Local News

Public Meetings

This listing of government bodies meetings for the coming week is compiled from notices provided to The Courier-Times. People planning to attend may wish to contact the group first to be sure the meeting has not been canceled. MONDAY New Castle Utility Review Board

Catching up with columnist Chuck Avery

Norma and Larry Meyer of New Castle, left, visit with Michelle and Chuck Avery before his Tuesday speaking engagement at Senior Living at Forest Ridge. Norma and Chuck used to teach together in the English department at Hagerstown High School.

By DONNA CRONK - dcronk@thecouriertimes.com Chuck Avery never minded the idea of growing older. If you’re waiting for the punch line, there isn’t one. “When I was younger, I thought older people seemed respected and settled,” he says, adding

FOOD INSPECTION REPORTS

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com The Environmental Public Health Office of the Henry County Health Department conducted nine routine, one complaint, one temporary and one pre-operational inspection during the second week of May. County inspector

County could lodge more tourism dollars

What formerly was C and A Music Store served as an inspiring transformational site now known as 1414 Venue as it hosted the 2019 Henry County Convention & Visitors Bureau Annual Luncheon Thursday afternoon. The impressive facility, owned by Cory and Jennifer Cook along with Dan and Stephanie Cook, is available to rent for special occasions. More info can be found on Facebook.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Build it and they will stay. With a slight alteration to the famous line from the movie “Field of Dreams,” those words seemed to capture the theme of Thursday’s 2019 Henry County Convention & Vi

REMC scholarships awarded

The 2019Henry County REMC scholarship winners are, pictured from left,Kaitlin Scott, Hannah McKellar, Benjamin Brock, Elizabeth Moore and Lucas Wuestefeld.Scholarship winnerJames Thompson is not pictured.

Six local high school seniors were selected to receive a Henry County REMC scholarship award. Certificates were presented at Henry County REMC’s 82nd annual meeting held at the First Baptist Church in New Castle. Scholarship winners were Hannah McKellar,

FOR THE RECORD

POLICE Arrest information, including the name, age, address and criminal charges, are obtained from police media reports. All suspects are presumed innocent until found guilty in court. May 16 Brittany Clayborn, 23, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession

Summer meals start in June

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Henry County schools are again serving up free meals this summer. Everyone 18 years and younger is invited to visit any of the meal service sites that will be open. Most will be located in New Castle, with lunch also

Gone but always remembered

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com The William O. Frazier Post 333 American Legion of Hagerstown will conduct Memorial Day services at nine area cemeteries Monday, May 27 to honor those who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States. The public is

Home Instead Senior Care hosting New Castle job fair Thursday

Home Instead Senior Care of Henry, Delaware and Madison counties will host a job fair from 2-6 p.m. Thursday, May 23 at the New Castle-Henry County Public Library, 376 South 15th St., New Castle. ​Home Instead Senior Care offers in-home elder care servic

HISTORIC WAX MUSEUM

LEFT: Fifth graders at Blue River Valley Elementary School hosted their annual American History Wax Museum this week for younger students and community members. RIGHT: Vikings at Blue River Valley Elementary School portrayed famous pioneer men and women, politicians, freedom fighters and otherimportant figures from America’s history during their annual wax museum Wednesday.

HISTORIC WAX MUSEUM

DRAW FOUR! REVERSE!

The New Castle High School UNO Club got together for one last time this week to slap cards on the table and enjoy each other’s company. Some members of the club are heading off to college. Others will be back at NCHS in the fall to keep the game going.

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com DRAW FOUR! REVERSE!

Vitatoe competes on Team Indiana

New Castle swimmer Chloe Vitatoe got to meet two-time Olympic gold medalist Josh Davis at last weekend’s swimming competitionat the Indiana University Natatorium.

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com New Castle Middle School swimmer Chloe Vitatoe was selected to the Indiana All-Star Team and competed in the inaugural “Duel in the Pool” May 11-12 at the Indiana University Natatorium in In

Fourth Fridays features arts, music, & food downtown starting May 24

New Castle Downtown Executive DirectorCarrie Barrett with one of the 4th Fridays yard signs. The first event takes place from 5-8 p.m. this Friday, May 24, in downtown New Castle.

The Art Association of Henry County and New Castle Downtown are bringing the sounds, sights, and smells of summer to Broad Street starting this Friday, May 24. Fourth Fridays will include arts, music, and food from 5-8 p.m. on the fourth Friday of each month starti

Wheels of debate turn over bike rack idea

Kevin Richey displays a creative idea for a bicycle rack– a basketball hoop design where bikes could be secured at the bottom– during Thursday’s Knightstown Council meeting. Some board members remain concerned over safety issues.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com A proposed design for new bike racks in Knightstown scores lots of points for creativity in the eyes of some, but misses the mark in the opinion of others, who fear they could become safety hazards. Debate over the r

Jacob White named 'Friend of Education'

Eastwood Elementary School Principal Jacob White was recently named “Friend of Education” by thelocal chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa.

The local chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa honored Eastwood Elementary School Principal Jacob White with the “Friend of Education” award May 13. Alpha Delta Kappa is an international honorary organization for women educators. White began his

Student award winners named by DAR chapter

KNIGHTSTOWN — Major Hugh Dinwiddie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution members have been busy for two months. In April, they met at The Knightstown Historical Museum on the square with Amelia Wyatt and Darlene Petty as hostesses. They had 11 m

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

TODAY AA: 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church. AA: 9 p.m. First Baptist Church, 709 S. Memorial Drive. SATURDAY NA: 6 p.m. The Sanctuary, 1-866-683-2022. Sons of Legion: 1 p.m. 419 New York Ave. Grand Avenue Baptist Church Men’s Prayer Breakfast: 9 a.m. at t

South Henry looking beyond graduation

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Construction at Tri schools will start June 3, the day after graduation. At this week’s school board meeting, South Henry trustees approved several programs that won’t be as flashy as heavy equipment, but will

Farmers yield to Mother Nature

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Henry County has approximately 150,000 acres of harvested cropland, according to the United States Department of Agriculture census. In a normal spring, more than half of that would be planted by now. But this&#

FOOD INSPECTION REPORTS

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com The Environmental Public Health Office of the Henry County Health Department conducted eight routine, two complaint and eight temporary inspections during the final week of April and first week of May. County ins

FOR THE RECORD

CORRECTION Calpine’s wind farm office referred to in Thursday’s story headlined “Adding legal shield to fend off wind” is located in Sulphur Springs, not New Castle. We apologize for any confusion.  POLICE Arrest information, inclu

Knightstown bakery rises again

Greg Hochstedler, his sister Pam and employee Cora Russell are ready to serve a variety of breakfast delights at the grand re-opening of Ye Olde Corner Bakery Saturday in Knightstown.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Greg Hochstedler remembers Saturday mornings as kid, standing in front of the corner donut shop in Knightstown, eagerly waiting for it to open. Fast-forward many years later to Saturday, May 18, 2019, and Hochstedler

Pursuit ends with two arrests, multiple charges

Couier-Times Staff Report An early-morning pursuit that started in Henry County ended in Wayne County with the arrest of two Huntington men. Around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Indiana State Trooper J.T. Burns was on patrol in Henry County when he overheard radio tra

Local Briefs

Park board executive session Saturday The Henry County Memorial Park Board will be holding an executive session meeting on at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18 in the Conference Room at Henry County Hospital, 1000 N. 16th St., New Castle. They will be discussing Employe

3 Country Ride stops through New Castle

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Being the Crossroads of America, it doesn’t take long before most transcontinental travelers pass through Indiana. The non-profit organization 3 Country Ride stopped through town this weekend on their way from T

MAKING 'ROOMS' TO GROW ON

Matthew Montgomery, left, joins his dad, John, in a conversation with Rebecca Baker of the Henry County Saddle Club Thursday during the 2019 Henry County Convention & Visitors Bureau annual luncheon, held in the newly remodeled 1414 Venue in downtown New Castle. Montgomery and Baker were guest speakers at the event. Montgomery updated everyone on plans to build a new hotel next to his steakhouse just off Ind. 3 near Spiceland. Baker talked about the saddle club celebrating a 60th anniversary this year, and just how important the new hotel would be to the thousands of visitors who attend the events each year. More on the annual meeting coming in Sunday’s Courier-Times.

MAKING ‘ROOMS’ TO GROW ON

OUT ABOUT FAITH

Henry County Senior Center: 108 S. Main St. 521-7414. Tuesday and Thursday free classes, Tai-chi, 9:30 a.m., Chair and TheraBand exercise, 10 a.m., Angie’s class 10:30 a.m. Lunch daily, 11:30 a.m. age 60 plus, must have 24-hour-advance meal reservations. Mah-

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

TODAY AA: 7:30 p.m. Kennard Friends Church, 101 N. Vine St. Kennard. AA: 7:30 p.m. St. Anne Parish Center. TOPS: 5:50 p.m. weigh-in, County Road 950 North, Middletown. New Castle-Henry County Kiwanis Club: noon, Mancino’s. BNI: 7 a.m. Raintree Square. NA: 6 p

Another gas station possibility for Sulphur Springs?

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com SULPHUR SPRINGS — If the big green dinosaur doesn’t come back to Sulphur Springs, perhaps CountryMark will. Sulphur Springs Town Board President William Dittlinger said Tuesday he had been in touch with S

Adding legal shield to fend off wind

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com SULPHUR SPRINGS — A David versus Goliath struggle over wind turbines took another turn Tuesday in Sulphur Springs when local residents sought to add a legal shield alongside their slingshot. Town board members

'They are tied together'

APA-IN Chapter President Katie Bannon presents Henry County Zoning Administrator Darrin Jacobs with an award recognizing the Henry County Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Plan as the second best in the state, next only to the City of New Castle.

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com It’s always good when a plan comes together. It’s even better when two local plans, created with teamwork and community input, are recognized as the best in Indiana. The Indiana Chapter of the American Pla

Local Briefs

Park board executive session Monday The Henry County Memorial Park Board will be holding an executive session meeting directly following its regular Monday, May 20 in the WG Smith Building. The purpose of the executive session meeting will be discuss

THIRTY YEARS OF FUNDS FROM FLOWERS

Roger Inman of New Castle selects silk flowersfor the grave marker of his late father, Henry Inman, Wednesday morning. He has purchased flowers several different years from the Cerebral Palsy fundraiser in the New Castle Plaza parking lot across from Wendy’s on Ind. 3.Long-time Cerebral Palsy of Henry County President Chad Crister, left, has volunteered at the trailers there in May for years with his wife, Joan. Their grandson, Jonathon Price, has a mild form of the disease. Chad reports that Jonathon is doing well and says of him, “That’s my buddy.” The organization clears about $15,000 a year. Money raised helps Henry County families with needs due toCP that are not covered by insurance such as bathrooms, wheelchairs and ramps. A new support group for parents and caregivers ofthose with CPstarts at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 12 at Raintree Square, 2820 S. Memorial Drive, New Castle. For information call Cindy Brooks at 765-524-5650.

THIRTY YEARS OF FUNDS FROM FLOWERS

Rural communities encouraged to celebrate Downtown Development Week in October

INDIANAPOLIS  — Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs are now accepting applications from rural communities who want to celebrate the second annual Downtown Development Week. “Visiting downtowns last year

High school gymnasts getting permanent home

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com The New Castle gymnastics team is filled with talented athletes. Thanks to a partnership between the school district and a long-time local gym, the girls will now have a place to call home. Due to space limitations at

Lincoln High student attending West Point leadership course

Army Captain Nate LaMar, Military Academy Liaison Officer for East-Central & Southeastern Indiana, made several announcements about local students involved with the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Emily Powers, daughter of Nicole Powers&

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

TODAY NA: 7:30 p.m. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. AA: 7:30 p.m. 47 E. Main St. Hagerstown. Breakfast Optimists: 6:30 a.m. Raintree Square. Information: 529-5132. BNI Prime Time: noon, Montgomery’s Steakhouse. THURSDAY AA: 7:30 p.m. Kennard Friends Church, 101

Sen. Mike Gaskill stands tough on anti-abortion

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com State Sen. Mike Gaskill had to pause and regain composure as he talked about House Enrolled Act 1211 concerning “dismemberment” abortion. “We had a lot of debate on that,” Gaskill told th

Local Briefs

Two RDC executive sessions next week The New Castle Redevelopment Commission (RDC) will meet in executive session at 7 p.m. Monday, May 20, immediately following the city council meeting. The RDC will meet in executive session again at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 22. Bot

FOR THE RECORD

POLICE Arrest information, including the name, age, address and criminal charges, are obtained from police media reports. All suspects are presumed innocent until found guilty in court. May 10 Ross Allen Wilmore, 28, New Paris, Ohio, was arrested on preliminar

Shadow Catchers visit Summit Lake

The Knightstown Intermediate School “Shadow Catchers” Photography Club. From left, club sponsor GregEverson, A. J. Darling, Quentin Adams, Emma Turpin, Brooklyn Loveall, Millie Koehler, Zoey Wilkinson, Allison Dickerson, Kiley Magee and Tori Steinwachs.

Courier-Times Staff Report The Knightstown Intermediate School Photography Club captured several natural scenes Friday during a trip to Summit Lake State Park. The KIS Photography Club members call themselves “Shadow Catchers,” in honor of 20th cen

AG Curtis Hill joins multi-state lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies

Attorney General Curtis Hill joined 43 other attorneys general in a lawsuit against Teva Pharmaceuticals and 19 of the nation’s largest generic drug manufacturers alleging a broad conspiracy to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition an

Sen. Leising welcomes students to Statehouse

Alaina Bowman with State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg).

STATEHOUSE  — State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) welcomed several New Castle students to the Statehouse in March to serve as Senate pages. Students who participated in the Senate page program included: Adalynn Bowman, Westwood

Memorial Day Parade details

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com The New Castle-Henry County Chamber of Commerce will once again honor local fallen veterans with the 2019 Memorial Day Parade. Chamber Executive Director Shaun DuFault said 70 organizations have already registered to have

Welcome to Boxton!

Sarah Antrim (left) and Hadley Bennett (right) sold homemade slime and pencils and snacks to classmates and guests who visited their mini-city of Boxton this week.

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Tuesday was a busy day in Boxton. The arrival of a dignitary party from the local school corporation caused traffic backups and detours. Having paparazzi in the area sure didn’t help matters. Boxton doesn&#

Middle school project will stay within tax caps

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Renovations to New Castle Middle School could start by the summer of 2020. And, according to the New Castle School Board, local property owners shouldn’t feel much of a sting from it. The middle school project is est

VIKINGS FIGHTING CANCER

The Blue River Valley Elementary Student Council recently raised $684 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. The money raised helps fund research, and stays right here in theState of Indiana. Student Council members pictured are (front, from left) Makenna Goodpaster, Grace McDonald, Serenity Blanchard, Arrin Murray, Evan Blackburn and (back, from left) Wade Flynn, Aubrey Dillon, Hailey Jester and Kynslee Davis. Student Council members not pictured: Sydney Crisp, Bekah Grim, Brayden Swoveland, Ziranda Grounds and Bailey Rose.

VIKINGS FIGHTING CANCER

ARIES surprise leaves Olene Veach speechless

State Rep. Tom Saunders (l) joins State Sen. Jean Leising (r) in presented Olene Veach with the “Circle of Corydon” award during an ARIES Board meeting Tuesday at the New Castle-Henry County Public Library.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com For the better part of an hour, Olene Veach was front and center on agenda items at Tuesday’s ARIES Board meeting, talking in detail on each item. Then, a surprise item not on that agenda took her off guard. So

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

TODAY AA: 7 p.m. Middletown United Methodist Church, 625 High St. Use east entrance. Information: 354-2561. Knights of Pythias: 7 p.m. Pythias Hall. Noon Optimists: Mancino’s. Henry County Community Band: 7-8:30 p.m. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. NA: 6 p.m. S

ALWAYS REMEMBERING

A flag now flies in Memorial Park facing Ind. 3 where the familiar doughboy once stood. Saturday afternoon, VFW Post 1282 QuartermasterShelley Jacobs, left, joins Post Commander Becky Murphy, right, in raising the new flag. Raised just a few hours before Mother’s Day, it flies in honor of the doughboy statue given to the community by localwar mothers many, many years ago. That statue was moved to the front of the W.G. Smith Building after it was rehabilitated earlier this year. “It’s an honor to give back to the community on behalf of all the mothers who have had children in all of the different services from the time this organization started,” Jacobs said.

ALWAYS REMEMBERING

New airport runway drainage issues linger

Standing water on the Marlatt Field taxiway area serves as a red flag to BoAC members that recent construction here wasn’t done properly.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Water always wins. Ask the farmer, the homeowner or any New Castle-Henry County Board of Aviation member these days, and they’ll tell you the three-word sentence is not only true, but revealing as well. Standin

Helping clean up the county

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Communities around Henry County are benefiting from the kindness of a stranger. Since 2012, an anonymous donor has used his fund at Henry County Community Foundation to help towns pay for large community dumpsters once a y

PAINTING THE GREAT OUTDOORS

New Castle painter Stacey Torres sets up her supplies by the Henry County Arts Park pond Saturday during the Indiana Plein Air Painters’ seventh annual Paintout in and around the city.

PAINTING THE GREAT OUTDOORS

HYPER BOWL LANES OPEN

Rose City Bowl owner John Nelson cut the big red ribbon Saturday celebrating new upgrades at the New Castle bowling alley. The lanes offer Hyper Bowl lighted bumpers and enhanced playing experiences through new 50-inch TV screens. For more info,visit RoseCityBowl.com.

HYPER BOWL LANES OPEN

TCC teams up with local animal rescues to encourage pet adoptions

Round Room LLC announced this week that more than 500 of its TCC and Wireless Zone stores are teaming up with local animal rescue organizations to host pet adoption events and supply drives. The New Castle TCC store, 111 S. Memorial Drive, is taking part in the com

Planting local milkweed for the monarch

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Volunteers are invited to get their hands dirty this weekend at Fall Creek Woods and Province Pond. Healthy Communities of Henry County is teaming up with the Endangered Species Coalition (ESC) to add new milkweed pla

Raysville racers will be able to continue

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Roar of engines is typical in May around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but residents in the Raysville area near Knightstown have not appreciated similar noises from youth riding three- and four-wheel ATVs and

LEISING MEETS WITH HENRY COUNTY CONSTITUENT

State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg, right) meets with Matthew Peiffer, left, a Ball State University student and former Henry County resident, at the Statehouse Thursday. Leising and Peiffer discussed issues facing Indiana’s foster care system and the adoption process.

LEISING MEETS WITH HENRY COUNTY CONSTITUENT

ACLU of Indiana releases blueprint for cutting incarceration by 50 percent

INDIANAPOLIS — The ACLU of Indiana released a report Monday that outlines how Indiana can cut the number of people behind bars in half. The Blueprint quantifies the positive impact of revising extreme laws and policies, such as the reduction of extraordinaril

FOR THE RECORD

POLICE Arrest information, including the name, age, address and criminal charges, are obtained from police media reports. All suspects are presumed innocent until found guilty in court. May 10 Ross Willmore, 24, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of