Issue 1384

September 30, 2025

They are both well known for their careers in teaching, for their community involvement and for their organizing of a children’s soccer league that continues to draw over 300 youngsters each year. Kathy worked at Franklin County Community School Corporation and was the former Technology Director for 10 years. Bob was a teacher, a coach of many school sports and the first soccer coach at the high school. In 2025, he was honored with the Presidents’ Award by the Indiana Soccer Association. Congratulations to the O’Bryans.

The weather was perfect for a parade and the sidewalks were full of people watching the parade and catching candy thrown from a long line of colorful floats. After the parade, the Franklin County Wildcats football team defeated the Greensburg Pirates by a score of 21-7.

Homecoming Queen

The Franklin County High School Homecoming Queen and King were Joslyn Graf and Keegan Clark. Mr. Clark was not in the parade, because he is on the football team.

Senior Queen Candidate Mackenzie Broshear

Senior King Candidate Gavin Gillman and Senior Queen Candidate Kendall Cox.

Senior Queen Candidate Sayla Sacksteder

Senior King Candidate Johnny Glardon

Other senior candidates not pictured: Brooklyn Bischoff, Blake Stephenson and Eli Amrhein.

Parade Entries

Leading off the parade were County Sheriff Pete Cates and other 1st responders plus the Franklin County High School Band.

High school students decorated class floats, as did other organizations, in the hope of winning the parade contest. Here are the judging results.

First place - freshmen Class of 2029

Second place – seniors Class of 2026

Third place – juniors Class of 2027

Fourth place – sophomores Class of 2028

High School Club Floats

First place - FFA

Second place – Drama Club

Third place – JAG (Not pictured)

Fourth place – FCCLA (Below)

School Floats

First place – 7th Grade Football (Not pictured)

Second place – Laurel Elementary School (Photo below)

Third place – Dixonettes

Fourth place – Laurel Cheer

Community floats

First place - Whitewater Valley Retired Teachers Association’s float was the playhouse they auctioned to raise money for scholarships. This group remains active by volunteering in local classrooms, helping with special events such as college career day and raising money to support schools.

Second place – Bath State Bank

Third place – Public Transportation (Not Pictured)

Fourth place – Class of 1995. (Photo below)

There were dozens of other floats in the parade filled with school children.

In the rear, Lisa Jones led her mule named Willis.

Reported by Sara Duffy

Photos by Bynum Henson and Sara Duffy

Grant to Restore Historic Stone House

Photo: Jody Blankenship, President & CEO, Indiana Historical Society along with Twin Forks Chapter members Martha Shea, Alice Greene, Barbara Vonderheide, and Rebecca Kersey.

The Twin Forks Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, was honored with receipt of a Heritage Support Grant from the Indiana Historical Society at its annual meeting on September 23rd. The $20,000 award will be used to help fund the construction of an addition to the Stone House that will provide access to the second floor of the structure. Heritage Support Grants are provided by the Indiana Historical Society and are made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc. This is the first time that a Heritage Support Grant has been awarded to an organization in Franklin County.

Historic Photo

The Chapter’s Stone House Project is the restoration of the circa 1829 structure which was built during the early settlement times of Brookville. This historic house on First Street is the only surviving stone house in Brookville. Two others that were located in the same area did not survive the numerous Whitewater River Valley floods affecting the canal basin.

The restoration and preservation of the Stone House will create a controlled environment to store over 100 years of the organization’s genealogical records and collections since its origin in 1921. These archives include memorabilia of the Chapter’s Founding Regent, Mrs. Estella O’Bryne, who later served as President General of the National Association of the Daughters of the American Revolution from 1947-1950.

File photo of the Stone House

by The Observer from 2018

Submitted by Barbara Vonderheide

Franklin County College Success Coalition

College Fair Held

The Franklin County Community Foundation, in partnership with the Franklin County College Success Coalition and Franklin County High School (FCHS), hosted a College and Career Fair on September 4 in the gym. With 48 colleges and career representatives in attendance, the event gave students in grades 8–12 the chance to explore a wide range of educational and professional pathways.

A total of 651 students participated, engaging directly with representatives from universities, technical schools, and various industries. The College Fair provided a valuable opportunity for students to learn about the diverse options available after graduation. Riviera Godar, a junior at FCHS, shared, “It was nice to be able to talk a little more with people from my dream colleges about their opportunities.”

Whether exploring higher education or considering future careers, students gathered critical information to guide their future decisions. Junior Dusti Gabbard noted, “This year I walked around and actually interacted with lots of colleges, and I learned some interesting things that sparked my interest in maybe wanting to attend those colleges.”

The event was made possible through the generous sponsorship and support of the Franklin County Community Foundation, which remains committed to educational initiatives and providing opportunities for local youth. “We are thrilled with the turnout and the enthusiasm of the students,” said Adam Hofer, FCHS College and Career Coordinator. “This fair is an excellent way to give students the resources and connections they need to make informed choices about their futures.”

On November 4, Franklin County High School will host a workshop to help parents and students apply for college financial assistance through FAFSA.  

The Franklin County Community Foundation will open grant applications during the first week of December.

Earning College Credits in High School

Franklin County High School currently has 26 seniors who are on track to earn a two-year Associate's College Degree. There are a total of 41 seniors who will graduate with their Indiana College Core this year, which equates to one year of college credits.

Franklin County High School Internship Program

The FCHS Interns have started well this semester. They can be found in Brookville, Connersville, Oxford, College Corner, and Batesville, learning about law, nursing, physical therapy, radiology, teaching, farming, veterinary medicine, flower arranging, and real estate. They have been learning about values in the workplace and will be discussing ethical situations soon. This is a great group of seniors who work hard! Great things are happening at FCHS in the internship program.

Submitted by Linda Rosenberger

Fall Family Fun Across Indiana

at State Historic Sites

The fall festivities continue at Whitewater Canal State Historic Site in Metamora during Canal Days. Hosted annually by Historic Metamora, Inc., the town’s beloved autumn festival draws thousands of attendees for three days of vendors, food, activities and more.

From 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on October 3-5, guests can enjoy free admission to the Grist Mill and watch grain grinding demonstrations at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Freshly ground corn will be available for purchase. Visitors can also explore the town’s rich canal history and learn about the crucial role canals played for the transportation of people and goods in early America.

Spooky Season

Visitors of all ages and scare levels can enjoy a hair-raising array of events this fall during spooky season at the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. Whitewater Canal State Historic Site’s event is October 31 at 6:00 – 6:30 pm. Free admission. For more state locations, go to

https://www.indianamuseum.org

Submitted by Carla Knapp

Director of Communication

Around The County

Free Meals at New Mercies - Mon. Tues. Wed.

New Mercies continues to provide hot meals three times a week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 5:00 - 6:00 pm. Located at 831 Cliff Street, Brookville, IN 47012. In the old firehouse behind McDonalds.

Sponsored by Safe Passage of Batesville, Indiana



Creekside Church Chicken Dinner

Sunday, October 5, 2025

11001 Bossert Road, Brookville, IN 47012

From Facebook

Drive-thru Pet Vaccination Clinic



October 12 at Metamora Whitewater Gateway Park for dogs and cats from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. For more information, call 765-647-1444.

Submitted by Franklin County Humane Society

File photo by The Observer

Signers of the Declaration of Independence

Franklin County Historical Society will present a program on Monday, October 20, 2025, at 6 PM at the Brookville Public Library on “WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE” given by Joe Studt. The public is invited/encouraged to attend. Come prepared to be astounded as to what happened to these 56 men. What kind of men were they knowing full well that the penalty could be death if they were captured?

Submitted by Martha Shea

The Franklin County Observer is a free news service. At the Observer, we focus our coverage on events and meetings in Franklin County.

Our volunteer staff writers are all Franklin County residents who are committed to factual, impartial news reporting.

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