Jasper attorney publishes second book
Jasper attorney and business owner Tommy Birk has published his second novel, Zero God. Set in the gently rolling hills of Southwestern Indiana, Zero God begins with Andy Balbach’s innocent jog on a cold February morning. From there, it is anything but innocent as Andy and his estranged wife, Rhonda, along with a cast of…
Jasper Council: $4 million goes to Parklands project; council debates finance committee merits
The Jasper Common Council allocated $4 million to The Parkland project Wednesday evening. Park board president Roger Seger gave an update on the project to develop The Parklands into a multi-use park that includes trails, playgrounds, shelter houses and ponds. A schematic design for the park was provided in January including a $4 million price tag…
#ChalkTalk makes it to Courthouse Square
A large chalkboard in a wheeled frame has appeared on the Jasper Courthouse Square. This is the final installation of the Dubois County Leadership Academy project called ChalkTalk. Members Dean Gogel of Ferdinand, Courtney Knies of Jasper, Luke Rasche of Huntingburg, and Steffi Schmücker of Jasper, created the ChalkTalk boards as their capstone project for the 2015…
Friends of Otwell await word on potential charter
After over 140 students pre-enrolled for a potential charter school at Otwell, the Otwell Miller Academy is stepping closer to becoming a reality. Last June, the Otwell community learned that the Pike County School Board approved a plan to close Otwell Elementary School this coming May to save money for the struggling school system. That…
Grants “mooove” Holland Commons one step closer
The Holland Commons project has received a $17,000 in funding through endowments with the Dubois County Community Foundation. The Holland Events Committee channeled their mascot, Cool Cow, when they announced they have “moooved” forward in the community’s dream of downtown revitalization. According to Community Foundation’s Director of Programs, Nona Baker, the project received the grants…
Ferdinand grad selected as 500 Festival Princess
Allison Hoffman, a Forest Park High School graduate, has been selected as one of 33 Indianapolis 500 Festival Princesses. The Festival Princesses serve as ambassadors to the festival and race. Hoffman is a senior at Purdue University majoring in Professional Flight Technology. According to the organization’s website, the 500 Festival Princess Program celebrates Indiana’s most…
Jasper Utilities: Gas & Water Manager announces retirement
The Jasper Utility Service Board heard that Ernie Hinkle, Jasper’s Water & Gas Manager, would be retiring at the end of May. Hinkle worked for the department for 30 years and was promoted to the manager’s position after Mike Oeding retired in 2013. Hinkle worked his way up from an entry level position as a…
Mail Call: A Vietnam vet’s story
Bob “Doc” Fowler’s situation only became more confusing when his captain told him a helicopter was coming to pick him up. “We were on a search operation,” Bob explained. “It was later in the afternoon and things had kinda wound down when I got the call to come see the captain.” Bob’s captain told him…
Conservation officers arrested an Otwell man on drug and gun violations
Conservation officers found an Otwell man with drugs, paraphernalia and an infant in a van driving in Pike State Forest last Friday. Officers Blake Everhart and Dustin Cary were patrolling the Pike State Forest property at about 1 p.m. when they noticed a man driving a maroon colored Mercury minivan with an infant on his…
Emergency room run ends with Loogootee man in jail
A man who told police he was driving recklessly due to a passenger having a medical emergency was arrested after a Jasper canine indicated there were drugs in the car. According to police, they received notification of a vehicle with its hazard lights activated passing other vehicles in a reckless manner while northbound on U.S….
Public input session for Stellar tomorrow
The City of Huntingburg will begin hosting quarterly Stellar public information sessions, beginning tomorrow, February 16 at 9:00 a.m. on the second floor of the Old National Bank building, located at 327 E 4th Street in Huntingburg. It is open to the public. Updates on the Stellar projects can also be seen here.
Turkey barn destroyed in fire, no birds lost
Fire destroyed a turkey building near Dubois Sunday afternoon. Dubois volunteer firefighters were called to DC Poultry, 7739 N. 400 E., at about 4:14 p.m. for the report of a fire from two neighbors to the farm. Arriving firefighters found a 40-by-500 building fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters held the fire to the single building,…
Roof fire at Jasper Engines quickly suppressed
Jasper firefighters responded to a small fire on the roof of Jasper Engines & Transmissions, 815 Wernsing Road, Sunday afternoon. According to Chief Kenny Hochgesang, a security person at the main office noticed smoke in the building at about noon and called 9-1-1. When firefighters arrived, several entered the office area to attempt to locate…
Head-on crash kills three on I-69 Friday night
Update: Indiana State Police have released the identities of the driver and passenger in the GMC Terrain. Jason Lowe, 44, of Fishers, was operating the SUV when it was struck. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Samantha Lowe, 46, Fisher, was a passenger and is still being treated for her injuries at Deaconess Hospital….
Unoccupied dump truck creates $10,000 in chaos
A parked dump truck rolled down a gravel lot and struck several things before hitting a building Thursday morning. The 2001 Sterling dump truck belonging to Ewing Properties was parked while the driver walked into Dubois County Block and Brick. The driver told police the parking brake had been set on the truck. However, it…
$23,000 and counting, Emerging Leaders kicks off fifth year of giving
Emerging Leaders kicked off as a Huntingburg Community Foundation initiative in 2012 with a gathering of over 50 young adults (being under 40 was a prerequisite then) at Cool Beans. German American Bank CEO Mark Schroeder and Jasper Engines & Transmissions CEO Doug Bawel inspired the group to move forward with their goals of inciting…
Governor Pence to keynote GOP Lincoln Day Luncheon
Governor Mike Pence will be the featured speaker for the 2016 Dubois County Republican Lincoln Day Luncheon. The luncheon will be held on Saturday, March 5th at KlubHaus 61, 2031 Newton Street in Jasper. The doors will open at 11:00 am EST with the program and meal beginning at noon. Mike Pence was inaugurated as…
NASA releases 360 degree view of Mars
Check out this 360-degree view from Mars just released by NASA. If viewing on a phone just tilt; browsers can use the arrows in the upper left to move the view. Also, if you can, turn the quality up to 4K. From NASA: This view of the downwind face of “Namib Dune” on Mars covers…
Ferdinand Town Council: Honoring heroes
Courtesy of Ferdinand News What constitutes a hero? Are they born or do circumstances make them such? While that may be a tough question to answer, recognizing heroics in action is not difficult. Two Ferdinand Police officers displayed their heroism on November 5, but it’s doubtful either one thought about being a hero when they jumped in and…
Huntingburg Regional Airport to explore more hangar space
The Huntingburg Airport is nearly at capacity for airplane storage. Airport Manager Travis McQueen reported that less than a year after opening a new T-hangar, the regional airport is exploring options to add another. “We are talking about having to add to that capacity because we’re full up again,” McQueen said. “A week ago Friday…
Huntingburg appoints new water superintendent
Gregg Miller was appointed as Huntingburg’s new Water Superintendent Tuesday evening. Miller was appointed as the chief operator at the Huntingburg Water Plant over 27 years ago by then Utility Superintendent Loma Hartke. “I am honored to have been selected as Water Superintendent for the City of Huntingburg,” says Miller. “It is very busy for us…
Driver uninjured after rollover accident in Jasper
A driver was uninjured after the small SUV he was driving crashed and flipped on Clay Street in Jasper Tuesday afternoon. Alan C. Friz, 22, of Jackson St., Jasper, was eastbound on Clay St. in a 1998 Chevrolet Tracker at about 3:50 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle for an unknown reason while…
Holcomb tagged as Gov. Pence’s lieutenant governor pick
Today, Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann announced she would resign from the Lt. Governor’s office to pursue the position as president at Ivy Tech Community College. Simultaneously, Governor Mike Pence also announced his intention to nominate Eric Holcomb as the next lieutenant governor of Indiana. “It has been a special honor for me to serve alongside…
Schroeder takes the helm at Huntingburg Chamber
Sara Schroeder will lead the Huntingburg Chamber of Commerce as the newly appointed executive director. Schroeder contacted the chamber board soon after Elizabeth Wertman announced she was resigning in January. “When I saw the chamber position was open, I got excited,” Schroeder said. “In the 17 years I have lived here, this is one of…
First Indiana case of the Zika virus found
Today, state health officials announced the first Indiana case of Zika virus infection in a non-pregnant resident who recently traveled to Haiti. This individual’s illness, which was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was not severe enough to require hospitalization. “I’m thankful for the work of the Indiana State Department of…
Huntingburg man killed in 3-vehicle crash on U.S. 231
Icy conditions contributed to a 3-vehicle accident that took a Huntingburg man’s life Monday evening on U.S. 231 in WITZ Bottoms. Deputies and Huntingburg officers were dispatched to the accident around 7 p.m. Witnesses told police that a 2001 Chevrolet Tracker driven by Sameer C. Metha, 39, of Huntingburg, was southbound on U.S. 231 south…
Huntingburg will see Stellar projects begin to take shape in 2016
With warmer weather and the start of the construction season seemingly around the corner, residents should begin to see signs of movement on Stellar projects scheduled for 2016. Since being awarded the designation, much of the work on the nine planned projects has been relegated to public meetings, committees and drawing boards. However, the city…
Foundation names new board members
Dubois County Community Foundation announced the appointment of three new board members. Ryan Haas is the principal at Pine Ridge Elementary School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from University of Southern Indiana in 2000, and a Master of Education from Indiana State University’s Bayh College of Education with a major…
New book explores Purdue Extension’s history in farming
The crowd at the 70th Annual Meeting for the Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District was well entertained for a 45-minute presentation by Dr. Fred Whitford. Whitford, who said he was under the weather but never faltered in his presentation, held the audience’s attention as he explored the Purdue Extension’s impact in Dubois County…
Hopf sentenced in toddler’s death
The Dubois County Circuit Court sentenced Charles M. Hopf, 22, for the death of a 17-month-Xavier Miller. Hopf agreed to plead guilty to a Level 1 felony charge of aggravated battery that resulted in the death of child under 14. The plea agreement was predicated with the State dropping the murder charge that was added…
Two more enter guilty pleas in Operation Double Trouble sting operation
Two more individuals arrested during Operation Double Trouble have entered into plea agreements and are set to be sentenced. Matthew E. Cronin, 27, of Huntingburg, pleaded guilty to dealing in methamphetamine, a level 5 felony. He will be sentenced to four years at the Indiana Department of Correction. Jeffrey L. Friede, 57, of Linton, pleaded…
