The Washington County Purdue Extension Office and the 4-H Junior Leaders are taking orders for Christmas cheese balls.

Call 812-883-4601 or contact a 4-H Junior Leader to order your
cheese ball. Cheese balls will be made on:

Wednesday, December 22 nd – Pick up orders between 12:00-3:00 p.m. Call in order by Wednesday, December 15 th .

All cheese balls must be picked up at the Extension Office if ordered through the Extension Office.

If ordered through a Junior Leader, the Junior Leader will deliver the cheese ball to you.

The Purdue Extension-Washington County Office is located on the lower level of the Washington County Government Building at 806 Martinsburg Road, Suite 104, in Salem.

The Jr. Leader cheese balls cost $8 each and are made of cream cheese, chipped beef, and spices.

They can be rolled in parsley or pecans, or left plain.

A portion of the sales price of this product will be used to promote Washington County 4-H Jr. Leader educational programs.

No endorsement of the product by 4-H is implied or intended.

Indiana State Police initiated a criminal investigation after receiving information from the Vigo County Department of Child Services that a child, under the age of 14, had been molested.

The investigation revealed that Kenneth M. Smithee, age 51, of Terre Haute, IN, allegedly molested a female juvenile under the age of 14.

After reviewing the investigation, the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant on November 29, 2021.  Smithee was arrested this morning without incident.  

Investigating Officer:  Indiana State Police Senior Trooper Detective Don Curtis of the Putnamville Post.

Assisting Agency:  Vigo County Department of Child Services and Susie’s Place.

Arrested and Charges: Kennedy M. Smithee, 51, Terre Haute, IN

• Child Molesting where defendant is at least 21 years of age, Class 1 Felony (2 counts)
• Child Molesting Fondling or Touching with child under 14, Class 4 Felony 

A Washington County man was sentenced Nov. 22 to 30 years on charges in a 2019 case involving threats and explosives, said Prosecutor Dustin Houchin.

Darren R. Terrell, 49, was sentenced in Washington County Circuit Court to four years on the charge of a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, a Level 4 felony,  and 26 years on the possession of a destructive device or explosive, a Level 2 felony. The sentences are to be served consecutively.

The judge suspended four years and Terrell will receive credit for 1,009 days already served.

“This was a serious case that posed a very real threat of injury or death to the defendant’s own mother,” said Prosecutor Houchin. “This sentence sends a clear message that such behavior will be taken seriously and prosecuted accordingly.”

The incident began Oct. 22, 2019, when Terrell threatened to blow up his mother’s house and her vehicle, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Terrell had told his mother to leave the house, but warned her not to start her vehicle because it was rigged with explosives and would blow up if she started it.

When police arrived, Terrell was in the basement of the Martinsburg Road home.

Terrell had outstanding warrants and had told his daughter he was not going back to jail, but planned to create havoc on his motorcycle leading to a suicide by cop scenario,

While officers were at the home, they heard a motorcycle start inside the garage.

The door opened and Terrell rode out on a Harley Davidson, ignoring the uniformed officers’ orders to stop. He was able to evade law enforcement’s pursuit.

On Oct. 24, Sheriff Brent Miller was contacted by Terrell who told him he had 28 sticks of explosives.

In a good faith effort, Terrell told Miller where 10 sticks of dynamite were hidden, adding he would tell officials where the other 18 sticks were if Miller would ensure all charges against him were dropped.

Police and an ATF officer located the 10 sticks of explosives where Terrell said they would be.

On Oct. 27, police caught up with Terrell, who had crashed his motorcycle.

After being medically cleared he was arrested. The following day officers located 19 sticks of dynamite hidden on property behind a barn.

Terrell was sentenced after previously entering a plea agreement in the Washington Circuit Court.

Members of the 1970-71 Salem High School basketball team will be honored during a reunion on Saturday, December 4th, when Salem opens its home season against Henryville.

Members of the team and coaching staff will be recognized during halftime of the varsity game.

It was just over 50 years ago that the basketball team left its mark in the Salem record books by winning the IHSAA regional and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.

A reunion had been planned last year, but was postponed due to COVID-19.

Led by first-year coach Gary Duncan, the Lions marched through the regular season with a 15-5 record (including a third-place finish in the Mid-Southern Conference with a 6-3 mark)
and they also captured the Washington County Holiday Tournament title.

In 1970-71 (when there was no class basketball in the Indiana state tournament) Salem won three games to capture the IHSAA Sectional title on its home court.

The championship game of the sectional went into double overtime before the Lions won, 68-66 over Corydon, to
avenge a regular season loss.

The following week, Salem traveled to Huntingburg for the regional, and defeated Springs Valley in the afternoon game before upsetting Jasper, 76-73, to claim the school’s first
regional title in 32 years.

Although the season ended at the Evansville semi-state the next weekend in a loss to Floyd Central, Salem ended with a 20-win, 6-loss record.

Duncan is expected to attend the game on Saturday along with other school officials, players, managers and cheerleaders from the team.

Salem School Board members and former Salem Middle School principal Ray Oppel was assistant coach and Max Bedwell was principal and athletic director.

Seniors on the team were Bill House, who averaged 15.3 points a game, and Ron Mitchell, who averaged 15.5 points both of whom earned All-Mid Southern Conference honors, and Gary Martin, who received Honorable Mention on the All-Conference team.

Also on the team from the Class of 1971 were Jim Pugh, Larry Purlee, Rick Hinton, Terry Price and the late Bill Klein.

Members of the team from the junior class were Larry Humphrey, Steve Johnson and Steve Spaulding, while sophomore David Pitts rounded out the tournament squad.

Student managers of the team were: Richard Simpson, Rodney Gross and Mark Nixon, while seniors Julie DeJean and Dr. Teresa Williams and juniors Sue Brough Humphrey, Sandy
Garriott and Glenda Lawson Howell were cheerleaders.

Duncan was named a member of the 60th Men’s Induction Class to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Duncan coached basketball for 21 seasons as head coach at Salem and Southridge where he finished his basketball career in 2010.

He is a 1963 graduate of Oakland City High School and 1967 graduate of Oakland City College, he spent 21 seasons as head coach at Salem and Southridge high schools. 

Highlighting his 19 years and 279 wins at Southridge were 1985 and 1986 state finals appearances – the 1985 team was the only team in one-class state finals history to reach the final four with no seniors.

His two-year stint at Salem to begin his career included a 20-6 season with 1971 sectional and regional championships in his first season as a head coach. 

In all, his teams won 303 games (.627), eight sectionals, three regionals and two semi-states. 

Duncan retired from coaching in 2010. He was inducted into the Oakland City University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009. He and his wife, Donna, reside in Huntingburg.

The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame’s 60^th Men’s Awards Banquet is scheduled to take place Wednesday, March 23, 2022. 

The day’s events will include a reception at the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame museum in New Castle that afternoon with a banquet that evening at the Primo Banquet Hall in Indianapolis.