News and sports in the Whitewater Valley

 Henry County – This has been a bad week for drivers in Henry County. Two people have been killed in separate crashes earlier this week and another bad accident occurred Friday evening, July 31.

An Anderson man was seriously injured Friday night, July 31, when the vehicle he was driving left the roadway and rolled over ejecting him.  Around 6:30 p.m., Henry County Sheriff’s Department deputies and officers from the Middletown Police Department responded to a report of a rollover crash in the 9300 block of West County Road 750 North.  Deputies and officers arrived to find a Kia Sedona van on its side in the front yard of a residence and a driver who had been ejected and was suffering from serious injuries.

Deputies later requested Indiana State Police Crash Reconstruction Investigators to come to the scene.  ISP Trooper J.T. Burns’ initial investigation shows the van was eastbound in the 9300 block of west CR 750 N. at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control, running off the right side of the road. The van began rolling over ejecting the driver, and came to rest in the yard of a home on the southwest corner of CR 750 N. and Mechanicsburg Road.

The driver, Robert C. Clore, 61, Anderson, who was not wearing a safety belt, was taken from the scene by medical helicopter to a hospital in Indianapolis with serious injuries. The crash remains under investigation. Trooper Burns was assisted at the scene by Crash Reconstruction Investigators Sergeant Danielle Elwood-Henderson and Troopers Hanna, McCutcheon and Bradbury; the Middletown Police Department, New Castle EMS, HCSD and Middletown Fire. 

Source: ISP Sgt. John Bowling, public information officer Pendleton District. First paragraph by John Estridge

By John Estridge

In any year other than 2020, this would have been the lead article coming out of the Franklin County Community School Corporation Board of Trustees special meeting Wednesday afternoon, July 29.

But this is 2020, and it was the third leading article from the meeting. Amendments to the school reentry plan and a discussion about the mandatory mask rule enacted by Gov. Eric Holcomb took center stage.

However, bids for a new music wing at Franklin County High School came in a half million dollars below the architect’s estimate.

Martin Truesdell, with Stair Associates Inc., of Indianapolis, recommended the school board members accept the lowest of the four bids submitted. Seifert Construction, based in Ohio, came in at $3.25 million for the base bid. The second lowest base bid was $3.4 million by Poole Group.

According to Truesdell, changes requested by Franklin County High School Athletics Director Denny Dorrel greatly helped reduce the construction costs.

Truesdell said Seifert constructed the bus facility for the school corporation. Truesdell said in talking with FCCSC Superintendent Dr. Debbie Howell and school facilities manager Dennis Brown, their only complaint about the bus facility construction was they did not like the electrical subcontractor. Truesdell said Seifert has a different electrical subcontractor for this project.

One of the alternative bids was for air conditioning the FCHS gymnasium. It was accepted at $110,000. Also, Truesdell recommended approving another alternative bid for mechanical controls. It is $51,000 bringing the total amount of the project to $3.411 million.

With the controls being put into the music wing, it will be a standalone, allowing those in charge of the music department to set the temperatures independent of the rest of the school. This is important for the electronic equipment and the instruments, which will be stored in the new wing, Truesdell said.

The musical wing construction will entail everything inside the walls. Things that will plug into the wall, such as audio equipment, should be done separately by the school. It should help with costs, communication and warranties not to go through a middleman, Truesdell said.

Also, Truesdell said the school would not want to put 2020 electronics into a 2021 facility.

With the alternative bids included, the Poole Group would have had a $3.571 million bid or about $160,000 higher than the one the school board chose, Truesdell said.

Construction can begin as soon as possible and should be completed in time for the 2021-22 school year. After the music wing is completed and the department makes the move into the new facility, the present music area will be made into locker rooms, making it easier for the school to host tournaments in various sports. A new weight room will also go into where the music area is now.

Board member Sharon Wesolowski said she is happy the music department is going to be improved, but she said the timing is all wrong with the FCCSC’s declining enrollment and the COVID-19 situation.

The school board is funding this construction by taking a bond that is coming off and putting it back on to pay for this construction. Thus, it will be tax neutral for the county’s taxpayers, they said.

Acting president Rick Gill explained that to Wesolowski. However, Wesolowski said even though the taxpayers are not paying additional taxes, it still costs.

Board member Terry Bryant said he could see both sides of the argument in that many of the taxpayers have income being reduced by the virus situation. However, he said the music addition is badly needed and so is the air conditioning in the gym.

Frances Brumback, a board member — who was on the speaker phone — said this is needed not only for those reasons but to also draw in students to the school corporation and retain the students who are already here. Also, it improves the educational system for the students.

The measure passed in a 6-1 vote with Wesolowski the dissenting vote.

By John Estridge

Five people have signed up to run for Franklin County Community School Corporation Board of Trustees in Franklin County as of Friday, July 31.

They are Secret Brougher for District One.

Kyle Seibert is running for District Two.

Incumbent Phil Harsh and Justin Moore are both in the race for District 3.

And Grant Reeves has signed up to run for District 4.

Deadline to sign up for the school board race is noon on Friday, August 21.

By John Estridge

The Indiana Department of Health just released information that Franklin County has just suffered a ninth death due to COVID-19.

The Franklin County Health Department just reported the ninth death is a male in his 80s. The local health department will be making weekly reports to the county on Fridays, beginning today.

Franklin County’s number of positive results from tests dating back to March is now at 191, an increase of four since the last posting on Thursday, July 30. In July, the number of positive cases increased by 70 from 121 to 191.

By John Estridge

As a rule, when the Franklin County Community School Corporation (FCCSC) Board of Trustees have a special meeting, it does not allow public comment.

That rule was waived Wednesday afternoon, July 29, at a special school board meeting. Several people opposed to their children wearing masks in school once the school system reopens were in attendance at the 2 p.m. meeting.

Three people spoke from the audience at the meeting. David Simons had the most to say.

He started by thanking board member Terry Bryant for meeting with himself and another parent to explain parts of the re-entry plan. Simons, a Veteran, said he was trained in biological warfare. He said the board decision regarding masks was an uninformed decision. He first started by mentioning all the different types of masks worn by the board, administrators and visitors to the meeting.

Simons was the only one in the room who wore an n95 mask. He pointed out the face shield Bryant was wearing was not long enough.

He also said the way the visitors signed in to speak at the meeting was a good example of cross contamination. A signup sheet is usually set on a table prior to the meeting, but because of the last-minute decision to allow speakers, acting president Rick Gill took the sheet around the room after the meeting started and each person handled the paper and the pen.

Simons said the same will be true of students in classrooms. The student will come off the bus, walk through the hallways and take the mask off in the classroom. At some point, that student will put it back on to do something else. Also, there is the factor some parents/guardians may not launder the cloth masks each night or not have enough masks to keep the student from wearing the same mask over and over. And the mask may be lost by the students.

It also brings up disciplinary issues such as students not wearing masks when they should, Simons said. Also, in classrooms where students are wearing masks, will the teacher know which student is speaking out when the student should not be talking?

Also, it is another way for students to be bullied because their masks are not as nice as other masks in the school and/or classroom.

Simons said while he was talking to those at the meeting, he was breathing his own carbon dioxide.

He said he knew at least a dozen families ready to remove their children from the school district over the rule.

FCCSC Superintendent Dr. Debbie Howell said the students will wear lanyards to attach the masks to when not in use. She also said at least as many families as there are who do not want masks, are at least the same number of families who want their children to wear masks.

Howell said the teachers have been working with administrators in the details associated with mask wearing.

Board attorney Amber McMillin Orozco was on the speaker phone. She said if the corporation did not mandate the wearing of masks after the Governor’s executive order and the school was sued for that reason, the costs of defending the case, even if the corporation would win, would be financially devastating to the corporation as the insurance company would not assist the corporation in defense costs. Also, if the corporation would lose the case, the insurance carrier would drop the corporation, and the corporation would be left without insurance.

It was mentioned that Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill filed a lawsuit against the governor over the issue. However, part of the lawsuit concerned the criminal offense associated with the mandate, which was removed by the governor before he issued it. Also, Hill said the state legislature would have to pass the mandate for it to become law.

Simons said the Governor’s mandate was unconstitutional due to Article 4 of the state constitution.

According to the Mauer School of Law website, Article 4 is “The Legislative authority of the State shall be vested in a General Assembly, which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The style of every law shall be: “Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana“; and no law shall be enacted, except by bill.”

Orozco said this is true, but the true conversation should be about possible lawsuits against the school corporation.

Information provided by State Rep. Randy Lyness

Established in 1998, the scholarship provides four years of full tuition for a bachelor’s degree earned at any accredited public or private Indiana college or university. The Independent Colleges of Indiana administers the program in partnership with community foundations throughout the state.

Applicants must be Indiana residents and pursue a bachelor’s degree full-time. Other eligibility requirements and application due dates vary by county. Find the local community foundation in your county here. Applications for the 2021 Lilly Scholarship through the Dearborn Community Foundation are due by Sept. 10,  through the Franklin County Community Foundation by  Sept. 2 and through the Union County Foundation by Aug. 31.

Information from ISP Pendleton District Public Information Officer Sgt. John Bowling

Henry County – A single-vehicle crash in Henry County Thursday night, July 30, claimed the life of a 31-year-old Shirley man. Henry County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Indiana State Police troopers were called to the 6500 block of Grant City Road, just north of Indiana 109, a little before 10:30 p.m., for a report of a single-vehicle rollover crash with serious injuries.

ISP Trooper Thomas Ratliff and HCSD deputies arrived to find a 2007 Chevrolet Impala on its top partially in the ditch on the right (east) side of Grant City Road. just south of the Interstate-70 overpass.  The preliminary investigation by ISP Trooper Thomas Ratliff indicates the Impala, driven by Jason Bridgeman, 31, of Shirley, Indiana, was northbound on Grant City Road when the driver lost control as the vehicle went over a slight rise in the road.

The vehicle began to rotate and left the right side of the road where it went into the ditch and rolled over.  Bridgeman, who was not wearing a safety belt, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The cause of the crash remains under investigation; however, investigators do believe speed played a role in the crash.

ISP Trooper Ratliff was assisted at the scene by Indiana State Police Crash Reconstruction Investigators Trooper Mark Hanna and Master Trooper Coley McCutcheon; by the Henry County Sheriff’s Department, Knightstown – Wayne Township Fire and Henry County EMS.

Information and photos provided by Union County Development Corporation

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From a thank you message

Mt. Carmel Police Department wants to thank the Mt. Carmel town board members for their work on a 80/20 USDA Rural Development Grant. We would like to thank Jolissa Bates, grant writer, along with Marcia Comer with the USDA. All of this would not be possible without everyone’s involvement. The new 2020 Durango will be on the road soon.

Thanks again for everyone’s hard work.

Chief Brent Hood

Chief Deputy Jeremy Walker

Officer Kate Schuler

Town Board President Eddie Walker

By Adrienne Greene

Q:

I’m studying end-time stuff at my church. Will Christ-followers experience death when the rapture comes?

A:

You’ve asked a question we’ve all pondered a time or two. The rapture, as the Christian Church widely understands it, will occur in such a way that people who are alive will not experience death in the normal sense.

For those who don’t know what “the rapture” is, it is often included in conversations under different headings like: “Armageddon” or “Apocalypse” as folks take a stab at how God may wrap things up when the earth ends and Christian history is complete. Those who are followers of Jesus will meet Christ in the air. as it states in the Bible’s book of first Thessalonians 4:16, 17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord” (NASB.)

The only problem I see with this marvelous arrangement of being hoisted aloft out of the fray is that our bodies, in their current, fallen state, will not be able to enter into the heavenly realm, as is. They were designed to accommodate the atmosphere of earth. So we’ll need new bodies, even while alive. This suggests to me that human beings in that rapture-moment will experience some kind of transformation … possibly a lot like death … in order to receive the equipment necessary (a new body) to arrive in heaven. So either way, as nice as it sounds, and we are lifted off in a bird-like swoop alongside Jesus and heavenward, it may not go exactly the way we think. The fact is: most of those folks who believe their end-time, Bible-facts are all figured out and neatly buttoned up, will certainly face numerous surprises, much like this one. No one but God knows the intimate details of that day and hour. But it is fun to speculate!

My opinion on this matter, by the way, is not at all found in the Bible, it is simply my conclusion based on what I know about God, our bodies and this scripture: “But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him” (Philippians 3:20, 21, MSG.)

That said, not everyone in the Body of Christ believes in the rapture. I’m not an expert on “pre-trib” or “post-trib” by a longshot, so I cannot adequately explain why people believe what they do. I myself look askance on the rapture idea in terms of what I know about human nature: we like the short-cuts, the cliff-notes, instant gratification and the easy way out of everything. I’ve not seen God provide much of that in any Bible story about our great patriarchs of the faith. “Easy” is not in the Christian vocabulary, if we’re doing a life of faith properly. I have a hard time believing God will suddenly rescue us out of here before all hell breaks loose. How convenient! Not a scratch or singe! While I’ve read and researched countless scriptural and theological texts on the rapture idea, I find the Bible vague enough to beg the question, “Are we sure about this?” (Please don’t send me countless volumes of theology on this topic, folks. As much as I adore my readers and cannot wait to hear from you, I instantly toss overt sales-pitches of religious doctrine and dogma designed to condemn.)

We all interpret God’s Word the best way we know how; following the best teachers we have available to us. Yet we won’t really know the answers to every question until we get there. In the meantime: Let’s trust God, remain teachable in terms of the Holy Spirit, and keep our shoulders to the plow.

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, please visit www.adriennewgreene.com or tune into the “Ask Pastor Adrienne” YouTube channel.