The Mitchell Persimmon Festival will be in full swing throughout the week, with musical acts, rides, contests and other events.

The festival queen will be crowned tonight on the Main Street stage, and the parade will step off starting at 2 p.m.
Saturday.

The Persimmon Pudding and Novelty Dessert Contest, os slated for Sept. 27, will take place at the Mitchell First Church of God’s Fellowship Hall, 405 12th St.

Registration is free and takes place from 8­11 a.m. No entries will be accepted after 11 a.m. Entries for the pudding contest must be a 4­inch by 4­inch piece and must be placed on an 8­ or 9 ­inch white paper plate, covered with wax paper or plastic wrap.

No topping of any kind is allowed, and no recipe is needed at the time of judging. Novelty dessert entries must be a nice ­sized portion placed in a disposable container with a lid or some other kind of covering.

Persimmon pulp must be the largest, or one of the largest, ingredients in the concoction. Novelty dessert entries can include anything, except cookies.

The recipe for the novelty desserts must be submitted during registration and must include the name of the dessert and the name of the person entering the dessert on the right­hand corner of the back side of the recipe card.

Recipes written on sheets of paper will not be accepted. If rules are not followed, entries will be disqualified before judging as the rules are strictly enforced.

The winner of the pudding contest receives $200. The novelty contest winner receives $100. Awards and cash prizes are given for first­, second­, third­ and fourth ­place and six honorable mentions in both contests.

Names of the winners will be posted on the window of Holmes Hardware in downtown Mitchell about 1 p.m. Sept. 27, just before the start of the parade. Winners will be announced on the Main Street stage, after the parade at 4:15 p.m. At that time, the winning pudding recipe will be needed so it should be brought to the Main Street stage with contestants.

For more information on the contest, call Alverta Hart at 849­3441. The pudding contest originated with the first Persimmon Festival and has continued every year since 1947. It has been a staple part of the festival, honoring the cooks who take the top prize.

A nearly one month long investigation culminated in the arrest of two parents on a total of three dozen charges.

Arrested were Rachel D. Davis, 38 and Andrew G. Davis, 39, both of 330 West Mount Horeb Road, Orleans, IN. They were charged with Nine counts each: Sales to Minors:Sell, Barter, Exchange, Provide or Furnish Alcoholic Beverages – Misdemeanor; and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor – Misdemeanor

On August 27, Trooper Craig Starr began an investigation on a complaint of two parties in Orange County in which minors were served and provided alcoholic beverages by the parents of one of the teenagers.

Through his investigation, Trooper Starr, with the assistance of Orleans Chief of Police Roy McFarland, learned that on August 8 and August 15, Rachel D. Davis, 38, and Andrew G. Davis, 39, both of Orleans, had purchased and provided alcoholic beverages for parties hosted at their house by their daughter.

Trooper Starr learned that during the parties, Rachel and Andrew Davis had gone so far as to mix drinks for the teenagers, as well as set up tables for drinking games. Information obtained also showed that Rachel Davis had encouraged the teenagers to deny that the drinking had occurred.

After conducting interviews and taking numerous statements, the case and information was turned over to the Orange County Prosecutor’s Office, who filed through the Orange County Circuit Court nine counts of Providing or Furnishing Minors with Alcoholic Beverages and nine counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor against both Rachel and Andrew Davis.

Trooper Starr served both with the warrants on Thursday, September 18.

An Indiana State Excise Police officer cited an Evansville restaurant and arrested its owner on drug charges Saturday evening.

La Cabana, 821 S. Green River Road in Evansville, was preliminarily cited for dealing in unauthorized beverages by purchasing alcohol from an unauthorized source and failing to maintain a high and fine reputation after an excise officer arrested the owner for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

The excise officer initially went to the restaurant around 8:50 p.m. Saturday to investigate information that the business may have been dealing in unauthorized beverages by purchasing alcohol from an unauthorized source.

As a result of the officer’s investigation, restaurant owner Lazaro Correa, 49, of Evansville, was arrested on preliminary charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of paraphernalia.

While speaking with Correa concerning receipts for alcoholic beverages, the officer went with Correa to his vehicle, where the restaurant owner said he had documents concerning the alcohol purchases. Not realizing that the officer could see him, Correa attempted to conceal a glass pipe and a plastic bag containing suspected methamphetamine on the floorboard of his car.

On July 20, 2013, La Cabana was cited for allowing carry-in of alcoholic beverages and violating the scope of the restaurant’s permit by purchasing alcohol from an unauthorized source. The restaurant paid a $500.00 fine.

On Jan. 20, 2010, La Cabana was cited for sale of alcohol to a minor. The restaurant paid a $500.00 fine.

On Aug. 20, 2008, La Cabana was cited for altering floor plans without approval, failure to maintain employee permit records and employing an unlicensed server. The restaurant paid a $300.00 fine.

Evansville Police Department officers assisted with this investigation.

As the enforcement division of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, the primary mission of the Indiana State Excise Police is to promote public safety by enforcing Indiana’s Alcoholic Beverage Code. While excise officers have the authority to enforce any state law, they focus primarily on alcohol, tobacco and related laws.

All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

All respondents are to be presumed not liable until, and unless the plaintiff can prove by preponderance of the evidence the respondent’s liability in an administrative hearing.