Bloomfield News Blog

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 31, 2009

For musical talent from A to Z, be sure to check out the 18th annual Joe and Jan Edwards Show scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sept. 7 at the Bloomfield Town Park.

The event — which brings out music lovers of all ages — spotlights Edwards who was a member of the Grand Ole Opry Staff Band for 32 years.

Edwards is known for his fiddle playing although he also plays guitar, drums, bass, mandolin and banjo.

“People like to hear Joe play. … He seems to draw a crowd every time,” show organizer Red Oliphant has said in past interviews.

Edwards’ wife, Jan Masters Edwards, will also make an appearance.

Jan began singing at the age of 5. Her vocal talent ranges from country to big band, show tunes to jazz standards, and gospel to blues.

Joe and Jan kick the show off at 2 p.m. with a full hour of musical entertainment.

The line-up of entertainers will also include former Lyons resident Bruce Osbon — who in past years was the lead guitar picker for both Porter Waggoner and Dollie Parton.

The free show is for all ages, Oliphant added. It has the making for a good day in the park.

In the past, the show has drawn 400 to 500 people and was originally held at Oliphant’s property located on Seminary Street in Bloomfield.

Also on this year’s entertainment line-up are Jonathon Farmer, Randy Cowden, Linda Gilmore, Otis Bough, Misty Sergeant, Brittany Norris, Whiskey Before Breakfast as well as the Jason Vandeventer family, Bedford Blakely and Terry Pierce among others.

“The Crystal Valley Quartet will anchor the show,” Oliphant said. “Be sure to stay for the final act.”

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. But no alcohol is allowed.

“Come early and grab a good sitting spot,” Oliphant added. “We guarantee four to five solid hours of entertainment.”

In the event of inclement weather, the show will be moved to the Shawnee Theatre.

The show is slated to last from 2-7 p.m. with all acts besides Joe Edwards performing two spots.

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 31, 2009

Several items of business were taken care of during the July meeting of the Bloomfield School Board.

In personnel business, Steve Jones was approved as the boys and girls cross country coach for grades 7 through 12.

A transition period for the new school counselor was also approved.

The transition will allow retired school counselor, Margaret Osmon, to work five days in order to have a smooth transition in student guidance with new counselor Tiffany Raidy.

The cost of the five days is $1,667.45.

According to Superintendent Dan Sichting’s recommendation, the five days will allow for new student scheduling, scheduling for second semester and scheduling for the 2010-11 school year. In addition, Osmon will assist Raidy in working with Vincennes University on Project Excel and Project Link.

In other business, 2009-10 book rental, workbooks and consumable charges were approved for both the elementary and jr./sr. high school.

The board also:

* Approved liability, property, and casualty, automobile and workmen’s compensation insurance renewal with First Security from Aug. 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010 for $70,980

* Approved a trust document for the Bloomfield School District employee benefit trust

* Approved a specific plan description for the Bloomfield School District employee benefit trust

* Adopted the 2010 school budget calendar

* Approved the purchase of a mini-bus from Kerlin Bus Sales for $39,778

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 31, 2009

Look for a full-day kindergarten jump-start pilot program at Bloomfield Elementary School during the 2009-10 school year.

The program was approved during the July monthly meeting of the Bloomfield School Board.

“Students will be selected (for the class) by a series of assessments. Two will be reading and one will be behavioral,” Superintendent Dan Sichting explained.

Students who have a reading deficit and are not prepared to be on track for first grade will be the only ones eligible for the program, Sichting added.

The pilot class will have between 16 and 18 students. The teacher for the class will be hired during a school board special session on Aug. 13.

“Right now we’re able to offer the class because of the full-day kindergarten grant and Title I stimulus money,” Sichting explained.

As for the future of the class, that all depends on funding.

“The Title I is one-time funding. Hopefully the program will be sustainable,” he added, noting if Title I is cut that may also cut the program.

“The full-day kindergarten grant is expected to fund $1,030 per student,” he added.

State funding for kindergarten students is about half of what the average base student receives — which is about $4,875, he said. That still leaves a significant deficit to be filled.

But the pilot program is crucial to students with reading deficits.

“The program will help to alleviate the deficits in terms of reading,” Sichting said.

Bloomfield Elementary Principal Mary Jane Vandeventer also stressed the importance of full-day kindergarten in a letter of recommendation.

“The kindergarten program would focus on giving students a jump start by offering full-day programming to students who meet eligibility requirements based on basic language arts and mathematics skills needed to be successful in first grade,” the letter states.

The program will be evaluated on students’ academic gains throughout the year preparing the students for a successful first grade experience.

“This is an exciting new pilot program that moves Bloomfield Elementary School forward in meeting all students’ academic needs and ultimately leading to excellence in education,” Vandeventer also noted in the letter.

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 31, 2009

A successful Greene County 4-H Fair concluded in late July, but organizers are putting together a fair-like three-day event later this month that will feature a demolition derby, truck pull, tractor pull, and a full-scale carnival.

The events — sponsored by the 4-H Clubs of Greene County — will be staged Aug. 20-22 at the Greene County Fairgrounds, located one mile east of Switz City along State Road 54.

Fiesta Rides, of Vincennes, will provide amusement rides, a carnival midway as well as food and beverages all three nights, according to Tim Egnew, president of Greene County 4-H Clubs, Inc.

“We were wanting to make this a three-day weekend,” Egnew said.

Egnew said the proceeds from all three events will go back into the county 4-H program.

“It all goes back to the kids one way or another,” Egnew stressed. “We are a little worried because it’s the same weekend as the State Fair. I don’t know how much that may or may not affect us. If we can keep the money in Greene County that will help us. It will be just like a three-day fair in August.”

The Greene County 4-H program has about 1,000 regular and enrichment program members.

An always-popular Demolition Derby will kick things off at 7 p.m. on Aug. 20. Admission will be $10 per person.

On Aug. 21, the Indiana Pro Diesel Truck Pull Shootout will start at 7 p.m. Gates will open at 5 p.m. for this $4,000 purse event that will feature Work Stock (to 8,000 pounds), Street Diesel (2.6 turbo), Super Street (2.8 turbo) and modified classes.

There will be a $20 hook fee for the Work Stock class and a $40 hook fee for the other classes.

On Aug. 22, the 4th Annual Cat Pull will be staged starting at 7 p.m.

The event, co-sponsored by MacCallister Machinery Caterpillar in Washington, will feature Indiana Truck Pull Association (ITPA) sanctioned trucks, semis, 12,500NA tractors, 13,000 turbo tractors and hot farm tractors.

Kerry Graves, who is helping to coordinate the tractor pull, said weather permitting the event should draw a good crowd.

“We feel like we can get a big crowd,” Graves said. “If we have this kind of weather will be probably be sold out.”

Admission for both pulling events will be $10 for adults, $5 for children 7-12 and under 6 free. All active military will be admitted free with an ID card.

For rules and more information about the truck pull got to www.dieselsport.us.

Graves, of rural Switz City, can be contracted for rules and information about the tractor pull at 384-6119.

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 31, 2009

Door cars (like the one shown above) will be running in Greene County as part of the third leg of the VP Racing Fuels Quick Series Saturday, Aug. 8 at Lyons Raceway Park

LYONS — The third leg of the VP Racing Fuels Quick Series will be ran at Lyons Raceway Park (formerly ET Raceway) on Saturday, Aug. 8. Qualifying times start at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and elimination’s will be set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5 and Saturday, Oct. 17 will be the final two legs of the series at the raceway.

This race features the quickest 16 dragsters and quickest 16 door cars, with no elapsed time minimums (1/8 mile). Cars will feature nitrous assisted and blown dragsters.

The race format is designed to race the cars separately until one of each remains to declare a winner. Don Hurst (dragster) and Reed Hughes (door car) were the winners of their respective class in the inaugural event on June 6.

Hurst had a winning time of 4.099 seconds and was clocked at a high end speed of 170 miles per hour. Hurst’s marks were just .10 seconds and a few miles per hour off the track records. Hughes had a winning time of 4.531 seconds with a high end speed of 160 mph.

Raceway Park manager, Larry Woodruff, said he has noticed a drastic change for the better at the park with the addition to the Quick Series.

“This is by far one of the biggest and best things that has happened to the track,” Woodruff said. “We have some of the top dragsters and door car drivers from Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee just to name a few.”

Two of the top two local racers that race in the open side are Chris Carrico and “Killer” James Monroe. Monroe is a two-time NHRA Division Champion as well as a three-time NHRA Division 3 ET Bracket Driver of the Year, among numerous awards.

Woodruff said that Monroe has been instrumental in the success of the Quick Series at Lyons.

“James has done an excellent job of helping promote this,” Woodruff said. “We have been able to have full fields in the races and as a result have been able to up the purse.”

Part of the purse for each Quick Series event at the raceway includes a $2,000 pay-out to the top time in each side of the Quick 32. The overall winner of each event also receives a healthy pay day.

Woodruff also mentioned using the no elapsed time minimum has also helped in high numbers and quality of racers. Before there was a minimum time on that cars that could not be quicker than 4.5 seconds.

“We started something that we have never done before,” Woodruff said of the no limit on ETs. “We have always used the advanced rule before. We are seeing better quality of cars, racers and overall numbers.”

This recent trend has also led to a higher spectator turnout at the raceway, according to Woodruff.

“It’s all about the fans, without them we do not have anything,” Woodruff said.

So why not bring the Quick Series to the raceway before this year?

“VP Fuels gave me so much product this year and I decided to give the Quick Series a try,” Woodruff said. “This keeps growing and the cars keep getting faster.”

Lyons Raceway Park is located three miles south of the intersection of state roads 54 and 57.

Admission for the race will be $10 for adults, children 12 and under are free.

Racers will have a test and tune session on Friday night before the actual race that spectators can attend.

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 31, 2009

MAIL CORN?: Thilo Mason of rural Sandborn tried to kill the volunteer corn stalk near his mailbox, but couldn't. Now it has turned into a conversation piece.

SANDBORN — Thilo Mason didn’t quite know what to think a few months back when he first noticed a single corn stalk that popped up through the ground next to his mailbox in front of his rural Sandborn home in Greene County.

The “volunteer” corn stalk kept growing as the weeks past — despite at least two applications of Round Up weed killer.

“I sprayed it a couple of times, but it didn’t die. It must be Round Up resistant,” Mason said with a smile.

Close up view showing the ears of corn.

Now, the stalk has tasseled and is bearing seven ears of corn on the single stalk that keeps growing in front of his red-colored mailbox that has an Indiana University logo on it.

“I’ve never seen that many ears before (on one stalk). I’ve heard of as many as nine, but never saw it,” he said on Friday morning.

Genetically uniform field corn usually only has a single ear per stalk.

Most sweet corn varieties will produce 2-4 ears per stalk, and one variety, called “six-shooter,” appropriately enough produces six ears per stalk, according to Joseph E. Armstrong a botany instructor at Illinois State University.

Mason said he doesn’t plan to try and kill off his unusual corn plant anymore.

He kind of likes the attention it has generated.

Mason, who has lived along County Road 715S for about a year, said his jumbo corn stalk has caused a lot of talk around the small communities of Sandborn and Marco.

Several people have also driven by, stopped, got out and looked at it.

“It’s a conversation piece for sure,” he concluded.

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 31, 2009

Rep. Brad Ellsworth, 8th District Congressman, will be the guest speaker at the August meeting of the Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting is slated for noon Aug. 18 at the Phil Harris Golf Course and is open to the public.

Congressman Ellsworth will share information about current issues in Washington as well as open up for a question and answer session following his presentation, noted Chamber Executive Director Cheryl Hamilton in an e-mail.

“This was a very popular meeting last year and it appears that the 2009 meeting will be as well,” Hamilton also noted. “If you plan to attend this meeting, please notify the Chamber office so we can insure we have plenty of seats and food.”

Lunch will be $8 per person and County Democrat Chairman Jeff Lehman will serve as celebrity cook.

Be sure to hang out for a round of golf afterward. Phil Harris members can play 18 holes of golf for $12 (including cart) and non-members can play for $20.

In Congress, Ellsworth is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition and is working to reduce waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars. He also sits on the Armed Services, Agriculture, and Small Business Committees.

Before coming to Congress, Ellsworth spent 24 years in the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s office protecting the people of southwest Indiana. He was twice decorated for heroism in the line of duty and graduated from the FBI National Academy. In 1998, he was elected Vanderburgh County Sheriff, where he completed two terms.

Ellsworth was born and raised in southern Indiana. He grew up in Evansville; attending University of Southern Indiana and Indiana State University.

He and his wife, Beth, reside in Evansville. Together they have a daughter, Andrea.

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 31, 2009

J W “Pee Wee” Johnson of Worthington passed away early Friday.

J W "Pee Wee" Johnson

Johnson was a well-known member of the Greene County community.

For many years, he could be found parked on the southeast corner of the Linton Park, greeting shoppers as they stopped at the back of his truck filled with fresh produce.

Johnson was a member of the Worthington Town Council and also served as a Democrat precinct committeeman.

Welch & Cornett Funeral Home is assisting with the arrangements and will announce details regarding services later in the day.

This story will be updated.

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 30, 2009

A Community Day grand opening event is set for Tuesday at the new Monroe Primary Care facility in Bloomfield.

The festivities will begin with a 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting by the Bloomfield and Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce organizations.

Community Day will conclude with a Business After Hours Reception from 5 to 7 p.m. that will feature prizes and seasonal hors d’oeuvres catered by Eagle Point Golf Resort. Music will be provided by the award-winning jazz trio Monika Hertizig.

The facility, owned by Monroe Hospital in Bloomington, is located at 708 W. Main in Bloomfield — in offices adjoining the Subway restaurant.

The hospital has leased space from Subway owner Harkavel Sing and the area has been converted into a reception area, five exam rooms, lab and offices.

Members of the staff, Director Chester Jastremski MD, Pam Johnson NP, Nicholl Luse, Michelle Coker, Rachael Gennicks, and Cheri Cox will host the all-day event.

An array of enjoyable, health-related activities are planned.

A variety of health screenings will be available to attendees free of charge from 11:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., including blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI calculations for weight management and spirometry, which is helpful when looking at smokers or those with lung problems.

Lunch on Us will follow the ribbon-cutting at noon featuring healthy offerings provided by the local Subway.

A prize drawing will be held for a weekend get-away at Eagle Point Golf Resort, and all attendees will receive gift bags courtesy of Monroe Primary Care.

Tours of the new medical facility will be conducted throughout the day.

Monroe Primary Care is now accepting new patients, including walk-ins, from 8 a.m. — 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday.

The clinic can be contacted by calling 384-3558.

Source: Greene County Daily World
Monday, July 30, 2009

When their car broke down in Clay County, it was only the start of problems early Saturday morning for two area men arrested for possession of anhyrdous ammonia.

According to information provided by the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, an unidentified tipster told 911 dispatchers there was a strong odor coming from a car broken down near the intersection of State Road 59 and County Road 1100 South.

When officers from the CCSD and the Clay City Police Department arrived, Michael K. Butcher, 28, Bloomington, and William Hiatt, 34, Jasonville, were at the car.

While questioning Butcher and Hiatt, one of the officers discovered an undisclosed amount of anhydrous ammonia, a precursor in the possible manufacturing of methamphetamine, hidden in the bushes close by.

Both were detained, transported to the Clay County Justice Center and preliminarily charged with improper use, transportation or possession of Anhydrous Ammonia.

After a case review by the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office, both Butcher and Hiatt were formally charged with class A misdemeanors for storage or transportation of Anhydrous Ammonia on Tuesday.

With each facing $7,000 cash bonds, jail officials confirm both men remain incarcerated while awaiting formal court proceedings.