Winona Lake Town Marshal Joe Hawn being sworn in by Town Attorney James Walmer (Photos by Michelle Reed)

WINONA LAKE — A new Winona Lake town marshal was sworn in today, Tuesday, March 29.

Lifetime law officer, Joe Hawn, will be taking over for retired Winona Lake Town Marshal Paul Schmitt, who served the community for 10 years. Hawn will be starting his duties April 4.

Hawn is originally from Columbia City, but moved to Warsaw when he started working for  Warsaw Police Department as a patrol officer. Hawn said Town Manager Craig Allebach was the one who hired him into the WPD in 1988, as he was chief of police then. Allebach asked Hawn to become a D.A.R.E officer in 1996, but he didn’t actually become one until 1998. Hawn has worked for the WPD for 27 years and for 17 of those years he was a D.A.R.E Officer.

Hawn says of his move from Warsaw to Winona Lake, “This is a big change for me, but I think it’s going to be a really good change. I love law enforcement and Winona Lake is an amazing community.”

In other business:

• A salary ordinance for the town marshal was approved.
• The disposal of current playground equipment from the Winona Lake Park will be going to Fairlane Mobile Home Park at 1202 Wooster Road, was approved.

The Hawn family from left; Meghan Hawn, daughter; Hawn’s wife Lynette Hawn; Joe Hawn, town marshal; sons Nick and Jacob Hawn