News and sports in the Whitewater Valley

Ruth Estridge photos

Santa Claus made a very rare July appearance at Whitewater Memorial State Park in Union County on Saturday, July 25.

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By John Estridge

There has been some action in the case of the man charged with the March 28, 1986, death of Denise Pflum of Fayette County.

Shawn McClung’s trial date has been changed from Friday, Oct. 2, to Monday, Oct. 5, at 9 a.m.

Also, Brookville attorney Jud McMillin made an appearance to represent McClung during McClung’s initial hearing on Thursday, July 9. At the initial hearing, McClung pleaded not guilty.

However, five days later in a hearing before Fayette Circuit Court Judge Hubert Branstetter, McClung was declared indigent. Following that ruling, Branstetter appointed McMillin to represent McClung. Thus, McMillin will be paid by Fayette County taxpayers to represent McClung as his pauper attorney.

McClung was charged with Manslaughter, as a Class B Felony.

According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, McClung previously told police he assisted Pflum in leaving the state in 1986, and she was still alive and living in another state. He also allegedly told police in the past, that he had communicated with her subsequent to 1986. However, in July 2020, police said McClung admitted to killing Pflum.

“This action taken by McClung has concealed the crime since its commission,” the Affidavit for Probable Cause reads. In the Information, it states “On or about March 28, 1986, in Fayette County, State of Indiana, Shawn McClung did knowingly kill another human being, to-wit: Denise Pflum while acting under a sudden heat and did knowingly or intentionally conceal evidence and/or information, to wit: maintained that Denise Plum was alive and that he had communicated with her subsequent to 1986 …”

https://www.in.gov/gov/files/Executive%20Order%2020-37%20Face%20Covering%20Requirement.pdf

By Larry Wiwi

It sounds like political hysteria to broad brush a political party with the charge of being in favor of death and destruction and that attitude certainly does not apply to the typical moderately involved  Democrat voter, but at the policy and action level it is true and becoming more so as the party continues its leftward drift.

Consider first the party’s unflinching and relentless support of abortions, some even going as far as killing or allowing to die a baby who survives an abortion.  Party leaders never acknowledge that Planned Parenthood has roughly 70% of their operations in poor and/or minority dominant neighborhoods resulting in about 30% of all abortions being performed on African American women though African Americans are about 13% of the total population.

Democrats have long governed the cities with the highest crime rates and shootings – Chicago, and Baltimore for example with no effort or no successful efforts to address the issues despite the fact that Republican Mayor Giuliani’s miraculous results in New York City provide the blueprint.

It was the Democrats who pushed through Obamacare that would limit medical services to certain individuals and in one infamous 2013 case was about to let Sarah Murnaghan, a 10 year old girl suffering from Cystic Fibrosis die because she “did not meet the criteria” – a decision that was only reversed under intense public outcry

More recently it was the Democrat governors of New York and New Jersey, Cuomo and Murphy respectively who ordered COVID diagnosed patients into nursing homes resulting in the extraordinary high death rates for those two states, far and away the worst death rates per million than any other states in the country.  One might argue they did not know COVID was so deadly to the elderly to which the logical reply is:  Has there ever been a flu-like virus or any virus for that matter, that is not substantially more deadly to the elderly?  The answer of course is no.  At best these governors are guilty of extraordinarily poor judgement and leadership and should likely be charged with manslaughter.

Finally, we have the recent demonstrations that rapidly degenerated into crime ridden, property destroying riots in Democrat governed cities and what is the Democrat leaders’ response?  Defund the police and use the courts to keep Federal law enforcement out as the cities burn and law abiding citizens suffer.

Larry Wiwi, Franklin County

Submitted by Mike Biltz for the American Legion

The Brookville American Legion Post 77 is pleased to announce that they have awarded $9,500 in scholarships to FCHS graduates of 2020.

A chicken drive thru and cash raffle were conducted by chairmen, Ray Amrhein, Bill Higgs and Mike Biltz with the help of over 30 volunteers to raise this money for our local students. This project was a combined effort of the members of the legion, the ladies auxiliary and the SAL. The chicken drive thru was held in lieu of the traditional chicken dinner/pork chop dinner due to the national pandemic. Approximately 14 cases of chicken and 300 pork chops were served. It is through the generous support and encouragement of our community that made this effort possible and the American Legion greatly appreciates their support.

Commander Richard Bodnar, Ladies Auxiliary President Angie Nobbe and SAL Commander Craig Hertel presented checks valued at $500 each to Molly Goins, Taylor McCreary, Sara Weaver, Kyle Siebert, Ashlan Hill, Meadow Nobbe, Makaylee Woods, Brylee Pace, Emalee Dehner, Jalynn Rogers, Jaime Stortz, Kayla Ertel, Peter Volk, Austin Volk, Rachel Bischoff, Emily Wendel, Maggie Brack, Samantha Ebrens and Audrey Reister.

Compiled by John Estridge

The real estate transfers are provided by the Franklin County Recorder’s Office. This installment is beginning on Jan. 13, 2020.

Warranty Deed: Kathleen Margaret Traylor to Shelli Arvin, Katie Zeinner and Shelli Traylor; land in Highland Township.

Warranty Deed: William T. Bulmer and Brett A. Bulmer to Raymond Doyle Green; Lot 13, Town of Andersonville.

Quit Claim Deed: Anthony S. Rotert to Anthony S. Rotert and Amy Rachel Rotert; land in Whitewater Township.

Warranty Deed: Michael A. Singer, Beverly K. Singer, Mark A. Singer and Diane F. Singer to Rebecca A. Suding and Brian H. Suding; land in Brookville Township.

Affidavit of Transfer of Real Estate: Joseph Williams and Patricia C. Williams to Patricia C. Williams, Jonathan A. Williams, Matthew C. Williams, Luke D. Williams, Mark A. Williams, Bruce Williams and Charles Williams; land in Highland Township.

Quit Claim Deed: Jonathan A. Williams, Matthew C. Williams, Luke D. Williams and Mark A. Williams to Patricia C. Williams; land in Highland Township.

Warranty Deed: Bruce Williams, Patricia C. Williams and Williams Family Trust to Gary Rieveschl and Hermine Niesz Rieveschl; land in Highland Township.

Warranty Deed: Joshua R. Baker and Ayla E. Baker to Josh Baker and Emily M. Denni; land in Blooming Grove Township.

Survivorship Deed: Countrytyme Norwich LLC to Daryl E. Caudill and Cynthia K. Caudill; land in Highland Township.

Deed: Karla Bauman, Auditor and Anthony D. King to Tom Leffel and Denise Leffel; land in Posey Township.

Warranty Deed: James A. Hyde, Eileen M. Hyde, James A. Hyde Living Trust and Pamela A. Barton to James A. Hyde and Eileen M. Hyde; Lots 47-48 Jesse B. Thomas Plat.

Warranty Deed: James A. Hyde, Eileen M. Hyde, James A. Hyde Living Trust, Eileen M. Hyde Living Trust and Pamela A. Barton to James A. Hyde and Eileen M. Hyde; Lots 21 and 27, Amos Butler.

Warranty Deed: Dorothy R. Smith to Carrie A. Frey; Lots 6-7, Kings Addition.

Personal Representatives Deed: Amber McMillin Orozco and Thomas Reuss to Aaron Sterwerf, Kaitlin Sterwerf, Jeff Sterwerf and Shari Sterwerf; land in Brookville Township.

Personal Representative Deed: Thomas Reuss and Amber McMillin Orozco to Dakota McCreary and Kelly Kolb; land in Brookville Township.

Warranty Deed: James Schantz and Melinda Schantz to Evan Bohlke and Rebecca Bohlke; Lot 46, Quail Meadows Estates.

Warranty Deed: Matthew D. Hinds to William J. Shroder IV; Lot 3, Locustville Subdivision.

Warranty Deed: Kent E. Halpin and Tammy D. Halpin to Kari S. Hogeback and Kristin Hogeback; land in Laurel Township.

Quit Claim Deed: Tristan J. Hunter, Erica Estes and Erica Hunter to Tristan J. Hunter and Erica Hunter; land in Posey Township.

Warranty Deed: Preferred Property Investments Inc. to Zachary S. Maucher; Lots 6-7 Parris Addition.

Warranty Deed: Buster Rains and Brenda Rains to Buster Rains and Brenda Rains; land in Highland Township.

Personal Representatives Deed: Jeremy A. King and Allen E. King to Jeremy A. King and Mary Ellen King; land in Brookville Township.

Warranty Deed: James A. Hyde, Eileen M. Hyde, James A. Hyde Living Trust, Eileen M. Hyde Living Trust and Pamela A. Barton to James A. Hyde and Eileen M. Hyde; Lots 23 and 26, William W. Butler.

Warranty Deed: Robert J. Obermeyer to Daniel Gehring and Samantha Nunlist; Lots 61-62, Oldenburg Town.

Quit Claim Deed: Elvin Knollman and Wanda Knollman to Elvin Knollman; land in Ray Township.

Trustees Deed: Dreama Northcutt, Harold R. and Donna S. Parrett Keystone Trust, Harold R. Parrett and Donna S. Parrett to Raleigh B. Isaacs and Elizabeth D. Isaacs; land in Posey Township.

Warranty Deed: Karen Dole, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi Trust, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi to Carol L. Stecher and Carol L. Stecher Revocable Trust; Tract 9, land in Whitewater Township.

Warranty Deed: Karen Dole, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi Trust, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi to Carol L. Stecher and Kenneth W. Stecher Revocable Trust; Tract 7, land in Whitewater Township.

Warranty Deed: Karen Dole, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi Trust, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi to Eric Diehl and Joanne Diehl; Tract 6, land in Whitewater Township.

Warranty Deed: Karen Dole, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi Trust, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi to Nancy J. Keitel and Gary W. Keitel; Tract 10, land in Whitewater Township.

Warranty Deed: Karen Dole, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi Trust, Leroy L. Wiwi and Mildred Rose Wiwi to Blue Jay Ventures LLC; Tracts 1 and 2, both land in Whitewater Township.

Affidavit of Transfer of Real Estate: Joseph E. McCoy and Tammy McCoy to Charles McCoy, Melissa Gaskin, Heather McCoy, Jerry Blaylock and Terri Blaylock; land in Posey Township.

Second installment ended on January 17, 2020. More real estate transfers will be published in the near future.

By Dr. Darrell Brimhall, Franklin County public health officer

I’ll get straight to it.  We need to start wearing masks when in public. Initially, I was against this for many reasons. If 80 percent of our communication is non-verbal and I’m in the office, I don’t want to be this faceless beady-eyed Brimhall looking at little kids or a patient who is reluctantly opening up about their depression. Masks make me think 1,000 times a day that I need to brush my teeth for 20 minutes 20 times a day rather than twice a day.  Sure, sometimes it is the mask, but sometimes it’s not. They can be annoying to breathe in, and I feel like I am always readjusting them every three seconds. You get the picture. But I will say, most of the frustration has worn off. Not all – but most of it.

As one who sees plenty of types of infections and knows masks have their utility with tuberculosis and even more common viruses, I actually thought, “Well, there is no evidence for them right now. I’ll social distance and wash my hands.” I would then mentally fold my arms and pout because I was doing enough.

Then the shut-down began and most aspects of normal life started to disappear. We became strangers in a way, suspicious of others getting too close. Learning how to clear one’s throat in a public space became challenging. We all know this, but what became harder and harder was seeing the short-term economic impacts (and imagining the long-term) and then the impact to individuals and families. It is not surprising. We were not meant for this. I don’t care if you sit on the “evolving” or “creating” end of the spectrum, it is not good for us to be apart.

For the sake of my sanity, I’ve stopped trying to imagine an end date. It will end like all pandemics do but it can’t come fast enough for any of us. So, what do we do in the meantime? We do not have a vaccine or miraculous drug to prevent it so what do we do? We have hand washing and social distancing. Basic tools – but pretty effective. Well now we have evidence of a third tool that drastically decreases the risk of spread. Reduces to zero? No, but possibly allows us to go back to the closest version of normal without having to implement the draconian, mind-numbing, soul-sinking shutdowns (and this is coming from an introvert).

The Franklin County Health Department is pursuing a course to implement this policy in the coming days and at the time of this writing learned the state will be imposing its own. I am grateful for that.

Now before we start thinking a bunch of fascists have taken over your local board of health—made up of very normal people with the same frustrations over the way COVID has hijacked our lives—let us make a few things clear:

1. COVID19 is not a fake disease or some grand conspiracy. If you are one who truly believes this, I can’t help you. I won’t waste my time as I’ve also given up on convincing those few who think our earth is flat and the moon landings were faked. However, if you are not quite sure, conspiracies are by their nature carefully coordinated (as we all have seen in movies and TV which makes us experts at recognizing them) and as we can see whether you watch local news, “red” news outlets, or “blue” news outlets, it is a mess everywhere in the world. If you believe the chaos was also “planned” as part of the conspiracy, again, I can’t help you there.
2. Pandemics happen and while fortunately not often on the scale we see now, the fact is that it gives us very little experience knowing exactly what to do. Issues like air travel, social media, 24/7 hashing and rehashing on television/internet/radio were irrelevant issues in 1918. Although there are core principles for the prevention and spread of infectious disease, situations can vary—not every virus/bacteria plays by the same rules. Now add variables of locality, population density, level of health of that population, etc., and quickly it becomes overwhelming to predict exactly what is going to happen and what needs done. With that being said, no wonder we feel like our heads are spinning…on what is happening here or there, or what this county, state, country did or didn’t do. It is overwhelming.  We have not experienced this before.
3. COVID testing has been imperfect and frustrating at best. The first tests that came out only detected parts of the virus. This second test detected evidence the body’s immune system has processed it. Both are important. If you tested positive, results are pretty accurate. However, if you had a negative test result and had symptoms, upwards of 30 percent of those tests could be wrong, meaning the negative was a false one and you really did have the virus or exposure to it. Now here is the second rub, there have been lots of stories of results that never came back, people that tested negative, then positive or vice versa, or positive tests done on empty tubes, etc. What I would say on this is that when you ramp up doing thousands to millions of tests in a relatively short amount of time using testing sites thrown together in a rush, even with the very best of intentions there are going to be errors and mix-ups and corners cut. This must be overwhelming to labs and those gathering samples, so we need to cut some slack on this issue and give the benefit of the doubt. Testing is important and will get better in time.
4. We understand that getting “infected” does not always translate into a death sentence or even any symptoms, so why the “panic” or the “intrusive” measures? Most people will be fine but who exactly are they going to be? Sure, we can categorize severity of disease based on certain health conditions, race and age but still it is only a likelihood, not a crystal ball. All ages can get “infected.” An infected person with symptoms is more contagious than an “infected” individual with no symptoms, but both are contagious and can contribute to spread.

So why the masks? Isn’t this an infringement on your personal liberty? Sure, if you want to make it so, but I would ask a few questions to this individual. Are you protesting stoplights or speed limits? Did you drill your own well because the public water utility won’t take out the chlorine? Are you protesting the government requiring food workers to wash their hands after they use a restroom? I could go on and on — laws made in the interest of the public—that violate the “liberty” of the individual. But does it? We can still drive down the middle of a double-yellow lines, ignore red lights, drive 70 mph through a school-zone, and/or choose not to wash our hands, etc.  The consequences vary but no one is making us.

This public health debate and the “loss” of liberty has been going on for literally hundreds of years. Read about small-pox in England in the 1700s. The arguments are not new. But as good ‘ole John Adams argued, “Facts are stubborn things.”

Sure, someone can accuse me of being an automaton and/or robot and/or employee of Conspiracy Incorporated. However, those should also need to start calling me a robot when I try to go the speed limit, pass others appropriately, stop at intersections, wear my seat belt, make my kids wear theirs, stop texting when driving, and on and on and on. Sure, some things are political, but this is not. There is lots to be frustrated about and this includes having to get used to masks if we choose to see the vision of this temporary tool to help us get back to normal.

Do we remember that? Normal? We all ache for it so let us do what we can to get back there and not feed this war of words.

By Adrienne Greene

Q:

I’m studying something known as the “glory of God.” What do you know about it?

A:

            We often associate the glory of God with the way Catholic and Anglican art has presented it to us: a golden halo surrounding spiritually-special people. But that idea is only one tiny expression of it. To some, God’s glory is spiritual glow; force-field, or power-cloud from heaven; and a deep mystery. To others, it has been fully revealed and explained in detail. Numerous testimonials are recorded in video and print from people who experienced an outpouring of God’s glory during church meetings, revivals or significant events. God seems to bring his glory to people who are desperate for it and searching.

            Moses was the man who experienced God’s glory with more frequency than anyone. He literally had “face-time” with God, to the point that his skin was saturated with a heavenly glow that scared people. “Moses didn’t realize as he came back down the mountain with the tablets that his face glowed from being in the presence of God. Because of this radiance upon his face, Aaron and the people of Israel were afraid to come near him.” (Exodus 34:29, 30, TLB.) From this, we glean the knowledge that God’s glory includes supernatural light; the kind the shepherds in the fields also experienced the night Jesus was born (Luke 2.)

            Peter, James and John were also exposed to the glory during what we call “The Transfiguration,” a big word that means, “to be transformed or changed.” Three Gospel writers recorded the event in Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9; the moment when their teacher, Jesus, instantly broke out in his heavenly glory during a quiet meeting with Moses and Elijah at the top of a mountain. Jesus’ garments, made of everyday cloth, glittered like lightning. A glory-cloud then misted over the scene as God the Father spoke, telling our chatty-Peter to be quiet and listen(!) The three disciples hit the deck in worship and silence until the meeting ended. From this example, we note three expressions of God’s glory: 1) white-light, 2) a silvery-cloud filling the atmosphere, and 3) a power-surge strong enough to knock grown men to the ground. Likewise, King Solomon’s temple, when it was finally built and being consecrated, drew such attention in the heavenly realm that God himself performed the ribbon cutting (1 Kings 8); filling the area with smoke and cloud; sending all the priests face-down in the dirt in worship.

            Christians are familiar with the presence of God—perhaps his touch or voice; dreams, revelations and moments of spiritual anointing (usually noted by shivers or goosebumps.) But most of us are lacking both the knowledge and experience of God’s glory. It is what we need and must have in these desperate hours of satanic evil rising on the earth. We need the cyclone of Jesus’ power bearing down and snuffing out the soot of hell which appears to be piling up everywhere. From anarchy to murder; cities on fire with destruction from terrorists; our founding documents like The Constitution or Bill of Rights mocked and dismissed by leaders in places of great authority both national and local. We desperately need God to step in.

A cyclone best describes God’s glory when it falls. A massive weather event, the cyclone contains within it numerous tornados which seem to drill down greater devastation under the umbrella of cyclonic destruction. God’s glory is also a massive force-field of heaven-come-to-earth which contains inside it penetrating miracles of healing, demonic deliverance, peace that passes all understanding and rest so deep, the subjects underneath it appear asleep. Two of our favorite Bible authors Daniel and John, both fell on their faces “as though dead” when God’s glory fell upon them (Daniel 8 and Revelation 1.)

            God’s glory has come even in modern times: witnesses like John Kilpatrick (johnkilpatrick.org) and Randy Clark (globalawakening.com) have both experienced and entered-into the testimonies of the great revivalists such as William Seymour and John G. Lake. John Kilpatrick was recently quoted as saying, “We work under the anointing; we rest under the Glory.” Come down again, O God! Save our nation by your spirit and truth. We are weary and need rest.

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.

By John Estridge

While I was on hold for 50 minutes with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (Unemployment), I was wondering if the person who wrote the instrumental song that was playing almost the entire time — only to be interrupted by robo messages about other things that might be wrong with my claim application and did I want to press 1 or 8 to go there and wait on hold — wrote it just to be used as on-hold music.

I really didn’t see any other use for the music.

I love music, all kinds, (except Rap) but I am tone deaf. My OLDEST sister Linda and I were very jealous of our OLDER/YOUNGER sister Karen for many reasons, as she was the talented sibling. There is the story that she might not really be our biological sibling but had been left on our parents’ doorstep. Anyway, Karen has a wonderful voice. Linda and I, when we would commiserate with each other, said we cannot get out of our talking voices. That was the words of kids, but it still rings true even today.

I said all that just to say I don’t know what instruments were playing even though I listened to it for 50 minutes at that time and hours on other occasions. Maybe an oboe, a mandolin, snare drums, maybe a keyboard of some sort. Go ahead and call the number 800-891-6499, and let me know the true answer. Don’t worry. You will not have to talk to another human being for 30-90 minutes, and the song and the robo messages will play over and over in a never-ending loop.

I was afraid to go to the restroom, because people are supposed to have their computers operating, the claim form open and refreshed. I was always reading email, Facebook, newspapers online and that sort of thing. So, when the robo message would repeat about keeping one’s claim screen refreshed, I would always exit what I was doing and then enter back into my claim form, dreading that I had missed my window, and the efficient (irony and sarcasm) DWD had automatically logged me out. That would have meant I would have to start over in my claim just to get to where I was having my problem.

If this had been a one-time problem, I would not be whining about it. However, it was a two-month problem. I know I’m not the brightest person to call Earth home, but I could not believe it took me two months.

That 50-minute hold scenario was actually my next to last time to be on hold with DWD, but it was probably my 22^nd time to be on hold from the beginning.

This is what happened.

While I was fired on Jan. 30, I could not sign up for unemployment until late May. When that time came, I went into it with confidence. I would be able to do it without any trouble, I told myself. I’ve worked with computers for more than 30 years, and I took computer programming in the far-away days of the late 70s and early 80s.

So, I started. It listed my last three employers: Whitewater Publications, Third Place News and the Franklin County Public Library District.

First up, for whatever reason, I was to answer questions about Third Place News. It asks whether the applicant was laid off or fired. I dutifully marked the fired box. I then went to a set of questions concerning the reason for my firing. I was told by two of the three owners “The paper is going in a new direction.” Whenever I asked a question, and I had several, one or both would say that line.

The business going in a new direction is not one of the possible answers for why a person gets fired. And, there is no “Other” box. Reasons were: conviction of domestic battery, theft from your employer, chronic absenteeism and others along that route.

So, I called the DWD. It is an 800 number, and I began listening to the hold music and the robo instructions. That first time I listened to everything with rapt attention because it was my first time, but far from my last. But I did not know that at the time.

At one point, the robo voice told me my wait time would be 120 minutes or infinity or something like that, but if I left my number, they would call me back “and you will not lose your place in line.” So, I thought that was a good idea. I left my number. This took me to a new robo voice that sounded much like the last robo voice. He/she said “Someone will get in touch with you in the next 24 hours.”

So much for holding my place in line.

When they did call back, I got a young male. He said it would be easier if I just said I got laid off for lack of work. I told him that did not happen. About every 20 seconds while filling out the initial claim, there is RED type saying “Lying on the claim application is a federal offense.” I personally even snap my seat belt on even if I am going a short distance. In my adulthood, I do not knowingly break the law.

However, he assured me “it would all come out in the ensuing investigation.” I thanked him, but did not do anything he said.

I waited five minutes, and called the number back, going back on hold, listening to the maddening instrumental, listening to the robo messages and getting another person. This one was a female. She basically told me the same thing as her male counterpart.

So, with trepidation, I did as I was twice told.

That brought me to Whitewater Publications. I worked for Whitewater Publications from 1990 to June 2019. The Whitewater Publications owners’ stake in the business was purchased by Third Place News. With dread, I looked at my choices again, and none said “You lost your job with that company because that company was purchased by another company.”

After the obligatory instrumental music, the robo messages, that female said she did not know an answer to that specific question, so she said she was making a ticket for my problem and giving it to another department. They would call me in 24 hours. DID NOT HAPPEN. After two days, there was nothing.

There is a deal with filling out a claim. It has a time limit. If you do not complete it by Saturday, in the week you started it, you are clocked out, and you have to start over from the beginning. There were other forms to fill out prior to the questions about why I lost my jobs, and I did not want to go through those again.

But alas, since they did not call me back in 24 hours, I went past Saturday and was timed out.

I started again on Monday, and ran into a new problem. When I filled out the same information about Third Place News, I got an error message. A block came up with “error message,” that is how I knew it was an error message. And the error message was a bunch of letters and numbers thrown together in a seemingly random fashion. My first thought was I messed something up in filling out the claim, so I just went back to the beginning and did it over. I got an error message with a new set of seemingly random numbers and letters. I dutifully, if not efficiently, copied the second one as I had done with the first one.

Beside the error message was an 800 phone number different than the other 800 number. I was supposed to call that number concerning the error message. I called it. That number had the same instrumental music and robo messages. I was really hoping for a new song. Lyrics would be good. Alas, no. Eventually, I got another male. He said he would fill out a ticket for a department that handled that. Before I could say no, I was disconnected. However, he did say “someone will call you in 24 hours.” It must be a running joke at that office.

DID NOT HAPPEN

Thus, I called again. You got it. Same music, same robo messages. This time I got a new female. I think she could tell by my voice I am old. She gave me a new number – also an 800 number – and told me to call that.

I dutifully did.

After a long bout with the music and robo messages, the music and robo messages were maddingly the same everywhere within that government division. It was “file an unemployment claim by phone.” Hope sprang eternal.

Another female, she sounded older so maybe she would be sympathetic, started asking me questions. I gave her a lot of “yes” answers. The questions were: Do you have a computer? Do you have access to WiFi? Is the WiFi adequate? Are you computer knowledgeable? My Long Suffering Wife Ruth said I lied on the last one by saying yes, but I feel in 30 years of working with computers every day, something had to rub off on me, at least enough I could fill out an unemployment claim.

So, the lady asked me why I was calling her. I just told her the part of the eight act play concerning the error messages, and the person I called gave me her number. She sternly said “File by Phone” was not a way to circumvent error messages. She said she would fill out a ticket and someone would call me in 24 hours. I no longer had the energy to protest. I hung up knowing IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN. IT DID NOT HAPPEN.

At that point, my part-time job at the library got busy. I was asked to do research for the upcoming Blooming Grove Township book. I have proofread some of the chapters, and let me tell you it is going to be a very good book. I recommend it to everyone.

Thus, I started the process anew in two weeks. But, I was not allowed to sign in. I got this message when I tried: “Login is invalid.” It gave me another website to go to where I could reset my username and password. To get into that function, it needed my name and Social Security number. I know both of those answers and typed them in. My new message was “user does not exist.” But, there was another 800 number beside that. DWD is nothing if not ironic.

There was no way to reach a person through that number. Refreshingly there was no music. The robo voice simply told me to go to the website that for me ended with “user does not exist.” And that was that.

In the first 10 years of my adult life, I worked in factories. I would say that time of study equals a doctorate in cussing. I was taught by some of the best. At Perfect Circle, one guy could cuss for five minutes straight without repeating one curse word. I was not at that professional expertise level, but I was fluent in that language.

Well, I did my imitation as I shut down my cell phone and was somehow able to not throw it across the room, or earth. I was stopped in mid-syllable just a few oaths into my tirade as Ruth looked at me, and she was not amused. She said she understood I should be frustrated, but there were other ways to express that frustration. She didn’t say those words, but she got that specific message across.

My other way was I took to email. I emailed DWD; I emailed Gov. Holcomb’s office. Several times each day thereafter, Ruth would ask by text, phone and in person, if I had received any answers. Of course, I HAD NOT.

Realistically, Gov. Holcomb has been a little busy with that virus going around. He has to see what Ohio and Kentucky are doing, so we Hoosiers can do it, also.

Then, I had a revelation. My first interview with a politician back in the late 80s was with Franklin County resident, State Sen. Jean Leising. Leising and I have always got along well. She is one of less than a handful of politicians at all levels of government who has never lied to me. She takes her job seriously and does the best for her constituents in her district. Unfortunately, I am not in her district. Ruth got an email for a legislative assistant in Leising’s office. I wrote an email and waited. NOTHING HAPPENED, which I was sort of accustomed to. But I did not give up. I wrote an email to Jean personally. She answered it almost immediately. She apologized and said the person I emailed was leaving his job for another. She has another assistant, and that assistant talked to me via emails.

I told him the situation.

Within less than an hour, a DWD employee reached out, again by email. There is not a long wait for email, no hold time, no instrumental drivel, no robo messages. He said for me to go all the way to the beginning and log in as a new user.

That was done, and I was off. I filled out the whole claim and got to the very last page. It tells you in eight separate statements you agree not to rip off the state. Each time, one has to mark yes and then put one’s initials in a box. I marked the “yes” box, and put JE in the initial box. It sent me back to the top with a red outline on the box for my initials. I tried JLE as my middle name is L. It is a family thing. Again, that answer was rejected. I am a Jr. but I haven’t used that since my dad’s death in 1980.

I tried JLEJ. Again, a rejection. Frustration reared its ugly head, but I refrained from saying one oath.

Now, I know this is too long, but I have one more flashback story. On my 16^th birthday, I went to the license bureau to get my driver’s license. Back in the day, every 16-year-old wanted to get his/her license in the worst way and as soon as possible. My desire was a little more enhanced. Things were not good at home. I saw my driver’s license as an escape. If things got too bad, I could get in a vehicle and, at least, drive away for a short time.

The female clerk asked my name, and I answered her with John L. Estridge Jr. My dad, who was drunk, said that was not true. From that moment, that statement, it was not a good time for me or the clerk. Dad went through all the Johns in our family, telling stories about funny things and not so funny things they had done, who they married, who their children were and some things about the various kids.

“So, you are actually John L. Estridge IV,” dad finally said. I looked back at the lady. She mouthed that she was sorry but he was the adult. I shrugged the best I could with my eyes and thus, my name on my license since that day is John L. Estridge IV. On my birth certificate and Social Security card, it is John L. Estridge Jr.

I have known since that day, more than 47 years ago, this would cause me problems. I was experiencing the first problem.

The box will hold only four letters. So, I tried JEIV. Nope. I tried JLEI. Nope. I tried JLEV. Nope. My final attempt was JLE4. Nope.

By that time, the DWD was closed for the day and not taking calls. I could call first thing in the morning; however, Ruth and I were planning to leave town in the morning. I called and was waiting, this time 31 minutes, when I got a person. I told her the story of the last page. She put me on hold, and the phone was completely silent. I thought she had cut the phone call off. That happened two other times during this ordeal.

I was carefully not cussing, but I was letting Ruth know how unhappy I was with everyone associated with the DWD. Ruth was nodding in affirmation when the young lady came back on the phone and told me she had not cut me off. Thus, I knew she had heard every word I had just said about her and her fellow employees.

She then told me her supervisor had told her to transfer my call to another department. Before I could say another word, I was once again on hold. The robo voice said I had two choices: give my phone number for a call back or go to the menu. I did the former. And we left, thinking I would hear nothing.

The phone rang on Main Street and across from the Main Salon, owned by Tammy Evans. Ruth and I pulled over to take the call. It is now illegal to touch a cell phone while operating a vehicle. Another young lady asked my problem, and I explained to her not only my problem, but also I was on the road and could not get to my computer.

She pulled up my claim and said she was getting the correct responses using JE. Why she did and I could not really troubles me. Maybe Ruth was not far off in saying I was lying when I said I was knowledgeable with a computer.

Once we got to where we were going, I could have answered no to all those questions about WiFi access. Dial up internet service would have been light years faster than what I was trying to operate with. However, I was able to finally finish filling out the claim.

As we arrived back home from our short trip, and had access once again to good WiFi, — thank you ETC — one of Ruth’s first questions was “Have you heard anything from unemployment yet?”

After my look, she said “I guess we’ll just wait awhile.”

And without cussing, without instrumental music and robo messages, we are figuratively on hold once again.

I just have to ponder if this is happening to me, how many other people have similar stories concerning their attempts to deal with DWD.

These are property damage accidents in Franklin County from June 30 to July 16. These reports were supplied by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department. July 1 was apparently an extremely bad day to be driving around on the county’s road system.

On June 30, around 10:25 p.m., Thomas Franks, Oxford Pike, Brookville, was traveling west on Whitcomb Road and turned into a driveway. A vehicle was parked along the road near the driveway, and Franks hit the car with his trailer. Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Dylan Enzinger investigated the accident.

At 6:48 a.m., on July 1, Roberta Roberts, Hileah Drive, Brookville, was backing out of her driveway when she failed to see a Dumpster that had recently been installed, and she struck the Dumpster with her vehicle. FCSD Deputy John Roberts investigated the accident.

On July 1, at 1:55 p.m., Clare Myers, State Street, Harrison, Ohio, was operating a vehicle eastbound on Drewersburg Road. Myers stated “another vehicle was coming into my lane and when I tried to steer away from it, I ran off the road and into the trees.” FCSD Deputy Tyler Ford investigated the accident.

At 2:16 p.m., July 1, Kevin Cooper, South Clay Street, Laurel, was operating a vehicle pulling a trailer northbound In Indiana 121 north of Spurlock Lane. A tire blew out on the vehicle. Cooper then over corrected, causing the vehicle and trailer to strike a guardrail. FCSD Deputy John Roberts investigated the accident.

On July 1, at 9:21 p.m., Anthony Moore, Stipps Hill Road, Laurel, was traveling east on Pine Road when he went off the right side of the road, causing him to over correct and exit the left side of the road, hitting a tree. FCSD Deputy Bryce Jenkins investigated the accident.

At 6:17 a.m., July 4, Jordan McConnell, Milan, was driving south on County Line Road when he lost control while attempting to negotiate a right-hand curve. FCSD Deputy Jeremy Noah investigated the accident.

On July 5, at 4:26 p.m., Luke Wilson, Haskamp Road, Oldenburg, was traveling west on Hamburg Road, when Wilson’s vehicle went into the grass off the right side of Hamburg Road. FCSD Deputy Brad Ramey investigated the accident.

At 2:25 a.m., on July 6, Tyler Stephenson, Big Cedar Road, Cedar Grove, was traveling west on Indiana 252. A deer came onto the highway. Stephenson tried to miss the deer by swerving, causing his vehicle to leave the right side of the highway, and he struck a utility pole. FCSD Deputy Brad Ramey investigated the accident.

On July 6, at 4:52 p.m., Kari McDaniel, Big Cedar Road, Brookville, and Brian Edgell, Connersville, were operating vehicles northbound on Ind. 1. McDaniel said she looked down, and when she looked back up, traffic had stopped in front of her. She slammed on her brakes, but was unable to stop before striking Edgell’s vehicle. FCSD Bryce Jenkins investigated the accident.

Another accident on July 6, at 10:35 p.m: Albert Steiner, Sparks Road, Brookville, was traveling north on Sparks Road when he hit a deer. FCSD Deputy Bryce Jenkins investigated the accident.

And the final one recorded on July 6, at 11:02 p.m., Ernest Spurlock was traveling west on U.S. 52 and was pulling a wood chipper. The wood chipper, which was not correctly connected to the vehicle’s hitch, went out of control and overturned as it was being pulled. FCSD Deputy Brian Ramey investigated the accident.

At 4:56 a.m., on July 8, April Lucas, Versailles, was traveling east on U.S. 52 East when she struck a deer. FCSD Deputy Bryce Jenkins investigated the accident.

Also, on July 8, at 3:55 p.m., Ronald Fister, Ind. 1, Brookville, was operating a vehicle southbound on Ind. 1 when he also struck a deer that ran onto the road. FCSD Deputy Jason Robinson investigated the accident.

One day later on July 9, at 1:52 a.m., Brandon Ball, U.S. 52, Metamora, was operating a vehicle westbound on U.S. 52 when the vehicle went off the right side of the westbound lane. The vehicle came to a stop after suffering front-end damage from hitting a ditch. FCSD Deputy Kyle Hartman investigated the accident.

On July 10, at 10:36 p.m., Kenneth Cox, U.S. 52, Laurel, was traveling westbound on Duck Creek Road when he went off the right side of the road trying to avoid an oncoming truck pulling a trailer. Even after going off the road, the trailer struck Cox’s vehicle’s driver’s side. FCSD Deputy Brad Ramey investigated the accident.

At 10:19 p.m., on July 12, Daniel Marshall, Short Street, Brookville, was using a private drive to back up. The vehicle got too close to the edge of the ditch. The rear tires on the vehicle then went over causing the truck to slide down backwards into the ditch. FCSD Deputy Brad Ramey investigated the accident.

Also, on July 12, at 12:32 a.m., Justin Leising, McGuire Ridge Road, Laurel, was traveling west on McGuire Ridge Road when he struck a tree that was across the road. FCSD Deputy Brad Ramey investigated the accident.

On July 13, at 7:30 a.m., Chasity Hendrixson, Franklin, Ind., was westbound on U.S. 52, when she fell asleep while driving. Her vehicle went off the road, striking a mailbox, an embankment and several trees before rolling on its left side and coming to a rest. FCSD Deputy John Roberts investigated the accident.

One day later on July 14, at 7:25 a.m., Hannah Nunlist, St. Mary’s Road, Batesville, was westbound on Hamburg Road. A deer ran into the side of her car. FCSD Deputy Brad Lecher investigated the accident.

At 12:05 p.m., on July 16, William Yetter, Indian Creek Road, Brookville, was operating a vehicle northbound on St. Mary’s Road. Yetter’s mirror struck the mirror of a vehicle operated by Terry Williams, Oxford, Ohio, as the two vehicles passed. FCSD Deputy Brad Lecher investigated the accident.

Also on July 16, at 3:25 p.m., Eric Parker, Harrison, Ohio, was traveling east on Snowhill Road and was attempting to cross the covered bridge onto Johnson Fork Road. However, he realized another vehicle had turned onto the bridge so Parker moved over to let the vehicle pass while he was already on the bridge. Parker said, while attempting to move out of the other vehicle’s way, Parker’s vehicle struck the bridge and received damage to a headlight and door panel of his vehicle. FCSD Deputy Tyler Ford investigated the accident.