After the Fire - Businesses Resume in Nappanee

The Goshen News carried two stories as follow up to the January 19 downtown fire in Nappanee.

Russell and Nancy Miller are owners of John’s Butcher Shop and also owners of the building destroyed by the fire, including the apartments above. The butcher shop sustained minor smoke and water damage and was shut down about a week, mainly for cleaning.“The firemen tracked through with hoses to make sure the fire hadn’t come through this side,” Russell explained. “We wanted to make sure everything was clean.” The business is up and running at full service. more

Arden and Evidene Graber’s business, Graber’s Flooring Studio formerly at 160 N. Main St., was an innocent bystander in the suspected arson that broke out Jan. 19. The showroom part of the business was completely demolished and all the company computers destroyed, but Graber said the Tuesday after the fire they were able to get into the building and salvage some items.“We dug out some tools and things; we went in and retrieved most of what was salvageable,” he said. Arden said most of what they were able to save was in back, the carpeting was all pretty much ruined by water and smoke. A good amount of ceramic tile would’ve been able to be saved if not for the fact that water froze the boxes together.“We were able to find a lot of our paper records in back,” he said. Graber’s Flooring Studio is now temporarily located at 156 N. Main St., two doors down from their former location, on the south side of John’s Butcher Shop. more

We wish the very best to these two valuable Nappanee businesses.