Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews plan to begin chip seal operations next week on Indiana 229 between Batesville and Metamora in Franklin County. Work will begin as early as Tuesday, July 6, just north of Interstate-74 and continue to U.S. 52.
Chip seal operations typically last around three to four days per location depending upon weather. Work is completed under lane closures with flagging to prevent damage to both vehicles and the roadway. During operations, existing pavement is coated with liquid asphalt, which seals cracks and provides waterproof protection. This extends the service life of the roadway and lowers maintenance costs. Once the seal coat is complete, loose aggregate is applied and swept from the road. After a curing period, crews will return to fog seal the new driving surface and apply pavement markings.
Chip seal is a cost-effective pavement preservation technique that is utilized across the state of Indiana, saving an estimated $6-14 in taxpayer expenditures for every $1invested in extending the life of a roadway.
Motorists should slow down, watch for stopped traffic and drive distraction-free through all work zones. All work is weather dependent and schedules are subject to change.
Becky Jo Teeguarden, 70 of Rushville, passed away on June 30, 2021, in Rushville. She was born on September 29, 1950, in Connersville, to the late Eugene Rogers and Julie (Bray) Frye. Becky was a 1969 graduate of Brookville High School. She worked at Stant Manufacturing in Connersville for more than 20 years and then went onto driving a school bus for the Fayette County district. Becky enjoyed going to yard sales, flowers and reading. She also enjoyed being outside horseback riding and fishing. Becky is survived by her lifelong companion, Max Moore; son, Jeremy Sams of Brookville, Shannon (Fiancé, Justin Ball) Sams of Brookville and Debbie Starkey of Rushville; brothers, David (Lorna) Frye of TX, Billy (Beth) Frye of Laurel, Jeff Frye of Greensburg and Steve Rogers of Plainfield. She will also be missed by seven grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Becky is preceded in death by her parents, son, Billy Joe Sams and brother, Randy Rogers. Memorial Service will be held at a later date amongst friends and family. Memorial contributions may be made to Leukemia Association and American Cancer Association. Moster Mortuary is entrusted to the arrangements of Becky Jo.
William Michael Fisher; just Bill to his friends, or, to some of his more chronologically enhanced friends, Pinky (due to his fiery red hair growing up), passed away on Saturday, June 26, in Tucson, AZ. Bill was 85 years young, born and raised in Batesville, where he spent all but the last few months of his life.
Bill attended St. Louis Catholic School and Batesville High School, graduating in 1953. After high school, Bill served in the United States Army, from which he earned his Honorable Discharge in 1963.
Bill went to work for Hill-Rom Industries, where he was introduced to Rosemary Zimmerman, who would be the love of his life. The two were married in September of 1958, becoming the parents of three children, and stayed together for the next 60 years, until Rosemary’s own passing in 2019. Bill started in the mailroom at Hill-Rom, working his way up to the role of salesman. He became a regional sales manager, and eventually the national sales manager. He retired in 2000 as a national vice president after spending 44 years with the company.
Besides his work, Bill was involved in many activities and organizations throughout his lifetime in and around Batesville. This included the Batesville Jaycees, the Knights of Columbus, and the Batesville Kiwanis Club. Although many people had no idea, Bill was also a contributing columnist for the Batesville Herald from 1996 through 2009. He always dreamed of being a writer, and blessed the citizens of Batesville with his words on a weekly column under his pen name, Harlan Roberts, titled “People, Places and Things”.
Bill was also called into service as a golf coach at St. Louis Catholic School when the team was formed for 7th and 8th grade students. An avid golfer himself, he thoroughly enjoyed helping the kids with their game and getting them to the various matches in which they competed. In the mid-2000s, Bill became the head golf coach for the Oldenburg Academy Lady Twisters. During his final coaching season, the Lady Twisters advanced all the way to the Regional Finals. As much as Bill loved to play golf, I truly think the happiest days he ever spent on the golf course were when he was walking with the girls and watching them compete. But that wasn’t the only help he provided the girls of Oldenburg Academy. As one of his former students put it: “Instead of saying, ‘All I need to know I learned in kindergarten’, I say, ‘All I need to know I learned on the golf course with Mr. Fisher.’”
But all of his many activities had to be worked around his lawn mowing, yard work and flower tending, of course. No one worked harder than Bill Fisher to maintain a manicured yard, complete with numerous varieties of flowers, vegetables, and trees.
But even his time in the yard took a backseat to his children and grandchildren. Whether it be in the stands, the auditorium, or on the coaching staff, Bill was there for every kid’s game, play, and school function. His three children grew up happy, successful, and incredibly loved.
Bill is grieved and remembered by all his numerous friends and family. He is survived by his daughters Sandra Greenwell of Tucson, Arizona and Amy Jennings of Ft. Wayne; son Timothy Fisher of Morrow, Ohio; sister Greta Solgere of Greensburg; Four grandchildren. Bill was preceded in death by his parents Aloysius and Rose (Nee: Benz) Fischer, wife Rosemary and brother Tom Fisher.
A memorial service and Celebration of Life will be held in Batesville at a later date.
Dawnna Grace Brown, 62, of Connersville, passed away on Sunday, June 27, 2021. She was born on September 26, 1958, in Charlestown, West Virginia, and is the daughter of the late Charles Simpson and Betty Parish Simpson. She graduated from high and went on to pursue her career in nursing, where she received several awards in recognition of her compassion and caring. She had worked on every floor of the hospital and ran vents to the rehab unit.
In February 2004, she enlisted with the United States Army, where she continued to serve as a First Lieutenant and received the Global War on Terrorism Medal.
She enjoyed going horseback riding and loved all animals, especially wolves. She also liked to go camping and spend time at the beach or riding motorcycles.
Dawnna is survived by her husband, Anthony, whom she married on September 23, 2005; five sons, Jacob Facemeyer, Taylor Morris, Cole Morris, Danny Brown, and William Brown; two sisters, Regina Shaffer and Debi (Dick) Bruney, along with several grandchildren.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her mother-in-law, Rhoda Brown, and a brother-in-law, Dr. Matthew Curtis Brown..
.The funeral service for Dawnna will be held on Thursday, July 8, 2021, at 1 p.m., at Restlawn Memory Gardens, 265 Memorial Gardens Road, Victor, WV 25938. Urban Winkler Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the family with arrangements.
Indiana Department of Transportation press release
The Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University today announced plans to develop the world’s first contactless wireless-charging concrete pavement highway segment. The project will use innovative magnetizable concrete – developed by German startup Magment GmbH – enabling wireless charging of electric vehicles as they drive.
“Indiana is known as the Crossroads of America and we’re committed to fortifying our position as a transportation leader by innovating to support the emerging vehicle technology,” Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. “This partnership to develop wireless charging technology for highways sends a strong signal that Indiana is on the leading edge of delivering the infrastructure needed to support the adoption of electric vehicles.”
“As electric vehicles become more widely used, demand for reliable, convenient charging infrastructure continues to grow, and the need to innovate is clear,” INDOT Commissioner Joe McGuinness said. “We’re excited to partner with Purdue and Magment to explore incorporating wireless charging technology into highway infrastructure.”
“The field of transportation is in the midst of a transformation not experienced since the invention of the automobile,” Nadia Gkritza, Professor of Civil Engineering and Agricultural and Biological Engineering and ASPIRE Campus Director at Purdue University said. “Through this research, we envision opportunities to reduce emissions and near-road exposures to pollutants, coupled with other transportation innovations in shared mobility and automation that will shape data-driven policies encouraging advances.”
The project is part of the Advancing Sustainability through Power Infrastructure for Road Electrification (ASPIRE) Initiative, an Engineering Research Center funded by NSF, the National Science Foundation, and involves the collaboration of universities, government laboratories, businesses, and other stakeholders developing next-generation charging technologies for the electrification of Transportation vehicles of all classes.
“We’re quite eager to see this first of its kind project unfold in Indiana,” said David Christensen, ASPIRE Innovation Director. “This partnership that includes Magment, INDOT, Purdue University, and the larger ASPIRE consortium has great promise to really move the needle on technology development, which will, in turn, enable more positive impacts from deeper electric vehicle adoption.”
Phases 1 and 2 of the project will feature pavement testing, analysis, and optimization research conducted by the Joint Transportation Research Program (JTRP) at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus. In phase 3, INDOT will construct a quarter-mile-long testbed at a location yet to be determined, where engineers will test the innovative concrete’s capacity to charge heavy trucks operation at high power (200 kilowatts and above). Upon successful completion of testing of all three phases, INDOT will use the new technology to electrify a yet to be determined segment of interstate highway within Indiana.
“This project is a real step forward towards the future of dynamic wireless charging,” said Mauricio Esguerra, CEO of Magment, “that will undoubtedly set the standard for affordable, sustainable and efficient transportation electrification.”
The project will include three phases and is expected to begin later this summer.
I think my preacher is becoming a cult leader. What do I do?
A:
In order for me to help you assess this serious situation, I’d like you to pray-through the consistent proofs of cultic leadership before you make up your mind for certain. Clergy are sometimes accused of being over-bearing, forceful or a threat when they are more often simply misunderstood. I was nearly run out of a church and accused of such evils myself once when I attempted to follow the Holy Spirit in making important updates and changes to a congregation too-long isolated and out of touch with the realities of viable ministry. The Lord prevailed and we all worked out our differences…but it was a tough time and I took a severe beating I’ll never forget. It is important to use caution when we accuse or judge our Christian leaders. The Devil does plenty of that already.
That said, congregations must quickly take action if the convictions of the Bible and the proven science of psychos line up together. Below are the results of cult-leadership case-studies for you to use as a lens with which to view your situation and your pastor. These are the marked characteristics of diabolical men and women who attain posts of spiritual administration and form a cult:
One: they control people, places and things through the misuse of their authority and title. Manipulation is their middle name. If you feel coerced, pressured or “slimed” as some call it, when in dealings with your minister, this may be a red flag.
Two: they twist the verses of Scripture for their personal gain; especially when money is involved. They often use forms of seduction and even bribery as their devices for persuasion (2 Peter 1:3.) Scripture-abuse is the most serious crime of all since the pastor is a mouthpiece for God. Satan is the master of Scripture-twisting.
Three: they have an unbalanced sense of self. Cult leaders; their ideas and beliefs are often packaged and sold as the most important and vital. In worst-cases, they have what is considered a God-complex. Jesus warned us in the Book of Matthew: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24.)
Four: they are pathological liars who easily embellish the truth or out-right change it in order to draw people to them and control situations. Hypocrisy abounds since, while they condemn others (and other churches, people-groups and doctrines), they position themselves and their followers as the exception to all the rules.
Five: cult leaders lack appropriate boundaries and often ignore or disrespect the healthy parameters of others. Their bull-in-a-china-shop methods exploit the weaknesses of others and use them to their advantage. While sometimes appearing as gentle lambs, cult-leaders are highly insensitive to the feelings, needs and limitations of anyone, especially those in opposition to them.
Six: they are highly flammable with hot tempers and intolerance. Paranoia is usually present also, as they encourage the us-and-them view of the world and anyone considered to be an outsider to their territory.
Thankfully, most Christian churches today are run by committee. There are Boards of leaders, committees and regulations to secure shared powers among a stable group of long-time servants. Sometimes as a pastor, these groups can be daunting since they are often staffed by old-guard members who refuse change and see the pastor as a hired-hand to be managed and corralled. A mature pulpit minister will become an expert at maneuvering the dynamics of these well-intended overseers, realizing that health and safety is found when there are many levels of authority. Clergy must remember that these men and women are guarding their family’s heritage, their church’s legacy and the ministry of God. I bless you as you discern your next steps.
Do you have a question or comment for Pastor Adrienne? Send your inquiries to: info@adriennewgreene.com or write to P.O. Box 214, Harrison, OH 45030. For more information and resources, please visit www.askpastoradrienne.com or the “Ask Pastor Adrienne” YouTube channel for sermons and insights
Brand New Criminal Justice Statutes Take Effect July 1
The vast majority of the bills signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb after the most recent legislative session officially become law on July 1. Many will directly impact criminal justice, the prosecutor’s office, and our local community. Franklin County Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp wanted to highlight some of these important measures before they go into effect.
Some of the highlights include:
HEA 1082- High Tech Crimes Unit: More and more evidence in criminal cases is virtual in nature. Cellphone data, computers, security cameras, technology plays a huge role in everyday life and in criminal investigations. But it takes a lot of time, knowledges and resources to be able to comb through digital evidence. HEA 1082 will help with that by providing funding for 10 high tech crime units in prosecutor offices across the state. By the end of 2021, the 10 selected counties will be announced. These units will not only service the host county but other counties in close proximity, ensuring that every prosecutor office has access to this technology that will help speed up the judicial process and result in better and quicker investigations. This bill is especially helpful to smaller counties such as ours that don’t have access to the funding or manpower necessary to sustain such a unit on our own. Hopefully, this can be addressed by pooling our resources with other jurisdictions. While the details are a still a work-in-progress, I have already discussed this with Prosecutors in neighboring counties and we are all very enthusiastic to participate in the creation of these regional units.
SEA 167- Theft of Catalytic Converters: Seemingly every county in Indiana has seen this issue pop up more and more in recent years. Unfortunately, I expect this to become a growing problem due to the inflationary pressures on the price of metals, along with the recent surge in supply of drugs likely originating at the U.S. Southern Border. Catalytic converters contain extremely valuable metals that are relatively simple to remove from the bottom of a car with the right knowledge and tools. Once stolen, these items are often exchanged between thief-addicts and local drug dealers in lieu of cash or other payment. Well-organized rings can hit a parking lot and come away with several converters in one night. For the vehicle owners, the theft leaves the car inoperable and repairs can be extremely costly. In light of this, SEA 167 is a two-pronged approach, increasing the penalty for stealing a catalytic converter and also adding a penalty for purchasing stolen goods. This bill should hopefully discourage what has become an organized crime with thieves grabbing multiple converters and then selling them to metal dealers who usually aware of what they are paying for.
SEA 187- Protecting Monuments, Memorials, and Statues: This bill creates some new laws and punishments regarding rioting, something that became a little more common in 2020 (but not here in Franklin County). The punishment for rioting can now be enhanced to a Level 6 felony or Level 5 felony depending on if there is injury and property damage that exceeds a certain amount. The bill also mandates that Indiana State Police prioritize investigations regarding damage to monuments.
SEA 133- Sentencing: This act finally closes a loophole regarding drug dealers. The bill also mandates that sentences for Level 2 or 3 felony drug offenses can’t be suspended by a judge if the offender has a prior, unrelated felony. This important legislation will ensure that drug dealers stay behind bars for an appropriate amount of time.
SEA 79- Protective Orders and Domestic Battery: Unfortunately, domestic violence cases are seen by our office far too often. SEA 79 was authored and signed as a way to increase penalties against offenders who commit domestic violence against someone that had a protective order against the offender. The new law also goes after repeat offenders, by increasing the penalty for domestic violence if the defendant has a previous conviction of battery or strangulation against that family member.
These are just a few of hundreds of new laws that will come into effect on July 1. Franklin County residents are encouraged to visit http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2021/bills/ for a complete list.
Franklin County Commissioners are looking to do a little horse trading with the Indiana Department of Transportation.
The commissioners have been eyeing the INDOT facility located at Ninth and Mill streets in Brookville. INDOT’s local substation is moving to new facilities located north of Brookville on Indiana 101. That leaves the facilities in town open for sale.
Commissioners are proposing taking over Old Indiana 1 near Cedar Grove in exchange for the state facility in Brookville along with a cash consideration for FC.
The state has long wanted the county to take over Old Ind. 1. It stretches from Indiana 1 east to Graf Road. It has not been well maintained by the state since the Ind. 1 construction and opening at Southgate Hill and the subsequent closing and demolition of the old iron bridge over the Whitewater River at Cedar Grove.
Commission President Tom Linkel made the announcement at the Tuesday, June 29 commissioners meeting. Linkel and county attorney Grant Reeves said the matter will be brought up in an open public meeting before any final decisions are made by the county.
It is thought the Town of Brookville was also wanting to take over INDOT’s Brookville facilities, possibly to construct a new town hall at the site. However, the Brookville Town Council has not made anything public about any of their dealings with the state or private contractors. The town council was supposed to make public the results of a feasibility study it paid for concerning the building of a new town hall by June but nothing was mentioned in public concerning the feasibility study at any of the town council meetings.
BTC has not been and is not currently as transparent as county government. BTC members have been reprimanded by the state’s public access counselor for not making its dealings public even though the members are spending tax money in its endeavors. And there are more complaints pending concerning BTC at the public access counselor’s office.
