Public involved in updating confusing and ambiguous Jasper zoning ordinance
Jasper opened the process of updating the 20-year-old (and older) zoning and subdivision control ordinances with a public meeting Wednesday night. The ordinances that control the addition of housing, subdivisions, and businesses in Jasper hasn’t been updated since 1993. Driving the changes to the ordinance is Jasper’s continued quest to expand housing and business opportunities…
Propane Shortage press conference scheduled for 2:30 today
Governor Mike Pence and Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann will hold a press conference today at 2:30 p.m. EST to provide an update on the State’s actions to help Hoosiers during the propane shortage in Indiana. The press conference will be available via livestream at http://www.webinar.in.gov/indiana/. Individuals wishing to watch and listen in will have to…
Healthy Dubois County – City and Twisted Oaks to share lawsuit costs according to lease agreement
After the approval of the settlement offer made to the City of Jasper by Healthy Dubois County, Inc. last week, HDC representatives stated they would hold their comments until after the judge signed the order dismissing the case. The order stating both parties will drop their cases against each other was signed by Knox Circuit…
Public forum on Jasper zoning and subdivision control ordinances
The City of Jasper is inviting the public to an open forum scheduled for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the update of the city’s zoning and subdivision control ordinances.
County Council meeting: County pays taxes on take-home vehicles
The county highway superintendent and the county engineer were surprised by an additional tax bill recently. Each received notice to file back taxes owed for their take-home vehicles for 2010, 2011, and 2012. According the County Auditor Kathy Hopf, an Internal Revenue Service audit revealed the county should have added the vehicles to the Steve Berg’s…
Chromebooks a fragile tool in learning arsenal at Forest Park
A squad of trained techies now patrols the halls and classrooms of Forest Park High School. Their mission: frontline technology support for the 480 Google Chromebooks in the hands of the students at the Southeast Dubois County High School. This isn’t the Geek Squad. It’s a group of 13 technology-savvy students from a recently formed…
City forgives $900 water bill due to mix up
A small ice rink opened along County Road 400 South in Huntingburg last month. Not on purpose, but the 104,720 gallons of water a rural Huntingburg couple was charged for could have created one if it all hadn’t leaked underground. The couple expected an increase on their average 7,500 gallons of monthly usage, but the…
Huntingburg explores city-wide trash service
Huntingburg — The City of Huntingburg is issuing a survey to gauge interest in city-wide curbside trash pick-up. Mayor Denny Spinner stated that during the listening sessions in 2012 it became clear that many residents were interested in ways to keep the city clean. “In the last year and a half, the council has heard different proposals in…
Recording meetings recommended to alleviate future conflict for commissioners
In light of recent events at the county commissioners meeting, Commissioner Doug Uebelhor recommended the meetings be recorded in the future. “Questions have arisen about actions and votes taken in past meetings. Commissioners have disagreed about what was decided,” Uebelhor read from prepared statement. “These disagreements could have been avoided if the meetings of the…
Eight displaced by fire in Dale Thursday morning
Dale — A family of eight was displaced in a house fire that destroyed a two-story home on Medcalf Street in Dale this morning. Members of the Carter Township, Santa Claus, and Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the two-story home at 205 E. Medcalf Street at 6:55 a.m. EST. Dave Walden, the owner of…
First Jasper Legislative Breakfast this Saturday
The Jasper Chamber of Commerce and Vincennes University Jasper Campus is sponsoring the first of several scheduled Legislative Breakfasts. Meet and hear from Senator Richard Young, Senator Lindel Hume, State Rep Mark Messmer, and State Rep Lloyd Arnold this Saturday, January 25, 8:30-10 a.m. at the VUJC Classroom Building Lecture Hall. The legislators will take…
New veterans service office provides comfort and privacy
“If a veteran was in a wheelchair, many times his spouse would have to wait out in the lobby,” Bob Johnson, the county veterans service officer said. Not anymore; after months of lobbying by Johnson, the county commissioners approved moving the Veterans Service Office to a larger office in the county annex building. The new…
City of Jasper votes to accept Healthy Dubois County settlement offer
The City of Jasper maintains it didn’t violate Indiana Open Door Law, but a court decision may never be heard in the case brought against the city by Healthy Dubois County, Inc (HDC). The Jasper Utility Service Board and Common Council, in separate meetings Monday night, unanimously approved a settlement offer from the group. The…
Jasper Third Avenue night work scheduled this week
Due to the on-going work on the Third Avenue Main Project, weather permitting, night work is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Thursday, January 23. The work will begin at 9 p.m. and continue until 1 a.m. There could be delays, accordint to the Jasper Municipal Water Department. Please use extreme caution when driving in…
Fritch named to county election board
The Dubois County Democrats have appointed Jasper attorney Mike Fritch as the Democratic representative to the Dubois County Election Board. The appointment was effective January 17. This action filled the opening on the board created by the resignation of Nathan Verkamp when he announced his intention to run for Circuit Court Judge. “I am pleased…
(Updated) Jasper man arrested in drunk driving fatality
Update: Deputies released the names of the victim and the occupants of the SUV in the fatal accident near Huntingburg that occurred Friday evening. The story below has been updated with those names and additional details released by the sheriff’s department. Huntingburg — A Jasper man was arrested early this morning after an as yet identified passenger in…
Ms. Jackman-Burns named Peabody Energy Leader
Jasper – Stephanie Jackman-Burns of Jasper High School was named a Peabody Energy Leader in Education for the 2013-14 school year. She was awarded $1,000 for her dedication and commitment to students at a special presentation in her classroom Friday at the high school. A group of her students with superintendent Dr. Tracy Lorey and principal…
Jasper police seeking accident witnesses
The Jasper Police Department is seeking witnesses of an accident that occurred at the intersection of Church Avenue and Holy Family Drive today at about 11:12 a.m. They are asking that anyone who witnessed the accident or has information about it to please contact the department at 482-2255.
Connection could create 7.1mile multi-use trail in Jasper
A proposed 2.8 mile connection from the Jasper Riverwalk to the St. Charles path could create a 7.1 mile multi-use trail in Jasper by the end of 2016 the summer of 2018. Mayor Terry Seitz held an open meeting to introduce the proposed route to the public Tuesday evening after the Jasper Park Board meeting. The…
Ferdinand unveils 175th Anniversary Celebration logo; announces raffle winners
Ferdinand — The Ferdinand 175th Organizing Committee released the official logo for the 175th Celebration coming in 2015. The logo was unveiled at a special celebration held Wednesday night to announce the winners of a special raffle. The logo is a combination of the Town of Ferdinand logo and elements denoting the 175th anniversary of…
Deer Trail Road debacle haunts Commissioner Fleck
The first county commissioner meeting this month turned chilly when one of the two democrats declared he couldn’t support the other for the commission presidency due to a bad road deal that happened in 2009. Commissioner Larry Vollmer (D), who has filed to run for the State Senate District 48 seat, stated during the vote that…
SW School Board seeking replacement board member
The Southwest Dubois County Board of School Trustees is seeking an individual to serve on the board. Jerome Buening, who holds the Cass Township seat, resigned from his position on the board after serving for nearly 30 years. His seat is up for reelection in November. The board plans on filling the seat at the…
Ferdinand Town Council: There’s a new dirty word in the local vocabulary
Ferdinand — Everyone knows a few dirty words — the ones you can’t say on television or in front of the grandchildren. But for the Town of Ferdinand there’s a new word that equates to dirty, and that word is “phosphorus.” At the Ferdinand Town Council meeting Tuesday night, Wastewater Superintendent Roger Schaefer noted the…
Jasper man arrested for burglary
Jasper — The Jasper Police Department arrested Matthew T. Berg, 31, of 4020 Manor Drive, Jasper, for burglary, theft and false informing today at about 2 p.m. Police were investigating a burglary that was reported early Monday morning by Zach Fleming. Fleming reported to police that an iPad 5 Air, Kindle Fire, and 32 inch Vizio…
Local flight school possible: Huntingburg Airport and VUJC explore partnership
A partnership between Vincennes University Jasper Campus and the Dubois County Airport Authority will potentially kick start a local flight instruction program. Vincennes University already operates the Aviation Technology Center in Indianapolis and VUJC is exploring options to begin a seed program in Dubois County. Huntingburg Airport Manager Travis McQueen is excited about the prospect…
Sheriff’s department seeking information in fatal Bretzville accident
The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department issued a request to the public concerning the Bretzville accident that claimed two lives on December 17. The department is asking that anyone who witnessed the accident or observed the vehicle prior to the accident to contact Deputy Jesus Monarrez at the sheriff’s department at 482-3522. On December 17th, State Road…
Public meetings to discuss voting center option
The Dubois County Election Board will hold a series of public meetings to take public input about the proposed voting centers. The first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Dubois Middle School The voting centers are a trend occurring throughout the United States. Indiana currently has at least 12 counties that have…
Overturned vehicle snarls Hwy 56 traffic
Jasper — An overturned vehicle snarled traffic on State Road 56 at about 7:35 a.m. Monday. According to police, Carrie A. Mehringer, 17, of SR 56, Jasper, was westbound in a 2004 Dodge Neon just east of County Road 400W when she ran off the north side of the road. Mehringer over-corrected and lost control of the…
3 hour electric outage explained
Jasper — An underground short took out electricity in the downtown and the Second Avenue areas of Jasper Sunday morning. According to Electric Distribution Manager Jerry Schitter, work being done on north central loop circuit had it offline and that areas electricity routed through the south substation. A fault in an underground line from the loop circuit…
Injured man pulls woman from burning vehicle
A French Lick man’s quick actions likely saved a woman’s life when her car caught fire after a head-on collision. Jesse L. Roberts, 27, of Washington Street, French Lick, told police he was driving his 2001 Chevy Impala east on Cuzco Norton Road when he encountered a 1993 Buick Park Avenue in his lane. Roberts…
Jasper Library begins to look at expansion
The Jasper Library Board will begin exploring options to expand services to Jasper residents. Some suggestions from the public have included a move to the old Jasper Cabinet building next to the Patoka River, but that would be an expensive proposition. The building would have to be renovated extensively and the area is adversely affected…
