Each year, different antique vehicles like planes, cars, tractors and more are displayed for visitors and Marion residents to see.

Ray Johnson, the founder of the event, said he did not expect the event to take off.

“It all started in 1991, and we had an idea,” Johnson said. “We did not dream that here, 34 years later, that we would still be doing it.”

Johnson said the event originally started as a fundraiser for the Marion High School band. This year, the Grant County Rescue Mission fundraised the event through their all you can eat pancake breakfast.

Brad Terhune, the executive director of the Grant County Rescue Mission, said he was happy that the event still takes place so the rescue mission can still be beneficiaries.

“We get a lot of support from people who come out and eat,” Terhune said. “We also have people that come up to volunteer, so we’ll utilize up to maybe 200 volunteers to serve breakfast.”

Johnson said the beauty of the event is that it is an all-out community event. Many people from all over the country come to display their vehicles.

“This year we are showcasing a 1942 Curtis P-40N Warhawk,” Johnson said. “We are also showing a 1962 Beech Bonanza, a vantage airplane that flew around the world.”

Adrian Eichhorn, the owner of the Beech Bonanza, said he heard about the event through Johnson and originally planned to attend last year but had some scheduling conflicts.

“I fly for a living and was in Europe at the same time last year,” Eichhorn said. “I got back the night of, and there were pretty bad thunderstorms, so I decided not to come last year.”

Eichhorn shared that he bought and restored his Beech Bonanza back in 1990 and has taken it all over.

“2015 was the first time I flew it around the world,” Eichhorn said. “The most memorable flight for me was flying over Omaha Beach where over 10,000 soldiers lost their lives, because I’m a veteran and remember that time.”

Eichhorn said the best part about the event was getting to meet others who are passionate about their vehicles and being back in the Midwest.

Phil Martin, the co-owner of the Life Star Pulse Owners Group, has been attending the event with his wife for 20 years.

Martin said that his group attends the event as part of their national rally to show support.

“We love to come out and participate in the silent display to help support Ray Johnson, who I have been friends with for 20 years,” Martin said.

With the Fly-in Cruise-in having a big turn out this year, Johnson said that he hopes the event will continue to grow and help support the community in the future.

Krista Brown, an owner of Lolas’, said she thinks the new coffee shops will be good for Marion. 

“We support and are excited about changes that Mayor Morrell is making and all the new initiatives he has,” Brown said. “Bringing new businesses to the area is awesome.” 

Brown said that with the new Starbucks open, there is a possibility that local shops will be impacted.  

Andrea Vinluan, an owner of Lolas’, said she is not worried about the effects of the new coffee shops. 

“I think that the appeal is they will definitely have an impact, but the truth of the matter is there’s enough coffee drinkers that we believe it will be good,” Vinluan said. 

Brown and Vinluan said that Lolas’ offers more than just coffee by creating a community and space to form connections. 

Just like Lolas’, the staff at the Abbey Coffee Co. are considering the impact the new coffee shops will have on their business. 

Makenzie Cooper, a barista at the Abbey, said she thinks the new Starbucks and 7 Brew will not hurt the Abbey. 

“I remember our manager thinking at first that it was going to hurt the Abbey, but I think that the Abbey has such loyal customers,” Cooper said. 

Cooper said even though the new coffee shops will be big competitors, customers will still come to the Abbey because of the beans they sell. 

“People come for our beans, since we sell good drinks for those who like the taste of coffee,” Cooper said. 

With the new Starbucks open a couple miles away from Lolas’ and the Abbey, their customers are still staying loyal to the businesses. 

Gareth Hill, a frequent customer at the Abbey and Lolas’, said he thinks the new coffee shops will not compete with the atmosphere and coffee of the local shops. 

“People are looking for the social aspect of a coffee shop, but also for good quality drinks,” Hill said. “With Starbucks, it’s expensive and the drinks always taste different.” 

With the importance of creating an atmosphere for customers, places like Lolas’ and the Abbey continue to create experiences for their customers. 

Ellianna Vinluan, a barista at Lolas’, said they try to provide fun events for their customers. 

“We just did cuddles and coffee, trivia night, and a dried flower workshop,” Vinluan said. 

Brown said they also created an app for customers to order online and receive specials and discounts on drinks. 

Local vets have provided some information on everything pet owners need to know to keep their pets safe during the holidays.

Dr. Noel Ratliff, veterinarian at Comfort Veterinary Hospital, said that one of the biggest threats to pets is the stress from the holidays.

“The decorations with new smells being brought out, furniture being moved around, change in routines, family and strangers arriving etc. can cause a change in behavior,” Ratliff said.

Ratliff said that the decorations themselves can be another threat to pets.

“Watch out for any candles being burned and even watch for any wax melters that they can inadvertently knock over causing a fire or dip their foot or tail into,” Ratliff said.

With family dinners, pets can sneak food. Ratliff said that pet owners should avoid giving pets table food, especially bones and unbaked yeast. 

“Bones can cause choking or intestinal blockage and unbaked yeast dough can cause a painful gas and possible dangerous bloating,” Ratliff said.

Ratliff said if you want to give your pets, specifically dogs, a special treat, you can give them ice shavings as they are cheap and low in calories.

If you are traveling with pets, Dr. Ratliff said to make sure any pet medication is packed, their vaccines are up to date and that any airline requirements are met in the case of air travel.

“Be sure to pack extra food in case of any travel delays and even have a small first-aid kit for your pet in case of any injuries while away from home,” Ratliff said.

Ratliff said, with the cold weather, it is also important to not leave your pets outside for too long.

“Setting an alarm on your phone when they are outside is wonderful to prevent any distractions from forgetting your pet in the cold,” Ratliff said.  “Watch their feet/pads and their skin for any signs of frostbite.”

Ratliff said that if there is any concern of skin issues from the cold weather, it is always a good idea to check with your regular veterinary office.

As Christmas is approaching, the idea of adopting a pet or gifting a pet is another important factor to consider.

Tammy Jaros, manager of Southway Animal Hospital, said that it is never a good idea to gift an animal during the holidays.

“A lot of mistakes people make around the holidays is to gift animals. Dogs and cats, other small mammals, such as rabbits, are often gifted during the holidays,” Jaros said.

Jaros said that if you are looking to adopt an animal, you need to consider the breed.

“Make sure it matches your lifestyle and your family’s lifestyle, otherwise you’re going to wind up in a difficult situation down the road,” Jaros said.

Ratliff said that if you are considering adopting an animal when you already have pets, you need to take their personality into consideration.

“Some pets seem to enjoy a single-pet household whereas some are more social,” Ratliff said.

Ratliff said that if pet owners have any concerns about their pet’s behavior or health, they can always check with their vet.

“My dream would be that we can be able to show other rural communities how this can be done
because we’re in the middle of East Central Indiana,” Brown said. “We don’t have a strong urban
center like Indianapolis or Fort Wayne right next to us, so we have to help each other.”
As Collabora moves further along, the Community Foundation of Grant County will release
more information.

Hensel said that all the funds raised from these events will go straight back out into the
community in hopes to help support those in need.

Each statue shares the heritage of Garfield and the location where it is.

Fit for Life Garfield

The Fit for Life Garfield statue is in the Matter Park gardens in Marion. With the placement of
the statue, Garfield is in the path of the Mississinewa Riverwalk and downtown Marion.

Firefighter Garfield

The Firefighter Garfield statue is in front of Jonesboro City Hall in Marion. This statue pays
homage to the Jonesboro Fire Department, as they were the first volunteer fire department in
Grant County.

Dr. Garfield

The Dr. Garfield statue is in front of Marion General Hospital in Marion. This statue represents
the doctors and nurses at the hospital who help support the wellbeing of the community.

Bookworm Garfield

The Bookworm Garfield statue is inside of the Marion Public Library in Marion. This statue
represents important parts of Marion’s history, as stated on the books.

Paws for Thought Garfield

The Paws for Thought Garfield statue is in the Garfield Garden at the Community Foundation
Center of Marion. This statue sits on a paw print shaped path to pay homage to the cat and is
accessible through the gates on the side of the garden.

The Garfield Trail is accessible year-round to all citizens and visitors of Grant County. A full list of Garfield statues and locations is available at showmegrantcounty.com.

Deana Vice, neighborhood association coordinator, said that the Clean City date change comes after being scheduled the same day as the James Dean festival.

“The original date for this final clean-up was September 28. In reviewing that date, that happens to be James Dean weekend,” Vice said. “Looking at that, we want to make sure that everyone is able to enjoy the festivities and also doesn’t miss a chance at getting in on this final cleanup.”

With the city clean up being moved to a different date, Layla Price-Bodkin, supervisor of marketing and community development, said that the schedule for the clean up will be the exact same schedule as the last few.

“The plans will remain the same,” Price-Bodkin said. “As far as what has been going on routinely through the citywide cleanup effort, we’ll have a drop off location, which will be the same location as the past couple of them.”

The Clean City project allows the citizens of Marion to get rid of any unwanted items they may be storing. 

Vice said that the Clean City project is a great way to remove of items without worrying about the cost and not sure where they go.

“These cleanups are a great way to rid yourself of items that maybe you  weren’t sure where to take them to or maybe it’s costly to dump things as well,” Vice said. “The cleanup is a great way to clean up your home, clean up your yard, clean up your sheds, and your garages.”

As the Clean City approaches, there are many ways that you can help assist others in the community.

Randy Hiatt, the superintendent of citywide maintenance, said that the clean up is a good way for the community to help assist neighbors.

“The community can assist neighbors who are unable to move items to curbside or bring to site,” Hiatt said.

With this upcoming Clean City being the last for the year, Price-Bodkin said that there will be a special lunch for those who come and drop off their items.

“Since this is the final one, we’ll have a pizza lunch, but we’ll have free dessert as well,” Price-Bodkin said.

“For anyone interested in volunteering to walk and pick up trash, they can do so at the street department,” Vice said. “If they take a picture of themselves doing so, I will have a email they can send the photos to and pick up a prize.”

Price-Bodkin said that next year there will be six Clean City projects that are still being scheduled.

As the fall semester gets under way, SGA releases their new logo to go along with IWU’s brand.
Jonny Rupp, the associate dean of student involvement, said that the logo change came after many different changes to previous logos.
“In the past, there’s been many iterations of the logo,” Rupp said. “We just wanted to stop changing it and wanted something that was university brand compliant.”
Rupp said that he reached out to the marketing department first when he learned about the rebranding changes that began last spring.
“I reached out first, but only because I knew they were doing a redesign or rebranding, and I just want to get in front of it,” Rupp said.
Jason Steiner, executive director of brand and creative, said that the rebranding changes come from the need to maintain brand compliance.
“I’ve been in this role for about a year, and honestly that was one of the reasons I was brought on,” Steiner said. “We wanted to strengthen and solidify our brand image and our brand creative, just to create a little more consistency across the board, across the university, and in all areas of our marketing and advertising and creative material.”
Steiner said that he has been working in the branding and creative business for 20 to 30 years and has seen how successful branding is for businesses.
“(Branding) is what every successful organization, company, and university does,” Steiner said. “Branding is a promise to your customers, your students, and the people you work with.”
As SGA worked on redesigning their logo, Rupp said that the marketing department was extremely helpful throughout the process.
“The marketing department was very gracious with us and actually worked with us on our design, kind of step by step,” Rupp said.
With the new SGA logo being complete and in full use, Grace Huizingh, the SGA student body president, said that the new logo accomplishes what SGA wanted.

“They were going for youthful but also semi professional, and I think it is a good compromise of both,” Huizingh said. “I love it, and it looks good.”
Huizingh said that she had a little bit of input on the creation of the logo, but not enough due to only being elected last spring.
Kara Simison, the SGA director of communications, said that she also had a little bit of input on the creation of the logo and that it stands out more.
“It is unique and playful and stands out more than previous ones,” Simison said. “It will help with reaching the student body.”