The Ohio River town of Vevay in Switzerland County has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, capping a multi-year effort by community activists, local agencies, and the DNR’s Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology (DHPA).

Encompassing 275 historic buildings on 100 acres, the Vevay Historic District includes some of Indiana’s finest Greek Revival buildings. The Schenck House on West Market and the Grisard House on East Main, both large brick mansions, date to the 1840s. Both stand out for their refined, classically inspired porches and details.

Vevay’s downtown area includes many well-preserved cast iron storefronts. George L. Mesker & Co. in Evansville made most of the storefronts in the 1890s and early 1900s. Other architectural treasures from the 1900s include the town’s original Carnegie library, completed in 1917, which now serves as town hall.

Indiana has more than 1,970 listings on the National Register of Historic Places, including downtown districts like Vevay, parks, bridges, civic spaces, and archaeological sites. For more information about Indiana’s National Register program, see dnr.IN.gov/historic.

This morning, at approximately 6:30 am, troopers with the Indiana State Police along with deputies with the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash involving a school bus on State Road 7 at State Road 3 near Vernon, Indiana.

The initial investigation by the Indiana State Police-Versailles Crash Reconstruction Team indicated that a 2016 International School Bus, owned by the Jennings County School Corporation, being driven by Robert J. Ringer, age 72, North Vernon, was traveling southbound on State Road 7. 

A 2013 Chevrolet truck, being driven by Harry T. Palmer, age 48, North Vernon, was traveling northbound on State Road 7. 

Palmer attempted to turn southbound onto State Road 3 in front of the bus.  The bus struck the passenger side of Palmer’s vehicle.  The bus came to stop in the middle of State Road 7.  Palmer’s vehicle came to rest just off the roadway. 

Robert Ringer was not injured in the crash.  A passenger on the bus, Mary Boyd, age 74, North Vernon, sustained fatal injuries in the crash.  She was transported to St. Vincent-Jennings Hospital where she was pronounced deceased. 

Palmer and a passenger in his vehicle, Steven P. Graham, age 44, North Vernon, where both transported to St. Vincent-Jennings Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Boyd was a bus aide that road on the bus route to monitor the students.  She had been employed with the Jennings County School Corporation as an aide for approximately ten years.  No students were on the bus at the time of the crash.

Toxicology results are pending at this time.  The investigation is ongoing.

Mary Boyd’s family has been notified.

The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office, Jennings County EMS, Vernon Fire Department, the Jennings County Coroner’s Office, and the Jennings County School Corporation.

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.