Bloomfield News Blog

The search for a new band director at the Bloomfield School District is now underway.Jeff Rockey — who has served the school as a part-time band director for the past six years– will resign at the end of the current school year.

His resignation was approved during the Thursday meeting of the Bloomfield School Board.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the kids life,” Rockey said.”I really appreciate that.”

But, he also stressed the importance of making the position full-time for the next hire.

“My hope and my prayer is that you don’t get a qualified part-time person…,” he said.”My hope is you have to consider a full-time person.”

The band students have grown and need someone to take them to the next level, he noted.

“They really are a strong group…much stronger than when I first started,” Rockey, who serves as pastor of the Tulip Church of God, added.

They need someone who can give them more options and be a benefit to them.

“I can’t give them all they need,” he added.

School Board President Marvin Helms thanked Rockey for his commitment to the school band.

“You’re going to be a tough act to follow,” Helms said.

Superintendent Dan Sichting also expressed his thanks.

You are one of the teachers who are good for the kids, Sichting said.

“Our loss is your church’s gain…we will be amiss without you walking these halls,” he added.

Sichting also made note of Rockey’s ability to not only teach music but to counsel and enable young people to reach their potential.

Board member Steve Dowden expressed interest in making the position full-time and requested information on the cost.

Sichting replied that the big cost would be health insurance and level of experience and noted an approximate cost of $35,000.

But, he also made note to research Dowden’s request for more details.

Jessica M. Carter will be spending some time in the Greene County Jail followed by a stint on the road crew as part of her sentence handed down in Greene Superior Court on Wednesday.Under the terms of a negotiated plea agreement, Carter pled guilty to battery on a law enforcement officer in connection with an incident in the jail in mid-March.

Carter had already been in trouble with the law and was on probation when she was arrested on March 16 in Jasonville.

The then-20-year-old Carter, who listed an address in Greencastle as her residence, was taken into custody around 8:30 p.m. after Jasonville Police Officer Brian Pilant stopped to check on two females who were involved in an argument just outside the American Legion on Main St.

Carter was booked into jail and was subsequently charged with resisting law enforcement, public intoxication and illegal possession.

Before the evening was over, Carter allegedly got into another altercation with officers inside the jail.

The incident in the jail resulted in yet another case being filed against her. In this case the charges included battery upon a law enforcement officer, battery upon a jail officer, resisting law enforcement and criminal mischief.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Carter was being held in Holding Cell 2 around 11 p.m. that night when Bloomfield Deputy Marshal Harvey Holt, who was there doing some paperwork, noticed Carter doing something with her mouth and hands and notified Jail Officer Marlene Newby who went to check on Carter.

Carter was reportedly destroying a plastic comb and inserting the plastic teeth into her eyebrow piercing hole. Newby asked her to remove it from her eyebrow but Carter refused and began to yell and would not comply with the officer’s requests. Then she threw her toothbrush, did take the piece of plastic out but threw that too.

The affidavit stated that due to Carter’s aggressive behavior, a decision was made to move Carter into Holding Cell 3 without any issued items, but Carter did not cooperate with the move. Instead she curled up on a bed, locked her arms and legs, then pulled, kicked, screamed and squirmed.

The affidavit said four officers carried her into Holding Cell 3. During that move, Carter was alleged to have kicked Holt in the face — his eyeglasses were knocked off and both lenses were scratched as they went sliding across the floor. Another Jail Officer, Shawn Cullison, caught Carter’s elbow in the side of his head.

All of the various counts were dropped under the plea agreement and the charge to which Carter pled guilty, battery on a law enforcement officer (Officer Holt in the jail incident) was a class A misdemeanor.

She was sentenced to one year in the county jail with all but 30 days suspended and she’s already served them because she’s remained in jail since her arrest.

She was also ordered to pay a $35 fine plus court costs, pay $50 restitution to Officer Holt and ordered to serve 10 days on the county road crew.

In addition, her probation on a conviction of operating a vehicle while intoxicated was revoked and she will now have to serve 174 days in jail — the length of time of her suspended sentence in that case.

Following her release, she will then be on probation for one year.

It’s yard sale time.And Bloomfield’s town-wide yard sales event is slated for Saturday.

Expect to see about 60 registered sales pop up all over town during the annual Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce sponsored event, noted Jenny Crites who serves as the chamber secretary.

“Maps will be in the paper (Friday’s edition of the Greene County Daily World) and on the south side of the courthouse square by MainSource the chamber will have a booth set up and we will be handing out maps at 7 a.m.,” Crites added.

You can find anything and everything at the town-wide sales event. There’s knick-knacks, clothing, antiques, furniture, handmade items and more.

“A wide variety of items will be offered,” she added.

In conjunction with the event will be several local fundraisers as well as food vendors, Crites said.

“It (sales event) draws a lot of people to town to see what we have to offer,” she added. “We’re hoping for nice weather.”

Look for people on foot as well as extra vehicles on the streets during the event, she noted.

But be careful when visiting Bloomfield’s downtown.

“Downtown revitalization has started,” she said, noting a portion of Franklin Street may be blocked.

For further information on the annual chamber event check out www.bloomfieldcoc.com .

A large community benefit is planned for Saturday night at the American Legion Post 196 in Bloomfield for two young victims of a serious burn incident that happened in Scotland on April 18.Nicholas “Nick” Decker, a 10-year-old fourth-grade student at Bloomfield Elementary School and Joshua Merritt, an 11-year-old student at Loogootee East Elementary School, suffered extensive burns when they were consumed with flames from a gasoline explosion at a fire pit.

The two boys remain in critical condition in the burn unit at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.

Lori George, of Bloomfield, is heading up a fundraiser event for both families and told the Greene County Daily World a large crowd is expected.

“It’s going very well. We have quite a few donations for the auction items,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of volunteers to help out with things. There has been a great response to the checking account that has been set up for Nick and Josh (at Bloomfield State Bank). We expect a huge crowd.”

The benefit program will include a silent auction, a live auction, a meal, many door prizes, and plenty of music.

The doors will open at 1:30 p.m. to bring in donated items for the auction. A meal will be served starting at 5 p.m. and at about 5:30 p.m. the live auction will begin.

Starting at 8 p.m., a dance will follow featuring “Silverado.” There will be a cover charge and it will be divided between the two victim families.

Among the unique donated items that will be auctioned are some chainsaw art sculpture items, fossil fish artifacts that are millions of years old, a signed basketball from Indiana University Coach Tom Crean, several gift certificates, Longenberger baskets, a CD signed by country music recording artist Aaron Tippin, a T-shirt signed by three renowned custom motorcycle builders in the country, a Hi-Lite Jack, two gas grills, and T-shirts autographed by Clay Walker and Josh Greeson. There are also a wide variety of other donated items to numerous to mention.

George invited anyone in the area to come out and support these worthwhile events. The outpouring of support leading up to Saturday’s event has been humbling and impressive to everyone involved.

“It (the response) has been huge. It sort restores your faith in humanity here,” she concluded.

Prior to the evening program, a bake sale will be conducted in front of the American Legion post on South Washington Street — in conjunction with the Bloomfield Town Wide Yard Sale.

All proceeds with go to the families of both burned boys.

Special bank accounts have also been established for cash donations to each of the families at Bloomfield State Bank. Donations can be made at any BSB branch facility in the area.

Proceeds from the fundraisers will go into this special account to be used in the future for the boys ongoing medical expenses that will likely continue for years, according to Mike Crays, of Bloomfield, who is grandfather to Josh Merritt.

“That money is not being used for personal use or the bill at the hospital. The family is taking care of all of that. All this benefit money and donations are going into the accounts that are set up at the Bloomfield State Bank for the boys,” Crays said. “It may be a lifetime of expenses for them. It’s too early to tell how extensive everything is going to be.”

The Linton Police Department reported the arrest of an Indianapolis man was made Wednesday night as a result of an ongoing investigation into local distribution of marijuana.Brian E. Wimmenauer, 33, was taken into custody as he was leaving the Park Inn located near Linton’s Humphreys Park.

Lt. Det. Duane Collenbaugh reported preliminary charges against Wimmenauer included two counts of conspiracy to deal marijuana within 1,000 feet of a public park, both class D felonies.

Members of the Greene County Drug Task Force assisted Collenbaugh and LPD Det. Josh Goodman in making the arrest.

Although police did not release details on the amount of marijuana involved, LPD Chief Troy Jerrell said it was “large scale.”

“This investigation has been going on for quite some time. On (Wednesday) night we had the opportunity to make the arrest,” said Jerrell.

Wimmenauer was transported to the Greene County Jail and booked in by Greene County Sheriff’s Det. George Dallaire.

Wimmenauer’s bond was set according to schedule at $14,000. He was released early Thursday after posting bond and is scheduled to appear in court for an initial hearing on Monday.

A 18-year-old Worthington man, Paul Artem McHenry, was taken to the hospital following a one-vehicle accident west of Worthington late Wednesday.According to an accident report from the Greene County Sheriff’s Department, McHenry was disoriented and was transported to Greene County General Hospital by the Greene County Ambulance Service. No other injuries were reported.

Deputy Leon Dunigan responded to the scene on Terre Haute Rd. east of the Lincoln Christian Church around 11 p.m. along with personnel from the Worthington Police Department and Wright Township Fire Department.

McHenry had been westbound in a blue 1995 Pontiac on CR 700N (also known as Terre Haute Rd.) east of CR 800W.

Deputy Dunigan reported that the vehicle left the roadway on the south side, entered the ditch and traveled along in the ditch for approximately 50 feet before coming back onto the roadway.

Dunigan said the vehicle stayed on the road for approximately 15 feet before returning to the ditch, traveling another 30 feet in the ditch and hitting a corner post.

The vehicle came to a stop when it hit a REMC electric pole.

In an effort to bring visitors to their community and provide area residents with hearty home-grown vegetables and fruits, the Eastern Greene Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Farmer’s Market in Solsberry this summer.Details and exactly when and where the Farmer’s Market will start and be located are still being worked out, but an organizational meeting Friday evening will shed light on the specifics, according to Chamber Executive Director Brad Crites, of rural Hendricksville.

Crites said a Chamber committee will be formed to head up the project.

“We don’t really know a whole lot right now,” he noted. “It will be somewhere in Solsberry, probably along Main Street near the post office and Ellie Mae’s Boutique.”

The Chamber president said he and others in the organization recognize the growing popularity of these kinds of outdoor markets. A Farmer’s Market was offered in Linton last summer and they have been featured in nearby Bloomington for several years.

“We’re excited about it. We think it will help bring the community together and kind of give people another reason to come to Solsberry,” Crites said. “It has dual purpose for the Chamber. It is a way to draw people in and show them we are trying to do something to build up the community. At the same time it should be a little bit of a revenue for the Chamber.”

He pointed out there will be a call for vendors as soon as the details are worked out.

“As soon as the details are worked out we’ll start telling the public when we are planning to start and where exactly it will be held, times and what vendors will need to know in terms of space costs,” Crites stressed.

The Eastern Greene Chamber of Commerce organized in November 2007 and is currently seeking new members.

Annual membership is just $35 for businesses and organizations; $25 for individuals. Current special: Pay 2009 and 2010 dues together for just $55 (now through May 31, 2009)

The Chamber meets at 6 p.m. the first Thursday monthly at the Eastern Greene High School library located near Little Cincinnati.

The Eastern Greene Chamber of Commerce can be contacted by mail at P.O. Box 304, Solsberry, Ind., 47459; by calling 825-3340; or by e-mail at chamber@easterngreene.org

It also has a Web site at www.easterngreene.org .