Northeast School Corp holds on referendum as farmers recover from avian flu
In response to the impact the avian flu is having on the district’s farmers, Northeast Dubois School Corporation will hold off on asking taxpayers to increase property taxes this spring. “The passing for the referendum for us is vital,” Northeast Dubois School Corporation Superintendent Bill Hochgesang said. “But our farmers are the backbone of this…
Troopers arrest man for removing vehicle identification info after crash
A Jasper man was arrested after an investigation determined he left the scene of a crash Sunday morning. On Sunday, January 17, Troopers Brock Werne and Josh McBeth responded to a report of a vehicle found over a steep embankment north of the Haysville Bridge on US 231. Troopers found nobody around the crashed 1992…
All infected birds euthanized; investigation continues
All 10 original infection sites involved in the avian flu response have had their flocks depopulated, according to the State Board of Animal Health. There were no new positive tests overnight, but aggressive testing continues inside the 10-km control area and additional 10-km surveillance zone. In the last 24 hours, 114 commercial farms have tested…
Democrats reorganize
The Central Committee of the Dubois County Democrats caucused on January 19 at the Jasper Habig Center and filled recent vacancies in party leadership. Vice-chairman Rhonda Garland reported that Joe Huddleston was elected chairperson while Andrea Hulsman was chosen as the new secretary. For any information about the local Democratic Party, contact Chairman Huddleston at 812-827-2508.
Jasper Utility Service Board: January 19, 2015
The Jasper Utility Service Board met for their first meeting of 2016 and welcomed two new members. With David Hurst assuming his role as a Jasper Councilman and Doug Schulte retiring from the board, two spots opened up for 2016. Michael Kern and Derek Smith, both of whom are CPAs, were appointed to fill the…
Police ask for public’s help in locating St. Anthony man (Updated)
Update: According to Leisman’s family, he was found living in Louisville. The sheriff’s department thanked the public for its assistance in attempting to locate Leisman. Original: Dubois County Sheriff’s Department is seeking the public’s help in locating a St. Anthony man who has been missing since December 2. According to Deputy Brad Kendall, Mark Alan…
Merkley files for County Treasurer
Cathy “Kitty” Merkley has filed seeking the Republican nomination for the office of Dubois County Treasurer subject to the May 3rd Primary election. Kitty, 47, and her husband, Dennis, live in Madison Township and are the parents of three adult children, J. Kyle Merkley, a recent graduate of Vanderbilt University now living in Dallas, Texas;…
Sonya Haas to seek council seat
Sonya Haas has filed to be a candidate for one of the At-Large seats on the Dubois County Council. There are three At-Large seats on the council subject to election in 2016 while four seats on the council were filled in 2014. She is seeking the Republican Party nomination for the seat at the May…
No new infections found in the past 24 hours
Operations to halt the spread of avian influenza continue in northeastern Dubois County. The Indiana State Board of Animal Health announced there were no new positive tests overnight, but aggressive testing continues inside the 10-km control area. In the last 24 hours, 114 commercial farms have tested negative for influenza; 62 in the control area…
Huntingburg Chamber director steps down
After less than a year at the helm, the Huntingburg Chamber of Commerce executive director has announced she will step down from the position. Elizabeth Wertman was hired the week before the 2015 Jazz Fest to replace outgoing executive director Nick Stevens. The Chamber Board of Directors had high hopes for Wertman due to her…
Commentary: Some cures for Indiana’s troubled local government finance
Few, if any, thoughtful observers of Indiana government would conclude that the current local tax system is sufficient to meet the needs of the 21st century. The tax and spending innovations of the past decade have dramatically improved the prospects of the Indiana economy. However, a half-century of bad investment has left many cities and…
Dubois County Community Foundation tops $2.5 million in giving for 2015
Local giving remained steady as Dubois County Community Foundation ended 2015 with $2.58 million in contributions and grants. This brings the total Foundation assets to $30 million. This brings the total Foundation assets to $30 million. The Foundation saw 33 new permanent endowments established by local individuals and businesses to support a range of charitable…
Eck seeking Democratic nomination to run for District 1 commission seat
Jasper businessman Gary Eck is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the office of Dubois County Commissioner representing District No 1. This district, which consists of Madison, Patoka, Harbison, Columbia, and Boone Townships, is one of three districts in Dubois County. While the candidate must reside in this district, all county voters are involved in…
Rapid concerted response mitigating avian virus impact
Update: Total number of birds affected: Commercial turkeys: 245,163 Commercial chickens (layers): 156,000 that will be culled due to their proximity to an infected flock. Original: The rapid response by local, state and federal agencies to the avian flu infection in northeastern Dubois County continues to bear some relatively good news. “Things are going well,”…
Kleeman files as Democrat for House District 74
Completing a successful career at Lincoln Hills Development Corporation (LHDC) a few weeks ago, Larry K. Kleeman has decided to continue his public service by filing his petition to be the Democratic candidate for election to the Indiana General Assembly for House District 74. House District 74 includes all of Perry and Crawford counties and…
Jasper teen injured in crash could face charges
Charges are pending for a Jasper teen who was injured in a single-vehicle traffic accident early Sunday morning, according to the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies responded to State Road 164 east of Greener Road at about 12:40 a.m. for the report of a 2008 Chevrolet Impala that had ran off the road and ended…
Dubois County Sheriff’s Department seeking vandalism info
The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department seeking help from the public in identifying the individuals that vandalized multiple mailboxes in the Holland area over the weekend. The vandalisms occurred sometime during Friday night and Saturday morning along Holland Road NE and County Road 900S. Anyone with information about the vandalisms is asked to contact the Dubois…
8 of 9 farms found to have different, low-pathogenic, strain
Laboratory tests completed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa have determined eight of the nine samples have been found to be low-pathogenic H7N8. The original virus located on the Kalb farm was the high-pathogenic form of the H7N8 virus which is typically fatal for infected poultry. The…
Nine more Dubois farms impacted by Avian Influenza
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) announces nine more commercial turkey farms in Dubois County have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. This brings the total to 10 commercial turkey operations. Further testing is underway to determine the virus type. All positive flocks are located within the original control area, and were…
Over 200,000 turkeys to be euthanized
The number of turkeys that will have to be euthanized in Dubois County has increased to over 200,000. Governor Mike Pence visited Dubois County Saturday afternoon and released the information during a meeting with local news media. According to Pence, who had just met with county officials as well as representatives from the Indiana State…
High-Path Avian Influenza: Preparedness, Surveillance and Reporting
This information can be downloaded from this link HPAI Surveillane AHAdvy-1-15-16 (1) On January 14, 2016, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N8 was diagnosed in a commercial turkey flock in Southwestern Indiana. This Advisory offers guidance to Hoosiers for reporting suspicious cases, signs of the This Advisory offers guidance to Hoosiers for reporting suspicious cases, signs…
Over 60,000 turkeys impacted by Avian Influenza in Dubois
(Update 5:25 p.m.) Statement by Farbest As a result of our ongoing screening and surveillance testing of avian influenza and other poultry diseases in turkey flocks according to the National Poultry Improvement Plan protocols, a form of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza H7N8 has been detected in turkeys located in Dubois County. This is the first…
State Road 64 closed for two hours for jackknifed trailer
An empty dump trailer jackknifed on State Road 64 near Mentor closing the highway down for over two hours. According to the Dubois County Sheriff’s Department, Ronald S. Pulliam, 62, of Mt. Carmel, Ill., was eastbound on State Road 64 in a 2015 Western Star 4700SF pulling an empty dump trailer when the 8:15 accident…
Commentary: Demand, not supply, is the drug problem
Indiana’s current policy debate about methamphetamine restrictions offers a window into the myriad failures of our War on Drugs, and the shallow thinking that accompanies almost all our fixes. It is probably best to begin with a description of the problem. Meth addiction is a horrible scourge on our society. Meth addicts are criminals and…
Drunk driver crashes on Newton Street; lands on gas station’s air pump
Jasper police arrested Zachary H. Jones, 33, of N. Bluegrass Lane, for drunken driving (blood alcohol content .25 percent) after he crashed into a gas station striking an air pump. According to authorities, Jones was southbound on the 1900 block of Newton Street in a 1996 Isuzu when the vehicle left the road near the KlubHaus…
Library Board continues steps to clarify vision for Hoosier Desk project
The Jasper Library Board of Trustees continued to work through the steps necessary to have a decision in front of taxpayers in November for the creation of a cultural center at the Hoosier Desk site. Earlier this month, the board and Jasper Community Arts Commission met in a joint meeting and decided to seek proposals…
Kluesner running for Dubois County Council seat
Michael W. Kluesner filed this past Wednesday to be a candidate for the Dubois County Council. He is seeking the Republican nomination for one of three At-Large seats on the Council. Kluesner graduated from Jasper High School in 1968 and received an Associate Degree in Architectural Engineering from Sam’s Technical Institute in 1970. He served…
Pothole patching operations scheduled for I-64
The Indiana Department of Transportation reported shallow pothole patching work on Interstate 64 in Crawford, Dubois and Perry Counties is beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19. INDOT maintenance crews will shut down one lane in various locations for two days at a time while the patching operation takes place. Work will be performed in both the east…
Birdseye Town Council: Where does all the money go?
By all accounts, it should have been a brief meeting. The Birdseye Town Council re-elected Jerry Alstott as council president, appointed Councilman Clyde Huff as Birdseye’s representative for Indiana 15 Regional Planning Commission and Councilwoman Kelly Wiseman as the representative to Dubois Strong. Meetings will continue to be held the first Thursday of each month, but at 6:30 p.m., a half-hour earlier…
St. Meinrad Archabbey leader announces resignation
Wednesday, Archabbot Justin DuVall, OSB, the spiritual leader and chief administrator of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, announced that he will resign as abbot, effective on June 2. His successor will be elected by the Saint Meinrad monastic community on June 2 following a period of discernment and discussion. Archabbot Justin has served as the…
Jasper man charged with six counts of child molesting
The Jasper Police Department arrested a 35-year-old Jasper man today on six felony counts of child molesting. According to authorities, Juan Carlos Trujillo, 35, of 3828 N. Portersville Road, molested an 8-year-old victim multiple times between 2010 and this year. Trujillo is lodged at the Dubois County Security Center.
