The Owen News -- July 5, 2024 (Vol. 1, Issue 4)

Disaster declaration made

Storm damage leads to extended power outages

By Hannah Amos Correspondent

Thunderstorms swept across central Indiana on June 25 causing widespread tree and powerline damage, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). In some areas, winds reportedly reached up to 70 mph.

According to the NWS, Owen County sustained thunderstorm wind damage and had a delayed report, sounding at 3:27 p.m. by emergency management. Trees were down west of Spencer.

Owen County Board of Commissioners President Gary Burton declared

the storm to be a local disaster.

The earliest storm report was at 2:50 p.m. in Prairie Creek, Vigo County by a trained spotter, according to NWS, as well as throughout central Indiana, it’s estimated 60,000 people lost power.

Other counties affected, according to NWS, were Monroe, Clay, Jackson, Knox, Marion, Boone and Brown.

The Owen County Highway Department thanked Spencer McDonald’s and Councilwoman Amy Casebeer for donating sandwiches to crews on June 29, as well as volunteers helping clear roads.

For those impacted

by the storm, the Owen County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) has a direct line for disaster assistance.

Volunteers with the Owen County Community Organizations Active in Disaster will be assisting callers.

If your property was damaged by the storm that occurred on June 25th and you need help, call 812-829-5026.

If you or your organization can offer help, call 812-829-5026.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to local disaster relief efforts, contact the Owen County Community Foundation at 812829-1725 or online at owencountycf.org.

‘FIRST LINK IN THE CHAIN OF PUBLIC SAFETY’

County to swap 96 acres for 9.64

The With the foundation of the current jail crumbling and sinking while construction costs rise, Owen County is looking for a location to build a new jail,

The concern is that failure to do so could lead to a lawsuit county while forcing them to the same result — building a

Cherie Anderson hired as Owen County 911 Director

By Hannah Amos Correspondent

Since the age of 15, Cherie Anderson has always known she wanted to be involved in public safety. Originally aiming to be in law enforcement, she fell into firefighting in southern California.

Now, she’s putting out different types of fires in Owen County in the 911 Communications Center, where she has served as “the first link in the chain for public safety” since March.

Once you’ve been in public safety so long, you just really can’t imagine doing anything else.

— Cherie Anderson Director, Owen County 911

eyes to her work for the county. “I truly love this position, and I feel very fortunate to be here,” she said. “I feel like all of my jobs

PUBLIC SAFETY | PAGE 8

She brings her passion for public safety and a fresh set of 911 Communications Director Cherie Anderson sits in her office at the Owen County Emergency Medical Services building. Anderson, a former California firefighter and 911 dispatcher, has 28 years of public safety experience and started the position in March. HANNAH AMOS| THE OWEN NEWS

The location of the current jail will be within the flood accommodate the four-acre facility planned to bring it up to code. The county specifically purchased storage units on an adjacent property to the current jail when they were for sale with the intention of building the new jail there. Furthermore, bringing sewer services to the countyowned property on State Road 43 has been estimated to cost $9 million, which would be almost a third of the $26 million that the county council has determined the county can afford.

In order to cut out the cost of purchasing additional land, in a joint council and commissioners meeting in April, it was proposed that the county trade part of the land, including the former county landfill, for part of the property in and around the quarry currently owned by Brett Franklin, owner of Tri-State Timber, LLC. In that meeting, it was proposed that the county trade between 90 and 107 acres for 30 acres owned by Franklin.

Throughout the month of

Damage to Owen County resident John Strouse’s property can be seen following a severe thunderstorm on June 25. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY JACK WHITE

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Government Meeting Calendar

July 8

Owen County Council, 6 p.m. in the Commissioners Room on the second floor of the Owen County Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer.

Owen Valley Fire Territory Board, 6 p.m. at the fire department, 401 W. Walnut St., Spencer.

Cloverdale Community School Corporation Board of Trustees, 7 p.m. in the Arthur L.Johnson Administration Building, 310 E. Logan St., Cloverdale.

July 11

County Redevelopment Commission, 2 p.m. in the Commissioners Room on the second floor of the Owen County Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer. Spencer-Owen School Board, 7 p.m. in the Mike Wells Memorial Board Room at Central Office, 205 E. Hillside Ave., Spencer.

July 15

Spencer Town Council, 6 p.m. in the Spencer Municipal Building, 90 N. West St., Spencer.

July 16

Advisory Plan Commission, 6:30 p.m. at the

Obituaries

Coming soon!

Our community, through the Needs Assessment completed as part of the Large Impact Planning Grant, resoundingly said that obituaries are a priority.

At The Owen News, we strive to get obituaries into the print product. However, the nature of a monthly paper means that printed obituaries can never be the main way to share this information with our community.

Our goal is to have our website be the go-to place for obituaries and to have this space, in our printed paper be a space of rememberance of those who have passed.

Owen County Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer.

July 17

Owen County Board of Commissioners, 9 a.m. in the Commissioners Room on the second floor of the Owen County Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer.

July 18

Owen County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), 7 p.m. at the Owen County

Courthouse, 60 S. Main St., Spencer.

July 22

Spencer Parks and Recreation Board, 6 p.m. in the Spencer Municipal Building, 90 N. West St., Spencer.

July 23

Spencer Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals, 6 p.m. in the Spencer Municipal Building, 90 N. West St., Spencer.

From left, Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Intern Olivia Zell, Owen County Community Foundation Board Chairperson and Chamber employee Tom Wallace, CEO Marce King and Intern Dazia Drake at the Fiber Garden Ribbon Cutting event June 11. The Fiber Garden is a public space with free Wi-Fi for community members to use. The project was part of a ROI Digital Towns Grant. HANNAH AMOS | THE OWEN NEWS.

Community Events Calendar

July 6

Owen County Farmers’ Market, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Market is located adjacent to Babbs Supermarket at 459 W. Morgan St., Spencer. Live music by Bill Bruce. Weather permitting.

July 8

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

July 9

Gosport Farmers’ Market, 3 to 6 p.m. in Gosport Town Park. Weather permitting.

July 10

Free showing of the movie “Trolls Band Together,” 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Sponsored by Bloomington Youth Services.

Caring for Caregivers support group, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

July 11

Homesteaders meeting, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

July 12

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

July 13

Owen County Farmers’ Market, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Market is located adjacent to Babbs Supermarket at 459 W. Morgan St., Spencer. Live music by Zach Mobley. Weather permitting.

The Friends of the Library monthly book sale, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Community

Room at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

July 14

Gosport Christian Church summer picnic and Sunday evening service, 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Flatwoods Park, 9499 W. Flatwoods Rd., Ellettsville. Dinner begins around 5 p.m., with the evening service to start around 6 p.m.

July 15

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

July 16

Gosport Farmers’ Market, 3 to 6 p.m. in Gosport Town Park. Weather permitting.

July 17

Free showing of the movie “Migration,” 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Sponsored by the Spencer Presbyterian Church.

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

Caring for Caregivers support group, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

July 19

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

July 20

Tristan Calvin 5K Scholarship Run/Walk, 8 a.m. at the Owen Valley High School cross country course. Registration opens at 7 a.m. Cost is $25. Top individual runners, walkers and age group winners will receive awards. To register, visit runsignup.com/ Race/IN/Spencer/TristanCalvin 5KScholarshiprun.

Owen County Farmers’ Market, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Market is located adjacent to Babbs Supermarket at 459 W. Morgan St., Spencer. Live music by Austin James. Weather permitting.

10th Annual Back-toSchool Expo, 10 a.m. to noon at the Owen County Fairgrounds, 364 S. East St., Spencer. Featuring a drivethru backwards parade. Each child will receive a backpack full of school supplies. Children must be present.

3rd Annual Beach Bash, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Owen Valley Middle School. Hosted by the Owen County Health Department. Sponsored by Anthem. Free haircuts, vaccines, hearing screenings, hygiene products, socks and shoes, games and prizes, bounce houses and snacks.

July 21

Ice cream social, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Freedom Community Center, 5552 Freedom-Arney Rd., Freedom. For more information, call 812-821-1846.

July 22

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

Video Editing for Beginners Workshop, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Exchange, 114 S. Main St., Spencer. Free. Sponsored by H2O Media. Limited seating. Call 812-829-3245 or email myowenexchange.com to reserve your spot.

Spencer Main Street monthly meeting, 6:30 p.m. in the Viquesney Room at the Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Open to the public.

July 23

Gosport Farmers’ Market, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Gosport Town Park. Weather permitting.

July 24

Free showing of the movie “Wonka,” 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N. Washington St., Spencer. Sponsored by Delta Theta Tau.

Caring for Caregivers support group, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

July 26

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., and a pitch-in chicken dinner at 6 p.m. at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

July 27

Owen County Farmers’ Market, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Market is located adjacent to Babbs Supermarket at 459 W. Morgan St., Spencer. Live music by Ty Connally. Weather permitting.

Clothing and school supplies giveaway, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Freedom Nazarene Church.

July 29

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

July 30

Gosport Farmers’ Market, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Gosport Town Park. Weather permitting.

July 31

Caring for Caregivers support group, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library, 10 S. Montgomery St., Spencer.

Senior Friends of Owen County Bingo, noon to 3 p.m., at 400 E. Jefferson St., Spencer.

2024 Owen County Fair Events

Staff Report

The Owen County Fair will take place from July 6 to July 13. Here is a comprehensive list of the events and happenings for the Owen County Fair.

July 5

Cat Show at 9 a.m. in the Exhibit Hall.

Small Animal Show/ Mini Little Critters

1:30 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall.

Horse and Pony Enter 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Horse Barn.

July 6

Livestock Check-In includes all swine, rabbits, sheep, cattle, goats and poultry from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Livestock Barns.

By appointment: enter foods and Mini foods, floriculture, garden, cake decorating, cupcake decorating. Open judging from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall.

Horse and Pony Pulls at 6 p.m. in the Main Arena. Ages 12 and up $5, 11 and under are free.

July 7 Market Beef show at 1 p.m. in the Show Arena. Exhibit Hall open noon to 2 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall.

Queen contestant staging (closed to public, only Queen personnel enter building) at 3 p.m. Exhibit Hall.

Community Vesper Service- Gospel Sing from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Show Arena.

4-H Perishables Auction during Queen

Contest at 7 p.m. in the Goat/Sheep Barn. Queen Contest, Princess Contest, Little Mister and Little Miss Contests at 7:30 p.m. in the Show Arena. Tickets $5 per seat.

Horse and Pony check-in for CF Fundraiser Show, participants only, by midnight in the Horse Barn.

July 8

Dairy Goat Show at 9 a.m. in the Show Arena.

Enter Open Class Yeast Contest 9 a.m. to noon in the Open Class Building.

Pygmy Goat Show at 11 a.m. in the Show Arena.

Meat Goat Show at 1 p.m. in the Show Arena.

Open Class Building opens at approximately 2 p.m.

Michael Norris performs 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Free Stage.

Kiddie Tractor Pull-85 lbs and under at 6 p.m. in the Commons Area.

Carnival Arm Band Night — $28 unlimited rides — from 6 p.m. to close in the carnival.

Horse and Pony Contesting at 6 p.m. in the Horse Arena.

Scholarship Auction at 6:30 p.m. in the Show Arena.

Mud Volleyball at 8 p.m. in the Main Arena. Grandstand tickets are $5, and children 3 and under are free.

July 9

Rabbit Show at 9 a.m. in the Rabbit Barn.

Enter Open Class Flower Contest,

sponsored by the Garden Club, 9 a.m. to noon in the Open Class Building.

Enter Open Class Cookie Baking Contest, sponsored by Babbs, 9 a.m. to noon in the Open Class Building.

Swine Show at 2 p.m. in the Show Arena.

2024 4-H Senior Recognition & Farm Bureau Tenure Awards at 6 p.m. in the Show Arena.

Owen County

S.O.U.N.D.S performs at 6 p.m. on the Free Stage.

Kiddie Tractor Pull-85 lbs and under at 6 p.m. in the Commons Area.

Carnival Arm Band Night — $28 unlimited rides — from 6 p.m. to close in the carnival.

Hog Wrestling at 8 p.m. in the Main Arena. Tickets are $5 ages 12 and up, $3 ages 4-11 and free for 3 and under.

July 10

Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

8 a.m. in the Exhibit Hall.

4-H Poultry Show and Eggs Check-in and Show at 9 a.m. in the Poultry Barn.

Open Class Apple Baking Contest, sponsored by Area Realty, 9 a.m. to noon in the Open Class Building.

4-H Dairy Show at 1 p.m. in the Show Arena.

4-H Beef Show (after Dairy) at 2 p.m. (approx.) in the Show Arena.

Uncle Jonnie’s Karaoke from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Free Stage.

Kiddie Tractor Pull-85 lbs and under at 6 p.m. in the Commons Area.

Carnival Arm Band Night — $28 unlimited rides — from 6 p.m. to

close in the carnival.

BAR MC Rodeo (Gates open at 6 p.m.) at 7 p.m. in the Main Arena. Mutton Busting ages 9 and under are $10 and Steer Riding ages 11 and under are $20. Call in July 8 at 812-797-6597 with a $5 admission fee.

July 11

4-H Sheep Show at 9 a.m. in the Show Arena.

4-H Horse and Pony Fun Show at 9 a.m. to noon in the Horse Arena.

4-H Livestock Auction Entry deadline after the Sheep Show in the Show Arena.

4-H Skillathon from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Show Arena.

4-H Spirit Night at 5:30 p.m. in the Show Arena.

Luke Lovejoy/ Charlie Archer Band performs at 6 p.m. on the Free Stage.

Kiddie Tractor Pull-85 lbs and under at 6 p.m. in the Commons Area.

Carnival Arm Band Night — $28 unlimited rides — from 6 p.m. to close in the carnival.

Local Truck/Tractor Pull at 6 p.m. in the Main Arena.

Indiana Truck Pullers Association at 7 p.m. in the Main Arena. Tickets are $8 ages 12 and up, ages 4-11 $5 and free 3 and under.

4-H release all nonsale animals (except Round Robin animals) at 10 p.m. in the Animal Barns.

July 12

4-H Round Robin Showmanship at 9 a.m. in the Show Arena.

Hospitality Barn open to livestock buyers from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Barn Entry Dinner provided for all buyers.

Kiddie Tractor Pull Championship Pull-Off at 6 p.m. in the Commons Area.

Carnival Arm Band Night — $28 unlimited rides — from 6 p.m. to close in the carnival.

4-H Livestock Auction at 6 p.m. in the Show Arena.

Release 4-H Exhibit Hall projects at 6 p.m. at the Exhibit Hall.

Line Dancing following the Auction or at 8 p.m. in the Poultry Barn. Ages 7 and up are $5 and 6 and under are free.

ATV Flat Truck Racing by ISDS at 8 p.m. or following the auction in the Main Arena. General admission $10 and 12 and under $5.

July 13

Release 4-H Exhibit Hall projects from 10 a.m. to noon in the Exhibit Hall.

Release all Open Class Exhibits from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Open Class Building.

Old Fashion Country Fair Games/Pet Parade at 1 p.m. in the Show Arena. Carnival Arm Band Night — $28 unlimited rides — from 6 p.m. to close in the carnival. $3 per ticket.

Hot Wheels Derby at 6:30 P.m. in the Main Arena.

Demo Derby at 7 p.m. in the Main Arena. General Admission is $10 and ages 3 and under are $5.

Ellettsville native named as Seven Oaks Athletic Director

Submitted Article

Seven Oaks Classical School recently announced the appointment of Tommy Weakley as the new athletic director. With a distinguished background in both athletics and education, Weakley brings a wealth of experience and a passion for sports to our school community.

Weakley is a native of Ellettsville and excelled in basketball, cross country and track in high school. Notably, he was recognized as an Indiana “Top 40” Selection and received Academic All-State Honorable Mention. His academic achievements earned him the prestigious Eli Lilly Scholarship, which allowed him to attend DePauw University. There, he continued to showcase

his athletic prowess by playing four years of NCAA Basketball.

He holds a diverse educational background, having studied Psychology, Sociology and History at DePauw University and Indiana University. His commitment to athletics extended beyond his own participation, as he took on coaching roles to inspire and

guide young athletes. He served as a high school varsity assistant boys basketball coach for two seasons and at DePauw University for one season. Additionally, he was the director of basketball at Tier Ten Sports for eight years and led Bloomington’s Youth Basketball Instructional Season (Season 1) for five years. His dedication to fostering athletic skills and sportsmanship continued as he taught Introduction to Basketball courses at Indiana University for two years.

Beyond coaching, Weakley has demonstrated strong leadership and management skills in various roles. He has worked in digital marketing, served as the general manager for Tier Ten Sports and held the

position of Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington.

“Sports are a powerful way of building character and community, two things that are central to [Seven Oaks’] mission. We wanted to find someone who shared those priorities, and we think we’ve found that person in Mr. Weakley,” Headmaster Dr. Stephen Shipp said in a press release. “His impressive background in athletics and education, combined with his dedication to youth development, aligns perfectly with our mission to train the minds and improve the hearts of our students. We are delighted that he is joining the Seven Oaks family, and we’re looking forward to seeing where

Tommy Weakley, Athletic Director at Seven Oaks Classical School. SUBMITTED PHOTO.

New timekeeping system in the works for county

By Hannah Amos Correspondent

If all goes as planned, county employees will no longer have to use Excel to log their time, with the auditor’s office having to input each employee’s times and days off individually.

Instead, Maddie Chesser, with the help of others, plans to provide a more efficient way to clock-in, simply by introducing card swipes into the courthouse.

A proposal to buy 15 time clocks to accompany a new timekeeping system for county employees was presented by Chesser.

The presentation occurred during the June 5 commissioners

meeting. Chesser has been working on the project since January.

She said the maximum amount of clocks they would need is 13.

However, to save money, Chesser recommended instead buying nine clocks, since each clock costs $1,400 with a $30 monthly maintenance fee. If the commissioners got the 13 clocks, the total would be $20,375.

Breaking down that price, Chesser said it would cost $18,200 for the clocks, $1,200 for the key cards, $975 for shipping, and a $390 monthly maintenance fee.

With having less clocks, Chesser recommended using the desktop

and mobile app options to fill in the gaps. The desktop and mobile app options are free to use, instead of the time clocks.

Commissioner Joel Lowe asked Chesser what is the difference between the desktop and mobile options.

To clock in on the desktop, an employee clocks in on their computer which is connected to the county server. For the mobile app, the employee can clock in outside of the office, but there is a GPS tracker that logs where the punch in takes place.

Gary Burton, president of the board of commissioners, said they agreed in a previous meeting that they decided

to have card swipes in every location, with the Owen County Courthouse having one time clock.

He also listed concerns regarding the use of the desktop and mobile app.

“I know that all of our employees are very honest, but what stops them from giving a password to a fellow coworker, and say ‘Hey, I’m gonna be 20 minutes late, punch me in,’’’ Burton said.

Chesser stated she didn’t believe it’d be a big issue due to there being singlestaffed and small departments. The app’s GPS tracker and the desktop having to be connected to the server helps with accountability.

Chesser

proposed that the courthouse would have four clocks, one on each floor with two on the first floor. At minimum, she recommends three clocks. The proposed offices that would not have a physical clock are the Emergency Management Agency (EMA), Probation, Extension, Soil and Water, and Veterans Services.

The courthouse and smaller departments have been practicing using the desktop system, said Chesser.

The Highway Department, with Director Greg Melton being the only one with access, has been using the app.

The employees call Melton when they need to be

clocked-in when they’re traveling. At the end of the meeting, the commissioners decided to wait till the next commissioners meeting to make a decision on the time clocks.

During the June 10 county council meeting, the council approved the use of up to $21,000 to spend on time clocks.

In the June 19 commissioners meeting, Burton said the commissioners hoped to expedite the time clock process. They approved ordering 11 clocks, the total price being $17,425, including shipping and badges. The monthly maintenance cost for the clocks is $330.

County discusses fire radio tower project

By Hannah Amos Correspondent

Static, muffled, choppy voices speaking barely intelligible codes is the current fire radio system in Owen County.

The fire radio system is analog, but new Owen County 911-Communications Director Cherie Anderson has plans to improve it by changing it to digital signals, a signal that makes the voices as clear as water.

A system the Owen County police departments already have.

First, Anderson asked the commissioners to approve the rescinding on the Ritter Strategic Services (RSS) contract, a contract originally signed in February. After starting in March, looking over it, she feels the work can be done without RSS, which could potentially save the county $55,000.

The attorney found no issue with the request, stating that since there was not a meeting of minds, a meeting where both parties are present and can discuss the terms and conditions of a contract, then the contract wasn’t valid.

The commissioners approved rescinding the contract unanimously, 3-0.

Moving on, Anderson brought up the vendor request proposal for the radio tower project. Currently, there are no bids, but Anderson is working on creating a proposal to send to vendors. Once she receives bids, the due date being June 24, Anderson plans to have the 911 Advisory Board hear them in a public meeting June 26.

The commissioners approved the sending of the proposals.

“I’m kind of hitting the ground running with this, because I would like to see the entire system installed and in place by potentially late fall,” Anderson said.

Though there is not an official cost for the project, the Owen County Council, in a previous meeting, estimated the project to be around $500,000.

To help fund the project, the county council proposed using the American Rescue

Plan Act (ARPA) fund. The commissioners approved the council’s proposal.

Gary Burton, president of the board of commissioners, said $350,000 from the ARPA fund would be an appropriate amount, with the balance being taken care of by the county council. The commissioners approved the amount from the fund.

When it comes to ARPA funds, both commissioners and county council members must approve the expenditure. Commissioners are tasked with the planning and proposal, while the council is responsible for the expenditure itself.

“This is important money to be spent for a very important project,” Burton said.

While the radio project is still being planned and finalized, Anderson also brought up the state of the towers and discussed tower maintenance.

Anderson visited the four fire radio tower sites — Freedom, Hoosier Energy, Ponderosa Road and Patricksburg Community Volunteer Fire Department — along with the backup tower on Rocky Hill Road. She stated these sites “needed extensive construction work” on the buildings that house the radio equipment.

She described the Freedom site being a dilapidated building with gravel flooring as well as having a mouse problem. The Rocky Hill Road site was described as having water damage.

Burton said the roof of the Rocky Hill Road site had been repaired, and Anderson noted that though there was no standing water, the damage was still visible on the ceiling tiles and the floor was “spongy.”

“The problem with that is we have one maintenance guy. So he needs two or three other hands to get some of this stuff done, so we have to hire out,” Burton said. “I agree with everything you’re saying. Cherie (Anderson) this stuff needs to be dealt with and fixed immediately.”

He recommended Anderson to send these issues to the maintenance department, as well as

discussing with maintenance the possibility of hiring out to get the towers repaired.

Anderson asked if it would be possible to transfer the $55,000 that was saved from canceling the RSS contract to use on the towers before installing the new digital equipment.

Burton said it would be fine to transfer the ARPA funds towards maintenance, and Anderson said she would come back with quotes pertaining to the maintenance of the towers.

The discussion for the fire tower radio project continued during the June 10 county council meeting.

Anderson brought up the ending of the RSS Ritter contract, and proposed that moving forward she’d organize a committee for the project — made up of members who would use the frequency — to hear the vendor proposals and bids, while having a public meeting to hear the proposals.

“My recommendation is that we don’t (select) the lowest bidder, that we hear the vendors out and hear each of their proposals,” Anderson said.

County council member Anton Neff asked if Anderson would seek out more professional help, like how the Ritter contract was intended. He cited the last time a radio project was done, it was vendor-driven, and he wanted to make sure past mistakes weren’t repeated.

County council president Polly Chesser said the previous project resulted in the vendor leaving the radios worse than what they were originally.

Anderson responded, saying that there will be assurances built in throughout the process. She said the vendor wouldn’t be paid the full amount unless the system was at least 85-percent better than it was.

The council encouraged

Anderson to form the Radio Fire Tower Project committee as soon as possible, but to review ideas and proposals before the public meeting idea. Neff also suggested opening the committee to be a bit broader and having law enforcement and emergency management agency voices included, instead of strictly those using the fire tower frequencies.

Anderson also brought forward the maintenance issues of the towers again. She said in the meeting she was working on bids for the cost to fix the existing structures or creating new structures.

The goal is to have temperature controlled, secure spaces for the radio equipment to be housed. She wants to protect the investment in the new fire frequency by upgrading the security of the equipment and potentially having more cameras and/or installing alarm systems.

Since the county doesn’t own the land the towers are built on, except for the one at the Particksburg Community VFD, but, instead, lease the land, the council told Anderson to look into the leases, which she’ll provide more information about at the next meeting.

“The main reason for this, going all the way back to the main reason, is there are many scenes where there’s zero communication with dispatch,” county council member Steve Carrell said. Carrell is also a firefighter with the Cataract Volunteer Fire Department. “We just cannot talk to anyone. There is no communication. We’re trying to get through, nothing happens. We literally have to send somebody either up a hill in a vehicle to call or we pick up our cell phone.”

Anderson said the anticipated date to have the new digital radio system in place is by the end of fall to early December.

S-OCS to hold work session for open board position

By Hannah Amos Correspondent

In attendance for the June 13th Spencer-Owen Community Schools (S-OCS) Board public meeting was board president Derek Morgan, vice president Mark Rogers, secretary Rick Smeltzer, Chad Cooper, Sonia Brinson and secretary pro tem Lizz Bixler, virtually, along with S-OCS Superintendent Andy Cline.

Rogers, seconded by Cooper, motioned to approve the Owen Valley High School (OVHS) and Owen Valley Middle School (OVMS) Choir out-of-state and overnight field trip to Hamilton,

Ohio Feb. 21 to 22, 2025 for the Ross Legacy Championships. The trip was approved unanimously.

Brinson, seconded by Smeltzer, moved to approve the appointment of Leah Taylor on the Owen County Public Library Board. The motion was approved, 6-0.

The request to approve the contract for OVHS heat trace/ new piping insulation was moved by Smeltzer and seconded by Rogers, passing unanimously.

Moved forward by Brinson and seconded by Smeltzer, the 2024-25 school lunch and breakfast prices were approved, 6-0.

Cooper, seconded by

Rogers, moved to waive the reading of the NEOLA Special Policy Updates for June 2024: 5136 personal communication devices; 5200 attendance; bylaw/ policy 0100 definitions. The updates, which are available to read online, were approved unanimously.

The request to advertise and receive bids for proposed SOCS Transportation Building was moved by Brinson and seconded by Smeltzer. It was approved, 6-0.

A request for a professional development contract for 2024-24 with IN-Compass Education was moved by Rogers and seconded by Cooper. The request was approved unanimously.

Cooper, seconded by Brinson, moved the request to approve Amergis Healthcare Staffing Occupation Therapy contract for 2024-25, the request to approve occupational therapy service contract and the request for the approval of speech language pathology service contract.

All three requests the board approved unanimously.

The request to approve the non-commercial driver’s license driver hourly wage to $13.95 was moved by Rogers and seconded by Cooper. The wage request was approved, 6-0.

Brinson brought forward the request to approve classified school psychologist intern 2024-25 school year. Smeltzer seconded the motion.

The board approved the request, 6-0.

Rogers, seconded by Smeltzer, moved the request to approve position control number 12731 classified registered

behavior technician, passing 6-0.

Rogers also motioned to approve the 2024-25 S-OCS Student Handbooks: elementary school student handbook, OVMS student handbook, OVMS athletic handbook, OVHS student handbook, OVHS athletic handbook, and the OVHS alternative school student handbook. Brinson seconded the motion.

The handbook approval request was approved unanimously by the board.

Moving into the personnel section of the meeting, Smetzer moved to approve the classified and certified resignations, terminations and retirements, ECA– coaches and sponsors, leaves, and classified and certified employment. Cooper seconded.

The board approved four resignations, one termination and one retirement.

Six people were hired into the school system.

The meeting ended with Cline announcing the open school board position, formerly held by Lt. Col. Dave Allen, before his death, was on the board’s website and there would be a work session July 11 at 6:30 p.m. regarding the open position.

Smeltzer moved to adjourn the meeting, and Cooper seconded. The meeting adjourned, 6-0.

The next meeting of the S-OCS Board will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 11 in the Mike Wells Memorial Board Room at Central Office, 205 E. Hillside Ave., Spencer.

or positions that I’ve had in the past have led me here to make me a really wellrounded director.”

Anderson filled a threemonth empty position, and a large part of the reason she was picked was her years of experience in public safety, President of the Board of Commissioners Gary Burton said, stating “her resume was second to none.”

The commissioners unanimously voted to hire her, said Burton, after the 911 advisory board selected her as a candidate.

“We’ve never had anybody come to us with the background that she provided, and we’re very fortunate to have her,” he said.

Her experience spans 28 years – including eight years as a firefighter for California’s largest fire department, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), 15 years as a 911 dispatcher and, after moving to Indiana in 2017, five years as an emergency management coordinator at Indiana University.

Anderson believes her experiences in different facets of public safety have helped her become a wellrounded director in addition to serving as stepping stones to lead her to her current position.

The 911 director position also felt like a good fit to Anderson.

“It would be a way for me to just take all my years of experience and then lead a team and help educate dispatchers and use my experience and knowledge and help them grow,” she said.

Anderson has found the 911 dispatcher team to be very welcoming while they help her adjust into her position learning the ins and outs of the Owen County 911 center.

She said “each dispatch center is different,” and so the team helping her learn how Owen County runs has

to learn, they pick up things quickly. I’ll take that any day, too,” she said. “I’m grateful for what I have.”

Anderson has many hopes and plans for her team, which is young and new. With dispatchers as young as 19 and experience ranging from less than three months to two-and-a-half years, Anderson hopes to make 911 dispatching a career in Owen County.

She hopes to improve mental health resources for her dispatchers, gain more training, increase pay and gain more positions.

Since day one, Anderson has been dealing with these issues, such as understaffing. In her first week, she hired three dispatchers, and now she’s focused on training them on the 911 programs.

Other initiatives Anderson plans to accomplish are updating the fire radio towers from analog to digital frequencies and improving the maintenance of the towers, which she has brought up in local government meetings.

Anderson’s focus on initiatives didn’t go unnoticed during the interview process.

Burton said “the fact that she is a person with a positive personality, positive direction, wants to get things done, somebody with some character” is another reason Anderson was appointed by the commissioners.

Burton cited Anderson hiring more dispatchers as one example of her being a good hire, and that the community is “very fortunate” to have her.

“What people need to understand [is that] 911 is the lifeline of the county,” he said.

Since Anderson got the job, she’s been working 10 to 12 hours five days a week, focusing on her plans and projects to better serve Owen County.

“Once you’ve been in public safety so long,” she said, “you just really can’t imagine doing anything else.”

FROM TOP: Owen County 911 dispatchers responding to calls in the call room in the Owen County Emergency Medical Services building. Dispatchers work 12-hour shifts handling stressful situations. 911 Communications Director Cherie Anderson aims to help her dispatchers by advocating for them in terms of better pay, more training and more mental health resources. // The on-call room for Owen County 911 dispatchers located in the Owen County Emergency Medical Services building. Dispatchers can use the room if they do two back-to-back 12-hour shifts, to help mitigate stress and fatigue. // 11 Communications

Director Cherie Anderson’s desk with her radio on to listen to ongoing calls and a humorous quote to help her through the day. Since she’s been hired in March, Anderson works 10-to12-hour days five days a week focused on improving 911 communications and helping her dispatchers.HANNAH AMOS | THE OWEN NEWS

PUBLIC SAFETY | FROM PAGE 1

Lilly Scholarship application open

Submitted Article

The 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Owen County through the Owen County Community Foundation (OCCF).

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and one scholarship in Owen County. LECSP scholarships may be used for otherwise unreimbursed full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year. The special allocation may cover the costs for required books and required equipment for four years of undergraduate study on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.

The program, administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and locally in Owen County through OCCF, is open to all Indiana residents who: •graduate from an accredited Indiana high school by 2025 and receive their diploma no later than June 30, 2025; •intend to pursue a full-

time baccalaureate course of study at an eligible college or university in Indiana; and •meet the criteria specific to their local community foundation.

Visit owencountycf.org/ lilly-endowment-communityscholarship for complete information regarding Owen County’s application criteria.

Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Owen County and apply for the scholarship by visiting bit.ly/2024OCCF. Applications must be completed and submitted by Saturday, August 31, at 11:59 p.m. to be considered.

Applications will be evaluated on, but not limited to, the following criteria: eligibility, academics, leadership, and accomplishments.

One finalist will be nominated by the OCCF, and their name will be submitted to ICI for final selection of the recipients. Scholarship recipients will be notified in December.

Lilly Endowment created LECSP for the 1997-98 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling more than $490 million. More than 5,300 Indiana students have received Lilly

Endowment Community Scholarships since the program’s inception.

The primary purposes of LECSP are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.

OCCF is again pleased to offer LECSP for its 28th year in Owen County.

“The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is the highest academic scholarship available locally to Owen County students through the Foundation,” said Janet Rummel, President & CEO of the Owen County Community Foundation.

OCCF is a public charity founded in 1994 as a resource to connect caring individuals with causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. Since its founding, the OCCF has been able to grant more than $10 million to area nonprofit and charitable organizations in our community, and over $1.6 million in scholarships to Owen County students. The OCCF is committed to enhancing the quality of life for all citizens of Owen County, now and for generations to come.

For more information, visit owencounty.org or call (812) 829-1725.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on- time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates.

The Cataract Lake Area Crime Watch covers Jackson and Jennings Townships in Owen County and Cass Township in Clay County. Our purpose is to coordinate training for citizens concerning observation, detection and procedures on reporting crime. This includes information on criminal activities from our local sheriff department. Membership shall be defined as residing in our area as listed above. Our goals are neighbors looking out for each other and being good responsible citizens. Please join our team and prevent crime.

We meet the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 P.M. at: Cataract Volunteer Fire Department 9582 Hi Ridge Trail Phone number: 765-795-3790

President of Cataract Lake Area Crime Watch is Barron Eugene Barnett. His phone number is 765-795-5289.

Serving

The 4th Annual Serving Owen County Together event took place on June 22. More than 100 volunteers served 740 adults and 568 kids, totaling 1,308 indivuals throughout the day. Participants received both items and information connecting them to services. PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY AARON LAGRANGE.

Buzzing

WITH COMMUNITY

Two cousins open Busy Bee Cafe

By Hannah Amos Correspondent

Wood panels lined with Owen County history, donated decorations and reused booths make up the new family restaurant in Spencer, Indiana along State Road 46.

For Jenifer McCart and Andrea Davis a sense of family is important, and that’s what they aim to bring to Owen County in their new restaurant, Busy Bee Cafe.

The two cousin owners, after working together at Crossroads 46 Diner, started their family-owned restaurant, opening it March 27.

The cafe stemmed from McCart’s desire to start her own food truck, and when Davis learned of McCart’s idea, she decided to join in. As other servers heard of the idea, McCart and Davis decided to think bigger and own a restaurant instead.

At the restaurant they employ friends and family, but their family sentiment spreads to their customers.

“I just purely care about the customers,” Davis said. “Another main reason why we did this is because we want to be able to give to the low income side of this community.”

McCart added it’s important to have affordable meals that are quality and aren’t frozen and processed. Busy Bee provides homemade meals along with having local ingredients.

For both McCart and Davis, it’s important to give back to their community, using all of their resources they have in their arsenal to help.

Davis said they aren’t “trying to be billionaires,” but they enjoy seeing their customers come in and then “leave with a smile on their

face and a full belly,” said McCart.

Recently, the two set up a program to give veterans discounts at the restaurant.

This desire to have a family connection in their restaurant comes from their history in Owen County and their time at Crossroads.

The sense of community and family has spread to the design of Busy Bee as well with donated decorations, furniture, and local history decorating the walls.

There’s a mix of family photos and photos from the Owen County Public Library’s archives along the walls. Davis hopes to cover the walls with photos and decorations.

To Davis, who was in charge of decorating the cafe, history is important to her. To her, it’s important to show where she comes from as well as bringing nostalgia into the cafe.

She also feels that the history on the walls reflects what Busy Bee stands for and what a community can be.

“Community is a team and everybody has to look out for each other,” Davis said. “With everything in the economy, in the world, and how hard everything is and everybody’s just trying to make it. We have to look out for our own and make sure that we’re putting it back into the schools, putting it back into our own places and our own people here.”

For Davis and McCart, community is the passion behind the restaurant and what started it. The nicknames they’ve given their customers and local veterans is a backbone of what the restaurant is.

“We have nicknames for all of our customers and our vets that come in that have no place to go for Thanksgiving, and we truly care about them,” Davis said.

This care has extended to McCart inviting some veterans to her own Thanksgiving.

“I grew up poor in certain times of my life and couldn’t afford certain things,” Davis said. “So, it’s like when I know that a lot of this community does struggle, but I want them to be able to come in, talk to your server, have a conversation because sometimes they will come in twice a day and you’re only open from 6 [a.m.] to 3 p.m., and they want to come in twice a day just to be able to talk to somebody, and so that’s where the girls and the service, I mean, that’s the whole point of having the servers to be able to have that relationship with them rather than just going to fast food getting what you need.”

The name, Busy Bee, comes from a mix of things. It started from McCart’s bee tattoos Davis liked, as well as the saying “busy bees.” A saying the two cousins relate to as they’ve worked in the food industry.

“We were servers nine months ago or however long ago, and running through the aisles and what we are,” Davis said. “We’re constantly looking like bees running around.”

Taking the name, a theme of black and yellow was made with foods incorporating the words honeycomb, hive, and bumblebee.

In the future, Busy Bee hopes to expand their business hours. Currently, the restaurant is open from 6 a.m to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday and 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday. They plan to stay open later on Thursdays and Saturdays, along with the current Friday time.

Along with extended hours, they hope to utilize their stage area and have local bands perform as well as potentially having karaoke nights for children. Those are just some of the ideas the two have, but to them, their space provides endless possibilities.

With coffee and the community as their source of motivation, Davis and McCart are focused on growth.

Customers eat breakfast at the recently opened Busy Bee Cafe. The family restaurant is located at 374 IN-46 in Spencer. It opened in late March. More photos can be found online at theowennews.org. HANNAH AMOS | THE OWEN NEWS

Designed by Local Artist Niki Gessler

Summer events continue at OCPL

By Ginger Kohr OCPL Director

Events for all ages are planned for the summer, with big events planned for every Fantastic Friday. Friday, July 5: Our own Field Day, be prepared to run, jump, hop, skip and be active.

Friday, July 12: Magic Don Miller’s tribute to Harry Potter. Friday, July 19: Professor Steve’s Excellent Adventure.

Friday, July 26: Our new annual favorite program that is fun for everyone: Foam Happy Foam Party!

But Friday isn’t the

only day for summer events:

Every Tuesday at 10 a.m. there is a story time for all children.

Every other Wednesday at 11 a.m. there will be a craft activity: July 10 and 24.

Wednesdays at 2 p.m., for ages 10 to 18, we have a new program: “How to do stuff.” There will be some basic cooking, some basic sewing and some other skills too… but what will be cooking and what will you sew?

Anytime we are open: Bring the kids in to play and pick out stacks of books to read together. Keep those

reading skills sharp all summer!

We won’t leave out the adults.

Book Club with Hannah will continue to meet the fourth Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. Join the fun of discussing a book that you all have read. One book can inspire many viewpoints. Book club will meet on July 24.

Care for the Caregivers meets every Wednesday from noon to 1:30 p.m. Caring for those we love can be hard work, can be heartbreaking, can cause fatigue, loneliness, and then feelings of guilt for feeling that

way. Sometimes the caregiver needs to get away just for a little while to have their own emotional batteries recharged. You don’t have to drive all the way to Bloomington, you are welcome to join us at the library.

Watercolor painting class meets the first Friday of every month at 2 p.m. For July, that will be July 5.

For those who enjoy creating art with Polymer Clay, join us on Friday, July 26 at 4:30 p.m.

B.J.’s Crafts time is every other Wednesday, July 3, 17 and 31 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and continuing into August

on Aug. 14 and 28.

*If you have been attending an event that is not listed here, it does not necessarily mean the group is not meeting, but rather, that the class is full and not seeking new attendees at this time, or that it might have been temporarily suspended.

The Friends of the Library will have their monthly Book Sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 13 in the library’s Community Room. This month’s sale features DVDs for 50 cents each! Stock up on summer reading and movies.

Endwright Center, Area 10 offer several programs

By Amy Guerrettaz Endwright Center Activities & Programming Manager

Area 10 Agency on Aging strives to enhance the social, emotional, mental and physical wellbeing of seniors, persons with disabilities and family caregivers living in Monroe and Owen counties by providing resources, solutions and connections. The Endwright Centers are a big part of this mission. Our Endwright Centers provide an assortment of offerings to support the physical, social, mental and emotional wellbeing of the 50+ community member.

Programs and activities take place at the Ellettsville Endwright Center which is located at 631 W. Edgewood Dr. in Ellettsville and the Endwright East Active Living Community Center which is located inside the College Mall as well as various locations throughout the community.

Several of our activities are evidenced-based or evidenceinformed, like our Balance Classes which are based on Arthritis Foundation Principles and our art and music programming. According to Art Benefits the Mind, Spirit and Body published by Right at Home (which

is a national organization dedicated to improving quality of life), “It has long been known that for people of every age, the act of creation is life-enhancing and nourishing for the spirit. Now we know that the benefits go beyond the spiritual: recent studies have demonstrated that even when all the other variables are the same, older adults who participate in art programs have fewer doctor visits and lower healthcare costs, use less medication, experience a lower rate of depression and even have fewer risk factors for entering a

nursing home.”

We offer yoga classes – including chair yoga, Tai Chi, balance classes, group hikes and bikes. We have many clubs and artistic expression opportunities like our Knitting Circle, Watercolor Club, Jam Sessions, Diamond Painting, Bridge, Euchre, Mahjong and Garden Clubs. And, we have healthy lifestyle and nutrition programs on a regular basis as well as our daily Café Lunches and monthly Potlucks. We truly believe there is something for everyone offered through our Centers.

The Endwright Center, located in Ellettsville, is offering several community-based activities for the month of July:

-Exercise equipment

(including treadmills, ellipticals and recumbent bikes) is available to members Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

-Our Balance Classes are evidencebased through the Arthritis Foundation to improve strength, balance and flexibility. These chair-based classes are offered Mondays and Fridays at 10 a.m.

-Rhythm and Drumming is offered on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month at 12:30 p.m.

-We have an active Fiber Arts Group who meet on Mondays at 1 p.m. to socialize and work on individual crochet,

needlepoint and knitting projects.

-Our avid ping pong players meet Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. for rousing games of ping pong, laughter and comradery!

-Euchre is the card game of choice at our Ellettsville location and members meet weekly on Wednesdays at noon.

-Our off-site activities include Pickleball at the Salvation Army on Thursdays at 2:15 p.m. and group hikes at various locations in the area on Tuesdays.

For more information, please email Kris Campbell at kcampbell@ area10agency.org or call us at 812935-2515.

June, the acreage the county would receive in the deal has shrunk to just under 10 acres.

And to circumvent potentially losing the deal due to a difference in the appraisals and to allow for more flexibility in considering value beyond the appraisal the commissioners are looking to use the County Redevelopment Commission (RDC) as a passthrough for the property exchange.

“‘I’ve had conversations and looked all over this town and county for property to build a jail, which is a huge concern and issue right now. I’ve toured so many jails in the last six or seven years, I don’t care if I ever see another one,” commissioner Gary Burton, who also sits on the RDC, said at their meeting on June 29. “We’ve been turned down in every direction that we possibly went.”

He continued.

“A lot of people might have thought I was crazy with the idea of 96 acres for 10, but that property out here that we’re talking about is non-buildable. It’s hills, hollers and has a five-acre old landfill on it that is limited to what can happen there. It’s the only flat piece on the whole property. The rest of it’s all for beans.”

He said the property “would make a good timber farm.”

Burton also said that the 9.64 acres they are looking to receive from Franklin is the only buildable land, and that the rest of it goes back into the quarry and is used for a log yard.

Burton continued advocating for the 9.64 acres.

“It gives the county room for growth for other buildings if need be,” he said.

He added that the commissioners entered into an agreement with Elevatus Architecture firm.

“This particular structure has to sit on, at least, four acres of property, just the building itself,” Burton said.

He then described some of the legal challenges, including two sets of appraisals from two different companies.

He said he contacted Rich Figg of Figg Appraisal Group and Jeffrey Goldin of Goldin Appraisal Group, both out of Monroe County, because there is not anyone in Owen County that “does those types of values.”

“I asked him to get them as close as they possibly could, and say that honestly. Help us get this as close as possible; one has infrastructure, one doesn’t,” Burton said.

He said that they ran into a wall and asked county attorney Dana Kerr to present more.

Kerr said he spoke to someone from the Indiana Association of Counties regarding the matter.

“If the appraisal for the property the county wants is more than the other property, then the county can trade that property plus the

extra money, but there is no provision to get that property if what [the county is] giving up is worth more than the property they’re getting by appraisal,” Kerr said.

But the RDC is able to do so.

“Those appraisals should be requested by the RDC because since they could be off, it would be very difficult for the county to just get the property or to buy the property,” Kerr said.

Kerr suggested the county sell the property, but noted that they seem to like the idea of a property swap.

“We could go either way with that Dana. But I think we’re all in agreeance with the council and our special meeting. If we can get this done with zero dollars, that was our hope,” Burton said. “Because what we’re finding is the county property, because of the amount of it is going to be worth a little but more than the roughly 10 acres that we’re looking at out here.”

Burton said that the property owner was not going to pay the difference because that was not part of the proposed deal. He also said that county council president Polly Chesser, who also sits on the RDC, had previously asked if there was more land that Franklin could add to help even out the appraised values.

“There’s just nothing there that is buildable on that site,” Burton said of the surrounding acreage owned by Franklin.

Kerr said that the appraisals would have to be requested by the RDC.

“Owen County can give the RCS that 97 acres … and then this RDC can enter into an agreement with the other property owner,” Kerr said. “The RDC has to have the appraisals, but it doesn’t matter what they say as long as the RDC takes into consideration what those appraisals are, because the RDC could say ‘look, we need a jail, we need a jail site, so that makes that property worth more to us,’ so even if the other property appraises for more, it doesn’t matter. You can still just swap the property.”

The RDC would then give the property back to the county.

“So basically you’re saying that the RDC has an ability to smooth out any differences of the appraisal based on the perception of what the county needs and the value we see in the properties, as opposed to the current situation, with [which] the county does not allow for that,” Craig Coffman, president of the RDC said.

“The land value to us is so much more important for what we’re trying to get accomplished, regardless of what that’s worth out there,” Burton said in the affirmative.

“But there’s enough difference that it can cause scrutiny, I guess. But this way it is more important that we have a site to have future growth because right now we’re landlocked,” Burton said, referring to the current jail placement.

Coffman noted that as a certified public accountant (CPA) he knows that valuations are subjective and that it doesn’t account for the location or utility access.

“It sounds like in our hands, we have the ability as a condition to work that out,” he said, adding that it sounds like it is in the best interest of the county.

“It absolutely is,” Burton affirmed, adding that it means the money not spent to purchase land can be used on building the jail.

The commissioners agreed to get blueprints for a $25 million jail, with $20 million for the jail structure itself and $5 million for soft costs.

“If we don’t have to spend a dime out of our coffers in any way, shape or form to make this transaction, that’s what it’s all about,” Burton said.

Kerr said that the first step would be for the RDC to adopt a resolution authorizing/ratifying obtaining appraisals for both properties and a resolution approving the acquisition of the county property. The timeline for this is on or before July 17 when the commissioners meet again.

Burton had appraisals in sealed envelopes that he had not opened yet.

He also said the RDC could keep the property until the jail was built on it.

Chesser brought up ensuring that it passes the environmental study before purchasing or trading for the property.

“If we get this process started, Polly, I don’t see a reason why we can’t go ahead and do a test on that site. I mean, this is going to take a couple of months,” Burton said. “I want to say this to everybody here, other than Polly and I, I think that her and myself are in agreeance that this is the site, this is the place that it needs to happen, and we’re ready to move forward. So I know this seems like a process, but it’s the legal way to do it by the State of Indiana.”

“That’s why it’s really important to me to make sure we have all our ducks in a row,” Chesser said.

Burton stressed the importance of the project.

“But this is very, very important for the growth future of Owen County, and this jail project has been on tap for long before I got here. So it’s time to move forward. We came up with a plan. We’ve got a dollar amount. We’ve got a company. We’re ready to move forward,” he said.

Bobby Hall, who also serves on the RDC, clarified that the RDC would serve as the “handler of the business end of it all.” He noted that it is a standard process and that the Town of Spencer is doing the same thing with their sewer project at McCormick’s Creek State Park.

Kerr said that the RDC’s role is to help develop the county, and they can use that as a very significant factor in deciding what they can do. He too said the county could not rebuild on the current jail site, and Chesser said that it

likely would not pass the environmental study.

Burton said that visitors likely wouldn’t know that it is a correctional facility from the road if it were not for the signage.

“It’s a very nice looking building,” he said.

Kerr said that with this design inmates, who are entitled to a certain number of hours of sunlight per day, will no longer need the old-style yards. Instead, as a twostory facility, the windows at the ceiling satisfy the requirements.

Burton said another bonus is the war room, of sorts, with a meeting room that he estimates as three times the size of the commissioners’ room in the courthouse.

“That’s something that we don’t have that was a big selling point for me is to make sure that was about to happen because the jails that we’ve toured, a couple of them had that,” Burton said.

Derek Morgan, president of the SpencerOwen Community Schools Board of School Trustees and an ex-officio member of the RDC, asked about the public response so far.

“I can assure you, Derek, from our meetings as a joint session, everybody was on board with the land swap. This room was full, and there wasn’t one [member of the] public against it,” Burton said.

The proposed land swap in that meeting was that the county would receive 30 acres.

The group said that the only risk to the RDC was the cost of appraisals which Burton said the commissioners would reimburse the RDC for.

“I can tell you from the county standpoint, you’re our last hope, or this commission is, I’ll put it that way. Without spending any money, I shouldn’t have said it that way. We can always say, ‘Yeah, we’ll pay the difference,’ or ‘We’ll just buy the property.’ We are just trying to save our reserves,” he said.

Hall moved that they move forward with the proposal and not have any commitments set in stone yet. Burton seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

The landfill opened in 1959 and closed in 1983. Burton said five of the acres are the landfill and that per the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), the top layer cannot be disturbed. He said that the obligations of that site transfer to the new property owner and Franklin is aware of them.

Council questions commissioner decision

Chesser gave an update that the group met and went to see an Elevatus jail in Missouri that was almost complete. At that meeting, which preceded the RDC meeting, she asked for an update on the appraisals since Burton was at the council meeting.

“In our commissioner meeting [on June 5], fellow commissioners

agreed to go ahead with the contract agreement with Elevatus that was finalized today (June 10),” Burton said.

“I do know that I’ve had a fellow councilman and then some others that were concerned about not putting [the Elevatus contract] up for bids. Is that something that is not usually done in something like that?” Chesser asked.

“Architects are not normally put up for bid,” Burton said.

Councilman Nick Robertson asked if the commissioners could have saved money by bidding it out.

“You don’t normally put architect bids out to bid,” Burton said. “You pick the company that you like the design.”

Burton said that the county had potential plans from RQAW Corporation from Fishers, Indiana that placed the project at $23 million and were a few years old.

Robertson continued to ask a question but was interrupted before he could finish.

“But we want to use…” Robertson said before Burton interrupted him, “The new sheriff and Polly and I have been on several tours and felt this was the best for the county because it comes with a large conference room. It’s a decision of the commissioners.”

Robertson wondered if RQAW could have had different plans and included that conference room in an updated proposal. Burton said it wasn’t part of their design and that it was different. He also blamed RQAW for $200,000 spent repairing things that were a design fault on the new Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) building.

Sam Hobbs, who is both former sheriff and the Republican nominee for Commissioner District 2, asked questions about the decision from the commissioners.

“We had a joint session between the commissioners and council, and Joel Lowe, who is not here, said that the drawings would go out to bid,” Hobbs said.

He asked why RQAW did not have a chance to bid on the project. He also asked how the commissioners could approve a contract that wasn’t finished yet.

“Just of the size and nature of the project, and the fact that the public is watching very closely over this project, I think maybe there is a miscalculation there,” Councilman Anton Neff said of the commissioners’ decision to sign the Elevatus contract without bids. “It would have been wise to maybe reach out a little bit broader just for the effort to make sure there weren’t other firms that could offer their option.”

The remainder of the interaction can be found online at theowennews. org.

The RDC will meet at 2 p.m. July 11 to consider the necessary resolutions for the jail site acquisition. The full timeline of the proposal approved by the RDC can be found online.

CCMG project completed in Gosport

By Travis Curry Correspondent

Motorists and pedestrians are benefitting from the recent completion of a Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG) project in Gosport.

Awarded to Milestone Contractors for $133,682.00, the lowest of four submitted bids, the project included milling and resurfacing portions of Third, Fourth, Sixth and South streets, in addition to the construction of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant sidewalk ramps in designated areas.

Through the program, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) matches up to $1 million annually when localities invest in road and bridge repairs. To qualify for funding, local governments must provide local matching funds, 50 percent for larger communities or 25 percent for smaller communities, from a funding source approved for road and bridge construction. Communities are also required

and resurfacing

to submit an INDOT-approved asset management plan for maintaining existing roads and bridges.

Gosport received funding during the round of CCMG grants announced in November of 2023. The Town of Gosport is providing the required

25-percent construction match.

The CCMG, established by the Indiana General Assembly in 2016, aims to advance community infrastructure projects, strengthen local transportation networks, and improve Indiana’s roads and bridges.

Since its enactment, the program has awarded nearly $1.5 billion in state matching funds for local construction projects. Open to all local government units in Indiana, the CCMG offers two rounds of applications each year, one in January and one in July.

Gosport Council gives town employees raises

By Hannah Amos Correspondent

Gosport Town Council held their meeting May 28 in the Gosport Community Building.

Present at the meeting was Don Hall, town clerk-treasurer; Marian McGee, council president; Ernie Arnold, vice president; Micheal Miller, member, and Terry English, town attorney.

Many community events and town maintenance projects were discussed during the meeting, as well as a short update on the water project.

The council said Gosport sewer stations are being checked regularly and they

unanimously approved to buy more meter heads for the project. Community members voiced concerns about “brown water,” and the council said it was due to the water system being fl ushed out.

For the Gosport Volunteer Fire Department’s surplus Ford Explorer, fi re engine and former town squad car it was decided to hold an auction. The auction was held at 6:30 p.m. on June 11 behind the fi re department.

Also discussed was the town cleanup project. Though currently, there is no date or expected cost, the town brought up what has been done in the past.

Previously, the town funded half of the project, paying $691.36, with the Gosport Business Association paying the other half. The combined cost was $1,382.73.

Currently, the town is looking to partner with other groups and plans to pay half of what the cost will be. They plan to do it before the Lazy Days parade. Donations for the clean-up are welcomed to be given online, as well as having volunteers for the event.

Also discussed was the Gosport Town-Wide Yard Sale, set for June 15, along with updates concerning the “burned out house.”

The house, 122 W. North St., Gosport, an

abandoned property damaged in a fi re, has a potential buyer, McGee said. The proposed buyer plans to tear down the house, clean up the property and build a new house. McGee clarifi ed on who has a lien on the property, stating the company that installed the air conditioning unit has a lien against the property, not the town.

For the council’s new business, they started discussions of raises for town employees.

The council proposed to give town utility employee Scott Minnick, town utility employee Troy Stallsmith and Gosport Deputy Clerk Wanda White raises.

Due to paying loans off early and letting go a full-time employee, the funds were available to give the raises.

Minnick and Stallsmith were raised from $17.60 to $18.90 per hour, and White was raised from $15.60 to $17.84. All raises were approved 3-0.

Other new business discussed related to town maintenance, such as a tree on 4th Street getting cut for $300 with town employees and volunteers cleaning it up.

There are also plans to replace the fl ag at Gosport Town Hall and replace lights along Main Street by the Gosport Funeral HomeWhitaker Chapel.

Gosport planning town-wide cleanup; still looking for donations

By Hannah Amos Correspondent

Gosport Town Council members Marian McGee, Ernie Arnold and Mike Miller addressed water project updates during their June 11 meeting.

The update started with the council approving paying the June 11 water rehabilitation bills totaling $117,158.85.

Continuing on, the council said the water meter at 242 S. Third St. had been changed out with a radio reader to help with meter readings and new hydrant gauges had been installed to monitor water pressure while the Gosport water tower was out of service.

Regarding wastewater, the backflow had to be changed for the highwater alarm. Grease was pumped out, among other maintenance. The drying beds have also been cleaned.

Town utility employee Scott Minnick requested to order more signs, and the council unanimously approved ordering

at least 12 various different street signage.

The council also discussed automatically paying bills totaling $25,000 or less with approval of the council.

Town clerk-treasurer Don Hall brought forward the discussion, to help make the process more efficient.

The council approved paying bills totaling $25,000 or less without needing to bring the bill forward to the council, 3-0.

The town council also covered town maintenance, such as the three trees to be removed on Greencastle Avenue. The trees will cost $300, with the town employees performing the clean up. Three more trees on South Fourth Street will cost $500, with the town again performing clean up. The council approved the cutting and cleanup of these trees.

A concerned citizen also brought up the old nursing home located at 27 S. Seventh St. The citizen, who lives on Fifth Street, neighboring the nursing home, asked for assistance regarding the building falling apart and

concerns for neighboring children.

Council president Marian McGee said she would contact the owner regarding cleanup.

An update on the status of the “burned out house,” located at 122 W. North St. was also requested.

McGee said there is an interested buyer for the property, but the property had not sold due to the lien on the property from the company that installed the air conditioning.

Chris Wesley, an attendee of the meeting and a member of the Lazy Days committee, offered to investigate the lien to help sell the property.

Moving on to the Gosport Volunteer Fire Department, all surplus vehicles (a Ford Explorer, fire engine and old town squad car) were sold for a combined $3,500. The department also requested purchasing a new garage door opener. The council unanimously approved buying the new opener, 3-0.

On the topic of the townwide cleanup, the council is still looking for a partner

organization or business to help fund the event and secure donations. The plan is for the town to pay half of the total cost, which is still being calculated, and the other organization will take the other half.

The council approved paying half of what the total cost will be for the cleanup. A date for the cleanup is still to be determined.

Moving on, the council addressed a salary ordinance amendment regarding raises for town employees Minnick, Troy Stallsmith and Gosport Deputy Clerk Wanda White approved during the council’s May 28th meeting. The amendment proposed the raises to have started June 3. The retroactive action was approved, 3-0.

Wesley, requested the use of Gosport Town Park from Aug. 8 to Aug. 11 for the annual Lazy Days Festival. Wesley also requested utilizing Third Street to South, down Main Street and Fourth to Third Street. This is to help with both the festival and the car show.

The council approved the requests, 3-0.

Employees with Milestone Contractors mill a portion of Third Street in Gosport prior to patching

the section of street with new asphalt. TRAVIS CURRY | THE OWEN NEWS

Behind the curtain of the county fair

work almost invisibly to make sure that fair attendees have a safe and enjoyable experience. This article takes a peek at how groups work together to make a fair come together.

The most obvious aspect of a fair is the grounds. In Owen County, the Owen County Fair Board is the entity that hosts fair activities and

provides the upkeep on said facilities until the next fair. Keeping buildings in shape, mowing and weeding, road maintenance and utility maintenance are just some of the jobs the board manages during the entire year. The board is a voluntary group that meets year-round to plan events and manage infrastructure.

The 22-member board consists of all unpaid volunteers who donate their time and talents to making the Owen County Fairgrounds a very well-kept, useful facility. I have worked at many counties, and I have to say the Owen County Fairgrounds are well maintained and an asset to the community. The fair board has several committees comprised of volunteers who manage things like parking, tickets, entertainment and vendors. Thanks for providing Owen

County 4-H a wonderful facility to stage county fair activities!

Another organization that provides support to the 4-H program is the 4-H Council. The council is also a volunteer organization that oversees policies and procedures of the county 4-H program. The council also provides financial support for 4-H activities like camp, band camp, scholarships, awards and member recognition. To financially support these activities the council sponsors an auction that will take place at 6: 30 p.m. on July 8 at the fair. This auction will support 4-H scholarships. New for 2024, the council will auction off baked goods of 4-Hers at 7 p.m. on July 7. The proceeds will benefit the county program. Grandpa, plan now to bid on those cookies

your grandchild made!

Another group that helps make the 4-H program function are the 4-H leaders and volunteers. From livestock project leaders to club leaders to specialty club leaders, these adults work with 4-H youth to prepare for fair exhibition. Don’t forget that some of the 4-H projects will have had their activities completed before fair officially starts. Shooting sports projects, theatre, tractor driving and dog obedience are examples of activities you won’t see competing at fair, but posters of their activities will be posted in the 4-H Exhibition Hall.

The Purdue Extension-Owen County staff is a team comprised of Extension educators and administrative staff. Plan now to welcome our newest team member, Cassie

Linville, who will assume 4-H Youth educator duties on July 1st. Cassie will be all over the fair, meeting community, helping with activities and carrying out duties of the youth educator. Please say hello to Cassie and welcome her. We are very excited to have her join Purdue ExtensionOwen County! Finally, thanks must be extended to all those who support the fair and 4-H. Donor supporters and county government all play a role in making sure resources are available. 4-H is a family affair that relies on family support to get to meetings and events. Thank you, parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents! Plan now to attend the 2024 Owen County Fair. I am looking forward to the fair, and we hope to see you there!

Submit your art to the Indiana Fish and Wildlife art contest for durable license cards

Submitted Article

By early 2025, those purchasing an Indiana hunting, trapping, fishing or combo license will have the option to purchase their license (for a nominal fee) in the form of a durable card that can withstand harsh outdoor conditions.

To celebrate this highly requested new product, the cards will feature nature and wildlife-themed art from our talented Indiana residents!

Four artists’ works will be chosen for the background options of the durable license cards, as well as our e-gift certificates. Please

read the following for more contest information and send any questions to DFWcontests@dnr. in.gov. Contest Guidelines

All 2-D art mediums will be accepted (i.e. photography, painting, drawing, graphic design, etc.) with the exception of A.I. generated art. Artwork must feature a wildlife species, outdoor recreation activity, or natural landscape found in Indiana. Please note that judging will favor native wildlife and nature.

Artists will submit their entries to DFWcontests@dnr. in.gov.

Please include the

following information in the email: Photographer’s or artist’s name Phone number and address

For artists under the age of 18: Age and name of parent or guardian Month and year that the photo was taken, or art was completed

The location and/or species featured Images must be submitted as .jpg or .jpeg files. Physical entries will not be accepted.

Limit of two (2) submissions per artist. Each submission needs its own email with the relevant information mentioned above.

Each file must be less than 10MB. Please

submit one file per email to ensure the files do not exceed the size limits of state email accounts.

Department of Natural Resources employees are not eligible to enter. Do not include watermarks or signatures on the photo. Such markings will disqualify the photo from the contest. Artwork/images can be black & white or color. Any photographs submitted should be recent (taken within the past 2 years).

Deadline to submit artwork is Friday, Aug. 2 by 11:50 p.m. ET. In addition to the durable license cards and e-gift certificates, artwork

submissions may be used for photo contest promotion and general communications, including the DNR/DFW social media pages, DNR/DFW newsletters, and DNR/DFW websites. Artists will be credited whenever their work is used. If selected, artists agree to allow the use of their artwork without compensation. Artist’s name and city will be featured on the card. Finalists’ submissions will be judged by a panel of DNR staff through a rubric-based process.

Winners will be notified via email and announced via social media.

Ramblings: Berry pickin’ in the summer

By Annie Bright

I went berry picking this morning. I started early to escape the heat and beat the birds to the juiciest berries.

Berry picking requires the right equipment. Long pants, socks, shoes that tie, a hat and bug repellant are required. Things were different when I was a child. I managed to pick berries without any of those things.

One thing I used then and still need is a container with a handle to hang on my arm. That is just in case I run into a lush patch of berries and need both hands to pick.

My son, the Nameless One, is the reason for this berry picking expedition in the middle of a heat wave. He came to my door last night with a plastic bag clasped in his hands. “I think these are raspberries,” he said as he handed me the bag. I was doubtful; raspberries ripened early this year. I opened the bag and

popped one in my mouth. The wild sweetness glided over my tongue like silk. Indeed, he had picked a bag of raspberries. He told me that on his daily walk, he had discovered berries all along his driveway. He suggested if I picked a few more, I could make him a cobbler. He sweetened the plan by telling me he had spotted an owl scratching around in the leaves by his driveway. He knew that an owl on the ground would entice me to take a stroll down his driveway.

As I strolled along his drive, I could see briers

loaded with purple berries. The sun was warm on my back as I transferred the berries from brier to bucket. Most of them were blackberries. The birds had made away with lingering raspberries. The morning was a perfect summer morning, little humidity and not blistering hot. A breeze ruffled the leaves of the tall trees. A rabbit bounded out of a briar patch and zipped away. A deer crashed through the underbrush and across the driveway.

I walked through a patch

of whorled loosestrife, their yellow star-shaped blooms shining in the sunlight.

I noticed some yellow stalks of mullein waving above the daisies. A male gold finch flew up out of the patch of twisted berry branches right in front of me. I don’t know who was the most startled, me or the goldfinch. I didn’t disrupt his breakfast for long; he disappeared in a patch of berries further up the road. My big pot was almost full.

I had enough for two cobblers.

How many generations have the pileated woodpeckers

called these woods home?

Two of them were working on a dead tree. I could hear their unmistakable hammering. One landed on a tree by the driveway and yelled at me, “wrack, wrack, wrack?” That sounded like “what, what, what” to me. What was I doing in his woods?

“Just picking enough berries for a couple of cobblers,” I told him. Indeed, I am a steward of this small piece of Earth, for now. I am more than willing to share the bounty of nature.

‘til next time, Annie

It’s Just a Country State of Mind: It was a dark stormy night…

By Susan Anderson Guest Columnist

its arms with the forces of nature.

downsides of having to rely on electricity is putting up with the spring and summer storms and the frequent power outages that accompany them.

Sometimes just the sound of an approaching thunderstorm has the ability to make a chill run down my spine.

I think the strong winds that blow at night, that make the noises as they blow through the cracks in the doors and the windows of my home, are the ones that make me feel the weakest in the knees.

I have been awakened by the ghostly, howling sounds and as I feebly watch out my bedroom window, I see the trees in my backyard, moving back-and-forth with the wind, like some big giant, waving

Then comes the dreaded power outage. I never know which part of the storm causes the actual power to go out, but I would say any one of them has the ability to do so.

Perhaps it’s the lightning that hits the power line or maybe the wind blows a tree down on them.

In any case, I am left to contend with the results, and the results usually include sudden darkness if the storm comes at night.

As much as I hate storms and the power outages that accompany them, I must say that the end result always causes me to slow down a bit and take stock of where things are in my life.

In this age of computers, satellites and cell phones, I find that I have become perhaps too reliant on these devices.

But when I am forced by an act of nature, to have to sit in the darkness and listen to the sound of the elements raging outside my window, life somehow just doesn’t look the same.

The priorities in my life are suddenly rearranged, and I find that my agenda has been put on hold.

So, I must make a conscious decision to make the best of it for the duration.

Granted, I don’t like being forced into this time of selfexamination, but on the other hand, I don’t think I would otherwise slow down too often to impose it upon myself either.

So when it does happen, I find myself struggling to look for that proverbial silver lining in those old storm clouds that have unexpectedly and without warning, brought my world to a sudden stop.

One thing I’m in the habit of doing these days when the power goes out at night is to get out my old oil lamp.

Like most members of the human race, I don’t relish sitting in darkness for very long, especially given the fact that I like to read before I turn in at the end of the day.

It just so happens that I have my shelves full of books saved for such occasions as these.

I also have a good supply of non-electric lighting on hand. They now have LED lamps to read by that run on batteries. They also have solar chargers so I can charge my cell phone.

But my old faithful oil lamp has provided just the right amount of light to illuminate the darkness that surrounds me on these stormy nights.

The old saying, “the dead of the night,” takes on new meaning for me.

That’s the time that comes when the storm has ended, leaving behind complete silence and utter darkness, with only the flickering flame of an old oil lamp to keep me company.

Recently, I found myself in these very same circumstances. A storm had knocked out the power. It was pitch dark outside.

The silence was deafening.

I reached up to grab a favorite book from my bookshelf. I got out the oil lamp and some candles. I reached down, struck the match and lit the wick of the lamp. The soft light made the room feel cozy.

I became lost in thought, as I watched the shadows of the night pass over the well worn pages of an old Hemingway novel as I read its familiar words.

My books have become faithful companions in times like these.

In my night of restlessness and another sleepless night, I found comfort in the soft light of the lamp and the written words on the pages. I laid awake in the warmth of my bed and pondered over the meaning of life, listening to the sound of the rolling thunder in the distance.

All of these unseen forces at work in the night, serve only to remind me that most of the things in my life are out of my control. And that perhaps the best that I can do is to make the most out of what I have to work with.

Sometimes all I have to work with is something as simple as an old oil lamp and a fine old book by Hemingway on a dark, stormy night.

-Peace, Susan

OCP seeks nominations for annual awards

Staff Report

Owen County Preservations (OCP) is seeking nominations for its Annual Preservation Award. Two recipients will be chosen. The requirements for this

award are as follows: Building must be a minimum of 75 years old. Must have wood siding or stone/brick exterior (no vinyl / aluminum siding). Windows can be updated; they are not required to be lead glass. Restoration work must

have been completed within the last five years (interior or exterior). Structure must be located in Owen County. Can be a residence, church, or business structure.

Photos of the restoration are required for the OCP

Annual Business meeting. Nominations should be emailed to rwhite47460@ gmail.com. The submission deadline is July 15, 2024. Please provide the physical address of the building being nominated to enable OCP officials to conduct a site visit.

Trailing or Leading: Bridging the gap… eventually

By Kyle Hannon Project Manager, MYPath Trail System

We could have made MYPath a multi-sport adventure. Run along a path. Climb down a steep ravine. Maybe swim across muddy water. Or, if the water is down, jump from rock to rock without falling. Climb up a steep mud wall on the other side.

Or, we could get a bridge, then everybody can cross the ravine safely.

The goal of MYPath has been to provide a trail for everyone. As part of our recent Department of Natural Resources grant, we need to make sure the new section of trail is ADA compliant. We are very happy our trail will work for everyone. As I have said in recent meetings, we will have parents pushing kids in strollers, and kids pushing parents in wheelchairs.

So, the creek scramble is out. You can do that on your own time, but it

is not a requirement of MYPath.

Bridges are more complicated than expected. Initially, we were going to restore and relocate the abandoned steel highway bridge near Hancock School Road. That bridge is as long as Elliston Creek is wide. It was a perfect match, and it would add a level of historical significance to our trail.

We talked to several people who have experience restoring old bridges to get some idea of feasibility and cost. Based on that information, our designs and budget included transport and restoration of the old Hancock School Road bridge. Right before we went to bid the project, we thought maybe we should include the option of building a new bridge, just in case.

When we opened the bids, the restoration project was more than twice what we expected. One company did not bid on the restoration, but they bid on installing a new, pre-built bridge in the same location. It was also more than we had planned on spending, but it was significantly less expensive than re-using the old bridge. By altering the scope of the trail

project, we were able to afford a new trail, with a new bridge.

The only drawback is that it apparently takes a long time to build a bridge. I guess we don’t want them to rush through it, but I wish it didn’t take so long. A company in Wisconsin is custom-making a bridge for MYPath. We signed off on all the shop drawings for the bridge in January. And we are not due to get the bridge until late September.

That seemed like an eternity at the beginning of the year. But think about what has happened since then. Milestone Construction, who will be installing our bridge, began mobilizing and starting work on the bridge abutments in April. They even built a temporary bridge to get their equipment back and forth across Elliston Creek. Then the entire area was under water for a week. You may remember the rains in mid-April. Those same rains disrupted work that All American Construction was doing on the new trail.

Eventually, the flooding receded, and Milestone could get back to work on the abutments. And then

it rained some more. And some more. But the flooding never encroached on their work.

Some regular MYPath visitors are familiar with how to get across the creek. Dedicated curiosity seekers can find a small path down to the water. Some volunteers even installed a nylon rope to help hikers climb down the slope, where they can splash across the creek, and climb back out when they return. Other walkers follow deer trails through the woods until then get to River Road. They can cross the creek on the road, then bushwack their way back to the trail.

Why would they do that? As pretty as MYPath is from the Soil and Water Conservation office to Elliston Creek, it is even more beautiful on the

other side.

Today, the abutments are in place. They look great. They are just waiting for the bridge to arrive. A crane will set the bridge in place.

The weather delayed the construction of bridge abutments a little bit. The frequent rains delayed trail construction even more. It will still take a few weeks before the new trail is paved. Suddenly, late September is not so far away. And you will have an easy path to visit both sides of MYPath.

Kyle Hannon is the project manager for the MYPath Trail System. He has served in many community development and trail connection roles throughout the state. On many weekends, he serves as an interpretive specialist at McCormick’s Creek State Park.

The abutments are in place for the new, pre-built MYPath bridge. They are just waiting for the bridge to arrive. SUBMITTED PHOTO BY KYLE HANNON.

Driftwood Outdoors: Breeding duck decline could spell trouble

By Brandon Butler Guest Columnist

Delta Waterfowl is a non-profit conservation organization focused on producing ducks and securing the future of waterfowl hunting. They pursue these initiatives through intensive management programs and conservation of breeding duck habitat. Science is at the core of all Delta does, and each year they share findings with members and the public. This year, some of the science isn’t great.

Delta Waterfowl is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, right in the middle of North America’s prime waterfowl nesting region. Mike Szymanski is migratory game bird supervisor for North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGFD). Delta works with NDGFD and many more agencies to collect data and implement action.

“By and large, all species were flat to down,” Szymanski said. “Mallards, for instance, were down about 19 percent, pintails were down about 29 percent and blue-winged teal down roughly 13 percent. These species

being down from last year is one thing, but when you compare it back to what we consider to be one of our best periods for breeding ducks in North Dakota (1994 to 2016), we’re down a lot more than that. So overall, mallards, pintails, blue-winged teal, gadwalls, wigeon and northern shovelers are down anywhere from 24 percent to 49 percent from that 1994 to 2016 time period.” Waterfowl numbers fluctuate. Understanding why is complicated. What you don’t want to do is ask four duck hunters what’s going on with the population. You’ll likely get four different answers, with each likely being partially true and partially false. The scientists

at organizations, like Delta Waterfowl, and at state and federal agencies have facts behind the information they publish.

“Coming out of winter, we were certainly quite dry after having a mostly open winter across the state, but it rained a fair bit in the 30 days leading up to our survey, so that kept it from being really dry,” Szymanski said. “At the time of our survey, wetland conditions were considered ‘fair.’ We had a lot of new water on the landscape during the survey that really wasn’t there when ducks were moving through. We’re coming out of several years of lower duck production because of drought across a wide swath of the prairie pothole region. It

takes time to build the breeding population up again.”

Rain isn’t something only farmers pray for. Duck hunters are known to perform a rain dances regularly. Precipitation is critical to healthy waterfowl populations.

We are not at a time to panic, by any means, but we’re also far from what numbers could look like, when 20 years ago duck numbers were through the roof.

“While our overall duck population count this year was about 2.9 million birds, that hardly compares to 5.4 million in 2002, our record high,” Szymanski said. “So, we’re down considerably, and we’re getting into this realm of a lower average where we probably won’t be above three million breeding ducks very often based on our landscape conditions.”

A positive future for waterfowl is reliant on input and support from many sources. Government agencies at both the state and federal level, and non-profits like Delta Waterfowl are critical. But no group is more important than private citizens who by and large determine the future of waterfowl

by being engaged, supporting good scientific initiatives and participating in sound conservation practices.

“Developing and implementing new tools to conserve prairie wetlands is so important,” Szymanski said. “Delta continues to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Service to keep small wetlands on the landscape. Those small wetlands are the engine that drives duck production in North America.”

With continued effective management by our government, grassroots efforts from non-profits and a committed army of citizen conservationists, the future of waterfowl and waterfowl hunting looks strong. Recent dips in numbers should raise eyebrows and cause adjustments in management to make sure we have healthy habits and duck numbers moving forward.

See you down the trail….

For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed.

Outdoor Type: Fishing flubs happen to everyone

me that means it was very hot. I hadn’t had a good laugh all day, so I popped in the Bill Dance Bloopers DVD.

I’m not sure if this guy is really as klutzy as he seems on these videos, or if he’s milking it a little for the camera. But he gets into some hilarious scrapes along the treacherous paths of trying to catch a fish. If you want to get an outdoors

person something he/she will enjoy, consider buying him/her one of the several volumes of goof-up videos Bill Dance has accumulated in his long, successful career or just check him out on YouTube.

The DVD reminded me of some of the flubs I’ve had fishing. I had to go get a sheet of paper and jot some of them down. Hope you enjoy hearing about my less-than-stellar escapades while angling. Most events were fairly minor but still frustrating.

One minor incident occurred a few years ago while I was fishing with my at the time 11-year-old granddaughter, Mercy, who is as nutty about

catching fish as I am. We were out on a hot day, but she was loving catching small bluegill. I thought, “Hey, I’ll use one of her smallest bluegills as bait and see if Mr. Bass is interested.”

I put on a large circle hook, sinker, large bobber and then cast out. I diverted my attention for a while as she gleefully landed one bluegill after another. When I looked up, my bobber was nowhere to be seen.

I waited just a few seconds, then put all I had into setting the hook. A very nice three-pound bass jumped, and I handed my bass rod to my granddaughter. With some difficulty but with dogged

persistence, she happily reeled it in. We took photos, then released the fish unharmed. All good so far, until I looked down at my reel. A backlash from Hades had fouled my line into a gigantic bird’s nest. After picking at it awhile, I gave up and started cutting the line out. Next step: installing new line at home.

The next day we were out again in even hotter environs, and the bluegill queen pulled in another bait-size morsel. I repeated yesterday’s scenario, gave a big heave and my brand-new line broke in mid-cast. What the heck? About 20 yards of the line, bobber, sinker, and poor bluegill went

sailing into the middle of the lake. Later on, as we’re motoring around, I spotted the cork. As I neared and went to grab it, it disappeared into the depths. A bass had found my helpless bluegill. Oh, well. I hope no one’s motor prop gets fouled with my line. Maybe everything

will eventually sink Incidents like this happen all the time to fishermen. You’ve got a perfect storm of possibilities: hooks, motors, batteries, lines, rods, electronics, weather, wind and the list goes on. Next month, the lure stuck in my tongue saga.

Monitoring duck numbers is key to maintaining healthy populations with proper management. SUBMITTED PHOTO | USFWS

The author’s granddaughter, Mercy LaGrange, with a nice bass caught using a jig spinner combo. SUBMITTED PHOTO BY LARRY LAGRANGE

INDOT announces chip seal projects

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Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) maintenance crews plan to begin chip seal operations on U.S. 231 in Owen County this month. Crews will be active between the U.S. 231 and State Road 46 junction in Spencer and mile marker 113.5 near Freedom. Motorists should expect lane closures and flagging while work is in progress.

They announced on July 2 that they would plan work on State Road 46 in Owen County between U.S. 231 and State Road 46 junction in Spencer and State Road 246 near mile marker 36 located west of Spencer on or after July 10.

This month as well (weather permitting). Crews will be working in the following locations:

State Road 236: From 1/4 mile east of S.R. 75 (near North Salem) to S.R. 39 (northeast of Danville).

State Road 243: From S.R. 42 to 1/4 mile south of I-70 near Cagles Mill Lake.

State Road 42: From U.S. 231 (Cloverdale) to S.R. 142 (Eminence).

State Road 142: From S.R. 42 (Eminence) to S.R. 39 (near Beech Grove.)

Crews will place message boards at each end of the project, to alert the traveling public. INDOT suggests finding alternative routes during the short duration of the chip sealing operation. In the event of weather delays, the schedule will be altered accordingly. typically lasts three to four days per location depending upon

weather.

Work is completed under lane closures with flagging, or a full closure in several, if not all of these locations to prevent damage to both vehicles and the roadway. During operations, existing pavement is coated with liquid asphalt, which seals cracks and provides waterproof protection. This extends the service life of the roadway and lowers maintenance costs. Once the seal coat is complete, loose aggregate is applied and swept from the road. After a curing period, crews will return to fog seal the new driving surface and apply pavement markings.

INDOT makes every effort to reduce vehicle damage during and immediately after chip seal projects. While these efforts may not prevent all damage to vehicles during the chip seal process, they have substantially reduced the likelihood of damage.

INDOT safety efforts include posting reduced speeds in work zones, closing roadways or lanes during chip seal projects, and sweeping the roadway during the process and after the project is complete to eliminate loose stones.

Chip seal is a cost-effective pavement preservation technique that is utilized across the state of Indiana, saving an estimated six to 14 dollars in taxpayer expenditures for every dollar invested in extending the life of the roadway.

Motorists should slow down, watch for stopped traffic and drive distraction-free through all work zones. All work for this and other projects is weather dependent, and schedules are subject to change.