Local News

Club news

Members’ travels is Altruistic topic Altruistic Literary Club met March 14 at the home of Celia Burns. Co-hostesses were Sonnie Sahlberg and Marilyn Witt. President Kim Galyen invited members to share personal travel experiences, each of a high and a low time

'A community for all generations'

LEFT: As community outreach coordinator for Academy Place Apartments in Knightstown, Kevin Richey says, “I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven.” The building served generations as a school, beginning in 1875, and was repurposed as senior-and-disabled housing in 1992. It is under new local ownership and management. RIGHT: Christie Jarrett, left, and friend Paula Jones, visit in Jarrett’s Academy Place Apartments’ residence. Both live at Academy Place. Jones says, “People in Knightstown are just so welcoming and so friendly. They make you feel like you’ve known them forever.”

By DONNA CRONK - dcronk@thecouriertimes.com KNIGHTSTOWN — Not everyone’s office wall holds an enlarged photo of himself in the midst of his fourth-grade classmates.  But for Kevin Richey, outreach coordinator of Academy Place Ap

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Today Celebrate Recovery: Middletown Church of the Nazarene, 765-354-2327. AA: 4 p.m. St. Anne Parish Center. Monday NA: 7:30 p.m. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. AA: 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church. TOPS 570: weigh 5:45-6:15 p.m., meeting 6:15 p.m., Holy Trinit

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-Henry County Board o

Hiding in between the covers with 'Goosebumps'

Gates Warwas holds a copy of “It’s Alive! It’s Alive!” by R.L. Stine. One of the main characters is named after Gates, who is a student at Westwood Elementary School.

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Second grader Gates Warwas knows a thing or two about scary stories. Gates was watching movies one night with his family when they heard a thump outside. Peeking out the window, they saw a crate sitting on the gr

Glen Oaks Health Campus plans brain-fitness series

Glen Oaks Health Campus, a Trilogy Senior Living Community in New Castle, is offering a new wellness series through a collection of engaging, educational, and empowering classes on how to keep your brain fit, titled BrainFIT. Residents of Glen Oaks Health Camp

Local Briefs

Tractor Supply plans Spring Paper Clover fundraiser Tractor Supply Company, in partnership with National 4-H Council, is gearing up for its Spring Paper Clover event, a semi-annual fundraising campaign that provides millions of dollars in scholarships for 4-H youth

Attorney: Park board appointments OK

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Henry County Memorial Park is known as the “largest memorial in the State of Indiana.” The designation is even included in its marketing materials. This distinction between “county park” and &#

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. March 21 Joseph D. Koehl, 35, was arrested on preliminary charges of operating

FOOD INSPECTION REPORTS

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com The Environmental Public Health Office of the Henry County Health Department conducted three routine, two complaint, two follow-up and one temporary inspections during the first week of March. County inspect

Remembering Dylan: Gym won't change name, but KHS youth won't be forgotten

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com A heartfelt, tearful and compassionate conversation unfolded at last Tuesday’s Charles A. Beard Memorial School Corp. Board meeting. Two things became abundantly clear following the dramatic discussion: wh

FUN, FASHIONABLE RECYCLING

ABOVE: Fifth graders at Eastwood Elementary School learned how to make newspaper hats Friday during a visit from Henry County Solid Waste Management District educators. Students Cashlyn Gray (left) and Jeramiah Wilkinson are pictured here puttingpersonalized touches on wide-brimmed creations. LEFT: Henry County Solid Waste Management District Director JoAnne McCorkle (left) creates a newspaper hat for her administrative assistant Brenda Bockover (right) Friday at Eastwood Elementary School. McCorkle said it takes just three pages of newspaper, some masking tape and decorations to make one of the special hats. Visit www.henrycountyswmd.com or call 529-1691 to learn more ways to reduce, reuse and recycle household items.

FUN, FASHIONABLE RECYCLING

Irish Band in concert on Thursday

The Irish band Ennis Clare will be in concert at New Castle-Henry County Public Library on Thursday, March 28.

New Castle-Henry County Public Library welcomes the Irish band Ennis Clare at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 28. The free concert in the library’s auditorium is presented as part of the Noteworthy Performances series sponsored by Friends of the Library. Ennis Clare i

Meeker, Mills, Hutchison headed to Optimist regionals

By Courier-Times Staff Report New Castle High School hosted the local level of the Optimist International Oratorical Scholarship Competition on Wednesday, March 20, 2109. This year’s topic was “Is There a Fine Line Between Optimism and Reality?” T

Video store, martial artists fight lymphoma

Students from Fierce Martial Arts Academy participated in Family Video Kid’s Night to raise money to fight lymphoma.

Family Video in New Castle hosted a Kid’s Night fundraiser for Lymphoma research Thursday, March 14. Fierce Martial Arts Academy attended Kid’s Night to help raise money and awareness to Lymphoma. By partnering together, these local businesses were

New Muncie VA clinic breaking ground

MUNCIE – A groundbreaking ceremony for a new VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System community based outpatient clinic (CBOC) in Muncie will be held April 11. The event is open to the public and will start at 1:30 p.m. VA Northern Indiana executive leaders

Registration open for Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Academy

The Indiana Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Academy, a partnership between the Indiana Troopers Youth Services and The American Legion, Dept. of Indiana, provides first-hand experiences and insight into the operations of law enforcement agencies. The program also allow

Strong mix of talent, discipline

Gymnast Rileigh Thompson, a fourth grader at Tri Elementary School, displaysthe medals she won this season.Rileigh earned the newest medal aroundher neck when she was named USA Gymnasitics Level 2 Indiana All-Around State Champion Junior C North earlier this month.

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Fourth grader Rileigh Thompson started training for competitive gymnastics three years ago. She just finished the season as a state champion in her skill level. Rileigh lives with her parents, Clint and Lisa Thompson, alon

Memorial Park boardappointments in question

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com The Henry County Commissioners might want more people to have a say in running Memorial Park. State law seems to show there are too many as it is. The commissioners appointed three people to an “Advisory Park Board&#

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. Call: 1-866-683-2022. SUNDAY Celebrate Recovery: Middletown Church of the Nazarene, 765-354-2327. AA: 4 p.m. St. Anne Parish C

Driving without headlights leads to felony arrests

Courier-Times Staff Report Two New Castle men were arrested on preliminary felony charges Tuesday after an Indiana State Trooper stopped their car for driving with no headlights. According to Indiana State Police, Trooper Earnest Paige was sitting on 

STATE SENATE PAGES

Several local high school students recently served at pages for the Indiana Senate. Pages spent a day at the Statehouse, touring the historic building, observing debates from the Senate floor and interacting with their state senators. Pictured here, State Sen. Mike Gaskill (R-Pendleton) welcomed Blue River Valley Jr./Sr. High School student Alexandra LaMar (left), and Shenandoah High School students Sophia Garrett and Brianna Cash as Senate pages. To learn more about the Senate Page Program, visit www.IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/page-program.

STATE SENATE PAGES

FOR THE RECORD

CORRECTION A photo in Thursday’s paper named the wrong school for Senate page Alexandra LaMar. LaMar is a student at Blue River Valley Jr./Sr. High School. The Courier-Times regrets the error. GAS PRICES Indiana low last 24 hours: $2.33 Indianapolis Costco In

Local Briefs

Indiana State announces dean’s list Indiana State University has announced its dean’s list for the fall semester of 2018. To be eligible for the list, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Area students

Make the Lorax proud: Plant a tree in April

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com “Catch! calls the Once-ler. He lets something fall. It’s a Truffula Seed. It’s the last one of all! You’re in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

RIGHT: Cadets from the Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy visited New Castle Thursday to clean up Osborne and Baker Parks. City workers said the teens were a tremendous help preparing the parks for the upcoming season.

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Commissioners hear progress and regress

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Ivy Tech’s new wing is getting closer to completion, but unfortunately, the same could not be said for renovations at the W.G. Smith Building. Updates on two high-profile projects – the good news and the

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-

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. March 18 Christa Eldridge, 25, was arrested on a preliminary charge of neglect

'Swing Into Spring' tonight

The second annual “Swing Into Spring!” music celebration is tonight at 6:30 p.m. at The Gathering in Lewisville. The Tri High School music department is hosting the event. Dinner includes a potato bar with all of the toppings, salad and a dessert. Ticke

Spring into the Miracle League

Miracle League coach and board memberNancy Porter, left, talking to a parent, while player Mark Okulo, right, looks on.

The Miracle League of New Castle held their “Spring Into The Miracle League” Kickoff event Saturday, March 16 at the New Castle Armory. Miracle League players, Buddies and volunteers were treated to music by Sound Investments with DJ Karl Niles, fo

STATEHOUSE PAGES

Sen. Leising (right) pictured with Senate pageBrooke DuFault, a homeschool student from New Castle.

STATEHOUSE PAGES

Local Briefs

Park board, committee meetings March 25 Henry County Memorial Park Board will meet in executive session at 5 p.m. Monday, March 25 in the W.G. Smith Building to discuss personnel issues. Afterwards, the Memorial Park Board and HOPE Initiative are co-sponsoring an i

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, CR 950 N, Middletown. New Castle-Henry County Kiwanis Club: noon, Mancino’s. BNI: 7 a.m. Raintree Square. NA: 6 p.m. Sanctuary

Second annual Mother-Son Dance a sellout success

Brittany Martin and her son Tucker Martin, 5, look over photo props at thesecond-annual Mother-Son dance at the New Castle Armory, March 11. This was Martin’s first time at the dance.

By STEPHANIE AMADOR - For The Courier-Times Little boys dressed in bow-ties, shiny shoes and slick hair took their moms to a dance party this month during the second annual Mother-Son Dance at the New Castle Armory. Brenda Grider, host of the dance party,

A million-gallon water main break

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Greg Phipps said it wasn’t the worst water main break he’d ever seen. But it certainly was bad enough. New Castle city workers battled the break near the intersection of Ind. 3 and Ind. 38 for 14 hou

A 'real' success story

With her team of dedicated employees at her side, Susan Falck-Neal accepts the “Business of the Year” award on behalf ofERA Integrity Real Estate.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com They sell real estate. But their real job is clearly people, not property driven. ERA Integrity Real Estate has served in many ways, from helping provide gifts at Christmas time for more than 140 children to supporti

Standing inspiration

Josh Bleill, a U.S. Marine Corp. veteran who lost both legs in Iraq, brought a crowd of more than 150 people to their feet Tuesday night during the 97th annual meeting of the New Castle-Henry County Chamber of Commerce. Bleill, who enlisted at a later stage in life and was called “grandpa” at Marine Boot Camp, told the riveting story of how 21-year-olds pulled him out of a Jeep in Fallujah, Iraq after it had struck a roadside bomb in 2006. Even though he lost both legs and went through two amputation procedures in 22 months, Bleill counted his blessings and became determined to serve in a new mission – that as inspirational speaker, first for the Indianapolis Colts and now with his own speaking company. Bleill urged the Chamber crowd to not take for granted living in a community like New Castle and Henry County, where people truly care for one another. He ended his uplifting speech with words from his grandfather: “At this day’s end, may the world be a better place because we have lived.”

Standing inspiration

No pets in Smith Building

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com New stickers will soon be up at the W.G. Smith Building clarifying which four-legged friends need to stay outside. The Memorial Park Board agreed this week that it’s in everyone’s best interest to kee

'Action volunteer' saluted as the Citizen of the Year

Jerry Cash is showered with applause after being named the 2018 New Castle-Henry County Chamber of Commerce “Citizen of the Year.”

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Jerry Cash has taken the “re” in the word retirement and done some remarkable things. Like lead re-vitalization of a neighborhood. Or help people re-claim their lives from drugs. Or aid in the re-purposin

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

TODAY NA: 7:30 p.m. Miracles in Action, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 535 S. 14th St. AA: 7:30 p.m. 47 E. Main St. Hagerstown. Breakfast Optimists: 6:30 a.m. Raintree Square, 529-5132. BNI Prime Time: noon, Montgomery’s Steakhouse. THURSDAY AA: 7:30 p.m. Kenn

Remembering unsung teammates who brought the 'Hall' here

Led by then Lt. Gov. John Mutz (center), a group of state and local dignitaries team to put a giant ball into the basket during groundbreaking ceremonies for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle on July 21, 1988.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com They call it “Hoosier Hysteria,” this long, long love affair Indiana has with high school basketball, particularly around tournament time. But in the late 1980s, many thought there was a hysterical nature

'Chase'-ing another era in high school basketball

Sam Chase reacts with a smile as Bob Garner presents him with a ‘42’ jersey Monday night during a celebration at Hoosier Gym.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com When he walked into Hoosier Gym Tuesday night for the first time in many decades, sweet memories of another era came bouncing back to Sam Chase like so many of those jump shots he swished through the nets. "Every hom

Local briefs

Bethel Arts Series continues KNIGHTSTOWN — Bethel Presbyterian Church announces the next concert in the Bethel Arts Series. The concert is Christopher and Robin in Concert, including music and dramatic readings. Performing will be Chris Sitler and Robin Riche

STAYING THE COURSE

Mike (left) and Tom Swoveland of Muncie’s Swoveland Masonry add another row of bricks – called a “course” – arounda columnat 1400 Plaza in downtown New Castle. Tom said the job calls for 6,500 bricks, plus stone.

STAYING THE COURSE

Water main break floods Your Park

City workers team up in an effort to control a water main break Tuesday that flooded Your Park and flowed over into the Kroger lot. Mayor Greg York said Tuesday the combination of freezing and thawing this winter was more than the 100-year-old water main could take.

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Mother Nature and Father Time conspired to make a major mess at the intersection of Ind. 3 and Ind. 38 Tuesday morning. A water main break of major proportions flooded Your Park, the small picnic table area near the

Park still waiting on construction bids

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Memorial Park is still in a holding pattern when it comes to fixing up the W.G. Smith Building. The park board wants to complete general remodeling to the building, including turning the lower level into a veterans mu

FOR THE RECORD

GAS PRICES Indiana low last 24 hours: $2.19 Lebanon Marathon Indiana high last 24 hours: $2.89 Indianapolis Shell New Castle: $2.63 Village Pantry Knightstown: $2.33 BP Spiceland: $2.38 Phillips 66 Muncie: $2.29 CountryMark Anderson: $2.45 Marathon Indiana ave

Dig into history at 'Exploring Angel Mounds' exhibit

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) invites guests to dig into the past at its new exhibit, You Are There 1939: Exploring Angel Mounds. The new exhibit takes guests back in time to an archaeological dig at Angel Mounds in Southe

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

Show celebrates artistry, talents of senior adults

Don Pressley of Richmond was top winner in the LifeStream art show with his picture of Willie Nelson.

RICHMOND — LifeStream and IU East partnered to host a Senior Art Exhibit and Competition where older adults from East Central Indiana were invited to submit their work. Fifty-five area artists submitted pieces including ceramic sculptures, charcoal

YMCA REPS MEET WITH STATE SENATOR

State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg, front center) meets with YMCA representatives from Henry County, Decatur County, and Southeastern, located in Batesville, at the Statehouse Tuesday, March 12. The group discussed legislation moving through the General Assembly.

YMCA REPS MEET WITH STATE SENATOR

New safeguards to protect students from predators

Courier-Times Staff Report INDIANAPOLIS — State Representative Tom Saunders (R-Lewisville) is supporting legislation that would provide additional safeguards to prevent coaches with a history of misconduct from working with students. “We have thous

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. March 16 Kenneth Welch, 38, was arrested on a preliminary charge of trespassing

Local matters more

Social media needs conflict to stay important, and the Trump and Pelosi Show delivers consistently. However, this manufactured strife keeps us Hoosiers from addressing problems that we agree about and can most readily fix. Like potholes. Donald Trump doesn’t

Local Briefs

RDC meets Thursday The Henry County Redvelopment Commission meets in executive session at 12 p.m. Thursday, March 21 in the Community Center Conference Room, 100 S. Main St., New Castle. The public business meeting follows at 1 p.m. – Information provided<

GOING TO THE CIRCUS!

Amy Bertram of New Castle, top left, brought her daughter, Hannah Bertram, top right, and great-niece, Addi King, 16 months, to Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day circus at Memorial Park. The show featured jugglers, an aerialist, a motorcycle driven in a metal cage shaped like a globe and much more.

GOING TO THE CIRCUS!

2019 SADIE HAWKINS DANCE

The New Castle High School Renaissance Club hosted a Sadie Hawkins Dance in the North Gym Friday night. About 190 students danced the night away with DJ Karl Niles.Check inside for more pictures from the dance.

2019 SADIE HAWKINS DANCE

DANCING FOR RENAISSANCE

Groups at the NCHS Sadie Hawkins dressed to match, like Emily Scott(left),Lilly Garvin, Sarah Maddy and Graci Bowers

DANCING FOR RENAISSANCE

Battle plan on potholes proceeding

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com Lee Walker is not a fan of hopscotch – particularly where potholes are concerned. The New Castle Street Commissioner said after today’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting his crews have started a sy

Income survey needed for OCRA grant

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Lewisville hopes a state program will help bolster the town’s water project without raising utility bills. Folks in town can help by just answering a few simple questions. The Lewisville Town Council is applying

Hoping for 'good neighbor' behaviors

By TRAVIS WEIK - tweik@thecouriertimes.com Memorial Park and the Henry County Saddle Club bring thousands of visitors to New Castle every year. And there are a lot of people looking to keep that trend going in the future. A trio of volunteer com

Frustrations linger with airport drainage issues

By DARREL RADFORD - dradford@thecouriertimes.com A new runway at Marlatt Field is like a crown jewel for the New Castle-Henry County Board of Aviation Commissioners. Now, thanks to city and county cooperation, a courtesy car will be available at the facility for th