With the start of school right around the corner, the Jennings County School Board has been busy approving new employees for the 2018-19 school year. There was one surprise at their meeting on June 25. That came when Teresa Brown, Jennings County School Corp. (JCSC) superintendent, asked the board to approve transferring Nicole Johnson as the district's new director of special services. The position became vacant earlier in the month when Jeanie Koelmel decided to move to the vacant principal position at the Jennings County Middle School. At the same meeting when Koelmel was approved as JCMS principal, Johnson, previously prinicipal at North Vernon Elementary School, was approved a the new principal at Scipio Elementary School. "I don't like the chess game that is being played with our administrators," said board member Travis Shepherd prior to the vote on Johnson's new position. "I don't have anything against you personally Nikki. The problem I have is I didn't learn about this until just a while ago." Wednesday, July 18, 2018
A total of $101,800 was bid and collected during the 2018 Jennings County 4-H livestock auction at last month's Jennings County Fair.The event was held in the Jack Heath Livestock Pavilion on the fairgrounds and capped a week full of 4-H activities during the 18th annual fair."We had a very good auction," said Melessa Wiesehan, 4-H Youth Development educator with the Jennings County Extension Service. "We are grateful to all who came to the event, especially the bidders."Auction results are listed by 4-H member, type of livestock, top bidder...
At 18, Joseph Yoder has had a long career with the Boy Scouts. And his persistence and hard work all paid off when he received the rank of Eagle Scout earlier this year. Yoder is a member of Boy Scout Troop 555, which is sponsored by the St. Bartholomew Parish in Columbus.He began his Scouting career as a Cub Scout at age 7 with Pack 518 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Four Corners. He even continued through Cub Scouting to achieve the highest award you can get from the program, the Arrow of Light.
Work is underway, a little section at a time, on the historic - and controversial - Cone-Schuck home on Jennings Street.In recent days, construction contractor Mike Whitehead and others have been working to stabilize portions of the 1894 Victorian structure's exterior.Their first big project was shoring up the unique conical turret over the northeast side of the wraparound front porch. That architectural element was in danger of imminent collapse until Whitehead and crew used jacks to raise the tilting roof, then braced it with long sections...
Bob and Tina Ellis of North Vernon are not the only ones to embrace the Share Some Space initiative that began over three years ago and has made Jennings County the No. 1 pollinator county in Indiana.The Ellis family's pollinator garden is quite the sight to behold!The garden itself covers three-quarters of an acre and contains a vast and dazzling array of flowers. No less than 10 different types of sunflowers grow in the garden as well as many other species of flowers, such as California poppy, black eyed Susan, purple cornflower, blue and...
Manhunt underway in Commiskey A manhunt continues as of Wednesday morning in the Commiskey-Paris Crossing area for a Madison man who eluded police in a foot chase on Tuesday. Joseph M. Guadagnoli, 26, who is wanted on a parole warrant, fled from law enforcement officers who were investigating an alleged shooting incident. "We believe he is armed," said Col. Jeff Day of the Jennings County Sheriff's Department. "He may be out of the area by now or he may have taken refuge somewhere nearby. There are so many remote areas."
Football camp lots of fun This week, the Jennings County High School football team hosted a camp for players involved in the Jennings County Youth Football program and players on the Jennings County Middle School squad. Players learned proper technique for tackling, blocking and positions they play.
'We draw strength from each other' For around 15 years, a group of over a dozen people from Jennings and Decatur counties have gathered every Wednesday morning. Every week they meet religiously - a pun that seems most appropriate - for prayer, fellowship and breakfast. Absenteeism is virtually nil for the Wednesday Morning Breakfast Club. "It is a group like no other I've ever been associated with," said Ruth Ann Horstman of North Vernon. "We all look forward to Wednesdays and a visit with our friends."
North Vernon Police Department K9 Officer Shane Trepanier, left, and Police Chief James Webster introduce NVPD's new K9, Zobi, at the North Vernon City Council meeting last week. Since completing his training and joining the police department full time last month, Zobi has been instrumental in numerous cases, according to Webster. "We're very glad to have a K9 back on our force again," he said. NVPD's previous K9, Heros, retired last February after over seven years of duty.-Staff Photo by Bryce Mayer
