Sebastien Bourdais has won endurance races such as the Spa 24 Hours, sports car races like the inaugural Brickyard Grand Prix, V8 Supercar races, and 31 Indy car races.
Adding the Rolex 24 At Daytona overall victory to his hall of fame resume Jan. 26 was personally satisfying.
Bourdais continued the streak of IndyCar Series drivers to win the twice-around-the-clock race to four consecutive years. Bourdais, who turns 35 on Feb. 28, teamed with Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi as the Action Express Racing Corvette Prototype held off a restart challenge by the Wayne Taylor Racing car following a full-course caution with eight minutes left to win by 1.461 seconds.
“It’s one of those historic races that you just want to put on your resume,” said Bourdais, who has been the runner-up three times in the 24 Hours Le Mans in his home town. “It’s done today, and it was done fighting hard for it and it really feels good for the entire Team Chevy and everybody because we went and grabbed this one.”
Next up for the four-time Champ Car champion are the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and IndyCar Series championship. Bourdais commences the IndyCar Series season March 30 in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in the Chevrolet-powered No. 11 KVSH Racing car.
“I’m elated that he’s going to come into the season after this victory and boost his confidence, which has been building with his finish last year of top-10 finishes in four of the final five races,” said KV Racing Technology co-owner Jimmy Vasser, the 1996 Champ Car champion. “You don’t win 31 races and four championships in a row if you don’t know how to win. He led that team and had the fastest lap and he was just phenomenal. I’m really happy for him and look forward to what lies in store for the IndyCar Series season.”
More than a dozen IndyCar Series drivers competed in the 52nd annual race. Charlie Kimball (2013), Justin Wilson (2012) and Graham Rahal (2011) were the previous IndyCar Series drivers in the streak to earn the signature watch. Last year, Ryan Hunter-Reay (second) and Wilson presented a sweep for IndyCar Series drivers.
WSLM proved the slogan “When you’re in WSLM COUNTRY – YOU’RE IN REDS COUNTRY” true last Thursday when Cincinnati Reds affiliate WSLM 1220 AM hosted the South group of the Reds Caravan for a historical stop in Salem at the American Legion.
“I was very pleased to be able to bring the Cincinnati Reds Caravan to Salem for the first time in our 200 year history,” said Becky White, WSLM owner and general manager. “Unfortunately it wasn’t an event open to the general public, but hopefully in years to come we can involve different Reds fans in our listening area.”
Fox Sports Broadcaster Thom Brennamen talks with Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty at the American Legion in Salem.Reds Team Mascot Mr. Red Legs applies a Reds sticker to the head of Bradie Shrum Elementary School Principal Brent Minton during the Reds Caravan stop in Salem last week. WSLM, an affiliate of the Reds on Radio Network, hosted the event.Becky White, owner and GM of WSLM Radio welcome guests to the American Legion last Thursday for a historical first visit to Salem by the Cincinnati Reds baseball team during their Caravan Tour across the tri-state area.Mayor David Bower presented a certificate to Chief Operating Officer of the Reds, Phil Castellini, son of team owner Bob Castellini . Bower proclaimed Thursday, Jan. 25 as REDS DAYS IN SALEMBecky White of WSLM hosted the Cincinnati Reds at the Legion for over an hour as fans, WSLM staff and guests posed for photos and had items autographed.Fox Broadcasters Jim Day, left, and Thom Brennamen, far right, flank outfielder Ryan LaMarre, catcher Corky Miller, Becky White, WSLM owner and GM, and pitcher Mat Lattos.
The stop in Salem lasted about 75 minutes and involved Reds pitcher Mat Lattos, Reds catcher Corky Miller, general manager Walt Jocketty, minor league outfielder Ryan LaMarre, chief operating officer Phil Castellini, Fox Sports broadcasters Thom Brennaman and Jim Day, as well as Mr. Redlegs.
Mayor David Bower was on hand to present Castellini with a certificate proclaiming January 25 as REDS DAY IN SALEM.
“When Becky told me the Reds were coming to Salem, I didn’t know what to expect,” said Bower. “She’s actually got big name Reds personnel here – the owner’s son, the general manager and top players! She’s doing a wonderful job with WSLM and the community should be proud of her accomplishments.”
Others along for the Caravan were members of Cincinnati USA Travel, who sponsored the event.
“I want to thank the staff of the American Legion hosting the event as well as Newlon’s Grocery, Redneck BBQ and Sav-A-Lot for their donations,” said White. “We had about 60 in attendance and the Reds were fantastic! They spoke to everyone on a personal level, signed autographs and posed for pictures. It was a very personal stop and I was thrilled to be able to give that experience to Reds fans in the WSLM listening area.”
The Reds Caravan involves stops at public events, such as the one at Louisville Bats stadium and the Bloomington College Mall and stops like this, at affiliate Reds stations.
“We became a Reds affiliate two years ago and last fall signed a three-year extension,” said White. WSLM 1220 AM reaches more than 39 counties in Southern Indiana, Northern Kentucky and Western Illinois. “They wanted to fill in some areas that weren’t covered and we were able to help them do that. The commitment to baseball on the radio by the Castellini family has been tremendous.”
When the Castellini family took over the Reds a few years ago, the number of Reds radio affiliates were at less than 50. Now the number stands at well over 100.
During an Affiliate Day message, team owner Bob Castellini told broadcasters, “Radio is very important to us because it helps us reach fans and connect with them. There’s nothing like setting on the front porch on a summer night listening to a baseball game.”
“I was so thrilled to hear him say that,” said White, “because radio does what other mediums can’t do. It connects listeners with programming and builds a relationship through the radio. For the Reds, that translates into baseball fans who want to go to Great American Ball Park to see their favorite players and get the experience of a lifetime by watching a game in a Major League baseball stadium.”
Spring training games begin on WSLM with an opening game with the Cleveland Indians on February 26 at 3:05p.
Opening day of regular season will be Monday, March 31 at Cincinnati with the St. Louis Cardinals at 4:10p.
WSLM will be giving away Reds tickets and other Reds items throughout the spring and summer so be sure and listen for your chance to play on the air or go to www.wslmradio.com/contests to sign up to win.
Reds fans buying ticket plans can choose their seats for the 2014 season at the annual Select-A-Seat event tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the FOX Sports Ohio Champions Club at Great American Ball Park.
Members of the Reds Caravan – including Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, Sam LeCure, Billy Hamilton, Corky Miller, Ryan LaMarre, Bryan Price, Walt Jocketty, Marty Brennaman and more – will conduct a Q&A at noon.
Fox Broadcaster Thom Brennamen speaks with Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty for FOX Sports 19 in Cincinnati while at the American Legion in Salem. Becky White, Owner and GM of WSLM, hosted the private stop for WSLM listeners, sports staff and business partners.
“Select-A-Seat is the best way for fans to sit in different seats around the ballpark, determine what locations are right for them and personalize their Reds experience for the 2014 season,” said Mark Schueler, Reds Senior Director of Ticket Sales. “And we are extending the deadline to Jan. 26 for fans to lock in early pricing discounts.”
2014 Season Ticket Plans (guarantee OPENING DAY tickets options)
Start as low as $9 per game:
• 20-game Plans (four different plans available)
• 39-game Weekend Plan
• 40-game Half Season Mix
• 42-game Weekday/Night Plan
• 81-game Full Season Plan
All Season Ticket plans (20 games or more) include the opportunity to purchase tickets to 2014 Postseason home games and presale tickets to the “Burn It Down” Tour concert at Great American Ball Park featuring Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and more. (Date of concert will be announced soon)
Fans purchasing a season ticket plan (20 games or more) will have the chance to meet members of the Reds Caravan and collect their autographs on a baseball.
Select-A-Seat is free and open to the public and cash parking is available in the Great American Ball Park and The Banks garages.
The third annual Southern Region Soil Health Workshop will be held Tuesday, Jan. 28, at Cornerstone Hall, 1700 N. Jim Day Rd., Salem.
Doors open at 8 a.m.; sessions begin at 8:30 and continue to 3:30 p.m. There is a $10 registration fee which includes breakfast, lunch and materials.
Sponsoring agencies are area soil and water conservation districts, Clean Water Indiana, Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc., Purdue Extension, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Cover Crop Solutions and the Mill Creek-Blue River Watershed Project.
National, state and local speakers will talk about a variety of agricultural production topics including the Southeast Cover Crop Report; improving soil health with gypsum; building a no-till system; the benefits of microbial action in the soil and regulatory topic and applicator credits.
Sponsors are Clean Water Indiana; Southeast Farm Bureau Counties, Inc.; Simpson Agri Trucking; Neff Family Fertilizer;White River Co-op; Cover Crop Solutions and Tillage Radish.
For more information, contact the SWCD office, 883-3704.
Telephone customers are about to see a lot more about the area code overlay that will make 10-digit dialing mandatory later this year in southern Indiana.
Telecommunication providers are scheduled to give a Feb. 1 notification to their customers about the overlay, which will mix new telephone numbers with a 930 area code into the existing 812 region.
But some mailings that spell out important dates and new dialing instructions already have gone out in the mail.
Police made several arrests after Indiana Conservation Officers uncovered clues linking suspects to multiple burglaries and thefts in the southern Indiana area.
49-year-old Lowell Tom Wilson of Palmyra was arrested by Conservation Officers and incarcerated at the Washington County Jail on charges of receiving stolen property and auto theft.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Monday, an off-duty Indiana Conservation Officer received a call from a citizen who witnessed two males abandon an Oldsmobile Bravada and set it on fire outside of Fredericksburg. After setting the fire the men fled on foot.
Conservation Officers quickly located and arrested Wilson, who was also in possession of stolen jewelry and credit cards.
A short while later, 30-year-old Jeremy Henley, of Palmyra, was located and arrested by a Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy.
After police spoke with both the investigation led police to Crawford County.
On Wednesday, an Indiana Conservation Officer in Crawford County located a vehicle and trailer registered to an acquaintance of Wilson’s abandoned near a home that had been burglarized. Among the stolen items recovered were a television, air compressor, and stereo equipment.
As a result of this investigation, numerous theft and burglary cases involving ATVs and other personal items have been solved. The investigation is ongoing by multiple agencies, and additional charges and arrests are possible.
As the area deals with ROUND 2 of ARTIC BLAST and numerous homeowners and business owners in Orleans reporting more frozen and/busted water lines.
Orleans town officials and its water department are urging residents to make preparations to prevent water damage from frozen and burst pipes and water meters.
When temperatures fall below zero:
If pipes are in an area that makes them vulnerable to the cold, consider allowing a small trickle of water from both your cold and hot water faucets to run overnight to keep pipes from freezing.
The cost of the extra water is low compared to the cost to repair a broken pipe.
Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures.
If your pipes freeze:
Shut off the water immediately. Don’t attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints that will leak when thawed.
Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to the pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space heater, or hot water. Be sure not to leave space heaters unattended and avoid the use of kerosene heaters or open flames.
Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks.
To further help protect your pipes in cold winter weather; keep these helpful tips in mind.
Make sure everyone in your home knows where the main water shut-off valve is and how to turn it off and on. If a pipe freezes or bursts, shut the water off immediately.
Search your house for un-insulated pipes, especially in unheated areas. Consider wrapping pipes with electric heating tape, but follow manufacturers’ instructions carefully to avoid a fire hazard.
Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations, especially where cable TV or phone lines enter the house, with caulking to keep cold winds away from pipes.
If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly. Close them when water appears.
Make certain that the water to your hose bibs is shut off inside your house (via a turnoff valve), and that the lines are disconnected and drained.
Drain and shut off entirely the water to any unoccupied residence. A loss of power during a winter storm could cause pipes to freeze. If you intend to leave a property entirely without heat, be sure to drain all water to prevent the possibility of frozen pipes.
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller urges Hoosiers to conserve the amount of propane they are using to heat their homes as supply shortages worsen due to recent winter weather storm conditions.
Zoller said his office is monitoring propane prices and warning consumers to conserve the amount of propane used to heat their homes.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence ordered restrictions on propane transport to be eased through Jan. 31 to help increase Indiana’s supply.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a regional emergency declaration for the Midwest last Sunday. It covered Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
According to the Indiana Propane Gas Association, the regional emergency declaration meant propane drivers would not be limited by the number of hours they are on the road. This waiver would allow propane drivers to travel farther to get propane, in order to take it back to their state for their customers. This emergency declaration could be in place until next month.
“Consumers have likely noticed the spike in propane prices as the costs of heating their homes have jumped significantly,” Zoeller said. “To help protect consumers from being illegally gouged, our office is closely monitoring the price of propane sold at all levels of the market. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to the current situation so we urge consumers to take adequate precautions now to make sure their homes stay warm during these frigid temperatures.”
Zoeller offered the following tips to consumers who use propane as their primary home heating source:
Turn down your thermostat and monitor your household’s use of hot water and time cooking using the stove or oven;
Closely monitor your propane tank’s levels as delayed home deliveries may result from the overall supply shortage;
If possible, use alternative sources of heat to supplement your household’s use of propane; and
If you are out of heat, contact the state’s 2-1-1 hotline to connect with local organizations who are providing assistance.
Hoosiers who want to report suspected price gouging can do so by calling the Attorney General’s Office hotline toll-free at 1-866-241-9753 or visiting www.IndianaConsumer.com.
