WARSAW — Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy recently welcomed students to learn more about social services offered throughout the county during an event held at Combined Community Services, Warsaw.  Randy Polston, executive director of Combined Community Services, welcomed students and provided an introduction on the mission of CCS. Polston also provided information on his own personal background …read more.

WARSAW — The supply drive earlier this spring at Martin’s and Owen’s benefitting Fellowship Missions was a huge success, according to a press release from the event’s organizers. Zach Leedy and Michael Hammer, students from Wawasee High School, organized the drive as part of their community service project for Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy. The name …read more.

WARSAW — Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy is pleased to announce this year’s graduation keynote speaker will be WSBT-TV Chief Meteorologist and Warsaw-native Matt Rudkin. The graduation banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, at 2517 Banquet Hall in Warsaw. Rudkin graduated from Purdue University with a degree in atmospheric science. In addition …read more.

WARSAW — Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy students recently had the unique opportunity to learn more about the county’s judicial and criminal justice system from professionals of both the court and law enforcement fields. Students met at the Kosciusko County Courthouse and were welcomed by Superior Court 1 Judge David Cates, who commenced his term on …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — Three Warsaw Community High School juniors are selling bracelets and accepting donations in an effort to rescue children trapped in the sex trade industry.  Olivia Renier, Annie Wottring and Ellie Klotz are members of the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy where students are asked to create and complete a community service project, alone or in …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — Tippecanoe Valley High School Juniors Kirstyn Yoder and Quintin Allen didn’t just meet the goal for their joint community service project — they crushed it. The two are members of the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy where students are required to create a community service project, alone or in groups. The only specific requirement …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — Students in Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy recently had the opportunity to dig into information regarding the local agriculture and livestock industries. The presentations included information from both Tom Farms, headquartered in Leesburg, and Maple Leaf Farms, headquartered in Milford. The February meeting, held at the K21 Health Services Pavilion, kicked off with a …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — On Wednesday, Jan 9, Ivy Tech Community College in Warsaw welcomed students and board members with the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy for a day of learning and self-discovery. The event focused on education opportunities in Kosciusko County and beyond for students considering college. The meeting began with a presentation from Kearstin Criswell, coordinator …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy recently welcomed students to learn more about social services offered throughout the county during an event held at Combined Community Services, Warsaw. Stephen Possell, executive director of Combined Community Services, welcomed students and provided an introduction on CCS’s mission and the many programs the organization provides that give back …read more.

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Purdue Extension Office has been busy, and with the county 4-H fair less than two months away, things aren’t about to slow down anytime soon. Four representatives of the extension office addressed the Kosciusko County Council Thursday night, May 10, to highlight some of the organizations many ongoing programs. Jenny …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy is now accepting applications for the 2018-2019 class year. Those wishing to apply currently need to be sophomores in high school entering into their junior year this fall. Applications can be picked up at the guidance counselors’ offices at Warsaw Community High School, Lakeland Christian Academy, Wawasee High School, …read more.

WARSAW — Developing vision and courage were the main topics of the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy banquet and graduation, held Wednesday evening, May 2. KYLA president Carl Lauster opened the event, stating that this is the program’s 25th graduating class. Since its inception in 1993, KYLA has graduated 640 students. While participating in KYLA, students …read more.

WARSAW — Bowling for Baker is a bowling event to raise money for the Baker Youth Club. The family bowlathon will take place from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, at The Bowling Alley, 1535 N. Detroit St., Warsaw. The event is being organized by a group from Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy. There will be a raffle …read more.

SYRACUSE — Wawasee High School juniors Morgan Adkins and Lesley Tayagua created a fundraiser to help raise money for the Kosciusko County Cancer Care Fund. The two are part of the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy and were challenged to create a community service project. Their project, “Hoopin’ for a Cause,” included a breast cancer awareness …read more.

KOSCIUSKO — Tippecanoe Valley High School Junior Elijah Holder and Warsaw Community High School Junior Anthony Bass are working together to raise money for Honor Flight Northeast Indiana. Their fundraiser is part of a project through the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, where growth and education of future leaders is encouraged. KYLA provides a positive environment for …read more.

WARSAW — Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy held the Dec. 3 meeting at the Kosciusko Community Foundation. The session focused on the orthopedic and healthcare industry in Kosciusko County.  Jackie Gustafson, Depuy; Brad Bishop, Orthoworx; Jeffrey Rockett, Parkview; Karen Kauffman, Warsaw Home Helpers; and Jason Zaugg, KCH, discussed career path and employment opportunities at their organizations and in the community. …read more.

AKRON — A personal experience, as a young child, became a beneficial memory for Madison O’Connell, Mentone. She shared that memory with Jacob McDonald, Silver Lake, and Camden Tucker, Claypool, fellow Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy members and junior classmates from Tippecanoe Valley High School. A project was born to complete the KYLA requirement. But it …read more.

WARSAW — Overcoming challenges was the theme during the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy banquet and graduation May 3. County coroner Tony Ciriello was the emcee for the evening, introducing two Project Proud groups and later handing graduates their certificates. The first project presented helps young kids in elementary schools overcome loneliness and the challenges of …read more.

WARSAW — The Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club recently $500 to Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy. Through various fundraising activities during the year, the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club raises nearly $30,000 to donate to youth oriented activities. Join the Club as a guest on any Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. for the breakfast meeting at the Shrine Building in the Kosciusko County …read more.

WARSAW — As part of a service project, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy students from Tippecanoe Valley High School made blankets for patients at Kosciusko Community Hospital. The students titled the project “Covered by Love” in an effort to help patients feel comforted. “We chose to do this project because we all have a heart for …read more.

WARSAW — Meghan Beer is passionate about wanting to help pets, especially dogs, and her Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy project will benefit the Animal Welfare League in Warsaw.

WARSAW — Preliminary studies for an ice rink and park offices at Center Lake Park were signed Monday morning, Oct. 10, during the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. The study will cost approximately $15,000. The contract was signed with MAI Architects, Claypool. Larry Plummer, parks superintendent, stated this has been in the …read more.

[weaver_youtube 3r2agRt3GSY rel=0]   WARSAW — Leadership. Key areas to success. This was the topic Jane Wear, president and chief executive officer of Cardinal Services, presented as guest speaker at the 2015-16 Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy Graduation Wednesday evening, May 4. This was the 22nd graduation for KYLA Wear picked out 10 things she believed …read more.

WINONA LAKE — Local teens Abigail Smith and Katie Yocum want to spread the word about juvenile dermatomyositis and its effects. Both girls are juniors at Warsaw Community High School. Just a few years ago, Smith began babysitting two happy twin girls, Katherine and Caroline. Not long after, one of the twins, Katherine, was diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis, an autoimmune …read more.

SYRACUSE — As a service project for Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, Autumn Yoder, a junior at Wawasee High School, organized the Baskets for Babies project.

WARSAW — The Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club recently donated to the Kosciusko County Riley Kid’s Fund, the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy and the Kosciusko County Soccer League. The Kosciusko County Riley Kid’s Fund receive $2,000. The Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy received $500 and the Kosciusko County Soccer League received $350. Through various fundraising activities during the year, …read more.

By JONI TRUEX KLA Public Information Director KOSCIUSKO — KLA Cadets were welcomed to Syracuse by Henry DeJulia, town manager, to learn about economics in Kosciusko County. Tony Ciriello also welcomed the cadets and spoke about the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, which he has moderated since inception. Joni Truex, executive officer, Builders Association Kosciusko Fulton …read more.

By JONI TRUEX KLA Public Information Director WARSAW — Rich Haddad, executive director, K-21 Health Foundation, explained K-21 is a private foundation. K-21 exists for the benefit of Kosciusko County citizens to ensure health care services are provided and to advance prevention and healthy living. The original funds were realized from the sale of the hospital. …read more.

WARSAW — The KCH Health & Wellness Center hosted the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy’s Dec. 2 meeting where the students learned about orthopedics and healthcare in the county. KYLA moderator, Tony Ciriello and Jay de los Reyes, chief operating officer for Kosciusko Community Hospital welcomed the students. Brad Harris stated that he has been working …read more.

MILFORD — The Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy held its November meeting in Milford at Chore-Time Brock. The theme for the session was agri-business in Kosciusko County. KYLA Moderator Tony Ciriello opened the meeting by welcoming the students.

WARSAW — The 22nd class of the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy held its first meeting of the year at the Baker Youth Club, Warsaw. This year’s class includes 35 students who are in their junior year of high school. The KYLA class includes students from Lakeland Christian Academy, Tippecanoe Valley High School, Triton Junior-Senior High School, Warsaw …read more.

Owen Donahoe and Kyle Weideman, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy participants from Wawasee High School, learned if one plan doesn’t work, go with another plan to succeed. The duo was chosen to present their Project Proud project PowerPoint presentation during the annual KYLA graduation program Wednesday evening. Their project was to raise funds to benefit Habitat …read more.

Just how much love can be put into a sweater? Aarshia Jain, a junior at Warsaw Community High School and member of the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, wants to find out. As a service project for KYLA she developed a project called “Love In A Sweater.” Her mission is to make sure everybody has something …read more.

Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy met Feb. 5 at the Wellness Center where students learned about social services in the county. KYLA moderator Tony Ciriello opened the meeting by introducing United Way Associate Director Jo Faulker presented the impact United Way has in Kosciusko County and some background on fundraising efforts, receiving most contributions from workforce, …read more.

By EMILY COWAN Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy The Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy held their Wednesday, Jan. 14 meeting at the Kosciusko Community Foundation building. KYLA moderator, Tony Ciriello, welcomed the students and introduced Ann Lash-Branson who is the Human Resource Manager at R.R. Donnelley. Lash-Branson gave an overview of the responsibilities of a Human Resource …read more.

By EMILY COWAN KYLA Board Member Media Relations Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy held the November meeting at CTB, Inc., in Milford. The session focus was agri-business in Kosciusko County. Through an interactive learning game presented by Kelly Heckaman from the Purdue Extension, the students matched questions with answers to learn various statistics and the importance …read more.

Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy held its Oct. 1 meeting at the Warsaw Police Station. Guest speaker Brad Jackson, Kosciusko County Commissioner, started the meeting by discussing county government and its role in decision making regarding local issues. KYLA moderator Tony Ciriello lead the remainder of the session with an interactive discussion about state and local …read more.

The 21st class of the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy recently held their first meeting of the year at the Baker Youth Club, Warsaw. This year’s class includes 25 students who are in their junior year of high school. Students will spend the school year attending one meeting per month learning about the Kosciusko community and …read more.

It has been said today’s school aged students are too often “wrapped up in their own little worlds.” But if given the chance to prove otherwise, they can prove they do care about others and want to serve the community as the Wawasee school board heard during its regular monthly meeting Tuesday evening in Syracuse. …read more.

The guest speaker at the Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy banquet May 7 in Warsaw was State Rep. Rebecca Kubacki. It was her first public appearance since being defeated in the primary election May 6. She told the audience while “life will go on,” she is proud of what she accomplished in her four years in …read more.

Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy held its annual banquet May 7 in Warsaw. Twenty-nine students graduated from the leadership academy. In the front row, from left, are Paige Price, Krystal Sellers, Kasha Miller, Jada Antonides, Lillie Berger, Abbey Hartwiger, Nicole Eckert, Tennie Worrel and Tenaya Shull. In the middle row are Courtney Linnemeier, Veronica Flores, Kaelyn …read more.

[weaver_youtube ZCsv94e_mg4 rel=0] SYRACUSE – It was an extraordinary night at Wawasee High School on Friday night. The Warriors welcomed in their toughest opponent of the year in Northern Lakes Conference foe NorthWood and went toe-to-toe with the No. 9  team in class 3-A for four quarters in front of a wild and raucous crowd. …read more.

The Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy held its October meeting at the Warsaw Police Station. Warsaw Mayor, Joe Thallemer, spoke about the duties of the mayor’s office, the city council’s responsibilities and about the different city departments. Bob Sanders, Kosciusko County Councilman, spoke to the students about some of his responsibilities as a member of the …read more.