UC Council tees up another attempt at increasing public safety tax

By John Estridge Union County Council members took a mulligan Thursday morning, September 17. Council attempted to increase its Local Income Tax, sometimes called Public Safety Income Tax, by 0.5 percent. However, an ordinance must pass on a unanimous vote at first reading. If it does not, then, at the next meeting, it can be …

UC Council members have a relatively easy time cutting 2021’s budget and may even have some money left over for pay raises

By John Estridge For the past several years when Union County Council members got together for a budget workshop, to plan out the following year’s budget, there was a lot of anguish. Union County has watched its revenues decrease and expenses increase to the point, a few years ago, there was talk of sending some …

UC school board members, administration talk about the success of the re-entry program

By John Estridge Union County/College Corner Joint School District Superintendent Aron Borowiak said while two students and two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of school, the school system’s reentry program is going smoothly. He said it is actually beyond the reentry plan at this time, as school has been in …

COVID-19 positive test results show an increase of three in Fayette County, two in Franklin and one in Union

By John Estridge from ISDH data Franklin County apparently still has not had all of its COVID-19 positive test results counted as its number increased by just two in the Thursday, September 17 update from the Indiana State Department of Health. On Tuesday, September 15, it was announced by the Franklin County Community School Corporation …

Attorney Jud McMillin moves to have Shawn McClung’s alleged confession suppressed in Voluntary Manslaughter case regarding Denise Pflum’s 1986 death

By John Estridge The man accused of killing Denise Pflum may have his alleged admission of guilt thrown out. Shawn McClung is charged in Fayette County with Voluntary Manslaughter (in sudden heat and without a deadly weapon), as a class B felony, in the March 28, 1986, death of Pflum. Police allege McClung admitted to …

Obituary for Bette G. Thielking

BETTE G. THIELKING Bette G. Thielking, 87, of Connersville, passed away on Sunday, September 13, 2020, in Indianapolis.  She was born on November 24, 1932, in Petroleum, Indiana, and is the daughter of Ralph Leon Terrel and G. Lucille (Neff) Terrell. She graduated from Batesville High School in 1950, and completed the Ball Hospital RN …

Franklin County’s number of positive COVID-19 test results on ISDH site reported through September 13

By John Estridge from ISDH data Apparently, positive COVID-19 test results are delayed getting to the Indiana State Department of Health. Franklin County High School is closed Wednesday, September 16, as six students tested positive and more than 150 students were placed in quarantine. This prompted the high school to go on a hybrid scheduling …

LaPorte County resident has Eastern Equine Encephalitis

Indiana State Health Department press release State health officials are urging Indiana residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites following reports of a probable case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in a LaPorte County resident and the detection of the virus in horses in northern Indiana. As of Sept. 14, two horses in LaGrange County …