Significant street closures begin June 10

Also, Bayh nominated for Secretary of State; Park Band celebrates America; Ivy Tech hosts JAG competition; Ascension hosts Parkinson's webinar

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Sycamore Street and Dixon Road will have lane restrictions for AT&T to install new communication lines beginning Wednesday, June 10, which are expected to last two days, weather permitting. Northbound Dixon Road will be restricted to one lane from just south of the intersection with Sycamore through the intersection. Eastbound Sycamore Street will be restricted to one lane from the intersection with Dixon Road, approximately 600 feet east of the intersection.

Also, Jefferson Street west of Ind. 931 will be closed on Wednesday, June 10. The closure is expected to last one day, weather permitting. And Tate Street between McCann and Wabash streets will be closed on Tuesday, June 9, for Indiana American Water.

Bayh nominated for Secretary of State

The Indiana Democratic Party gathered on June 6 for its State Convention, where approximately 2,300 delegates voted to nominate Beau Bayh as their candidate for the office of Indiana Secretary of State.

Bayh bested his opponent, Blythe Potter, by a 61-38 margin to advance to the November general election. In accepting the nomination, Bayh called for unity within the party and across the state, expressing a need for transparency and integrity in the Secretary of State’s office.

“Every Hoosier who believes in honest government and leaders with integrity has a place in this campaign,” said Bayh. “We can all agree that corruption and insider dealing has no place in Indiana. Together, we can bring accountability back to the Secretary of State’s office.”

Howard County sent 29 delegates to the state convention, marking a resurging interest in state government within the local party. Bethany Wenger, an activist with Operation Blue Horizon, was one of this year’s delegates, and she expressed her excitement in being a part of the election process.

“It's the first election year since I've gotten involved with local politics, and it felt like the best way for me to engage with the process without running a full-blown campaign for elected office,” said Wenger. “It's way more accessible, and a good introductory way to become familiar with the process of state political elections.”

The Democrats also nominated Coumba Kebe as their candidate for Indiana State Treasurer and Jessica Bailey for Indiana State Comptroller.

The Indiana Republican Party will hold its state convention on June 20 in Fort Wayne, where it will nominate its candidates for the state administrative offices. The Secretary of State race is of particular interest as incumbent Secretary Diego Morales has been saddled with multiple allegations of corruption, nepotism, and fraud.

Top Republicans turned their back on Morales last month, revoking their endorsements in favor of late entrant Max Engling, a former staffer of U.S. Senator Jim Banks. Knox County Clerk David Shelton and Jamie Reitenour, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate, also are in the race for the Republican Secretary of State nomination.

Park Band celebrates America, June 10

On Wednesday, June 10, the Kokomo Park Band will continue its popular summer concert series at Highland Park with a profound musical exploration, entitled “America: Melting Pot - The Spirit of the Nation.” This special performance is part of the band’s season-long celebration, America at 250, capturing the diverse cultural tapestries, immigration stories, and varied traditions that have shaped the American spirit over the last two and a half centuries.

The completely admission-free performance kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

The evening’s concert also doubles as the band’s highly anticipated annual Side-by-Side program. Music lovers will have the unique opportunity to see the area’s top high school instrumentalists — nominated and sponsored by KPB members based on their musical achievements — share the stage and perform right alongside the seasoned professionals of the Kokomo Park Band. Community First Bank and the CFB Journey Club are proudly sponsoring this landmark community event.

The program is hosted by the Kokomo Parks Department with support from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation, the Center Township Trustee, the Community Foundation of Howard County, and The Arts Federation, in cooperation with the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

This year’s Side-by-Side selectees include Allara Henry, flute; Zander Bowers, Peyton McKinney, and Olivia Thomas, clarinet; Gennavieve Blocker, alto saxophone; Makayla Armstrong, Jonathan Rossiter, Josiah Herring, and Elijah Snyder, trumpet; Rachel Rath, horn; Ezra Kilcline, euphonium; and Laynie Metz and Harrison Sherard, percussion. Schools represented include Eastern, Huntington North, Kokomo, Lewis Cass, Northwestern, Western, and North Central.

The evening’s carefully curated repertoire beautifully reflects the global influences that define the American experience. Audiences will be treated to The Seventh Night of July by Itaru Sakai, Clare Grundman’s Irish Rhapsody, and Pierre La Plante’s nostalgic American Riversongs. The band will also perform the energetic rhythm of Scott Watson’s Balkan Seven, Floyd Werle’s lively Fandango, and the evocative Symphonic Dances from “Fiddler on the Roof” (composed by Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock, with symphonic scoring by Ira Hearshen and arranged by Warren Barker).

A major highlight of the performance will be Earl Hagen’s sultry classic Harlem Nocturne (arranged by the late Steve Rhodes, KPB’s former conductor), spotlighting the exceptional talents of KPB principal saxophone player Neil Broeker.

An Indiana native and Haworth High School alumnus, multi-woodwind instrumentalist Broeker is the principal saxophonist for the Kokomo Park Band. Broeker won the Kokomo Symphony Concerto competition in his youth before earning a Bachelor of Music in Woodwind Studies from the prestigious Indiana University School of Music.

While at IU, he studied under world-renowned classical saxophonist Dr. Eugene Rousseau and legendary jazz educator David Baker, mastering the saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe, and bassoon. Over a prolific 26-year professional career, Broeker has toured internationally with Andy Williams and performed alongside legendary acts like Glen Campbell and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Also a highly skilled instrument technician, he trained under master repair technicians including Ning Pan and Mike and Joel Lomax. Today, Broeker resides in Avon, Indiana, balancing a busy schedule of performing, teaching, managing the Raccoon Lake Sax Quartet, and providing expert woodwind repair services at Kokomo’s Sound of Music store.

The stage will also welcome back acclaimed local vocalist Sally Duke, a Greentown resident and well-traveled travel escort, who will perform the deeply moving showstopper I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables, featuring a lush arrangement by Michael Brown.

Greentown resident Duke brings a unique blend of global adventure and deep local roots to the stage. As an accomplished Christian vocalist, Sally has performed extensive concerts both nationally and internationally, and her voice can be heard on nine different recordings. Locally, she is a beloved and frequent performer in Greentown’s Music at the Fairgrounds concert series.

Beyond her musical ministry, Sally is a familiar face at Community First Bank, where she manages the travel program for customers aged 50 and better. This year marks a major milestone for Sally, as she celebrates her 30th anniversary as a travel escort. An avid explorer, she has already led groups to all 50 states and 35 countries, with her sights set on visiting all seven continents and 100 countries before she turns 100.

Home, however, is where her heart is. Sally has been happily married to her husband, Bobby, for 43 years. Together, they are the proud parents of a 21-year-old son, Samuel, who is currently studying history at IU Kokomo while working alongside his mother as a teller at Community First Bank.

Every effort is made to perform outdoors, but in the event of inclement weather, the concert will move to the Kokomo High School Auditorium. The decision to move indoors is generally not made until after 5 p.m., with announcements posted on Facebook. A recorded announcement will also be available at 765-319-8554 if the location is changed.

The majority of the band’s funding depends on donations from individuals. Contributions should be sent to Kokomo Park Band, P.O. Box 6039, Kokomo, IN 46904-6039. More information can be found on Facebook and on the band’s website at www.kokomoparkband.org.

Ivy Tech hosts JAG competition

Students from around west central Indiana gathered in Ivy Tech Kokomo’s Hingst Hall recently or the 2026 Career Development Conference for students in the Region 4 Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program.

The annual conference brought together students in regional JAG programs to compete in such subjects as financial literacy, public speaking, and employability skills and for the title Outstanding JAG Senior. This year’s Outstanding JAG Senior for Region 4 was Jazmine Merrill of Benton Central High School, which also won the JAG Champions Award for the school with the best overall performance at the conference.

Since 2007, the JAG program in Indiana has been a state-based national organization committed to helping students of promise overcome their barriers and find their career pathways. The program has offered instruction in important workforce readiness skills while students are in high school and then followed graduates for 12 months after graduation to offer help as they enter postsecondary education, employment or military service.

Shaun Brames, regional JAG program manager, noted that because of state funding cuts, the JAG program, which once had programs in more than 230 schools statewide, ends June 30 after 20 years of impacting students. He thanked Ivy Tech for its 20-year partnership with the program, adding Ivy Tech has always been the primary and best choice for JAG students who want to further their education through short-term trainings and/or associate degrees.

Ascension hosts Parkinson’s webinar

Join Mark Hoeprich MD, neurosurgeon, for a virtual educational series focused on essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. Designed for patients, families, caregivers and healthcare professionals, this series offers clear, expert guidance on diagnosis, treatment options and emerging therapies, including medications, focused ultrasound and deep brain stimulation.

Attendees will gain valuable insights to help navigate care decisions and improve quality of life. Whether newly diagnosed or seeking advanced treatment information, this series provides a trusted resource for understanding and managing these neurological diagnoses.

Join Ascension for an expert-led webinar that will explore treatment options for individuals with essential tremor or Parkinson’s disease. This is an opportunity to gain insights, learn about advancements in care, and get questions answered during a live Q&A.

Register for this free event at https://events.zoom.us/ev/AsRDfM4PcnJ6ol69AVydU4ttQJQo7DKD7t-e_nlEjmfj5ZbMPKnL~AjHo0tB8iZ50bLOexZlb4XnE8odUbMN7Hq2O-GFH9cIRr_n4A3D21WHdZQ