On March 2, 2020, Deputies Johnney Coomer, Jessica Dickey, Skylar Thompson and John Smith went to a local business in Scottsburg in an attempt to serve an outstanding arrest warrant.  Upon arrival, an investigation led to the arrest of two people.  Natasha Prosser, 33, of Austin was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Failure to Comply and received additional charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Maintaining a Common Nuisance.  Michael Cole, 37, of Scottsburg was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance and Possession of Paraphernalia. 

On March 2, 2020, Deputy Skylar Thompson conducted a traffic stop in Scottsburg.  An investigation led to the arrest of Shelly Tallon, 44, of Scottsburg for an out of county warrant.  Shelly Tallon received additional charges of Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Paraphernalia and Neglect of a Dependent. 

On March 2, 2020, Deputies Zach Brown and Johnney Coomer checked a male walking in Austin.  An investigation led to the arrest of Darrell Mcintosh, 36, of Austin for Possession of Methamphetamine. 

Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness Week will run during the third full week of March. 

The Indiana Broadcasters Association (IBA) in cooperation with the National Weather Service (NWS) is conducting a test of the state Emergency Alert System (EAS) on Wednesday, March 18^th at 10:15 a.m. EDT (9:15 CT) that will include a Live Tornado Warning alert. 

The 15-minute alert is done to ensure the system is working properly in the event of an actual tornado.
 
The test is part of Severe Weather Preparedness Week which runs March 15-21 and includes coordinated efforts to work with their residents, businesses, and government agencies across Indiana on preparedness activities.

In the event of severe or inclement weather, the test will be rescheduled and held on the morning of Thursday, March 19th.

Monday the Yes in My Backyard (YIMBY) Act (H.R. 4351) passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support, after being approved by the House Financial Services Committee last week.

Introduced by Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN) and Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA) on September 17, 2019, YIMBY requires Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) recipients to report on policies to remove barriers that impact access to housing for Hoosiers and all Americans.

Specifically, the YIMBY Act requires reporting under the existing Consolidated Plan on the implementation of certain land-use policies, including enacting high-density single-family and multi-family zoning and allowing manufactured homes in areas zoned primarily for single-family residential homes, among others, to promote housing production and increase affordability.

According to Up for Growth Action, a non-profit organization that focuses on housing affordability, from 2000 – 2015 the United States underproduced housing by 7.3 million homes. One considerable barrier to housing construction has been zoning and land use policies that stifle construction and have a significant impact on housing availability. As these regulations have increased, the result is fewer homes built and untenable housing costs.

H.R. 4351 seeks to increase transparency in land use and zoning decisions while encouraging localities to eliminate barriers to housing

“America is missing millions of homes, and solving our nationwide housing crisis will require federal, state and local governments to work together towards this shared goal,” said Heck. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant and we need to identify and reduce barriers to housing construction at the local level. In passing the YIMBY Act, I am proud that Congress is taking a critical first step towards bringing relief to cost-burdened renters and homeowners across America.”

“We want more affordable homes for American families,” said Hollingsworth. “Today’s bipartisan passage of YIMBY signals strong support across the aisle to reform our nation’s housing regulations at all levels of government.”

The CDBG program provides annual grants to states and local units of government to develop communities by providing decent housing and expanding economic opportunities.

Recognizing that CDBG funds are critical for localities, the YIMBY Act seeks to encourage local governments and CDBG practitioners to work together to address severe housing underproduction and improve the lives of families and individuals who are negatively impacted by a lack of affordable housing.

H.R. 4351 is supported by the American Planning Association, Congress for New Urbanism, Council for Affordable and Rural Housing, Habitat for Humanity International, Housing Advisory Group, Leading Builders of America, Manufactured Housing Institute, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Apartment Association, National Association of REALTORS, National Leased Housing Association, National Community Stabilization Trust, National Multifamily Housing Council, Prosperity Now, Real Estate Roundtable, Smart Growth America, YIMBY Action, and Up for Growth Action.

The Washington County Sheep Association is hosting “A Taste of Lamb” on Friday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Southern Hills Church located just south of Salem on State Road 135.

This year the “Taste of Lamb” will feature a Lamb Cook-off. Attendees will enjoy a complete meal featuring approximately six locally grown lamb dishes.

Attendees will then vote for their favorite lamb dish and prizes will be awarded to the top three. Those in attendance will also learn how to prepare the lamb, and can take home recipes to try.

The cost for “A Taste of Lamb” meal is $10 per person. Reservations are required. Please RSVP by calling the Purdue Extension – Washington County office at 812-883-4601 by Friday, March 13.

The Washington County Sheep Association has also created a Lamb Cookbook with more than 170 lamb recipes. These cookbooks will be for sale at the Taste of Lamb or can be purchased from the Purdue Extension – Washington County
office (806 Martinsburg Rd., Suite 104, Salem) for $10 each.