Officer Marissa Gunning being sworn in by Mayor Joe Thallemer with WPD Chief Scott Whitaker.

Text and Photos
By Brianna Pitts
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Mayor Joe Thallemer swore Officer Marissa Gunning into the Warsaw Police Department at the Board of Public Works and Safety Meeting for the City of Warsaw on Friday, May 19.

Officer Gunning was supported by several family members as well as many of her coworkers from the WPD.

Thallemer said “It is an honor to swear in new members of the police department’s staff.” According to WPD Chief Whitaker, the WPD is two members short of a full staff.

The City Engineer Aaron Ott, gave an update for the Central Park Pavilion Renovation saying, “they are currently working on the interior, putting on trim, installing cabinets and walls. Right now, it is looking like they are on track for a middle of August completion date.”

For the renovation, Ott brought before the board two requests for payment in the amount of $556,605.90 for March and $302,513.40 for April. Both applications were approved.

In addition Public Works Superintendent Dustin Dillon, submitted an approval request in the amount of $43,750 for the reconstruction of Lindberg Drive that was also approved.

Ott, brought a request to the board to approve bidding for the Improving six roadways project on June 19. The request was granted.

The improving six roadways project will affect the following roads:

• Center Street from Lake to Indiana
• Buffalo Street from Market to Main
• County Farm Road from Solomon Drive to CR 200S
• Ranch Road from the railroad tracks to Solomon Drive
• Country Club Road from the bridge over the ditch to Winona Lake down to the corporate limits
• Jefferson Street from Bronson Road to Argonne Road

At the close of the meeting there was anecdote shared by Board of Works member, Jeff Grose, about his father who served as a police officer for Warsaw PD for two years in the mid-1960s.

The police station had just received the technology that allowed them to track speeding vehicles. On the first day it was available, many of the officers waited in anticipation for the ability to catch a speeding vehicle, however, the first registered, on the device as speeding, was a black dog running at 12 miles per hour and was logged into the records.

In other business the Board of Works Members approved:

• Warsaw Road Closure request set for Sept. 23 for Buffalo Street from Center to Main street for One Warsaw.
• Two new hires, Aiden Binkerd and Galvin Shambaugh for the street department, as well as, a transfer to the third shift for probationary police officer, Cody Mangun.

Officer Marissa Gunning, who was sworn in as the newest Warsaw Police Officer had the support of her family. Shown from left are Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker, Michaela Gunning, Logan Gunning, Missy Gunning, Marissa Gunning, Mark Gunning, Luke Gunning and Mayor Joe Thallemer.

Coworkers of new Warsaw Police Officer Melissa Gunning, third from left, came to show their support when she was officially sworn in as an officer.