Issue 1174

August 27, 2022

Option one is to move to the Town of Brookville administration building on Franklin Avenue in front of the government center. In this scenario, the town would move its offices to the former Zimmer Tractor building that the town bought.

Commissioner Linkel said, “It is a perfect location,” because it is handicap accessible, has utilities and is big enough for both the 911 dispatchers and the Emergency Management Director’s office. It would require some renovation.

Commissioner Linkel said that the town is “struggling with finances too”. He offered to let the town board use the commissioners’ meeting room for their town meetings.

The Town of Brookville building is Commissioner Linkel’s first choice, if he can convince the town to move. If not, he said the county would pursue another option

Photo of Franklin County Public Transportation building.

Option two is to construct a new building on land the county owns in the county park next to the Franklin County Public Transportation building. Commissioner Linkel said this is also a good location that would be secure.

Photo of design for new 4-H building.

Option three would be adding extra space to the new 4-H building at the county fairgrounds.

County Councilmember Joe Sizemore referred to another unnamed building, but Commissioner Linkel said that renovations would be too expensive. Councilmember Sizemore provided information to the commissioners about hiring a consultant with 911 experience. During county council’s budget meeting last week, councilmembers Glenn Bischoff, Joe Gillespie and Brian Patterson balked at spending money until they saw a formal plan for the move of 911/dispatch.

Commissioner Linkel said that he, Councilmember Sizemore and Sheriff Pete Cates had visited 911 operations in other counties. In comparison, he said Franklin County is “far behind in times and we have gotten by, but not good. It's time that we move forward for our county.”

Commissioner Linkel said that Franklin County Community School Corporation owns the building where the Town of Brookville has its administration office. The town has permission to use the building for as long as they want. If the town vacates the building, the county will try to buy it at a “discounted rate” from the school corporation.

Reported by Sara Duffy

Paving US Highway 52 - Expect Delays

State crews are paving US Highway 52 from Brookville to Dearborn County and will continue work through October 3. Expect delays. One lane is open with flaggers.

Reported by Sara Duffy

Photo from Indiana Dept. of Transportation

Nine School Board Candidates

For Three Open Seats

The filing deadline has now passed to run as a school board candidate for election on November 8, 2022. In the last two days several people submitted their paperwork to the county clerk. There are three “at large” seats on the Franklin County Community School Board and nine candidates as follows:

Sean Berns

Joel Biltz

Terry Bryant - incumbent

Beth Foster - incumbent

Adrienne Greene

Kevin Kaiser

Mary Keck

Scott McDonough

Brandy Wilson

Current school board member Sharon Wesolowski did not run for reelection after serving one term and presiding as school board president in 2021.

Scott McDonough is currently elected to county council, but lost in the May 2022 primary to Dean McQueen. Mr. McDonough’s term on county council will end as December 31, 2022.

Watch for more information about the candidates in a future issue of The Observer. 

Reported by Sara Duffy

Photo from Franklin County Election Office

“The Stars Did Not Line Up.”

There was a lot of explaining, but the bottom line was that Franklin County did not receive any of the federal grant money awarded by Indiana for southeastern Indiana projects.

“The stars did not line up,” said Bill Schirmer, who represents Franklin County on the regional board of directors of the Southeast Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (SEI READI).  SEI READI is a coalition of six counties including Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley, Switzerland and Union. The group applied for a $50 million grant and was awarded $15 million.

Mr. Schirmer explained to the county commissioners that Franklin County had a project “in the top ten” out of dozens submitted. SEI READI would provide a grant of $4.5 million for bringing water and sewer lines up Reservoir Hill from Brookville. The town of Brookville would match the grant with $4.5 million. The utilities would service a new housing development of 80 to 100 homes built by private developers who would invest $21 million.

What stars did not align up? Brookville has not annexed the Reservoir Hill area. As a result, Brookville has not matched funds for a water/sewer project. Mr. Schirmer said that the project was “not feasible” without enough money to fully install a complete system. 

County Commissioner Tom Linkel suggested paying to install a sewer trunk line only and let a third party hook up the homes. Mr. Schirmer liked the idea, but mentioned “resistance” from homeowners in the area. He said that the town of Brookville would have to act quickly, if they wanted to secure grant money for the Reservoir Hill water/sewer project. County Commissioner Tom Wilson commented that Brookville does not want to own the sewer line. The commissioners opted not to get involved with Brookville about the water/sewer line.

“It’s nobody’s fault, but the pieces just did not come together”, said John Palmer, who is involved with SEI READI in his role as president of the Franklin County Economic Development Commission. He noted that Franklin County was losing an opportunity to increase state funding for the local schools, because new homes were not being built that would attract families with children.

WHO COULD GET THE GRANT MONEY?

Mr. Palmer said that the most likely candidate to receive the grant money is North Dearborn Water Corporation. They propose extending a water line in St. Leon for new houses. Mr. Palmer said that students in the subdivision would attend Sunman Dearborn Schools that are a five-minute drive away at the East Central Campus.

Getting a READI grant is not an easy process. There are many requirements to be met. Grant applicants must provide substantial matching money and must demonstrate a regional approach to economic development. Indiana’s main goals for the grant money are “population growth, talent attraction and retention,” said Mr. Schirmer.

$1 MILLION AWARDED IN BATESVILLE

The City of Batesville is part of a different regional READI group called Accelerate Rural Indiana. In their city, the Kids Discovery Factory (KDF) was awarded a grant of $1 million for a permanent children's discovery center and children's museum. KDF is a non-profit dedicated to advancing science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM). They expect to attract 30,000 visitors annually. The total project cost will be $5 million.

Reported by Sara Duffy

What is going on locally with COVID-19?

What is going on locally with COVID-19? What local information is no longer available about the disease? What is the latest news about booster shots?

There are limits to what Hoosiers can learn about COVID-19 currently. Indiana only releases COVID-19 data on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Some information is only shown at the state or regional level, not the county level. Some numbers are no longer reported such as COVID-19 cases in individual schools.

Local testing for COVID-19 is available at four sites in Franklin County, with results reported by the state. However, the results of home testing are not reported, which raises questions about how many positive cases there actually are in the county. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) rates Franklin County at high risk for community spread of COVID-19 based upon a positivity rate of 34% and hospitalizations.

CASES INCREASING

Franklin County’s COVID-19 cases began to increase about the time that students returned to school on August 10. Of the cases reported, 1 out of 4 is a “reinfection”, which means the person has had COVID-19 more than once.

Week of July 31 - 37 cases

Week of Aug. 7  - 43 cases - 16% increase

Week of Aug. 14 - 63 cases - 47% increase

Aug. 21 & 22     - 14 cases in 2 days

In Indiana, the overall number of new cases is trending down, except for children. COVID-19 cases for Indiana children ages 6 - 17 years are trending up. There continue to be fewer cases than during last winter’s spike.

According to the CDC, 1 in 5 Franklin County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

FEW VACCINATIONS FOR YOUNGEST CHILDREN

Vaccines for children under age 5 years were approved in June 2022. Indiana reports that only 2 Franklin County children under age 5 (less than 1%) have been fully vaccinated. For comparison, 82% of Franklin County residents, ages 70 - 79 years, are fully vaccinated.

NO LOCAL SCHOOL DATA ABOUT COVID-19

AND FEW REQUIREMENTS

Indiana no longer provides data about cases in schools. Under the current guidance from the Indiana Department of Health, schools are no longer required to do contact tracing or to notify close contacts of a student with COVID-19. Indiana’s website tells sick people, “It is your responsibility to notify your close contacts.”

Students and staff are advised to self-screen for symptoms before leaving home. Students and staff, who become ill, are not required to have a negative COVID-19 test before returning to class. They have to stay home for 5 days, or possibly longer until fever free without medication, and are required to wear a mask for 5 days upon their return. Click to read more from Franklin County Community Schools.

MORE HOSPITALIZATIONS IN JULY

Margaret Mary Health (MMH) reported “an increase in COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization in July compared to the previous three months, although overall hospitalization numbers remain low compared to the volumes experienced in January and February [2022].” Click to read more from MMH.

Reid Health reported 15 people were hospitalized and one person was in ICU with COVID-19 as of August 15.

NO RECENT COVID-19 DEATHS

No local deaths from COVID-19 have been reported since early July 2022.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Click to read more from the Indiana Department of Health about treatment options after testing positive for COVID-19. 

NEW BOOSTER SHOT COMING SOON

Both Pfizer and Moderna have produced a new booster shot that is designed to protect against the original COVID-19 virus and the currently circulating Omicron variants known as BA.4 and BA.5. If the CDC approves the booster, it could be available in early or mid-September. Last week, state health departments and pharmacies were allowed to place “pre-orders” for a share of 175 million boosters purchased by the federal government. It is not known when the new booster would be available in Franklin County. Click to read more about the new booster.

Reported by Sara Duffy

Boom In Farmland Prices

& Cash Rents Rising

Farmland values in 2022 are up Indiana by 30% - 34% when compared to 2021, according to a survey by Purdue University professors. They have been surveying farmers, bankers and brokers about farmland values and cash rents since 1970. On August 24, Todd Kuethe, Michael Langemeier and James Mintert presented their data for 2022 in a public webinar.

They examined farmland with top, average and poor output and saw increases in farmland values happening in Indiana and across Corn Belt states. They saw “quite a jump over the two last years” in Indiana that was not due to inflation. All indicators showed record high sale prices.

What were the main drivers of increases in farmland values? The answer was crop prices and net income. Indiana showed bigger increases than the United States average of 12%-13% as reported by the US Department of Agriculture.

FARMLAND RENTAL

Farmland rental rates are up in all regions of Indiana in 2022. The jump was 8% - 10% in the region that includes Franklin County. Average rental rates per acre in this region are now $211 (poor) to $295 (top). The biggest jump (10%) was in poor quality land, because farmers are making better use of the ground.

FARMLAND PRICES

Photo: Chart of increases in average price per acre in Indiana.

Purdue experts said to expect to pay $4,000 to $10,000 per acre in our region of the state for farmland that rents at $200 per acre. Double those numbers for higher productivity land. They also observed that farmland purchase prices are rising faster than crop rents. Mortgage rates also have a big influence on farmland prices.

LOOKING AHEAD

The survey estimated slower growth of 1-3% in the second half of 2022 due to rising interest rates. The experts concluded that farmland has been a good investment over the last 10 years and it continues to be less volatile than the stock market.

To learn more, view the one-hour broadcast at Purdue Ag.

Reported by Sara Duffy

Impact of Legalization of 

Marijuana in Indiana

Stayin' Alive is hosting a FREE Lunch 'N Learn on the "Impact of Legalization of Marijuana in Indiana/Lessons Learned from Colorado". This training will take place on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm at the Brookville Public Library. Click to register via the flyer. Lunch provided. 

Submitted by Melinda K. Brown

Master Gardener Class Begins Sep. 15

Purdue Extension in Dearborn and Franklin Counties are partnering to offer a fall Master Gardener class beginning on September 15th to residents of Dearborn and Franklin County at the Dearborn Adult Center located at 311 W Tate St, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025. Others from the surrounding area are also welcome to sign up. Participants will learn about a wide range of subjects including soil and plant nutrition, vegetable gardening, wildlife control, and pesticide safety. A $175 fee will be charged to enroll. Click to read more.

Submitted by Veronica Bullock

Labor Day Weekend Events

Metamora Music Festival & St. Peters Church

For hours and more information, go to St. Peters Church.

Metamora Music Festival

Two days of music at 24th Annual Metamora Music Festival, September 3 & 4, starting at 10 am on Saturday under the big tent at the Back Porch of Lanes End Farm and at the east end of town at Duck Creek Crossing starting at 11 am. No admission charge. Free parking in field across the creek. Schedule is on the website. 

 Music Festival Website 

Submitted by Metamora Music

Click yard sale photo for more information.

Around the County

Cedar Grove Volunteer Fireman’s Festival

Mark your calendars for the Cedar Grove Volunteer Fireman’s Festival on Friday August 26th and Saturday August 27th! We have a great music lineup scheduled this year. Grand raffle $5,000 and 60 other prizes. Come out for some great food, music, and fun! Click to see the flyer.

Franklin County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting - Aug. 29

The board of directors for Franklin County Farm Bureau would

like to invite its members to the annual business meeting August 29, 2022 at the Brookville American Legion. The board has decided 

to provide the meal at no charge again this year. Registration will begin at 6 P.M. and the dinner will be served at 6:30 P.M. After dinner our guest speaker will be John Nagle, Farm Training Specialist with Indiana Farm Bureau and then a short business meeting.

Reservations are due to the Franklin County Farm Bureau office,765-647-4183, by August 24th.

Submitted by Greg Orschell

St. Andrews Health Campus Dog Show - Aug. 31

6-7 pm. Join us for a tail-wagging time in Batesville. All proceeds benefit the Ripley County Humane Scosiety. Click to see the flyer.

Submitted by Janet Duval

Food Pantry - Sept. 6 & 20

Franklin County High School Food Pantry: 4-5:30pm

Come to Door A16 for pick-up. Click to see the future dates.

Submitted by Tanya Wirtz, FCHS JAG Specialist

Alzheimer’s Walk - Saturday, September 10

Where: Liberty Park, Batesville. Registration 9 a.m. Ceremonies begin 9:45 a.m. Walk begins 10 a.m. To create or join a team, go to act.alz.org/sein

Submitted by Ken Handley

Franklin County Historical Society Dinner Program

The public is invited to the fall meeting on Monday, September 19, 2022 at Holy Guardian Angel School Building, Cedar Grove, IN.

6 pm dinner----reservations required by Sept. 14 to

  Brown 765-647-5528

  Bischoff 765-647-3220

  Shea 765-647-5182

7 pm Program by Brown/Bischoff Families on the History of Cedar Grove, Indiana.

Submitted by Martha Shea

Mt. Carmel School Fall Craft Show

Sunday October 16th 12:00 - 6:00

This event will run in conjunction with the Mt. Carmel School Trunk or Treat. Spaces are $25 each. If you have questions, or for more information, please call Savannah Hofer (765) 580 - 2634 or email: [email protected]. APPLES is a non-profit organization. All proceeds from this event will benefit Mt. Carmel School.

Doors open at 9:00 am with light refreshments. The whole community is invited to attend a POW/MIA Observance Ceremony at the Brookville American Legion on September 17, 2022 at 9:30 am. We will begin with a Table Ceremony and end with reading the names of 223 personnel from Indiana who are listed as either Missing in Action or Prisoner of War from the Korean and Vietnam Wars. This year's guest speaker is Retired Brigadier General Brian Copes. Location: American Legion Post 77 1290 Fairfield Ave Brookville, IN 47012 Phone: (765) 647-4613 Email: [email protected]

Submitted by Bridget Hayes