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Photo: File photo of Terry Mitchum from 2020.
Mr. Ward said these actions were the result of revelations from a court hearing on July 19 and “were necessary to preserve the integrity of the Brookville Police Department.” See below for more information about the court hearing.
Council requested a transcript of the court hearing, but has not yet received it. Mr. Ward said that council’s actions were needed, because the Indiana State Police had opened an investigation of the two officers.
Council also passed no contact and no trespass orders. The two officers on leave may not have contact with other BPD officers and the two officers on leave may not trespass on town property during the investigation.
Council also voted to advertise for a new police chief beginning in 2023. All of this happened in less than five minutes. Absent were Council Members Shirley Seufert and Charles Campbell.
Reported by Sara Duffy
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Charges Dismissed in July 19 Hearing
“Investigation Was Motivated by Political Purposes.”
Charges were recently dismissed against two Brookville residents. Immediately following a July 19, 2022 court hearing, County Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp contacted the Indiana State Police and requested that they initiate an investigation of the Brookville Police Department. In response to a media request from Fox 19 News in Cincinnati, the prosecutor issued a statement. It says in part: “The investigating officer…acknowledged that the investigation was motivated by political purposes…The investigating officer also claimed that he was directed in his efforts by his superiors…”
Click to read more information that was published in the July 31, 2022 edition of The Franklin County Observer.
Reported by Sara Duffy
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Local COVID-19 & Monkeypox Updates
Franklin County is still reporting new COVID-19 cases among residents plus reinfections of people who contracted the disease more than once. There was an uptick in cases that started in June when school ended, according to numbers reported by the Indiana Department of Health. Cases continued to increase each week after the July 4th holiday. The cases numbers below are only those reported to the state from doctors, hospitals and official test sites. The numbers are possibly an undercount of the total new cases, because home tests are not included.
April 2022 - 8 cases
May 2022 - 41 cases
June 2022 - 62 cases
July 2022 - 158 cases
5 days in August 2022 - 20 cases of which 12 were new cases (60%) and 8 were reinfections (40%) of someone who previously had the disease.
Franklin County residents are now at “medium” risk for contracting COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease and should take precautions. Click to read more.
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Map from CDC: Orange indicates high risk, yellow - medium risk and green - low risk.
Franklin County was fortunate to have no reported COVID-19 deaths for several months since February 2022. The state has now confirmed one COVID-19 death of a local resident in late June 2022 and one more death in early July 2022. The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Franklin County is 57 people since the start of the pandemic.
VACCINES FOR EVERYONE 6 MONTHS AND OLDER
In June 2022, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were approved for everyone age 6 months and older. State reports show few Franklin County parents are taking their children for shots. Only one child under age 5 is fully vaccinated. Click to read more from Reid Health about vaccines for these children.
Ages 6 months - 4 years - one child fully vaccinated
Ages 5 - 11 years - 10% fully vaccinated
Ages 12 - 17 years - 20% fully vaccinated
All ages - 39% fully vaccinated and 17% have one booster shot
The Franklin County Health Department currently gives COVID-19 shots on Tuesdays and Thursday from 1:00 pm to 3:50 pm. They will be expanding their hours to one night per week and one weekend per month. Call 765-647-4322 to make an appointment.
MONKEYPOX
As of July 19, 2022, Franklin County Health Officer Doctor David Welsh reported no cases of Monkeypox in Franklin County. The Centers for Disease Control shows 68 cases in Indiana, which include two children. There are 602 cases in Illinois, 9 in Kentucky and 45 in Ohio. Hamilton County, Ohio Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman reported 2 cases in the Cincinnati area without giving more details. For more information on Monkeypox signs and symptoms, click on the CDC website link below.
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html
Reported by Sara Duffy
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Photo: Catalogue image of new playground equipment. Final installation could vary in some features.
A bigger, better new playground will be installed at the Franklin County Park, maybe as soon as this fall. Reid Health provided a $15,000 matching grant to buy equipment as part of their Community Benefit Department’s effort to encourage outdoor exercise and healthy lifestyles.
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Photo: L-R Reid Health Community Benefit Director Angela Cline presented a check to Franklin County Park Department Manager Ted Hensley. Park Board Member Dennis Kolb, Grant Writer and Franklin County Deputy Auditor Eugena Monroe and Reid Health Community Benefit Specialist Brian Schleeper. Ms. Cline commented that the Park selected the “perfect spot” for the new playground equipment, because it would be close to both the campground and the 4-H facilities. She added, “Reid Health is excited to do this project, because Franklin County is a really important part of our eight-county service area.”
Eugena Monroe, Franklin County Deputy Auditor, wrote the successful grant application with input from the Park Board Member Dennis Kolb. She has years of experience in grant writing and grant management. She wrote her first grant application at age 14 while working at the Union County Public Library. The grant provided $2,700 to rebuild trails behind the 4-H Extension property. Ms. Monroe also wrote grants for the Fayette/Union County Soil and Water Conservation Office and she worked as the Health Department’s grant manager before moving to the auditor’s office.
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Photo of the old playground equipment to be replaced. The park has three other playgrounds.
The new playground will be covered with shredded rubber for a soft landing if a child slips and falls. The new equipment requires a much larger area (37 feet by 40 feet), has many more features and has room for 37 children. It will arrive in boxes weighing almost 3,000 pounds and is estimated to take 34 hours to assemble. Mr. Hensley said that the Park Department will hire a professional installer to do the work, because fall is the busiest time of year for park employees.
Park Board Member Dennis Kolb said the next park improvement will be an upgrade to the electrical hookups at the campground. Sites will be wired to provide full service up to 50 amps to accommodate large recreational vehicles by the baseball fields. Park Manager Ted Hensley said that he has plans to repave the park roads in 2023.
Reported by Sara Duffy
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Handbags for Hope
Online Auction Thru August 11 6 PM
The 10th annual Handbags 4 Hope purse auction to benefit Safe Passage is Thursday, August 11. It’s also the launch of the nonprofit’s 25 year anniversary celebration, serving over 16,000 in the six-county district. Tickets are sold out for the event to be held at Batesville’s RomWeber Party Place. Supporters can register online to view and bid on the 46 purses plus the raffle. The link is https://bidpal.net/handbags2022 or go to www.safepassageinc.org and click
on the Handbags image, and then the register button. There is no cost to register. There are high-end handbags and also classic good looking, practical purses.
The auction closes at 6 p.m. August 11. The online raffle featuring new and gently used purses and gift certificates closes Wednesday, August 10. A few winners will be drawn during the week, leading up to the event. For $5, you might win a new designer purse!
All proceeds go to Safe Passage to help with their mission of providing help, healing and hope to survivors and their children of domestic and sexual violence. There is no cost for any service that Safe Passage provides, and this ranges from transportation to helping with legal advocacy or even groceries, whatever it takes to get a person’s life on track and away from violence.
Safe Passage has been providing survivor support services in the district for 25 years and on average serves 1,300 clients per year through the toll-free helpline, shelter, and non-residential programming.
Submitted by Mary Mattingly
Community Outreach Director
Safe Passage, Inc. - 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
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The Circus Is Coming To Town | |
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Up to 30-day Closure on U.S. 52
Starts on or after Sunday, August 14
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The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to close U.S. 52 for up to 30 days starting on or after Sunday, August 14, for a box culvert replacement project in Franklin County. The structure is located just under two miles east of S.R. 229 between Brookville and Metamora. Traffic will be detoured along S.R. 229, I-74 and S.R. 1.
The contract has a completion date of September 30, 2022. INDOT reminds drivers to slow down, use caution and remain vigilant of workers and equipment in active construction zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.
From Indiana Department of Transportation
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School Safety
The Batesville Community School Corporation and the Batesville Police Department want to take this opportunity to welcome the students and families of Batesville Community Schools (BCSC) back for the 2022-23 school year. Please know that the safety of students and staff in our schools is our number one priority. The school works closely with the Batesville Police Department and the two full-time Batesville School Resource Officers in our buildings during the day and at school events. They are responsible for preventing and responding to school-based law enforcement needs, fostering positive relationships with students, families, and staff members, along with promoting a positive school climate. Click to continue reading about safety measures.
Tricia Miller, Community Development Director
City of Batesville
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Creekside Church Ice Cream Social
Sunday, August 7, 11:30 - 1:30pm
11001 Bossert Rd, Brookville, IN 47012
Submitted by Alan Stenger
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Click the Oglesby flyer below for more information. | |
Click the golf outing flyer below for more information. | |
Click yard sale photo for more information. | |
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Walleye Fish Dinner - August 13
Saturday, August 13, from 3pm to 7pm. Harmony Masonic Lodge #11, 11093 State Road 101, Brookville, IN 47012. Includes mac & cheese, baked beans & cole slaw. Adults $12. Ages 4-8: $8. Under 4: Free.
Submitted by Alan Stenger
Free Family Fun Day - Aug. 20
Laurel Fire Department Station 2 - Andersonville
Come spend the day with our firefighters on Saturday, August 20, 12 pm - 5 pm! There will be free food and drinks, bounce houses, dunk tank, touch a truck, spray a fire hose, corn hole, cotton candy, shaved ice and more! 27144 US Hwy 52, Rushville, IN 46173.
Submitted by Brendon Durham
Food Pantry - Aug. 16
Franklin County High School Food Pantry Last Summer Date
Tuesday, August 16th 4-5:30pm
Come to Door A16 for pick-up.
Submitted by Tanya Wirtz, FCHS JAG Specialist
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Chris Smith Memorial Scholarship Benefit - Sept. 10
Annual fundraising event for this scholarship will be at the Franklin County Conservation Club. Noon - 6pm. Trap Shoot, Gun Raffle, Split-the-Pot, Cornhole Tournaments. Chicken dinners for $15 served inside the Conservation Club, outside under a big tent or as carryout. Click to see flyer for trap shoot registration. Contact Rhonda Brown 765-580-8190 or Holly Smith 513-314-7896.
Submitted by Mindy Orschell
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COVID-19 Test Site
REOPENS SOON at EMS in Brookville
COVID-19 testing will be available through December 31, 2022. The hours will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday 4-9pm and the first Saturday of the month 9am - 4pm. The test site is located in the alley behind the EMS building at the corner of 7th and Mill Streets, Brookville, Indiana 47012. Phone 765-647-0234. Go online to make an appointment for a COVID-19 test. Franklin County EMS does not distribute results. For assistance with results, call 877-826-0011- option 2.
Click to find other testing locations in Indiana.
Information provided by Lynn Westerfeld
COVID-19 Shots Available
for Anyone Age 6 Months+
The Franklin County Health Department is giving shots in the Franklin County Government Center located at 1010 Franklin Ave., Room 210, Brookville, IN. COVID-19 shots are Tuesday & Thursdays 1:00 -3:50 pm. APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED. A mask is required for ages 8 and up. Please practice social distancing. Please call the Health Department at 765-647-4322 for more information. *CLOSED HOLIDAYS.
Submitted by FC Health Department
Free Rides to Vaccine Clinic
Franklin County Public Transportation is offering free transportation to anyone in Franklin County who would like to get to one of the COVID-19 vaccination clinics that are being offered by the Health Department, CVS, etc.). Passengers would just need to call in advance at 765-647-3509 to schedule their ride. This will be ongoing as long as the vaccinations are being offered.
Submitted by Missy Ratz
Director, Franklin County Public Transportation
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The Franklin County Observer
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