The Hipsher brothers, Jim (left) and Jerry (right), co-own Hipsher’s Tool & Die, a local Wabash manufacturing business since 1946. Since they joined the establishment, Jim in 1955 and Jerry in 1960, neither has sought retirement and both attend work daily. Photo by Emma Rausch
By Emma Rausch
Hipsher Tool & Die has served the Wabash County community for 69 years as a family owned and operated manufacturing business. Brothers Jim Hipsher, 83, and Jerry Hipsher, 76, who joined their father’s establishment in the 1950s, also continue to serve by still working at the business. Neither have any intention of retiring any time soon either.
For the brothers, retirement isn’t as appealing as working.
“To some people, the whole retirement (idea) is the greatest thing in the world if you’ve got something to do,” Jerry said. “I have nothing else I really want to do. We have a lake cottage and a little place in Florida, but … just to do that, to be retired full-time, I’m not interested in doing that.
“I’d rather come out here because I enjoy the work I do and the people.”
Lagro Township Advisory Board member Rob Cole (left) reads from the Indiana Open Door statute while fellow board member Lee Ann Pefley looks on. Lagro Township Trustee (far right) Andrew DeLong listens to the reading during a meeting Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Lagro Volunteer Fire Station. Photo by Joseph Slacian
By Emma Rausch
LAGRO -- The Lagro Township meeting was cut short Thursday Feb. 26 after newly elected board chairman Rob Cole proclaimed it an “illegal meeting” by Indiana State Code.
“Since Deb (Schenkel) isn’t here,” Cole said, “we’re really not supposed to meet because of the Indiana law states that, IC 5-14-1.5 states that there’s an open door law. Meetings have to be given 48-hours notice and it has to be posted at the location where we’re meeting and in you’re office Andy for 48-hours, otherwise we’re meeting illegally and we could be sued because of that. So I move that we adjourn this meeting and meet at a date where we’ve got this 48-hour notice.”
Lagro Township Trustee Andrew DeLong originally called the meeting with the board to elect the chairman and secretary positions as well as seek approval for the annual reports.
“(The meeting) was short notice, 48-hours,” DeLong said to the board. “There was a time constraint on getting the annual report in. The annual report is always advertised after our meeting within two weeks within in the paper.”
By Joseph Slacian
Two Wabash County communities received notice last week that they would receive funding from Lt.Gov. Sue Ellspermann’s office.
The City of Wabash will receive a $716,122 tax credit for the Rock City Lofts. The lofts are part of the city’s Stellar Community program.
Meanwhile, the Town of Lagro will receive $72,000 from Indiana’s Hardest Hit Fund Blight Elimination Program (BEP).
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) administers and manages the federal credits, which provide incentives for private developers to further the affordable housing choices throughout Indiana. Wabash’s was one of 16 projects to receive $12.5 million in tax credit allocations.
By Joseph Slacian
LAFONTAINE -- A voter registration drive will take place here on Tuesday, March 10, Wabash County Clerk Elaine Martin announced Feb. 25.
A deputy clerk from Martin’s office will be at the LaFontaine Town Hall from noon to 4 p.m. for anyone interested in registering to vote.
This is the first time, Martin and Deputy Clerk Teresa Ehret said they believe, that such a drive has taken place in recent years.
