Benefit to be held for Versailles couple

Beth Rumsey, Staff Writer

"For a moment, I lost concentration,” said George Smith, Versailles. Smith was mowing around a pond located on his property on October 14, 2006, when something in the pond caught his eye. Without stopping, he glanced over and that is when the tractor rolled over.

Beth Rumsey, Staff Writer

Shawna Bushhorn, Ripley County Assessor, requested extra funds at the April 21 meeting of the Ripley County Commissioners. She also requested the funds not come out of her budget, but the general fund. She said her office is compliant in their portion of the tax process, but the auditor’s office is not. Bushhorn said a report that is sent to the DLGF (Department of Local Government Finance) by both offices does not have matching parcel numbers. If both are not compliant, she stated the annual budget for the county will not get reviewed. “I’m compliant, the auditor is not,” she told commissioners therefore requesting the funds to get the situation fixed shouldn’t come from her fund.

Wanda English Burnett, Editor

Although students at South Ripley High School knew the car crash was staged, the impact of the scene was still shocking last Friday, April 18, as it unfolded on the front lawn of the school on Benham Road, Versailles.

The scenario was a quartet of girls who with the decision to either drink and drive or ride with someone who did, changed their lives forever. Students would also realize how their decisions not only affect them, but their families and friends.

Di Giovonni's Cafe has ribbon cutting

See details inside...

Wanda English Burnett, Editor

Vincent E. Simon, 42, of Osgood, was found guilty on all three counts of Incest after a special judge heard the case in Ripley County Circuit Court last week. The verdict was given on Tuesday, April 15, at 1:40 p.m. before a filled courtroom.

Beth Rumsey, Staff Writer

Representatives of the Ripley County Humane Society came before the Versailles Town Council regarding complaints of dogs that were shot by Versailles Town Marshal, Joe Mann. DeeDee Holliday, president of the RCHS, presented photos of the incident to the town council members. Town Council President John Holzer reassured Holliday that the situation had been taken care of. According to Mann, the police department had received complaints that the dogs were involved in a biting incident. He said that he could not capture the dogs, and believed that he was within his legal rights to handle the situation as he did.

Wanda English Burnett, Editor

The grim reality of the war in Iraq came closer to home recently as news that the remains of tri-state soldier SSGT Matt Maupin of Clermont County, Ohio, were found almost four years to the day after he was captured, April 9, 2004.

Cathy May, Contributing Writer

Wilma Myers read from her notes at the Holton Town Board meeting in April, “On Tuesday, the Holton Hometowners hosted a meal for the Ripley County Democrats. For the first time since it opened I was ashamed of our community building. It was so dirty. It should be a showplace at all times. When I was on the Holton Town Board and the building needed cleaned, I cleaned it myself as I thought that was an obligation of a board member.”

Beth Rumsey, Staff Writer

Brandi Fischvogt, INDOT Local Programs coordinator Seymour District, requested an update on the Bridge #89 repair project at the April 7 commissioners meeting. According to Fischvogt, the cost estimate for repairs to the bridge was $700,000, with $560,000 awarded to Ripley County in 2005.

Wanda English Burnett, Editor

The air was crisp, their steps deliberate, as members of South Ripley’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) took to the sidewalks surrounding the Ripley County Courthouse last Saturday morning, April 5. They were walking for a purpose, with each step they took representing their determination to not lose a classmate or someone they love from a dangerous decision such as drinking and driving. The theme for the Walk-A-Thon was “Changing Decisions Step by Step.”

Plan commission approves part of rezone request

Cathy May, Contributing Writer

At the April meeting of the Ripley County Area Plan Commission, Attorney Amy Streator, POA for Peter L. Hillenbrand, presented an application to rezone 60 acres from the Residential-1 District to the General Business District. The property is located at 857 Six Pine Ranch Road in Batesville.

Wanda English Burnett, Editor

While Representative Cleo Duncan described the recent legislative session as intense, she also told those gathered at the Crossroads Restaurant in Versailles on Tuesday that “it was one of the most productive sessions” she has ever participated in. “It was truly a history making session that will impact the future of Hoosiers forever,” she noted.

Beth Rumsey, Staff Writer

“This story really has a bite!” laughs David Chandler of Cross Plains. Chandler and others in the town of Cross Plains banded together to help an elderly lady in need. Ella Smutherman, or Miss Ella to her friends, was in need of a set of dentures. According to Miss Ella, her first pair of dentures wore out in her forties, and being on a limited income, she was unable to replace them. “I just learned to do without,” she shared with The Versailles Republican.

Unusual March weather challenges county workers

Beth Rumsey, Staff Writer

The old adage, March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, certainly proved true for Ripley County residents this year. A snow storm began on March 7 and dumped nearly 16 inches of snow throughout the county. Local schools were dismissed early as well as many business and county offices. Due to dangerous road conditions, the Ripley County Commissioners declared a Level II snow emergency, advising residents to stay off the roads except for emergencies.