Bridges named for Cropper, Buechler

Local News

Discussion

April 16, 2009

U.S. 31 corridor will have tie to We Care

By SCOTT SMITH The Kokomo Tribune Thu Apr 16, 2009, 10:47 PM EDT

Charlie Cropper came to Kokomo from the South, and Jan Buechler came from the Great Plains.

Together with the late WWKI radio personality Dick Bronson, Buechler and Cropper turned a random act of Christmas kindness into a source of enduring community pride.

This week, the Indiana General Assembly acknowledged the lives of Cropper and Buechler by naming two yet-to-be-built bridges for the late leaders of the We Care telethon.

State Sen. Jim Buck, R-Kokomo, who authored the resolution for the Senate, said Buechler, Cropper and Bronson deserved credit for building We Care, which has helped hundreds of families since its almost-accidental founding in 1972.

“We Care is a bridge from this community to those in need,” Buck said.

Cropper, who was on-air at WWKI since 1969, was Bronson’s partner on the popular “Male Call” show until Bronson’s death in July 2002.

Hailing from Maysville, Ky., Cropper served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam war, and was a broadcaster on the Armed Forces Radio Network.

Buechler, who led We Care for many years, came to Kokomo in 1971 and coordinated the event each year while Cropper and Bronson served as the on-air telethon hosts. Her work was invaluable to the organization, and she eventually became known around town as “We Care Jan.”

She passed away in 2006; Cropper died in February.

Buck noted a bridge on Ind. 22, at the Howard/Carroll county line, was named for Bronson shortly after his death, partially because Bronson came to Kokomo from the west — from Michigantown.

So Buck asked the Indiana Department of Transportation to name the section of the new U.S. 31 corridor over the Kokomo Creek for Cropper, and the section over the Wildcat Creek for Buechler.

The $390 million U.S. 31 Kokomo Corridor is a bypass around the east of Kokomo due for completion by 2014. Buck said signage will be raised and a dedication ceremony will be held when the bridges are built a few years from now.

“It’s a tribute to the families, to remember all they’ve done for the community,” said State Rep. Ron Herrell, D-Kokomo, who co-sponsored the resolution in the House along with representatives Eric Turner, R-Gas City, and Jacque Clements, R-Frankfort.

Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Local News

Venue change doesn't deter crowds from Chocolate Celebration
It was a different shell for Kokomo’s biggest candy event, but the chocolaty tastes and aromas inside were the same as always.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
Walk will honor shooting victims
Following a string of random shootings that left two Kokomo residents dead and three others hospitalized, several members of the shaken community have been moved to organize a Peace Walk to pray for the victims and their families.

February 3, 2012
Peru to cut 2012 budget
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance issued a mandate last week requiring the city of Peru to cut $783,000 from its 2012 budget.

February 3, 2012
Haynes records $8.4M profit
Earnings fell short of what Haynes International Inc. originally expected for its first fiscal quarter of 2012, as the company profited $8.4 million.

February 3, 2012
Brady’s admission catches NFL off guard
NFL Super Bowl officials were hoping to score some major media attention with the arrest of a “web pirate” accused of illegally streaming sporting events over the Internet.

February 3, 2012
Haynes International posts $8.4M profit
The Kokomo-based high-performance-alloy manufacturer's profits are up more than $3 million from a year earlier.

February 3, 2012
Crash claims one
A 21-year-old Sharpsville woman died at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on U.S. 31 near the Tipton-Howard county line, which was one of two serious crashes in Howard County Thursday.

February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Newville is found guilty in rape case
Jurors in Howard Circuit Court took just four hours Thursday afternoon to convict 49-year-old Steven Newville of attempted rape, criminal confinement, battery and receiving stolen property.

February 2, 2012
The Material Girl comes to Indianapolis
Suddenly, she arrived, with her famous bleach blond hair, the almond-shaped eyes, the ruby-red lips.

Madonna, in the flesh, was standing in front of about 500 media members, in Indianapolis.

February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Police: Struggle leads to K-9 bite
A man police say punched and choked a police K-9 during a foot chase Wednesday faces multiple charges, including battery on a police service animal.

February 2, 2012
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Discussion

Bridges named for Cropper, Buechler

U.S. 31 corridor will have tie to We Care

Site Map

Contact Us