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:

• Thursday, December 19th – Pick up orders between 5:00-7:00 p.m. Call in order by Thursday, December 12^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.  

All persons shall have equal opportunity and access to our programs and facilities without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, or disability.

Huston (R) was the only candidate in a closed-door Republican caucus to replace the retiring Brian Bosma. Bosma will preside over most of the 2020 session but step aside as speaker a few days before adjournment. That’s when final decisions are being made on the biggest bills, but Bosma says those calls have typically been made by the full leadership team — he says the transition won’t be that different.

Huston will spend most of the session learning the behind-the-scenes aspects of the job, then be sworn in as speaker a few days before adjournment. He says he’s excited at the opportunity to play a key role as Indiana adjusts to changes in the economy and the state’s population.

Huston says bringing health costs under control will be a top priority — Bosma and Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray (R-Martinsville) have said that will be a key focus of the upcoming session. But Huston says the state also needs to plan for rising energy costs. He says both are critical pieces of the economic climate Indiana presents to prospective businesses. And he says he’ll use his two-month apprenticeship to get up to speed on a full range of issues beyond those he’s focused on in the past.

Huston says he’ll seek to continue what he says has been Bosma’s record of encouraging bipartisan cooperation and civil disagreement.

Huston is in his fourth term in the House, after serving as chief of staff to former state school superintendent Tony Bennett. He co-chaired the Ways and Means Committee this year, taking the lead in writing a new state budget and the sports betting law, while Chairman Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville) completed his recovery from a 2018 motorcycle crash. Bosma says Brown will resume full control of the committee this session, though Huston will remain a member of the panel.

Bosma is the longest-serving speaker in Indiana history. He announced his retirement two weeks ago. He plans to resign from the House sometime after the May primary.

Fishers deputy mayor Leah McGrath announced her candidacy for Bosma’s House seat on Monday, the first candidate to do so. The district covers parts of Marion, Hamilton and Hancock Counties.

Celebrating 26 years of a community tradition, Orange County Players will stage its Yuletide Madrigal dinners Dec. 12, 13 and 14 at Paoli First Presbyterian Church.

Performances will begin at 7 p.m. and include the traditional 5-course madrigal feast and a chamber ensemble concert of period music. Guests sit family-style at large tables to complete the feel of a medieval feast.

Paoli First Presbyterian Church will prepare the medieval meal, which includes salad, pork loin, apple-raisin dressing, new potatoes, green beans, bread, and date cake.

Doors will open at 6:30.

The Madrigal began in 1993 as a dream of Larry Hollan and Gary Spear. This duo had worked on many productions together and Spear had performed with the Indiana State Madrigal group during his college years. It was decided that this kind of production should be brought to southern Indiana. So in 1993, the production of the first-ever Orange County Players Madrigal began under the direction of Spear with Hollan taking on the role of assistant director and production coordinator.

Yuletide Madrigals are performed near Christmas with a focus on that special and sacred time of the year. The OCP Madrigal is performed each year at the end of the first full week of December.

Gary Spear will direct this year’s event and Larry Hollan will serve as the assistant director/coordinator.

Singing in OCP’s madrigal this year are sopranos Kristina Allen, Megan Foye, Claire Hester Goller, and Darlene Larrison. Altos include Hanna McClure Combs, Beverly Hester, Denise Straley, and Maria Wishart. Tenors include Patrick Fields and Kate Henderson. The bass section features Steve Byfield, Howard Detweiller, Mike Hester, Hollan, and Sam Kinsey. Bard Casey Foy.

The madrigal concert will feature traditional 14th and 15th-century music including “Alleluia Incantation,” “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Magnificat,” “If Ye Love Me,” Cherubim Song,” “Hallowed” and “The First Nowell.”

Tickets cost $20 per person from cast members or $18 plus a small fee if purchased on Eventbrite. Call (765) 607-0996 for reservations or questions.

On December 2, 2019, Deputy Johnney Coomer was dispatched to Blocher area in reference to a hit and run.

Upon arrival, Deputy Coomer made contact with the reporting party and driver of one vehicle. He advised that a truck struck the back of his vehicle and refused to stop.

The reporting party followed the truck to a residence in Blocher and attempted to speak with him.

The reporting party observed the driver of the truck to be intoxicated. As Deputy Coomer was taking a statement, the truck in question with the driver was observed driving past them.

Deputy Coomer initiated a traffic stop and make contact with the driver, William Kerrigan, age 31, of Springfield, OH.

Further investigation revealed that Kerrigan appeared to be under the influence and involvement in the accident that was reported.

He was taken into custody and transported to the Scott County Jail.

Kerrigan was charged with OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC INTOXICATION, OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED – REFUSAL, and LEAVING THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT.

The Clark County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 181 and Clark County Sheriff‘s Office Shop with a Cop program will take place Wednesday, December 4, 2019, at 5 p.m. Employees of the CCSO will be hosting 40 children on a holiday shopping trip at Jeffersonville Meijer. 

Participants will be transported to Meijer via a caravan of police cars from the Clark County Sheriff‘s Office. Once there, each child receives $300 to spend on gifts for themselves and their families. 

After the shopping spree, participants will be provided with a holiday meal and celebration with special guests, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, donated by Lakeside Reflections. 

Funds to support FOP 181 and Clark County Sheriff‘s Office Shop with a Cop Program are raised through donations and events throughout the year. Numerous individuals, businesses, organizations, and employees of the CCSO, help to ensure each year is a success. 

Prior to this year, the Shop with a Cop program was promoted, hosted, and sponsored by the Clark County F.O.P. Lodge 181 solely. This year, Sheriff Jamey Noel and the Clark County Sheriff‘s Office partnered to strengthen the program. 

This year over $20,000 was raised, which far exceeded last year‘s total of under $9000. “Sheriff Noel believes we made a great decision after seeing the results of our partnership with the FOP Lodge 181,” stated Colonel Scottie Maples, “we hope to continue this partnership in the future and greatly appreciate everyone who donated to the program.” 

We are thankful for our generous donors: Volkswagen of Clarksville, On–site Heating and Air, Kevin Puckett Underwriting, Red Ball Recycling, Judge Brad Jacobs, Old Guys Car Club, Children and Family Advocates of Clark County, Isaacs Automotive, Jeremy Snelling, Mayor Mike Moore, R&R Auto Sales, New Washington State Bank, Regina and James Disponett (In loving memory of Dave Disponett), Scottie Maples, Tucker‘s Garage, Hill‘s Auto Sales, Tim Harbin, Lichtefeld INC, Hughbanks Family Insurance, Meijer of Jeffersonville, West Clark Schools, Chris Spencer and Sheriff Jamey Noel.