Precious Blood releases balloon rosary in honor of the Month of Mary
Jasper-On Monday, October 24, Precious Blood Elementary School had planned on releasing a rosary made of 59 balloons. The plan came about when Mary Ramirez found a video online depicting a similar release of balloons in the shape of a rosary in Chicago. She forwarded the video to Fr. Gary Kaiser and he quickly e-mailed…
Biomass hearing date set for Perry County Circuit Court
Perry Circuit Court Judge Lucy Goffinet will preside over the injunction filed by Healthy Dubois County, Inc. on Nov. 21. Dubois County Circuit Court Judge William Weikert recused himself from the case in August. The injunction was filed for alleged violations of Indiana’s Open Door Laws in regards to meetings that occurred without the public’s…
Gov. Daniels speaks at annual Jasper Chamber “Breakfast”
The Jasper Chamber Annual Luncheon was held yesterday at the Jasper Inn; however this year’s luncheon was a breakfast due to a special guest. The Chamber accommodated Governor Mitch Daniels schedule so he could present a “Report to the Taxpayers – 2011” to the crowded venue. Daniels remarks included praise for the community’s values and…
Jasper Common Council sets a public hearing for first abatements under new ordinance
The Jasper Common Council received the first requests for tax abatements on Wednesday evening. Indiana Furniture and Stens filed for the property tax abatements available through the city’s new abatement program (story here). This is the first time in Jasper’s history that the council has received a request for tax abatement. Indiana Furniture originally applied…
Jasper Council passes additional appropriations for house purchase
The City of Jasper passed an ordinance (2011-29) for additional appropriations for the purchase of a home in a flood zone at the end of Main Street. The home is one of six slated to be purchased by the city due to their propensity to flood. The appropriations to purchase this house will come from…
Jasper HHC 1-151 put on Alert Status yesterday, Afghanistan mission to start in 2012
Members of the Indiana National Guard Jasper HHC 1-151, along with the rest of the battalion units, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta, received an upgrade in their orders yesterday. The unit had received “Notice of Sourcing” orders earlier in the year but this was upgraded to an Alert Status earlier this week. According to Lieutenant…
Huntingburg Common Council meeting notes
The Huntingburg Common Council met Tuesday night for their monthly meeting. The council passed the 2012 salary ordinance, but not before it was amended so that the Mayor and City Treasurer received a pay increase of 1 ½ percent. The Council had previously approved the city employees raise of 1 1/2 percent (story here). Council…
John Schipp’s Family Photo Album isn’t worth a dime
Ferdinand artist John Schipp has created an entire imaginary family with his artwork. The collection is called Grandma Schipp’s Family Photo Album and when you look at the characters you’ll swear one of them looking at you is the artist himself. But Grandma Schipp’s Family Photo Album is a photo album in name only; you…
Jasper USB hears plans for energy saving grant program, problems in utility payments, and other items at meeting
During the scheduled Jasper Utility Service Board meeting on Monday evening Utilities Manager Bud Hauersperger informed the board of a grant program available for Jasper. The Community Conservation Challenge is a grant program from the Indiana Office of Energy Development. The grant program is in its second year and last year four grants totaling $1.6…
Indiana State Police using social media to share recruits training at the academy
Plainfield – The Indiana State Police will be giving the online community an inside look at the current ISP Academy Class for the first time as they progress through training. The Indiana State Police plans to post weekly behind-the-scenes photos of the cadets during their 24-week paramilitary training. The 71st Recruit School began in earnest…
Some photos from the Emergency Management Drill
A county-wide emergency drill was held last Wednesday at the Holland Elementary School Gymnasium and at Memorial Hospital. The team that conducted the tabletop exercise in August, Industrial Safety and Training Services (ISTS), returned to put on the full scale exercise. Here is the article about the tabletop exercise. The emergency consisted of a chemical…
Jasper Gift Basket and Popcorn Company; Over sixty fun flavors and counting
“We screw up the popcorn sometimes,” Juanita Eckert said, explaining that the new gourmet popcorn ideas they have at the Jasper Gift Basket and Popcorn Company don’t always work out on the first try. “Sometimes we’ll try it and just think ‘nope that’s disgusting’, but sometimes the guys will eat it.” She explains. She and…
Two local companies first to apply for tax abatement under new Jasper ordinance
Two Jasper companies stood before the Jasper Economic Development Board yesterday to apply for tax abatements for expansions in Jasper. Indiana Furniture requested abatements for an expansion project at their plywood manufacturing facility and the construction of a new administrative office building. Stens applied for abatements for renovations on an existing building they are considering…
Video interview with John Burger, Jasper Democratic candidate for mayor
http://youtu.be/zp4zCjObA_4 In a recent interview with Mr. John Burger, Dubois County Free Press had a chance to ask the Democratic candidate for mayor of Jasper a few questions about his both his background and his hopes for the city’s future. Looking back on his history in Jasper, Burger claims he is blessed to have both…
Video Interview with Terry Seitz, Jasper Republican candidate for mayor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1ACNQ9LT2M In a recent interview with Mr. Terry Seitz, Dubois County Free Press had a chance to ask the Republican candidate for mayor of Jasper a few questions about his both his background and his hopes for the city’s future. When asked to cite his qualifications for being mayor of Jasper, Seitz recounted a professional…
Jasper Mayoral Forum Part 2
The final segment of the mayoral forum consisted of a selection of questions submitted by the audience and via Facebook that were then posed to both candidates as they sat on the stage together. First up was Burger, asked to rate the quality of Jasper’s infrastructure. His feeling was that the city’s road quality was…
Jasper Mayoral Forum, Part 1
Jasper’s mayoral forum opened Tuesday night at Vincennes University Jasper Campus with a welcome from VUJC dean Dr. Alan Johnson, where he stated that the night’s goal was to give Jasper’s residents a better idea of the two candidates’ positions on important governmental issues. The event resulted in a respectful and positive-thinking discussion, mostly centered…
Local writer Saalman “WILL READ FOR FOOD” at VUJC to benefit food bank
JASPER, Indiana – Herald humor columnist Scott Saalman “Will Read For Food” at Vincennes University Jasper Campus (VUJC) on Tuesday, Oct. 18., to benefit the Dubois County Food Bank. Saalman, a Jasper resident, will read a few essays that span his 20-plus-year writing career. Joining him will be local musicians Ray Major and Kris Lasher,…
The Huntingburg Mayoral Forum 2011; an editorial observation
Organizers at the Huntingburg Mayoral Forum had to put out more chairs last night as the crowd grew beyond the expected attendance at the Huntingburg Event Center. This may be due to the city facing a contentious political season, but what truly happened last night was a moment that allowed citizens to see that both…
Charlene and Becky serve up good brew at Cool Beans in Huntingburg.
“We were insane” best describes why Becky Menke and Charlene Hicks bought Cool Beans in Huntingburg last year. The endeavor does seem to be a stretch for Becky the former speech pathologist and Charlene who juggles the coffee shop with helping her husband in their other business. At the moment Becky looks insane as the…
Another contentious library meeting as vote approaches
Opponents of the new library referendum want a new or expanded library but say the proposed location on South Newton street is too big. A contentious library board meeting Thursday night questioned the Political Action Team Vote No group which includes Library Board President Bill Hewitt. Mary Ellen Backer informed the board that the current…
Theft reported at Batteries Now – Suspect turned himself in
According to Monica and Jeff Tunks, owners of Batteries Now, the individual in the photos below turned himself in after someone informed him of the story being on this site. Jasper–On Monday, Oct. 4, at approximately 12:14 p.m. an older man walked into Batteries Now in Jasper. While on his way into the store he…
Weekend happenings for October 7 through 9
Huntingburg Merchants will be hosting the Old Fashioned Bargain Days. Sidewalk sales and bargains with merchants dressed in period garb. The John H. Kemper Car Show is an event for Be the Match bone marrow donation, and the Indiana Blood bank. This is the first year for the event and it will be at the…
Trees, Splash Parks, and the budget all part of the Huntingburg Common Council meeting
Huntingburg–The Huntingburg Common Council met last night for their regularly scheduled meeting. With budget talks and city employee pay raises behind them it was a fairly uneventful meeting. First on the agenda was the city budget public hearing. The budget was gone over extensively this year in budget hearings that occurred on August 24 and…
Man found staggering on Newton Street
Around 11:30 last night Jasper police were called to a complaint about an intoxicated man stumbling in the middle of Newton Street around the 3500 block. While traveling to the incident they received another complaint regarding the man who was now staggering into traffic as he continued walking south on Newton around the 3100 block….
City of Jasper files to expedite court action
The City of Jasper has been unable to move forward with the plan to lease the Jasper Power Plant to Twisted Oak Corporation due to a lawsuit filed by Healthy Dubois County and its principals, including Dr. Norma Kreilein. They filed a lawsuit on August 5th seeking an injunction to block the implementation of the…
Political opponents come together to oppose politically motivated malicious actions
The political season has been contentious in Huntingburg. Actions taken over the weekend, statements online, and other events brought the two Huntingburg Mayoral Candidates together to denounce the actions of the few and express solidarity in opposing any future actions. [adrotate group=”1″] The two called for the community to be aware of any inappropriate activities…
En Plein Air painting in the warm weather
Laura Pommier and a few students were painting a house located at the corner of Eleventh Street and Jackson in Jasper this sunny morning. [adrotate group=”1″] Laura, a graphic designer and painter, was teaching Plein Air. En Plein Air is a French term that translates to “in the open air”. The technique involves painting outdoors…
Hate-mail, Breakins, and Vandalism plague Huntingburg Democrats over the weekend
Huntingburg, IN–Saturday morning Glenn Kays (Huntingburg Common Council Precinct 1) woke up to go to work and discovered someone had broken into his truck. [adrotate group=”1″] Kays stated he noticed something was wrong when his security lights on the exterior of his home didn’t turn on when he left for work. He also found his…
Letter regarding the incidents over the weekend from Denny Spinner
I was very disappointed to learn of the recent actions, threats, and property damage. Regardless of which candidate you support or your political beliefs, the type of actions that have taken place over the weekend are reprehensible and cannot be tolerated. None of us want this type of image for our city. These behaviors and…
Dubois County mayoral election forums are planned
Vincennes University is joining with community organizations to conduct mayoral election forums in two Dubois County cities this fall. The candidates for Mayor of Huntingburg will be featured in a forum on Oct. 11, 7:00 p.m. (EDT), in the Huntingburg Event Center. Janet Kemp, Democratic candidate, and Republican candidate Denny Spinner have agreed to participate….
