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.
Fire destroys home on Jasper’s west side
Jasper and Ireland fire departments responded to 1230 Sapphire Drive in Jasper at 1:59 p.m. today for a home engulfed in flames. A Huntingburg gas employee who also serves as a member of Huntingburg’s Volunteer Fire Department was in the area and noticed the smoke and notified authorities. According to Jasper Fire Chief Kenny Hochgesang,…
Best Home Furnishings interested in Ferdinand property; could build new plant and employ 50
The most interesting piece of information came at the end of the Ferdinand Town Council’s inaugural meeting of 2016. Town Attorney Bill Shaneyfelt explained he had been approached by Steve Wahl with Best Home Furnishings, who wondered if the town would be interested in selling some remnant property near Industrial Park Road and 23rd Street,…
Vollmer seeks to retain Dubois County Commission seat
Democrat Larry Vollmer of Jasper is seeking re-election as the District 1 representative to the Dubois County Commissioners. Vollmer, 68, attended Jasper High School and served two years in the Army, serving one year in Vietnam, where he received a citation for faithful and efficient performance of duty. A farmer in Madison Township, Vollmer is…
Despite not advancing, Jasper’s ABC team plans on continued impact
Jasper has finished its participation in the America’s Best Communities contest at the quarterfinalist level. Fifteen other communities across the country moved on to the semi-finalist round. Members of ABC Team are proud of the community’s accomplishments and for being recognized as a quarterfinalist in this very competitive endeavor. Sponsored by Frontier Communications, DISH Network,…
Gutgsell hired as Jasper’s new assistant park director
The Jasper Park Board approved hiring 37-year old Rob Gutgsell as the new assistant director in charge of operations. Gutgsell is a Jasper native and Jasper High School graduate. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Jasper. They have a son, Robert. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Management for…
The Parklands plans revealed; features additional 25 acres of land
Turning the former Jasper Country Club into a destination park is expected to cost up to $4 million but that includes the acquisition of an additional 25 acres that will expand the park to over 75 acres. On top of revealing the features of the new park, Dubois County Community Foundation Executive Director Brad Ward…
What’s up with the green lights on the Courthouse Square?
The strange green strand of lights strung from the Dubois County Courthouse to the Jasper City Hall has been explained. Questions were fired out last night about what appeared to be a solid green beam between the two buildings. According to Jasper’s Electric Distribution Manager Jerry Schitter, the lights were a strip of LEDs —light-emitting…
Special college fund established in Jeff Perry’s name
Friends of Jeff Perry have established a special GoFundMe.com page to raise money to pay his daughter’s tuition. She is currently a nursing student at Purdue University. Perry was murdered in his St. Henry home early Sunday morning. https://www.gofundme.com/yru6j8es
Popplewell makes first appearance in court for murder and rape charges
The rattle of the shackles chained to Kyle Popplewell’s ankles only got louder as Dubois County Circuit Court Judge Nathan Verkamp read off the litany of charges the 25-year-old faced. The six foot two, 265-pound man’s right leg began bouncing as soon as he sat down in front of the judge for his arraignment Monday…
Parklands ideas to be presented to Jasper Park Board
The firm hired to finalize plans for The Parklands will present their ideas to the Jasper Park Board at their regular meeting Tuesday, January 12 at 4:30 p.m. The Jasper Park Board hired Hafer Associates in August to create plans for the city’s central park for an amount not to exceed $60,000; $300,000 was included…
