Franklin County High School is open for classes on Monday, September 19. School Superintendent Dustin Gehring said on Facebook that fire departments responded quickly to a report of smoke on Sunday evening, found a problem with an electrical outlet, inspected the entire building and determined it to be safe. | | |
Six teams of home fryers and seven restaurants competed for top honors during the Annual Chicken Festival. The Saint Leon Tavern won the honorary title of the local restaurant serving the best fried chicken. Restaurants fried their chicken entries at their businesses and sent the chicken to be judged.
Each team had their own secret recipe and their method of producing great chicken. Some did pan frying and some preferred deep frying. After the competition, the home fry teams continued frying to provide the chicken dinners sold at the festival. Proceeds paid for the event.
| | Photo: L-R: Judging the event were County Commissioner John Heis, Circuit Court Judge Alex Dudley and Brookville Town Council President John Estridge. The judges did not know whose chicken they were tasting. They rated the chicken with a score of 1 to 10 (the best) and wrote comments. | |
Photo: L-R Gig Marmouze handled the chicken and “Shrimp” Kunkel cooked the fries. Gig Marmouze was a one-person team who has been competing in chicken frying for many years. His family owns enough equipment to pan fry six whole chickens at one time. For birthdays or special occasions, they will sometimes fry three chickens – 30 pieces in one giant pan. His secret is “really hot oil.”
The Marmouze Family has been competing since at least 2010 when Brookville’s CanoeFest to set a Guiness Book world record for frying the most chicken at one event – 1,645 pounds. That competition was at the Brookville Town Park. Later, the competition moved to Main Street in the former Rosenberger Market parking lot. Now, everyone gathers at the courthouse and the frying is on Court Street. With a grin, Gig said that it is “an injustice” that he has never won.
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Photo: This was the Cluckin’ Queen Team’s first competition. However, Shirley May (left) has a family history of chicken frying. The May Family owned the Mounds Restaurant on US Highway 52, which was well known for its fried chicken. The Mounds’ recipe was used at this event. Assisting was RoseMary Stirn who also has a lot of experience in meal preparation. She cooks free dinners for New Mercies Meals at 831 Cliff Street in Brookville. They serve on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 5 pm to 6 pm.
| | Photo: The team of Justin Ratz and Kyle Wewe previously won, but not this year. Mr. Ratz won three times and Kyle was his winning teammate once before. Justin and Kyle grew up together as neighbors. They developed their secret recipe over 15 years of serving chicken to their families. | | |
Photo: Jeremy Bolser has been competing since 2023. He uses his Mom Kay’s secret seasonings. She said that she was up until 2 am finishing the spices.
It was Bolser’s tent that was crashed by the runaway truck. The truck stopped just short of the deep fryer. Mrs. Bolser commented that she was saved by the grace of God, because she was sitting by the tent when the truck hit. She had to jump out of the way.
| | Photo: L-R: Logan Angel and the 3M Team of Marty Laxton, Jim Marshal and Steve Monroe Jr. have been frying for three years and their secret is “love” and “beer” | | |
Photo: The Crook Family came from Ohio to eat fried chicken and to enjoy the afternoon. Their mother grew up in Brookville.
Photos below: Musician in the gazebo, bounce house, putt putt golf and mums for sale.
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Event sponsors included Main Street Brookville, FCN Bank, McCullough Hyde Hospital, O’Mara Foods of Greensburg, Kopp Turkeys, Enneking Auto, Seig Surveying, Gillmans, Whitewater Publications, Third Place and others.
Reported by Sara Duffy
| | | Runaway Truck Causes Excitement
at Chicken Fry Contest
in Brookville, Indiana
There was big excitement at the start of the Main Street Brookville Chicken Fry Contest on Saturday, September 13. A black Toyota Tacoma pickup truck was running and, as the driver exited his truck, he accidentally hit the shift stick from park into reverse. The driverless truck moved up a slight grade into the contest frying area. It hit a parked car and then a frying tent and chairs where the Jeremy Bolser Family of Bath, Indiana was sitting. Jeremy lost his cell phone under the truck when he ran out of the truck’s way. The truck finally stopped when it went up over a high curb. No one was hurt. Go to Facebook to see the video that was provided from a nearby home security system.
Reported by Sara Duffy
| | History of Chicken Frying Contests | | |
Photo: One of several five-foot-tall concrete chicken statues on Main Street in Brookville, Indiana.
Canoe racing and chicken frying contests are linked together in Franklin County’s more recent history.
Start of Canoe Racing
Canoe racing has been part of Franklin County’s history since 1963 when the races started at the Laurel Feeder Dam and the course continued on the Whitewater Canal. Canoe racing stopped in 1990, was later revived in 2006 and moved to the tail water area of the Brookville Lake dam and the east fork of the Whitewater River. Later, racing moved to the west fork of the Whitewater River, due to maintenance in the tail water area.
CanoeFest Sets World Record
With the 2006 canoe racing revival, came CanoeFest which included a festival of music, family activities, a beer garden, sold-out chicken dinners and chicken frying contests. The event was held annually in late June.
The highlight of CanoeFest was in 2010. That year dozens of volunteers staged a world-class chicken-frying contest. A total of 1,645 pounds of chicken were fried in one afternoon to set a Guiness Book new world record.
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File Photo: The fried chicken was loaded into a brand-new shiny canoe to be weighed. Afterward people paid $10 to eat fried chicken dinners. The chicken fry was just one of the many fun activities at that year’s CanoeFest.
A lot of planning, time and effort went into winning the record. The organizers of the event bought 2,000 pounds of chicken from O'Mara Foods of Greensburg, Indiana, and delivered the chicken, flour, salt and pepper to each frying location. On Friday, 171 participants prepared and fried chicken at various locations in Brookville, including the Town Park, restaurants and organizations. The volunteers did the breading and frying, starting at 1 pm. The weigh-in started at 4:30 pm.
Among the volunteers was one group of 20 people who called themselves the “Tinker Town Dirty Shirts Chicken Fryers” in honor of the old-time baseball team from Tinkertown at the north end of Brookville. The group gathered at the home of Patty and Gary (aka Mouse) Marmouze Senior on Butler Street in Tinkertown to do their part of the frying. The Marmouze's 26x40-foot garage had full kitchen facilities and was an ideal setup for home frying.
Move to Courthouse Lawn
The chicken frying contest moved to the courthouse lawn in 2023. Sadly, canoe racing stopped in 2024, but the festival of activities continues with a new annual date in mid-September.
Reported by Sara Duffy
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New Brookville Town Councilman
Selected by Republican Caucus
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Photo: Fred Neeley takes the oath of office.
On Wednesday, September 17, Fred Neeley was selected to fill a vacant seat on Brookville Town Council by a caucus of Republican precinct committee members. He was the only person who applied and he was immediately sworn in by County Clerk Neysa Raible. In a speech, Mr. Neeley said that he has worked for the town of Brookville for 24 years as a full-time police officer and for three years as a reserve instruction officer for the Brookville Police Department. He stated that he is “an open book…if I think it, I say it.” He looks forward to serving the public again in his new role on town council and “do some good things for the community. That’s my goal.”
Mr. Neeley finishes the term of Bridget Hayes, who resigned last month. In a statement, Ms. Hayes said, “My values do not align with the current members of the council, which have created a tremendous amount of conflict.”
Looking back at Ms. Hayes’s term of office; she was elected as council president in 2023 in her first year on Brookville Town Council. In May of that same year, a majority of the council members voted to change the term of the council presidency from one year to six months. That change failed, but was followed by some council members making allegations against Ms. Hayes. Later, Council Member Curtis Ward motioned to remove Ms. Hayes from serving as council president, but the motion failed and Ms. Hayes continued to preside. In her farewell, Ms. Hayes said, “I love this town and I look forward to my next adventure.”
In 2025, John Estridge was selected by the town council as their president.
Reported by Sara Duffy
Bynum Henson contributed
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Learn More About the Reservoir Road Sewer Project
Plan to attend one of the upcoming informational meetings. Leading the informational meetings will be Attorney Steve Unger with Bose, McKinney & Evans. Reedy Financial Group will have the projected monthly sewer rates. Residents of the Reservoir Hill Sewer Project will be able to ask questions and hear from the consultants, attorney and contractor.
The meetings will be at the Government Center second floor conference room, 1010 Franklin Avenue, Brookville, IN.
September 22 at 7:00 pm
September 25 at 7:00 pm
The September 25 meeting will also be a joint meeting of the Franklin County Council and the Franklin County Sewer Board. Several legal documents are awaiting signature.
Reported by Sara Duffy
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Metamora Remains Open for Business
Amid Canal Renovation Discussions
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Photo of Grannie’s Cookie Jars and Ice Cream Parlor in Metamora
With the continued support of the Franklin County Commissioners and local businesses, the town of Metamora proudly announces that it remains open for business, regardless of the upcoming decision by the Indiana State Historic Office concerning canal renovations.
Local leaders are actively developing a contingency plan—Plan B—which focuses on a reduced scope of work aimed at maintaining and resolving key issues with the historic canal. This approach ensures that the town’s heritage and infrastructure are preserved while minimizing disruption to residents, visitors, and businesses.
“We are committed to working collaboratively with the Indiana State Historic Office for many years to come,” said Alan Stenger, president of I Love Metamora, Inc. “Our goal is to foster prosperity and protect the rich history of the canal and the unique charm of Metamora’s shopping village.”
Metamora invites visitors to experience its vibrant community, historic attractions, and welcoming atmosphere as efforts continue to preserve and enhance this beloved destination.
Submitted by Alan Stenger,
President of Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
File photo by The Observer
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Franklin County SWCD Fall Fish Sale
Deadline for ordering is Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 4:00 pm. Payment is due with the order. Delivery will take place on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 10:00 am at the Franklin County SWCD office, 10165 Oxford Pike, Brookville, IN 47012. Please plan on picking up fish at the office at that time. There is a 25 species minimum unless stated differently. State law requires the hatchery MUST deliver Grass Carp to your pond! If ordering Grass Carp, include $40 delivery fee with your payment and directions to your pond. Click to download order form.
Submitted by Ashlee Zins
Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District
| | 2025 Franklin County Homecoming Parade Rules | | |
Date: September 26, 2025
Time: 5 PM
Location: Starting at St. Michael School - (Line up begins at 4 PM.)
The 2025 Homecoming Parade will be held on Friday, September 26. The event will begin immediately at 5 PM and will last approximately thirty to forty-five minutes. The parade will begin at St. Michael School, it will take a right, and proceed down Main Street. The procession will take a right on East 9th Street, and will finish by the town pool. Click to download the rules for parade participants.
Submitted by Emily Blades, Student Council Co-Sponsor
Tanya Wirtz, Student Council Co-Sponsor
Photo by Bynum Henson from 2024
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Girl Scouts Visit Local Landmark & Florist
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Photo: Florist Cindy Hall with Girl Scouts Nora Bishoff, Ruby Merchant, Brooklyn Ratz, Taylen Freshour, Paige Gerhard, Addy Rauch, Brianna Rier, Rayna Wooley, Audrey Partin, Charlottes Lamping, Kendall Rauch, Claire Ross, Evie Summey, Georgia Suding. Not pictured: Leaders Cathy Feller and Linda Buchta.
On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, St. Michael Girl Scout Troop 3101, fourth and fifth graders, trekked to Franklin County Seminary a historic Federal-style building in Brookville built in 1831 almost too hundred years ago. This museum is operated by the Franklin County Historical Society. Martha Shea told the girls all about the building. They relived how it was to attend a one room school 200 year ago, saw the desks, individual blackboards, books, and clothes. They saw the rope bed, quilts, photo albums, closets, artifacts, drums, brass trumpets, clocks, looms, chandelier and cribs.
The girls then went to the Four Seasons Florist. Owner Cindy Hall has won awards for her beautiful floral designs. Fourteen girls gathered around Cindy and DeeDee Earhart to learn how to design a bouquet. The girl scouts then had to figure the cost from individual flowers, vase, and labor costs.
St. Michael Girl Scout Troop does many exciting, educational, cultural, nature and enlightening activities.
Submitted by Linda Buchta
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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.
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September Opry Barn Shows
Great events at the MPA Opry Barn in September
Ma Crow & Company Sept 20
Oxford Folk Jazz Sept 27
Click for schedule and tickets.
Submitted by Metamora Performing Arts
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Charity Auction of Playhouse
The WVRTA (Whitewater Valley Retired Teacher Association) is holding a charity online auction for our teacher scholarship fund. We are auctioning off an already constructed playhouse. The playhouse is sitting on display at the Franklin County Art’s Council Building. If you would like to bid on the playhouse you can go directly to the website www.32auctions.com/WVRTA or scan the QR Code to access the site, or make a bid in person on Friday evenings when a member is present at the Art Council building. The auction will end on Friday, September 26 at Noon. Your support would be greatly appreciated.
Submitted by Geannie Hensel &
Cathi St. John
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Batesville Kiwanis AppleFest
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34th Annual Kiwanis AppleFest at Liberty Park – 716 S. Park Ave, Batesville, Indiana.
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Creekside Church Chicken Dinner
Sunday, October 5, 2025
11001 Bossert Road, Brookville, IN 47012
From Facebook
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