER STORE — Walk into almost any gas station or tobacco products store these days and what do you see? Eye-level, just-in-the-reach-of-your-hand shelves of loose leaf tobacco, tobacco papers, cutters and cigarette-rolling machines, all…

Rising from the ashes|Fire destroyed Davis Mercantile in 2004, which was rebuilt to be even better

Five years ago, on Feb. 28, 2004, the Davis Mercantile burned to the ground. A landmark in downtown Shipshewana, it housed 13 businesses, including a music store owned by Gary Zehr, the LaGrange County Economic Development Corp.’s former executive…

Skeeter eaters|Topeka’s purple martins peck away at pesky skeeters

Summer might be over, but it won’t be time to shut down the mosquito patrols until late October. That’s because mosquitoes remain active — and therefore on the biting buzz — until the first hard frost of the year. “And that could be the end of…

TSU becomes Trine University Friday

At Tri-State University in Angola Friday, a change will occur when the institution’s name officially will become Trine University. An inaugural ceremony to usher in the change begins at 11:30 a.m. at the entryway to the university on West Maumee…

Returning felons are eager to work|Workshop addresses ‘to hire or not to hire’

(Second in a two-part series.) She’s employed. She’s happy. She’s looking forward to moving into a new home sometime in the near future with her husband and children. And, she’s an ex-con. A meth user who was charged in 2003 with dealing with the…

Solid Rock owners file bankruptcy|Former employees still waiting on paychecks

FORT WAYNE — An Angola couple who ran a business in Angola, and whose former employees allege they haven’t been paid, have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. Paul and Kathy Birchman co-owned Solid Rock Forestry, a wood-processing business on…

Looking to the future|Local economists banking on diversity in business, industry

Fifteen years ago northeast Indiana’s pocketbook was heavily laden with, and dependent upon, auto industry dollars. In a boom back then, local factories manufacturing parts for the Big 3 — General Motors, Ford and Chrysler — were the primary sources…

Spoonplugger shares tips

CHICAGO — About 40 people attended the Chicago-area winter spoonplugging seminar, which featured John Bales as a key speaker. Bales is the education director for the Northern Indiana Spoonpluggers, based in Kendallville. He presented his material in…

'Indiana's NewsCenter' shuffles morning news line-up

Mary Collins began anchoring the morning news on WPTA, channel 21, Friday, Dec. 15, as part of a shift in the line-up, the station announced earlier in the week. Collins had been anchoring the "Indiana's NewsCenter Plus" morning show on WISE, channel…

Latest scams target the elderly — again

This week’s scam alerts come courtesy of the LaGrange County Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau, who are signaling an alarm that, once again, scammers are targeting the elderly for their dirty business. It is a sad fact of life that…

Relay for Life earns $6,300

ANGOLA - With the setting sun providing a dramatic back-drop to their event, about two dozen American Cancer Society volunteers honored friends and loved ones who are victims of cancer with a candle ceremony. The July 13 event was a culmination of an…

Work-release remodeling could cost up to $600,000

ANGOLA - Steuben County Commissioners learned in their meeting Thursday that remodeling the county's Rest Home to house work-release prisoners could cost them as much as $600,000. The money would come from the county's cumulative jail fund, which,…