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Letter: Keep our community great for all its residents
Like many of us, this bitterly cold January day, I remain stuck at home, and I am grateful for the many people shoveling us out, helping their neighbors, and keeping us informed. As I watch the drifting snow literally bury my car, the old questions of “bigger is better,” and “what is prosperity?” flood my…
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Letter: Solar doesn’t work well in snow, ice and cloud-cover
Last week’s winter storm offered a real-world test of large-scale solar and battery energy storage systems proposed for Dubois County. We received about 10 inches of snow, followed by very cold temperatures and heavy cloud cover. During that time, solar panels were largely unable to produce electricity. Snow-covered panels do not generate power, and in…
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Letter: Smart air traffic control modernization strengthens American manufacturing
The recent government shutdown exposed a critical problem: air traffic controllers went without paychecks while doing essential work. This only amplified existing personnel and technology constraints in ATC. For manufacturers in rural Indiana, this kind of disruption threatens operations and the jobs we support. OFS Brands and companies like ours depend on a functioning aviation…
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Letter: Should we be terrified of shipments from Crane?
In his recent letter to the editor, “Mid-States Corridor an investment in the future”, Doug Bawel, President and CEO of Jasper Engine and their subsidiary JET Transit, told us: “If people knew of the armaments that travel through Jasper many times daily, they would be terrified.” He made a similar claim at the August 14th…
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Letter: You can’t compare the Mid-States Corridor to past highways
I read with great interest Mr. Doug Bawel’s letter with regards to the Mid-States Corridor. I was struck by his statements about forward thinkers and naysayers. I would have expected nothing less from a donor to the Mid-States Corridor RDA. US 231 is not a new highway as Mr. Bawels alluded. It was on the…
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Letter: Dubois County and Jasper report HELP results
In late 2021, Dubois County and the City of Jasper partnered to apply for and were selected to participate in the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP) initiative through OCRA (Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs). The purpose of the program was to develop a strategic plan for using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds…
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Commentary: Indiana’s property tax cut will shrink local government — and economic growth
by Michael Hicks, Indiana Capital ChronicleJanuary 26, 2026 Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act 1 of 2025 delivered what many voters have wanted for years: lower property taxes. Homeowners received higher deductions, but businesses — especially those with substantial personal property — saw significant reductions in tax liability. Let’s compare the two. A family who owns a…
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Letter: If the governor really cared about the sanctity of life
My comments in response to Governor Braun’s recent post. If you truly cared about the sanctity of life, why do you never talk about the public health effects of your policies on prenatal development and maternal health? Where does Indiana rank in air and water quality, and what are the logical effects upon our children…
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Letter: Large energy projects unduly burden ratepayers
Residents of Dubois County deserve to understand how large energy projects can affect their electric bills. While solar fields and battery storage systems are often promoted as “clean energy” (when the sun is not shining, coal-fired power plants will charge the batteries), what is rarely discussed is who actually pays for them. These facilities require…
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Letter: Mid-States Corridor an investment in the future
We know the Mid-States Corridor is very controversial, and for those whose land it affects, it is very personal; we do understand. I have personally witnessed this same controversy on two previous roads. The first was in the early 70s, US-231 between Huntingburg and Jasper. It was personal for us because it cut our property…
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Commentary: SEA1’s (Indiana’s 2025 tax cut bill) unintended effects
One of the thornier issues in tax policy is anticipating behavioral, or second-order, effects. These are normally analyzed over a couple of years to avoid unintended consequences. That didn’t happen with last year’s Senate Enrolled Act 1. The looming effects are worth noting, beginning with the size and scope of tax changes across businesses, families…
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Letter: Mid-States Corridor a statewide issue
Over the past few years, our organization, the Coalition Against the Mid-States Corridor, has been trying to show that this is more than a local issue. It is a statewide issue that will affect all Hoosier taxpayers if INDOT and the Governor try to proceed with building it. This proposed 54-mile new terrain highway in…
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Senator Schmitt asks residents to take his constituent survey
State Sen. Daryl Schmitt (R-Jasper) is encouraging residents of Senate District 48 to take his online survey to provide feedback and insights on important issues he may address during the 2026 legislative session. Schmitt’s survey is available online at www.IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Schmitt. “As your State Senator, I want to hear from you on important topics like illegal immigration, government spending…
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Letter: An open letter to the GOP caucus for Jasper Mayor
Greetings. Let me first thank you for your service to our community. It is appreciated. Having said that, I feel the need to opine and remind you all of a few things, if you will. First and foremost, We The People entrusted each and every one of you with our votes. We all know that…
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Letter: What would you have us do?
What would you have us do? After viewing over and over from every angle the appalling tragedy of a young mother being executed as she attempted to leave the scene following a confrontation with heavily armed and masked ICE agents, what is the appropriate response? The argument is being made that she was violating the…
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Letter: An open letter to the GOP Precinct Committee members
On Friday, January 16, thirteen GOP Precinct Committee members will be gathering to select the next mayor of Jasper. As a resident of Cass Township, I will have no voice in the selection, but your decision will affect my future and that of hundreds of your fellow citizens. The next mayor of Jasper will have…
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Letter: What are INDOT’s priorities?
Recently, Leslie Bonilla Muñiz reported in the Indiana Capital Chronicle that INDOT is cancelling or postponing over 300 planned projects because of a lack of funding. According to Overdrive’s Truckers’ 2025 Highway Report Card, Indiana is the worst state in the nation for highway conditions. Purdue LTAP and INDOT studies show Indiana needs $900M–$2.4B more per year…
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Letter: Mayor’s resignation opens path of support for Mid-States Corridor
Mayor Dean Vonderheide has announced his resignation as Mayor of Jasper, effective March 31, 2026. In his public letter to residents, Mayor Vonderheide explained that he wants to focus more on his health and family after seven years in office, and believes it’s time to “pass the torch” to new leadership to carry forward Jasper’s long-range…
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Letter: Caucus shapes future governance
As Jasper prepares for a leadership transition, residents are facing decisions that will influence how future governance reflects community priorities. The new mayor will not be elected by voters but chosen by a caucus of local Republican Party members. The composition of the caucus members is not published, but a listing of local Republican officials can be…
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Statehouse Spotlight with Sen. Schmitt: Understanding how a bill becomes a law
While my work as your state senator takes place throughout the year, the Indiana General Assembly is only in session for a few months. The 2026 legislative session will reconvene the first full week of January. This year’s session is expected to be complete by late February, and bills go through a lengthy process before…
