New Jasper Police Chief biography
Mayor-elect Terry Seitz has appointed J. Michael Bennett as Chief of Police for the Jasper Police Department, effective January 1, 2012. Bennett, a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War, has effectively served the residents of Indiana for 36 years in the fields of law enforcement and security. During his 33-year career with the…
Darla S. Blazey biography
Effective, January 1, 2012, Mayor-elect Terry Seitz has announced the appointment of Darla S. Blazey as Director of Community Development and Planning for the City of Jasper. Blazey will take over a department to be redefined by ordinance as responsible for long-range planning, current planning, economic development, historic preservation, marketing and all building and zoning…
County Council meeting working on tax abatements and I-67
The Dubois County Council and Commissioners met in a joint meeting on Monday to discuss the county-wide tax abatement. The council is considering adopting the same abatement schedule that the City of Jasper passed in October. The county council was interested in the property tax abatement but due to the expressed concern of the County…
Pedestrian – Vehicle accident near Cedar Crest Elementary
According to initial reports; the DC Sheriff’s Department responded to a pedestrian accident near Cedar Crest Elementary. It was reported the driver had left the scene but the Sheriff’s Department may have found the individual./p Update 8:00 a.m. – Driver was elderly female and hit a child; vehicle sustained damage to the passenger side front…
Local business receives fake bill in new scam
Jasper Chamber Executive Director Nancy Ekerle forwarded this recent bill received by a local business. The bill is a scam. Be aware of potential scams similar to these in which fake bills are mailed to businesses. Contact local law enforcement if you suspect you may be a victim of a scam.
Dubois County Visitors Center & Tourism Commission Accepting Grant Applications
The Dubois County Visitors Center & Tourism Commission is now accepting applications for grants from the Tourism Promotion Fund. Grant applications are open to not-for-profit, tourism-related organizations, festivals, events, attractions and others which will increase visitor attendance from outside the immediate area. Approved applications for projects or events that have previously been funded may receive…
Dubois County Community Foundation ribbon cutting held on Friday, Dec. 9
On Friday, Dec 9, the Dubois County Community Foundation celebrated a ribbon cutting at their new location on McCrillus Street in Jasper. Past president Brad Seger was on hand to cut the ribbon for the new building. “I think the important thing to remember is that this new building was built through gifts and donations…
Stens Corporation reaches agreement with Kimball on building
Jim O’neal, WITZ News Director, contributed to this report. Stens Corporation in Jasper has reached a verbal agreement with Kimball International on the purchase of the Kimball property on Power Drive on Jasper’s south side. The company sold its current building and with a deadline of June 2012 was in the process of finding a…
VU initiates scholarship for middle-income families
Middle-income families who have struggled to qualify for college financial aid will receive a major boost this fall thanks to a new scholarship being introduced by Vincennes University. The scholarship will offer a 15 percent reduction in tuition fees for students from middle-income families in Indiana. According to VU officials, the new Middle-Income Hoosier Scholarship…
The Schnitzelbank’s Bratwurst will be featured among 46 best sandwiches for Super Bowl
The Schnitzelbank Bratwurst will be competing in this year’s Super Bowl of sandwiches. The Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD) worked with Indianapolis Monthly and the Super Bowl Host Committee to develop a list of Super 46 Sandwiches. Super 46 Sandwiches is a list of the 46 best sandwiches in Indiana that Super Bowl visitors…
Forbes “World’s Top Christmas Destinations” List includes Santa Claus, IN with likes of Rome and Paris
Forbes magazine, one of the world’s leading business magazines, has declared the town of Santa Claus, Indiana, as one of the “World’s Top Christmas Destinations.” In the article, Forbes magazine claimed Santa Claus, Indiana, “enthusiastically embraces its role, with a wide array of Santa-themed shops and attractions” such as Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, the…
Artist Adam Hood to perform at Ferdinand Folk Fest Announcement Party/Fundraiser Jan. 28
The Ferdinand Folk Festival organizers will hold the 2012 lineup announcement party and fundraiser on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at Foxy Hollow ([highlight]map below[/highlight]) beginning at 8 p.m. (EST). The featured performer for the evening will be Carnival Recording artist Adam Hood and tickets are $12. Foxy Hollow is an intimate venue and seating will…
Pine Ridge Elementary students continue tradition of donating toys from school gift exchange to “Toys for Tots”
As is customary for this time of year, the students of Pine Ridge Elementary School conduct a gift exchange, but for the last several years the students of Susan Brier’s third grade class have taken it a step further. Several years ago, when Mrs. Brier’s class heard about the “Toys for Tots” program sponsored by…
Jasper Arts Commission Board Meeting for December 6
The Jasper Arts Commission Board met Tuesday afternoon for their regular monthly meeting. Commission Director Kit Miracle reports that the organization is about 20 percent under budget for the year. She says that the work on both parking lots, which came in well under projections, has allowed them to remain under budget for the calendar…
Mike Schriefer to run for State Representative in District 74
Mike Schriefer, a retired educator from Spencer County, announced today he is running as a Democratic candidate for State Representative in District 74. “I’m so concerned about the working environment in Indianapolis right now,” Schriefer said. “Members of the General Assembly need to focus on getting Hoosiers back to work, not pitting Hoosiers against each…
Foundation’s ArtWorks grant awards $10,000 for Dance & Fitness
Dance & Fitness Coming to Events Center When Huntingburg Foundation convened with art enthusiasts in July of 2010, the idea to promote the arts reached deep into the group’s imagination, but making those ideas a reality fell short of anything concrete. Then the Foundation met Carolyn Randolph of Dance Central Academy, Rachel Berg of YMCA,…
Dubois County Highway Superintendent receives statewide award
The Indiana Association of County Commissioner (IACC) is pleased to announce that Steve Berg was selected IACC’s 2011 Outstanding Highway Supervisor of the Year. The award is in recognition of his contributions made to county government throughout his years of public service. Steve Berg Dubois County Highway Supervisor has a background in construction and it…
Spinner announces Janet Kemp will be losing her job in the new year
Mayor Elect Denny Spinner has been visiting with city employees since being elected to the office in November. Last week he met with Janet Kemp who currently fills the position of mayor’s assistant and office manager for Huntingburg. She ran against him on the Democrat ticket in this year’s election. During the meeting she requested…
Detective Miller says the Gootee case is ongoing
Lindsay Gootee was arrested last Tuesday for the aggravated battery of her infant son. Gootee posted bail and was out of the D.C. Security Center by the next day. At her arraignment on Friday, Judge Weikert set her court date for December 14 at 10 a.m. and informed Gootee she was responsible for procuring her…
Huntingburg Council meeting notes from December 2
Huntingburg Utility Service Board and Common Council met on December 2. The meeting began with Mayor Marvin Belcher announcing that what he and others had been referring to as the Veteran’s Memorial would be called a monument instead. Belcher made the distinction to recognize that a memorial would be appropriate for those veterans who have…
Awarding of bids for foundation of new JHS Gym on hold
December 02, 2011 – In a fax statement from Greater Jasper School Superintendent Dr. Jerrill Vandeventer, the awarding of the foundation bid that was set for Monday at 8 am has been cancelled upon recommendation of the architect. School Corporation Attorney Art Nordhoff says that the reason is because the School and architect do not…
Gootee arraigned today in Dubois Circuit Court
Lindsay Gootee was arraigned today in Dubois County Circuit Court. Gootee was in court of her own recognizance as she posted bond soon after being arrested for the aggravated battery of her infant son. Judge Weikert explained at today’s arraignment that aggravated battery is battery in which a person knowingly or intentionally inflicts injury on…
Jasper Library Board lays South Newton location to rest; Hewitt promises new direction by March
The Jasper Public Library Board met Thursday afternoon and put a final end to the plans for the library on the south Newton Street property. Library Board attorney Bill Shaneyfelt told the board that they still had an option on the land per the original agreement with Ruhe Excavating and they could either exercise the…
Extent of abuse and time frame indicated in mom’s arrest
Detective Lisa Miller conducted the investigation into the alleged physical abuse of Gootee’s infant son. According to the investigative report, Miller and Jessica Richardson the Family Case Manager from the Division of Child Services interviewed the childcare provider in regards to the incident. The childcare provider had started providing care for the Gootee’s infant son…
Developing story on the Lindsay Gootee arrest
The following information is from the affidavit for the arrest of Lindsay Gootee for the aggravated battery of her infant. On October 18, EMS had been called to a licensed residential daycare provider due to an infant making a “strange respiration”, arching his back, and going limp in his playpen. The provider had performed rescue…
Town of Ferdinand’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to be held Friday, December 2
The Town of Ferdinand will hold its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, December 2, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the 900 block of Main Street (Universal Design property). Main Street will be shut down from 9th Street to 10th Street from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the festivities. The Forest…
Memorial Hospital announces 2011 LCM Award Winner
Jasper – Suzanne Burgess has been named the 2011 Little Company of Mary Award winner at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center. The LCM Award is given annually to an employee nominated by his or her co-workers and chosen from a group of finalists by the hospital’s Mission Committee. Nominees for this award demonstrate Memorial…
Greater Jasper Consolidated School Board opened ten bids for phase one of new gym
The bid opening was held at 2 pm this (Tuesday) afternoon in the boardroom of the administration building of Greater Jasper Schools. The initial bid is for phase 1 of the project, which is the foundation upon which the rest of the gym will be constructed. The highest bid was $1,434,045.00 while the lowest was…
County Council meeting notes
The County Council met Monday afternoon for their regularly scheduled meeting. Judge William Weikert petitioned the Council to create a part-time position to train a new court reporter. The part-time position will allow an individual to work with the current court reporter who will be leaving at the end of the year. Judge Weikert stated…
Judge Weikert has recused himself from the wage litigation concerning JHS Gymnasium, Board moves forward with opening bids today
The Greater Jasper School Board met for their regular monthly session Monday night at 7 pm. The approximately 45 minute meeting contained no new information about the Jasper High School Gymnasium construction or the pending litigation filed by the Southwestern Indiana Building and Construction Trades Council over the wages that were passed on October 20th…
