Schwenk, Kaiser 2026 Junior Achievement Dubois County Business Hall of Fame inductees
Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana announced the 2026 JA Dubois County Business Hall of Fame Laureates at a press conference on Thursday, January 8, at the Dubois County Museum. The 2026 Laureates are Bill Kaiser and Raymond “Ray” J. Schwenk. Laurates will be inducted into the JA Dubois County Business Hall of Fame on Thursday,…
Schroeder seeking re-election as Dubois County Prosecutor
Republican Beth E. Schroeder has announced her candidacy for re-election as Dubois County Prosecutor. She officially filed to seek re-election for the office on January 8, 2026. Schroeder, 39, has dedicated her entire legal career to serving Dubois County as a prosecutor. She started with the office as a deputy prosecutor in 2011, was promoted to…
Guth files for County Recorder
Tammy Guth has filed to seek the Republican nomination for the office of Dubois County Recorder in the May 2026 primary. She has served as the Chief Deputy Recorder since January 1, 2019, and would welcome the opportunity to continue serving the citizens of Dubois County by recording and preserving their land records, she…
Vonderheide ready to pass the torch
“We get more compliments than we do criticisms as an entire team,” Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide said. “Our street department, our park department, arts department, electric department, every department. It is what our teams do, they care about the residents.” The dedication of the city employees to the citizens of Jasper and the compliments he…
Rotary Holiday Diaper Drive nets needed baby supplies
The spirit of giving was on full display this December as the Rotary Club of Dubois County, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Warrick County, successfully completed the second annual Holiday Diaper Drive, providing critical baby essentials to families across the region. Thanks to the generosity of Rotary Club members and community donors, the 2025…
Dubois County Museum announces Festival of Trees winners
The Dubois County Museum announced the winners of the 2025 Festival of Trees Tree Decorating contest. The 50,000-square-foot exhibit area was accented with 52 trees this year. The trees will remain on display until January 10. Volunteers will come in beginning on January 11 to take down their tree. The trees included one from each Dubois…
Flags
Kurt Messier keeps an eye on several flags around the City of Jasper. He handles maintenance for many of the city’s facilities, and changing out tattered flags is part of the job. He was replacing the city flag this morning in front of City Hall. It’s more expensive than American Flags because it isn’t mass-produced….
Mundy announces Jasper mayoral candidacy
Jasper City Council President Philip Mundy has announced his intention to seek the office of mayor following the resignation of Mayor Dean Vonderheide, who plans to step down on March 31, 2026. Mundy has served on the Jasper City Council for seven years, originally filling the council seat vacated by Vonderheide when he was appointed…
County unlikely to take action against battery energy storage system installation
At the first meeting of the year on Monday, Dubois County Commissioners acknowledged they were unable to take any action to stop the installation of a battery energy storage system at the AES Crossvine solar project. They had previously passed a one-year moratorium on solar projects, which will affect any future requests before the county….
Indiana governor boasts drug seizures, traffic enforcement as latest public safety wins
As lawmakers return to the Statehouse for the 2026 session, Gov. Mike Braun hails state police, feds for increased enforcement efforts. By Casey Smith-January 6, 2026 Gov. Mike Braun on Tuesday touted what his administration called major public safety gains in its first year, pointing to large drug seizures, stepped-up traffic enforcement and a sharp…
INDOT cancels, postpones projects
by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle January 6, 2026 The number of nixed road and bridge plans is rising, the Indiana Department of Transportation told state lawmakers on Monday, citing “funding constraints.” “We’ve continued to cancel projects. They’ve continued to have to be postponed,” Legislative Director Aaron Wainscott said. INDOT reported hitting the brakes…
Republican Party calls caucus to select new Jasper Mayor
The Dubois County Republican Party has scheduled a caucus to fill the upcoming vacancy in the office of Jasper Mayor following the service of Mayor Dean Vonderheide, who has led the city since 2018. The caucus will take place on Friday, January 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Jasper City Hall in the Pfaffenweiler Room….
Hoosier girls say connecting with others is essential
Dubois County CARES Hoosier girls yearn for positive social connections, and they want adults to help them achieve them. Those are two takeaways from the 2025 Indiana Girl Report, which came out in the fall. The third annual report comes from the Girl Scouts Coalition of Indiana and the Indiana Youth Institute. In 2025, report…
County Councilman Ryan Craig announces bid for Jasper mayor
Following the resignation announcement of Mayor Dean Vonderheide, Ryan Craig officially announced his intention to seek the office of Mayor of Jasper through the upcoming caucus process. Craig, a county council member and local business owner, expressed appreciation for Mayor Vonderheide’s years of service to the city. “Mayor Vonderheide has dedicated many years to serving…
Mayor Vonderheide stepping down
Jasper Mayor Dean Vonderheide announced he will resign on March 31, 2026, after seven years in the role, which he describes as “the most rewarding of my life, second only to being a husband, father and grandfather.” Vonderheide, who said he is stepping down to focus on his health and family, announced the decision in…
From cellphones to STEM, these are the education issues to watch in Indiana’s 2026 session
by Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle January 2, 2026 Stricter cellphone bans, more focus on STEM and increased school “efficiency” are shaping up as some of the highest-priority education debates Indiana lawmakers will tackle during a fast 2026 legislative session that starts back up next week. The session will be shorter than usual — ending…
2025: A year in photos
It is hard to narrow down just a few photos to encapsulate the year, so we just picked a lot of our favorites. We hope you like them as well.
Lane closure planned for I-64 in Spencer and Perry counties
The Indiana Department of Transportation announces a lane closure for I-64 in Spencer and Perry Counties. Beginning on or around Monday, January 5, crews will begin two separate lane closures on I-64 near Ferdinand. These lane closures will both occur in the eastbound passing lanes. Lane closures will occur between the 70- and 71-mile markers…
Olinger to retire from Freedom Bancorp
Freedom Bank announced that President and Co-Founder Eric Olinger will retire from his role and transition to an advisory role. In a Facebook announcement, the company thanked Mr. Olinger for his years of service. “Though it took many people to transform Freedom Bank from an idea into an organization, Eric was the first to dream…
Mid-States RDA representatives defend transparency, urge county council to continue membership as eight-year term nears expiration
Representatives from the Mid-States Corridor Regional Development Authority presented a comprehensive defense of their operations to the Dubois County Council, requesting the council continue membership as the regional development authority approaches its eight-year statutory expiration in May. For background, Regional Development Authorities were authorized by statute in 2017 through Senate Bill 128, co-authored by then-State…
Gov. Braun announces $207 million federal grant to launch GROW: Cultivating Rural Health
Indiana was awarded nearly $207 million for the first year of a five-year federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to improve health outcomes in the state’s rural communities. The funding will support GROW (Growing Rural Opportunities for Well-being): Cultivating Rural Health, a five-year initiative designed to enhance healthcare access and data, quality, and outcomes through system innovation…
Memorial Medical Center Foundation offers over $75,000 in scholarship opportunities
The Memorial Medical Center Foundation is offering over $75,000 in scholarship opportunities for current high school seniors or students currently enrolled in post-secondary education. A Scholarship Application must be completed by applicants and submitted online by March 15, 2026. For additional scholarship information or to apply, visit www.deaconessmemorial.com/giving and click on “Scholarship Opportunities.” For more information regarding…
Huntingburg Council discusses potential legal battle over solar moratorium
The City of Huntingburg’s attempt to halt approval of commercial solar development plans through a moratorium could face legal challenges, according to the city attorney’s assessment presented to the council Tuesday evening. The moratorium, passed in November, was initiated in response to the AES Crossvine solar development after residents raised concerns about the Battery Energy…
St. Anthony Road North to close for culvert replacement
The Dubois County Highway Department will close St. Anthony Road North beginning Monday, January 5, 2026, for a culvert replacement. The closure will take place approximately 0.6 miles north of Santine Road. Work is expected to last one week, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Smoke-filled hallways force evacuation of Jasper senior living facility
Responding to a smoke alarm at Serinity Spring Senior Living at Northwood Sunday evening with winds whipping up ahead of an approaching cold front could have been the beginning of a bad night for many folks. The department had received the smoke alarm at about 6:30 p.m. and received a call from staff reporting smoke…
Missing Jasper teen found in New York
The Jasper Police Department announced that 16-year-old Allison Alvarez Lopez has been located safely in the state of New York. Arrangements are underway to facilitate her return to Indiana. This successful outcome was the result of a coordinated investigative effort involving the Jasper Police Department, the Washington Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),…
Dubois County Jasper Flight Services, Airport Authority meet, continue contentious negotiations on hangar lease increases
Dubois County Flight Services and the Dubois County Airport Authority met last week to discuss a contentious hangar lease renewal, with CEO Doug Bawel presenting three compromise proposals after months of disagreement over rental rates. Here is information about the process from a story we did in October. The facility was originally built by the…
Friends of IU supports Community Food Bank
Friends of IU and local community members held the 21st annual food drive benefiting the Community Food Bank in Jasper. This year, they broke their record, raising nearly $ 7,000, according to co-organizer Keith Bartley. Working with Holiday Foods and Community Food Bank executive Director Amanda Drew, the organization delivered all the food to the…
Jasper Council members announce opposition to Mid-States Corridor as poll information released
Members of the Property Rights Alliance, the Stop the Mid-States Corridor Coalition, and residents gathered at the Dubois County Courthouse to announce the results of a recent poll regarding the proposed highway. Along with the polling results, Phil Mundy, President Pro Tempore of the Jasper Common Council, and fellow council members, Chad Lueken and Vince…
Updated: Kimball International building damaged by fire after minivan strikes trailer
Update: Jasper Police determined the individual found at Sternberg’s 24 and More was involved in the crash that led to the fire on Friday. However, police did not release any further information about the individual’s identity due to their protected status. Nor did they confirm whether the individual would face any criminal charges. The officer…
Candidate filing period for 2026 elections opens in January
The Dubois County Clerk’s Office announced today that the candidate filing period for the 2026 Primary Election will open on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, and close at 12:00 noon local time on Friday, February 6, 2026. Individuals interested in running for public office in the upcoming election must file their Declaration of Candidacy (CAN-2) form…
