Alliance Bank Junior Board of Directors with incoming members: (Back l-r) Carter Sterrett, Kaelyn O’Connor, Brendan Hines, Maddox Gutwein, Jalie Glasford and Brody Koppelmann. (Middle) Ethan Need, Cole Woodley, Sydney Mellon, Madyson Westerhouse, Heiden Morales, Genevieve Stroetz, Kandace Kroft and Audrey Dickinson. (Seated) Tatem Goyer, Sean Stark, Olivia Dahlenburg, Katie Scholz, Mary Kate Waikel, Jaelyn Huddleston and Makylah Holle. (Not pictured) Conner Bunger, Katelyn Westerhouse and Jacob Ramirez Menjivar.

The following students will serve on the board next school year:

  • Winamac Community High School: juniors Jaelyn Huddleston and Sean Stark; seniors Audrey Dickinson (marketing) and Kandace Kroft (chair)
  • North White High School: juniors Olivia Dahlenburg and Katelyn Westerhouse; seniors Jacob Ramirez Menjivar and Carter Sterrett
  • Twin Lakes High School: juniors Tatem Goyer and Mary Kate Waikel; seniors Brody Koppelmann and Ethan Need (vice chair)
  • West Central High School: juniors Makylah Holle and Katie Scholz; seniors Maddox Gutwein and Sydney Mellon (secretary)

 

Year in Review

The celebration was an opportunity for the 2024-25 Junior Board to share a recap of their experiences over the past school year with their families, educators, bank leadership and guests. Students highlighted visits with the Community Foundations of Pulaski and White counties, BioTown Ag, Pulaski Memorial Hospital, Lightstream, Schlatter’s Inc., Standard Industrial Supply and BraunAbility. Along with appreciation to these local businesses for welcoming the Junior Board, members highlighted interesting things they learned during the visits.

Giving Back

One important pillar of the Alliance Bank Junior Board is volunteer service. Members volunteer individually and as a group throughout the year in the community. Each hour served is recognized monetarily by Alliance Bank. On May 4, the Junior Board was able to donate $1,500 they had been allocated for service back to three community organizations.

Representatives from Boys and Girls Club of White County (Dan Fry and Aby Jenkins), Community Foundation of Pulaski County (LeeAnn Wright), and the Community Foundation of White County (Lucy Dold) were each present to accept a donation of $500.

Alliance Bank leadership concluded the ceremony with a nod of appreciation to school administrators, local business and non-profit leaders and the Junior Board members for their role in the success of the program.

 

The Alliance Bank Junior Board of Directors is comprised of juniors and seniors from North White, Twin Lakes, West Central and Winamac Community high schools. The students typically apply at the end of their sophomore year for a two-year term on the board. The students have monthly meetings throughout the school year on location at a variety of local businesses and non-profits. Students learn about the organization and career opportunities in their community. Junior Board members also volunteer together throughout the year at various community events and non-profits.

  
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Local News Briefs

Winamac Community HS 2025 commencement exercises June 1

Senior photos featured

WINAMAC - Commencement exercises for the Class of 2025 at Winamac Community High School will be at 2 p.m., Sunday June 1, at the high school gymnasium.

Diplomas will be presented to 81 seniors.

Yakym district staff to hold local mobile office hours June 2 in Winamac

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Rudy Yakym (IN-02) has announced that his staff will hold mobile office hours in Pulaski County Monday, June 2, in Winamac.

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

Circus comes to town June 17

WINAMAC - The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus is coming to Winamac Tuesday, June 17, at the Winamac Town Park for two shows, the first starting at 5:30 p.m., and the second beginning at 7 p.m. Each show lasts about an hour and a half.

The event is sponsored by the Winamac Kiwanis Club.

4-H Fair Parade June 30

The 2025 Pulaski County 4-H & Community Fair Parade, with the theme "Grow it, Show it, Play it at 4-H," will step off at 6 p.m., Monday, June 30, in downtown Winamac.

The parade is organized by the Winamac Kiwanis Club in partnership with the Pulaski County Fair Association. The parade grand marshal will be 2025 Halleck Award winners Don and Lynn Darda. 

U.S. 421 to be resurfaced south of Medaryville

PULASKI COUNTY - Indiana Department of Transportation contractor E&B Paving LLC will begin a resurfacing project for U.S. 421 between the two junctions of SR 14 on or after Tuesday, May 27.

During resurfacing activities, the road will be reduced to one lane with flaggers directing traffic in the area where work is occurring. This project will be ongoing through early August.

  

Indiana News

Yakym surprises 'Hoosier Heroes' with Congressional records

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27) –Congressman Rudy Yakym honored two local first responders Tuesday recognizing their “exceptional service and commitment to their communities.”

Pulaski County Deputy Christopher Parish and Culver Community Police Chief Ryleigh Carr received entries into the Congressional Record.

Young, colleagues address shortage of mental health providers in schools

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 27) – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) reintroduced the Mental Health Excellence in Schools Act to address the shortage of mental health providers in schools by boosting the pipeline of graduate students trained to become school psychologists, counselors, and social workers.

“Access to mental health resources improves the safety, well-being, and academic success of Hoosier students,” said Sen. Young. “Our bill will both support the school-based mental health workforce and address the critical need for these professionals.”

Pulaski County unemployment rate drops to 2.4% in April

Pulaski County's unemployment rate dropped to 2.4 percent in April, down from 3.1 percent in March, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported Thursday, (May 22). The rate was 3.1 percent a year ago.

The county had 6,777 employed persons in a labor force of 6,943 in April. In March those numbers were 6,753 of 6,967. A year ago the numbers were 6,388 of 6.591.

61 Pulaski County students earn Ivy Tech degrees, certificates

KOKOMO (May 9) - Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Service Area, which includes campuses and instructional sites in Kokomo, Loganspor and Peru, celebrated the Class of 2025 with three commencement ceremonies Friday, May 9.

The events, divided by schools, honored 1,128 students who are expected to have completed work on 1,432 degrees and certificates by the end of the Fall 2024 and Spring and Summer 2025 terms.

  

Post News

Human Services celebrates 50 years

Pulaski County Human Services (PCHS) continued the celebration of its golden anniversary Wednesday (May 28) at its annual Senior Citizen Health and Resource Fair in Star City.

PCHS is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to low-income, disabled, and elderly households, as well as general public-transportation and referral services in Pulaski County.

Alliance Bank Junior Board welcomes new members

The Alliance Bank Junior Board of Directors welcomed nine new members for the 2025-26 school year during their annual celebration Sunday, May 4.

Students are selected for the board through an application process. Each of the participating schools are typically represented by two students from both their junior and senior classes.

West Central HS awards diplomas to 41 seniors

Senior photos featured

FRANCESVILLE - The 58th annual commencement exercises at West Central High School were held Sunday (May 25), in the school gymnasium. Diplomas were awarded to 41 seniors.

The program opened with a baccalaureate service at 2 p.m., sponsored by the West Central Ministerial Association, followed by the commencement ceremonies. 

West Central names 2025 valedictorian, salutatorian

West Central High School has named its top academic seniors in the Class of 2025. They are Valedictorian Aletheia Peter and Salutatorian Jalie Glasford.

West Central will hold commencement exercises Sunday, May 25, at the school gymnasium.

West Central HS holds 2025 senior awards program

FRANCESVILLE - West Central High School held its annual Senior Awards program Monday evening (May 12). Seniors were recognized for various academic and athletic awards, honor roll, and scholarships.

Graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2025 will be at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 25, at the school gymnasium.