DNR Director Cameron Clark announced Thursday that 60 rural and volunteer fire departments from 36 Indiana counties have been awarded more than $250,000 in Volunteer Fire Assistance grants.

And one volunteer fire department in Washington County will benefit — Gibson Twp-Little York VFC who will receive $3,977 for Wildland firefighting.

Grants can be used for training, installation of dry hydrants, or to purchase necessary firefighting equipment and gear to combat wildland fires.

Firefighting efforts in wildland areas require different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated areas.

Working in conjunction with specially designed aerial firefighting aircraft, these wildfire-trained crews suppress flames, construct firelines, and extinguish flames and areas of heat to protect resources and natural wilderness. Wildland fire suppression also addresses the issues of the wildland-urban interface, where populated areas border with wild land areas.

Other local fire departments include Marion Township, Beech Creek Township in Greene County, Owen Salt Creek and Pershing Townships in Jackson County, Shoals VFD in Martin County and Benton, Bloomington and Van Buren Townships and Ellettsville Fire Department in Monroe County.

The DNR Division of Forestry administers the grants that are available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The awarded grants ranged $575 to $5,000 and were given to 60 departments.

DNR Forestry staff review grant applications and select recipients on the basis of population density, acres of public wildlands protected, and wildland fire reporting to DNR Fire Control Headquarters.

Fire departments interested in applying for VFA grants should write Crystal M. Hunt, Program Coordinator, Fire Control Headquarters, 6220 Forest Road, Martinsville, IN, 46151, or call (765) 342-4701.

Fire departments receiving grants in 2016, county where located (in parentheses), amount of the grant, and the project category are:

• Madison Twp. Hoagland VFD (Allen) – $4,664 – Safety
• Woodburn FD (Allen) – $3,063 – Radios
• Hartsville & Community VFD (Bartholomew) – $1,358 – Water handling
• Southwest Bartholomew VFD (Bartholomew) – $2,893 – Safety
• Charlestown VFD (Clark) – $5,000 – Wildland
• Sellersburg VFD (Clark) – $5,000 – Wildland
• Rossville FD (Clinton) – $5,000 – Safety
• Letts Community VFD (Decatur) – $2,400 – Water handling
• Celestine VFD (Dubois) – $2,613 – Wildland
• Dubois VFD (Dubois) – $3,940 – Safety
• Haysville Community VFD (Dubois) – $2,462 – Radios
• Madison Twp. VFD (Dubois) – $3,097 – Water handling
• Schnellville VFD (Dubois) – $3,275 – Radios
• St. Anthony VFD (Dubois) – $3,219 – Water handling
• Georgetown Twp FD (Floyd) – $1,418 – Wildland
• Kingman VFD (Fountain) – $4,800 – Radios
• Aubbeenaubbee Twp VFD (Fulton) – $2,307 – Wildland
• White River Hazelton VFD (Gibson) – $4,963 – Safety
• Eastern FD Beech Creek Twp (Greene) – $4,782 – Radios
• Harrison Twp VFD (Harrison) – $5,000 – Safety
• Jefferson Twp VFD (Henry) – $5,000 – Wildland
• Kennard VFD (Henry) – $669 – Water handling
• Owen Salt Creek Twp VFD (Jackson) – $4,996 – Water handling
• Pershing Twp VFD (Jackson) – $1,849 – Wildland
• Spencer Twp VFD (Jennings) – $5,000 – Safety
• Vincennes Twp VFD (Knox) – $4,420 – Water handling
• LaGrange VFD (LaGrange) – $5,000 – Safety
• Shipshewana VFD (LaGrange) – $5,000 – Safety
• Lowell VFD (Lake) – $3,269 – Water handling
• Cass-Clinton VFD (LaPorte) – $5,000 – Radios
• LaCrosse VFD (LaPorte) – $5,000 – Safety
• Marion Twp RFD (Lawrence) – $5,000 – Safety
• Richland Twp VFD (Madison) – $4,086 – Safety
• Lapaz-North Twp FD (Marshall) – $5,000 – Safety
• Shoals VFD (Martin) – $575 – Wildland
• Benton Twp VFD (Monroe) – $5,000 – Radios
• Bloomington Twp VFD (Monroe) – $5,000 – Wildland
• Ellettsville FD (Monroe) – $5,000 – Safety
• Van Buren Twp FD (Monroe) – $2,250 – Foam
• Ashland & Adams VFD (Morgan) – $410 – Water handling
• Washington Twp VFD (Morgan) – $5,000 – Safety
• Albion VFD (Noble) – $5,000 – Safety
• Bridgeton VFD (Parke) – $2,509 – Wildland
• J.U.G.A. (Bellmore) VFD (Parke) – $5,000 – Foam
• Cannelton VFD (Perry) – $2,912 – Wildland
• Rome VFD (Perry) – $759 – Foam
• Jefferson Twp VFD (Pike) – $5,000 – Safety
• Patoka Twp VFD (Pike) – $2,550 – Radios
• Kouts VFD (Porter) – $4,986 – Water handling
• Morgan Twp VFD (Porter) – $5,000 – Safety
• Porter FD (Porter) – $2,500 – Safety
• White River Twp FD (Randolph) – $4,950 – Safety
• St. Meinrad VFD (Spencer) – $5,000 – Safety
• Liberty Twp VFD (St. Joseph) – $1,235 – Safety
• Southwest Central FT (St. Joseph) – $5,000 – Water handling
• Warren Twp FD (St. Joseph) – $4,950 – Safety
• Seelyville VFD (Vigo) – $4,800 – Safety
• Lagro VFD (Wabash) – $1,672 – Water handling
• Roann VFD (Wabash) – $5,000 – Safety
• Gibson Twp-Little York VFC (Washington) – $3,977 – Wildland

Salem Mayor Troy Merry and the Washington County Commissioners and County Council were all smiles today as they received nearly $2 million in funds from the state’s Community Crossings matching grant funds that totaled $49 million statewide.

With matching funds, the two entities will have nearly $4 million to spend on local streets and roads.

At the Washington County Highway Department today, Tony McClellan, Seymour Deputy Commissioner of INDOT, explained that the money was to be matched by local counties, cities and towns.

“This money comes with a lot less strings attached,” McClellan said. “It can be used more efficiently because you don’t have to follow all the federal regulations.”

The Washington County Commissioners will be meeting in September to approve the 17 projects.

Pam Hasty, who works at the highway garage, said the county submitted an asset plan and plans on what the county wanted to spend the money on.

Additionally, the county received about $980,000 back from the state earlier this year through House Bill 67.

The City of Salem received about $100,000 and both entities will be using that as part of their matching funds for this grant.

Salem received $95,300 and will match to have a total of about $180,000.

“For a city to come up with that kind of money really helps us out,” said Troy Merry. “We can do some things with that money and that frees up other money for other projects. “I’m ecstatic and extremely pleased. We’ve been working on this for awhile and it’s nice to see thing coming together. Now we can get going.”

Merry outlined a few streets that would be worked on through this grant — High Street (getting paved from SR60 to SR56), Cauble Street, Webb Street, Arthur Street (from Main to Martinsburg Road).

Additional work would be done on Homer Street and creating a seamless transition between pavement and bricks on Market Street.

“Both large and small communities in Southern Indiana demonstrated strong commitments to modernizing their roads and bridges and identified matching funds,” said INDOT Commissioner Brandye Hendrickson. “INDOT is pleased to award all of these funding requests within the program’s limit of $1 million per community.”

If you’re looking to file to run for open school board slots at Eastern, Salem and West Washington, you need to see Washington County Clerk Shirley Batt before noon Friday, August. 26.

Here are the filings so far:

East Washington School Corp. – (Vote for one (1) in each twp./town)

• Polk Twp. – Thomas K. Coats 4996 S. Fire Lane Rd. Pekin IN 47165
• Polk Twp. – Ray Ramsey 7975 E. Hurst Rd. Pekin IN 47165
• Town of Pekin – Jeff Clem Jr. 728 S. Gobbler Knob Rd. Pekin IN 47165

There are no incumbents listed so far.

Salem Community Schools – (Vote for four (4) at large candidates)

• Mark E. “Bubba” Abbott 2347 S. James St. Salem IN 47167 (INCUMBENT)
• Erika Garloch 2497 N. New Hope Rd. Salem IN 47167 (INCUMBENT)
• Ron Haendiges 105 Lacey Ct. Salem IN 47167
• Steven R. Motsinger 1275 Patience Lane Salem IN 47167 (INCUMBENT)
• Jason K. Pepmeier 2997 E. Magnolia Ct. Salem IN 47167
• Aaron “Spud” Schocke 6214 N. State Rd. 135 Salem IN 47167
• Lacy Tucker 1853 N. New Hope Rd. Salem IN 47167

Mark Abbott, Steve Motsinger and Erika Garloch are incumbents.

West Washington School Corp. – (Vote for one (1) in each township)

• Madison Twp. – Aaron P. Dennis 180 E. Main St. Campbellsburg IN 47108
• Posey Twp. – Anthony A. Cardwell Jr. 9502 S. Cedar Ln. Hardinsburg IN 47125
• Vernon Twp. – Salvatore (Sal) Sama 2001 S. West Wash. Sch. Rd. Salem 47167

There are no incumbents filed so far in this race.

WSLMRADIO.COM will have the final filings Friday afternoon.

Washington County Circuit Judge Larry Medlock denied bond for Joe Hamble who is in jail on two felony counts of murder in the August 20 shooting of two from Salem.

Medlock said setting a bond would not be appropriate at this time.

A bond hearing was scheduled on Tuesday when Hamble first appeared before Judge Medlock. At that time, Medlock appointed Mark Clark as Hamble’s defense attorney and entered a not-guilty plea.

Hamble was arrested by the Indiana State Police early Saturday evening and charged with Murder, Two Counts, both Felonies, for the deaths of Valerie E. Dicus, 37, and Joseph R. Hobson, 36.

Hamble, 29, 1023 Aspen Drive, Apartment 13, told officers Saturday he used a .32 caliber handgun to kill Hobson at 304 West Small Street.

He also told police the gun went off in a struggle with Hobson and accidentally shot Dicus — whom he was related to —  when he went to the home early Saturday morning because he believed they were dealing drugs there.

Three tornadoes touched down Wednesday afternoon in Indiana, damaging numerous structures in Kokomo and leaving 15-20 people injured, authorities said.

The National Weather Service issued warnings for the community of Kokomo, 40 miles north of Indianapolis.

The tornado landed about 10 miles east of the city,.

A dispatcher with Howard County Sheriff’s Department added that reports of injuries and damage are coming in.

The weather service added another tornado touched down northwest of the Montgomery County town of New Ross