French Lick Resort is gearing up for another big summer, and as
travel continues its return to normal after the pandemic, the Resort is taking some proactive measures to meet the challenges of the current business and labor market.

One is a workforce housing initiative representing the first new subdivision built in the French Lick/West Baden community in more than 60 years.

The other is the launch of the French Lick Support Center, an
off-site office opening in Clarksville, Indiana.

“These two projects go hand-in-hand in addressing the recruiting challenges we’ve faced,” said Chuck Franz, Vice President of Cook Group, the parent company of French Lick Resort. “And everybody faces it.
The resort is not alone. We’re thinking outside the box and trying different things in terms of trying to re-engineer the business.”

Clarksville office slated for July opening

Franz expects it will be an enticing prospect to job-seekers in the Clark and Floyd county area: working for a world-class resort while doing so with the convenience of staying close to home.

The Resort’s new Support Center will be located in the Green Tree Plaza, and staffing efforts are already ramping up. Interested candidates can attend a job fair and open interviews Saturday, May 14 from 11
a.m. to 8 p.m. inside the Green Tree Mall near JCPenney.

The immediate need is for Reservations Agents who will work from the Clarksville office once it opens.

The Resort is also hiring for marketing positions including a marketing coordinator and video producer.

Franz’s hope is that casting a wider recruiting net into the Louisville area will yield results when it comes to hiring for more specialized positions.
“With this move, we’re pulling from an applicant pool of a quarter-million people,” Franz said.

Franz figures French Lick Resort already has a pretty good head start in establishing itself in a community 60 miles to the east.

“The idea is trying to build a presence. The resort has a good reputation down there through the myriad of people I talk with. French Lick Resort has been a destination to them for most of their lives as somewhere they go for a vacation or a stay-cation,” Franz said. “We have a good following in the Clark and Floyd County area — let’s create a presence there, which will not only help build our remote office, it could also help with our efforts to fill on-campus positions as well.”

When it opens this summer, the new Support Center will start with about 10 associates, Franz said. Over time, that’s likely to expand.

“We should be able to accommodate up to 25 for growth,” Franz said.

Building Dozens of New Homes in the Community

For a community that hasn’t had a new housing development built in more than a half-century, this is an initiative that’s been a long time coming. Not since the early 1960s has a substantial housing development been built in the French Lick/West Baden community.

“If you look at the homes around here, most of them were built in the 1920s and 30s when the heyday of the hotels was,” Franz said. “We’ve been at this project for 4-5 years, trying to get somebody to come
in and build new homes because we saw the need. While our population in Orange County has remained steady, it hasn’t grown. You’ve got to be showing some growth. If you don’t address it, your school enrollment will decrease and the local business community will struggle.”

Cook Group decided to take the lead in addressing the critical need for workforce housing, especially during the ongoing housing price spike. Locally in French Lick and West Baden, the Cook-owned French
Lick Resort has built its own team of local contractors who are invested in and live in the community.

The idea was to build the first round of new and affordable houses, and re-invest those revenues to build the next set, and the next set, and so on.
So far, the first four homes have been completed on resort-owned land along Abbeydell Pike on the outskirts of West Baden Springs.

Ground has been broken on the next three houses.

The first three-bedroom, two-bathroom houses sold for $155,000.

New homes are going up “about as fast as we can go,” Franz said. Between the main area on Abbeydell Road and another on Klondike Hill, Franz envisions more than 100 new home constructions long-term.

“We’ve got enough land out on Abbeydell to build 75, and land behind the Resort on Klondike for about 25 homes,” Franz said. “The demand is there. The goal for 2022, if we can get through home number 12, that will be a heck of a year to have eight more transacted.”

The resort has partnered with Orange County Economic Development to get the word out and identify eligible homebuyers.

The only requirement is the owners must work in Orange County. Buyers are determined by a lottery system.

The first four houses went to people from four of the community’s major employers: French Lick Resort, Boston International, Pluto Corporation, and the Springs Valley School Corporation.

“In typical Cook fashion, we’ve streamlined the process and we’re doing better as we go,” Franz said. “There’s a different style home going up now; the first four were ranch, the next seven will be two-story. The interest level just continues to grow.”

The French Lick/West Baden initiative is part of a larger initiative by Cook Group to bring desperately needed workforce housing to the communities it serves — particularly rural areas.

Earlier this year, Cook announced plans for 90 new homes in Owen County, not far from Cook’s headquarters in Bloomington.

“Addressing the shortage of workforce housing within our region will be a multi-year effort,” said Steve Ferguson, chairman of the board for Cook Group. “We believe in making our communities stronger and
investing in workforce housing is one way we will continue to help our employees and communities reach their full potential, including a dream of home-ownership.”

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces the closure of State Road 337 for a bridge replacement near Orleans.

Beginning on or around Wednesday, May 18, contractors will close S.R. 337 about four miles south of S.R. 37 to replace the bridge spanning the Lost River.

During this project, workers will completely replace the bridge decking, including complete removal of the surface and sub-surface, exposing the beams.

Work on this project is scheduled to last until the beginning of October depending on weather conditions.

During the operation, the road will be completely closed at the worksite. All local traffic will have access up to the point of closure, but traffic should use the official detour following S.R. 37 and S.R. 56.

INDOT urges drivers to slow down and stay alert near crews.

Indiana Department of Transportation maintenance crews plan to begin chip seal operations next week on S.R. 250 in Jackson and Jennings Counties.

Work will take place starting this week between I-65 at Uniontown and S.R. 3 near Paris Crossing.

Motorists can expect daily closures from approximately 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. along this stretch of road.

Access will be maintained for local residents, school buses, and emergency personnel.

Chip seal operations typically last three to four days per location depending upon the weather.

During operations, the existing pavement is coated with liquid asphalt, which seals cracks and provides waterproof protection. This extends the service life of the roadway and lowers maintenance costs.

Once the seal coat is complete, loose aggregate is applied and swept from the road. After a curing period, crews will return to fog seal the new driving surface and apply pavement markings.

Chip seal is a cost-effective pavement preservation technique that is utilized across the state of Indiana, saving an estimated six to 14 dollars in taxpayer expenditures for every dollar invested in extending the life of a roadway.

INDOT reminds drivers to slow down, avoid distractions, and consider worker safety when traveling through active work zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change. 

Another construction closure will stop traffic in the heart of Salem on May 31 when the intersection of Main and Hackberry Streets will be closed for about 30 days.

Indiana Department of Transportation contractor Milestone Contractors LP plans to close the intersection of S.R. 135 and S.R. 56 in Salem on or after Tuesday, May 31, to continue work on a $13.2 million roadway reconstruction project that began in March. 

Following the Memorial Day holiday, the intersection will close for up to 30 days as crews install storm drains and reconstruct the pavement and curb ramps in the area.

The official detour for the intersection closure is I-65 at Scottsburg (Exit 29) to S.R. 250 at Uniontown (Exit 41).

State Road 56 remains closed between S.R. 135 and Harrison Street for pavement reconstruction.

Replacing the bridge over Brock Creek is also planned.

By the end of the contract, nearly a mile and a half of pavement on S.R. 56 will be replaced between S.R. 60 and S.R. 135.

The reconstruction portion of the project is scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2023.

Patching, milling, and paving are also scheduled this year on a short section of S.R. 135, north of S.R. 56.

State Road 135 will remain open to traffic throughout the paving project, but with lane closures and flagging.

The completion date for resurfacing S.R. 135 is in late June 2022.

The contract was awarded to Milestone last December for a total of $13,292,500. Drivers are reminded to slow down, use extra caution, and drive distraction-free in and near construction zones. All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change.

The originally-planned “credit” for City of Salem water customers isn’t happening as originally planned, according a news release sent this afternoon on behalf of City of Salem Mayor Justin Green.

However, customers will get relief in the form of an extension of a “stay” on the planned water rate increase for another 30 days, which Green said would be worth more to customers than a credit would have been. 

The Salem Board of Works voted unanimously on February 2 to formulate a refund to the water bills of local residents and businesses due to water issues earlier this year. 

They also agreed to put a 90-day stay on the water rate increase that was to have went into affect in February.

According to Green, the City and the Board of Works has been working with the water bill vendor to come up with a solution to compensate customers.

“This ultimately was decided as the most efficient way possible to credit our customers, and will ultimately mean a lower bill for a longer period of time, rather than a credit in the traditional sense,” said Mayor Green. “We appreciate our customers’ understanding during this process and as we have worked out the details with our vendor.”

He said they have determined the best way to apply a “credit” will be through an extension of the delayed implementation of a water rate increase.

Green said the rate increase was to have gone into effect into February. The board voted at that time to extend put that off for 90 days, which would have been up this month.

Green said the Board of Works recently passed an extra 30-day extension to the planned water rate increase to offset the credit amount.

The total delay of the water rate increase is now 120 days, making a tentative effective date of June 2, 2022 for the planned increase.

This all started with several water issues in January and February that resulted in water pressure and low-flow issues for most of the City of Salem and Pekin customers.

Green said the anticipated credit on Salem Utilities customer bills would be handled differently than originally planned due to the inability of the billing vendor to apply credits of usage.

“We certainly are accommodating our customers for their patience with the disruption of service, however, the vendor is unable to apply credits, so we have to approach it a little differently. This was only recently discovered when the request was made,” said Green.

Any customers who have further questions are encouraged to contact Salem Utilities at 812-883-3937.

It will be a Battle of two Belles and a Countess along the Ohio River as the Liberty Financial Great Steamboat Race, returns this afternoon.

The Belle of Louisville, and her rival from up river, the Belle of Cincinnati, along with the American Countess, will compete for bragging rights and the coveted Silver Antlers at this long-running Festival favorite.

“It wouldn’t be Derby week without the Great Steamboat Race,” said Matt Gibson, KDF President & CEO. “We look forward to having fans return to the Waterfront this year to cheer on all three boats, and may the best one win!”

From three boats to three brothers. A special tasting was held this morning with the new Official Bourbon of this year’s Great Steamboat Race – Louisville’s Brough Brothers Distillery. The Distillery is owned and operated by brothers Victor, Bryson and Chris Yarbrough. The tasting was held today to select which batch of bourbon will be served on the Belle of Louisville during the race.

“We grew up watching the Great Steamboat Race and to be able to participate as a sponsor now has come full circle for us,” said Victor Yarbrough, CEO of Brough Brothers Distillery. Brough Brothers Distillery is the first African American-owned distillery in Kentucky. And they’ll be serving their bourbon on the Belle of Louisville – the oldest operating Mississippi River-style steamboat in the world.

Liberty Financial joins the event as the new Title Sponsor in 2022. “As a director of Kentucky Derby Festival and Commercial Lending VP with Liberty Financial, it was a natural partnership between the two,” says Leslie Raeber-Eberle, Vice President, Commercial Banker at Liberty Financial. “We are proud to sponsor Kentucky Derby Festival and, be it long overdue, to celebrate with our city!”

The 14-mile course on the Ohio River starts and finishes at the Clark Memorial Bridge. Each boat will be assigned two judges, in addition to an overall event judge from the Derby Festival. The majority decision of the judges will be final. The winner will be presented with the set of 12-point Silver Antlers at the post-race ceremony.

Boarding for the Great Steamboat Race will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., with all the boats departing the shore at 5:45 for a 6 p.m. start. The Awards Ceremony will take place immediately following on the Chow Wagon Stage at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront. Tickets for the Belle of Louisville are sold out but to purchase tickets on the Belle of Cincinnati, call (800) 261-8586.

Liberty Financial is the Title Sponsor of this year’s race, joining Contributing Sponsors Brough Brothers Distillery and PPL Therapeutic Services, PLLC; Supporting Sponsor Creative Charters; and Media Sponsor: Q103.1. Official Bourbon is Brough Brothers Distillery.

Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan is reminding Hoosiers that May 3^rd, is Primary Election Day.

WSLM will be providing live election coverage beginning after polls close at 6p. Becky White and Brad Gilbert will be broadcasting live from the Washington County Clerk’s office. 

The coverage will also be streamed on Facebook and YouTube. 

On Primary Election Day, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Hoosiers can check their voting status, see polling locations, and view a sample ballot at IndianaVoters.com.

“Exercising the right to vote is foundational to our nation’s democracy. I hope all Hoosiers who have not had the opportunity to vote early cast their ballots on Primary Election Day,” Secretary Sullivan said. “Hoosiers can go to the polls with confidence thanks to the work of election administrators in each of Indiana’s 92 counties to ensure safe and secure elections.”

Thus far, more than 155,000 Hoosiers have already cast their ballots, including more than 120,000 people who have voted during Indiana’s early in-person voting period.

More than half of Indiana counties now offer vote centers, which allow voters to cast a ballot at any polling location in their county. A valid photo ID is required to vote.

Hoosiers may also call the toll-free Hoosier Voter Hotline at 866-IN-1-VOTE to speak directly to a representative for information, polling locations and to file grievances. Staff will be on hand to answer calls from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET on Election Day.

According to state statute, the Secretary of State shall request Indiana news media to include a copy of the Voter’s Bill of Rights as part of election coverage. Access the Indiana Voter’s Bill of Rights here: https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/voter-information/voters-rights/indiana-voters-bill-of-rights/

Here are the voting locations in Washington County — 

An accident in Spencer County has claimed the life of a 61-Year-Old Indianapolis man.

Dead is Phillip Everett Brown, Jr., 61, 5105 Knollton Road. He was driving a 2016 Honda. 

Injured in the accident was Ronald Wayne Harper Jr., 27, 
1231 Main Street, Tell City. He was driving a 2014 Ford Explorer.

Shortly after 5:00 AM CST, the Honda SUV was traveling eastbound on SR66 near Old Lamar Hwy in Spencer County.

For unknown reasons the Honda drove off of the roadway, overcorrected and traveled left of center into the path of a Spencer County Deputy driving westbound.

The vehicles collided in the westbound lane.

Brown was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Harper was transported to an Owensboro Hospital for treatment then flown to a Louisville Hospital for further treatment.

Harper’s injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in this crash.

Assisting at the scene were: The Spencer County Sheriffs Department, Perry County Sheriffs Department, Spencer County Coroners Office, Chrisney Volunteer Fire Department, Grandview Fire Department, New Boston Fire Department, Spencer County EMS and INDOT.